Hey everyone! I'm diving into my first PC build and I'm planning to save up over the next year to get the best parts I can find on Black Friday sales. I have a few specific questions: 1) Is the build I've put together (link below) likely to be bottlenecked in any way? I've got a decent grasp on CPUs and GPUs, but motherboards, power supplies, and liquid coolers are still kind of a mystery to me. 2) Considering the market right now, are there any parts I should purchase early to avoid the rush on Black Friday? Also, I'm considering an RTX 5070 and a Ryzen 9 9950X3D, but I'm debating between that and the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. I play games like Cyberpunk 2077 and wonder if I'd be wasting my money going for such high-end components. I'd love your thoughts!
5 Answers
You have a solid build, but I'd recommend swapping the 9950X3D for the 9800X3D. It performs better in gaming and costs less. Also, an 850W PSU should be plenty for your setup, so you could cut costs there. And yes, definitely opt for the 5070 Ti!
Your initial choices are good for a first build, but here's a refined list: [PCPartPicker link]. Regarding bottlenecks—those are inevitable but can be fine-tuned. It's all about how balanced your system is! Let me know if you have questions on my suggestions.
Thanks for the link! Quick question though: I've heard mixed feedback on PNY GPUs. What's your experience?
Honestly, I've had a decent run with them. Just make sure to check reviews before buying!
If you're mainly gaming, you might want to redirect your budget a bit. Consider downgrading to a Ryzen 5 9600X; it's cheaper and still powerful. Also, switch to the RTX 5070 Ti for better performance and more VRAM. A regular CPU cooler could save you some cash too—looks are secondary to FPS! From what I see, your CPU might be overkill for your GPU right now.
I actually grabbed the 5070 Ti for about $789 on Amazon. If you're near a Micro Center, check them for deals—anything under $800 is a good buy!
I appreciate it! Looks like I might need to make a trip to Micro Center, haha.
Going with the 9800X3D sounds smart, especially since it outperforms the 9950X3D by a few percent. Just keep in mind future games might demand more cores and threads. But don't stress about perfect future-proofing; technology keeps evolving. Focus on getting what works for you now!
Valid point on core usage! Most games barely utilize more than 8 cores, anyway. Just make sure you choose what's best for you today.
Great to know! I'm ready to dive in and get this built.
Regarding your concerns about the CPU, I don’t think you'll see huge benefits with the 9950X3D in Cyberpunk over the 9800X3D. Performance isn't drastically different, so you could save some cash with the 9800 instead.
Thanks for that info! I'll definitely think about it.
Thanks for the tip! I thought more wattage was better, but I guess I can scale back.