It's been eight years since I last assembled a new computer!
It's been eight years since I last assembled a new computer!
Hi all,
I'm jumping on here to seek advice on a build I'm putting together. It's been almost a decade since my last build, and with the help of Tom's community, I can reflect on how appreciative I am as it's served me well throughout the years.
As much as Intel has served well, I'm keen to try out an AMD processor this time around. I've read they are better at multi-tasking, and I've found myself regularly having high productivity tools running simultaneously in my workflow (ie. Photoshop, Premiere, Lightroom, After Effects, DaVinci as examples of the processing hungry ones, alongside a gazillion tabs on Chrome & Opera, and web apps such as Canva, Notion, Miro, etc.). I also stream & tend to screenrecord videos off my PC with all these apps running from time-to-time.
I am also an FPS gamer (with Apex Legends being my current obsession), but I don't see where any of this will bottleneck even the highest-tier games.
My budget this time is about $3000AUD (est. USD $2k)
Here is what I've currently put together (all prices below are in AUD):
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7900X = $556 / AMD Ryzen 9 7900 = $585
GPU:
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 5070 WINDFORCE SFF 12G Graphics Card
= $999
RAM:
PNY Mako 64GB (2 x 32GB) DDR5 6400MHz CL32 UDIMM RAM
= $309
MB:
MSI MAG B650 TOMAHAWK WIFI AM5 ATX Motherboard
= $319
STORAGE:
HP FX700 4TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD
= $359
PSU:
Thermaltake Toughpower GT 850W 80+ Gold ATX 3.1 Fully Modular Power Supply
= $139
CASE:
FSP M580 Curved Tempered Glass ATX Mid-Tower Case
= $199
CPU COOLER (if 7900X):
Thermalright Aqua Elite 360 V3 AIO Liquid CPU Cooler
= $109
SUBTOTAL
= $2,989 (AMD Ryzen 9 7900X)
= $2,909 (AMD Ryzen 9 7900)
All other peripherals I already have (ie. monitors, speakers, external audio board).
I ran this through
https://au.pcpartpicker.com/
and the only compatibility issue feedback was that RAM clearance can't be checked, though visually from online pictures it all looks good to me.
CONSIDERATIONS:
So the CPU choice is where my consideration is currently stuck at:
From what I've read, 7900x in eco mode = 7900, and vice versa with the overclocking. And although the 7900x is slightly cheaper, it doesn't come with a fan which would mean additional cost on the CPU cooler. What do you think is the better option considering my usage?
I also want to get the community's opinion on this - what would you consider picking/changing out in this build?
Even though my budget is $3000, I would consider putting a couple hundred more if it gets me a more reliable unit.
Cheers!
Here are several budget-friendly options to evaluate, including a board compatible with PCIe 5.0 that aligns with the latest Nvidia and AMD graphics cards. PCPartPicker Part List Processor: *AMD Ryzen 9 7900X 4.7 GHz 12-Core Processor ($555.96 @ Amazon Australia) Cooler: *ID-COOLING FX360 PRO 82.5 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.00 @ PLE Computers) Mainboard: *MSI PRO B850-P WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard ($299.00 @ JW Computers) RAM: *Patriot Venom 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($289.00 @ MSY Technology) Graphics Card: *Gigabyte WINDFORCE SFF GeForce RTX 5070 12 GB Video Card ($999.00 @ MSY Technology) Case: *Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.00 @ PLE Computers) Power Supply: *ADATA XPG Core Reactor II VE 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($124.00 @ PLE Computers) Overall Cost: $2464.96 (incl. shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts) *Selected parts based on predefined parameters* Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-06-01 14:19 AEST+1000 https://www.centrecom.com.au/hp-fx700-4t...4x4-m2-ssd Total: $2824 AUD w/SSD https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/PRO-B850-P-WIFI https://www.montechpc.com/air-903-base https://www.techpowerup.com/review/monte...-903-base/ https://www.xpg.com/en/xpg/pc-components...ctor-ii-ve
Here are some of your particular comments:
For the Motherboard:
*MSI PRO B850-P WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard* ($299 at JW Computers) – great to know about the PCIe5 difference, but I’ll keep looking for better USB3.0 support.
For Memory:
*Patriot Venom 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30* ($289 at MSY Technology) – runs at 6000MHz, which is a bit faster than the PNY I chose at 6400MHz for $20 more. Do you think the 400MHz difference matters much?
Also, thanks for sharing the links! I’ll be weighing these options carefully before making my final decision.
Just checked and the ASRock Radeon RX 9070 is only a bit over $50 more.
😀
I’m sure if this combination works better, it’s not surprising.
Are you implying this advantage comes from the 7900x being part of the AMD Radeon lineup?
PCPartPicker List of Components
CPU:
AMD Ryzen 9 7900X 4.7 GHz 12-Core Processor
($555.96 @ Amazon Australia)
CPU Cooler:
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 140 77.8 CFM CPU Cooler
($85.00 @ Centre Com)
Motherboard:
MSI MAG B650 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard
($326.16 @ Amazon Australia)
Memory:
Corsair Vengeance 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory
($329.00 @ Centre Com)
Storage:
Crucial T500 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD
($202.00 @ Centre Com)
Storage:
Seagate FireCuda 530R 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD
($199.00 @ MSY Technology)
Video Card:
Asus PRIME OC GeForce RTX 5070 12 GB Video Card
($1059.00 @ Centre Com)
Case:
Lian Li LANCOOL 216 RGB ATX Mid Tower Case
($159.00 @ Centre Com)
Power Supply:
Corsair RM1000x (2024) 1000 W Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
($260.00 @ Amazon Australia)
Overall Cost:
$3175.12
Includes shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts
Generated by
PCPartPicker
2025-06-01 19:56 AEST+1000
If you wish to keep using your outdated PC online beyond October 14, you can install Windows 11 by adjusting the ISO file using Rufus. Refer to option 2 in this guide. You won’t need TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot.
https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/your...-heres-how
For Adobe Premiere Pro and other video editing software, an NVidia graphics card is suggested.
https://vtechinsider.com/amd-vs-nvidia-premiere-pro/
https://www.pcguide.com/gpu/best-gpus-for-premiere-pro/
https://community.adobe.com/t5/vide...o-...p/14750101
https://www.pugetsystems.com/soluti...be...tions/#gpu
Of course, the choice depends on which NVidia card you select for comparison with an RX 9070 XT. The RTX 5070 offers a slight performance edge in this test.
https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articl...on-review/
Currently I’m using a new RTX 4070 paired with a 7950X (installed in December 2022).
Although the 7900X performs well, if your budget allows, I recommend considering the 9900X for improved cooling. Experiencing my 7700X consistently near 90°C was uncomfortable for my health. Unless you really need Nvidia's CUDA cores for your tasks, a 9070XT would be a good alternative, offering similar performance at a comparable price. If a dedicated Nvidia card is essential, the 5070ti with extra VRAM would be a better choice.
AM5 reaches its limit at 6000Hz, so go with DDR5-6000 CL30. Keep using Nvidia for your software.
I would choose it for the VRAM only. It doesn't matter whether you get an all-AMD setup; the 5070 tends to be a better card in most situations. The Adobe stuff still performs slightly better in NVIDIA and has consistently shown as per the benchmarks mentioned. For gaming, the 9070 is clearly superior.