Build Advice Some help with a new build please, mostly 2D graphics / image editing apps ?

[LonesomeAnt21]

Hi everyone,

First post for me in this friendly and useful community

I'd like to ask for your advice regarding a new build. I'm pretty much a newbie regarding hardware so help very much appreciated. Last computer I built myself was 15 years ago. I've lost touch with everything hardware related.

Context :

• Money : budget is about 2000€ but can get somewhat over that limit if justified. Money isn't a concern, really. Quality and satisfaction is the goal but I don't want to splash money where there is nothing to be gained by doing so.
• Myself :
  • Not a gamer.
  • Software developer, like to tinker with code but not interested in running generative AI models on my own computer. In fact I specifically want to be as unable to do this as can be.
  • Photographer.
  • Like snappy, effective and quality stuff.
  • Don't like to tinker with hardware much. I just want things to work out of the box once assembled or almost. I don't mind updating the BIOS and changing some settings once, but never think about it again.
• Software :
  • One Linux, one Windows that I want on fast SSDs
  • Secondary Linux on another SSD but doesn't have to be fast (to be used occasionally)
  • Image and photography editing apps. Paid and free. Some of them poorly optimized and / or requiring excellent OpenCL support and efficient parallel processing to be used in any enjoyable way.
  • No video editing / encoding.
  • No need for a lot of disk space (I have a NAS for storage)
  • ...the usual multimedia stuff everybody uses.
• Aesthetics of computer : no interest in this. Even better if not showy and bland looking. If there are any LEDs I'd like to be able to shut them off.
• Sound level : quietness is important. I'd like the computer to be as silent as can be when I'm not using it much (I want it to be almost silent when I code or surf the web in the evening).
• System isn't expected to run at 100% in a continuous way for long. More like many small bursts (few seconds) where top speed is expected with long pauses in between. I suppose this has an impact on cooling requirements.

What I have in mind so far : https://pcpartpicker.com/list/9w8KmD

• CPU: Intel Core i9-14900KF 3.2 GHz 24-Core Processor (€589.00)
• CPU Cooler: Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Atmos 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (€157.31)
• Motherboard: MSI MAG Z790 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard (€239.00)
• Memory: Kingston FURY Renegade 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL32 Memory (€145.16)
• Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 500 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (€84.90)
• Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 500 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (€84.90)
• Storage: Kingston NV2 500 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (€44.99)
• Video Card: AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT Radeon RX 6950 XT 16 GB Video Card (€549.00)
• Case: NZXT H7 Flow ATX Mid Tower Case (€123.00)
• Power Supply: be quiet! Straight Power 12 1000 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (€213.16)

Choice of GPU might seem weird nowadays but AMD, and especially AMD 6xxx GPUs, seem to suck at anything AI related but at the same time be good at OpenCL. Which is precisely my goal. Dated but top of the line AMD GPU.

Especially confused about choice of RAM.

I don't know what kind of additional fans the case requires and what I should choose for a good silence / performance compromise (silence has priority).

...and that's it

Sorry for the long read, I hope you don't mind. Eagerly waiting for any good advice and fixes in my choices if need be

Have a nice day wherever you live on this little planet.

 

[Lucky_SLS]

850W would still be fine. with the 7950X and 6950XT you are look at about 650W peak load. an 850W would still be operating at 75% load which is not that bad.

That MSI MPG got 135mm fans and higher temp rated capacitors. You wont be stressing it with an occasional 650W power draw.

 

[LonesomeAnt21]

850W would still be fine. with the 7950X and 6950XT you are look at about 650W peak load. an 850W would still be operating at 75% load which is not that bad.

That MSI MPG got 135mm fans and higher temp rated capacitors. You wont be stressing it with an occasional 650W power draw.

Deal

 

[LonesomeAnt21]

Ok, I think we are getting near the end of this process, please bear with me for a little more

This is what I have so far :

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 4.5 GHz 16-Core Processor (€542.95 @ Megekko)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (€42.90 @ Amazon Belgium)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X670 AORUS ELITE AX (rev. 1.0) ATX AM5 Motherboard (€242.26 @ Azerty)
Memory: G.Skill Flare X5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory (€255.89 @ Alternate Belgium)
Storage: KIOXIA EXCERIA PRO 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (€144.95 @ Megekko)
Video Card: AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT Radeon RX 6950 XT 16 GB Video Card (€549.00)
Case: Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case (€71.85 @ Megekko)
Power Supply: MSI MPG A850G PCIE5 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (€127.00 @ Amazon Belgium)
Total: €1976.80

As you can see I made some changes with respect to the build logainofhades kindly suggested, incorporating ideas of other members and changing some stuff on my own :

• Only one 2To drive remains (changed my plans about how I'm going to set this up)
• 2x32Go of RAM instead of 2x16Go
• AIO => air cooler, so went
  • ...from this : https://be.pcpartpicker.com/product...zer-iii-563-cfm-liquid-cpu-cooler-acfre00136a
  • ...to this : https://be.pcpartpicker.com/product/zkWJ7P/thermalright-phantom-spirit-6617-cfm-cpu-cooler-ps120

So, with this changes in mind, I have some further questions.

Does the choice of motherboard still stand as it is ?

https://be.pcpartpicker.com/product...tx-am5-motherboard-x670-aorus-elite-ax-rev-10

Because :

• The GPU I'm planning to buy only requires PCI-E 4.0 (motherboard supports 5.0)
• I only need one M.2 slot but let's say I need 2 to have some room for unexpected future extensions (motherboard has 4 slots)
• I have no real need for SATA or RAID (data storage requirements will be met by an existing NAS)

I'm not really interested by a smaller form factor motherboard, there is no space constraints with this build, unless smaller means less bloat and cheaper.

The replacement of AIO by air cooling and the change to another motherboard might impact the choice of case but let's discuss this once the above questions are settled

Thank you for your help and your time.

 

[Lucky_SLS]

You can definitely go with a cheaper board like the Tomahawk:

https://be.pcpartpicker.com/product...fi-atx-am5-motherboard-mag-b650-tomahawk-wifi

It got a 7+7 80A VRM system for the CPU, enough for the 7950X

The con is that it does not have a pcie 5.0 M.2 slot. all the M.2 are pcie 4.0

If you want a cheaper SSD:

https://be.pcpartpicker.com/product...0-x4-nvme-solid-state-drive-lnm790x002t-rnnng

The case option - 903 base is a solid choice! type C front panel port and included fans. good airflow and large enough case for chonky GPUs.

a bit cheaper ram that works with AM5:

https://be.pcpartpicker.com/product...ddr5-6000-cl30-memory-f5-6000j3040g32gx2-rs5k

 

[LonesomeAnt21]

Well then, I think we are done with this.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 4.5 GHz 16-Core Processor (€542.95 @ Megekko)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (€42.90 @ Amazon Belgium)
Motherboard: MSI MAG B650 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard (€209.90 @ Amazon Belgium)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws S5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory (€231.15 @ Azerty)
Storage: Lexar NM790 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (€133.16 @ Azerty)
Video Card: AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT Radeon RX 6950 XT 16 GB Video Card (€549.00)
Case: Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case (€71.85 @ Megekko)
Power Supply: MSI MPG A850G PCIE5 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (€127.00 @ Amazon Belgium)
Total: €1907.91

Thank you all for your time and valuable advice. I would NEVER have been able to navigate my way through this jungle without your help.

Have a nice day, all of you, and see you in five years for my next build

 

[logainofhades]

For an AMD you want the Flare-X over the S5. Flare-X are AMD Expo certified.

 

[LonesomeAnt21]

For an AMD you want the Flare-X over the S5. Flare-X are AMD Expo certified.

So it would be this one :

G.Skill Flare X5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory​

https://be.pcpartpicker.com/product...-ddr5-6000-cl30-memory-f5-6000j3040g32gx2-fx5

Done, thank you.