Looking to build an AMD 9800X3D (or 9850X3D) + RTX 5080 desktop to replace my older 2019 gaming rig, and I would like some suggestions/pointers. Purely gaming.
Posted by IThrowShoes@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 59 comments
Howdy,
Currently have an Intel i7 9700k + RTX 3070ti build that I've been using since around 2019, and looking to build a new system before prices get even more ridiculous.
I have access to Microcenter as well.
To start, I am thinking about the AMD 9800X3D or 9850X3D. I almost considered the 9950X3D until my preliminary research showed that the 9950 is really only good if I plan on doing productive or Blender types of work, which I don't.
For the GPU, I plan on getting a RTX 5080, but open to suggestions.
However, "what to buy" for the rest remains a bit of a mystery in the year of our lord 2026:
- B850 vs. X870E? The age old question. Even though I do not plan on using USB4 with this setup, I do wonder if the X870E will future proof me a bit?
- Motherboard: Microcenter does have some decent bundles such as this one, but I've read that the Strix boards have the ability to kill 9800-series AMD processors. I dont know how much of that is true vs. user error. My current Intel build uses a Gigabyte Aurous board and it's been extremely solid
- PSU: Do I need 1200W for this, or would less wattage actually be OK? What are some decent brands? Hope to have something that already has cables and has connectors that can directly work with the 5080. Currently have an EVGA SuperNOVA in this intel build and it's been pretty solid.
- Case: I am guessing Ill need a full sized ATX case. Right now I have a mid-sized Fractal Design Define C that has sound dampening and I love that aspect. Not looking for something flashy -- I dont need clear windows, RGB, etc.
- Memory: If I don't plan on getting a bundle with Microcenter, Ill have to scope it out a little bit. Open to suggestions here, also knowing that Microcenter typically does price matching.
- Cooling: Do I really need AIO with this, or would a higher end air cooler work just fine? I just want to be sure I am not causing too many heat issues with the 5080 in there as well.
I am sure Ill think of more questions after I post this, and if I do Ill edit this.
Any help greatly appreciated.
bestanonever@reddit
Let's forget for a moment we are in the middle of an awful hardware crisis and I'd say:
1 and 2- For pure gaming B850, or, heck, B650 is all you need. PCI-e 5.0 and USB4 won't make your games any faster. Buy a solid motherboard with a B850 chipset and you are golden. I'd say, for instance, the MSI B850 MAG Tomahawk. Best mobo vendors this gen are MSI and Gigabyte.
3 - 1000W could be enough, but your PC won't consume more watts with a higher quality power supply. Since you are using top of the line parts, get a 1200W Platinum or Gold PSU with 10 years warranty.
4 - New GPUs are quite chonky. I love Fractal Design, see if the big models of the North or similar are enough to fit the model of GPU you are looking for.
5 - 2x16GB 6000 MHz with the lowest CL possible is all you need for your gaming needs. It's also quite expensive at this time. At worst, get 2x16GB 5600 MHz, since the X3D CPU will compensate for some of the lost frequency.
6 - High-End air coolers are good enough. Like, the highest end. AIO might run cooler, more silent. As always, check reviews of the particular models you are looking for. The Noctua NDH-15 V2 is a beast.
IThrowShoes@reddit (OP)
Truth be told this is my motivation. I don't think it's going to get much better anytime soon, and my current PC is already showing signs of age. It's time, whether I like it or not.
This is confusing me a little bit. I haven't really looked at the specs yet, but I assumed that the GPU would run better on PCIe 5?
Oh yeah forgot to mention, Noctua is what I am currently using on my Intel and it keeps it pretty cool (albeit I dont think it runs nearly as hot as the 9800X3D
f1rstx@reddit
Noctua isn’t much better than 35$ - it’s massively overpriced for no reason
BiliousGreen@reddit
It's not for no reason. You pay for build quality, silence, and after sales support. Performance wise, there's not much difference these days, but there are other things that make Noctua worth it.
KFC_Junior@reddit
Support and build quality doesnt fucking matter because if a 30$ peerless assasian breaks somehow you buy another and youve still spent half the price of a single noctua.
Also look at my other comment for a link to the gamersnexus testing which literally shows that its barely better in noise normalised tests.
pythonic_dude@reddit
You don't even buy another one lmao, you buy a cheap replacement fan. PA doesn't use state of the art fans exactly, just about anything modern will do.
KFC_Junior@reddit
True lmao, just more the point that you can still buy another one and be under half the price of a singular fuck ass noctua
Perfect-Average2341@reddit
You have valid points but what if some people don't want to replace or have sentimental feelings towards individual components? You can't put a price to that
SaladeDeBananes@reddit
Just don't have a relationship with your cpu cooler and it'll be fine
f1rstx@reddit
It’s all laughable argument considering you can get like 4 cooler for the same price for any imaginable platform. It’s sinply overpriced luxury gimmick without anything to back up their price other than some bragging points. Its like Richard Mille of CPU parts - ugly as fuck, but expensive
Serious-Map-1230@reddit
But the box looks so nice!!
jfp555@reddit
With an x3d chip, you don't even need to worry much about lowering CL of RAM. So get the cheapest kit you can. The Id-cooling Frozn line of coolers or the Thremalright coolers (35-50 bucks) can easily cool these x3d chips.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Bv7Tn4zqRc
Get an A-tier 850w Gold or Platinum PSU from this list. The XPG Core Reactor II and SuperFlowers are extremely good and not overpriced.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1akCHL7Vhzk_EhrpIGkz8zTEvYfLDcaSpZRB6Xt6JWkc/edit?gid=1719706335#gid=1719706335
IThrowShoes@reddit (OP)
Wow thanks for the links. This opened my eyes a little bit.
I am almost considering the Arctic Liquid Freezer AIO at this point since it's almost comparable in price to some of the not-Noctura coolers, or even the ID cooling line.
jfp555@reddit
Yeah this video was an eye-opener for me too. Ended up going with the A720 and it has been incredible. Good luck with your build!
bestanonever@reddit
GPUs don't really need the full bandwith of PCIe 5.0 just yet. You can use the rtx 5090 on Pcie 3.0 and the lost of performance is less than 5%. Basically, a non-issue.
Check Techpowerup's RTX 5090 PCI-e scaling review for actual numbers.
IThrowShoes@reddit (OP)
Ah I will, thanks!
So I think the reason I got caught up in it is because I also do some AI stuff at work, where PCIe 5 made a significant difference just due to the massive amounts of data that flows through the bus. Im guessing gaming doesn't need all that much, at least yet.
bestanonever@reddit
Yeah, PCIe bandwith has never been an issue for GPUs, as long as you are running the full X16 bus on them.
Good luck! The specs you are aiming for are excellent and will last you for years.
KFC_Junior@reddit
Nhd15 is overpriced as fuck and not that great btw
https://gamersnexus.net/megacharts/cpu-coolers#200W-normalized-100
Costs 4x more than a peerless assasian, is barely better, looks uglier (ig its subjective but 99% of people will agree) and is chonkier
Opposite-Initial811@reddit
i got the nhd15-s and its solid af. quiet and cools my 9800x3d
KFC_Junior@reddit
congrats you paid 4x more for the same shit as any other cooler
bestanonever@reddit
Show me on the doll where Noctua hurt you.
Lol.
Noctua is expensive stuff but they are built like tanks. Friend of mine is still using his 8 years old NDH-15 on his brand new AM5 platform and you just can't hear the thing under load.
Yes, it cost a pretty penny but he got a cooler for a decade+, for sure.
iSuckAtMechanicism@reddit
It helps to read comments before replying to them. https://gamersnexus.net/megacharts/cpu-coolers#200W-normalized-100
geraam@reddit
Why are you talking about awful hardware pricing crisis and then talking about the noctua cooler? That cooler, coming from someone that has one, has awful price to performance and is a net loss in price to performance.
Any air cooler like the frozn a720, sk700v, or the peerless assassin are more than adequate for the 9800X3D.
bestanonever@reddit
But unlike RAM, SSDs and GPUs, Noctua coolers are naturally expensive, lol.
It was just an example of a high-end air cooler. There are others, of course.
rowdykiller420@reddit
I just built my first pc. I did the micro center bundle for the 9850x3d with the Msi x870e- pro WiFi. Came with g.skill 6000mhz cl36. While the timing isn’t the greatest the cpu more than makes up for it. I haven’t over locked anything at all. I went light on the GPU as I’m kinda in limbo on what I want to get vs waiting to see something new drop(yeah right 😭) so I just did an AMD 6600 by asrock. Msi mag 750w gold PSU 1tb off brand nvme And in using thermalright phantom spirit 120 SE
So far my cpu temps haven’t been above 65c while running games. I’m play Diablo 4 right now with my son and I’m getting 160+ FPS with every quality settings I can find in game and in adrenaline software to max. I’m also playing on WiFi as I haven’t ran my Ethernet yet(wife’s making me hide the cable 😂).
I plan to upgrade the gpu soon before my return window runs out.
Codys_friend@reddit
You've been using your current pc for 7 years. You didn't say if you've upgraded parts on it over the years.
Given you seem to value longevity, I recommend you select a mobo with a good amount of pcie5 lanes and usb4 ports, in anticipation of the new tech that will be coming in the next few years. Pcie5 hasn't made a huge impact, yet. Neither has usb4. However, tech is evolving and parts are utilizing more and more bandwidth, as the tech becomes more widespread. Pcie5 nvme's were notoriously hard to cool when they first came out and extraordinarily expensive. The prices have come down, before ramageddon, and they are running cooler. Pcie5 ssd's still only make sense in creator use cases but the trend is there. As parts become more ubiquitous, their availability will.be taken advantage of. Similar with usb4, the use cases are limited now, but growing.
Zen6 is coming next year. Build a pc today with a bit of an eye toward the future. The Zen6 cpu's are going to be quite powerful, and they will run on the current AM5 socket. Building with a mobo with good pcie5 and usb4 capabilities will serve you well for future upgrades. You don't need to spend crazy money for your mobo, just be mindful of the features that will come in handy for the future.
These guides help to explain the features on mobos and what to look for: https://youtu.be/kJnKQjtFYr4?si=XYcerlHDZufyW0mK https://youtu.be/CxGHWQ05HuY?si=jGOuCxhyWFUGvB-P
I wish you success in your build.
IThrowShoes@reddit (OP)
Oh, yeah good call out. I have not upgraded anything internally since I purchased it. The only thing I've done was clean it out from time to time, but no upgrades since.
The other advice seems solid, I do have an eye out for the future. I don't do hardware refreshes that often (as indicated by the post), but building something now that can serve me 5+ years is the goal.
vikingsfan2218@reddit
You've haven't upgraded your PC since the initial purchase in 2019 but the 3070 ti released in 2021. How does that make sense?
IThrowShoes@reddit (OP)
yeah correct, I completely missed that. My brain was fried looking at too many parts that I responded incorrectly.
I did have an upgrade. My original build was a 2070 super. Then during the pandemic I was able to upgrade to a 3070ti. But other than that, the motherboard+cpu+ram+case+PSU did not change.
Codys_friend@reddit
Select quality parts and they'll serve you well for many years!
IThrowShoes@reddit (OP)
That's my mission! haha
Grainger407@reddit
I was in your same boat. I literally built my system yesterday. (Upgraded from a 2070 super and a i7 14900k (I think))
I bought 85% of my parts from microcenter and got the 9800x3d bundle.
Motherboard: i Went with the MSI option they have. Like you said I was fearful of the strixx (and I also realized I didn’t need everything else on the board)
Psu: I went with the nzxt c1000. Def overkill but I’d rather have more than less.
Case: fractal design north
Ram I used the 32 gig included in the AMD bundle. Crucial x5 or something. (After some numbers crunching. Didn’t really see a point in NOT doing the AMD 9800x3d bundle. Saved me like $300.
CPU cooler: went with the thermalright PA 120 SE. My buddy has the same thing and everything works great. I’ve heard they don’t run SUPER hot.
I also got 3 noctua case fans to help with heating.
Sadly haven’t been able to play anything but RV there yet.
Plan to try tarkov and cyberpunk tmr
IThrowShoes@reddit (OP)
As a followup -- Is this the Fractal Design North non-XL? If it's not the XL version, do you feel there's sufficient room for cooling with the 5080 in there?
Grainger407@reddit
It’s not the XL. But I def should’ve gotten it. The included sag bracket didn’t fit with the case front. Had to order a new one.
Get the XL
IThrowShoes@reddit (OP)
Roger that, thanks!
Did the case come with the sag bracket, or the GPU?
Grainger407@reddit
My 5080 came with the bracket. Had the case been an inch longer length wise I would’ve been able to use it no problem.
But between the intake fans and my massive gigabyte 5080. 0 room. And I mean maybe half an inch to 3/4 which isn’t enough for the included bracket. I ordered a $10 one on Amazon and it works well.
I love the case though. Extremely well built, and easy to build in. I just have a massive gpu. I will say too the case fans included are surprisingly quiet. I returned noctua intake fans.
My only issue when building was deciding if I use the included pcie power thingys or my nzxt included 600w power cord. (Rn I have the 600w plugged in but if anyone reading this has any other reason why lmk)
IThrowShoes@reddit (OP)
Do you feel that the MSI board is as strong as the Strix? Do you know if the MSI board has a decent set of overclocking options should I choose to do so?
Grainger407@reddit
I’m not sure what you mean by “as strong” I assume you mean in terms of capabilities and things on the board.
The msi has one pcie 5x4 lane and then 2 other pcie 4.0x4 (which is more then enough for me) I bought a 9100 2tb ssd and moved over my pcie 4.0 drive along with my ssd. More storage than I know what to do with and FAST.
The strixx has 2 pcie 5.0. Which I think is just overkill as regular every day gaming goes. (No large file transfers or editing) not to mention, the price of the SSDs are through the roof.
The motherboard (with the limited time I’ve spent playing and tinkering.) does everything I want it to and will be a decent enough board for when and if I want to upgrade next. I just wanna turn it on, load up my game and play 4k 144hz. (Which it does flawlessly)
I don’t overclock so I wouldn’t really know what to look for in terms of different settings. But from my limited knowledge. I did check the settings and it has pretty much everything I would need if I wanted to. I personally don’t see the need when at stock settings it does everything I want. I took the extra $250 I saved and got case fans and spent more on the PSU/Case
If you have any more questions lmk. Like I said literally was in the same boat as you are a week ago.
IThrowShoes@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the input, that helps.
What I meant by "as strong" was sorta what you were saying regarding pci lanes, but additionally I wasn't sure if the MSI had decent options for overclocking, enough tools to be able to tinker with, and if it just felt like a solid board all around. I wasn't sure if the Strixx line of gaming boards were considered the "Ferarri" of gaming boards, but based on your input the strix might actually be overkill for me as well.
I am also not experienced enough with MSI to know whether or not they're legit, even though I've heard of them quite a bit.
beneschk@reddit
What resolution are you running at? If you're comfortable with 1080p/1440p you don't really need an upgrade.
You can go down the route of better cooling for the GPU/CPU you've got and overclock for the extra performance. That's why you buy the K series CPU. Its almost a free upgrade, so may as well give it a go and see if you can hold out until prices decrease.
I'm all about price per performance. My last upgrade was from an i5 7600 to an R9 9700x however I kept my RTX 2070 from the old build to save costs. At 1080p there's really no need to upgrade just yet as games still look and run fine. When I finally make the jump to 4k I will only need to replace my GPU and monitor. There is always the option to stage the upgrade and have a bottleneck in some of the components until prices drop.
If you're looking for to run at 4k and want 60fps native, the 9800X3D and RTX 5080 will do the job. AIO is recommended, really good air coolers will work. As for the mainboard choice, this is really up to you.
IThrowShoes@reddit (OP)
Right now I am running 4k @ 120hz (gaming on my LG C3), and the 3070ti does "ok". Suffers quite a bit on some heavier games. CPU is completely maxed out though.
beneschk@reddit
Yeah if you're aiming for 4k 120hz native you may want to look at a 5090. Even then you're still going to be pushing it with some games. If you're happy to deal with the downsides of DLSS, you can reach that frame rate with a 5080 no issues.
My personal opinion is the cost vs increased performance compared to your current rig just isn't worth it. You can downgrade to a 1440p 144hz monitor which will keep running modern games for many more years.
What kind of games you into, more esports or AAA titles?
xRichard@reddit
dude... just upscale and be rich
beneschk@reddit
Whats wrong with preferring DLAA? This guy obviously has expensive taste if upgrading already.
I was asking specifically in case he was into esports titles, more input lag is never what you want.
xRichard@reddit
C2 here. Went from 3080 to 4080.
3070Ti to 5080 will be a massive leap and will work really well
IThrowShoes@reddit (OP)
Yeah that's what I am hoping at least! The 3070ti can still do some 4k (and that's what I predominantly set as a resolution), but there are some weaknesses at times.
I generally have a single player game I play as a "main", then some multiplayer games I play on the "side". Right now my side game is Helldivers 2 (4k) and while I think the game itself is a little unoptimized, the 3070ti does decent. But it will struggle a lot of the times. I've noticed this on other titles as well. So I am hoping the 5080 will smooth out those edges a bit for the time being.
blumpkinowski@reddit
I’m in the same boat and I’m curious what motherboard combo you decide to choose. I’ve also been eying up that x870-e strix motherboard for its connections and optical out port, but for the cost difference I could just get a new gaming headset (hyperX cloud alpha 2)
ForThePantz@reddit
I would hit Micro Center for a CPU, mainboard & RAM bundle. If you can’t do that (and you should) then NewEgg bundle. Don’t buy a shit case with massive glass panels, RGB and shit cooling. Good luck!!!
Serious-Map-1230@reddit
B850 vs. X870E? The age old question. Even though I do not plan on using USB4 with this setup, I do wonder if the X870E will future proof me a bit?
Future proofing is not spending money on things you most likely will never need. Then if and when the time comes, you can spend that money on the thing you actually need. (Imho)
Pcie gen 5 is nonsense, it wil be 80xx series at minimum before that starts being a thing for GPU. At this moment, we barely need pcie 4 for anything gaming. Ssd don't need it at all.
However, yeah those microcenter/newegg bundle deals are quite the deal.
Case and cooling: A good aircooler will work just fine, but a 360 AIO will be more quiet under load.
The computer trilemma: - small case - low temps - silent.
You can only ever pick two of these. Your case is smaller and has soundproofing, which means your temperatures will suck.
Plenty-Industries@reddit
Get their 9850X3D bundle
That has not been a thing since the 9800X3D has launched, and was a firmware issue that has been since resolved. I have one such board that supposedly killed 9800X3Ds, the ROG Strix X670E-E since the 9800X3D launched and my 9800X3D has never given me issues. It has been rock solid from the get go. Every motherboard manufacturer will have at some point had some issue that could potentially kill a chip. No one is immune from it.
B-series. There would have to be a very specific feature that you really need that is only available on X-series boards to justify the higher cost. Like maybe no bifurcation of PCIe lanes when more than 2 or 3 m.2 drives connected and you absolutely 100% need all the performance required of each drive all the time.
Microcenter has their own PC builder, or use PCpartpicker and it will show the estimated max wattage of the sum of the components together. Base your PSU wattage off of that and add some extra wattage to that for breathing room. 1200watt is overkill and far more expensive than what you're realistically ever going to use. Any modern power supply is going to give you all the connections you'll need for the GPU.
You can only base what case you want, based on the sum of the parts you're using and what style of case you like. You can reuse your current case if you want.
Get the Microcenter bundle. You're not going to get a CPU/RAM and Motherboard for the same price. RAM is fucking expensive. Take advantage of the bundle. Honestly.
No. AMD's product page does recommend one, but reality is no. You can do fine with a dual-tower cooler. I have one. My 98000X3D is cooled by a Thermalright Frost Commander 140. You can find a ton of 240 and 360mm AIOs for under $100 easily, with many around $50-60.
IThrowShoes@reddit (OP)
(sorry if this gets posted again, my reply seemingly got lost)
Good to know, as I am a fan of the ASUS brand. I was a bit worried about getting a Strix just based on what I saw.
Do you think there's something to be said about getting the X870E just for futureproofing? Or will the B-series be plenty of horsepower for gaming? I just want to be sure enough bandwidth is getting to the GPU and that there's little to no loss there.
Someone else in this post mentioned a Fractal North, and I really like the look of it. So... well Ill probably get that one, the XL version.
I think I will.
Good to know, Ill look for one. I have a Noctura now and it's rock solid, but they're also on the pricey side.
stickyjam@reddit
to get improved performance you'll need a thicker 280mm, or 360mm(and probably a thicker one at that). If you're itching for AIO build, then bigger is better. the 240mm may even peform worse than your Noctua, some of the thinner AIO's will perform worse. Your 280,360,420 and 480mm with not scaled down sized rads are where you may find performance. Remember that some are using 140mm fans and some 120mm. Price concious and have a tickle for an AIO - Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 420 may land at a sweet spot, especially if you're getting a new case already 3x140 at the top could really set you up.
Plenty-Industries@reddit
No. The only difference is very specific features. The only "futureproof" you need to worry about, it the upgrade path for newer CPU's coming out. AMD has made a statement that AM5 will be supported "from 2027 and beyond". And considering how long AM4 has been around - its a safe bet there will be at least 1 or 2 more CPU generations on AM5 before they launch AM6, or require the need to upgrade to AM6.
IThrowShoes@reddit (OP)
This is good to know because I generally like the ASUS brand.
Do you think there's something to be said about the X870E that allows for a bit more futureproofing?
I think I will. I just wasn't sure about any of the motherboards that are part of their bundles.
My current case is definitely not large enough. Besides the old PC is going to get turned into a server, so I'd need a new one anyways. Another commenter mentioned the Fractcal North, and I've never seen one before until today, and now I really want one.
Good to know, Ill probably end up with air-cooled for now.
dekrob@reddit
I just went through the same as you and ended up pulling the trigger on a 5070 ti build as the +4-500 premium on a 5080 didn’t make sense given benchmarks.
I echo what everyone else said, you need to look for bundles. I don’t have access to micro center so it was mostly looking for Newegg bundles that made sense.
Total: ~$2,200 after tax
CPU: Ryzen 9 9850X3D Motherboard: MSI X870 Tomahawk WiFi Memory: 32GB DDR5-6400 CL32 (V-Color) GPU: RTX 5070 Ti 😭 PSU: MSI MAG 750W Fully Modular Gold (came with GPU bundle) Case: Corsair Frame 4000D Cooler: Nautilus 360mm AIO
notes • CPU + board + RAM combo: $850 • GPU: $950 😭 but came with free psu • Everything else brings total to ~$2.2k all-in
Friendly_Addition815@reddit
I would highly recommend going with a bundle.
observant_hobo@reddit
Echoing this. Definitely take advantage of the microcenter bundle if you live near one. And maybe buy other components there too as a thank you.
SwiftDickington@reddit
I just built this (well very similar) PC. Gigabyte x870e aorus elite x3d, 9800x3d, gigabyte gaming OC 5080, in a fractal epoch case (a North without the wood front). That beefy GPU fit fine, used a fsp group hydro ti pro 1000w PSU and have no power issues thus far, and a phantom spirit vision Evo Air cooler. Went together easy, runs great, good temps.
Ama lol
GPUBroke@reddit
I just recently built a similar PC. Lots to cover here. - Microcenter - absolutely get a bundle if you care to save around $300. Lots of people dream of living near MC. They have a bundle with x870 chipset I think at the moment paired with 9850x3d - for RTX 5080 1000w is more than enough. This guy is the best in the industry. Read some reviews. https://hwbusters.com/best_picks/best-atxv3-pcie5-ready-psus-picks-hardware-busters/. I have FSP Hydro Ti Pro 1000w atx 3.1. got for $220 on sale. - I went with the MSI x870e because I wanted wifi 7, PCIe 5.0 and very robust vrms.
Plus look. Educate yourself on b850 vs x870 and see if more connectivity features matter for you. - You don't need AIO for x3d chip. - difference between 9800x3d and 9850x3d performance wise is 2-4% but 9850 runs 25% hotter and eats about 20% energy. Not worth it imo. - RTX 5070ti offers the best performance to price ratio this generation. 5080 is only 15% faster than 5070ti, but about 40% more expensive. I was lucky to secure RTX 5090, but In your case consider RTX 5070ti. Prices are currently crazy on GPUs. Id NOT spend ~$1500 on RTX 5080 with 16gb of vram.