Question First PC Build, Parts List Opinions, Feedback, and Compatibility Advice please

[Dragonmaster150]

Hello all, I'm currently doing research on parts for my first ever PC build, and I was hoping to get some advice regarding part compatibility before I buy.

This is intended to be a creator style PC which is intended for GIS (cartography/data science/computer science/programming/3Dmoddelling/machine learning etc.) applications, with photo editing and gaming as a side benefit. Any advice you're willing to give me for this build about the component compatibility, if anyone knows about any issues with the parts I have chosen which need to be addressed or better alternative parts would be very appreciated!


Parts list generated with PC Part Picker
Budget: $2500.00 - $3500.00 Canadian

CPU: Intel i7-14700K
Motherboard: MSI Pro Z790-A Max WiFi
GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, MSI Ventus 3X OC (an NVidia card is required by software I use for Machine/Deep learning and other high end functions)
CPU Cooler: Deep Cool AK620 Zero Dark
RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB 64 GB (2x32 GB) DDR5 6000-CL30
Storage: Solidigm P44 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0X4NVME SSD
OR: Storage: Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0X4NVME SSD
PSU: Corsair RM1000E (2023) 1000 W 80+ Gold certified fully modular ATX power supply
Case: Fractal Design Focus 2 RGB ATX Mid Tower Case
OS: Windows 11 Home

PC Part Picker current estimated cost: $2389.89 USD ($3202.97 Canadian According to google convert)


So, this is what I'm looking at currently looking at. Comes in just under budget, and I'll be shopping around to try and get deals where I can. Having an NVidia card is non-negotiable, otherwise I would have gone for one of Intel's Arc cards.

One thing I am wondering specifically, is if the Deep Cool AK620 cooling unit will be enough for the 14700K or if I will be forced to buy an AIO liquid cooler, as there is a lot of conflicting information about this.

For the PSU, PC Part Picker calculated the minimum Watts as being 700 for this build, but plugging it into the Watt calculator on the MSI website gave me 872 W. So, I selected a 1000 W PSU to be safe. Not sure if there are any better/cheaper alternatives, I would appreciate some advice here.

I'm not completely sure about the case, I chose. I mostly picked it because I thought the aesthetics were nice and it looks like it has decent airflow, but I'm probably going to be doing a bit more looking around to make sure that everything will actually fit properly.


So, that's the current list that I'm looking at. Again, any feedback about the components is very appreciated!

 

[Why_Me]

You want an ATX 3.0 psu for these RTX 40XX series cards, low profile RAM so that it doesn't impede that dual tower cpu cooler and look at the locked version of that cpu if you go with air cooling.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *Intel Core i7-14700 2.1 GHz 20-Core Processor ($554.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: *G.Skill Ripjaws S5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($284.97 @ Newegg Canada)
Power Supply: *be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($181.89 @ Amazon Canada)
Total: $1021.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-01-30 16:12 EST-0500

 

[35below0]

- definetly check if the cooler fits the case
- 1000W is a little bit overkill, but it's wise to play it safe here. Good PSU.
- you can cool the CPU with that cooler (max tdp is 260W - the i7 max power is 253W)
- Samsung 990 Pro is part of a reputable and dependable series. Not voting for it, just saying.
- technically you don't need a K series i7 unless you want to overclock it. It's good to have the option though the benefit is marginal.

 

[35below0]

You want an ATX 3.0 psu for these RTX 40XX series cards, low profile RAM so that it doesn't impede that dual tower cpu cooler and look at the locked version of that cpu if you go with air cooling.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *Intel Core i7-14700 2.1 GHz 20-Core Processor ($554.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: *G.Skill Ripjaws S5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($284.97 @ Newegg Canada)
Power Supply: *be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($181.89 @ Amazon Canada)
Total: $1021.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-01-30 16:12 EST-0500

It looks like that Corsair is ATX 3.0?
The DeepCool AK620 has 47mm clearance for RAM. Would that be good? Other models have less, around 39-44mm or less.

 

[geofelt]

If this is your case, it looks fine to me:
https://www.newegg.com/black-fractal-design-focus-2-atx-mid-tower/p/N82E16811352193

It has 170mm clearance so you can use most any tall air cooler.
AK620 should be fine from a fitment point of view. It is 160mm tall and will clear 47mm tall ram
https://www.deepcool.com/products/C...formance-CPU-Cooler-1700-AM5/2021/13067.shtml
Because of the rgb, your ram is a bit tall at 56mm.
One can slide the front fan up 10mm
I would consider a noctua NH-D15s which can handle 66mm ram:
https://noctua.at/en/nh-d15s/specification
With a larger fan, you will get quieter operation.
Noctua maintains a list of compatible cpu coolers.
Here is the list for a 14700K:
https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/Intel-Core-i7-14700K-1760
Noctua will likely cost more, but there is nothing better or simpler.

On the psu, I would look for a unit that included the new ATX3.0 standard. A good psu can last a long time.
Look for a unit with a 10 year warranty or better and you are mostly guaranteed good quality.
The one you picked looks fine to me.
Over provisioning a psu is not bad.
It will only use the power demanded of it, regardless of the max capability.
It will run quieter and most efficiently in the middle third of it's range.

 

[Dragonmaster150]

Thanks everyone for your responses! I really appreciate the help!

RAM so that it doesn't impede that dual tower cpu cooler and look at the locked version of that cpu if you go with air cooling.

The DeepCool AK620 has 47mm clearance for RAM. Would that be good? Other models have less, around 39-44mm or less.

AK620 should be fine from a fitment point of view. It is 160mm tall and will clear 47mm tall ram
https://www.deepcool.com/products/C...formance-CPU-Cooler-1700-AM5/2021/13067.shtml
Because of the rgb, your ram is a bit tall at 56mm.

Thank you for pointing this out, I've swapped the RAM in the build for the lower profile 'G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5-6000 CL32' which is claimed to be 42mm, this should allow it to fit under the AK620. It also happens to be slightly less expensive.
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product...dr5-6000-cl32-memory-f5-6000j3238g32gx2-tz5nr

Since we're talking about fans, what are people's thoughts on the coolers that have LCD screens for displaying temperature and other statistics, like the AK620 Digital?
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product...-digital-6899-cfm-cpu-cooler-r-ak620-bkadmn-g
Would you recommend those coolers for people who can fit them in the budget, or is it not a good idea?

I would consider a noctua NH-D15s which can handle 66mm ram:
https://noctua.at/en/nh-d15s/specification
With a larger fan, you will get quieter operation.

A very nice alternative fan. I'll admit, I wasn't a huge fan (hah!) of the color scheme, but the more I've looked at it, the more I like it. I'll definitely consider this one when I go to actually buy the components.

 

[Lafong]

Since we're talking about fans, what are people's thoughts on the coolers that have LCD screens for displaying temperature and other statistics, like the AK620 Digital?
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product...-digital-6899-cfm-cpu-cooler-r-ak620-bkadmn-g

Rank gimmickry which will likely attract a certain segment of prospective buyers.

 

[35below0]

Thanks everyone for your responses! I really appreciate the help!

Since we're talking about fans, what are people's thoughts on the coolers that have LCD screens for displaying temperature and other statistics, like the AK620 Digital?
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product...-digital-6899-cfm-cpu-cooler-r-ak620-bkadmn-g
Would you recommend those coolers for people who can fit them in the budget, or is it not a good idea?

A very nice alternative fan. I'll admit, I wasn't a huge fan (hah!) of the color scheme, but the more I've looked at it, the more I like it. I'll definitely consider this one when I go to actually buy the components.

The displays are gimmicky but pretty. Are they useful? Not really since temps can be monitored on the screen anyway.

If you want the machine to do machine things and just work then case modding and lights are not needed. But if you want to have fun beyond just the specs, then for a little extra you can build an aesthetically pleasing PC that isn't a black monolith or beige crapbox. If the display model DeepCool is charming you, then go for it.

Do people take it too far? Yes.
Do people hate fun that isn't their idea of fun? Hell yes.
Do i own a mouse that has an OLED screen on the underside? That i can draw on? I mean... it's not the reason i bought that mouse, it was the quality. But i'm sure gonna have fun with it.

That's what's easy to forget when comparing specs and ratings. Joy. Enjoy your PC. You paid good money for it but even more than that, it's supposed to be an interesting and cool device that empovers you to do all kinds of things.


As for the Noctua DH-15, it's a high quality cooler. Reviews are very good. The DH-15S is a single fan version, but the regular DH-15 comes with an optional fan that you don't have to install unless you want to. So it's the same thing really, except you know, more options.

 

[Dragonmaster150]

The displays are gimmicky but pretty. Are they useful? Not really since temps can be monitored on the screen anyway.

If you want the machine to do machine things and just work then case modding and lights are not needed. But if you want to have fun beyond just the specs, then for a little extra you can build an aesthetically pleasing PC that isn't a black monolith or beige crapbox. If the display model DeepCool is charming you, then go for it.

Do people take it too far? Yes.
Do people hate fun that isn't their idea of fun? Hell yes.
Do i own a mouse that has an OLED screen on the underside? That i can draw on? I mean... it's not the reason i bought that mouse, it was the quality. But i'm sure gonna have fun with it.

That's what's easy to forget when comparing specs and ratings. Joy. Enjoy your PC. You paid good money for it but even more than that, it's supposed to be an interesting and cool device that empovers you to do all kinds of things.


As for the Noctua DH-15, it's a high quality cooler. Reviews are very good. The DH-15S is a single fan version, but the regular DH-15 comes with an optional fan that you don't have to install unless you want to. So it's the same thing really, except you know, more options.

Definitely something to think about, I just thought it might be neat to have the temperature displayed like that, but it's not a huge draw.

Building a Black Monolith is something I was concerned about. Hmm, the more I think about it, The silver pipes on the Noctua do match the silver accents on the motherboard, and the tan and red fans add some nice color. Maybe some orange RGBs would look nice too... Anyway, getting distracted.

What sort of mouse do you have, just out of curiosity?

 

[35below0]

What sort of mouse do you have, just out of curiosity?

Steelseries Prime+

I was looking for a good quality and larger sized mouse. I would like even larger but those are rare.
Very happy with it, though it feels softer and crappier than it really is.

 

[Dragonmaster150]

You want an ATX 3.0 psu for these RTX 40XX series cards,

It looks like that Corsair is ATX 3.0?

On the psu, I would look for a unit that included the new ATX3.0 standard. A good psu can last a long time.
Look for a unit with a 10 year warranty or better and you are mostly guaranteed good quality.
The one you picked looks fine to me.
Over provisioning a psu is not bad.

A question for you fine folks about the power supply.

I've been eyeing up the Seasonic Prime 1300, a bit overkill I know, and the Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 ATX 1050w and 1200w at Best Buy, as they have a good price on it for a PSU with a 10 year warranty. What I'm curious about is that, according to the MSI specs, the mobo I chose doesn't seem to support either of these PSUs, yet all the information I've come across seems to indicate that it doesn't matter as long as all the power connector pins match up? And putting in the Seasonic in my PcParts Picker build doesn't throw any compatibility warnings, so would anyone be able to please clarify?

Can you tell if I'm looking at a possible compatibility issue, or is everything hunky dory?

Mobo
PcPart Picker: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product...i-atx-lga1700-motherboard-pro-z790-a-max-wifi
MSI Website: https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/PRO-Z790-A-MAX-WIFI/Overview

Seasonic Prime
Pc Part Picker: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product...ied-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-ssr-1300gd)

ThermlaTake Toughpower
Closest PCPart Picker equivilent, because apparently only the premium edition exists in their list: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product...-modular-atx-power-supply-ps-tpd-1200fnfagu-l
BestBuy: https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/produc...s-1200-watt-atx-modular-power-supply/17155009