Video Post-Production & Gaming PC

[thatsomeguy]

Hi all,

I'm putting together plans for a new PC build (aiming to keep budget around £4,000.00). Main (high performance) use cases are:

• Video Post-Production Work
  • Majority of work done in the Adobe Suite (Premiere and After Effects, occasionally Illustrator and Photoshop)
  • A decent amount of colour grading in Davinci Resolve Studio
  • Wide variety of formats/codecs incl. H.264/HEVC, ProRes, RED RAW
  • Some multicam editing workflows
• Gaming
  • All sorts of games (simple 2D to AAA high fidelity 3D)
  • I currently stream from my workstation to my living room TV using Moonlight
• Other
  • Occasional 3D modelling as a hobby
  • Occasional game development as a hobby

Below is the config I've assembled with some reasons for choosing each component (in green) and questions (in red):

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 XL BLACK QUIET TOWER CASE
- I did also look at the "ASUS ProArt PA602 E-ATX CASE". Would it be worth choosing that instead?
- Reputable brand
- Fine to use a full size tower as I have the space
- Prefer the clean minimalist look, not keen on RGB elements
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i9 24-Core Processor i9-14900KS (Up to 6.2 GHz) 36MB Cache
- Need Thunderbolt support
- Puget report better results with Intel for H.264/HEVC workloads (I'm aware transcoding to editing codecs is advisable, and I do it where I can, but sometimes rapid project timelines and/or storage space don't leave room for transcoding)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO (LGA1700, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7)
- Great port selection
- Has Thunderbolt 4 ports
- 2.5Gb Ethernet support is a nice bonus which I would make use of (NAS)
Memory (RAM)
96GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 5600MHz (2 x 48GB) KIT
- Heard 2 x 48GB is better than 4 x 24GB, though not 100% on this. Is this correct?
- If needed, would I be able to add two more 48GB modules later down the line, or would it not be supported (would I need lower MHz)?
- Need more than 64GB for work
- Would prefer no RGB but nothing available from PCS in 2 x 48GB @ 5600MHz
Graphics Card
24GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4090 - HDMI, DP
- Scored the best on PugetBench (Premiere)
- Prefer to get the best available to avoid having to upgrade for as long as possible
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 990 PRO M.2, PCIe 4.0 NVMe (up to 7450MB/R, 6900MB/W)
- For OS and apps
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SAMSUNG 990 PRO M.2, PCIe 4.0 NVMe (up to 7450MB/R, 6900MB/W)
- For Adobe app scratch disk + media cache and games
- I would get a 3rd large M.2 SSD later down the line for project files. I currently have a lot of external SSDs for project files which should keep me going for a while (aware they're not as performant as internal M.2 SSDs).
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ - MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
- Wondering if 1000W is enough or if I should get one with more headroom for future proofing
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 360 Series ARGB High Performance Liquid Cooler
- Highest TDP I could see on PCS, figured this would be safest
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
- Not much so figured get the more expensive one
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
NONE OR ONBOARD Wi-Fi (MOTHERBOARD DEPENDENT)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
- Will be installing Windows 11 myself
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (6 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
48 HOUR INSURED PALLET DELIVERY TO UK (MON-FRI, INC. HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 3 to 5 working days
Price: £3,980.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z790-ddr5-pc/Qa!GC6uTyU/

Some additional questions/notes:

• I'm aware of the current issues that Intel CPUs are having. Due to this I might wait until the next generation releases.
• There is an "Extra Case Fans" section in the configuration screen. Should I add any? If they improve performance then I'm happy to have some extra noise.

Does this sound like a good build for my use cases?

Thanks in advance for any help/advice! I'll aim to answer any replies ASAP.

 

[thatsomeguy]

Update:

Just realised there are some slightly different options available when you look at the workstations section on the PCS website.

The spec is the same as above except for the following:

Motherboard
ASUS® PROART Z790-CREATOR WIFI (LGA1700, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E, 1 x 10GbE)
- More geared towards creative professional use
Memory (RAM)
96GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5200MHz (2 x 48GB) KIT
- Assuming 5200MHz is the max speed if I wanted to upgrade up to 192GB later?
- Leave space for later upgrades
- No RGB
Price: £3,973.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/Intel-z790-workstation/Z8e6GrTnWf/

 

[TonyCarter]

Intel are best avoided at the moment...unless you want to be returning it for a replacement CPU every 6 months.

A 7950X (or the soon-to-be-released 9950X) will offer you similar performance without overheating or melting the CPU/motherboard.

The Asus X670E-A motherboards also has a USB4/Thunderbolt header, so no need to stick to Intel solely for that.

 

[thatsomeguy]

Thank you for your reply Tony.

Intel are best avoided at the moment...unless you want to be returning it for a replacement CPU every 6 months.

Yeah, this was a worry. It's a shame as I've had good performance from Intel in the past. Hoping that they get things sorted out by the next generation.

A 7950X (or the soon-to-be-released 9950X) will offer you similar performance without overheating or melting the CPU/motherboard.

I think for my specific apps and workflows, Intel is definitely the top choice from looking at things like Puget Systems' articles.
Overheating is a very important point that you bring up. I will definitely keep an eye on the 9950X launch to see how it performs and will consider that for my build.

The Asus X670E-A motherboards also has a USB4/Thunderbolt header, so no need to stick to Intel solely for that.

Ok great. Had a bit of a read to check compatibility with the devices I use and it sounds like they should all be fine through non-TB4 certified USB4.

 

[BlessedSquirrel]

Thank you for your reply Tony.

Yeah, this was a worry. It's a shame as I've had good performance from Intel in the past. Hoping that they get things sorted out by the next generation.

I think for my specific apps and workflows, Intel is definitely the top choice from looking at things like Puget Systems' articles.
Overheating is a very important point that you bring up. I will definitely keep an eye on the 9950X launch to see how it performs and will consider that for my build.

Ok great. Had a bit of a read to check compatibility with the devices I use and it sounds like they should all be fine through non-TB4 certified USB4.

The news is that the upcoming 15th Gen have the very same defect and are even worse with temps.

Intel are DOA for years at this point, with AMD 9000 being released on the 15th, any Intel lead will be in the dust anyway.

 

[thatsomeguy]

Thanks for your reply SpyderTracks.

The news is that the upcoming 15th Gen have the very same defect and are even worse with temps.

Intel are DOA for years at this point, with AMD 9000 being released on the 15th, any Intel lead will be in the dust anyway.

That is disappointing to hear.

I'll definitely be putting my Intel plans to the side. Will keep an eye on the 9000 series launch and likely look at configuring a system with them once they're available on PCS.

 

[Scott]

Thank you for your reply Tony.

Yeah, this was a worry. It's a shame as I've had good performance from Intel in the past. Hoping that they get things sorted out by the next generation.

I think for my specific apps and workflows, Intel is definitely the top choice from looking at things like Puget Systems' articles.
Overheating is a very important point that you bring up. I will definitely keep an eye on the 9950X launch to see how it performs and will consider that for my build.

Ok great. Had a bit of a read to check compatibility with the devices I use and it sounds like they should all be fine through non-TB4 certified USB4.

I would always suggest caution when reading metrics. The difference between the 7950X and the 14900K in the real world would be very different to synthetic testing. What isn't taken into account here is the amount of cooling and sustained load requirements on the system. Even if there weren't the on-going issues with the high end Intel chips, the cooling required to keep the 14900K running optimally doesn't really exist. It will always hit a thermal road block and the 7950X would breeze past.

The 9950X is alleged to have made some significant gains on the metrics suggested, but even without this in mind the 7950X would be the most sensible route to follow.

Note that the E boards have TB4 compatibility but they don't have TB4 built in, an additional module is required. I believe only the Proart Creator edition motherboard has it. The next generation boards will likely all have it on-board as standard though, the ones that won't have it we wouldn't recommend anyway as they will be budget.

 

[thatsomeguy]

Thanks for your reply Scott.

I would always suggest caution when reading metrics. The difference between the 7950X and the 14900K in the real world would be very different to synthetic testing. What isn't taken into account here is the amount of cooling and sustained load requirements on the system. Even if there weren't the on-going issues with the high end Intel chips, the cooling required to keep the 14900K running optimally doesn't really exist. It will always hit a thermal road block and the 7950X would breeze past.

It's a very good point. The fact that the 14900K can't be sufficiently cooled to perform as advertised is a big let down. Sounds like AMD are better at balancing performance and cooling improvements in their CPUs.

The 9950X is alleged to have made some significant gains on the metrics suggested, but even without this in mind the 7950X would be the most sensible route to follow.

Great to hear. I'll hold off on buying until the 9950X launch and consider that as the CPU for my next system.

Note that the E boards have TB4 compatibility but they don't have TB4 built in, an additional module is required. I believe only the Proart Creator edition motherboard has it. The next generation boards will likely all have it on-board as standard though, the ones that won't have it we wouldn't recommend anyway as they will be budget.

Good to know. I would prefer for it to be built in so I'll look at getting one of the next gen boards when they're available.

 

[TonyCarter]

Yes, you'd need the Asus ThunderboltEX 3 or Thunderbolt EX 4 add-in card to connect to the Thunderbolt header.

It's about £100.

ThunderboltEX 4｜Motherboards｜ASUS United Kingdom

ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 add-on card delivers 40 Gbps bi-directional bandwidth, USB4™ device compatibility, and DisplayPort™ 1.4 support.

www.asus.com

 

[BlessedSquirrel]

Thanks for your reply Scott.

It's a very good point. The fact that the 14900K can't be sufficiently cooled to perform as advertised is a big let down. Sounds like AMD are better at balancing performance and cooling improvements in their CPUs.

Great to hear. I'll hold off on buying until the 9950X launch and consider that as the CPU for my next system.

Good to know. I would prefer for it to be built in so I'll look at getting one of the next gen boards when they're available.

The 800 series boards aren't being released until september, but the X870e lineup only incorporates USB4 which includes thunderbolt 4.

So may be worth holding out for those if you can.

 

[thatsomeguy]

Yes, you'd need the Asus ThunderboltEX 3 or Thunderbolt EX 4 add-in card to connect to the Thunderbolt header.

It's about £100.

ThunderboltEX 4｜Motherboards｜ASUS United Kingdom

ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 add-on card delivers 40 Gbps bi-directional bandwidth, USB4™ device compatibility, and DisplayPort™ 1.4 support.

www.asus.com

Yes, I figured these were the card I needed but good to confirm. Quite expensive so would be great to get on a board built-in.

 

[thatsomeguy]

The 800 series boards aren't being released until september, but the X870e lineup only incorporates USB4 which includes thunderbolt 4.

So may be worth holding out for those if you can.

Ok, helpful to know. I can definitely wait until then.

That will also leave a good bit of time for the AMD CPUs to be properly tested and reviewed just in case there are any issues to be aware of.

 

[Scott]

If you can hold off for the full system upgrade then it's definitely worth while. If I was building just now I would be waiting for the new chipsets. There will be better value in the current generation as well as the new tricks of the new generation, it's win win really.

 

[Scott]

Yes, you'd need the Asus ThunderboltEX 3 or Thunderbolt EX 4 add-in card to connect to the Thunderbolt header.

It's about £100.

ThunderboltEX 4｜Motherboards｜ASUS United Kingdom

ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 add-on card delivers 40 Gbps bi-directional bandwidth, USB4™ device compatibility, and DisplayPort™ 1.4 support.

www.asus.com

I don't think this is compatible with the ProArt. ProArt has USB4.0 as standard and is configurable to Thunderbolt in the BIOS. I'm not a TB user so I can't confirm but I know there is definitely some optional functionality in relation to TB in the BIOS for certain.

My presumption is that it's TB3 compatible out of the box. I may be wrong though. This is the same assumption I have with the up-coming release of the USB4.0 boards.

 

[TonyCarter]

The ProArt X670E has AMD's implementation of 40GbpsUSB4/Thunderbolt (rather than the licensed Intel version of their add-in card).

However, I'm assuming it's always on as part of the the USB4 sockets on the rear, as whilst I can see the security options for Thunderbolt/USB4 in the BIOS manual, there's nothing to switch between them.

The add-in card is only for the motherboards that have the Thunderbolt header...which the ProArt version does not (as it's built in).

I suppose it depends whether you spend £160 more on the ProArt 670E (which is a stunning motherboard), or buy the Strix 670E and the add-in card, or they're both moot points if you wait for the next gen motherboards.

 

[BlessedSquirrel]

The ProArt is a really lovely board if you were pushed for time.

 

[thatsomeguy]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

If you can hold off for the full system upgrade then it's definitely worth while. If I was building just now I would be waiting for the new chipsets. There will be better value in the current generation as well as the new tricks of the new generation, it's win win really.

Definitely going to hold off. I'm looking for a long term solution so waiting another few months will be absolutely fine.

The ProArt X670E has AMD's implementation of 40GbpsUSB4/Thunderbolt (rather than the licensed Intel version of their add-in card).

However, I'm assuming it's always on as part of the the USB4 sockets on the rear, as whilst I can see the security options for Thunderbolt/USB4 in the BIOS manual, there's nothing to switch between them.

The add-in card is only for the motherboards that have the Thunderbolt header...which the ProArt version does not (as it's built in).

I suppose it depends whether you spend £160 more on the ProArt 670E (which is a stunning motherboard), or buy the Strix 670E and the add-in card, or they're both moot points if you wait for the next gen motherboards.

Appreciate the breakdown. Helpful to know. Waiting definitely seems like the way to go for now.

The ProArt is a really lovely board if you were pushed for time.

Yeah, looks great. Huge upgrade from what I'm on now. Look forward to the next gen version they come out with.

 

[BlessedSquirrel]

Definitely going to hold off. I'm looking for a long term solution so waiting another few months will be absolutely fine.

Definitely worth doing if you're able to, the X870e lineup look extremely strong, rather overengineered in a lot of ways. But I expect they'll be a similar price to the current X670e which given the level of your build is what you'd be aiming for, so it's a good choice to hold off.

 

[thatsomeguy]

Definitely worth doing if you're able to, the X870e lineup look extremely strong, rather overengineered in a lot of ways. But I expect they'll be a similar price to the current X670e which given the level of your build is what you'd be aiming for, so it's a good choice to hold off.

Brill. Sounds exciting. I thoroughly look forward to the release.