First ever PC build

Maxiaid · Feb 20, 2025

Not really a "project" anymore, but wanted to share. First ever PC build. Coming from a 10yo entry-level MSI laptop with a GTX 850M. I went balls to the wall.
For at least half that time I longed for this moment, but was too broke to afford anything decent and didn't want to settle for a mid system. I spent months saving money and researching every part, since I didn't have much knowledge about components to begin with, but had it clear I didn't want a prebuilt. In the process I fell in love with this hobby.
Last summer it was finally time to live the dream.

Case: Corsair 2500X (black)
Motherboard: MSI B650M Project Zero
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 4090 GAMING X SLIM
RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB 64GB DDR5 6000MT/s CL30
SSD 1: Samsung 990 PRO 4TB
SSD 2: Acer Predator GM7 4TB
PSU: Corsair RM1200x Shift
AIO liquid cooler: Corsair H150i Elite LCD XT
Intake fans: 2x Corsair SP120 RGB Elite, 2x Corsair AF140 RGB Elite, 1x Corsair AF120 RGB Elite
Exhaust fans: 3x Corsair AF120 RGB Elite (radiator), 1x Corsair SP120 RGB Elite

Rest of the setup:
Keyboard: Corsair K65 Pro Mini 65%
Mouse: Corsair Darkstar Wireless
Headset: Corsair HS80 Wireless
Main monitor: Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 (27", 2560x1440, 240Hz, OLED)
Auxiliary monitor: Elecrow DIS85101D (10.1", 1280x800, 60Hz, IPS, touch)
Sensor panel display: GeeekPi EP-0170 (7", 1024x600, 60Hz, IPS)
Macro board: Stream Deck XL
Mouse mat: TitanWolf XXL (900mmx400mm, Planisphere and Wolf)
Chair: SecretLab Titan Evo (fabric, arctic white)

jak_2456 · Feb 20, 2025

Congrats on your first build; it looks great! It must have been really awesome to assemble the build of your dreams. Enjoy it.

Maxiaid · Feb 20, 2025

jak_2456 said:
Congrats on your first build; it looks great! It must have been really awesome to assemble the build of your dreams. Enjoy it.

Appreciate it! If I'm honest, the whole process brought me a lot of anxiety, I felt uneasy knowing that I could mess something up - but the feeling when I first booted it up, all the RGB started flashing and it finally went into BIOS was something I can't describe with words.
Faced quite a few problems, even had to go through RMA to replace the first AIO I installed since it developed pump failure, but now it's running like a charm. :peace:

Why_Me · Feb 20, 2025

Nice looking build ^^

bonehead123 · Feb 21, 2025

Looks nice & congrats on your 1st sucessfull & rewarding build !

However, & not to rain on your parade, but without a parts list, it's really hard to tell if it meets the "balls to the wall" description, especially since a lot of us here have built rigs that are truly exquisite & superb, both in appearance & performance, myself included

Maxiaid · Feb 21, 2025

bonehead123 said:
Looks nice & congrats on your 1st sucessfull & rewarding build !

However, & not to rain on your parade, but without a parts list, it's really hard to tell if it meets the "balls to the wall" description, especially since a lot of us here have built rigs that are truly exquisite & superb, both in appearance & performance, myself included

I find your distrust understandable, my good sir. You'll find a list with the parts in the provided spoiler dropdown, but I'll list them here for quicker reference.

Case: Corsair 2500X (black)
Motherboard: MSI B650M Project Zero
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 4090 GAMING X SLIM
RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB 64GB DDR5 6000MT/s CL30
SSD 1: Samsung 990 PRO 4TB
SSD 2: Acer Predator GM7 4TB
PSU: Corsair RM1200x Shift
AIO liquid cooler: Corsair H150i Elite LCD XT
Intake fans: 2x Corsair SP120 RGB Elite, 2x Corsair AF140 RGB Elite, 1x Corsair AF120 RGB Elite
Exhaust fans: 3x Corsair AF120 RGB Elite (radiator), 1x Corsair SP120 RGB Elite

It is my belief that, for an ex GeForce Now user, this quite fitly complies with the "balls to the wall" standard.

Lord Paulus Cobris (LPC) · Feb 21, 2025

Hello Max!
Congratulations on your first build, and welcome to the "master PC Race" community!

I completly understand the anxeity part of the build (and the moment where we press the power button and hope for the best).
I have been building systems for 20 years now, and i still have the "anxious" moment when i finish an expensive build and i double and triple check everything...

But like you said, the first time we build our own system is a very special moment!
I have check you parts list, and you have there a good and very capable system.

I see that you are a Corsair fan!

Im a NZXT and ThermalRight fan.

I can now just wish you the best and enjoy that fine build you did!

Best Regards,

LPC

Maxiaid · Feb 21, 2025

Lord Paulus Cobris (LPC) said:
Hello Max!
Congratulations on your first build, and welcome to the "master PC Race" community!

I completly understand the anxeity part of the build (and the moment where we press the power button and hope for the best).
I have been building systems for 20 years now, and i still have the "anxious" moment when i finish an expensive build and i double and triple check everything...

But like you said, the first time we build our own system is a very special moment!
I have check you parts list, and you have there a good and very capable system.

I see that you are a Corsair fan! Im a NZXT and ThermalRight fan.

I can now just wish you the best and enjoy that fine build you did!

Best Regards,

LPC

Truly appreciate the warm words.

Not really a fan of any brand in particular, I chose Corsair because I think their branding has a sleek look... and to be honest, simply because I like the logo. I also wanted to condense all of my RGB/peripherals under one ecosystem to avoid unnecessary bloatware having to run in the background.

Would love to see a picture of your current system!

I see you're from Portugal. We could say we're almost vizinhos. Muito obrigado, velhote! :toast:

Lord Paulus Cobris (LPC) · Feb 21, 2025

Hello!
Yes im from Portugal! And i live in Elvas, close to Spain Border and the Spanish town of Badajoz!

Portanto somos mesmo quase vizinhos!

Yes it makes sense to have all the rgb software under one software and not many.

You can check my build log on this link:

- https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/lpc-project-dark-knight-ii.332531/

Hope you like it!

Best Regards,

LPC

r.h.p · Feb 21, 2025

Hey dude good choice of parts

good job. Is this how it happened?

_roman_ · Feb 21, 2025

Nice - Good Job.

I would have covered the fan specifications with a sticker or I would have used two reverse fans instead.

Jtuck9 · Feb 21, 2025

bonehead123 said:
Looks nice & congrats on your 1st sucessfull & rewarding build !

However, & not to rain on your parade, but without a parts list, it's really hard to tell if it meets the "balls to the wall" description, especially since a lot of us here have built rigs that are truly exquisite & superb, both in appearance & performance, myself included

Coming from an entry-level MSI laptop with a GTX 850M those are probably cases of "Ships not seen"

SirKeldon · Feb 21, 2025

Really nice build, great components and I'm sure the result translates into an astounding performance, not to mention the satisfaction you get when you build your own rig, I miss the feeling from that first one.

"No hemos reparado en gastos" as John Hammond from Jurassic Park would say, well done bud! Enjoy it :rockout:

*typo

kilo · Feb 21, 2025

It looks way better than my first PC, but I won't show my age :roll:

You might want to check your manual though, I'm seeing this for DIMM setup:

You might not be getting dual (quad for ddr5) channel working right with your current configuration. Check in CPU-z before and after.

SirKeldon · Feb 21, 2025

kilo said:
It looks way better than my first PC, but I won't show my age

I can relate to this, my first custom build was based on the AMD 64 Athlon 3200+, and 100% agree with you, it didn't look as this beauty, how times have evolved!

bonehead123 · Feb 21, 2025

Maxiaid said:
I find your distrust understandable, my good sir. You'll find a list with the parts in the provided spoiler dropdown, but I'll list them here for quicker reference.

Case: Corsair 2500X (black)
Motherboard: MSI B650M Project Zero
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 4090 GAMING X SLIM
RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB 64GB DDR5 6000MT/s CL30
SSD 1: Samsung 990 PRO 4TB
SSD 2: Acer Predator GM7 4TB
PSU: Corsair RM1200x Shift
AIO liquid cooler: Corsair H150i Elite LCD XT
Intake fans: 2x Corsair SP120 RGB Elite, 2x Corsair AF140 RGB Elite, 1x Corsair AF120 RGB Elite
Exhaust fans: 3x Corsair AF120 RGB Elite (radiator), 1x Corsair SP120 RGB Elite

It is my belief that, for an ex GeForce Now user, this quite fitly complies with the "balls to the wall" standard.

Yep, that's a pretty nice rig IMHO, and yea, I think you nailed the description too

Good luck & happy computin with it !

Maxiaid · Feb 23, 2025

r.h.p said:
Hey dude good choice of parts good job. Is this how it happened?

They call me Max for a reason :pimp:

_roman_ said:
Nice - Good Job.

I would have covered the fan specifications with a sticker or I would have used two reverse fans instead.

I looked for some stickers but in the end said fuck it, I don't find it much of an eyesore. I could peel them off as well, but for now they're staying.

SirKeldon said:
Really nice build, great components and I'm sure the result translates into an astounding performance, not to mention the satisfaction you get when you build your own rig, I miss the feeling from that first one.

"No hemos reparado en gastos" as John Hammond from Jurassic Park would say, well done bud! Enjoy it

*typo

"No hemos reparado en gastos" indeed, la broma entera me costó como 7 mil pavos

Thanks a lot!

kilo said:
It looks way better than my first PC, but I won't show my age

You might want to check your manual though, I'm seeing this for DIMM setup:

View attachment 385874

You might not be getting dual (quad for ddr5) channel working right with your current configuration. Check in CPU-z before and after.

They're seated on DIMMA2 and DIMMB2, that's just the perspective. :rolleyes:

bonehead123 said:
Yep, that's a pretty nice rig IMHO, and yea, I think you nailed the description too

Good luck & happy computin with it !

Sithaer · Feb 23, 2025

Thats a good looking system and grats for your first build!

There is nothing like when you first boot up your new build, I've been building my own PCs since 2008 which is not that old 'I'm in my mid 30s' actually but even today it gives me that 'rush' that the damn thing is alive and I have a new toy to play around with. :laugh:

Maxiaid · Feb 23, 2025

Sithaer said:
Thats a good looking system and grats for your first build!
There is nothing like when you first boot up your new build, I've been building my own PCs since 2008 which is not that old 'I'm in my mid 30s' actually but even today it gives me that 'rush' that the damn thing is alive and I have a new toy to play around with.

I just turned 29.

bug · Feb 23, 2025

Maxiaid said:
Appreciate it! If I'm honest, the whole process brought me a lot of anxiety, I felt uneasy knowing that I could mess something up - but the feeling when I first booted it up, all the RGB started flashing and it finally went into BIOS was something I can't describe with words.
Faced quite a few problems, even had to go through RMA to replace the first AIO I installed since it developed pump failure, but now it's running like a charm.

Congrats. You now officially have the virus. Enjoy this and many other future builds. PCs are fun.

l1CappYl1 · Feb 24, 2025

Nice work. Very clean looking build. In future builds you may want to consider reverse blade fans if you prefer all fans facing the same direction in the case.

DirtyDingusMcgee · Feb 24, 2025

Pretty nice for a first timer. Be sure all your power plugs are plugged up good and snug.

Not much to add. well done.

How does it run?

Let's have a picture of the backside with the panel off. I haven't used one of those project zero boards yet and i'd like to see it in action.

Maxiaid · Feb 25, 2025

l1CappYl1 said:
Nice work. Very clean looking build. In future builds you may want to consider reverse blade fans if you prefer all fans facing the same direction in the case.

I actually like how the stator vanes in the back of the fan look! :rolleyes:

DirtyDingusMcgee said:
Pretty nice for a first timer. Be sure all your power plugs are plugged up good and snug.

I appreciate it! Double and triple-checked that. :laugh:

DirtyDingusMcgee said:
How does it run?

Go figure. Coming from a cheap-ass laptop, I'm discovering the Americas here.

DirtyDingusMcgee said:
Let's have a picture of the backside with the panel off. I haven't used one of those project zero boards yet and i'd like to see it in action.

I'd rather not publicly show the atrocious mess I call "cable management" on the back of my case, thank you. But I can show you a couple pictures from the building process.

DirtyDingusMcgee · Feb 25, 2025

Maxiaid said:
I'd rather not publicly show the atrocious mess I call "cable management" on the back of my case, thank you. But I can show you a couple pictures from the building process.

I'm not looking to judge you. I want to see one of these motherboards in place. We've seen worse.

Maxiaid · Feb 25, 2025

DirtyDingusMcgee said:
I'm not looking to judge you. I want to see one of these motherboards in place. We've seen worse.

I know, I'm just currently out of town and have no pictures taken of it. And that is for a reason – when I say "atrocious" I don't say it lightly. :fear:

System Name	"Nave Espacial"
Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Motherboard	MSI B650M Project Zero
Cooling	Corsair H150i Elite LCD XT + Thermal Grizzly Duronaut
Memory	Corsair Vengeance RGB 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 6000MT/s CL30
Video Card(s)	MSI GeForce RTX 4090 GAMING X SLIM
Storage	Samsung 990 PRO 4TB + Acer Predator GM7 4TB
Display(s)	Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240
Case	Corsair 2500X (black)
Audio Device(s)	Corsair HS80 Wireless Headset
Power Supply	Corsair RM1200x Shift
Mouse	Corsair Darkstar Wireless
Keyboard	Corsair K65 Pro Mini 65%
Software	Windows 11, iCUE

System Name	Sim Racing PC/Dell XPS 15 7590
Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 5800x/Intel Core i7-9750h
Motherboard	ASUS TUF B450-Plus II/Dell Laptop MB
Cooling	Arctic Freezer A35 CO/laptop cooling
Memory	28 GB G.Skill Ripjaws V DDR4-3200/28 GB Crucial DDR4-2666 SO-DIMM
Video Card(s)	XFX SWFT309 RX 6700 XT/Laptop GTX 1650
Storage	1 TB Crucial 3400 PCIe Gen 4 SSD/Ediloca EN605 512 GB PCIe Gen 3 SSD
Display(s)	77" LG OLED TV (4K@120Hz)/15" Dell integrated panel (1080p@60Hz) and 30" Dell U3011 (1600p@60 Hz)
Case	Cougar MX330-G Air / XPS 15 7590 chassis
Audio Device(s)	Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro via Yamaha HT receiver/Integrated speakers or Creative Pebble Plus
Power Supply	EVGA 600 BA / Dell 130W laptop brick
Mouse	Logitech K400+ / Cherry MW 4500
Keyboard	Logitech K400+ / Dell L100 or integrated keyboard
VR HMD	Meta Quest 2
Software	Windows 11 Home/Ubuntu 24.04.1

System Name	"Nave Espacial"
Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Motherboard	MSI B650M Project Zero
Cooling	Corsair H150i Elite LCD XT + Thermal Grizzly Duronaut
Memory	Corsair Vengeance RGB 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 6000MT/s CL30
Video Card(s)	MSI GeForce RTX 4090 GAMING X SLIM
Storage	Samsung 990 PRO 4TB + Acer Predator GM7 4TB
Display(s)	Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240
Case	Corsair 2500X (black)
Audio Device(s)	Corsair HS80 Wireless Headset
Power Supply	Corsair RM1200x Shift
Mouse	Corsair Darkstar Wireless
Keyboard	Corsair K65 Pro Mini 65%
Software	Windows 11, iCUE

System Name	The Little One
Processor	i5-11320H @4.4GHZ
Motherboard	AZW SEI
Cooling	Fan w/heat pipes + side & rear vents
Memory	64GB Crucial DDR4-3200 (2x 32GB)
Video Card(s)	Iris XE
Storage	WD Black SN850X 8TB m.2, Seagate 2TB SSD + SN850 8TB x2 in an external enclosure
Display(s)	2x Samsung 43" & 2x 32"
Case	Practically identical to a mac mini, just purrtier in slate blue, & with 3x usb ports on the front !
Audio Device(s)	Yamaha ATS-1060 Bluetooth Soundbar & Subwoofer
Power Supply	65w brick
Mouse	Logitech MX Master 2
Keyboard	Logitech G613 mechanical wireless
VR HMD	Whahdatiz ???
Software	Windows 10 pro, with all the unnecessary background shitzu turned OFF !
Benchmark Scores	PDQ

System Name	"Nave Espacial"
Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Motherboard	MSI B650M Project Zero
Cooling	Corsair H150i Elite LCD XT + Thermal Grizzly Duronaut
Memory	Corsair Vengeance RGB 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 6000MT/s CL30
Video Card(s)	MSI GeForce RTX 4090 GAMING X SLIM
Storage	Samsung 990 PRO 4TB + Acer Predator GM7 4TB
Display(s)	Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240
Case	Corsair 2500X (black)
Audio Device(s)	Corsair HS80 Wireless Headset
Power Supply	Corsair RM1200x Shift
Mouse	Corsair Darkstar Wireless
Keyboard	Corsair K65 Pro Mini 65%
Software	Windows 11, iCUE

System Name	Dark Knight II
Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Motherboard	MSI B850 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI
Cooling	ThermalRight PHANTOM SPIRIT 120 EVO
Memory	64 GB DDR5 PATRIOT VIPER VENON 6000 MT CL30
Video Card(s)	ASUS TUF GAMING AMD RADEON RX 7900XTX - 24 GB
Storage	Kingston KC3000 NVMe 2 TB + 512 GB + Kingston NV3 NVMe 1 TB
Display(s)	BenQ EW3270U 4K HDR
Case	NZXT H6 FLOW
Audio Device(s)	Inboard AUDIO MDT 4080
Power Supply	Corsair HX 1200 WATTS
Mouse	NPlay Optical Mouse 20.000 DPS
Keyboard	Razer Ornata V2 PT Layout
Software	Windows 11 24H2 IoT LTSC

System Name	schweinestalle1 and schweinestalle 2
Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D / AMD Ryzen 3200G
Motherboard	Asus Prime - Pro X570 + Asus PCI -E AC68 Adapter / Asus Prime B450 M-K
Cooling	AMD Wraith Prism / AMD Wraith
Memory	Kingston HyperX 2 x 16 gb DDR 4 3200mhz / Kingston HyperX 2x 8Gb DDR 3200mhz
Video Card(s)	AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT 16GB Pulse / AMD Reference Vega 64 8GB
Storage	Crucial 1TB M.2 SSD and WD Blue 500gb Nand SSD / WD Blue 240gb M.2 SSD
Display(s)	Asus XG 32 V ROG and LG ultra gear 32gs75q / TCL TV
Case	Corsair AIR ATX / Corsair Air Mini ATX
Audio Device(s)	Realtech standard / Realtech standard
Power Supply	Corsair 850 Modular / Corsair 750 Modular
Mouse	CM Havoc / Microsoft Wireless
Keyboard	Corsair Cherry Mechanical / Razor piece of shit
Software	Win 10 / win 10
Benchmark Scores	Soon ! whateva

System Name	Woody
Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 9700X
Motherboard	Gigabyte B650M Aorus Elite AX ICE
Cooling	MSI MAG A13 CoreLiquid 360
Memory	32GB (2x16) Corsair Vengeance 6000MHz (CL30)
Video Card(s)	Sapphire Pulse RX 9070
Storage	WD_BLACK SN850x (2x1TB) + Sandisk Ultra 2TB
Display(s)	LG 34WN80C (3440x1440 @ 70 Hz)
Case	Lian Li A3 (Black-Wood)
Audio Device(s)	Logitech Pro X & Scarlett 2i4 w/M-AUDIO BX5-D2
Power Supply	Corsair RM750 (ver. 2019)
Mouse	Logitech MX Master 3
Keyboard	Keychron Q1 Pro (Akko Cream Blue Pro V3 switches)
Software	Windows 10 Pro x64

Processor	AMD R7 9800X3D
Motherboard	Gigabyte B850M Gamering X Wifi
Cooling	Thermalright Phantom Spirit (7 pipe)
Memory	Flare X 16GB x2 6000 MT/s 28-36-36-96
Video Card(s)	Sapphire RX 9070 XT Pulse (-100mV, -15% PL)
Storage	WD SN850X 2 TB
Display(s)	Acer XV340CK x2
Case	Lian Li A3 black, mesh, woodgrain
Power Supply	Corsair RM750e (2025)
Software	ZorinOS Pro

System Name	I don't name my systems.
Processor	i5-12600KF 'stock power limits/-115mV undervolt+contact frame'
Motherboard	Asus Prime B660-PLUS D4
Cooling	ID-Cooling SE 224 XT ARGB V3 'CPU', 4x Be Quiet! Light Wings + 2x Arctic P12 black case fans.
Memory	4x8GB G.SKILL Ripjaws V DDR4 3200MHz
Video Card(s)	Asus TuF V2 RTX 3060 Ti @1920 MHz Core/@950mV Undervolt
Storage	4 TB WD Red, 1 TB Silicon Power A55 Sata, 1 TB Kingston A2000 NVMe, 256 GB Adata Spectrix s40g NVMe
Display(s)	Dahua 30" LM30-E330CA 2560x1080/VA/200Hz
Case	Be Quiet! Pure Base 500 FX Black
Audio Device(s)	Onboard + Hama uRage SoundZ 900+USB DAC
Power Supply	Seasonic CORE GM 500W 80+ Gold
Mouse	Canyon Puncher GM-11
Keyboard	SPC Gear GK630K Tournament 'Kailh Brown'
Software	Windows 10 Pro

Processor	Intel i5-12600k
Motherboard	Asus H670 TUF
Cooling	Arctic Freezer 34
Memory	2x16GB DDR4 3600 G.Skill Ripjaws V
Video Card(s)	EVGA GTX 1060 SC
Storage	500GB Samsung 970 EVO, 500GB Samsung 850 EVO, 1TB Crucial MX300 and 2TB Crucial MX500
Display(s)	Dell U3219Q + HP ZR24w
Case	Raijintek Thetis
Audio Device(s)	Audioquest Dragonfly Red :D
Power Supply	Seasonic 620W M12
Mouse	Logitech G502 Proteus Core
Keyboard	G.Skill KM780R
Software	Arch Linux + Win10

System Name	Obliterator
Processor	Ryzen 7 7700x PBO
Motherboard	ASRock x670e Steel Legend
Cooling	Noctua NH-D15 G2 LBC
Memory	G.skill Trident Z5 Neo 6000@CL30
Video Card(s)	ASRock rx7900 GRE Steel Legend
Storage	2 x 2TB Samsung 990 pro nmve ssd 2 X 4TB Samsung 870 evo sata ssd 1 X 18TB WD Gold sata hdd
Display(s)	LG 27GN750-B
Case	Fractal Torrent
Audio Device(s)	Klipsch promedia heritage 2.1
Power Supply	FSP Hydro TI 1000w
Mouse	SteelSeries Prime+
Keyboard	Lenovo SK-8825 (L)
Software	Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 21H2 / Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 24H2 with multiple flavors of VM