Get Guidance on Building a New System Support for Creating a New System
Get Guidance on Building a New System Support for Creating a New System
Long time user, lost old profile... But could use some assistance. I recall the prebuilt system lists as the best place for computer information, and I also loved the top GPU recommendations in each price range articles. Please assist me with ideas that might help my situation. The main focus should be on budget, followed by performance. My favorite game is Star Citizen, and it has been a long time since I had my PC working properly to play this game. I need a highly capable system so it can run the game smoothly, but not one at the very top of performance (since you get much less power per dollar at the highest levels).
Star Citizen hasn’t been optimized yet, so I’d like a build with a good upgrade path for the future. My last try didn’t go well.
Besides gaming, I do heavy video editing using the full videocopilot suite for 3D rendering through After Effects. That means I want components that can cut down render times. My previous setup used 64 GB of DDR4 and ran the entire VFX program in RAM with a ramdisk. Years ago this gave better results, but I’m not sure if CPU architecture has changed.
From my old system, I own an ASRock x99 Killer board that always performed poorly for me. I should have taken it back, but I didn’t want to disassemble the computer. Now I can get it RMA for about 100 dollars, but I think it’s better to invest in new motherboard technology. I also have a 64 GB DDR4 module from Ballistix at 2400 MHz.
Essentially everything needed for a fresh build, monitor, and more. Open to any suggestions like water cooling or case upgrades. My original plan was a bigger case with more fans for better cooling, but building a system that fits my preferences seemed challenging.
Bonus: If you can help me understand how your recommendations could be improved in the near future, it would be great. My previous graphics card was an ATI, and I’ve heard After Effects renders are faster with NVIDIA architecture. This was what I knew 6+ years ago, and I’m not sure if it’s still true today. These points are just some of the reasons I need your help, as there could be many more factors I don’t know now.
On another gaming front, I play competitive Rocket League. It seems performance is heavily influenced by input lag. Are there components that could improve this with better internet or USB architecture?
...................the main focus will be on the budget................
500?
1500?
2500?
Having a full inventory of current parts, including model numbers, could assist in assessing potential reuse.
Sure, the budget will be the top priority. I’d really like to invest heavily in an editing rig and a high-speed gaming monitor—probably two monitors unless you’re willing to spend a lot on an OLED display for a striking 1000. You can definitely afford peripherals with a 1ms polling rate, but there aren’t many real improvements in latency beyond the monitors. The 2400GT/s memory is quite old; with DDR5 6400 available, there’s no real competition. I’d recommend selling that memory soon while it still has some value. A fast NVMe drive would be sufficient, and you probably won’t need a RAM drive. Nvidia CUDA is more commonly used than AMD’s or OpenCL, so it makes sense to go with it. However, high-end editors usually require a lot of VRAM, which can become expensive for older GPUs. What you’re aiming for is achievable with a basic mid-tower case—something simple, maybe Micro ATX.
Budget is the most important, but I don't have a set budget .... Definitely looking around 1500 or 2500, but there's much ground in between, and I have flexibility beyond. What I attempted to explain is that I would like discuss high powered components, but stopping where the power per dollar drops off significantly. There's a threshold where Uber enthusiasts spend a bunch to be at the bleeding edge.
The only carryover part I trust are the Ballistix 2400 ddr4, which are 8gb units.
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It sounds bad when I say that I want power at a budget cost, because that isn't it. My choices are more about efficiency of cost, but retaining the ability to upgrade. An example is that I might get a less powerful cpu, but a mobo that I will be able to upgrade with a more powerful cpu in the near future.
My knowledge base doesn't allow me to know how much I need to spend on a system these days for capable video rendering. That is a main reason that I am open to different budgets. If I can get power for under 1k great, but I expect it to be more expensive.
This likely directs you toward AMD. The forthcoming Intel processors from the 14000 line will utilize the existing 1700 socket. However, the one released in 2024 will employ a different socket. Therefore, any Intel machine produced this year won't be upgradeable beyond the 14000 series—you'd need to purchase a new motherboard for the 15000 series.
Consumer boards offer a maximum of four slots, which would revert you to 32GB of slow memory. There isn’t a much better alternative using DDR4 that fits within that budget. At this stage, the old Threadripper seems to be the best option.
AM5 demands DDR5, while Intel 12th to 14th generation supports DDR4, though the memory sizes remain limited—32GB at 2400 MHz versus 128GB at 5200 or 64GB at 6000. Tasks needing heavy processing improve with higher investment. For consumer-grade systems, spending around $600 on a CPU is typical, $1600 on a GPU, and $200–300 on memory. Going beyond that would require a budget over $10,000. AMD Threadripper Pro, Epyc, or the less available Intel Sapphire Rapids Xeons are possible alternatives.
So here is a very high end build. You can drop the processor down to 12 cores 7900X, or if you want to maximize gaming 7800X3D. Or you could pay the premium for the 7950X3D which has half the chip like the 7800X3D and the other half like the normal 7800X. It makes it complicated to manage when the 3D vcache is used vs the higher speed cores. (Sacrifice clock speed for cache, which is good for games, but not great for general processing) Could drop down all the way to the six core 7600X and still have a decent workstation with many upgrade options in the future.
128GB of DDR5, no absolute guarantee it will run at that speed, might require tweaking to get all 128GB to work. DDR5 is partially ECC, so makes for a good workstation with going full ECC memory. Easily drop down to 64GB and maybe even increase the memory speed to 6400. Recent AMD AGESA update allows for much higher speeds.
RTX 4090 is the biggest GPU available. Very good for games, but also works wonders in video editing that supports CUDA processing. 8K editing is very feasible.
RTX 4060 Ti has 16GG of memory available, but is a much smaller GPU. At $500 it is a poor gaming GPU. GPUs like the AMD RX6800 or 6800XT are a better choice for gaming, but as you say, support for Nvidia on the workstation side is better.
You could also opt to locate a used RTX3090, which is about 50% slower than the 4090 for about $800-900, but still has that 24GB of VRAM. Or a brand new AMD 7900XTX with 24GB of memory for about the same.
I have put in a range of excellent monitors. A good 1080p gaming monitor with a 240hz refresh, a good 4K monitor with good color reproduction, and a good mix for gaming and editing 1440p OLED monitor which has excellent color, deep blacks, and the smallest possible latency. At extreme cost though. Also some 4K OLED that are basically adapted TVs in the 40" plus size range.
Chassis is pretty straight forward, lots of airflow (Right in the name)
Power supply is sized to the GPU, but the minimum to spend for a decent PSU is about $100.
Could potentially spend more on the motherboard and get more flexible I/O like thunderbolt or USB4 and faster networking if you have that need. Though you can always get faster networking with an expansion card. Thunderbolt is a little special, have to have the compatibility on the motherboard.
Mouse and keyboard, I am a big fan of Logitech G series mice and keyboards. Even the lightspeed wireless offers that 1ms polling rate I mentioned. Mechanical keyboards are an option as well. G305 I am using right now is like $40, I have several for home and office.
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU:
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 4.5 GHz 16-Core Processor
($535.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler:
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler
($47.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard:
MSI PRO X670-P WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard
($199.99 @ Amazon)
Memory:
G.Skill Ripjaws S5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-5600 CL30 Memory
($174.99 @ Amazon)
Memory:
G.Skill Ripjaws S5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-5600 CL30 Memory
($174.99 @ Amazon)
Storage:
Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
($119.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card:
PNY VERTO GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB Video Card
($1599.99 @ Newegg)
Case:
Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case
($94.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply:
Corsair RM1000e (2023) 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
($160.11 @ Amazon)
Monitor:
Samsung Odyssey G40B 25.0" 1920 x 1080 240 Hz Monitor
($259.00 @ Amazon)
Monitor:
Dell S2722QC 27.0" 3840 x 2160 60 Hz Monitor
($380.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor:
Acer Predator X27U bmiipruzx 27.0" 2560 x 1440 240 Hz Monitor
($799.99 @ Newegg)
Total:
$4546.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by
PCPartPicker
2023-08-10 14:46 EDT-0400
Intel alternative options:
This setup features eight highly efficient CPU cores designed for demanding multithreaded applications, complemented by sixteen efficiency cores ideal for heavy workloads.
Performance specs:
- 8 ultra-fast CPU cores
- 16 efficiency cores for large-scale tasks
- 16GB RAM available
- 4060Ti processor with 16GB VRAM (new release)
Display suggestions:
- High-resolution gaming monitor at 4K 60Hz or a 1440p screen for better performance
- Recommended monitor: [link to ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQ1A](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/TXTzK8/...r-vg27aq1a)
Component list:
CPU: Intel Core i9-13900 2 GHz 24-core processor
Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 66.17 CFM
Motherboard: ASRock B760M Steel Legend WiFi Micro ATX LGA1700
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws S5 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5-5600 CL30
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVMe SSD
Video Card: Gigabyte GAMING OC GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower
Power Supply: Corsair RM750e (2023) 750W, 80+ Gold certified
Monitor: Dell S2722QC 27.0" 3840x2160 60Hz
Total cost: Approximately $2307.83 including shipping and taxes.
Lafong shares useful details about motherboards that don’t support the latest chips, which is exactly what I find helpful at Tom's. This makes it easier to navigate confusing articles. Eximo suggests USB4 could be a key feature for my setup and notes the need for further research there. If building a high-powered PC is planned, it seems unnecessary to create a separate stream PC with extra components—main systems should manage both.