- Joined
- Dec 21, 2019
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- Location
- Switzerland
I just bought a new PC that I will mostly use for video editing. I initially wanted to build it myself but I came across a great deal for $1400 with the following specs:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7700X
Mainboard: Asrock X670E PG Lightning
GPU: RTX 4080 KFA2
RAM: Kingston Fury Beast DDR5-6000 2x16 GB
Storage: WD Black SN850 1TB
Seagate FireCuda 530 4TB
WD Gold 6TB
CPU cooler: Coolermaster PL360 Flux
PSU: Thermaltake ToughPower GF3 ATX Gold 1200W
Case: Corsair ICUE 5000X
There are a few things that bother me for my use (aside from the Christmas tree lighting that I will turn off or set to a solid dim white if possible) I already bought 2x32GB of RAM to replace the 16GB sticks but there are a few more shortcomings that come down to the mainboard. First, there is no S/PDIF output and no WI-FI module. I also want to add a 3rd SSD for cache files but it would be limited to 4x2 gen4 speed ( not ideal but not a big deal ). And most importantly, the gen4x4 PCIe slot is blocked by the GPU and that's where I want to put my Decklink monitor output.
I could get an eternal USB to S/PDIF card and a M.2 WI-FI adapter but for the PCI issue, I didn't find any simple and cheap fix. I see that there are vertical brackets with riser cables but then I would have to buy two cables and add the Decklink to the side vertical port of the case. I'm not sure if it would fit and that means that I would have to spend at least $150 in parts. I also looked into liquid coolers for the GPU but there is no off-the-shelf solution for my KFA2 card, although I saw that some people are successfully using the Alphacool for reference 4080 cards but it's not officially supported. There is a KFA2/Galax specific backplate but I don't want to get into custom cooling stuff.
So I'm thinking of selling the motherboard or even the CPU+Mobo+RAM combo and get the 7900x as it's only $320 and it may even be cheaper once the new 9900x is available. Then I can get a board with a better layout and better connectivity. Having USB4/Thunderbolt would also be great.
I looked at all the AM5 models and it turns out that there is only one that would tick all the boxes... And it's the Asus Rog Crosshair X670E Hero. I searched for users feedback about this board and I came across so many horror stories that I can't consider buying it, especially for a workstation.
I saw the pictures and specs of the upcoming Asrock X870E Taichi Lite and it would be perfect as the PCI slots are further apart than on the X670E Taichi which would be great otherwise (except for the price). And there may also be good X870 offerings from other brands.
So to summarize, here are my 3 options as I understand it:
1: Forget about USB4 and get some WI-FI M.2 and USB S/PDIF adapters + 2 PCIe riser cables and a vertical bracket or the Alphacool AIO and hope it will work
2: Buy the X670E Taichi + 2 PCIe riser cables and a vertical bracket or the Alphacool ( definitely the most expensive solution )
3: Wait 2 months for the X870 boards
What would you do? Did I miss something that I should consider?
Thanks in advance for your insights!
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7700X
Mainboard: Asrock X670E PG Lightning
GPU: RTX 4080 KFA2
RAM: Kingston Fury Beast DDR5-6000 2x16 GB
Storage: WD Black SN850 1TB
Seagate FireCuda 530 4TB
WD Gold 6TB
CPU cooler: Coolermaster PL360 Flux
PSU: Thermaltake ToughPower GF3 ATX Gold 1200W
Case: Corsair ICUE 5000X
There are a few things that bother me for my use (aside from the Christmas tree lighting that I will turn off or set to a solid dim white if possible) I already bought 2x32GB of RAM to replace the 16GB sticks but there are a few more shortcomings that come down to the mainboard. First, there is no S/PDIF output and no WI-FI module. I also want to add a 3rd SSD for cache files but it would be limited to 4x2 gen4 speed ( not ideal but not a big deal ). And most importantly, the gen4x4 PCIe slot is blocked by the GPU and that's where I want to put my Decklink monitor output.
I could get an eternal USB to S/PDIF card and a M.2 WI-FI adapter but for the PCI issue, I didn't find any simple and cheap fix. I see that there are vertical brackets with riser cables but then I would have to buy two cables and add the Decklink to the side vertical port of the case. I'm not sure if it would fit and that means that I would have to spend at least $150 in parts. I also looked into liquid coolers for the GPU but there is no off-the-shelf solution for my KFA2 card, although I saw that some people are successfully using the Alphacool for reference 4080 cards but it's not officially supported. There is a KFA2/Galax specific backplate but I don't want to get into custom cooling stuff.
So I'm thinking of selling the motherboard or even the CPU+Mobo+RAM combo and get the 7900x as it's only $320 and it may even be cheaper once the new 9900x is available. Then I can get a board with a better layout and better connectivity. Having USB4/Thunderbolt would also be great.
I looked at all the AM5 models and it turns out that there is only one that would tick all the boxes... And it's the Asus Rog Crosshair X670E Hero. I searched for users feedback about this board and I came across so many horror stories that I can't consider buying it, especially for a workstation.
I saw the pictures and specs of the upcoming Asrock X870E Taichi Lite and it would be perfect as the PCI slots are further apart than on the X670E Taichi which would be great otherwise (except for the price). And there may also be good X870 offerings from other brands.
So to summarize, here are my 3 options as I understand it:
1: Forget about USB4 and get some WI-FI M.2 and USB S/PDIF adapters + 2 PCIe riser cables and a vertical bracket or the Alphacool AIO and hope it will work
2: Buy the X670E Taichi + 2 PCIe riser cables and a vertical bracket or the Alphacool ( definitely the most expensive solution )
3: Wait 2 months for the X870 boards
What would you do? Did I miss something that I should consider?
Thanks in advance for your insights!