Build Advice New PC Build

[raz09181]

Budget: $5,000 USD
Country: USA
Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: 3ds max, Steam Games
Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc):
Will this build be good for 3dsmax modeling and rendering, did I choose the parts wisely?
upgrading from a Threadripper 1950x, rtx 2060 and 32 GB of DDR4
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ph4q8Q
GPU: https://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-Graphics-WINDFORCE-GV-N5080AORUSM-ICE-16GD/dp/B0DT7H5JYL?crid=2FLOAO7C56W0U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ahtHMHdgwX61bBJBEi1UCLRaYK1Wd6vkeyTmfb3-7xLtJCIiZWDEVk1bmRlMsjRPC7fyuh8jg5n0ZzrnvUIrq4zQC1IXRgaQ2wLFdfaKjK_LDEbhxr58une5qEqHEI0zhGCWBVZuUiDqlDl48R6PJC27YyF_pzhr6KAJwlAx-3UWXAPovFBvYXusDpvwIF5biWljMMYXAwvQENl_co0ejbZEkTAvZEXfJRrFLAQRE2gey1ajeDphSpox-A7eCWN_gdJh7HkAIQgzJNibdAZd6FqiQxVZPogsmMiNoWiihsc.AgJPYjW_KRHLhASr2-_ACm0zG1eWe8P_tcanz4f-9Os&dib_tag=se&keywords=white+5080&qid=1750186159&s=electronics&sprefix=white+5080,electronics,142&sr=1-1
or maybe some other White RTX 5080

 

[logainofhades]

With some shifting around, you could do a 5090 with that budget. Supposedly there is a 5080 Super coming, so you might want to hold out for that, as it will give you more V-Ram.

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/geforce-rtx-5080-super.c4302


5090 example.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 4.3 GHz 16-Core Processor ($678.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III Pro A-RGB 360 77 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($100.49 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE ATX AM5 Motherboard ($239.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston FURY Beast RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($136.10 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital WD_Black SN850X 4 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($282.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte AORUS MASTER GeForce RTX 5090 32 GB Video Card ($3019.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec C5 ARGB ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic Focus GX V4 ATX 3 (2024) 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($184.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro Retail - USB 64-bit ($198.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $4961.53
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-06-17 16:01 EDT-0400

 

[Hellfire13]

Something like this...

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 4.3 GHz 16-Core Processor ($678.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 A-RGB 69.9 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($174.60 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X870E AORUS PRO ICE ATX AM5 Motherboard ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws M5 RGB 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($197.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($149.99 @ Abt)
Video Card: Gigabyte AORUS MASTER GeForce RTX 5090 32 GB Video Card ($3019.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Lian Li O11D EVO RGB ATX Mid Tower Case ($172.97 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic Focus GX V4 ATX 3 (2024) 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($184.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $4928.52
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-06-17 16:48 EDT-0400

 

[PhilCyr]

Something like this...

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 4.3 GHz 16-Core Processor ($678.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 A-RGB 69.9 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($174.60 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X870E AORUS PRO ICE ATX AM5 Motherboard ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws M5 RGB 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($197.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($149.99 @ Abt)
Video Card: Gigabyte AORUS MASTER GeForce RTX 5090 32 GB Video Card ($3019.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Lian Li O11D EVO RGB ATX Mid Tower Case ($172.97 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic Focus GX V4 ATX 3 (2024) 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($184.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $4928.52
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-06-17 16:48 EDT-0400

Dang that is closer to what I am looking at building. So far The ryzen 9 9950x3d, and the mother board are what I decided with for the bill with a Asus 5060ti 16gb vram 64 or 128 gb ddr5-6000 ram and a fractal design case meshify 3 XL is the front runner

 

[Hellfire13]

Dang that is closer to what I am looking at building. So far The ryzen 9 9950x3d, and the mother board are what I decided with for the bill with a Asus 5060ti 16gb vram 64 or 128 gb ddr5-6000 ram and a fractal design case meshify 3 XL is the front runner

Unless yo have specific use case, 128gb will be way too much, probably wastage of resource. Other than that, sounds good.

 

[LOGAN54321]

If you wanna spend the whole budget (consider it semi-joke)

PCPartPicker Part List
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 4.3 GHz 16-Core Processor ($699.00 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III Pro A-RGB 360 77 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($100.49 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X870E AORUS PRO ICE ATX AM5 Motherboard ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Flare X5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL28 Memory ($224.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital WD_Black SN850X 4 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($279.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte AORUS MASTER GeForce RTX 5090 32 GB Video Card ($3019.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec C8 ARGB ATX Full Tower Case ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Super Flower LEADEX VII Platinum PRO 1200 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($239.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $5063.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-06-18 13:41 EDT-0400

Just some win 11 pro (saw it the other day, don't know how "good" it is).

 

[Misgar]

Just some win 11 pro (saw it the other day, don't know how "good" it is).

I'd hazard a guess it's not legit at only $14.95, especially as they kindly point out the "suggested" price for Windows 11 Pro is $199. Who are they trying to fool?
https://www.thewindowsclub.com/check-if-windows-key-is-genuine

A $14.95 key is probably split from a Volume License, intended for Enterprise or Educational users only. If you're a home system builder, you're breaking Microsoft's Terms and Conditions if the key has been mis-sold.

You could buy a genuine Retail Windows 11 Pro license from Microsoft for $199.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/d/windows-11-pro/dg7gmgf0d8h4

If you're tempted to buy a slightly cheaper OEM key on Amazon, they're intended for system builders who sell on their machines to customers, not home builders.

Or you could run Windows without Activation and save $14.95 or $199,
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...-windows/fac2a20c-a1d5-433c-8d7a-42ddc20724e2

Why pay scam web sites anything for non-legit keys?

 

[LOGAN54321]

I'd hazard a guess it's not legit at only $14.95, especially as they kindly point out the "suggested" price for Windows 11 Pro is $199. Who are they trying to fool?
https://www.thewindowsclub.com/check-if-windows-key-is-genuine

A $14.95 key is probably split from a Volume License, intended for Enterprise or Educational users only. If you're a home system builder, you're breaking Microsoft's Terms and Conditions if the key has been mis-sold.

You could buy a genuine Retail Windows 11 Pro license from Microsoft for $199.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/d/windows-11-pro/dg7gmgf0d8h4

If you're tempted to buy a slightly cheaper OEM key on Amazon, they're intended for system builders who sell on their machines to customers, not home builders.

Or you could run Windows without Activation and save $14.95 or $199,
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...-windows/fac2a20c-a1d5-433c-8d7a-42ddc20724e2

Why pay scam web sites anything for non-legit keys?

No deception intended. Simply shared another place that has the "cheap windows" . As i said originally, i don't make any claims about how "good" or "bad" it is. I simply shared the link, anybodywho might buy, should decide for themselves, and do their own "research". People vary by a lot in what they are willing to buy, or not.
Mentioned in several posts...i guess tom's hardware is not against it. I consider tom's hardware a good site. I also consider techspot a good site( Steve from hardware unboxed contributes there if i am not mistaken). Does that automatically make it a good place to buy from? Of course not, but i think at least to some extent it's likely to be more decent.
I absolutely don't mind deleting it, but you also have to modify your post so the link is not visible.
And of course i hope there is no harm done, and apologies for any inconvenience.

 

[USAFRet]

With a $5k budget, do not skimp on the OS license.
Buy real or don't buy at all.

Would you cheap out on any other component like this?

 

[Misgar]

No deception intended.

No offence taken. I'm just concerned many people are duped into paying scam artists for a (potentially) unlicensed copy of Windows.

Mentioned in several posts...i guess tom's hardware is not against it.

I was surprised to see that post. Tom's usually comes down pretty hard on people trying to find lost passwords for locked accounts or encrypted files, or torrents with keygens/cracks for commercial programs.

Perhaps a cheap key split from an Enterprise Volume License pack intended for sale in the Phillipines doesn't count as "illegal", despite being against Microsoft's Terms and Conditions for resale elsewhere in the world?

The resale of cheap keys is probably against the US Copyright Act of 1976 and similar laws in other countries. Is endorsing such practice on this forum complicit behaviour? The usual caveat, I'm not a lawyer.

I absolutely don't mind deleting it,

No need to delete it. I'm not an Admin on this site. In any case there are zillions of similar links for anyone to find plus "a fool and his money are soon parted".

After all, it's only $12 wasted on a (potentially) unlicensed copy of Windows, as opposed to (typically) $100/$200 for a 100% legal version of Home/Pro.

 

[logainofhades]

No offence taken. I'm just concerned many people are duped into paying scam artists for a (potentially) unlicensed copy of Windows.


I was surprised to see that post. Tom's usually comes down pretty hard on people trying to find lost passwords for locked accounts or encrypted files, or torrents with keygens/cracks for commercial programs.

Perhaps a cheap key split from an Enterprise Volume License pack intended for sale in the Phillipines doesn't count as "illegal", despite being against Microsoft's Terms and Conditions for resale elsewhere in the world?

The resale of cheap keys is probably against the US Copyright Act of 1976 and similar laws in other countries. Is endorsing such practice on this forum complicit behaviour? The usual caveat, I'm not a lawyer.


No need to delete it. I'm not an Admin on this site. In any case there are zillions of similar links for anyone to find plus "a fool and his money are soon parted".

After all, it's only $12 wasted on a (potentially) unlicensed copy of Windows, as opposed to (typically) $100/$200 for a 100% legal version of Home/Pro.

You must have missed the Tom's articles on cheap keys.

https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/windows-11-free-or-cheap

 

[Misgar]

You must have missed the Tom's articles on cheap keys.

Correct. I hadn't spotted the article. Thank's for pointing it out.

A Microsoft volunteer moderator believes most of these cheap keys are not legitimate:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...ys-legit/97ac65c3-87f3-4cdc-b0e6-7ca9ba017111

Question:
A lot of big YouTubers and many popular sites are selling cheap activation keys. Are those really legit? I also saw a site selling them and saying those are legit keys. Is it okay to buy from them?

Answer:
Beware of Product Keys Sold Separately.

With the exception of Product Key Cards (PKC’s) distributed with COA’s, Microsoft does not distribute products keys as standalone products. If you see a listing on an auction site, online classified ad, or other online page advertising product keys for sale, it’s a good indication that the keys are likely stolen or counterfeit.

If you were to purchase and use a stolen or counterfeit product key to activate Windows installed on your PC, the key may not work for activation, may already be in use on another PC, or it might be blocked from use later by Microsoft when the key is reported stolen.

More info here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/howtotell/Shop....



In his article, Avram states the following:
https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/windows-11-free-or-cheap

Now, let's address the elephant in the room. While we can't vouch for all of them, websites selling cheap Windows 11 keys are likely offering legitimate codes.

It is my belief the cheap activation codes might indeed indeed be genuine, in as much as they were originally created by Microsoft, but if they were split from a Volume Pack and resold against Microsoft's Terms and Conditions, the license is invalid.

What some people don't realize is that a Windows activation key is not the same as a Windows license. You could buy the manufacturer's key for a stolen car, but possesion of a genuine key doesn't make you the car owner.

So we have this wonderful conundrum. Microsoft say most of these cheap keys are not legit, but large numbers of people ignore buy them, because they're unwilling to pay Microsoft's "extortionate" full asking price.

Fair enough, let your conscience be your guide, but I still don't understand why people buy these cheap keys, when there are other nefarious ways to avtivate Windows for free. Why give a potential scam artist your credit card details?

Avram's article might lead people to believe a cheap key comes with a valid license, but that's not always true. You don't see articles about keygens and cracks on Tom's. I wonder why not. Is it just a question of degree?

 

[USAFRet]

Question:
A lot of big YouTubers and many popular sites are selling cheap activation keys.

Those utube people are paid to say that.

 

[logainofhades]

Keygens and cracks are against ToS here.

I did a cheap key on my rig, using a youtuber's promo code on my current rig. I think it was one Greg Salazar was promoting back then. I won a system, built by jayztwocents, and for some reason the license he used didn't activate. Instead of waiting to sort it out, I decided to try Greg's source. It worked, and no issues almost 3yrs later.

 

[Misgar]

Keygens and cracks are against ToS here.

Yes, I was almost certain they were banned, but couldn't find any mention in the 'Terms and Conditions' link at the bottom of the page. I must have missed it in my search.

It worked, and no issues almost 3yrs later.

This confirms what I've read elsewhere, i.e. most mis-sold keys (without a valid license for home use) are not revoked by Microsoft.

Edd Bott summarised it here:
https://www.zdnet.com/article/is-your-windows-license-legal-should-you-even-care/

Over time, Microsoft has discovered that its activation servers are most effective when they're configured to the most generous settings. If you used a product key six months ago, chances are it will work again, because there's little benefit for Microsoft in making it hard for you to reinstall Windows.

Microsoft occasionally audits its larger customers, but if you're a hobbyist or a small business, you're literally too small to bother with. If you can successfully activate your new installation of Windows 11 Home or Pro, it doesn't really matter if your license has some sort of technical flaw. The license police are not going to bust down your door.

At the end of the proverbial day, I believe most cheap keys do not come with a valid license for home use, but you're unlikely to prosecuted by Microsoft.

The key might actually be genuine (created by Microsoft), or it might be fake (created by a keygen) but it's unlikely to confer a legit license for Windows on a home PC. If a cheap key is unlicensed, you might be tempted to activate Windows illicitly from a Github repository download. Same result, activation with no license, but you're $15 better off.

I'm concerned that Avram's article "How to get Windows free (or less than $15)" appears to be condoning software piracy. On a Reddit posting sure, but as an article on a reputable site like Tom's?
https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/windows-11-free-or-cheap

Avram's doubts appeared to have been assuaged by claims that Kinguin keys are "like buying Adidas or Puma or Nike from a discounter, from TJ Maxx" and "There are no legal issues with buying it from us. It's just another marketplace."

This is at odds with this statement on Microsoft forum:
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...ys-legit/97ac65c3-87f3-4cdc-b0e6-7ca9ba017111
Microsoft does not distribute products keys as standalone products. If you see a listing on an auction site, online classified ad, or other online page advertising product keys for sale, it’s a good indication that the keys are likely stolen or counterfeit.

I wasn't aware Adidas, Puma or Nike were in the market place of selling software. I thought these companies sold trainers, not licences.

Who do you believe when it comes to Windows licencing? Kinguin or Microsoft?