I'm uncertain about my goals, but... opinions and experiences?
I'm uncertain about my goals, but... opinions and experiences?
Approximate Purchase Date: January, at this point lol
Budget Range: Between 4 and 5k
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Surfing the internet, Watching movies
Are you buying a monitor: No
Parts to Upgrade: ALL except CPU and SSD.
Do you need to buy OS: No
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I dont really wanna limit myself, if need be, I'll buy each part from separate places lol
Location: Portugal but even amazon across the european countries is fair game.
Parts Preferences: CPU AMD, GPU Nvidia
Overclocking: Maybe
Undervolting: Maybe
Multiple GPUs: No
Your Monitor Resolution: Main - 4096 × 2160 / Secondary - 2560 x 1440
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: If anyone remembers a previous post of mine, it was about what I thought to be a failing 9070 XT, it wasn't... I've done as much troubleshooting as I possibly could after, with some help from friends, for parts, and IDK what is failing so I'm going on the assumption that it's a sprinkle of many issues, and I got myself a pretty nice bonus at work so I'm "girl mathing" this and using all that "free money" to just make what is essentially a brand new build, at the very tip top of what money could get me.
Everything I've been looking into is as follows.
CPU - Ryzen 7 9800X3D (not my own, I dont trust much within that machine at this point, but one of my friend's who just decided to call PC gaming quits, sold everything off)
SSD - WD SN850X 2TB (this is actually my own, and I dont have any issues with that one)
Mobo - MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi (€280~)
Ram - T-Force Delta 32GB DDR5 6000Mhz CL30 (€540~) ...
GPU - Asus ROG Astral OC 5090 32GB (€3.100~)
PSU - Asus ROG Strix 1200W (€260~)
Cooler - Arctic Freezer 36 (€40~)
Case - Arctic Xtender (€200~)
I dont have anything compelling to explain my GPU other than it's really pretty lol
On the PSU side... from what I understand, they use Seasonic as their base, and yet this Asus variant is still cheaper than the Seasonic counterpart I could find.
Ram is just that whole thing now. I dont think mine is broken but it's XMP only and im not too keen on using an Intel CPU... just to cut that cost there.
Anyway, since the budget isn't really all that restrictive, I figured why not try to go big...
Whatever anyone thinks is relevant, I'm open to comments about ANYTHING.
Of course, given the budget isn't overly tight, I decided to take a bigger approach. When considering 4K gaming, you don't have to pair an X870 chipset motherboard with those specifications—you can opt for a well-built B850 chipsetted board instead. The MSI B850 Tomahawk is a good choice if you're aiming for an ATX form factor. You might also want to add another SSD, one that's smaller enough for the operating system, apps, and launchers. The 2TB drive you currently have (if it has an OS installed) should be wiped and repurposed as a game library drive. Consider the Arctic Liquid Freezer III instead of the air cooler you mentioned.
I understand your concern about the motherboard. It’s worth noting that saving around 30€ by choosing the B850 model makes a difference, though it’s not a large sum. If these prices are so similar, the x870 might not offer much more value.
On the AIO front, I’m uncertain. It’s not just about doubt—it’s more about the likelihood of failure. Replacing a broken fan in an air cooler seems simpler than swapping an entire AIO.
Modern AIO coolers come with a 5-6 year warranty, ensuring durability that matches their price. For the extra $30, I would choose the x870 MB model—not because it's superior, but due to its enhanced features like more and higher-quality options from the chipset, such as increased PCIe lanes and USB4 support. Many also offer better VRM for future CPU upgrades.
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU Cooler: Frozen A720 Black 98.6 CFM CPU Cooler (€68.90 @ PCDIGA)
Motherboard: MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX AM5 (€288.90 @ Chipman)
Memory: ADATA XPG Lancer Blade RGB 32 GB DDR5-6000 CL30 (€414.34 @ PC Componentes)
Video Card: Asus TUF GAMING OC GeForce RTX 5090 32 GB (€2999.00 @ Switch Technology)
Case: Lian Li LANCOOL III ATX Mid Tower (€123.66 @ PC Componentes)
Power Supply: Corsair HX1500i (2025) 1500 W Platinum Certified (€279.90 @ PC Componentes)
Total: €4174.70
Includes shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts
Generated by PCPartPicker
2025-12-31 12:05 WET+0000
I conducted some Amazon research and explored seller/shipping store pages. I found an MSI Gaming Trio OC 5090. It stood out compared to the ROG Astral I missed, a Zotac Solid, and the mysterious "Switch Technology" store (which I had never heard of and would be hesitant about buying from).
This MSI seems to match the vibe I was aiming for in my build. Other options like PNY or Palit were on my list, but I haven’t seen them used much, which makes them seem a bit uncertain in my opinion.
The ADATA RAM price increased from 414 to 548€. At that cost, I think sticking with my original plan makes the most sense.
If you support ordering GPUs from Germany, the Aorus Master also qualifies as a premium model.
PCPartPicker Part List
Memory:
G.Skill Flare X5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory
(€414.89 @ Proshop)
Video Card:
Gigabyte AORUS MASTER GeForce RTX 5090 32 GB Video Card
(€2905.99 @ Computeruniverse)
Total: €3320.88
Shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts are included
Created by
PCPartPicker
2026-01-01 22:37 CET+0100