Final advice on build
Final advice on build
Hello everyone, this is my first time here. I’ve been away from the scene for a while, but with Windows 11 tightening up soon and having the funds available right now, I’m planning a fresh PC setup. It would serve multiple purposes:
Gaming (covering a range from classic titles to Paradox games, including titles like Indiana Jones/Cyberpunk)
Work (Office tasks; I also handle some MATLAB work, though not very demanding)
Photo editing using Lightroom CC
I’m based in the Netherlands and have a budget of approximately 1600 euros. I’m using 1080p resolution and intend to stick with it for the near future. Most components I’ve already selected include:
- AMD Ryzen 7 9700X 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor (chosen mainly for multicore performance and compatibility with Paradox games; X3D is at least 75 euros more)
- Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler
- Gigabyte B850 EAGLE WIFI6E ATX AM5 Motherboard
- Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory
- Western Digital WD_BLACK SN7100 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD
I’m also considering a Pure Base 501 Airflow ATX Mid Tower case and a Pure Power 13 M 750 W 80+ Gold Certified fully modular ATX power supply (based on the PSU list, it looks like a solid choice).
I have space for an RTX 5070 or RX 9070 (XT) within the budget. However, I’d appreciate some guidance on the GPU and power supply choices, especially regarding:
- My preference for the 5070, but the RX 9070 is only 30 euros more (582 vs 550) and appears to offer better performance. I’m planning to do some ray tracing and don’t want to upgrade in 4–5 years. Which would be more sensible?
- A proposal suggested the 9070 XT, but with an additional 70–80 euros and about 12% more performance, plus my CPU being a 9700X, would that still make sense? At this resolution, could the 9700X cause a bottleneck?
- Would a 750 W power supply suffice for handling temporary power spikes from either card? Or should I aim for 850 W?
Thank you all for your time.
Yes, the price hike is worth it. The R7 9800X3D stands out in gaming, especially at 1080p, offering a noticeable FPS improvement of around 20 frames per second. Source: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/amd-r...3d/18.html The inclusion of the 3D cache significantly enhances performance in games. I initially considered alternatives like the R5 9600X or R7 9700X, but ultimately chose the R7 9800X3D because I intend to use a more powerful CPU for ten years, and a stronger processor will last longer. Additionally, I enjoy simulation games that demand a robust CPU. The motherboard supports 8+2+2 VRM, rated at 55A with Dr.MOS technology. Potential issues could arise from the main VRM phases (CPU voltage instability, high temperatures, overall system instability). More main VRM phases generally lead to better stability for both CPU and system. For the R5 9600X or R7 9700X CPUs, I would expect a minimum of 12 main phase VRM configurations. Also, for my R7 9800X3D CPU, I opted for a motherboard with 20+2+1 VRM, rated at 110A with SPS (Super Voltage Switch), which is preferable to Dr.MOS solutions. The board used is AsRock X870E Nova Wifi. Please note that the SSD is DRAM-less, and I wouldn’t recommend purchasing it. Review: Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybIXsrLCgdM For my setup, I chose a Samsung 9100 Pro 2TB PCI-E 5.0 SSD. Also, if you select a motherboard that supports PCI-E 5.0 drives, it’s best to go with a PCI-E 5.0 drive as well. The power supply you plan to install should be an ATX model rated for 3.x, capable of handling power spikes up to double its rated capacity—ideally around 1500W. This ensures sufficient power for the GPUs you’re considering. In terms of performance differences, the RX 9070 offers a slight edge over the RTX 5070 without Ray Tracing, but with Ray Tracing, the RTX 5070 becomes more competitive. The difference is minimal—around 4%. Source: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/power...nd/37.html It’s not crucial which GPU you pick, but Nvidia cards generally perform better with Ray Tracing compared to Radeon models.
PCPartPicker Produktliste
Prozessor:
AMD Ryzen 7 9700X 3.8 GHz 8-Kern Prozessor
(€294.90 bei Megekko)
Kühlung:
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 Digital 88.89 CFM CPU Cooler
(€44.90 bei Amazon Nederland)
Mainboard:
Gigabyte B650 EAGLE AX ATX AM5 Mainboard
(€137.99 bei Amazon Nederland)
Speicher:
ADATA XPG Lancer Blade 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Speicher
(€147.19 bei Amazon Nederland)
Speicherkarten:
Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 5.0 X2 NVMe Festplatte
(€137.96 bei Amazon Nederland)
Grafikkarte:
Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB Grafikkarte
(€651.99 bei Amazon Nederland)
Schachtel:
BitFenix FLOW ATX Mid Tower Schachtel
(€48.54 bei Amazon Nederland)
Leistungsversorgung:
NZXT C850 (2024) 850 W 80+ Gold Zertifiziert Vollmodulare ATX Stromversorgung
(€129.90 bei Megekko)
Gesamt:
€1593.37
Preise beinhalten Versand, Steuern und Rabatte bei Vorliebe
Erstellt von
PCPartPicker
2025-11-06 13:23 CET+0100
Budget slightly exceeded, still achieving a minimum of 7800x3d. You mentioned not planning an upgrade for some time, but with AM5 there’s still a viable path forward. Updated BIOS, new CPU installation, and swapping the old one make the 9700x with 9070xt in the previous build another strong contender.
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor (€389.00 @ Azerty)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 Digital 88.89 CFM (€44.90 @ Amazon Netherlands)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B650 GAMING X AX V2 ATX AM5 (€154.99 @ Amazon Netherlands)
Memory: ADATA XPG Lancer Blade 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 (€147.19 @ Amazon Netherlands)
Storage: Western Digital WD_BLACK SN7100 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD (€129.90 @ bol.)
Video Card: ASRock Challenger Radeon RX 9070 16 GB Video Card (€579.00 @ Azerty)
Case: BitFenix FLOW ATX Mid Tower Case (€48.54 @ Amazon Netherlands)
Power Supply: SeaSonic CORE GX ATX 3 (2024) 850 W, 80+ Gold Certified, Fully Modular (€115.90 @ Alternate)
Total: €1609.42
Includes shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts
Generated by PCPartPicker
2025-11-06 13:46 CET+0100
Thank you for your feedback. I looked at the upgrade set with the 7800x3d and DDR5 6000 CL36 memory priced at 700 euros. It seems like a reasonable choice given the current high costs of RAM and SSDs, as well as the rising prices of CL30. The 9070XT at 652 euros appears to be a decent offer, especially since the cheapest model is around 580 euros. I selected the quiet power supply because it met my expectations in terms of wattage and quality. Regarding the 850 W Seasonic, it would be better than the A tier option, even though it’s B rated.
atx 3.1 has the baked in +200% load transient response. The seasonic is probly atx 2.1 where you'd rely on extra capacity so the transients don't exceed it.
There's an 'old but gold' non atx3.1 unit somewhere on the
tier list
that gets an A rating for solid design since the stone age, rare.
Whyay, economy is the bulk of it. False economy on a rig that demands reliability. Cut corners here, next stop is rig emergency room.
Is that Seasonic unit Core GX-850 ATX 3.0? If yes, adding 100W extra watts doesn't make sense for a build with much lower quality PSU.
This model is basically any Seasonic PRIME series unit. It has consistently been one of the top performers (possibly the best) since 2016 when the initial PRIME units were released.
Even I have two PRIME units running—original PRIME 80+ Titanium [SSR-650TD], a solid Tier A+ model since 2016, and my second PRIME unit is PRIME Ultra 80+ Titanium [SSR-650TR], another strong Tier A+ model since 2017.
The same applies to any Seasonic Focus unit as well (except SFX). All of them remain Tier A since 2017.
Hello everyone, I had some gift cards on hand, which helped reduce the SSD expense, and I found a package for the 7800X3D, motherboard, and RAM. The savings made it possible to purchase an 850 W Pure Power 13M. Now I’m left deciding what GPU to choose for 1080p, thinking about what will be better in the future.
They would both function well, but keep in mind the RX 9070 XT is only about 10% faster. It's up to you—RX 9070s are quite adjustable, and you might be able to make the 9070 match the performance of a 9070 XT.