Hey everyone! After weeks of researching, I'm finally ready to buy the parts for my first PC build and would love some last-minute opinions on my choices. My primary use will be productivity, specifically in Adobe programs like Premiere and After Effects, with a bit of Blender on the side. While I will do some gaming and streaming during my free time, that's not my main focus. Here's what I'm planning:
- **CPU**: Intel i9-12900k
- **Motherboard**: ASUS - Z790 Prime Gaming WIFI7 (Intel LGA 1700 ATX)
- **RAM**: G.Skill - Ripjaws S5 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5-6000. I'm considering upgrading to at least 64GB or even 128GB.
- **GPU**: I'm eyeing the 5060 Ti with 16GB for about $500 but I'm also looking at the RTX 3060 (12GB, GDDR6) for around $285. I'd really appreciate your thoughts here since the price difference is significant.
- **Storage**: Samsung - 990 PRO 2TB NVMe SSD
- **Power Supply**: Corsair RMe Series RM750e, 750 Watt
- **Cooling**: Lian Li - Galahad II Trinity 360mm All-in-One Liquid Cooler (though I'm open to suggestions for air coolers if they're just as effective).
- **Case**: Lian Li 011 Vision Compact.
I did consider AMD for CPU and GPU but they don't seem to meet my needs and budget as well as Intel and Nvidia do. Let me know if I'm making a mistake!
3 Answers
I totally understand your hesitation on the GPU! Sometimes saving a bit on a graphics card can be worth it if you're not gaming hardcore. You can deal with slightly slower performance if it means keeping costs down. Your build looks good overall, and if you're just doing light gaming, the RTX 3060 should still work fine for that.
You know, it might be helpful to check out Puget System's hardware recommendations for Adobe After Effects and Premiere. They have some great insights that can guide your GPU choice. Also, just a heads-up on the RAM: DDR5 doesn’t play well with more than two DIMMs on consumer motherboards, so if you plan to keep the bundled memory along with others, you might want to rethink that.
As for the power supply, you might want to go for an 850W if you're using an i9 with a high-performance GPU. It's always safer to overestimate your wattage a bit to avoid any future power issues. Lastly, a 2TB SSD feels a bit small for video editing—consider adding more storage if you can, and maybe save on costs by looking at alternatives like the WD SN850x.
Thanks for the tips! I'll definitely check out those hardware recommendations. And good to know about the RAM limitation. I appreciate your help!
For comparing AMD to Intel, this benchmark shows how the Ryzen 9 9900X stacks against the Intel i9-12900K. Honestly though, for your use case with video work, Intel's QuickSync support might outweigh the performance gains from AMD, especially since you're focused on Adobe.
Interesting point! I was looking at the 7000 series as well and considering a 9700X. Do you really think I'd benefit more from the 9900X over the 12900K, despite Intel's advantages?
Thanks for sharing that! I want the best performance I can get for my Adobe work, so I’m leaning towards sticking with Intel.
Great advice! I’m planning to sell the 2x16 sticks from the bundle, so I’ll just use the new ones anyway. And I totally agree—better safe than sorry with the power supply!