Hey everyone! I'm in the final stages of building my first high-end PC and I've hit a bit of a standstill. My main goal is to have a smooth, stutter-free experience for gaming at 1440p Ultra, while also recording and streaming without any performance hiccups. On top of that, I do some semi-pro work with Photoshop and Illustrator and I'm eager to explore DaVinci Resolve and Blender for my YouTube channel.
Right now, I'm considering the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D for its multitasking capabilities, but I'm starting to wonder if I actually need that much power or if the 9800X3D would suffice, especially since there's a noticeable price difference.
I'm also facing a dilemma with choosing the right motherboard. I've researched both the X670E and X870 options, but I'm unsure which will provide the best value. I want a motherboard that won't bottleneck my CPU/GPU, includes built-in WiFi, has good VRMs and cooling, and a few USB-C and high-speed ports. Here are the motherboards I've shortlisted:
**X670E Options:** MSI MPG X670E Carbon, MSI MAG X670E Tomahawk, ASUS ROG STRIX X670E-A, ASUS TUF Gaming X670E-PLUS
**X870 Options:** ASUS TUF Gaming X870-PLUS, Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite, MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk, MSI PRO X870-P
Is there a clear winner for my use case? Or should I just pick the most affordable option that meets my needs? I'm also slightly concerned whether an 850W PSU is adequate for this setup. I'd love any insights or suggestions to help me finalize my build!
4 Answers
If you're mainly focused on streaming and video editing, I'd say the Ryzen 9 9950X3D could be a great investment. But it really comes down to your budget. For motherboards, the cheaper one that meets the essentials should work fine, especially if you don’t need strict overclocking or fancy features. My 850W PSU has been more than enough for my setup, so you should be good there!
Thanks for your input! I'm still weighing my options.
You might want to consider going with an X870 motherboard. They often provide better value with features like USB 4 and WiFi 7 support. Plus, avoid ASRock boards if you can; they're not known for reliability. And don’t forget, in video editing, having a lot of fast storage helps a lot!
Got it, I’ll steer clear of ASRock. Thanks!
Great reminder about the storage!
Honestly, for your goals, the 9800X3D should be plenty. The 9950X3D might shine only if you're doing high-demand tasks constantly. For gaming and streaming, you won't see a significant difference. Plus, for things like Photoshop and Illustrator, those programs mainly utilize single-threaded performance, where the two CPUs perform quite similarly. I'd suggest saving some cash and going with the 9800X3D.
Fair point! I'm leaning towards the 9800X3D now. Any suggestions for a good motherboard to pair it with?
Solid advice! I was considering the 9950X3D too, but you've convinced me.
I just put in my 9950X3D with an X870 board and it's blasting through video edits. If you're serious about content creation, I think the higher cores will pay off, but it's definitely an investment. Just make sure your motherboard has solid VRMs and cooling!
Sounds promising! Thanks for sharing your experience.
What specific X870 board did you choose?
Which motherboard did you go with in the end?