I'm putting together a PC mainly for 1440p gaming and software development. I play a lot of indie games, space sims, and strategy/4X titles, but I'd also like enough performance and longevity for more demanding AAA games. My budget is around €2,600.
The main decision I'm struggling with is the case. I'm weighing a clean, quieter design with sound-dampening panels against a case with stronger airflow. I don't plan to use RGB, and although the PC will initially sit on the floor, it may eventually move onto my desk.
The planned build uses a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, Radeon RX 9070 XT, 32GB of DDR5-6000 CL30 memory, a 2TB WD Black SN850X, and an MSI B850 Tomahawk Max WiFi motherboard. I already own the Thermalright Peerless Assassin cooler and a Corsair RM1000x 1000W power supply, the latter of which was purchased cheaply from a friend. I know the PSU is considerably more powerful than necessary, but I intend to use it. I'm open to changing the cooler if there's a meaningful benefit.
Does the parts selection make sense, and what kind of case would be the best balance of noise, airflow, and value?
3 Answers
There are several opportunities to reduce the cost without affecting gaming performance. The motherboard is more expensive than necessary, and a good midrange B850 board should provide the same practical experience. The case can also be much cheaper while still offering decent airflow. The Peerless Assassin is already a capable cooler for this processor, so I wouldn’t replace it unless you specifically want lower temperatures or noise. The 1000W power supply is excessive, but since you already got it cheaply, keeping it is reasonable.
The overall CPU and GPU pairing is strong for 1440p and should remain useful for quite a while. DDR5-6000 with tight timings is a sensible choice for AM5; I wouldn’t pay extra for faster memory unless you’ve confirmed it is stable with the board and processor. Also double-check the memory price, because the listed €529 cost for 32GB appears unusually high and could significantly distort the total. A cheaper 32GB kit would be a much better use of the budget, or you could consider 64GB if your development work regularly involves virtual machines or large projects.
The case choice probably doesn’t need this much analysis. Most modern cases will work perfectly well as long as they have reasonable ventilation and support the components. Since you’re not using RGB and may place the system on your desk, choose based on the noise level, size, appearance, and whether it includes enough fans. A fully closed, heavily dampened case can run warmer, but you don’t need an extreme airflow-focused design either.
That’s fair. I was probably overthinking the difference between the case designs.