Help choosing a graphics card and balancing my first high-end PC build

The RX 9070 XT is probably the best value option here. In many markets it offers performance close to an RTX 5070 Ti while costing much less, and it has 16GB of VRAM. Unless your Blender or other productivity work specifically needs NVIDIA CUDA, the premium for NVIDIA may not be worthwhile. Compare prices for the 9070 XT rather than focusing only on the brand or cooler design.

There are a few easy places to cut costs. DDR5-6000 is a good target, but you probably don’t need to pay extra for CL30 RGB memory with an X3D processor; a cheaper 32GB DDR5-6000 kit should be fine. Also look at a Thermalright Peerless Assassin or Phantom Spirit instead of the Dark Rock 5, and consider a case that already includes enough quality fans. The Kingston NV3 is acceptable for general use, but check reviews and pricing before buying two drives; one larger, better-reviewed SSD may be a better purchase.

If the total price is still too high, consider whether the 9800X3D is necessary for your target resolution and games. A Ryzen 7 7800X3D or Ryzen 5 7600X3D could leave more money for the graphics card while still delivering excellent gaming performance. I’d rather pair a slightly cheaper CPU with a stronger GPU than spend heavily on the processor and settle for an RTX 5060 Ti.

Before choosing AMD solely because of price, check what your monitor actually means by “G-Sync.” If it is a G-Sync Compatible display using standard Adaptive-Sync, it will often work with Radeon cards as well, though you should confirm the monitor’s supported connections and variable-refresh range. If it has a dedicated hardware G-Sync module, NVIDIA is generally the safer choice. For a quiet card, prioritize independent noise and temperature tests over simply buying a three-fan model; a well-designed two-fan card can be quieter than a cheap three-fan version.