First PC build in 20 years. Am I on the right track?
Posted by dontworrybehappy55@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 6 comments
Hello everyone,
I built a PC with my Dad maybe 20 years ago, but I've been buying pre-builts or paying someone else to build them for me since then. My Dad passed away recently, and I'll be soon making the switch to full-time freelancing, so I decided it's a good time to build a new PC.
I will be using the PC for 1440p, 165hz (240hz?) gaming and for work. I am a video editor who primarily uses the Adobe Suite, mainly Premiere Pro but I pop into After Effects from time-to-time.
Budget isn't a huge concern since I intend for this to be a special, powerful build that lasts a long time, but I'm not particularly interested in spending loads of cash for relatively small bumps in performance (i.e. a RTX5090 is a no-go).
Here is my build so far:
- AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D 4.7 GHz 8-Core Processor
- Thermalright Phantom Spirit EVO 69 CFM CPU Cooler
- Gigabyte X870E AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ATX AM5 Motherboard
- Kingston FURY Beast RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory
- Samsung 990 Pro w/Heatsink 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (I already own this and will be moving it to this build)
- Asus PRIME GeForce RTX 5080 16 GB Video Card
- Corsair 7000D AIRFLOW ATX Full Tower Case
- Corsair HX1200i (2025) 1200 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
- 4 x Thermalright TL-C14C-S 75.8 CFM 140 mm Fan
- Microsoft Windows 11 Home Retail - USB 64-bit
Here are my questions and thoughts. Some of them may be dumb because I don't know a lot about building PCs:
- Am I missing anything, overpaying, or making any glaring mistakes?
- Do I still need to use the anti-static bracelets (lol), and is it safe to use magnetic screwdrivers on the build/parts?
- Will this CPU cooler be sufficient for the 9800x3d? I chose against getting the 9950x3d because liquid cooling is recommended, and I'd like to stick to air cooling if possible.
- Will this RAM fit with my CPU cooler? I read online that the CPU cooler might not fit with the RAM, so I might have to move the fans up or something like that. I'll be honest, I have no idea what "moving it up" means.
- I chose the Gigabyte X870E Aorus Elite because it's Thunderbolt compatible with its USB4.0 ports, which will be very helpful in my work. Are there better alternatives?
- Is the Corsair 7000D case overkill? I want to have more than enough space to make the build and have plenty of room for airflow. Plus, I have very large, alien hands, so maneuvering in a smaller case could be challenging.
- Is the PSU overkill? I want to get a high-quality, platinum PSU with some headroom on the wattage. I was looking at the SPL PSU Tier List for recommendations, and this one looked good.
- I have a 1500W UPS. This should still be fine even with a 1200W PSU and a few other things (like an iMac) plugged in, right? As long as I don't hit the max draw of 1200W, which I shouldn't even be close to.
- Is there a difference between intake and exhaust fans? Or can I use any fan and just flip it around as needed?
- Would it make sense to have three intake fans on the front, then 3 exhaust on the top and 1 exhaust on the back for optimal airflow on this build?
Thank you very much! 😃
Mravac_Kid@reddit
The 5080 requires an 850W PSU, so those 1200W might be a bit overkill so you can save some money there by going for 1000W or less. But it's not a major issue in any case.
You can flip fans around as you wish, the effect is purely visual (it looks cleaner if the support structure of the fans isn't visible).
mar10br0-new@reddit
For gaming you're totally fine for many more years. But for video editing you will probably benefit by increasing RAM to 2x32 (NOT 4x16 as current gen AMD are not good handling 4 sticks).
And you can never have enough space in the case for building & maintenance when you have human hands. Don't ask me how I know 🤣
mar10br0-new@reddit
Oh and about the UPS and power draw, you'll hardly pull half of the max power sustained in normal to heavy workloads. Only synthetic benchmarks will push the hardware to it's limits with sustained (!) unrealistic loads. A good UPS (and PSU) should handle the power spikes without complaints.
dontworrybehappy55@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the info! You're right, going to 2x32 might be a good idea, so I will definitely consider that. I am curious why it's not good at handling 4 sticks, so I will definitely look into that too!
phatgooser@reddit
Looks like a good build, you could comfortably do 240hz 1440p, or 4k too.
Apart from a $6 tube of thermal paste, there's no glaring issues I can see.
No, you don't need an anti static bracelet.
The air cooler will be fine to cool that CPU.
It's a big ass cooler but you've also got a big ass case to put it in, and you should be able to orient it in a way it won't conflict with RAM installation. I haven't built on this motherboard so I'm guessing here though. Check your dimensions in the manual if you're really worried, but I don't feel there's a problem here.
The motherboard itself has really good reviews and user recommended, it's important to choose one based on the features you require. It will be fine.
The case is not overkill.
The PSU is not overkill either.
Your UPS should be 1.2-1.3 X your PSU wattage, it's in the range.
All fans have an intake and an exhaust, it's how they move air.
When you do your fans you want to maximise the air flowing over the components. I generally like to have my intake at the front of the case and my exhaust at the rear. In your description I'd like to see more exhaust fans, but it's difficult for me to give you an answer without looking at the completed build, sorry. You could go intake front-bottom, and exhaust rear-top possibly.
All in all it looks like a premium build, you've selected some really good components. With a rad monitor you'll have a banger PC. Good stuff!
dontworrybehappy55@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the reply! I really appreciate the info. I'll look more into the mobo dimensions, but I'm feeling pretty confident that there should be lots of space.