I found a boxed Ryzen 9 9950X3D with warranty for €450. I had originally planned to pair a Ryzen 7 9800X3D with an RX 9070 XT, and I already bought an 850W power supply. Will that PSU be enough for the 9950X3D and 9070 XT together? I was also planning to use a Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE for cooling. Is it sufficient for the 9950X3D, or should I choose a stronger air cooler or an AIO?
3 Answers
The Peerless Assassin 120 SE is still generally capable of cooling the 9950X3D, especially for gaming, since the 3D V-Cache chip is not meant to be aggressively overclocked. The Phantom Spirit is a slightly newer and stronger option, though, so I would pick that if the price difference is small. A large AIO is not essential unless you specifically want one or expect sustained all-core workloads.
Make sure the case has good airflow as well as a capable cooler. The Lancool 207 has strong airflow with its stock fan setup, so it should pair well with either the Peerless Assassin or Phantom Spirit. With that case and a quality 850W supply, the proposed build should be fine.
An 850W PSU should be plenty for this combination, assuming it is a decent-quality unit. A system with the 9950X3D and 9070 XT should stay well below that under normal gaming loads, so you should have comfortable headroom. For cooling, a Thermalright Phantom Spirit is a great alternative to the Peerless Assassin and is usually around the same price. It handles this class of CPU well; one user reported temperatures in the mid-30s at idle and around 85°C during gaming with a similar dual-tower cooler.
I am using a Lian Li Lancool 207, so airflow should be covered. I will compare the Phantom Spirit and Peerless Assassin before buying the cooler.