I'm moving from console gaming to my first PC build. I'm in the US with a budget of roughly $3,000, and the system will be used almost entirely for gaming. I want strong performance that won't require major upgrades within the next few years, but I also don't want to overspend. I already have a white Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO XL case from a friend, so I was considering a light-and-dark themed build, though performance matters more than appearance. Are these parts well matched, and what would you recommend for the motherboard, cooling, and case fans?
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
CPU cooler: be quiet! Silent Loop 3 420mm ARGB AIO
Motherboard: Gigabyte X870 Aorus Stealth Ice reverse-connect ATX
GPU: ASRock Radeon RX 9070 XT Challenger 16GB OC
Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5 32GB (2x16GB)
Storage: WD Black SN7100 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Power supply: Lian Li Edge 1000W fully modular
Case: Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO XL
Case fans: Not chosen yet
2 Answers
You could probably save money with a B850 board instead of X870 if the features are similar. Gigabyte boards aren’t necessarily bad, but some people find the BIOS and included software less polished. For fans, Arctic usually offers excellent performance for the price. Noctua is a great premium option, although the color and lack of ARGB may not fit the look you want.
The main compatibility problem is the motherboard. The O11 Dynamic EVO XL doesn’t have the openings needed for a back-connect motherboard, so a reverse-connect board won’t work in that case unless you change the case or motherboard. Also, if this parts list is actually close to $3,000, it’s worth checking prices carefully; a 9800X3D and RX 9070 XT system should generally leave room in that budget for the rest of the components and fans. ARGB is optional, so choose fans based on airflow and noise first, then lighting if you still have room in the budget.
I misunderstood the case mode and thought it supported a reverse layout for a back-connect board. I’ll use a standard motherboard or reconsider the case. Prices have also been higher than I expected lately, especially for the CPU and GPU.
Do you have a specific reverse-connect motherboard you’d recommend? I’m not committed to Gigabyte, and I was mainly unsure about Noctua because I wanted white fans or ARGB lighting.