I'm planning a high-end PC for gaming and video editing that I can use for several years without major bottlenecks. My budget starts around $3,200 but I can spend more if the upgrade is worthwhile. I don't have much experience choosing PC parts, so I'd appreciate advice before buying anything.
Planned parts:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 16GB, or another suitable option
- Memory: 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5-6000 CL30
- Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 or 5.0 NVMe SSD
- Motherboard: AMD X870 Wi-Fi ATX board
- Power supply: 1000W 80+ Gold ATX 3.1 with a native 12V-2x6 cable
- CPU cooler: 360mm AIO liquid cooler
- Case: High-airflow ATX mid-tower with included fans
- Monitor: An OLED display, though I'm unsure which model or specifications to choose
I mainly want excellent gaming performance and enough power for editing, but I don't want to overspend on parts that won't make a noticeable difference. What would you change?
5 Answers
The CPU is probably excessive for gaming. A Ryzen 7 9800X3D should perform within a few percent in most games for roughly half the cost. If your editing workloads need more cores, a Ryzen 9 9950X3D would make more sense than going for the even more extreme option. Also, 32GB of RAM is enough for most gaming builds, although 64GB is reasonable if you edit large projects or multitask heavily.
The RTX 5080 is a capable choice, but it can be poor value depending on its price. A Radeon 9070 XT or a less expensive NVIDIA card could offer better price-to-performance, while NVIDIA may still be preferable if your editing software benefits from CUDA or specific encoder features. Choose based on the games and editing applications you actually use.
I would increase storage to at least 2TB, and possibly 4TB if you keep lots of game installations and video footage. PCIe 4.0 is already plenty fast for gaming and most editing; PCIe 5.0 usually adds cost without a noticeable improvement. A quality, reliable SSD matters more than chasing the highest advertised transfer speed.
The 360mm cooler is only really necessary for a high-core-count Ryzen 9. If you choose a 9800X3D, a good dual-tower air cooler should be sufficient, quieter, and simpler. An 850W or 1000W ATX 3.1 power supply from a reputable manufacturer should work depending on the final GPU, and the X870 board is fine as long as it has the features and connectivity you need.
For the monitor, choose based on resolution and refresh rate rather than brand alone. A 27-inch 1440p OLED around 240Hz is a strong choice for competitive gaming, while a 32-inch 4K OLED around 240Hz is better for sharper visuals and high-end single-player games. Check whether your preferred model has good text clarity, warranty coverage, and burn-in protection before buying.
That makes sense. I mainly wanted extra headroom, but I’ll compare the 9800X3D and 9950X3D instead of automatically choosing the most expensive CPU.