I'm planning my first high-end PC mainly for CS2 and Valorant at 1080p. My priorities are very high FPS, consistent frametimes, and strong 1% lows rather than AAA performance. The proposed build is a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk WiFi, 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5-6000 CL30, Radeon RX 9070 XT, Kingston KC3000 2TB SSD, Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE, Corsair RM750x 750W power supply, Phanteks XT Pro Ultra case, and an Alienware AW2524HF 500Hz monitor.
I'll be buying the parts over the next few months. Is the B850 Tomahawk worth the extra cost compared with boards such as the ASRock B850 Pro RS or ASUS TUF B850, particularly for BIOS and memory stability? Is DDR5-6000 CL30 still the sensible choice for the 9800X3D, or would slightly slower memory perform almost identically without tuning? Is the ASRock Challenger version of the RX 9070 XT good enough, or is it worth paying more for another cooler design? Finally, is a quality 750W RM750x sufficient, or would 850W provide worthwhile headroom? I'd also appreciate real-world CS2 and Valorant FPS and 1% low results from anyone using similar hardware, along with suggestions for anything else you would change.
5 Answers
The main practical issue is buying parts several months apart. If possible, purchase within a short enough period that every component can be tested while returns are still available. Otherwise, a defective motherboard, memory kit, or power supply might not be discovered until its return window has passed. The Phantom Spirit is also plenty for this CPU; an AIO is optional, not necessary for gaming performance.
For the graphics card, the Challenger should work, but check reviews for its temperatures, noise, and fan behavior before buying. If another model from Sapphire, PowerColor, XFX, or ASUS is only slightly more expensive, a better cooler may be worthwhile. Since CS2 and Valorant are mostly CPU-limited at 1080p, the premium model will not meaningfully increase FPS.
The build is already far more than enough for competitive CS2 and Valorant, especially with a 500Hz display. A good 750W RM750x should be capable of running this combination, although an 850W Gold unit would give you extra transient and upgrade headroom. There’s no practical need to jump straight to 1000W unless you want maximum flexibility for a future upgrade.
DDR5-6000 CL30 is a sensible plug-and-play choice for the 9800X3D. Faster or tighter memory may improve benchmarks slightly, but the difference in games is usually small, and stability is more important for the frametimes you care about. CL36 can also be fine if it is substantially cheaper.
The Tomahawk is a reasonable middle ground for features and support. The ASUS TUF is another solid option; compare the exact price, BIOS features, USB connectivity, and warranty rather than relying on broad claims about an entire brand.
Performance should be excellent. Comparable systems commonly stay well above 400 FPS in CS2 and around or above 500 FPS in Valorant, though actual 1% lows depend heavily on map, smoke effects, background processes, game settings, and competitive-match conditions. Make sure the monitor is configured for its full refresh rate and use sensible BIOS settings such as the latest stable BIOS, EXPO memory profile, and current chipset drivers.
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