Your parts selection looks good for what you want from it, I really can't make a suggestion about doing it any differently from what you have in your part picker link.
Plenty of RAM for video and music editing/encoding, storage space and all else - I think you've got it covered here.
Thanks Bones!
Any particular features that $500 motherboard offers that other $350-400 motherboards don't?
I chose that ProArt x870e because of it's thunderbolt support, I might go with an Apollo Audio Interface down the line. Also it has a ton of USB connectivity that could be useful down the line as well.
A Gen5 drive is basically a waste of money unless you're bottlenecked in a particular workload.
For my application I was thinking if in the future using larger orchestral libraries (which I probably will in the near future), that those load times will be better, as well as responsiveness playing them.
Overall a smoother experience... I been thinking - true it might be only a millisecond (or 1-3 second) difference, but across various programs loading, won't it make a difference?
Also, for productivity, even 0.5 seconds or 1-3 seconds starts making a difference in workflow I think.
I see you're dropping some serious money on Nawk-tuah fans but is it really worth it?
On top of that the modding of the case.
Are sure about the improvements? I mean actually sure not ballparking or hoping that it will be significant, because getting involved in something that surely is time consuming and not cheap for moderate final improvements seems like a waste and potential source of frustration.
Can't comment on the feet, if they're not good then sure why not?
Those examples are of the Define 7, you're getting the XL.
You can't just expect the effects from that case to be the same for yours, the fact that it's the smaller brother doesn't mean much.
The XL's front panel looks fine with 140mm fans mounted, it doesn't look very obstructed.
- Page 2 of 5 Being the successor to the Define XL R2, the Define 7 XL focuses on modularity, flexibility, & ease of use. Releasing with the Define 7, the Define 7 XL is the largest and most expandable model yet.
www.legitreviews.com
Halfway through the page:
Fractal Design Define 7 XL este o carcasă destinată entuziaștilor care vor să aibă cât mai mult spațiu pentru watercooling, plăci de bază de workstation-uri sau multe unități de stocare. Integrează același sistem modular dual layout și aduce toate noutățile introduse de seria Define 7: panouri...
arenait.ro
My honest opinion, get the case as is, use it for a while, see if you like it regarding acoustics and thermals and then after playing around with it and if it doesn't perform start planning for some changes.
My thinking was to just work on the computer in one fell swoop, do everything right the first time, versus starting another project and putting any potential fixes on this build on the backburner (and then having to wade through notes and research stuff again to jog memory).
But perhaps they aren't necessary mods. I guess it might be smarter to just build it, and then after a month or two decide if I need those extra components.
The stock fans aren't PWM, so I assume they will be louder.
Also, I might be wrong about this but... if I install everything in the build... won't going back in to do the fan mods possibly be a huge pain the ass, and require disassembly of the computer? (Maybe it's a easy fix though - I don't build computers often enough to know).
Re: Feet Wheels mod:
I live in a high-dust environment, and have carpet floors - hence why I was thinking of putting wheels on it, to raise it an extra inch or so off the ground.
Given the weight, I wanted to keep it on the ground (I don't have much desk room either. Also - I hear keeping it on the floor (beneath the desk) will be a quieter solution, versus keeping it on the desk.
I agree with the Gen5 SSD opinion above. I would wait a bit more to acquire a Gen5, the
new Phison controllers seem impressive but there are no drives using them yet.
I would do the following changes:
Motherboard: Gigabyte B850 AI TOP. Doesn't have the pretty much useless USB4 taking 4 gen5 lines like the Pro Art, instead offers two Gen5 m2 slots without lane sharing. Also comes with two 10Gbe network ports which is surely future proofing it for content creation.
Case: Fractal Torrent. I have one with the above board and a 9950x3d and is amazing. Pretty much silent at idle with the included fans. I have the black solid one ( I dislike RGB intensely ), it comes with 2 180mm and 3 140mm fans that are pretty good, no need to buy anything else. And the Torrent is designed for airflow with air cooling.
Cooler: Use the Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE. A fraction of the price of the Noctua, and pretty much the same performance, even better in some cases.
Use the money saved by using the above components to maybe go for the 9950x3d (better in all workloads compared to 9950x ) or any other acquisition as recommended above.
How do the Phison PS5028 thermals compare to the Samsung 9100? I hear that's what the 9100 really had going for it - it was much cooler than most other Gen 5 SSD's. I looked through that review, but didn't see anything about thermals.
Neither makes much sense. FD's included fans are excellent (and very quiet). I recommend you give the 3 140mm FD fans that come with that excellent case a try before potentially wasting your money on expensive additional fans. If you find (AFTER actually monitoring your temps) you really NEED additional cooling, then add 1 or 2 of the overpriced Noctua fans (or even 2 more FD Fans for the price of 1 Noctua).
Once the PC is built, would it be a pain in the ass to go back in and install the extra fans and do that mod?
That was my main concern with doing it during the original build.
As for 3D print wheels, how are they going to be lighter or quieter than the sound and vibration deadening feet that come on the FD case? Do you regularly relocate your computers such that you need wheels? The cables on all 5 of the computers here only allow about 3 feet of movement.
My computer will be on carpet on the floor, so there shouldn't be a dampening / vibration issue right?
Also - the wheel mod would add space between the case bottom and the floor, helping with dust prevention (and cooling), from what I understand. (I live in a high-dust environment).
Being able to wheel it around every month or few months would help with vacuuming around it I'm assuming - to help with dust prevention.
However (I assume) this mod would be easier to do once the computer is built. So I could always just do it later down the line(?)
Speaking of that FD full tower case -
no way in Hell do you need a full tower case! You are only installing a standard ATX motherboard, one expansion card (the graphics card) and two SSD drives.
If you like the Define 7 XL, get the
Define 7 instead. It still offers plenty of space for that full size ATX motherboard, lots of expansion card slots, lots of drive locations AND still includes the same excellent 3 x 140mm fans with lots of room to add more fans (9 total!), and supports a variety of liquid cooling systems too.
I'm doing a new build for me in the next few months and the mid tower Define 7 is already my case of choice to replace the Define 4 I am currently using in this system.
Besides taking up more space, are there any other downsides to using the Define 7 XL?
I hear a bigger case can be somewhat quieter.
Also - down the line I would like to create a local NAS, in 5 - 10 years I could use this case to house a great local NAS build. (For now I plan to use my old 2011 hackintosh to repurpose it as a local NAS. It's in a Cooler Master 932 HAF case. About the same size as the Fractal Define 7).
for failing to notice the "Buy" link on PCPP was grayed out and no prices were available.
14 drive capacity enough?
) in the military supporting IS/IT and communications systems, "because it was so streamlined" is not the reason it was not updated. Yes, these systems worked well and supported the missions as required long after their initial projected lifespan. 
