New build for non-gaming purposes
New build for non-gaming purposes
Hello and Happy New Year 2026!
My 14-year-old desktop is approaching the end of its life and has been causing me many issues lately. It also runs an outdated CPU (Phenom 2 x4 965) and I’m starting to notice that certain CPU instructions aren’t supported... This is quite concerning. I haven’t used the computer market for about 8-9 years and have lost touch with all the latest technologies.
I’ve asked Google Gemini to assist me in selecting a new desktop PC suited to my requirements. It returned an intriguing list of components, which I’d like you to review to see if it meets my needs or if there’s still room for improvement. I’ll also be conducting some research myself to confirm my expectations.
Requirements:
- Mainly engineering/CAD tasks (NX, Autocad, ANSYS, etc.)
- No gaming (though I still enjoy playing Classic Doom...)
- Running multiple VMs (up to 4) to execute the applications and/or use different operating systems for various purposes
- Stability and quality above raw performance
- Durability: this build should last 8-10 years. I know it will become outdated in about 18 months, but that’s fine. My current desktop is over 14 years old and runs low-end consumer hardware, so there’s no reason an enterprise build shouldn’t outlast it...
Gemini suggested:
CPU
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (16C/32T)
Motherboard
Supermicro H13SAE-MF
GPU
NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada (16GB)
RAM
64GB (2x32GB) DDR5-5200 ECC
Primary SSD
2TB Samsung 990 Pro
Power Supply
Seasonic PRIME TX-850
CPU
Cooler Noctua NH-D15 G2
PSU and SSD – I don’t care about them right now. A high-quality PSU is essential for such advanced builds. The SSD should be over 1TB and compatible with the motherboard, which I’m fine with. Storage needs beyond that are limited to my VMs. Cooler choice doesn’t matter; it will be a Noctua model either.
Budget: around $3500-4000 CAD (including taxes).
I’ll likely have to reduce RAM to 32GB and downgrade the SSD to 1TB to save some money...
Is this a build worth pursuing, or is it a bad one?
The alternative suggested doesn’t seem poor, though it doesn’t specify the cost per component or any compatibility challenges you might face.
You’re based in Canada, but do you have a favorite retailer for buying items?
Here’s what I put together;
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X 4.3 GHz 16-Core Processor
($729.98 @ Best Buy Canada)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III Pro 110 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
($166.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Motherboard: Asus Pro WS B850M-ACE SE Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard
($509.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Memory: Kingston FURY Beast 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30
($1049.99 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD
($419.97 @ Newegg Canada)
Video Card: PNY VCNRTX2000ADA-PB RTX 2000 Ada Generation 16 GB
($1017.01 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Mini MicroATX Mid Tower Case
($165.00 @ Vuugo - OOS)
Power Supply: Montech TITAN PLA 1000 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX
($296.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Overall Cost: $4355.91
Includes shipping, taxes, and any available discounts
Created by
PCPartPicker
2026-01-01 13:11 EST-0500
PCPartPicker Part List CPU: * Intel Core Ultra 7 265K 3.9 GHz 20-Core Processor ($437.80 @ Vuugo) CPU Cooler: * ID-COOLING FROZN A620 PRO SE 58 CFM CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Amazon Canada) Motherboard: * Asus TUF GAMING Z890-PLUS WIFI ATX LGA1851 Motherboard ($269.99 @ Amazon Canada) Memory: * Kingston FURY Beast 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($1049.99 @ Canada Computers) Storage: * Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($419.97 @ Newegg Canada) Video Card: * Gigabyte WINDFORCE SFF GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB Video Card ($1049.99 @ Newegg Canada) Case: * Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case ($98.99 @ Vuugo) Power Supply: * ASRock Steel Legend SL-850G 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($112.76 @ Vuugo) Total: $3489.48 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available *Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria Generated by PCPartPicker 2026-01-01 17:57 EST-0500 PCPartPicker Part List CPU: * Intel Core Ultra 9 285K 3.7 GHz 24-Core Processor ($648.98 @ Best Buy Canada) CPU Cooler: * Deepcool LS720S ZERO DARK 85.85 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($134.99 @ Canada Computers) Motherboard: * Asus TUF GAMING Z890-PLUS WIFI ATX LGA1851 Motherboard ($269.99 @ Amazon Canada) Memory: * Kingston FURY Beast 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($1049.99 @ Canada Computers) Storage: * Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($419.97 @ Newegg Canada) Video Card: * Gigabyte WINDFORCE SFF GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB Video Card ($1049.99 @ Newegg Canada) Case: * Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case ($98.99 @ Vuugo) Power Supply: * ASRock Steel Legend SL-850G 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($112.76 @ Vuugo) Total: $3785.66 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available *Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria Generated by PCPartPicker 2026-01-01 19:54 EST-0500 https://www.asus.com/us/motherboards-com...plus-wifi/ https://www.gigabyte.com/Graphics-Card/G...WF3OC-16GD https://www.montechpc.com/air-903-base Montech Air 903 Base Review The Montech Air 903 Base diminishes the barrier of entry even more compared to the already incredibly affordable Max variant. All the while, it delivers everything you anticipate from a contemporary, airflow-centric enclosure. To the extent that this case essentially competes only with its own... www.techpowerup.com ASRock SL-850G 80 PLUS® GOLD Certified<br />Cybenetics PLATINUM and LAMBDA A+ Certified<span style=color:red;>*</span><br />ATX3.1 & PCIe5.1 Ready<br />Fully Modular Cable Design<br />Native 12V-2x6 Connector Dual Color Design<br />100% Highly Reliable Japanese Capacitors<br />135mm Striped Axial FDB Fan<br... www.asrock.com Cybenetics Test - ASRock Steel Legend SL-850G / SL-850GW Cybenetics Test www.cybenetics.com ASRock Steel Legend SL-850G PSU Review - KitGuru Today we take a look at a new power supply from ASRock, the Steel Legend SL-850G. This fully modular www.kitguru.net