Hey everyone! I'm looking for some guidance on building a new PC for both gaming and work. My friend and I play a mix of games, including the upcoming BF6 and League of Legends, but we're also into indie games for some casual fun. We want to aim for 1440p gaming since I have three monitors (one 34'' ultrawide and two 27'', all 1440p), while my friend has two monitors (a 34'' ultrawide and one 27'', also 1440p).
For work, we mainly use the M365 suite, work with Adobe PDFs, and often have multiple browser tabs and Excel files open. Voice and video calls via Outlook and Teams are also essential for us. On the side, I dabble with Fusion 360 and my 3D printer, and sometimes run virtual machines, but that's not a daily occurrence.
Our budget is about $2750 to $3000 for a complete mid-tower build. Since we both work for a VAR, we can get a lot of parts at cost, although some items may be cheaper at retail. I'd like to ensure the build can be upgraded in the future too, like swapping storage or possibly the GPU.
As for the components, we're leaning towards an AMD build with a 5070ti GPU, but we're also considering a 5080 if it fits the budget. We're debating which CPU to go for between the 9800x3d, 9900x, or 9700x. Here's my breakdown:
- **9800x3d** - Around $689, excellent for gaming, but I've heard it's not great for multitasking, which makes me worried about my work tasks.
- **9900x** - About $649, offers 12 cores and 24 threads, good for multitasking but sometimes performs worse than the 9700x in games due to core parking issues.
- **9700x** - Priced at around $520, it offers decent gaming performance and multitasking but lacks the cache of the 9800x3d.
I want to choose the best option without sacrificing work performance, and although the 9800x3d seems tempting, I'm nervous about how it'll perform with my work tasks. The 9900x seems like a solid deal with current sales, but the 9700x is also appealing. I've also looked at the Intel 265k, but it doesn't seem worth it compared to AMD's long-term support.
Thanks for reading my long-winded post! What are your thoughts on my build and these components?
2 Answers
I think your build looks solid! The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is indeed a beast for gaming, but if you're worried about multitasking, the 9900X might be a better fit. It has great multitasking capabilities with those extra cores and threads, which should really help with your work-related tasks. The 5070ti is a great choice for 1440p gaming, but keep an eye on the new GPU stock; if the 5080 is within budget, it could future-proof your build more. Also, make sure to research storage options since you want something reliable for work. Overall, your choices sound promising!
Thanks for the input! I’m leaning towards the 9900x too!
Just a heads up about your storage choice! The Kingston NV3 might use QLC flash, which has durability concerns and can slow down over time. You might want to consider a drive with TLC flash instead, like the Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 or the WD Blue SN580. Those should give you better long-term performance and reliability!
Oh, good catch! I'll definitely check those out, thanks!
I agree with you on the 9900x! For the type of multitasking they are doing, I'd definitely recommend it over the 9800x3d. It just provides that extra performance when handling multiple applications.