Need advice on my configuration

Without your expected monitor resolution there is really no way The Smart Guys® can help really get the best computer in your budget. I'll tell you right now, from experience in watching what they can do, that if you're gaming in 1080p you're spending about $5000 too much, if not more.

So, give them a chance with your display specs and find out just what Digital Storm can do that will be at the right price for the right equipment.

Good luck.

I'll start with my recommendation so you can follow along.

Config #: 4082258

CPU

The 5600X has been touted as the best value for gamers. However, there is a difference dependent on the game and settings.

For example: Ryzen 5 5600X vs Ryzen 9 5950X - How Big is the Difference in Games? | Testing Games (YouTube)

Nevertheless, there is a limit. The 5950X achieves <10% performance increase versus the 5900X but is $200+ more.

Multikill: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X CPU Review & Benchmarks - Gaming, Workstation, Overclocking | Gamers Nexus (YouTube)

As for the OC... The manufacturer's default/auto OC/boost do very well, though Asus does provide this:

AI Overclocking | ASUS

RAM

You won't need or ever probably come close to using 128GB. You could choose 64GB, although, 32GB is a good max for gaming in the foreseeable future.

I did pick the 3600MHz HyperX Fury because the price isn't a huge difference, but you could comfortably go with 3200MHz.

The Difference Between RAM Speed and CAS Latency | Crucial

Storage

The 980 Pro is a great main/system/OS drive. 1TB is excessive for that purpose. However, the larger capacity models are normally a little faster and the extra free space helps with wear leveling.

I don't know your exact purpose for each drive, therefore, my changes may not be reasonable.

For the most part, fast drives only improve the initial loading (i.e., quicker) of games. But, in some instances, they can help during active play (e.g., I know Sea of Thieves loads from the drive when re-spawning, at least on Xbox). With that said, PCIe 3 NVMe SSDs (e.g., Samsung 970) are still plenty fast. Actually, a SATA SSD (e.g., Samsung 860) is about 5x faster than a HDD.

The other factor is capacity. If you play one or two games at a time, this won't be a problem. However, if you like to try new games in between or otherwise have several installed, the drives can fill very quickly.

15 Biggest PC Games By File Size, Ranked | Game Rant

(The drive setup I chose was assuming you were using one for the main/OS and the other for game installations and other storage.)

Cooling

As it looks, you're okay with a full-size tower and custom liquid cooling loop. I suggest you take full advantage of that, which is why I upgraded the HydroLux to include the graphics card.

The graphics card will generate a lot more heat than the CPU. With those huge radiators in the Aventum, including the beastly 560mm at the bottom, that case can handle both CPU and graphics card on liquid no problem.

Just as or more important than how much OCing, highly efficient cooling allows for consistent performance.

Some personal examples:

Intel Core i5 11700K with a 360mm radiator. Default/auto OC/boost settings, the CPU can load all eight cores at 4.9GHz constant and has never surpassed 70ºC. Ryzen 5 5600X with the stock AMD cooler (i.e., Wraith Stealth) with have the frequencies of the cores jump around between 3.4GHz and 4.6GHz as it reaches thermal limits.

Both RTX 3090 FTW3 Ultra and 3080 FE on default/auto OC/boost settings have reached 1955MHz GPU frequency but do eventually drop back and can fluctuate among 1890MHz, 1905MHz, and 1920MHz. Those values are still notably above the base and promised OCs of 1800MHz (FTW3) and 1710MHz (FE) respectively. But those bouncing frequencies can be noticeable in some scenarios.

Granted, these results are with ambient temperature of about 24ºC to 26ºC (75ºF to 80ºF). Even so, eliminating the thermal walls is a big win for performance -- even if others you can't circumvent become involved.

Power

You would be fine with a 1200 watt PSU -- estimates show your config shouldn't draw more than about 850 watts -- though I do understand the attitude of having plenty of headroom because PSUs can be a big annoyance to change because you may need to swap all of the power cables. I did want to bring it up as a potential money saver.


[Edits: Tweaked config, removed "OS Boost"; corrected some grammar]

Edited by MrCheetah - 11 Sep 2021 at 10:26am

MrCheetah has you covered at your budget. For gaming, overclocking won't return much for the effort. 32 GB RAM is all you need for the life of this rig. The OS boost/tweak is just a total waste. It won't make ANY difference to you at all, but it could shut down something you wish they hadn't. It's an old school thing to conserve resources when RAM was <2GB.

I wish you all luck with this monster.

Originally posted by JamesAstro consider getting a Velox. It's just as fast for gaming, but is more practical.

Indeed. Feel free to confirm or disagree with the following.

--------------------

Here is my suggestion using the Velox.

Config #: 4084334

The main difference is I wouldn't recommend adding the graphics card to the cooling loop.

Because an inverted ATX layout (such as used in the Velox) positions the graphics card in the middle/top with exhaust fans on both side of the card (as can be seen below).


Source: New Velox PC Does Not Disappoint

The Aventum is an inverted ATX layout as well, but again, does have massive radiators at the top and bottom that shouldn't be wasted (i.e., go unused).

This is different from standard ATX designs where the rear exhaust fan pulls air across the top of the graphics card, however, beneath the card is the PSU shroud (or case bottom) as seen in the Lumos photo below. The air between the graphics card and power supply shroud does get exchanged, though not nearly as fast (i.e., it's a bit of a pocket).


Source: New Velox PC Does Not Disappoint

I guess I am older than old school... I don't ever want liquid cooling in my machines. It may look cool, but the risk is just not worth the reward to me.

Not judging anyone who does it, but you won't find it on my desk.   

Originally posted by JamesAstro Originally posted by Snaike I guess I am older than old school... I don't ever want liquid cooling in my machines. It may look cool, but the risk is just not worth the reward to me. Not judging anyone who does it, but you won't find it on my desk.    I'm actually in complete agreement with you. My old Aventum was entirely liquid cooled, and it was too much of a hassle to perform upgrades. Plus, after about 5 years it developed a leak, and now I have a permanent red stain on my carpet. My new Velox is 100% air cooled, faster, and even more quiet. However, this required some special hardware: * RTX 3090 Founders Edition: It's a very quiet high-end card * 140mm Noctua case fans * Huge Noctua CPU air-cooler * Corsair AX1600i PSU that doesn't even turn on its fans until it hits 650 watts * A Corsair Command Pro with custom fan curves that keep the fans below 800 RPMs most of the time With all that I can play games that keep the GPU close to 100% utilization, and it's almost inaudible. Yep, after achieving this, I'll never go back to liquid cooling. But I'd like to reiterate what Snaike said: I'm not judging anyone who prefers liquid cooling. It's more cost effective than what I have, and it looks really cool. I especially like the all-in-one liquid cooling systems. Everyone has different priorities, and liquid cooling has it's place.

Not wanting to rain on the OP's parade, I kept my mouth shut. I think no first-time PC buyer should be in the market for custom cooling. Like Snaike, I wouldn't have it in my machine. There is considerable risk of a neophyte having a bad outcome in so many ways, with no experience with computers to help mitigate the trauma. Not to mention the fact of complicating upgrades and rendering them so much more costly they hardly seem worth the effort. It's why I wished him luck.

IMHO, a neophyte should dial back his desire to comply with what real enthusiasts are claiming are the specs to strive for. He is not an enthusiast as yet, and has not had the awakening shock of seeing such an enormous sum become yesterday's news within months. But he will learn these things, and hopefully adapt.

There. The old man speaks his piece.

Edited by Cretae - 13 Sep 2021 at 5:05am

@Visions If you do/are still check(ing) this thread, here's a TLDR summary -- the three configs I suggest you consider.

Aventum X
Config #: 4082258

+ The most efficient cooling system probably in any non-DIY PC.
+ Allows for a lot of expansion

- Expensive
- A best, both in weight and size
- Custom/open loops require routine maintenance (topping off the reservoir at a minimum) and can leak

====================

Velox X with custom/open cooling loop (CPU only)
Config #: 4084334

+ Not so much of a mammoth
+ Custom/open loop does allow the use of larger and multiple radiators than the AIO cooler options and ability to add a graphics card to the loop (if desired, later)
+ Cheaper than the above option

- Custom/open loop downsides (same as mentioned above)

====================

Velox X with all-in-one/closed loop CPU cooler
Config #: 4085991

+ Good for the less experienced
+ Still great performance, including the benefits of an inverted ATX layout for graphics cards
+ Cheaper than both previous options

- Any liquid cooling system is still less durable in general than just fans. AIO coolers are less likely to leak, though most enthusiasts claim pumps only last up to five or six years on average.

===================

Last but not least, watch this:

How to keep your PC from HEATING up your room! | JayzTwoCents (YouTube)

Edited by MrCheetah - 13 Sep 2021 at 6:18pm