Need thoughts on a quiet PC that's great for rendering, video editing and office work...

[JustBenching]

Technotice does a lot of tests between amd and intel at photo and video editing, Intel has a clear lead in the majority of the situations. It's both faster and more efficient since a lot of those workloads are mixed (not full power like rendering a video). The amd 2xccds chips just draw a lot more power in those kinds of workloads than intel. Now to be clear both the 9900x and the 265k will be fast, but why not go for the faster one, which is also cheaper and consumes a lot less power - the 265k?

This is a screenshot from technotice on premiere pro for example.

 

[winterwonderland]

I've already specced a good pc, there are no bad parts here the CPU cooler for instance is best in slot, besides a basic GPU cooler, but it's a low wattage GPU so again, doesn't really matter. If you want a slightly better GPU cooler then you can spend more. The ASUS dual 5060 Ti 16GB is another good choice.

I apologise for not seeing this one before. :O This is WELL within my budget AND it seems to be very suitable with what I had in my mind for a new PC. 96GB RAM, powerful GPU, nice PSU, great storage space, awesome CPU.... yeah, cannot go wrong with that setup, all in all.

How is that CPU cooler vs. for example the one on my current PC; Air Liquid Freezer II 360?

Thank you again for helping out.

Technotice does a lot of tests between amd and intel at photo and video editing, Intel has a clear lead in the majority of the situations. It's both faster and more efficient since a lot of those workloads are mixed (not full power like rendering a video). The amd 2xccds chips just draw a lot more power in those kinds of workloads than intel. Now to be clear both the 9900x and the 265k will be fast, but why not go for the faster one, which is also cheaper and consumes a lot less power - the 265k?

This is a screenshot from technotice on premiere pro for example.


View attachment 403080

Yes, Intel it is. Thanks for that post!

 

[dgianstefani]

I apologise for not seeing this one before. :O This is WELL within my budget AND it seems to be very suitable with what I had in my mind for a new PC. 96GB RAM, powerful GPU, nice PSU, great storage space, awesome CPU.... yeah, cannot go wrong with that setup, all in all.

How is that CPU cooler vs. for example the one on my current PC; Air Liquid Freezer II 360?

Thank you again for helping out.


Yes, Intel it is. Thanks for that post!

It's literally the best air cooler you can buy. If within budget I'd recommend over anything except a custom loop. Check the TPU review. People go on about the much cheaper slightly worse performing options from cheaper brands but while the raw noise might be comparable the noise profile and frequency etc is so, so much better on Noctua fans. Plus they last so long.

 

[Waldorf]

@JustBenching
still depends on the sw used.
mine uses cuda to speed up encoding, with the gpu being multiple times faster than the cpu (working alone), so even if i get a cpu twice as fast (vs my 5950x),
i doubt it would get anywhere close to the difference a gpu upgrade would make.

 

[winterwonderland]

Technotice does a lot of tests between amd and intel at photo and video editing, Intel has a clear lead in the majority of the situations. It's both faster and more efficient since a lot of those workloads are mixed (not full power like rendering a video). The amd 2xccds chips just draw a lot more power in those kinds of workloads than intel. Now to be clear both the 9900x and the 265k will be fast, but why not go for the faster one, which is also cheaper and consumes a lot less power - the 265k?

This is a screenshot from technotice on premiere pro for example.


View attachment 403080

It's literally the best air cooler you can buy. If within budget I'd recommend over anything except a custom loop. Check the TPU review. People go on about the much cheaper slightly worse performing options from cheaper brands but while the raw noise might be comparable the noise profile and frequency etc is so, so much better on Noctua fans. Plus they last so long.

Ok, so i have been in touch with Komplett.no, who gave me an offer for this PC, close to the 30k budget i have. The reason being that they will build the PC for free for me. My PC building skills are not that good that I wanna risk things on my own, and seeing that i live in a rather remote location with zero pc experts around me, this option/offer seems to be an interesting one. What do you reckon about this setup? How bad is it versus this partpicker: https://no.pcpartpicker.com/list/BJzMgn

Here's their offer (total price 29000 NOK). They did say that if there are parts that i wish to change, i can come with suggestions, so if you have any suggestions for changes, let me know. Maybe change the cpu cooler to the Noctua one? And then th GPU to either the Gigabyte or the ASUS dual 5060 16gb? Any other changes you lot would recommend?

 

[Waldorf]

unless you only pay ~ 20$/€ for windows, its commonly done to charge the customer multiple times more, than what they would pay for a digital key, and not a good practice for a reputable shop.
i havent seen any RMe being better than the RMx, especially considering its usually not more than 10-20€ cheaper.

if they dont list the price for each part (incl win license), i personally wouldnt, as its a way of making easy money without telling the customer, especially when they offer to put it together for "free".
so far i haven't seen a single shop (no matter if local, or national chain), that cares to do stuff as it could be done (say cable routing/bios updates/tweaking settings), even those that charged 50-70$/€ for putting the hw together.

as they say, there is no free lunch.

 

[JustBenching]

Ok, so i have been in touch with Komplett.no, who gave me an offer for this PC, close to the 30k budget i have. The reason being that they will build the PC for free for me. My PC building skills are not that good that I wanna risk things on my own, and seeing that i live in a rather remote location with zero pc experts around me, this option/offer seems to be an interesting one. What do you reckon about this setup? How bad is it versus this partpicker: https://no.pcpartpicker.com/list/BJzMgn

Here's their offer (total price 29000 NOK). They did say that if there are parts that i wish to change, i can come with suggestions, so if you have any suggestions for changes, let me know. Maybe change the cpu cooler to the Noctua one? And then th GPU to either the Gigabyte or the ASUS dual 5060 16gb? Any other changes you lot would recommend?
View attachment 403238

Since you are not gaming change the cpu to an nvidia one. 5060ti 16gb or 5070 maybe, both should be a lot cheaper than the 9070XT

Cant comment on the cooler, its up to you, you can use a 30$ phantom assassin cooler and it will be fine.

 

[dgianstefani]

Ok, so i have been in touch with Komplett.no, who gave me an offer for this PC, close to the 30k budget i have. The reason being that they will build the PC for free for me. My PC building skills are not that good that I wanna risk things on my own, and seeing that i live in a rather remote location with zero pc experts around me, this option/offer seems to be an interesting one. What do you reckon about this setup? How bad is it versus this partpicker: https://no.pcpartpicker.com/list/BJzMgn

Here's their offer (total price 29000 NOK). They did say that if there are parts that i wish to change, i can come with suggestions, so if you have any suggestions for changes, let me know. Maybe change the cpu cooler to the Noctua one? And then th GPU to either the Gigabyte or the ASUS dual 5060 16gb? Any other changes you lot would recommend?
View attachment 403238

That sucks. It's a generic system designed for gaming with mid/low tier components.

Building PC is not hard, basically lego. Read the manual, give yourself a few hours, or if it's truly an issue, just take the parts to a PC shop and have them do it, no prob.

Why it sucks - crappy 11 home install you likely paying full price for. Some branded AIO that might fail, but will certainly degrade in perf over time, with average fans, mixed metal, slim rad etc. Crap RAM. Mid tier SSD. Mid tier mobo on B series chipset as opposed to the Z series from my part list (no voltage/multiplier unlocks, so you're stuck with slow RAM and bad CPU tuning options whether for perf/efficiency). Average PSU. No quicksync, that's KF CPU not K series, no iGPU, so the advantage of Intel for video editing is mostly lost.

Also GPU designed for gaming only. You can technically "work" on RDNA 4, but they haven't even released their CUDA "equivalent" suite yet AFAIK, and most pro software certifies for NVIDIA CUDA, as AMD is too tedious/irregular, waste of time to optimize for considering sub 10% userbase anyway. This might change with UDNA next year but promises promises.

Just build the one I specced some days ago, for the reasons already outlined.

PCPartPicker Part List: https://no.pcpartpicker.com/list/BJzMgn

CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 265K 3.9 GHz 20-Core Processor (kr3851.00 @ Proshop)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 G2 91.58 CFM CPU Cooler (kr1800.00 @ Proshop)
Motherboard: Asus PRIME Z890M-PLUS WIFI Micro ATX LGA1851 Motherboard (kr3196.00 @ Proshop)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 96 GB (2 x 48 GB) DDR5-6400 CL32 Memory (kr3789.00 @ Proshop)
Storage: Western Digital WD_BLACK SN7100 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (kr1680.00 @ Proshop)
Storage: Western Digital WD_BLACK SN7100 4 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (kr3405.00 @ Proshop)
Video Card: Gigabyte WINDFORCE GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB PCIe x8 Video Card (kr5799.00 @ Proshop)
Case: Asus Prime AP201 MicroATX Mini Tower Case (kr1223.00 @ Proshop)
Power Supply: be quiet! Dark Power 13 750 W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (kr3063.00 @ kl.ink)
Total: kr27806.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-06-10 16:01 CEST+0200

I can't be bothered to do a pcpartpicker price comparison between the two lists, but I'd estimate if you did, you'd see a nice markup from the "free" PC build. Big differences anyway.

It's up to you, we've given you good advice, be brave and take it, or go with prebuilt.

Stuff like those prebuilts look attractive at surface level average joe, but you look beyond the shiny plastic packaging and suddenly it's terrible, for all sorts of reasons, but primarily the fact they are trying to sell you a KF series CPU and AMD GPU for a build where video editing and work are the main objectives, NOT GAMING. LMAO.

 

[phanbuey]

it's not a bad system - not 'fast' but tons of ram and decent balance. 9070XT with 265KF is a good balanced pairing. 6TB of space and 96GB of ram is nice for editing. Might want to OC a little to get some more juice out of it.

 

[dgianstefani]

it's not a bad system - not 'fast' but tons of ram and decent balance. 9070XT with 265KF is a good balanced pairing. 6TB of space and 96GB of ram is nice for editing. Might want to OC a little to get some more juice out of it.

"balance".

No offence, but you should reconsider that assessment. Do you really think an Intel system with no iGPU, therefore no quicksync, slow RAM, cheap storage, with an AMD GPU is a good idea for a non gaming orientated build with a focus on video editing? At that point you've thrown away all the advantages of the platform and might as well just roll the dice with any current build.

The system in question isn't a bad gaming rig, but it's terrible for a work rig, considering alternatives at same price range. Will it work? Yes. But the bar can be higher than that.

It's a B series mobo, so good luck with OC considering locked SA voltages and no multiplier.

 

[JustBenching]

"balance".

No offence, but you should reconsider that assessment. Do you really think an Intel system with no iGPU, therefore no quicksync, slow RAM, cheap storage, with an AMD GPU is a good idea for a non gaming orientated build with a focus on video editing? At that point you've thrown away all the advantages of the platform and might as well just roll the dice with any current build.

The system in question isn't a bad gaming rig, but it's terrible for a work rig, considering alternatives at same price range. Will it work? Yes. But the bar can be higher than that.

It's a B series mobo, so good luck with OC considering locked SA voltages and no multiplier.

Οh yeah, didn't notice it's an F series CPU, lol.

 

[phanbuey]

"balance".

So you think an Intel system with no iGPU, therefore no quicksync, slow RAM, cheap storage, with an AMD GPU is a good idea for a non gaming orientated build? At that point you've thrown away all the advantages of the platform and might as well just roll the dice with any current build.

The system in question isn't a bad gaming rig, but it's terrible for a work rig, considering alternatives at same price range. Will it work? Yes. But the bar can be higher than that.

It's a B series mobo, so good luck with OC.

I mean both AMD 9900x is considered a "good" workstation cpu - that doesn't have quicksync. Quicksync isn't a huge deal apart from some very specific workflows - and most of those can be handled by a dGPU way better anyways.

The rig you put together is better for sure, but the initial one would kick the pants off something like a Dell box you would buy for 20% more money.

 

[dgianstefani]

I mean both AMD 9900x is considered a "good" workstation cpu - that doesn't have quicksync. Quicksync isn't a huge deal apart from some very specific workflows - and most of those can be handled by a dGPU way better anyways.

The rig you put together is better for sure, but the initial one would kick the pants off something like a Dell box you would buy for 20% more money.

One of those very specific workflows is video editing, the point of this build. Where CPU rendering and quicksync acceleration is valued for quality. DGPU is nice, but it's a different approach with different priorities.

 

[winterwonderland]

That sucks. It's a generic system designed for gaming with mid/low tier components.

Building PC is not hard, basically lego. Read the manual, give yourself a few hours, or if it's truly an issue, just take the parts to a PC shop and have them do it, no prob.

Why it sucks - crappy 11 home install you likely paying full price for. Some branded AIO that might fail, but will certainly degrade in perf over time, with average fans, mixed metal, slim rad etc. Crap RAM. Mid tier SSD. Mid tier mobo on B series chipset as opposed to the Z series from my part list (no voltage/multiplier unlocks, so you're stuck with slow RAM and bad CPU tuning options whether for perf/efficiency). Average PSU. No quicksync, that's KF CPU not K series, no iGPU, so the advantage of Intel for video editing is mostly lost.

Also GPU designed for gaming only. You can technically "work" on RDNA 4, but they haven't even released their CUDA "equivalent" suite yet AFAIK, and most pro software certifies for NVIDIA CUDA, as AMD is too tedious/irregular, waste of time to optimize for considering sub 10% userbase anyway. This might change with UDNA next year but promises promises.

Just build the one I specced some days ago, for the reasons already outlined.



I can't be bothered to do a pcpartpicker price comparison between the two lists, but I'd estimate if you did, you'd see a nice markup from the "free" PC build. Big differences anyway.

It's up to you, we've given you good advice, be brave and take it, or go with prebuilt.

Stuff like those prebuilts look attractive at surface level average joe, but you look beyond the shiny plastic packaging and suddenly it's terrible, for all sorts of reasons, but primarily the fact they are trying to sell you a KF series CPU and AMD GPU for a build where video editing and work are the main objectives, NOT GAMING. LMAO.

Thanks for the elaborate reply.

Yeah, it looks like I will have to build it myself, unless they accept my swap suggestions so it matches with the parts you have picked for me, heh. They have most of the parts, except the PSU and the GPU (they do have the ASUS dual you mentioned, though) and the M.2's....

But yeah, if not, then I'll go proshop and order the stuff there and build it myself, heh.

Thank you so much for the advises and for taking time to answer my Q's and thoughts regarding this.

That sucks. It's a generic system designed for gaming with mid/low tier components.

Building PC is not hard, basically lego. Read the manual, give yourself a few hours, or if it's truly an issue, just take the parts to a PC shop and have them do it, no prob.

Why it sucks - crappy 11 home install you likely paying full price for. Some branded AIO that might fail, but will certainly degrade in perf over time, with average fans, mixed metal, slim rad etc. Crap RAM. Mid tier SSD. Mid tier mobo on B series chipset as opposed to the Z series from my part list (no voltage/multiplier unlocks, so you're stuck with slow RAM and bad CPU tuning options whether for perf/efficiency). Average PSU. No quicksync, that's KF CPU not K series, no iGPU, so the advantage of Intel for video editing is mostly lost.

Also GPU designed for gaming only. You can technically "work" on RDNA 4, but they haven't even released their CUDA "equivalent" suite yet AFAIK, and most pro software certifies for NVIDIA CUDA, as AMD is too tedious/irregular, waste of time to optimize for considering sub 10% userbase anyway. This might change with UDNA next year but promises promises.

Just build the one I specced some days ago, for the reasons already outlined.



I can't be bothered to do a pcpartpicker price comparison between the two lists, but I'd estimate if you did, you'd see a nice markup from the "free" PC build. Big differences anyway.

It's up to you, we've given you good advice, be brave and take it, or go with prebuilt.

Stuff like those prebuilts look attractive at surface level average joe, but you look beyond the shiny plastic packaging and suddenly it's terrible, for all sorts of reasons, but primarily the fact they are trying to sell you a KF series CPU and AMD GPU for a build where video editing and work are the main objectives, NOT GAMING. LMAO.

1 last question before I start ordering (the partpicker you made): The Noctua CPU cooler is massive. How will it be to mount that inside that small case, you reckon? Will it be problematic to mount it, or? :O And how do I know whether to install it horizontally or vertically? Hmm...

And furthermore, how quiet is that case vs. the FD R6, which I find quiet enough? You said the CPU cooler helps with the quietness, but doesn't the case also do so, or?

 

[dgianstefani]

Thanks for the elaborate reply.

Yeah, it looks like I will have to build it myself, unless they accept my swap suggestions so it matches with the parts you have picked for me, heh. They have most of the parts, except the PSU and the GPU (they do have the ASUS dual you mentioned, though) and the M.2's....

But yeah, if not, then I'll go proshop and order the stuff there and build it myself, heh.

Thank you so much for the advises and for taking time to answer my Q's and thoughts regarding this.


1 last question before I start ordering (the partpicker you made): The Noctua CPU cooler is massive. How will it be to mount that inside that small case, you reckon? Will it be problematic to mount it, or? :O And how do I know whether to install it horizontally or vertically? Hmm...

And furthermore, how quiet is that case vs. the FD R6, which I find quiet enough? You said the CPU cooler helps with the quietness, but doesn't the case also do so, or?

The Noctua cooler fits, you can confirm this by checking the CPU cooler dimensions against the spec of what the case can support on it's webpage. If you want to make your life slightly easier go for a Corsair SF 750/850/1000 (2024), the smaller PSU means that cable management is easier in a small case, and you will have room to install a front 140/120 mm case fan if you want to. Bit more expensive, but the higher capacity you go the quieter it gets.

As for "quietness", that depends on the components installed. If the only fans you have are good Noctua models, it will be a pleasant hum you can barely hear. Fan curves set manually for the GPU will do the rest, and the only other source of potential noise is PSU, where if you get a good one, you can't hear it.

 

[winterwonderland]

The Noctua cooler fits, you can confirm this by checking the CPU cooler dimensions against the spec of what the case can support on it's webpage. If you want to make your life slightly easier go for a Corsair SF 750/850/1000 (2024), the smaller PSU means that cable management is easier in a small case, and you will have room to install a front 140/120 mm case fan if you want to. Bit more expensive, but the higher capacity you go the quieter it gets.

As for "quietness", that depends on the components installed. If the only fans you have are good Noctua models, it will be a pleasant hum you can barely hear. Fan curves set manually for the GPU will do the rest, and the only other source of potential noise is PSU, where if you get a good one, you can't hear it.

Oh ok, so it really doesn't matter with the case then, so I can just go for that mATX case, huh? What you have built in that partpicker list, would I also need to get additional Noctua-fans for the case, or will I be covered with what you have on that list?

Is this the one you're referring to: https://www.netonnet.no/art/datakom...tm_campaign=prospecting_conversion_no_1035063 (Proshop does not get it in store until september or so, they said, but Netonnet gets it in place in 2 weeks...) And as you can see, it's cheaper than the be quiet PSU you mentioned, if it's the Corsair PSU you mentioned, right?

Ohh, and will both the ASUS dual 5060 Ti OC and the GPU you have in your partpicker also fit in that mATX? Just making sure.

 

[dgianstefani]

Oh ok, so it really doesn't matter with the case then, so I can just go for that mATX case, huh? What you have built in that partpicker list, would I also need to get additional Noctua-fans for the case, or will I be covered with what you have on that list?

Is this the one you're referring to: https://www.netonnet.no/art/datakom...tm_campaign=prospecting_conversion_no_1035063 (Proshop does not get it in store until september or so, they said, but Netonnet gets it in place in 2 weeks...) And as you can see, it's cheaper than the be quiet PSU you mentioned, if it's the Corsair PSU you mentioned, right?

Ohh, and will both the ASUS dual 5060 Ti OC and the GPU you have in your partpicker also fit in that mATX? Just making sure.

That's the PSU, yes.

You don't really need more fans. Just get what's on the list, maybe with ASUS dual GPU 5060 Ti 16 GB.

 

[winterwonderland]

That's the PSU, yes.

You don't really need more fans. Just get what's on the list, maybe with ASUS dual GPU 5060 Ti 16 GB.

Gotcha. Thanks for the help.

How come you recommend the Gigabyte over the ASUS? They both seem to be "identical" GPU's, but I just wanted to hear why you ended up with the Gigabyte one instead of the ASUS.

And regarding the size, the Gigabyte seems to be a bit bigger, but both will fit nicely inside the mATX case, yes?

For me, spending this amount of money on a PC is a lot, so I just want to be certain on things, hence the many (odd) Q's.

 

[dgianstefani]

Gotcha. Thanks for the help.

How come you recommend the Gigabyte over the ASUS? They both seem to be "identical" GPU's, but I just wanted to hear why you ended up with the Gigabyte one instead of the ASUS.

And regarding the size, the Gigabyte seems to be a bit bigger, but both will fit nicely inside the mATX case, yes?

For me, spending this amount of money on a PC is a lot, so I just want to be certain on things, hence the many (odd) Q's.

Cheaper, ASUS is slightly better, removable fans without removing shroud etc, prob nicer build quality, but again, it's not serious at this wattage with low end GPUs.

Any GPU, even a 5090 will fit nicely in that case with that SFX PSU.

 

[Harlow]

But yeah, if not, then I'll go proshop and order the stuff there and build it myself, heh.

I expect I'll get a lot of flak back for mentioning this, but you might get a cheaper build if you let a reputable computer shop build your PC.

Assuming they install an OS, it's likely to be a cheaper (non-transferrable) OEM licensed version of Windows.

If you install Windows yourself and want to stick rigidly to Microsoft's Terms and Conditions, you're expected to buy a full (transferrable) Retail license, not a cheaper (non-transferrable) OEM license.

I've looked up the price of Windows 11 Home Retail (not OEM) and it's 1486,00kr which converts to US $147.47.
https://www.proshop.no/Operativsystem/Microsoft-Windows-11-Home/3069160

I found this Retail (not OEM) Windows 11 Professional license for 2570,00kr or US $254.96.
https://www.proshop.no/Operativsystem/Microsoft-Windows-11-Pro-Elektronisk/3064400

Many people "cheat" and buy an OEM license, then keep the computer instead of selling it on. Nobody will be any the wiser, so relax. You've just saved some money.
https://www.techepages.com/oem-licenses-vs-retail-licenses-on-windows-11/

Then there's the extraordinarily cheap web sites selling Windows 'Activtion Keys' with suposedly "genuine" licenses. Chances are these so-called "genuine" licenses are in fact 'Volume Licenses' intended for sale to SMBs, large enterprises and educational establishments.

If you need to install 100's or 1000's of copies of Windows on computers for your workforce, you buy an single 'Activation Key' for the appropriate number of "seats". Every computer ends up with the exactly the same 'Activation Key', but they're all covered by one License.

When you buy an 'Activation Key' for the equivalent of $10 to $20 from a shady on-line site, you're probably getting exactly the same 'Activation Key' as 100's or 1000's of other people. Sure, the 'Activation Key' unlocks Windows, but you probably don't have a legitimate License, because you're not the original enterprise or educational establishment. The on-line seller has "split" the 'Volume License' and sold the same key on to multiple users, which is against Microsoft's T's and C's of resale.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/is-your-windows-license-legal-should-you-even-care/

There's a slight risk that Microsoft might detect your copy of Windows has been split from a 'Volume License' and de-activate it, when your PC applies the monthly updates on the second Tuesday of each month. If this happens it's no big deal, you just go out and buy another dodgy key and carry on regardless. It'll probably never happen.

What I don't understand is, if you're prepared to knowingly flout Microsoft's licensing terms, why not simply install Windows for free? There are various nefarious methods to install Windows with one of Microsoft's Generic Keys and use "alternative" KMS or HWID activation. Why give $10 to $20 to a firm that is probably breaking Microsoft's strict licensing rules?
https://www.thewindowsclub.com/generic-windows-10-product-keys-to-install-windows-10-enterprise

The use of Generic Keys is perfectly legitimate for IT departments setting up PCs, prior to rollout in a work environment. The Generic Key can be replaced at any time by a Volume Key as appropriate.

I'm sure there'll be lots of folk claiming a $12 Windows key for home use is perfectly legit, but perhaps they might occasionally wonder if the price is too good to be true? Surely there must be a reason why Amazon charge so much for a 'Retail License' apart from "price gouging" and blatant profiteering? I doubt these people will ever get prosecuted for using a Volume Key, so who cares? Microsoft don't "deserve" to get any richer, do they?

Let the flak commence.

 

[dgianstefani]

I expect I'll get a lot of flak back for mentioning this, but you might get a cheaper build if you let a reputable computer shop build your PC.

There's a hell of a lot more corners cut to reduce price than the, what, $100? max? savings on a "legit" Windows key from these shops. Plus the sheer amount of incompetence from system integrators lazily slapping parts together.

 

[winterwonderland]

Cheaper, ASUS is slightly better, removable fans without removing shroud etc, prob nicer build quality, but again, it's not serious at this wattage with low end GPUs.

Any GPU, even a 5090 will fit nicely in that case with that SFX PSU.

Ok, then I should be settled, as I have all the parts covered.

Thanks once again for the partpicker build and I will probably come back with some (noob) Q's when I get the PC in place, heh.

I am just curious, but how on earth does the case avoid not getting dusty inside with its sides being as "exposed" as they are on the Asus mATX 201? Any other case alternatives? If so, it also means that I must have a different mobo, right? I ask because on my FD R6, the dust is relatively little, despite after 6 months everyday use...

Any thoughts on that, perhaps?