Advice desired: Building an AMD PC with prerogative to quality over form&function

[Chry]

Hi guys, I want to build a general use PC for home.

Only considering AMD option.

What for: I will be gaming (and amateur messing around Unreal Engine 5), browsing, watching 100GB+ x265 movies as so on.

Budget: 1000-1500€. Less is more.

Priorities: 1st priority is build quality. Performance and everything else is secondary.

Must have: Must be Zen4 based.

I currently have this in mind:

CPU: 8 fast core processor seems to be enough for my needs. More cores would be a waste. Ryzen 7700X. 340-350€. For example: https://www.skytech.lt/100100000591...reads-socket-am5-dezuteje-amd-n-p-602209.html
Should I consider 7800X3D? Considering, I will NOT have a high-end GPU (Radeon 7700XT at most! More likely 7600XT)
Motherboard: I want latest technologies (PCIe5, USB4, DDR5) and overall good quality components used. I also prefer to have as many BIOS options available as possible. So I'm thinking of ASUS Proart B650. 330€. https://www.asus.com/motherboards-components/motherboards/proart/proart-b650-creator/
It also looks great! And the cost is not too high considering other AM5 boards.
GPU: I'll buy a used one (6600XT) FOR NOW and when they become available I play to buy a latest mid-range GPU (Radeon 7600 or something?)
RAM: 16Gb Kingston Fury 6000mhz cl36. 75€. Seems to be okay? Would later upgrade to 2x16Gb. https://www.skytech.lt/kf560c36bbe1...ddr5-cl36-dimm-fury-beast-black-p-608530.html
SSD: Would really prefer a Gen5 SSD but with the poor selection and heat issues I'm not sure if I shouldn't just take Samsung 990 Pro for ~130€.
Maybe I should just wait a month or two before building PC so more PCIe5 SSD options are available?
Case: Literally don't care. will buy something cheap&small for 20-50€. Not sure what's good/best for that price. Selection is huge.
PSU: Since I want the best (titanium), but don't really want to spend 300€, I'm willing to go for 2nd best (platinum) for 155€: https://www.1a.lt/p/maitinimo-blokas-seasonic-prime-platinum-650w-650-w-135-mm/atr
I know it's still expensive but I really want a good one, it will make me feel good.
Cooling: Will either buy the 7700X with Wraith Prism included or buy a NH-L9a-AM5 or something else of good quality and small size. Should be enough for me. 50€. https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Noctua-NH-L9a-AM5-Premium-Profile-Cooling/dp/B0BNL8ZM1T/

Total current price without GPU: ~1130€.

Perhaps forum members here could advice on where price could be cut without hurting quality, or perhaps where quality could be improved, even at more expense? Again, quality is #1 priority. I really like the motherboard and PSU I chose so I would need really good arguments to change those options. They just seem best quality for the money in my eyes.
Also curious whether forum members think I should wait for Gen5 SSDs seeing I want latest tech?
Should I consider 7800X3D?
Should I go with Wraith Prism or Noctua NH-L9a-AM5?

 

[kapone32]

If you want Gaming and want the newest AMD platform the 7800X3D makes complete sense. If you can try to get a 6700XT as that 12GB of VRAM will be appreciated bu the 6750XT can usually be found cheaper and is faster. I recently used the Phanteks 360P and am blown away how a case so small can fit so much equipment, plus you get 3 ARGB fans preinstalled. I would not compromise on the cooler instead of that low profile unit a Wraith Prism would do but so would the inexpensive clones from Thermalright and some other smaller or unfamiliar brands.

 

[Chry]

If you want Gaming and want the newest AMD platform the 7800X3D makes complete sense. If you can try to get a 6700XT as that 12GB of VRAM will be appreciated bu the 6750XT can usually be found cheaper and is faster. I recently used the Phanteks 360P and am blown away how a case so small can fit so much equipment, plus you get 3 ARGB fans preinstalled. I would not compromise on the cooler instead of that low profile unit a Wraith Prism would do but so would the inexpensive clones from Thermalright and some other smaller or unfamiliar brands.

Will I really benefit from 7800X3D if I plan to use AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT?

Phanteks 360P you mentioned seems to be quite costly. Like I said I'd really like to stay within the 20-50€ range. It sounds good though, small but well-fitting.

I actually thought that Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 is better than Wraith Prism. If Wraith Prism is better then I guess I'll just buy the processor that comes with it. It will save me at least 40€. Really I just prefer something that will keep the CPU really cool while not being too heavy ( I know the two factors are connected ).
Wraith Prism is good enough for 7700X? ( I will not overclock )

 

[oxrufiioxo]

I doubt the 7700X will do well on a wraith prism. The 7700 maybe... With something as low end as a 7600XT you likely wouldn't even benefit from anything faster than a 7600 in gaming. That Noctua cooler is pretty terrible for the price most single tower 120mm coolers in that price range will wreck it most likely.

The gpu should always be the priority if gaming is the primary use case going with a highish end gaming cpu like the 7700X and then a low end gpu doesn't really make a lot of sense at least to me.

Given how dismal the 7900XT is for 800 usd I doubt amd will be all that impressive on what will likely be one of their lowest tiers for RDNA3

 

[sirAIfred]

Based on your requirements and priorities, the build you have in mind looks good. Here are some suggestions and feedback:

CPU: The Ryzen 7700X seems like a good choice for your needs, and the 7800X3D may be overkill if you don't need the extra cores and threads.

Motherboard: The ASUS Proart B650 is a good choice as it has the latest technologies you need and is a quality motherboard. However, you may want to consider other options as well, such as the Gigabyte AORUS Master or the MSI MPG B650 Gaming Edge. These motherboards have similar features and good quality components, so you can choose the one that best fits your budget and preferences.

RAM: The Kingston Fury 6000MHz CL36 RAM seems like a good choice, but you may want to consider getting a 32GB kit instead of upgrading later, especially if you plan on doing more intense work in the future.

SSD: If you can wait a little longer, it may be worth waiting for more PCIe5 SSD options to become available. However, if you need the SSD now, the Samsung 990 Pro is a good choice, especially if you prioritize build quality.

Cooling: The Wraith Prism that comes with the Ryzen 7700X should be sufficient for your needs, but if you want better cooling or a quieter system, the Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 is a good choice.

PSU: The Seasonic Prime Platinum 650W is a great choice and will provide sufficient power for your system. However, you may want to consider other options, such as the Corsair RMx Series 650W or the EVGA SuperNOVA 650W, which are also high-quality PSUs.

Case: While you may not care about the case, it's still an important component to consider. A well-designed case can provide better airflow, cable management, and noise reduction. You may want to consider options from reputable brands such as Fractal Design, NZXT, or Phanteks.

Overall, your build looks solid and high-quality. You may want to consider other options for the motherboard and PSU, but if you're happy with your choices, they should provide the performance and quality you're looking for i think.

 

[oxrufiioxo]

Cooling: The Wraith Prism that comes with the Ryzen 7700X should be sufficient for your needs, but if you want better cooling or a quieter system, the Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 is a good choice.

Only the 7700 non X comes with a cooler in the box.

https://www.amd.com/en/products/cpu/amd-ryzen-7-7700x

Thermal Solution (PIB)
Not included

 

[unwind-protect]

If you really want to go for robustness and stability you might want to consider ECC memory.

 

[Night]

Like mentioned above, you would need better CPU cooling power, especially for 7800X3D. I'd go with Arctic Liquid Freezer II 240 mm (100€) to keep things cool and boosted.

 

[Super Firm Tofu]

7700 (non-X), 32GB 6000/CL30

If you have access to Thermalright at decent prices, a PA120 (or SE) or for overkill and future use, FC140.

Gen5 NVMe’s are a waste. Any decent Gen4 is fine.

 

[Nike_486DX]

lo

Based on your requirements and priorities, the build you have in mind looks good. Here are some suggestions and feedback:

CPU: The Ryzen 7700X seems like a good choice for your needs, and the 7800X3D may be overkill if you don't need the extra cores and threads.

Motherboard: The ASUS Proart B650 is a good choice as it has the latest technologies you need and is a quality motherboard. However, you may want to consider other options as well, such as the Gigabyte AORUS Master or the MSI MPG B650 Gaming Edge. These motherboards have similar features and good quality components, so you can choose the one that best fits your budget and preferences.

RAM: The Kingston Fury 6000MHz CL36 RAM seems like a good choice, but you may want to consider getting a 32GB kit instead of upgrading later, especially if you plan on doing more intense work in the future.

SSD: If you can wait a little longer, it may be worth waiting for more PCIe5 SSD options to become available. However, if you need the SSD now, the Samsung 990 Pro is a good choice, especially if you prioritize build quality.

Cooling: The Wraith Prism that comes with the Ryzen 7700X should be sufficient for your needs, but if you want better cooling or a quieter system, the Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 is a good choice.

PSU: The Seasonic Prime Platinum 650W is a great choice and will provide sufficient power for your system. However, you may want to consider other options, such as the Corsair RMx Series 650W or the EVGA SuperNOVA 650W, which are also high-quality PSUs.

Case: While you may not care about the case, it's still an important component to consider. A well-designed case can provide better airflow, cable management, and noise reduction. You may want to consider options from reputable brands such as Fractal Design, NZXT, or Phanteks.

Overall, your build looks solid and high-quality. You may want to consider other options for the motherboard and PSU, but if you're happy with your choices, they should provide the performance and quality you're looking for i think.

lol 7700x is pretty much same thing as 7800x 3d.
same 8c 16t only the 3d cache thingie is omitted

 

[Chry]

Thank you for the replies!

Here's my takeaway from your comments so far:

1. It seems that the 7800X3D is an overkill for me, despite me liking its idea.
I think I may even consider downgrading to 7600X and this way save a 100€. Especially as I DON'T plan to get anything better than Radeon 7600XT (confusing naming or maybe good naming as 7600X+7600XT is a good duo? )

2. I need better cooling. What are some good options for me, up to 100€ (Would be really good to keep it at/under 50€)? I was considering Noctua because of its good build quality/warranty, but I'd consider other good quality options just the same. Priorities are #1 cooling, #2 not too costly #3 not too big.

3. I would love to consider ECC memory! I don't even care if it's considered redundant. Quality is quality.
How about this one? https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Lancer-5200MHz-PC5-41600-Memory-AX5U5200C3816G-CLABK/dp/B09LD6FTTL/

4. I should consider a better case. I still don't feel comfortable spending over 50€. Are there any decent options at this price?

 

[unwind-protect]

3. I would love to consider ECC memory! I don't even care if it's considered redundant. Quality is quality.
How about this one? https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Lancer-5200MHz-PC5-41600-Memory-AX5U5200C3816G-CLABK/dp/B09LD6FTTL/

Careful. They might mean the ECC that is internal to the module only (which all DDR5 modules have). You want the full thing that communicates with the memory controller.

 

[kapone32]

Thank you for the replies!

Here's my takeaway from your comments so far:

1. It seems that the 7800X3D is an overkill for me, despite me liking its idea.
I think I may even consider downgrading to 7600X and this way save a 100€. Especially as I DON'T plan to get anything better than Radeon 7600XT (confusing naming or maybe good naming as 7600X+7600XT is a good duo? )

2. I need better cooling. What are some good options for me, up to 100€ (Would be really good to keep it at/under 50€)? I was considering Noctua because of its good build quality/warranty, but I'd consider other good quality options just the same. Priorities are #1 cooling, #2 not too costly #3 not too big.

3. I would love to consider ECC memory! I don't even care if it's considered redundant. Quality is quality.
How about this one? https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Lancer-5200MHz-PC5-41600-Memory-AX5U5200C3816G-CLABK/dp/B09LD6FTTL/

4. I should consider a better case. I still don't feel comfortable spending over 50€. Are there any decent options at this price?

Don't let that sway you the people telling you the X3D isn't worth it don't have one. You will appreciate it for how smooth Gaming will feel. The 1% lows on these chips is where it is at and if my 7900X3D pulls 87 Watts in HWinfo I don't expect the 7800X3D to pull more.

You don't need to spend Noctua money. The most important thing with an Air cooler is the amounrt of pipes. The Peerless Assassin is a large cooler but no more expensive than the Thermaltake Cooler because they have the same number of pipes. A NH12 would if Noctua is a must.

Just make sure the Memory has full Expo support and you will be fine.

If you don't want to spend money and have fans the Deepcool Matrixx 55 is pretty inexpensive.

 

[Chry]

Careful. They might mean the ECC that is internal to the module only (which all DDR5 modules have). You want the full thing that communicates with the memory controller.

Do you know how to find out which one it has?
Do you know any on Amazon that have the one that communicates with the MC? Amazon.de preferably please.

You will appreciate it for how smooth Gaming will feel. The 1% lows on these chips is where it is at

I'm really leaning towards 7600X.
1. It is over 120€ cheaper than 7700X/7700 in my country.
2. Gaming difference seems to be minimal, except the 1% you mentioned. But I don't even play competitive games.
3. 7600X would perfectly match my future 7600XT (don't need a faster card)

If I'm honest to myself, 7600X is more than enough for my needs. 7800X3D would be very nice to have but it will cost more than 2x compared to 7600X (Can get it for 230€ now). And I'll be happy to have the latest Zen technology anyhow. Ultimate performance is not my goal. But thank you very much for your comment as it helped me crystalize my thoughts better.

 

[A Computer Guy]

3. I would love to consider ECC memory! I don't even care if it's considered redundant. Quality is quality.
How about this one? https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Lancer-5200MHz-PC5-41600-Memory-AX5U5200C3816G-CLABK/dp/B09LD6FTTL/

All DDR5 has on-chip ECC which is not the same as ECC across the memory bus to the CPU.
I don't think AMD is on the ball yet with ECC support for AM5 consumer space and the motherboard also has to support it.
For example ASRock supported ECC in their AM4 lineup for a large majority of their boards.
In AM5 it is absent being listed as a supporting feature but supposedly a future AGESA update will enable it.

 

[Chry]

All DDR5 has on-chip ECC which is not the same as ECC across the memory bus to the CPU.
I don't think AMD is on the ball yet with ECC support for AM5 consumer space and the motherboard also has to support it.
For example ASRock supported ECC in their AM4 lineup for a large majority of their boards.
In AM5 it is absent being listed as a supporting feature but supposedly a future AGESA update will enable it.

Interesting. And indeed I see the ASUS Proart B650 motherboard page does say it supports non-ECC memory... Doesn't mention supporting ECC memory.
Though since internal-ECC is a DDR5 unique feature, I guess good I'm going with DDR5 in general, since it has that default feature.

 

[unwind-protect]

Do you know how to find out which one it has?
Do you know any on Amazon that have the one that communicates with the MC? Amazon.de preferably please.

The situation around unbuffered ECC RAM is difficult to decode right now.

The best exploration of AM5 and ECC that I am aware of is here:

AM5 and DDR5 ECC UDIMMs?

Since we have the other two threads about the UDIMMs and Alder Lake already: Any indication whether the DDR5 ECC UDIMMs actually work in current AM5 mainboards? The 7950X3D coming out tomorrow looks like a good choice, especially from a power standpoint. Just whether the mainboard makers...

forums.servethehome.com

That same forum has other threads on DDR5 and ECC.

 

[A Computer Guy]

The situation around unbuffered ECC RAM is difficult to decode right now.

The best exploration of AM5 and ECC that I am aware of is here:

AM5 and DDR5 ECC UDIMMs?

Since we have the other two threads about the UDIMMs and Alder Lake already: Any indication whether the DDR5 ECC UDIMMs actually work in current AM5 mainboards? The 7950X3D coming out tomorrow looks like a good choice, especially from a power standpoint. Just whether the mainboard makers...

forums.servethehome.com

That same forum has other threads on DDR5 and ECC.

I would hazard to guess that most correctable memory errors happen in-chip anyway. It wouldn't surprise me if one of the reasons this is so difficult to validate is because of the on-chip ECC so one would need to create a correctable error between the memory chips' error correction and the CPU.

 

[unwind-protect]

I would hazard to guess that most correctable memory errors happen in-chip anyway. It wouldn't surprise me if one of the reasons this is so difficult to validate is because of the on-chip ECC so one would need to create a correctable error between the memory chips' error correction and the CPU.

Sure, but you really want notification of memory errors. The DIMM just silently eating them up makes you use broken DIMMs longer, which makes things worse.

Imagine that a harddrive just returns garbage forever on read operations and never throws an error to the OS and doesn't make that fact available in SMART.

 

[siluro818]

What resolution do you plan on playing at btw? Because if you're not aiming at 4K it might be better to get a better RDNA2 GPU right now and forget about that lower-midrange RDNA3 you want to upgrade later on. Unless RT is a priority ofc, but then why would you go with AMD?

 

[Chry]

What resolution do you plan on playing at btw? Because if you're not aiming at 4K it might be better to get a better RDNA2 GPU right now and forget about that lower-midrange RDNA3 you want to upgrade later on. Unless RT is a priority ofc, but then why would you go with AMD?

I plan to play 1440 and, rarely, 4k.

I play rather simple games. The most demanding would be Unreal Engine 5. I dont require spectacular FPS. I prefer RDNA3 just because it's the latest tech. Just so I feel good.
I will also disable any/all optimizations in the radeon settings to have maximum quality even when it's almost invisible (again because it'll just feel good to me this way).
It's a personal computer after all

 

[A Computer Guy]

I plan to play 1440 and, rarely, 4k.

I play rather simple games. The most demanding would be Unreal Engine 5. I dont require spectacular FPS. I prefer RDNA3 just because it's the latest tech. Just so I feel good.
I will also disable any/all optimizations in the radeon settings to have maximum quality even when it's almost invisible (again because it'll just feel good to me this way).
It's a personal computer after all

FreeSync is seems pretty useful though. If you have a FreeSync compatible monitor that option you might consider using.

 

[siluro818]

I plan to play 1440 and, rarely, 4k.

I play rather simple games. The most demanding would be Unreal Engine 5. I dont require spectacular FPS. I prefer RDNA3 just because it's the latest tech. Just so I feel good.
I will also disable any/all optimizations in the radeon settings to have maximum quality even when it's almost invisible (again because it'll just feel good to me this way).
It's a personal computer after all

I mean, I get where you're coming from, but there is not much of a difference in terms of supported features between these two RDNA generations.
Judging by the RX7900 performance uplifts, a 7600XT will probably have the performance of a 6700XT, which you can just get right now and iirc has the best price to perf ratio out there. It's also likely that the 7600XT will have 8GB of VRAM and that's not ideal even for 1440p gaming. The only plus of a 7600XT will be power draw, but these are small chips anyway...

 

[Chry]

Thanks to all for your feedback. Does my latest build-to-buy look good?:

CPU: 7600X @ 230€
CPU Cooler: NH-U12S SE-AM4 83€
RAM: 2x16Gb | G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo | 5600MT/s | 30-36-36-89 | AMD EXPO 163€
Main: ASUS Proart B650 330€
PSU: Seasonic Prime Platinum 156€
SSD: Samsung 990 Pro Heatsink 160€
Case: Fractal Design Focus 2 70€

Total: 1190€. Around 1200€ with shipping.

The only item I find questionable is RAM as the selection is huge. But this looks like a good premium kit.

The only problem is, the Samsung 990 Heatsink Edition will only arrive to Europe on April 6th and then it will take up to a week to arrive to my place. But I guess it's worth the wait if I want the best quality. I want to know my SSD is not overheating!
The reason I am leaning towards 990 Pro instead of Gen5 SSDs is because I think I'd rather have the #1 Gen4 SSD than the very first experimental Gen5 ones that will be left behind soon by new releases every month.

Edit:
Possible easy savings that I consider:
Could take cheaper simpler RAM for 110€.
Simple 990 PRO for 140€
And Noctua U12S Redux cooler for 60€
For total savings of 96€

 

[A Computer Guy]

Thanks to all for your feedback. Does my latest build-to-buy look good?:

CPU: 7600X @ 230€
CPU Cooler: NH-U12S SE-AM4 83€
RAM: 2x16Gb | G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo | 5600MT/s | 30-36-36-89 | AMD EXPO 163€
Main: ASUS Proart B650 330€
PSU: Seasonic Prime Platinum 156€
SSD: Samsung 990 Pro Heatsink 160€
Case: Fractal Design Focus 2 70€

Total: 1190€. Around 1200€ with shipping.

The only item I find questionable is RAM as the selection is huge. But this looks like a good premium kit.

The only problem is, the Samsung 990 Heatsink Edition will only arrive to Europe on April 6th and then it will take up to a week to arrive to my place. But I guess it's worth the wait if I want the best quality. I want to know my SSD is not overheating!
The reason I am leaning towards 990 Pro instead of Gen5 SSDs is because I think I'd rather have the #1 Gen4 SSD than the very first experimental Gen5 ones that will be left behind soon by new releases every month.

Does the motherboard already provide NVMe heatsink? If so then it should be fine to get the NVMe without the heatsink.
(edit: just saw a picture of it. looks like you can reuse the mobo heatsink)