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PaperclipPerfector  1mo ago (text post)   2373 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for March 21, 2025

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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Anyone built a PC recently?

I'm pretty close to biting the bullet on a new high-end, pre-built system.

Before anyone jumps and says that it would cheaper to build it myself (I've been there haha), I've decided the added premium is something I'm willing to pay, especially when it comes with a warranty on parts. I've built several PCs myself, but the last time I did so, I was cursed with pernicious crashing that I couldn't for the life of me solve for good.

The two most important components I've more or less fixed are a Ryzen 9800x3d and an RTX 5080. All I really expect this machine to be used for is gaming, and I want to emphasize single-core performance as my favorite games tend to be CPU bottlenecked. I'd have loved to get a 4090, but the prices are ridiculous. I could get a 9070 XT, but my budget does go further than that. I don't think I'll be using it much for local AI, though I'm occasionally tempted to tinker.

I intend to buy models with 32gb of fast DDR5 memory, and a decent NVME SSD with room for me to buy and install more myself.

I haven't looked too closely at the various flavors of motherboard on offer, but I expect at this price range they're roughly equivalent. It might be a pain to get wired internet, so I'm willing to settle for the speed and latency hit from running wifi-only if I have to.

I intend to skimp on a pre-installed license for Windows. I can get it from [REDACTED] for free.

I haven't decided on all the peripherals yet, but I'll probably get a 100% mechanical keyboard, I own a decent mouse. I'd like a 27" or larger monitor high refresh rate monitor, with QHD being a resolution I'm happy with. I might end up splurging for 4k or an OLED if I feel like it. No need for speakers, as I use Bluetooth earphones and don't usually notice the latency.

I've been looking at an array of retailers, and most seem to provide this in the 2500-2900 GBP range.

Questions:

  1. Anything obviously wrong here? Any clearly suboptimal choices (beyond buying pre-built)?

  2. Can I cheap out on something without noticeable downsides?

  3. My impression, from watching LTT if nothing else, is that watercooling is usually not worth the hassle. I've never used it before, and would need to figure it out if I ever have to swap out parts. I think that a decent air cooler is more than sufficient for people who aren't OC maxxing.

  4. Anyone own an OLED monitor? Did you notice any burn-in? I intend to take reasonable precautions in the first place.

  • I’ve seen multiple articles about some 50xx models melting power supply connectors under load. I’d research that a bit more before pulling the trigger.
  • Depends on the games you play, 9800x3d would be such an overkill for me. I know I’m always tempted by the latest and greatest but I built a cheaper system 4 years ago and haven’t regretted it at all. Of course YMMV based on the games you play - you know your needs better than anyone

Hmm.. While I can see reports of 5080 connectors melting, it seems far less likely than a 5090. I'd consider a different card, if there was anything but older 4080 Supers and Tis in that price bracket.

Depends on the games you play, 9800x3d would be such an overkill for me. I know I’m always tempted by the latest and greatest but I built a cheaper system 4 years ago and haven’t regretted it at all. Of course YMMV based on the games you play - you know your needs better than anyone

I'm treating myself haha. I've already convinced myself that a 9950x3d would be gross overkill. Besides, CPUs are far more reasonably priced than GPUs.

This PC should last me at least another 3 years, and if the parts still perform at that point, I'll cannibalize what I can.

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