I’ve been a long time Linux user on laptops, but this will be my first time putting hardware together and running a dedicated gaming rig on Arch. I’m aiming for a high end 1440p ultra wide gaming experience and some light Davinci Resolve work. Want to make sure I haven't made any "first timer" mistakes with compatibility or bottlenecks.
I divided the purchase in 3 phases (Let me know if this approach is correct). 1- Get the parts that I can immediately use with my current laptop (Webcam and Monitor). 2- Get a working system w/o the dGPU (As it is the most expensive part.) 3- Get the GPU. So Phase 1 is done and now will save money for phase 2 by May (although I have already secured the SSD and the RAM for the cheapest I could find — It is arriving today so I will check the RAM on my SIL's prebuilt AM5 build and the SSD via usb-c adapter with my laptop).
Below is the table of the parts. . These prices are somewhat close to INR (Indian Rupee).
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 9700X 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor | $303.00 @ Amazon |
| CPU Cooler | Deepcool AK620 68.99 CFM CPU Cooler | $52.00 |
| Motherboard | MSI B650 GAMING PLUS WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard | $169.99 @ Amazon |
| Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory | Purchased For $387.75 |
| Storage | Western Digital WD_BLACK SN7100 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | Purchased For $294.50 |
| Video Card | ASRock Challenger Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB Video Card | $729.99 @ Amazon |
| Case | NZXT H5 Flow RGB (2024) ATX Mid Tower Case | $94.99 @ Amazon |
| Power Supply | MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | $118.50 @ Amazon |
| Monitor | Dell Alienware AW3423DWF 34.2" 3440 x 1440 165 Hz Curved Monitor | Purchased For $784.00 |
| Webcam | NexiGo N60 Webcam | Purchased For $46.00 |
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts | ||
| Total | $2980.72 |
PC PartPicker just gives these warnings which are pretty self-explanatory.
Warning: The MSI B650 GAMING PLUS WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard supports the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor with BIOS version 7E26v1C. If the motherboard is using an older BIOS version, updating the BIOS will be necessary to support the CPU.
Disclaimer: Some physical constraints are not checked, such as RAM clearance with CPU Coolers.
The CPU Cooler has a height of 160mm so it leaves a 10mm gap between it and the case. I was wondering if I should go with a Liquid Cooler like the Arctic Liquid Freezer III because the summers are HOT AF over here like 40-45 degrees C during day and 30 at night and also for the RAM Clearance whose height is 33mm. But then I don't know how reliable the idea of water running in your system is.
If you’re worried about cooling, might I suggest going SFF?
That may sound confusing, but hear me out. With a small case, you can duct the CPU and GPU to the outside vents, so they only suck in ambient temp outside air instead of looping it around the case, or rolling dice+burning cash with AIO liquid.
I seal my CPU/GPU against the outside vent with some weather stripping. FYI this is a 420W Nvidia 3090 + AMD 7800X3D:
Since there are no case fans, it’s dead silent when idle, and quiet under load. It’s always cool, even in summer.
Also, the ability to just stick your desktop in carry-on luggage or a backpack is nice!
On that note, I’d also highly recommend a 7800X3D instead of a 9700X. In applications that like it (like games or AV1 encoding), that big L3 is really something to behold, and it’s ridiculously cool and power-efficient compared to the non-X3D chips. It’s also significantly less than $300 on sale.
I’d only lean towards the 9700X if code compiling or local hybrid LLM inference is your primary workload.
As another point of feedback, you don’t really need 850W unless you plant to go dual GPU, or 5090 I guess. But even with a 5090, it’s better to just undervolt and throttle the thing.
…Yes; I got an 850W. But only because of a firesale, heh. I’d much rather have a 650W platinum in its place.