Advice On Building My Own Pc (amd Ryzen 9 5900x)

Hey guys, since it is cheaper to buy the parts separately and assemble the PC
together on my own (yes more time consuming) than to buy a pre-assembled PC since
they are marked up over price, I need some advice on building my own.

I'm not looking for the best top of the line parts for each component. I'm looking for a balance
between best performance meets cheaper brand names.

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
AMD B550 motherboard
Samsung DDR4 16gb 3200 mhz
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 12GB
any 850W PS
any cooler
any mid size tower case
(I have hard drives already)

Budget around 1500 USD
does this look about right?

 

That's not necessarily true. Remember, Dell, HP, Acer, etc. can go to ASUS, AMD, Samsung, WD, etc. and promise to buy 1,000,000 motherboards, CPUs, RAM sticks, drives, etc. over the next 12 months, then demand and get a huge volume discount. You are buying 1 each.

No! Bad cornflakes! Bad!

Would you buy a brand new Porsche then fill it up with just "any" fuel from the corner Tobacco and Bait Shop? At least an engine can miss a beat and keep on running but computer systems cannot. Feed your new components good, clean, stable power from a quality supply from a reputable company. I prefer EVGA and Seasonic and get at least 80 PLUS Bronze, though Gold would be better. And as seen here, you could easily do with a quality 650W supply (note I even padded the results a bit by pushing the CPU Utilization to 100%). So if you want a little more buffer, 700 - 750W would be plenty. I recommend you use the PSU calculator any time you make changes to you parts list.

And speaking of parts lists, PCPartPicker is a great tool for beginners and experienced builders alike to help select compatible components.

And again, no! A quality case (along with the quality PSU) form the foundation for a quality computer that can provides years of evolving support. Remember, the case has two critical roles. (1) It must provide an adequate supply of cool air flowing through the case, and (2) it must protect the innards from accidental bumps and kicks. Removable, washable air filters are an absolute requirement - at least for me. I like Fractal Design mid towers.

Verify compatibility. After you select your motherboard, visit the motherboard's webpage and check the QVLs (qualified vendors lists) for compatible CPUs and RAM. These are devices the motherboard maker had verified will work with that specific board. To ensure compatibility, get a listed CPU. However, there are too many RAM makers and models for board makers to check them all. So you don't have to buy listed RAM, but you should buy RAM with the same specs as listed RAM to ensure compatibility.

I don't see an OS listed. A new PC (or new motherboard which constitutes a new computer for licensing purposes) typically requires a new Windows license. Only full "retail" licenses can legally be transferred/moved to a new computer. "OEM" licenses are inextricably tied to the "O"riginal "E"quipment they came with or purchased for. So if you currently have Windows installed on one of your drives and you are planning on using that Windows license, it must be a full "Retail" license to be a legal transfer to this new machine. And note the vast majority of Windows licenses are OEM, not Retail. So you may need to budget for a new license as well.

And speaking of drives, I would urge you to go SSD all the way. Or at the very least a nice size SSD for your OS and apps. At least 500GB would be good.

I also don't see a keyboard, mouse or monitor. Do you already have them?

 

You are 100% right, thank you for clarifying those important points!

 

Wow, it's just so hard to keep up. The 7000 series definitely sounds worth the wait even though I was really set on the 5900x. I better wait then!

 

You can wait of few more weeks, but that can easily turn into an endless game of waiting since there will always be a "new and improved" version of something coming in just a few more weeks.

When it comes to waiting for a new CPU, it is NOT just about waiting for the new CPU. You also must then wait to ensure any motherboard you are considering supports that new CPU. It may not. Or, it may require a "yet-to-be-developed" BIOS firmware update.

Then, of course, with new anything, there is a chance of bugs that have yet to be discovered. This is one reason many go for "scabbed-over" technologies instead of the latest "cutting-edge" stuff.

While at it, I do NOT recommend buying parts piecemeal over an extended period of time. If the budget does not allow to buy everything over the next 4 - 6 weeks max, wait until the budget allows you to buy everything at once. This is because (1) warranty periods start on the day of purchase. And (2) many retailers have a "no questions asked" return/exchange policy that expires in 30 days (or even less).

Let's say, for example, you buy a new motherboard today, but 3 months pass before you buy the CPU. You assemble the components only to learn that motherboard is DOA. You contact the retailer and they say, "Too late, Bud! Your no questions asked return/exchange window is shut! Contact the manufacturer's warranty support!"

Good luck with that headache!

Just something to chew on while you keep building up your budget.

 

I forgot the 7000 series uses the new AM5 socket. So for sure, entirely new motherboards too. And that's great. But many feel it is like buying a new car - best to wait for year 2 when buying a brand new model.

 

I'm glad I asked! Yes, I totally understand. Then do you think a Ryzen 5900X build is still a good idea? Also with the release of the new cpus, won't the Ryzen 5900x go down in price maybe?

 

AMD Radeon series always seems to be priced a bit cheaper than the Nvidia GeForce RTX series. In terms of performance and bang for the buck, would you say the AMD Radeon is just as good (ie. Radeon 6800 or 6900 vs GeForce 3070 of 3080).

 

It is too subjective for me to tell you if the manner in which you spend your money is a good idea or not. Is buying a new Rolls Royce a "good idea?" Assuming the product you buy works as you expect AND you are satisfied and happy with your purchase, AND spending that money does not prevent you from meeting your other financial obligations, then it was a good idea - for you.

All I can say is I expect the new AMDs to be good processors, fully capable of becoming the heart of quality computers that will provide years of reliable service.

As far as previous generation CPUs dropping in price - that is normally what happens. But with costs, supply shortages, shipping woes, wars, inflation and everything else happening these days, I don't even know what "normal" is anymore.

 

Can I get any opinions on this build and the price?
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Gigabyte X570S Aorus Elite
32GB DDR4 3200 Mhz (Samsung)
Nvidia RTX 3080 10GB (not sure if brand is Gigabyte, Colorful, MSI or Zotac but either brand is probably the same)
SSD: 1 TB NVME M.2 (Samsung)
HDD: Seagate 2TB
Power: Seasonic GM-850 80plus Gold
Cooler: Corsair/NZXT 240MM/280MM AIO Liquid Cooler
Case: Gaming Mid-Size case
Price: $2150 USD

Thanks

 

Did you mean to drop your graphics solution from 12GB to 10GB? IMO, you would not be able to "see" the difference in a blind, side-by-side comparison so it does not matter - except for bragging rights. 10GB is still a huge amount.

I still contend 850W is more than you need but Seasonic is wise choice. That said, when buying a quality "Gold" supply, buying too big hurts nothing, but maybe the budget.

You need to pick your case. Not all cases are equal and not all support all AiO cooler solutions.

As for the price, you should be able to look around at the various retail outlets available where you live to determine for yourself if you are getting a good price. It is important to remember that prices (and availability) vary - often considerably - depending on where you live.

However, when pricing out components, you should always factor in shipping since some retailers charge more for the product but offer free shipping, others charge less for the product but tack on shipping fees.

 

I initially looked at the Gigabyte Geforce RTX 3080 12G but saw there is a 10G too.
Thanks. I think I will continue to wait just a bit but I am really eager about the 5900X route because
the 7000 series while much better will be a lot more expensive with all the compatibility issues and I'd have to
wait even longer for that to go down in price. I'm sure the new release will be a bit out of my price range and
more headaches in the first few months....maybe safer to just go the 5900X route for someone like me with
a tight budget/modest to no income lol. I'm currently on an i7-7700K I got back in 2017 and Nvidia GTX 1070 8GB
which has been good for me but obviously feeling a bit old/outdated and wanting my processing speed to be even faster
(the never ending cycle of consumerism....the next and better thing to buy *sigh*)