Build Advice New gaming PC build.

[Why_Me]

My next question is

In regards to GPU's, do more games support Nvidia features than AMD features?
I read something about the 'upscaling' software that both suppliers have, it seems that more games have exclusive support to one and not the other.

Nvidia if you plan on using DLSS (frame regeneration) which is better atm than AMD FSR.

 

[TeamRed2024]

Agreed... and if you want a white GPU the Gigabyte Aero is what you are looking for.

 

[Lafong]

Thank you! Its exactly what im doing but I guess the issue im having is it might show you the differences, but I don't understand half of it!

Find and post the apparent differences. We can then comment on their significance.....could easily be of little importance.

 

[p0t3nt1al]

My next question relates to memory storage.

A lot of places seem to be pushing you towards getting 2 storage options.
1 for storing the operating system and general files on and the 2nd for storing games on etc.

Is there a noticable, measurable difference in performance by doing this, or is this just purely for OCD purposes?

 

[Lafong]

There are reasons unrelated to performance and also unrelated to obsessive-compulsive disorder.

I use 2 drives and don't game at all. Nothing wrong with using 1.

 

[Lucky_SLS]

Modern day drives are good at sustained read/writes. For general use and gaming, 1 drive is sufficient.

If you want a backup drive, that's upto you.

 

[p0t3nt1al]

My next question is

When it comes to the CPU + GPU combination, I have read in various places one of the biggest mistakes people make is not prioritising the GPU.

I am looking at the following
CPU 78003XD
GPU 7900 GRE

Everything I have read suggests the 78003XD is probably the best CPU for gaming however I am wondering if I would be better looking at something lower and using the savings towards a different graphics card, maybe a 4070 ti super?

 

[Lucky_SLS]

Depends , if you need ray tracing in your games get the 4070ti S. The 7900 GRE is absolutely fine for 2k gaming.

 

[p0t3nt1al]

Okay. Thank you very much.

I am looking at the following two motherboards for my rig.

Gigabyte B650M Aorus Elite AX Ice
Gigabyte X670E Aorus Pro X

Its quite unclear looking at the spec what are the real differences apart from maybe a few ports. Would I be correct in saying the B650M one is a smaller board? Does this has any impact on performance?

 

[Lafong]

Yes. M signifies the smaller micro ATX. Will fit in any standard case.

Most boards are "full ATX" and won't fit in some cases.

I'm not sure what the E means in "X670E". It may or may not fit in a standard case.

Micro ATX boards have fewer slots, which wouldn't matter to most users. I have used Micro for a decade.

I count at least 5 "Ice" AMD motherboards at Gigabyte site.

X670E is not Ice, so I guess you have given up on white?

Here are 4 Ice boards in a comparison table. None are micro ATX. Not sure what the "E" means. The 870 boards are the most expensive and may have features you don't need?

https://www.gigabyte.com/Comparison/Consumer/Result/2?pids=9730,9721,9678,9456

Here is the fifth one. B650M Aorus Elite AX Ice. The only micro ATX

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/B650M-AORUS-ELITE-AX-ICE#kf

 

[p0t3nt1al]

X670E is not Ice, so I guess you have given up on white?

There is an Ice variance apparently. Or at least there are photo's on the site I was looking at.

I think this Amazon listing is the same one

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigabyte-X...659740203-B0CN5L12XW-&hvexpln=74&gad_source=1

 

[Lafong]

OK; my error. I didn't catch them all in my search

So there are at least 6 AMD boards in the ICE series at Gigabyte.

Performance is driven mostly your CPU choice and by the chipset and its features: X670, B650, X870 etc.

Reliability is another matter.

I have no idea which might give you headaches, but there is luck involved. Pick the features you need and hope. Maybe look around for reviews of specific boards. Comments from buyers on Amazon could easily lead you far astray.

 

[p0t3nt1al]

When looking at motherboards, I am seeing information on its PCie slots.

Can someone please help me understand why there are more than one? Isn't this just used for your GPU where you would only really need one good one and the extra slots would be irrelevant?

 

[Lucky_SLS]

You have other devices that can be used apart from GPUs like storage expansion cards, network cards, sound cards, video capture cards etc.

 

[p0t3nt1al]

Okay so I think I have decided on the GIGABYTE B650M AORUS ELITE AX ICE motherboard as it seems a good place to make a saving compared to cutting money off GPU and I can get it for a good price.

When I look at the spec I can see its expansion slots are

1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (supports x16 mode), 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (running at x4)

Would I be correct the first one that supports 16x mode is what the graphics card plugs into?
What would the second slot (running at 4x) be needed for?

Would I be correct in saying both the 7900 GRE or the 4070 ti Super both are designed to be used with this PCie 4.0 slot, and don't need PCie 5.0?

Are there any specific drawbacks to using this card? The fact its a mATX does make me nervous, but primarily because I am probably very ignorant to PC building and parts.

 

[Lucky_SLS]

I have the same board but in black.

The second X4 slot is for sound cards, video capture cards, network cards etc. the GPU will be in the top X16 slot.

The GPU will run in pcie 4.0 mode, no issues. Both the cards are pcie 4.0 X16 native.

There are no as such drawbacks apart from less M.2 slots and other I/O which most users wont miss.

 

[p0t3nt1al]

Thank you for your reply.

I think a lot of the time when doing a custom build you can be feared into over speccing or buying overpriced items which you don't really need in reality.

To hear you also have this board gives a lot of confidence on making the purchase as this is one of the best priced boards I have on offer/available.

Thanks again!

 

[p0t3nt1al]

I have also been seeking some comments on another forum.

My biggest issue is - it seems there is a lot of 'fear mongering' when recommending parts. Below I will list a few and wondered if you could comment your opinion on whether these opinions are a little blown out of proportion and whether the average casual gamer should be as concerned about these as they seem to be.

1. mATX motherboard vs ATX.
The general feeling is "If you're happy to save the cash and opt for blissful ignorance then we will always respect that decision. We want you to make your decision informed though. I genuinely wouldn't have an M board near any system that I ever built for myself, a family member or ever recommended to anyone on this forum."

If the board meets all my port requirements, the only disadvantage I can see is limiting upgrade potential. Is there any weight in their opinion?


2. One or two SSD's. One for OS and one for storage.
The general feeling is "I would also strongly, STRONGLY, recommend that you split your SSD’s as well.
Smaller, quicker drive for your OS and larger, slightly slower, but still fast, secondary drive for games.
Not only will it keep your drives from getting too full and losing performance, if anything does go wrong, it’ll potentially save you A LOT of time and patience down the line."

My old custom build only had one SSD and even as it became quite full I have never really noticed a significant disadvantage. Is there really such a significant advantage to having two? If we are looking to ensure we are spending our money wisely it does seem like an easy place to make a saving by going for one larger SSD.



3. Power supply wattage.
I have been advised "ATX 2.4 doesn’t account for transient spikes which can be up to double the power rating of the GPU and therefore you should go for an ATX 3.1 model".
I have also been advised to "go for a PSU with a lot more wattage than your build estimate is to account for transient spikes".

Based on this I selected a 1200w ATX 3.1 PSU however when I go through the builder I see the following automated message.

"You have selected a 1200W power supply, but based on our calculations you actually only need a 750W power supply. We have calculated your specification to require around 554W of power including a 20% allowance. "

Are transient spikes really so significant that I need to go for a significant amount of wattage PSU higher than the estimate or is this overexaggerated fear mongering?


I guess my question is - I know what they are saying is probably true, but for the average casual are these concerns really valid enough that its worth spending hundreds of points more on different parts to follow their recommendation?

 

[Lucky_SLS]

1. The only drawback with mATX board is the limited I/O. If you are using single GPU, M.2 and 1 or 2 HDDs you are fine.

In my system, the bottom slot is just below my GPU shroud. So if i install a sound card, that will severely affect the airflow for my GPU. I have the last remaining expansion slot open in my Lan cool 205 case if i want to install something. (My rig with pics in my signature below)

If you are concerned, get the ATX version of the case:

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product...e-atx-am5-motherboard-b650-aorus-elite-ax-ice

2. SSDs have come a long way, the SSDs that I suggest above was the Kingston KC3000 model which has a DRAM cache. What this means is that it uses that separate DRAM cache for frequently used files and wont get slowed if the capacity is near full. So go for a good DRAM model and you wont have that worry.

Having 2 drives is advisable if you are a heavy user who writes few hundred GB worth data each week like content creators. That will use up the drive's life expressed in TBW. If you are a general user who writes a few hundred GB per month, you are fine.

3. The PSU I suggested is the Thermaltake GF A3 snow edition which comes with white cables. This PSU comes in the same PSU family that is in the recommended list by HWbusters.

Best ATX v3.x & PCIe 5.x Ready PSU Picks 2024 – Hardware Busters - Hardware Busters

Hardware Busters - Best ATX v3.x & PCIe 5.x Ready PSU Picks 2024 – Hardware Busters - Best Picks

hwbusters.com

For a 7900GRE or a 4070Ti Super, the 850W is more than enough. I have a 7800X3D and a 4070Ti Super with an 850W PSU.