I'm planning a gaming-focused PC in Switzerland, although I also use it heavily for Microsoft Office and LaTeX. My games include League of Legends, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, Cities: Skylines, and The Sims. I already own an LG 40WP95C-W ultrawide monitor running at 5120×2160 and 72 Hz. The proposed build uses a Ryzen 7 7800X3D, Noctua NH-U12A, MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi, 32 GB of DDR5-6000 CL38 memory, a GeForce RTX 5070, a Fractal Design North case, and a 750 W Seasonic ATX 3.0 power supply. I also intend to use an Intel X550-T2 10 GbE adapter because I have 10 Gbit/s fiber and a Plex server running continuously. Existing SSDs will be reused for storage. I'd like to know whether everything is compatible and will fit, whether a 5070 Ti is worthwhile for these games at 5K, whether a Ryzen 7 9800X3D would offer a noticeable improvement over the 7800X3D, whether the cheaper RGB memory has any drawbacks or can have its lighting disabled, and whether the X550-T2 is a sensible network adapter.
4 Answers
The parts should generally be compatible, and the 750 W ATX 3.x power supply is a reasonable match for an RTX 5070. Check the exact graphics-card length against the Fractal North’s GPU clearance, especially if you install front fans or a front radiator. The NH-U12A is also adequate for a 7800X3D; a 360 mm liquid cooler is not necessary for this processor. The motherboard choice is fine unless you specifically need more networking, storage, or expansion features.
The X550-T2 is a capable and well-known 10 GbE adapter, but make sure your motherboard and operating system support its PCIe requirements and that the card has adequate airflow. A 5 GbE port would not reach the full speed of your fiber connection or maximize transfers to a 10 GbE server, although real-world internet and storage speeds may still be below 10 Gb/s. If full local-network performance matters, keeping the X550-T2 makes sense; otherwise, onboard 2.5 or 5 GbE would be simpler and cheaper. Also use SSDs for the operating system and games—mechanical drives would noticeably slow boot and loading times.
The 7800X3D is already an excellent gaming CPU, and upgrading to a 9800X3D would usually provide a modest improvement rather than a dramatic one. The difference is more noticeable in CPU-limited games and frame-time lows, while at 5K your graphics card will often be the limiting component. I would prioritize the GPU or a better-value memory kit before replacing the processor. DDR5-6000 is a good target for AM5, but CL30 or CL32 is preferable to CL38 if the price difference is small. RGB memory has no meaningful performance disadvantage, and its lighting can normally be disabled through the motherboard software or BIOS, depending on the kit.
For your games, the RTX 5070 Ti probably is not worth nearly twice the price. At 5120×2160, though, the GPU is doing much more work than it would at 1440p, so demanding games such as Cities: Skylines may benefit from extra GPU performance. Compare the actual local prices and benchmarks, but the 5070 is likely sufficient for lighter games and a 72 Hz target. You may need to reduce settings or use upscaling in the more demanding titles.
I was mainly considering the X550-T2 because of my 10 Gbit/s connection and home server. I also already have SSDs to reuse; by “hard drives” I meant existing storage generally, not necessarily mechanical drives.