About to order 9800X3D + 5070 Ti build – compatibility / airflow / overkill check
Posted by RJ1905@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 8 comments
Hey all,
About to pull the trigger on this build and would really appreciate a second set of eyes before I buy.
I’ve done a decent amount of research, but I want to make sure I’m not missing anything obvious. Also picked parts available in Switzerland at a reasonable price.
PCPartPicker list:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/2NCTBv
Build
- CPU: Ryzen 7 9800X3D
- Cooler: Fractal Lumen S36 RGB V2 (360mm)
- Motherboard: Gigabyte B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7
- RAM: 32GB (2x16) DDR5-6000 CL30 (EXPO)
- SSD: Crucial P510 2TB (PCIe 5.0)
- GPU: MSI RTX 5070 Ti INSPIRE 3X OC (could look dope with the fractal north)
- Case: Fractal Design North
- PSU: Seasonic Focus GX V4 850W (ATX 3.0)
- Monitor: Alienware AW3423DWF (3440x1440 / 165Hz)
Use case
- Mostly gaming and minimal productivity work (AAA Single Player Story Games, rarely and if then casually FPS)
- Target: high/ultra at 1440p ultrawide
- Want this to last a few years without upgrades
Things I specifically would appreciate feedback on
1. Case + cooling
- Will a 360mm AIO fit well in the Fractal North without weird compromises?
- Is airflow sufficient for this GPU + CPU combo?
2. PSU headroom - Is 850W enough for a 5070 Ti + 9800X3D, or should I go 1000W?
3. SSD choice - Is PCIe 5.0 (Crucial P510) pointless for gaming? Considering switching to a good Gen4 instead.
4. RAM - Went with 6000 CL30 (EXPO) since that seems to be the AM5 sweet spot
5. Overall balance - Any parts that are overkill / bad value? - Any hidden bottlenecks?
Extra context
- Not interested in heavy overclocking
- Prefer stable, “set and forget” setup
- Noise matters a bit, but not silent-build level
Appreciate any input — especially from people with similar builds or experience with the North case
-UserRemoved-@reddit
https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/north/north/chalk-white/
Front radiator Up to 360 mm
Top radiator Up to 240 mm
Rear radiator 120 mm
It should fit in the front just fine
850W is plenty
Yes Gen5 is pretty pointless for gaming, as the increased sequential speeds are pretty irrelevant. Gen3/4 is more than fine, for most games you probably couldn't tell the difference between Gen5 and even Sata SSD.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DKLA7w9eeA
Anything close to that would be fine as well
Stop worrying about bottlenecks, understand them would be more useful. Your build looks fine to me.
RJ1905@reddit (OP)
Thank you for the detailed answer, I really appreciate it. I do know what a bottleneck is but english is not my first language so I might worded that wrong.
-UserRemoved-@reddit
You worded it right, it's just that marketing has weaponized that word to make people feel like they need to spend more money, so we often get asked about "avoiding bottlenecks" when realistically it's not a concern. If you are building with high end modern hardware, there isn't much to worry about for bottlenecks, they'll work together just fine. The concern with bottlenecks is for highly mismatched hardware, where you would get much worse value, or actual noticeable issues. (For example, 9800X3D + 1050Ti would be poor value for most gamers, or FX8350 + 5090 would likely cause noticeable issues as well).
RJ1905@reddit (OP)
Makes sense, thanks for the explanation. As a week ago I had hardly any knowledge about computers (or the hardware specifically) and just started getting into it, I wasn‘t sure if maybe some parts of this build might be overkill compared to other parts. That‘s mainly what I was about. Like you said with the PCIe 5.0 which isn‘t really necessary for what I‘m using it for. Anyways, I appreciate the feedback!
Ripe-Avocado-12@reddit
You can see completed builds on pcpp for your case to assess fit and compatibility of your own parts. https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/?using=ybNxFT#c=360
850w is already tons so long as it's a well rated unit.
Since you have an x3d chip, ram speed isn't as important. 6000c30 is the sweet spot for performance, ease of running, etc. But given the current pricing its not always worth it. When I bought my system last year, the difference from like 6000c36 to 6000c30 was $20, easy choice. But now if it's >$150 difference, I'd probably consider the slightly slower kit.
RJ1905@reddit (OP)
perfect thanks! I checked the same ram at c36 which was only like 20-30$ less.
andy2na@reddit
North fits 360s fine, in the front. I tested a NZXT 360 but ultimately went with arctic liquid III pro 240, so I could place the AIO at the top, blowing out. Still more than enough for a 9800x3d and this allows cooler air to blow to your GPU from front intake fans, keeping it cooler and clock faster
I have a rtx 5080 and 9800x3d and my old EVGA 850 works fine, but you might as well spend a little bit more and get 1000
RJ1905@reddit (OP)
Thanks! Gonna consider the 240 to place the AIO on top rather than the front, that‘s a good point you made!