Question Choosing the Perfect Motherboard to Complete My PC Build

andrei-pulva

Junior Member

Feb 3, 2025

18

2

11

• Mar 20, 2025

• #26

It's the newer version, cheaper and more performing, as stable as AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D 4.2 GHz 16-Core Processor ?

 

I

igor_kavinski

Lifer

Jul 27, 2020

23,517

16,526

146

• Mar 20, 2025

• #27

andrei-pulva said:

It's the newer version, cheaper and more performing, as stable as AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D 4.2 GHz 16-Core Processor ?

Click to expand...

Only slightly more: https://fr.pcpartpicker.com/product...x3d-43-ghz-16-core-processor-100-100000719wof

 

andrei-pulva

Junior Member

Feb 3, 2025

18

2

11

• Mar 20, 2025

• #28

It's quite more expensive, I don't know if it worth it if we can't really feel the difference in performance

 

I

igor_kavinski

Lifer

Jul 27, 2020

23,517

16,526

146

• Mar 20, 2025

• #29

andrei-pulva said:

It's quite more expensive, I don't know if it worth it if we can't really feel the difference in performance

Click to expand...

It will age much better. Price difference is a mere pittance compared to potential benefits in the long term.

 

andrei-pulva

Junior Member

Feb 3, 2025

18

2

11

• Mar 21, 2025

• #30

Sound good, thanks again Igor.

Regarding the CPU recommendation, my initial choice was the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D at 750€.
I will then change for the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D for 850€.

For the motherboard, I also changed the MSI X870E version instead of X870.

Here is the updated build: https://fr.pcpartpicker.com/list/WCp7yW

It does show compatibility issues thought re the bios version...

 

Reactions: igor_kavinski

In2Photos

Platinum Member

Mar 21, 2007

2,401

2,621

136

• Mar 21, 2025

• #31

andrei-pulva said:

Sound good, thanks again Igor.

Regarding the CPU recommendation, my initial choice was the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D at 750€.
I will then change for the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D for 850€.

For the motherboard, I also changed the MSI X870E version instead of X870.

Here is the updated build: https://fr.pcpartpicker.com/list/WCp7yW

It does show compatibility issues thought re the bios version...

Click to expand...

That's normal when a new CPU gets released. It is possible to receive a motherboard that was shipped prior to the updated BIOS version being implemented. As long as your motherboard has a BIOS flashback option you can update the BIOS without a CPU installed. Most, if not all, higher end boards have this feature (including the one you have chosen).

 

Reactions: igor_kavinski

I

igor_kavinski

Lifer

Jul 27, 2020

23,517

16,526

146

• Mar 21, 2025

• #32

andrei-pulva said:

Here is the updated build: https://fr.pcpartpicker.com/list/WCp7yW

Click to expand...

Regarding your choice of video card, may I suggest: https://fr.pcpartpicker.com/product...rx-7900-xtx-24-gb-video-card-rx7900xtx-ct-24g

It has more VRAM (which ages better in general) and also the XTX is a lot more powerful and performant for using large language models (mainly if you want AI to do interesting stuff like summarize documents, create code snippets or review your own code and just messing around for fun with what seems like an "entity" inside your PC using LM Studio or any other LLM software.

AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Specs

AMD Navi 31, 2498 MHz, 6144 Cores, 384 TMUs, 192 ROPs, 24576 MB GDDR6, 2500 MHz, 384 bit

www.techpowerup.com

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Specs

NVIDIA GB203, 2452 MHz, 8960 Cores, 280 TMUs, 96 ROPs, 16384 MB GDDR7, 1750 MHz, 256 bit

www.techpowerup.com

The XTX offers three times more compute power. It will be good in games but an absolute monster in non-gaming stuff (if you care about that).

5070 Ti only if games matter to you more than anything but even then, more VRAM on the XTX will let you enjoy higher quality textures.

 

andrei-pulva

Junior Member

Feb 3, 2025

18

2

11

• Mar 21, 2025

• #33

I like very much the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti option instead of Gigabyte GAMING OC GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB.
Is it much more performant that the Gigabyte model? If yes, where can we buy it and what is the price difference? I couldn't find much options online in Europe.

 

I

igor_kavinski

Lifer

Jul 27, 2020

23,517

16,526

146

• Mar 21, 2025

• #34

andrei-pulva said:

Is it much more performant that the Gigabyte model?

Click to expand...

It's a stock reference model. It will perform slightly worse than the Gigabyte.

How about this? https://fr.pcpartpicker.com/product...rd-geforce-rtx-5070-ti-16g-inspire-3x-oc-plus

 

andrei-pulva

Junior Member

Feb 3, 2025

18

2

11

• Mar 21, 2025

• #35

Thanks for that Igor, do you really think my initial Gigabyte isn't a good pick?

 

I

igor_kavinski

Lifer

Jul 27, 2020

23,517

16,526

146

• Mar 21, 2025

• #36

andrei-pulva said:

Thanks for that Igor, do you really think my initial Gigabyte isn't a good pick?

Click to expand...

I don't know to be honest. I just chose the MSI one coz it looks aesthetically better to me.

 

andrei-pulva

Junior Member

Feb 3, 2025

18

2

11

• Mar 22, 2025

• #37

Thanks again for your help. Now my biggest hesitation is between air and liquid cooler:

Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black

https://fr.pcpartpicker.com/product/84MTwP/noctua-nh-d15-chromaxblack-8252-cfm-cpu-cooler-nh-d15-chromaxblack

ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 360 56.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler

https://fr.pcpartpicker.com/product/XgyH99/arctic-liquid-freezer-iii-360-563-cfm-liquid-cpu-cooler-acfre00136a

What would you recommend?

 

I

igor_kavinski

Lifer

Jul 27, 2020

23,517

16,526

146

• Mar 22, 2025

• #38

For me, installing a huge air cooler is never fun.

For my AMD build (still looking for a cheap CPU), I got this: https://fr.pcpartpicker.com/product/K2cG3C/thermalright-axp120-x67-59-cfm-cpu-cooler-axp120-x67

Because I found its performance for its size very impressive.

Thermalright AXP120-X67 SFF Cooler Review: Small, but Capable

The AXP120-X67 is capable of handling the i9-13900K in most scenarios, but it’ll run hot in some workloads.

www.tomshardware.com

Note these points in those graphs:

Handles 198W. Should be no issue for the 170W heat dissipation of 9950X3D.

Only about 4% slower than the IceSleet cooler. I have this cooler. It is MASSIVE. Something as compact as the AXP120 being only 4% slower than a huge hunk of metal is insanely impressive.

The 9950X3D is much easier to cool than a frickin' 13900K. I don't think you would regret going with the AXP120.

However, if you want to overclock, you are better off with a liquid cooler.

An alternate suggestion: https://fr.pcpartpicker.com/product/dN3NnQ/be-quiet-light-loop-liquid-cpu-cooler-bw023

be quiet! Light Loop 360 mm AIO Review

Looking for a cooler that’s quiet and packs a punch? The be quiet! Light Loop 360 delivers top-notch performance, sleek ARGB lighting, and solid build quality. Meanwhile, its serviceability and low noise levels during most workloads make it a standout option in the hyper-competitive all-in-one...

www.techpowerup.com

It's the No.2 and No.3 cooler in those graphs. For the price, it's extremely GOOD.

(Fudge, I should do "ethical" marketing for companies as a paid gig on the side )

 

andrei-pulva

Junior Member

Feb 3, 2025

18

2

11

• Mar 23, 2025

• #39

Thanks a lot for the feedback, it's very helpful!

On my side, I am not planning to overclock, so a standard air cooler should be fine. I see that Noctua models are top-tier, but Thermalright does really well too.

The only issue I see with Noctua is that they take up a lot of space.

Comparison Summary: Noctua ND DH 15 vs Thermalright Peerless Assassin

Cooling Performance: Both coolers perform excellently, but the Noctua NH-D15 is generally regarded as one of the best air coolers for high-end systems. It excels in cooling and quiet operation, making it ideal for users with powerful, multi-core CPUs. The Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE offers impressive performance for its price but might not cool as efficiently under extreme load or multi-core CPUs as the NH-D15.

Size and Compatibility: The Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE is much smaller and more versatile, fitting into more case types. The NH-D15 is bulky and can be difficult to install in smaller cases, so you’d need to ensure your case has sufficient clearance.

Noise Levels: Noctua's fans are incredibly quiet, especially under load. The Thermalright cooler is still fairly quiet, but not as silent as Noctua's models.

Price: Thermalright is more budget-friendly, offering excellent value for money. Noctua is the premium option, and it comes at a higher cost but with unparalleled performance and durability.

--

For the space of the case, I should not have any issue with the corsair 7000D which is large ATX case.

 

I

igor_kavinski

Lifer

Jul 27, 2020

23,517

16,526

146

• Mar 23, 2025

• #40

Make sure to invest in quality thermal paste, A user on these forums had great results with XTM70 while I have myself gotten GX-14 (yet to test coz my build is pending).