[SOLVED] New build, workhorse, long life

[Playbahnosh]

Approximate Purchase Date: ASAP

Budget Range: $3500, flexible

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Streaming, Video Editing, Multimedia

Are you buying a monitor: No

Parts to Upgrade: Everything
Re-using Case: Corsair Graphite 780T (I'm changing out the old case fans for new Noctua P14 Redux's)
Re-using SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 500GB

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Alza.hu

Location: Hungary

Parts Preferences: ASUS, Corsair, Noctua, Sapphire, Gainward

Overclocking: Never

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: AOC g2778vq and an ancient LG in a two-screen setup, native res is 1080p for now, but I might get a better one later.

Additional Comments: It's an all-purpose workhorse build designed to last as long as possible with everyday use. Air cooling, no overclocking, should last at least 5 years.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: My old PC died on me a few weeks ago, a 5 year old Ryzen 1800x build. One evening just suddenly turned off and won't recognize any graphics cards anymore, the Hero VI is most likely toast. But this is not a troubleshooting thread, it's not worth it to try and revive old Monolith, so I guess it's time for Monolith II. I know, it's the worst time possible, hardware prices being what they are nowadays, but I'm going crazy on my small work laptop, not being able to do the things I want. Yes, I know, it's a totally insane build and will eat up all my savings, but I'm a nerd, all my hobbies involve my PC, so what else I'm gonna spend it on. I build my PCs to last as long as possible, usually 5 years was the limit for all my previous builds, so I go for tried-and-true quality components/vendors and not the budget stuff.

Ever since my 333 Celeron I was on Team Red, I always built AMD systems, through the Athlons, the Bulldozer and Ryzen last time, coupled with ATI/AMD graphics, and they served me really well until now. It was an incredibly hard decision to switch to Team Blue/Green, but I guess it was inevitable considering the circumstances. Normally, I would've waited until at least the AM5 platform release, see the metrics and probably go for a build around this time next year, but the sudden tragic death of Monolith forced my hand. I can't be without a PC for another year, that's inconceivable. At first I put together a 5900X build with a Dark Hero and a Sapphire RX6800 16G, but the more I looked at the reviews and comparisons, the more skeptical I got. Team Red is just not up to the task this generation, and even the price difference is not significant enough now. As I've read around, Ryzens and the 6000 series underpeform in most metrics I need, namely gaming and especially productivity. And even if I wanted to stay Team Red, it would be stupid to build a AM4 rig right before the AM5 platform debut, especially with my long term plan builds, so for the first time in 20-odd years, an Intel/Nvidia build:

MONOLITH II:

PC Part Picker part list
Alza.hu Part List (Alza is my local retailer)

CPU: Intel Core i7-12700K
Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO
RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36
GPU: GAINWARD GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Phoenix 8GB
PSU: Corsair RMx (2021) 850W
Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME
Apacer AS2280Q4 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive

I'm re-using a 500GB Samsung SSD for the OS, the Crucial P5 will be used for games and productivity stuff and the Apacer is just going to be storage (I'm retiring both my old HDDs).
I'm not exactly sure about the RAM compatibility, but after some research I think this G.Skill kit will do. I always used Corsair kits, but it seems like G.Skill is really popular now.
Obviously, I was really thrown for a loop with the graphics card, prices what they are nowadays, but a 3070 TI seems like a good compromise of performance and insane pricing. As for Gainward, from the Green side I remember using Gainward and Inno3D back in the day, and they were really good, sturdy cards, so it was basically a cointoss. Since I've been using Sapphire Radeons exclusively for more than a decade, I have no idea about Nvidia vendors, maybe someone has some insight into this?

I'm not really looking to change this build much, but if someone catches some incompatibility or something I should be aware of, I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks!

 

[Zerk2012]

Approximate Purchase Date: ASAP

Budget Range: $3500, flexible

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Streaming, Video Editing, Multimedia

Are you buying a monitor: No

Parts to Upgrade: Everything
Re-using Case: Corsair Graphite 780T (I'm changing out the old case fans for new Noctua P14 Redux's)
Re-using SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 500GB

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Alza.hu

Location: Hungary

Parts Preferences:

Overclocking: Never

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: AOC g2778vq and an ancient LG in a two-screen setup, native res is 1080p for now, but I might get a better one later.

Additional Comments: It's an all-purpose workhorse build designed to last as long as possible with everyday use. Air cooling, no overclocking, should last at least 5 years.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: My old PC died on me a few weeks ago, a 5 year old Ryzen 1800x build. One evening just suddenly turned off and won't recognize any graphics cards anymore, the Hero VI is most likely toast. But this is not a troubleshooting thread, it's not worth it to try and revive old Monolith, so I guess it's time for Monolith II. I know, it's the worst time possible, hardware prices being what they are nowadays, but I'm going crazy on my small work laptop, not being able to do the things I want. Yes, I know, it's a totally insane build and will eat up all my savings, but I'm a nerd, all my hobbies involve my PC, so what else I'm gonna spend it on. I build my PCs to last as long as possible, usually 5 years was the limit for all my previous builds, so I go for tried-and-true quality components/vendors and not the budget stuff.

Ever since my 333 Celeron I was on Team Red, I always built AMD systems, through the Athlons, the Bulldozer and Ryzen last time, coupled with ATI/AMD graphics, and they served me really well until now. It was an incredibly hard decision to switch to Team Blue/Green, but I guess it was inevitable considering the circumstances. Normally, I would've waited until at least the AM5 platform release, see the metrics and probably go for a build around this time next year, but the sudden tragic death of Monolith forced my hand. I can't be without a PC for another year, that's inconceivable. At first I put together a 5900X build with a Dark Hero and a Sapphire RX6800 16G, but the more I looked at the reviews and comparisons, the more skeptical I got. Team Red is just not up to the task this generation, and even the price difference is not significant enough now. As I've read around, Ryzens and the 6000 series underpeform in most metrics I need, namely gaming and especially productivity. And even if I wanted to stay Team Red, it would be stupid to build a AM4 rig right before the AM5 platform debut, especially with my long term plan builds, so for the first time in 20-odd years, an Intel/Nvidia build:

MONOLITH II:

PC Part Picker part list
Alza.hu Part List (Alza is my local retailer)

CPU: Intel Core i7-12700K
Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S chromax.black
Motherboard: Asus ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO
RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36
GPU: GAINWARD GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Phoenix 8GB
PSU: Corsair RMx (2021) 850W
Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME
Apacer AS2280Q4 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive

I'm re-using a 500GB Samsung SSD for the OS, the Crucial P5 will be used for games and productivity stuff and the Apacer is just going to be storage (I'm retiring both my old HDDs).
I'm not exactly sure about the RAM compatibility, but after some research I think this G.Skill kit will do. I always used Corsair kits, but it seems like G.Skill is really popular now.
Obviously, I was really thrown for a loop with the graphics card, prices what they are nowadays, but a 3070 TI seems like a good compromise of performance and insane pricing. As for Gainward, from the Green side I remember using Gainward and Inno3D back in the day, and they were really good, sturdy cards, so it was basically a cointoss. Since I've been using Sapphire Radeons exclusively for more than a decade, I have no idea about Nvidia vendors, maybe someone has some insight into this?

I'm not really looking to change this build much, but if someone catches some incompatibility or something I should be aware of, I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks!

I don't see any reason to spend that much on the board and memory, and would probably get the 14s cooler instead of the 12.
https://hu.pcpartpicker.com/list/7JBYJM

 

[logainofhades]

I would spend less by going with a good z690 DDR4 and DDR4 ram, and put that extra into a better GPU, and a beefier cooler. You are massively overspending, in the wrong areas. I think work is blocking access to your site. The 6900xt is a pretty solid card.

50 Game Benchmark: RTX 3080 12GB vs. RX 6900 XT

Today we're getting back to what we love doing, big benchmark comparisons. We're starting with the GeForce RTX 3080 12GB and Radeon RX 6900 XT head to...

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PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-12700K 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor ($354.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI MAG Z690 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($274.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($124.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($239.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($239.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 6900 XT 16 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card ($1274.80 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2021) 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Noctua P14s redux-1500 PWM 78.69 CFM 140 mm Fan ($16.95 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua P14s redux-1200 PWM 64.92 CFM 140 mm Fan ($16.95 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua P14s redux-1200 PWM 64.92 CFM 140 mm Fan ($16.95 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Noctua P14s redux-1200 PWM 64.92 CFM 140 mm Fan ($16.95 @ Amazon)
Total: $2837.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-03-31 16:17 EDT-0400

 

[Why_Me]

https://www.alza.hu/EN/noctua-nh-d15-chromax-black-d5697819.htm
NOCTUA NH-D15 Chromax Black

https://www.alza.hu/msi-mag-z690-tomahawk-wifi-d6883869.htm
MSI MAG Z690 TOMAHAWK WIFI

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-Z690-TOMAHAWK-WIFI

https://www.alza.hu/asus-prime-z690-a-d6807439.htm
ASUS PRIME Z690-A

PRIME Z690-A｜Motherboards｜ASUS Global

ASUS Prime series is expertly engineered to unleash the full potential of AMD and Intel processors. Boasting a robust power design, comprehensive cooling solutions and intelligent tuning options, Prime series motherboards provide daily users and DIY PC builders a range of performance tuning...

www.asus.com

 

[Playbahnosh]

I would spend less by going with a good z690 DDR4 and DDR4 ram, and put that extra into a better GPU, and a beefier cooler. You are massively overspending, in the wrong areas. I think work is blocking access to your site. The 6900xt is a pretty solid card.

The reason I went for DDR5 is futureproofing. Like I said, I build my rigs to last, and even if nothing breaks for the usual 5 years, I might want to reuse the RAM in a future build. Tech is transitioning to DDR5 as we speak, and being stuck with "old" DDR4s 4-5 years down the line wouldn't be great.

Also, I know the 6000-series cards are pretty good, and they are more or less up there in gaming performance with Nvidia's 3000-series, but from all the reviews and comparisons I've seen, they are massively underperforming in productivity, like streaming, rendering, 3D stuff, etc. Also, while FSR is good and all, DLSS is lightyears ahead, not to mention RTX, PhysX, G-Sync and all other bells and whistles Nvidia has. Trust me, this makes me more sad than you can imagine, for literal decades I was betting on Team Red to not only keep up but surpass Intel/Nvidia one day, but they never really did, and for the past so many years AMD just playing catch-up with mediocre success. From what I seen, I reluctantly have to admit the 3000-series RTX cards are a league of their own, and AMD lost this round. I don't know what the next generation will bring, but I can't wait that long to get a new build together...


And yes, I forgot to mention, I do not want any MSI or Gigabyte stuff. Ever since I've been building PCs a lot of my friends and coworkers always had issues with MSI and Gigabyte components, faults, RMAs, instability, all sorts of cr@p, one after another. That's why I personally never used them, and probably never will. I've been using mainly Asus TUF/ROG and Corsair stuff (Sapphire for graphics) for decades now and I never had any issues or RMAs, all my builds ran rock solid, so I'd like to stick with them. I'm sure many people are quite happy with their MSI/Gigabyte components, but for me, "thanks but no thanks".

 

[geofelt]

Your build is reasonable and will work well.
I have a few thoughts:

The big draw to expensive enthusiast motherboards is the ability to attain high overclocks.
I think a lesser motherboard would suit you just as well.

Allowing the turbo mechanism to boost a few cores when conditions permit is usually a better strategy anyway. One of the limiters to how high the boost can be is cpu temperature.
To that end, I would suggest the Noctua NH-D15s. to give you the best possible boost.
The s variant is a high compatibility version that will clear the tall heat spreaders of your trident ram.

On the ssd devices, I have two suggestions:

Buy samsung. Yes, you will pay more for them. No real benefit from the PRO versions.
Endurance with large devices is no longer an issue.
Puget systems has them tops in reliability:

Most Reliable PC Hardware of 2021

Here at Puget Systems, our goal is not only to provide the fastest workstations possible, but the most reliable as well. As a part of our constant drive to offer only the highest quality components possible, we track and regularly review the failure rates for each part we carry. Today, we want...

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Second, buy a single 2tb larger ssd which will make things easier to manage.

On storage, do you have a useful external backup plan?
Perhaps you can repurpose your HDD devices for this.

Lastly, find the budget and space for a high resolution larger monitor.
That is a long term purchase that you will see and touch every day.
Bust your budget if need be for a good one.

 

[Playbahnosh]

Your build is reasonable and will work well.

No, it's utterly unreasonable, but thank you

The big draw to expensive enthusiast motherboards is the ability to attain high overclocks.
I think a lesser motherboard would suit you just as well.

I don't go for high-end stuff for the overlocking, not even the (mostly superfluous) added features, but for reliability and longevity. Enthusiast components usually use high grade materials and a more thorough engineering/testing process than the cheapo consumer grade stuff. Sure, the sticker price is higher but with it I don't just buy a mobo, but peace of mind and system stability. I used to use the TUF Sabertooth series (while they were still making it) especially for the robust design and premium components for extra lifetime. Just as well, my ancient 10+ years FX8150 build with the first gen Sabertooth 990FX (not even the R2) is still chugging along in the other room. Sure, it's completely useless by today's standards (it's a small home server now) but it proves a point. Since now there are no components that are specially marketed for longevity, I just go for the enthusiast grade, go for low thermals, low noise and stick with tried and time-tested vendors.

Also, I never overclock. This is also why I choose components that are robust out of the box and will last in performance for a long time without any tweaking. I won't compromise system stability and cut component lifetime in half for, what, 5 more FPS that makes absolutely no difference? Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the overlocking enthusiasts, but I'm oldschool like that, I want my builds to last and they all did 5+ years each with basically 24/7 use and I'm pretty sure my zero overclocking, overdesigned cooling and premium grade components had a hand in that.

To that end, I would suggest the Noctua NH-D15s. to give you the best possible boost.
The s variant is a high compatibility version that will clear the tall heat spreaders of your trident ram.

I actually switched to a NH-D15 chromax.black in the meanwhile. I was already using a D15 in my Ryzen build and it's amazing. I looked it up and it will fit on the Z690 Hero and I found a LG1700 bracket kit for it too, so yay!

On the ssd devices, I have two suggestions:

Buy samsung. Yes, you will pay more for them. No real benefit from the PRO versions.
Endurance with large devices is no longer an issue.
...
Second, buy a single 2tb larger ssd which will make things easier to manage.

I chose the Crucial P5 because it's very fast, even for a NVME, 6600 MB/s read and 5000 MB/s write speed as it says on the tin and the Samsung only has half that. Speed is exactly what I need for games and productivity stuff. And I chose this Apacer unit because it boasts 3600 TBW lifetime, and longevity is what I need from a data storage. I do have about 1.5TB worth of stuff I need to take off my old HDDs, so that's why I chose the 2TB unit. I also already have a relatively new 500GB Samsung 2,5" unit, which I intend to use as an OS disk, since tests show that faster SSD speeds don't affect OS performance, so I can safely reuse it for that purpose. (I also have an old, slow 250GB Plextor unit from the last build, but I can't think of a valid use for that one, so it's retiring for now.)

On storage, do you have a useful external backup plan?
Perhaps you can repurpose your HDD devices for this.

Exactly what I'm planning to do. That old FX system serves as a kinda test and f#ck-about machine, which I intend to turn into a backup and storage server, so it gets the extra 3TB worth of HDDs from Monolith's corpse.

Lastly, find the budget and space for a high resolution larger monitor.

Yes, I intend to do just that, but a few more things need to happen before that's possible. I need a new desk, because the current one can barely fit my rig and the dual screen setup, and even if I retire my ancient LG screen and use the AOC as the secondary, another large screen just won't fit. And I also kinda wanna keep it for a 3 screen station (for streaming), but then I need to figure out a whole new mounting arm...bracket...setup...thing, and that's just not in the plans right now. Also a decent new gaming monitor would just send the cost to space and I'm waaay overbudget right now as it is.