Question Time to rebuild my rig. Best choices with $1300 budget for Adobe, Video, programming and some gaming

[conticreative]

It's time to relegate my old workstation to the entertainment center.

My last built (2011) used these components:
CPU Type HexaCore Intel Core i7 970 3200MHz / 3333 MHz (25 x 133)
Motherboard Asus P6X58D-E
Memory 12GB (DDR3-1333 SDRAM)

I am planning to keep the case (CoolerMaster HAF 932 Full Tower Gaming Case) and the liquid cooling (Corsair H80iGT Liquid Cooling).

My budget is around $1200 to $1500. I may or may not buy a new SSD, but let's leave that out of the calculus for now.

My work:
I do a lot of graphic work, some video editing, some PHP and JS programming and a little bit of gaming. My video card is a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (4095 MB) and I am hoping to be able to keep it.
The new setup will have 32GB of DDR4 RAM minimum, maybe 64GB if I can swing it.

Conundrum: My problem is that I have bought Intel forever, but it looks like it may not be the smart choice these days. Maybe I am wrong. It's been a while since I built my own rig, although I built some for friends. The last one was 3 years ago. I barely recognize the landscape.

My two biggest concers are:

Multitasking ability: I need to be able to have multiple browsers and programs open and maintain a decent speed. My current rig, with only 12GB of RAM and a 10 years old Processor is struggling.
Obsolescence: I was very lucky with my last built. It lasted me a long time. I want this one to last at least 5 years before new tech will force me to replace components.

Are there some tried and true CPU - MOBO - Memory Combo I can buy and still remain under my budgetary constraints?
The choices online are dazzling and I also will have little time to troubleshoot after the built, so something proven is a must.

Thank you in advance and please remember that I already have video card, chassis, 1000W power supply (with a 500W ready to pitch in if necessary) and hard drives.

 

[velocityg4]

Since you are trying to reuse old parts.
PSU: Make sure it supports C6/C7 power states. Otherwise you'll want a new one.
Cooler: For AMD you'll need a new one due to bracket changes. Anyways for an 10+ core CPU I'd want something bigger than a 120mm cooler. Given you cases restraint on specs. I listed a 240mm model.
SSD: You certainly should get one for modern video editing. Preferably 1TB for your current work file and scratch. NVMe is better for this. Even a budget Crucial P1 NVMe SSD is a good choice.
CPU: AMD is a great choice for video editing.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 3.5 GHz 16-Core Processor ($749.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i PRO 75 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($124.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix X570-E Gaming ATX AM4 Motherboard ($279.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport AT 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($301.85 @ B&H)
Total: $1455.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-28 09:38 EST-0500

 

[conticreative]

Since you are trying to reuse old parts.
PSU: Make sure it supports C6/C7 power states. Otherwise you'll want a new one.
Cooler: For AMD you'll need a new one due to bracket changes. Anyways for an 10+ core CPU I'd want something bigger than a 120mm cooler. Given you cases restraint on specs. I listed a 240mm model.
SSD: You certainly should get one for modern video editing. Preferably 1TB for your current work file and scratch. NVMe is better for this. Even a budget Crucial P1 NVMe SSD is a good choice.
CPU: AMD is a great choice for video editing.

his looks great, thanks. Also thank you for alerting me to the cooling. I was not up to date on that.

The only thing I am not sure about is the "Case restraints on specs". Yes, my HAF case is 10 years old, but one of the reasons why I purchased a full tower at the time was for longevity and room to work in it. What specs are limiting me with my case? Is the MOBO mounting different? Is there a place where I can check for compatibility?
I'd really prefer to keep my case. Beside saving me a few $$$, I have a crapload of fans that are still working great and hard drive bays, which I will need because I have about 5 HD (plus a couple external) in addition to my SSD.
If the mountings are different, I should be able to rig something up, I hope.

I'll also check the PSU. Crossing my fingers on that one. I checked my original invoice and all it says is:
"1000 Watt -- Extreme Power Supply - [Gaming Series] Quad SLI + Active PFC"
At the time I was more concerned with raw power than anything else. How would I find out if it supports C6/C7 power states and what kind of portents will befall me if it doesn't?

Also, I have another HAF case of the same vintage with similar specs but a busted MOBO. I was thinking of doing the build there first, make sure everything works and then transfer over to my workstation. Even if I have to duct tape some components while I test the build. I cannot afford to troubleshoot the build and be down on my work.

God, I think I already have an uncer and a little voice telling me to go to Best Buy and get a POS Dell off the rack.
Thank you again.

 

[velocityg4]

his looks great, thanks. Also thank you for alerting me to the cooling. I was not up to date on that.

The only thing I am not sure about is the "Case restraints on specs". Yes, my HAF case is 10 years old, but one of the reasons why I purchased a full tower at the time was for longevity and room to work in it. What specs are limiting me with my case? Is the MOBO mounting different? Is there a place where I can check for compatibility?
I'd really prefer to keep my case. Beside saving me a few $$$, I have a crapload of fans that are still working great and hard drive bays, which I will need because I have about 5 HD (plus a couple external) in addition to my SSD.
If the mountings are different, I should be able to rig something up, I hope.

I'll also check the PSU. Crossing my fingers on that one. I checked my original invoice and all it says is:
"1000 Watt -- Extreme Power Supply - [Gaming Series] Quad SLI + Active PFC"
At the time I was more concerned with raw power than anything else. How would I find out if it supports C6/C7 power states and what kind of portents will befall me if it doesn't?

Also, I have another HAF case of the same vintage with similar specs but a busted MOBO. I was thinking of doing the build there first, make sure everything works and then transfer over to my workstation. Even if I have to duct tape some components while I test the build. I cannot afford to troubleshoot the build and be down on my work.

God, I think I already have an uncer and a little voice telling me to go to Best Buy and get a POS Dell off the rack.
Thank you again.

When that case came out. Liquid cooling wasn't that popular. Let alone AIO liquid cooling. Nor were 140mm fans. 240mm (2x120mm) liquid cooling should work, possibly 360mm. I stuck with 240mm to be safe. As there may not be proper top spacing for a radiator. It'll all fit. There is just the possibility of some fuddling with the case .

Everything else should fit. Except if you get some 2.5" SSD. You'll need some adapters for a proper mount. Although I just bolt on one side since they are so light. Skipping the adapter.

As for the PSU. Look up the make and model with the manufacturer. They should mention C6/C7. If it is the same vintage. It probably doesn't support it. As that came out with Haswell I believe (4th gen Core series). You can also post that here.

You can probably disable C6/C7 in the BIOS. It means you'll be wasting electricity. Not sure if it helps anything beyond energy efficiency. My understanding is a PSU which doesn't support it can have stability issues. Due to the extreme low power state when enabled.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

Ryzen 7 would be enough. R9 is way overkill

 

[Archaic59]

Something like this should be plenty for what you're doing.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($324.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler ($60.18 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($297.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $873.15
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-28 21:17 EST-0500

 

[conticreative]

When that case came out. Liquid cooling wasn't that popular. Let alone AIO liquid cooling. Nor were 140mm fans. 240mm (2x120mm) liquid cooling should work, possibly 360mm. I stuck with 240mm to be safe. As there may not be proper top spacing for a radiator. It'll all fit. There is just the possibility of some fuddling with the case .

Everything else should fit. Except if you get some 2.5" SSD. You'll need some adapters for a proper mount. Although I just bolt on one side since they are so light. Skipping the adapter.

As for the PSU. Look up the make and model with the manufacturer. They should mention C6/C7. If it is the same vintage. It probably doesn't support it. As that came out with Haswell I believe (4th gen Core series). You can also post that here.

You can probably disable C6/C7 in the BIOS. It means you'll be wasting electricity. Not sure if it helps anything beyond energy efficiency. My understanding is a PSU which doesn't support it can have stability issues. Due to the extreme low power state when enabled.

I see, thank you. It's along the lines of what I suspected as far as the case and the C6/C7.
As far as the cooling, I think I do have the top cooling grate available. Right now there is a giant fan, but I can remove it and mount the Liquid Cooling there.
If I feel enterprising, I can remove the glass from the side of the case, cut a piece of plastic and place the cooling there.
I had to put a new cooling unit 3 years ago and I had actually sketched how to do it then, but I changed my mind and I went for a unit like the old one. I think the top mount would be best though.

As far as the SSD, I bought a 500GB SSD 2 years ago, so beside the size it's fairly new and still running at 99% lifespan according to my software (who knows how accurate it is with SSD, but it was spot on with a drive that did fail).

For the C6/C7 I did read of guys that deactivated it in the BIOS. I'd probably do the same. Changing a power supply later is not going to be a big deal.

Thank you again. It's a hell of a system. Not sure I can stretch the budget but I am going to try. I'd rather spend 2 or 3 $$$ more now than having to spend another $1500 in 2 years, but I am looking at a cheaper CPU and the reviews for both. I feel like I am getting married again.

 

[conticreative]

Ryzen 7 would be enough. R9 is way overkill

Thank you. I am actually looking at the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X which is $300 less.
I want my builds to be future proof if I can but I'll take a look at the R7 anyway and see if it makes more sense.

 

[conticreative]

Something like this should be plenty for what you're doing.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($324.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler ($60.18 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($297.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $873.15
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-28 21:17 EST-0500

Thank you for your input. What do you think of the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X? It's about the same price.
I am afraid I know nothing about AMD and I have no idea what the difference is between the R7 and R9.
I'd know more if they were rocketships instead of CPUs. I have used Intel since the dawn of humanity.
Thanks again.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

if you can afford the R9, get it! get the best you can afford across the system. you won't regret it. get the r9 for sure if you can

 

[Archaic59]

Thank you for your input. What do you think of the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X? It's about the same price.
I am afraid I know nothing about AMD and I have no idea what the difference is between the R7 and R9.
I'd know more if they were rocketships instead of CPUs. I have used Intel since the dawn of humanity.
Thanks again.

Single thread rating is almost the same as 3700X. If the software you'll be using can take advantage of even more cores then the 3900X could be a better choice.
3700X & 3900X Passmark Comparison

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor ($469.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 SE-AM4 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory ($297.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1047.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-29 15:57 EST-0500

 

[Flayed]

I would replace the PSU if it is 10 years old

 

[velocityg4]

I see, thank you. It's along the lines of what I suspected as far as the case and the C6/C7.
As far as the cooling, I think I do have the top cooling grate available. Right now there is a giant fan, but I can remove it and mount the Liquid Cooling there.
If I feel enterprising, I can remove the glass from the side of the case, cut a piece of plastic and place the cooling there.
I had to put a new cooling unit 3 years ago and I had actually sketched how to do it then, but I changed my mind and I went for a unit like the old one. I think the top mount would be best though.

As far as the SSD, I bought a 500GB SSD 2 years ago, so beside the size it's fairly new and still running at 99% lifespan according to my software (who knows how accurate it is with SSD, but it was spot on with a drive that did fail).

For the C6/C7 I did read of guys that deactivated it in the BIOS. I'd probably do the same. Changing a power supply later is not going to be a big deal.

Thank you again. It's a hell of a system. Not sure I can stretch the budget but I am going to try. I'd rather spend 2 or 3 $$$ more now than having to spend another $1500 in 2 years, but I am looking at a cheaper CPU and the reviews for both. I feel like I am getting married again.

If you are video editing professionally. The extra CPU power will pay for itself. Look at Pugetsystems for detailed benchmarks of different CPUs. Gives you an idea of how much additional cores helps.

Premiere Pro CPU performance: Intel Core X-10000 vs AMD Threadripper 3rd Gen

Intel has long been the go-to option for a high end Premiere Pro workstation, and the massive price cuts on the new Intel Core X-10000 series processors make them even more attractive. On the other hand, AMD has made some impressive improvements in raw performance with their new Threadripper 3rd...

www.pugetsystems.com

 

[conticreative]

If you are video editing professionally. The extra CPU power will pay for itself. Look at Pugetsystems for detailed benchmarks of different CPUs. Gives you an idea of how much additional cores helps.

Premiere Pro CPU performance: Intel Core X-10000 vs AMD Threadripper 3rd Gen

Intel has long been the go-to option for a high end Premiere Pro workstation, and the massive price cuts on the new Intel Core X-10000 series processors make them even more attractive. On the other hand, AMD has made some impressive improvements in raw performance with their new Threadripper 3rd...

www.pugetsystems.com

Actually, video editing is no more than 10 to 15% of my work. I list it because I need to be able to edit the odd video without falling asleep at the workstation, but otherwise most of my workload is on graphics and programming.
Thank you for the input though.

 

[ttower2020]

A Ryzen 9 is a great CPU for gaming, but is overkill. However, since you also do proper "work" on this PC, the extra cores will mean a (likely) noticeable improvement in speed. Also, do not worry to much about getting better performance, since even a budget $100 Processor could be comparable to your current one. Any good new CPU will be miles better than your old one, and will still be good for a long while. The Ryzen 3rd gen is also the first CPUs to support PCIe gen 4, which is some extra futureproofing for you.

A GPU upgrade is something to consider as well, because the 970 is getting pretty old and weak in comparison to modern GPUs. A $300 GPU could be a decent improvement, but that will probably come later.

I do also recommend an new PSU, since yours is very old, and at this point could be prone to failures.

 

[Flayed]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor ($469.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Slim CPU Cooler ($64.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($189.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($294.99 @ Corsair)
Storage: Seagate FireCuda 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($104.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1284.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-03 18:25 EST-0500

 

[velocityg4]

Actually, video editing is no more than 10 to 15% of my work. I list it because I need to be able to edit the odd video without falling asleep at the workstation, but otherwise most of my workload is on graphics and programming.
Thank you for the input though.

In that case. The 12-Core Ryzen is more than enough.

 

[conticreative]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor ($469.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Slim CPU Cooler ($64.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard ($189.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($294.99 @ Corsair)
Storage: Seagate FireCuda 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($104.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1284.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-03 18:25 EST-0500

I really like this system. My only concern is about the 650W power supply. I like to overbuild when it comes to power, plus my tower has 4 internal hard drives of the spinning variety (likely 5 by the time I am done) and two external. plus pro-audio cards, Wacom tablets, gaming peripheral for Driving and flying simulators and other USB peripherals that can increase power consumption.

Maybe I don't need 1000W like I have currently, but wouldn't 850W be safer?
Have things changed so much in power requirements that 650W is now good enough due to optimization of components?

I remember in the mid 2000 I had a tower with a 500W supply and at the time it was considered anemic. I don't want to repeat the same mistake.
But thank you for the great system. It checks all of the other boxes at a good price.

 

[Flayed]

You could get an 850W unit if you want too

 

[conticreative]

Hello everyone, I am the OP and I have just finished building my new system. I wanted to drop by and thank you all for the help and tell you where I am at.

Ultimately, I ended up purchasing the following:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12-core - 24-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor with Wraith Prism LED Cooler
MOBO: ASUS AM4 TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi) ATX Motherboard
PSU: Corsair RM 750x
Cooling: Corsair iCUE H100i RGB PRO XT
HD: Seagate FIRECUDA 510 1TB - 3450MB/s | 3450 MO/s
RAM: 64GB - Corsair 2x32GB 3200MHz Vengeance LPX

This is the core of the machine. Unfortunately I also had to buy Windows Pro because Microsnot would not take my fully owned updated copy of Windows 7 hat was infuriating, but now at least I can take my old machine and turn it into my music workstation. It's more than enough for my music composition needs and the software is already installed.

The build was uneventful, aside for the usual confusion of working with a brand new MOBO.
In my old machine, despite my fastidiousness, I found a carpet of fibers in between the push-pull radiator fans. I suspect that my problems with speed were in part due to that. It was invisible until I took it apart. Lesson learned.

I recycled my old box and placed the radiator at the top. The case was pre-drilled for the screws, which was nice.
What wasn't nice was the absolute confusion in regard to the directions of the fans.
Corsair has them in one configuration on their box, opposite config in their manual, and in the video I watched the guy remarked at the end that he put the fans wrong. After I followed his initial advice. Then I found more contradictory statement all over, so I decided to just mount it so the fans get the air from the case and push it upwards. Maybe not ideal, but so far so good.

I am still working on the fan's configuration. I have plenty of fans but I am short on fan wires. I'll have to buy an extension to plug my last fan into the mobo. It's literally 3" too short for the front fan and the side fan (on the removable cover) would have to plug directly into the MOBO, making the removal of the side door very cumbersome and potentially dangerous. On the old machine I had a fan controller, but I decided not to use it for the new build as the software does an excellent job.
Wires, wires everywhere.... but not the one I need.

The biggest issue I had was installing windows.
First off, I got an CPU overheating problem "press F1". I solved that by ignoring the cooling manual and plugging the fans directly into the mobo. That allowed me to start and install windows.


But no. Windows would not install and crash in the middle of the installation.
After some painful and silly research I discovered that my class of motherboard has an issue with the latest Windows 10. Something to do with the Intel Wi-Fi- driver.
After chasing this issue on Reddit and other places, I discovered an official release from ASUS that gave a step by step on how to deactivate WI-Fi during installation.
I followed that and windows installed without an issue.

And so now here I am using my new machine for the first time. Big difference.

Again, thank you all for the help. I really appreciate it.

PS: My last problem is that on my old machine I had my OS on the SSD but I moved my "Documents" "Download" etc. to my D Drive. Well, my D Drive is back inside, but I cannot open a single folder on it without getting an error, a long process and still getting the error at the end of it. I'll post a new thread in that regard because there are several different fixes available, some of which are no longer working (or not well, anyway).