Hey everyone! I'm building my first PC primarily for producing large music projects in Ableton. I also plan to use it for streaming, gaming content editing, and some Photoshop work. Eventually, I want to upgrade it for 3D rendering for visual projects as needed.
Here's the parts list I've put together:
- **CPU**: Intel Core i7-14700k 3.4 GHz 20-Core Processor
- **CPU Cooler**: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 360 A-RGB 48.82 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
- **GPU**: XFX Speedster MERC 310 Black Edition Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24 GB Video Card
- **Motherboard**: ASRock Z790 Lightning WiFi ATX LGA1700 Motherboard
- **RAM**: G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL28 Memory
- **Storage**: Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
- **Power Supply**: Corsair RM1200x SHIFT 1200 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular Side Interface ATX Power Supply
- **Case**: Corsair 6500X ATX Mid Tower Case
- **Case Fans**: 2 Front- Noctua A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140 mm Fan, 1 Back- Corsair LL120 43.25 CFM 120 mm Fan
- **Accessories**: Elgato cam link pro (for a Nikon D3400 I have and future cameras), Elgato 4kX Game Capture.
I've done some research, but I'm not super knowledgeable about PC specs. I wanted a CPU with a lot of cores to handle heavy Ableton projects since my Macbook Pro struggles with files that have over 300 tracks. I also want my GPU and power supply to be capable of overclocking when I learn how to do that. I decided on 32GB of RAM as it felt like the most affordable option for now, with plans to upgrade down the road.
Can you guys let me know if my parts list looks good? Are they compatible? And do you have any suggestions for better or more affordable components? Thanks!
3 Answers
What's your budget looking like? That can help narrow down suggestions. And if you’re near a Micro Center, they often have great deals on components that could stretch your dollars further!
Overall, your build looks solid! However, I think the power supply might be overkill. A 1000W Seasonic PSU could be better suited for your setup, since you likely won't max out the 1200W, even when overclocking. Also, while 32GB of RAM is sufficient for now, consider getting faster RAM if you're planning on overclocking because that can help with performance a bit.
I’d recommend checking out the AMD Ryzen 9900X or 9950X if you're focused on music production, Photoshop, and 3D rendering. They generally outperform the Intel i7-14700K in those areas. Plus, if you're going to do GPU rendering in Blender, you might want to switch to an Nvidia GPU. They're optimized for rendering processes, making them noticeably faster than AMD cards like the 7900 XTX. Just a heads up, overclocking modern CPUs doesn't always yield significant performance boosts, so you might wanna look into undervolting instead for better efficiency and less heat. What’s your budget for the whole PC?
My budget is around $3,000 to $3,500, which includes monitors and other accessories. I’m considering the RTX 5070 for future upgrades!