Build Advice Hi, I'm looking to build a new system but with this crazy year I'm out of touch... :(

[Darkmatterx]

Hi, I'm looking to build a new system as mine is long in the tooth, but I will be sticking with my Corsair 750 modular power supply (unless it won't have enough power for my later purchase of a new video card) which will likely be a Nvidia 30XX at some point.

BTW, I'm in Canada, which complicates things a bit for advice. :/

Also, I'll be keeping my sound card, an Asus Strix SOAR, and my monitor, a PA329C, and HDD's, except for a new M.2 SSD.

Some things of note, I haven't decided between nice bling, or ultra quiet. Both would be awesome, but you usually get have your cake and eat it to...

I was going to go with a 10XXX Intel i5 or i7, unlocked, with threading, and I'll need a new case. I'll probably go full ATX or Mid, which will effect cases and aftermarket cooling. Also, I do want to stay with air cooling.

For the new SSD I was looking at this deal, but I wasn't sure if that was a really good option/deal.

SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2 2280 1TB PCIe Gen 3.0 x4, NVMe 1.3 V-NAND 3-bit MLC

https://www.newegg.ca/samsung-970-evo-plus-1tb/p/N82E16820147743

Also, regarding the case, not including the new M.2 drive, I would need a case with space for 4, 3.5" HDD, and a bay (if possible) for a DVD burner at the front, which I also already have. Also, I do like having more then 2 USB ports on the top front of the case. I currently have a Fractal Design Mini BTW.

My budget is somewhat flexible, but not unlimited, which is partly why I'm waiting to get a new graphics card.

I don't have a specific preference for a MB, but I've usually done well with Asus, but I know other companies also have great MB's as well. Some USB 2 ports, and a lot of USB 3.1 gen2 ports on the back would be very helpful!

I will need new ram, and would need 32GB, preferably as 2 instead of 4, as you then have room for expansion, and there's usually less issues with 2 as apposed to 4.

Lastly (I think), I could use a new non-mechanical keyboard. I had heard that wireless can have some lag, but I don't know how much. I do work and gaming on it, but I don't play a lot of online games that require split second reflexes like PlayerUnknown Battleground and such. I've been using a Microsoft Ergonomic keyboard, and I'm used to it, but I know these ergonomic guys are going out of style, fast. I'd love a good "transition" keyboard that would bridge the gap between this full ergo, and a regular keyboard I would get later. I should also say that I hate keyboards that have a split in the spacebar, or a big gap going down the middle from the Fkeys to the spacebar. lol

Very lastly, I'm not in a super hurry to get a new system up and running, but I do need one pretty soon. I was hoping to get some good deals this BF/CM, but I haven't seen a whole lot.

Even if you have no advice to offer, if you read this much of my post, you have my thanks.

DM

 

[Hellfire13]

Hi, I'm looking to build a new system as mine is long in the tooth, but I will be sticking with my Corsair 750 modular power supply (unless it won't have enough power for my later purchase of a new video card) which will likely be a Nvidia 30XX at some point.

BTW, I'm in Canada, which complicates things a bit for advice. :/

Also, I'll be keeping my sound card, an Asus Strix SOAR, and my monitor, a PA329C, and HDD's, except for a new M.2 SSD.

Some things of note, I haven't decided between nice bling, or ultra quiet. Both would be awesome, but you usually get have your cake and eat it to...

I was going to go with a 10XXX Intel i5 or i7, unlocked, with threading, and I'll need a new case. I'll probably go full ATX or Mid, which will effect cases and aftermarket cooling. Also, I do want to stay with air cooling.

For the new SSD I was looking at this deal, but I wasn't sure if that was a really good option/deal.

SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2 2280 1TB PCIe Gen 3.0 x4, NVMe 1.3 V-NAND 3-bit MLC

https://www.newegg.ca/samsung-970-evo-plus-1tb/p/N82E16820147743

Also, regarding the case, not including the new M.2 drive, I would need a case with space for 4, 3.5" HDD, and a bay (if possible) for a DVD burner at the front, which I also already have. Also, I do like having more then 2 USB ports on the top front of the case. I currently have a Fractal Design Mini BTW.

My budget is somewhat flexible, but not unlimited, which is partly why I'm waiting to get a new graphics card.

I don't have a specific preference for a MB, but I've usually done well with Asus, but I know other companies also have great MB's as well. Some USB 2 ports, and a lot of USB 3.1 gen2 ports on the back would be very helpful!

I will need new ram, and would need 32GB, preferably as 2 instead of 4, as you then have room for expansion, and there's usually less issues with 2 as apposed to 4.

Lastly (I think), I could use a new non-mechanical keyboard. I had heard that wireless can have some lag, but I don't know how much. I do work and gaming on it, but I don't play a lot of online games that require split second reflexes like PlayerUnknown Battleground and such. I've been using a Microsoft Ergonomic keyboard, and I'm used to it, but I know these ergonomic guys are going out of style, fast. I'd love a good "transition" keyboard that would bridge the gap between this full ergo, and a regular keyboard I would get later. I should also say that I hate keyboards that have a split in the spacebar, or a big gap going down the middle from the Fkeys to the spacebar. lol

Very lastly, I'm not in a super hurry to get a new system up and running, but I do need one pretty soon. I was hoping to get some good deals this BF/CM, but I haven't seen a whole lot.

Even if you have no advice to offer, if you read this much of my post, you have my thanks.

DM

Which variant of Corsair is that PSU???

 

[Darkmatterx]

I managed to sneak a peak at it and it says RM750.

Thanks!

 

[Hellfire13]

I managed to sneak a peak at it and it says RM750.

Thanks!

Is it the grey unit or orange??? Grey is the newer model and good quality. Orange is the older model and not something I would trust my brand new expensive hardware with.

We are looking at something like this regardless...

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-10700K 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor | $496.25 @ shopRBC
CPU Cooler | Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler | $127.05 @ Vuugo
Motherboard | Asus TUF GAMING Z490-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX LGA1200 Motherboard | $249.50 @ Vuugo
Memory | G.Skill Aegis 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory | $140.99 @ Newegg Canada
Storage | HP EX950 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | $149.99 @ Newegg Canada
Case | Corsair 780T ATX Full Tower Case | $179.99 @ Corsair
Power Supply | Corsair RM (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | $139.99 @ Best Buy Canada
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $1483.76
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-12-01 05:43 EST-0500 |

 

[Darkmatterx]

Hi, thanks for getting back to me. The RM lettering is a yellow.

I'm not sure what sort of problems it's been known to have, but I've used it in this system for the past 5 years without issue. Of course, I'm also mindful of the fact that the older these things get, the more likely they are to have a problem.

I actually did pick up a Samsung 970 Evo off of Amazon, since i didn't know when the sale price would end, and I can always send it back later since I haven't bought the rest of the parts for the computer yet.

BTW, this may not be the place for it, and I'm not sure if Tom's has a space for it, but my current (very old) computer desk needs a replacement. This thing is so old, that it was made for the old tube monitors, so it takes up a lot of space because of how deep it is. Do you know of some good companies that make computer desks that won't break the bank? Or sites that review them?

And of course, thank you for the list!

 

[Hellfire13]

Hi, thanks for getting back to me. The RM lettering is a yellow.

I'm not sure what sort of problems it's been known to have, but I've used it in this system for the past 5 years without issue. Of course, I'm also mindful of the fact that the older these things get, the more likely they are to have a problem.

I actually did pick up a Samsung 970 Evo off of Amazon, since i didn't know when the sale price would end, and I can always send it back later since I haven't bought the rest of the parts for the computer yet.

BTW, this may not be the place for it, and I'm not sure if Tom's has a space for it, but my current (very old) computer desk needs a replacement. This thing is so old, that it was made for the old tube monitors, so it takes up a lot of space because of how deep it is. Do you know of some good companies that make computer desks that won't break the bank? Or sites that review them?

And of course, thank you for the list!

I am no expert on desks, but these looks good...
https://www.walmart.com/browse/home...Jb0Kii186NdPJw3FwarqGg-ZOZSp_YFRoCzY0QAvD_BwE

 

[Darkmatterx]

Thanks. I'll take a look, but I'll have to find a Canada retailer if I like it, as Walmart.com doesn't ship to Canada.

Oh, I should have asked this earlier. Is there much point getting ram that's over 3200?

Thanks again!

 

[Hellfire13]

Thanks. I'll take a look, but I'll have to find a Canada retailer if I like it, as Walmart.com doesn't ship to Canada.

My bad, here you go for Canada...
https://www.walmart.ca/en/furniture/office-furniture/desks/N-885

Is there much point getting ram that's over 3200?

Not with Intel.

 

[FireSpittnKitten]

for like all of November u couldve gotten that m.2 with 2tb not just 1 for $249.99 from amazon. also i read a lot of this but i forget half of it by the time i finish so lets simplify. is there a budget and if so what is it? and is there a goal for performance or is it just the best or reasonably good for the money and for long term?

 

[Darkmatterx]

for like all of November u couldve gotten that m.2 with 2tb not just 1 for $249.99 from amazon. also i read a lot of this but i forget half of it by the time i finish so lets simplify. is there a budget and if so what is it? and is there a goal for performance or is it just the best or reasonably good for the money and for long term?

That's a Canadian price I take it. I got my M.2 off of Amazon so I can always send it back if I find a better deal. It isn't opened because I haven't bought most of the parts yet.

Budget:
I'd like to keep the budget to around $2000 Canadian if possible. If that isn't possible, then I'll be spending more. lol

CPU:
I'll probably do just some standard OCing, and get a Ryzen 9 5900X, so I won't need a monster heat sink.

RAM:
Probably one of my biggest needs is 32GB of RAM, and 3600 CL16 seems to be a good option, at least to me.

GPU:
I should note, that I do plan to get a RTX 3070 or 80, or some such, hopefully before humanity goes extinct, but I know I'm not getting that right away, so that is not included in the above price.
I'll need a beefy GPU (when I can get one) as I now have an Asus PA329C monitor, which is 4K true 10bit.

I currently have a GTX 1070 which will have to do until I can get a 3000x card. Not looking at the 3060 though.

Motherboard:
I also will want an ATX board and my current board is smaller and doesn't have enough exp slots. I'm assuming that M.2 slot(s) are now in most boards.

Case:
Black or bust! I considered going "bling" but then I realized that it's under my desk, and it'll probably lose it's wow factor in about a week, so low noise with good air flow is what I'm looking for. BTW because of some of the work I do, I'd love it to have 1 top front bay for a DVD burner, which I already have several of. I don't really care if it has a side window, but I'm not sure if all of this should have a side panel fan.

Oh! This might be important based on the cases I've seen lately. I have a total of 5 HDD's.

1 M.2

1 thin 250GB SATA SSD that I've used for things like cache, but with the larger M.2's with better tech, it may actually slow me down in the new build.

3 3.5" HDD's.

Power Supply:
I have a Corsair 750x, but it's the older "yellow text" model.

Purpose:
I'm a photographer and I do some video editing and 3d modeling, which is partly why I'm going AMD this time. I also do some gaming, time permitting, but I'm not a huge online FPS guy. In fact, I suppose if I played a FPS, it would just be offline.

Thanks, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Also, this is showing as a new post, so I wrote all this out, but then I saw that it's from Dec 13.

I don't know why I'm just seeing it now since I have it set to notify me. shrugs

DM

 

[Deleted member 2838871]

for like all of November u couldve gotten that m.2 with 2tb not just 1 for $249.99 from amazon. also i read a lot of this but i forget half of it by the time i finish so lets simplify. is there a budget and if so what is it? and is there a goal for performance or is it just the best or reasonably good for the money and for long term?

That's a Canadian price I take it. I got my M.2 off of Amazon so I can always send it back if I find a better deal. It isn't opened because I haven't bought most of the parts yet.

Yeah the 970 Evo Plus 2TB was on sale for $249.99 last month which is when I bought the 3 I needed for my new build. Just checked and it's unfortunately up to $309.99 now but keep your eyes out... it's an amazing SSD.

The rest of your part choices look pretty good.

Purpose:
I'm a photographer and I do some video editing and 3d modeling, which is partly why I'm going AMD this time. I also do some gaming, time permitting, but I'm not a huge online FPS guy. In fact, I suppose if I played a FPS, it would just be offline.

I do the same video editing/encoding etc... and went Intel due to pricing and availability. Due to AMD scalpers the Intel chips were a much better value. YMMV.

 

[Darkmatterx]

I was so busy in November and December that a tree could have come through the window and there would still only have been a 50/50 chance I'd have noticed.

 

[FireSpittnKitten]

That's a Canadian price I take it.

That’s the USA price. I live in New York.
How bout I come at this at a whole new angle.
I bet this is frowned upon but... MAC
Can u just find a gaming computer that fits ur gaming needs and use that one time for all ur storage devices to just put it all onto one big external device and then plug that into a Mac? I think their purpose is design and stuff so to me it sounds good for photography. If u can get a 3080 in the next month or two then yeah go for it. I won’t ever understand having anything less than my computer cause I put it through so much and even my beast is tired when I’m done with it. I’m looking into water cooling my 3090 with it’s own system so it’s going to get it’s own 360mm radiator. That’s only if it doesn’t void the warranty and MSI still hasn’t gotten back to me on that one yet but I’m assuming it does. If u do the Mac thing and u put ur gaming computer off for some time maybe holding off for a graphics card or just don’t get around to it I’m thinkin bout gettin the 12th gen processor if it comes out this year and I’ll sell u my 10th gen. The computer is 2 months old so far but I’ve been on vacation twice so it’s still basically untouched. Also the whole system is cooled so well it’s never really hit 70°C. The graphics card has a few times but I set the fan curve to go up earlier so it doesn’t hit 60°C really.
My biggest advise tho is if u have a budget make sure your parts r actually what u want. If u spend what u have then there can’t b any “oh I should’ve done this instead”. I wish u luck with the graphics card tho. I’d really like to know some more people with these cards cause I’m starting to feel like they r not actually sellin them. Anyway if a Mac actually would b good for the photography then I hope u consider it. I looked into getting a Mac mini. It’s actually a really good computer for anything if it only had a graphics card. It’s super powerful and it’s not really that much for what it is I think anyway. Also it’s small and basically portable. It’s no laptop but u could throw it in a small bag with the few things u need with it and go somewhere. Idk where u would have to go for photography with ur computer but it’s an option and options r always good. If u had an office job u could easily bring the computer in to do stuff at ur job and at home on the same computer or give a presentation that u made at home. Everything I’ve had till this computer I built was apple so maybe I’m a lil biased

 

[FireSpittnKitten]

Is there much point getting ram that's over 3200?

Not with Intel.

i think my 4000mhz c14 ram has cut down large loading times on my computer. Besides large loading I’m not sure about it making a difference. I’m hoping it lets my computer go faster. Even just a little bit helps with gaming. The Unity, Grand Theft Auto and Minecraft loading times have all dropped some tho. Gta and Minecraft r heavily modded and r really large now and with unity... well unity wouldn’t open my projects on many computers cause it was to much for them to handle and it lagged so much. With this computer it took a few minutes to open at first. With the new memory it takes a few minutes less but still takes a few minutes to open. I think it went from 16 to 12 now. Maybe the larger capacity had something to do with it too.

 

[Darkmatterx]

Thanks for the responses.


I'm guessing 4000Mhz @ CL14 would be a hefty price for 32GB. Also, I still need to pick a motherboard, so I'd have to see if it would support that. I also have to keep in mind that I'll still need that new GPU... $$$$

Just so I know, what memory is 4K @ CL14?

I'm not going water cooling because I've heard a lot of people who hate the sound the pump makes. Also, I don't OC by much anyways.

There are a few reasons I don't go Mac, despite their better handling of colour.

1. I use DisplayCal to calibrate/profile my monitor, with the profile loader. Of course, this doesn't fix Windows absurd implementation of colour management that truncates everything that isn't colour managed (such as Photoshop) to 8bit.

As my Asus PA329C has hardware calibration with admittedly, limited software options I'm looking at trying a hardware calibration and screen uniformity first, which is stored on a chip in the monitor. I was then going to test that calibration and uniformity in DisplayCal with the Profile loader disabled, and once with it set to use Asus's default PA329C icm file. If the DeltaE is still off, I was then going to do a DisplayCal calibration/profile to finish the correction.

Now, I don't know how this "double calibration" will actually turn out because I've never done that before, but I'm curious to see the results. (Yes, DCal has turned me into even more of colour geek. lol) I'd ask Florian, but I hear he's been very busy this year and hasn't been as active on the forums, which is totally fine as 2020 has been a pill...

2. I'd need 2 computers and I didn't even want to have to replace my current system yet. In fact, they say that this is the worst time to build a computer.

If I could afford a new computer, with the GPU, and more, I'd get a 2nd monitor, which I still want to get at some point.

3. I really don't like Apple. Their corporate policies and stubbornness regarding their proprietary tech, and attempts to stifle 3rd party innovation, as apposed to embracing it is not something I don't feel like rewarding. I know they've gotten somewhat better about this lately, but they still do it. Also, just looking at their decision to artificially slow down their older iPhone's to attempt to get consumers to buy a newer model disgusts me.

I'm not saying that Microsoft doesn't have a load of their own issues and anti-competitive practices, but they're a lot more open in regards to software and tech because they're just an OS, and not also hardware. I'm sure if they also had a monopoly on computer builds that use Windows, they would probably try to do something similar. I think Apple has gotten away with it more, and for longer because they hold less market share, and so, aren't as big a target from a computer/OS standpoint when compared to Microsoft. Ultimately though, both have been slapped for their practices.

I also do have to admit, that I've always gone PC. All the way back to the pure and innocent days of DOS.

From all of this, what is your suggestion for an AMD motherboard, and a quiet case with good airflow? As I said above, I'd love it to have 1 bay for a DVD burner, but I know they are becoming harder to find. I don't care if it has a side window, but I'm wondering if it should have a side fan to help cool the GPU.

Also it has to be black. lol

Thanks

 

[FireSpittnKitten]

I have a NZXT H710 Tempered Glass Gaming Case - Matte White
It’s really quiet. Also I’ve never had any problems with noise. U might b thinking it’s my case but I’ve had 2 of the panels off for a while now. The fans r almost always on max or close to it too. With all of my fans and the water cooling I have now I don’t find it loud at all. Yes there is noise but it’s not loud enough to bother me. Also when I’m gaming it’s usually at its loudest and if I have my headset on I can’t hear it and I haven’t had anyone say they can hear my computer even with fans full blast.
I do have one of those robot vacuums tho and that is annoying to me. I expected the fan noise to b similar but it’s so far from it.
I still recommend water cooling but if u don’t like it then don’t. I just hope what I have told u helps.
With the apple thing they turn their phones down cause they shut down if they continue at full power all the time. Everyone that i know that had their phone turned back up had it shut down on them. They get warn out over time and it’s so much that this little device is doing. Then think about all the updates and how much more it has to load for that.
Apple said something about if u replace the battery they will turn the phone back up to full power but I’m not sure if they actually do that because I never tried it or asked.

What apple has done is nothing compared to what windows does to ur computer. I’m not an expert on all the files and what they do but I know someone that is. There is a folder for windows that’s completely useless and it just grows bigger and bigger over time. It serves no purpose but if u delete it the computer wont work at all. People have filled their M.2 with this folder. What do u do after that. U can’t remove the M.2 because the information on it is considered mandatory info for the computer to work yet it’s just a bunch of trash. I don’t see apple doing anything this bad.
One more thing is apple wouldn’t open that phone for the government without a warrant. I really like that they still believe in security even if they don’t do everything perfect but then again no company does everything perfect

 

[FireSpittnKitten]

MSI MAG CORE LIQUID 360R 360MM ARGB LIQUID COOLER
Look into this. It’s what I have

 

[Hellfire13]

i think my 4000mhz c14 ram has cut down large loading times on my computer. Besides large loading I’m not sure about it making a difference. I’m hoping it lets my computer go faster. Even just a little bit helps with gaming. The Unity, Grand Theft Auto and Minecraft loading times have all dropped some tho. Gta and Minecraft r heavily modded and r really large now and with unity... well unity wouldn’t open my projects on many computers cause it was to much for them to handle and it lagged so much. With this computer it took a few minutes to open at first. With the new memory it takes a few minutes less but still takes a few minutes to open. I think it went from 16 to 12 now. Maybe the larger capacity had something to do with it too.

Ofcourse faster RAM will benefit somewhere, but is it worth the price performance delta at that budget??? Thats what you need to consider.

 

[Deleted member 2838871]

Ofcourse faster RAM will benefit somewhere, but is it worth the price performance delta at that budget??? Thats what you need to consider.

For me it just came down to the price difference vs 3200 and 3600... it was like $60 more for the 4000 ram.... and when you're already spending $7000 on a PC what's another $60? I realize most people don't think like this but that was my thinking. It was like with the 3090... I totally realize the 3090 is only a 15% performance increase over the 3080 for gaming at double the price, but that's not why I bought it. I bought it because I do video work in addition to gaming and 24GB vram is much better than 10GB for both now and later... and that's how I justified the cost.

On a side note, I also read that MSFS2020 benefits from faster ram so that made the decision a lot easier even if the benefits are minimal.

 

[Hellfire13]

On a side note, I also read that MSFS2020 benefits from faster ram so that made the decision a lot easier even if the benefits are minimal.

The benefits are sporadic after 3200MHZ and not consistent, again Diminishing Return of Value kicks in. Also, you can always overclock your existing kit on the right board...
https://www.tomshardware.com/featur...or-benchmarks-performance-system-requirements

 

[Deleted member 2838871]

The benefits are sporadic after 3200MHZ and not consistent, again Diminishing Return of Value kicks in. Also, you can always overclock your existing kit on the right board...
https://www.tomshardware.com/featur...or-benchmarks-performance-system-requirements

Thanks for that link... as said it was really the minimal price increase that had me go with the faster ram. I'd have been fine with 3600.

I'm getting solid MSFS2020 performance... as good as can be expected with my hardware and the fact that the game will pretty much bring any PC on the planet to its knees. I can turn every setting up to maximum ultra as high as it will go in 4K and have been getting a very smooth 35-40 fps. That's more than sufficient although the game still needs to be optimized.

The recent VR release is what I'm most interested in... waiting on my G2 headset to arrive before I set that up but I'm expecting similar solid performance.

 

[FireSpittnKitten]

Ur right on the price barely goes up for the ram except u hit a wall when u get to 4000 cause my board apparently supports 5000 and tried looking for something reasonable but the memory I found was so expensive that I gave up. I’m happy with my ram most of the time. My computer has been disappointing me lately tho. Everyone hyped up my computer to much and now it breaks my heart every time it lags or crashes or freezes or comes up with error codes and saying the application closed unexpectedly. There r parts of games that my computer just seems to forget to load so things sit idle for a long time. I think I put it under to much pressure. Everyone seems to have underestimated me and the games I play. Except Call of Duty. That’s the one that’s always closing unexpectedly. I’m just running the normal game. No extras at all. I have been told so many times to get flight sim and I know it’s cool but I still haven’t gotten to it. I wish it was optimized and included everything I’d want to see in it. Many places r addable with mods but I feel like the hood mods should just b bought by Microsoft and added to the game in an update. Just seems like a win win situation. Also what happens when u crash a plane in flight sim?

 

[Darkmatterx]

OK! You're not going to believe this, but due to "life events" I haven't had time to buy a new PC. lol

I just wanted to know if much has changed since the beginning of the year.

Thanks!

DM (I can't believe it's August...)

 

[Hellfire13]

I just wanted to know if much has changed since the beginning of the year.

Not really.

 

[Darkmatterx]

Came up with this. I might change the RAM to non-RGB, but unless I'm remembering wrong, I don't think the price was much different.

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 3.7 GHz 12-Core Processor

Noctua NH-D15S chromax.black 82.51 CFM CPU Cooler

Asus ROG Strix X570-E Gaming ATX AM4 Motherboard

G.Skill Trident Z RGB 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory

Fractal Design Define 7 ATX Mid Tower Case

Corsair RMx (2021) 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply

A few questions.

How is the case I picked for noise vs airflow?

I picked the MB due to always finding Asus to make good MB's, and this one has a lot of USB 3 ports, which I need for my portable drives. I also have a hub, but those bottleneck depending on what you're doing.
I am wondering though if I would be better served getting a USB 3.2 expansion card and going with a less expensive MB.

Is a mid tower fine, or should I get a full ATX tower? I'm in the queue for an EVGA 3080ti for the "first 24h for elite members, but I have a ways to go before my spot comes up. I wasn't sure if I would have problems with that card in a mid tower.

Thoughts?

Thanks!