Have some tips on the MOBO!
Have some tips on the MOBO!
Hey everyone, in short I’m an architecture student and also work as a photo/video photographer. I rely on tools like Revit, AutoCAD, 3ds Max, V-Ray, Photoshop, DaVinci, Premiere for editing, plus a good CPU, V-ray, and Premiere Pro. These programs put a lot of demand on the processor! My current machine is a 3.8 GHz i7-4970 non-K, which isn’t handling it well. I’m planning a new build, but because I live in Egypt, hardware costs go up—especially for graphics cards. So I’m focusing on getting a solid CPU and a decent GPU instead.
My budget is around $3000. Here’s what I’ve got so far:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3900X 12-core 3.8 GHz – $540
- Motherboard: ASRock X570 TAICHI AM4 – $330
- NVMe M.2 storage – Corsair FORCE MP510 – $960
- Hard drive – Seagate BarraCuda 2TB SATA 7200 RPM – $60
- RAM: Trident Z Neo (8X4) 3200MHz – $225
- Peripherals: Keyboard & Mouse – REDRAGON K586 RGB – $90
- Monitor – Corsair Dark Core 75 – $75
- PSU – Corsair RM850M 850W 80+Gold – $185
- Case – NZXT H510 Matte White – $105
Total comes to about $2600.
Now, about the GPU: I’m considering the ASRock Taichi for its features, but some users say it has reliability issues and outdated BIOS. Another choice is the ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (Wi-Fi) for around $500, which might be worth it if you need more power. The Gigabyte Master X570 is also an option with better VRM, though it’s still priced similarly.
My main concern is whether the Taichi will work in my market, or if I should switch to something else. If I decide to overclock, I’d need a BIOS that supports it, and the X570 seems less ideal for that. For now, I’m leaning toward PBO with 3200MHz clocking, but it might be tight.
I’m not planning to upgrade the processor, since my software needs strong single-core performance. If I do, I’ll need to boost it manually. Otherwise, I could go with the 2070 Super for a bit more power at a higher price.
Other tips:
- A 5700X is available for $530, but drivers are poor and cooling isn’t great.
- The 2070 Super is overpriced here at $700.
- Buying a used 1080Ti could be a good deal ($450) with solid RAM speeds—might be worth it if you’re okay with lower specs.
- If you have a similar setup on a budget, let me know your results!
Any advice on getting better value or sharing experiences would be appreciated.
I’d go for the 2070s. Disappointing price on that Asus board though. It’s a high-end build. ROG is definitely worth it. You should focus on strong hardware and bios capabilities to match. The 3900X might be too much, but pairing it with a 2070s would handle gaming and streaming well. Probably not needed to add more than 16 threads unless you’re certain about your needs. This is just a suggestion to tweak your budget.
I wouldn't purchase a top-tier GPU right now since the new RTX lineup arrives in September... that's just my take.
I've been working with Revit since 2002. By default it doesn't use a dedicated graphics card, which means you won't see performance gains there. FirePro and Quadro cards are solid options—they're driver-supported but cost more. In my office I'm using an RX 460, which is perfect for detailed hospital models with terrain, vehicles, and vegetation. Revit 2019 runs mostly on a single thread, so your CPU will often run at lower capacity. Still, a modern Ryzen 3 can handle it well, especially for high-resolution outputs. Large files need about 32GB RAM, which should cover big projects. Storage speed isn't the main concern; I use a SATA1 platter drive for shared files, and it handles over 100MB easily. My current setup is a 4790k on an H97 board—no overclocking needed. I store 16GB RAM and a 120GB SSD. It's getting a bit old, but it functions. Rendering tasks are better off on a Ryzen 1600 because it runs faster than mine. Some other programs can use a graphics card, so my advice might not apply there.
Do you need an ASROCK X570 TAICHI? With just a solid GPU, some SLI or PCIe 4.0 options might not be essential. Since you don’t plan to overclock the 3900X, a new motherboard might not add much value—but you could opt for a more affordable one. Because it’s the X570 chipset, most high-end boards would already include plenty of features. I can’t confirm if there’s a cheaper board with this chipset since I’m not in Egypt. With your budget saved, you could upgrade to a better GPU, especially if you want to improve performance when playing games on that system, making it more in sync with the powerful CPU you have.
Many boards are becoming quite costly these days. If you’re not concerned about Ryzen 4000 series compatibility (which is expected to arrive later this year), consider opting for a B450 or X470. The Tomahawk Max and Crosshair VII consistently appear at the top of my suggestions. I personally don’t like the X570 Taichi, though I find its BIOS functional but have some problems with the hardware itself. The chipset fan runs at a high frequency; you can lower it in the BIOS because it has a “silent” curve, but it still makes noise. It tends to block the GPU, which raises temperatures and forces the fan to work harder. I also dislike the “Heatsink Armor” covering the 3 M.2 ports—it forces you to remove every PCIe card and the whole plate when accessing drives. That plate got stuck on my SSDs once, destroying two NVMe drives. Be careful with that part. The USB-C header placement is awkward; it sits right under the top PCIe slot, making it hard to reach without disturbing other components. Some users reported issues with the SoC voltages and had to tweak settings for XMP profiles. On most boards, you just need to set the XMP profile—unless you’re using newer BIOS versions that handle it better. The only downside I note is the lack of basic RGB control in the BIOS, which is a small trade-off compared to the other issues.