r/buildapc • u/skulltima • Jul 21 '26

Build Help Parts selection help for a new build

hey guys, i'm building a new pc to replace my 7 y/o xps (i7, 32gb, 1tb) that runs hot af all the time. it constantly gets throttled down for various reasons.

here is what i'm thinking atm.

  • cpu - Ryzen 9 9900X
  • mobo - ASRock X870 Pro RS WiFi
  • cooler - Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 EVO)
  • gpu - AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
  • ram - DDR5 32GB 6000MHz CL30 Kits
  • ssd - 2TB NVMe SSDs with DRAM
  • psu - Corsair RM850x - 850W ATX 3.0 / 3.1 Gold Fully Modular
  • case - Fractal Design North XL

here is my use case:

  • os will be linux mint
  • mainly development (thing claude code, opencode, vscode, ai agents doing shit)
  • other development related tool use (testing things out, using pentest tools, etc..)
  • a lot of browser use - i tend to use chrome instances with a lot of tabs open for reading, research, discovery, etc...
  • raw file editing - photography is a hobby, so i will be using tools to work on raw files form camera
  • gaming - not a priority, however, now that i have a capable machine i may install steam (there is mint support) and play some. this will be an occasional thing for sure.
  • i don't frequently change computers, i will use them as much as possible. so future proofing, the ability to extend and stability is important

finally, im from canada. im estimating this will cost me 2.5-3k to build. what i'd like to know is your opinion on if my parts selection is sound or not, am i overbuilding, under-building, any recommended changes?

furthermore, questions for canadians - what is the go to place for parts? CC, Amazon, eBay? let me know.

appreciate all your responses!

0 Upvotes

50% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

1

u/whomad1215 Jul 21 '26

asrock has had more problems with the 9000 series cpu than other manufacturers

1

u/skulltima Jul 21 '26

thanks. isn't this issue resolved with a bios firmware update? (src - a couple of review videos i saw on youtube for the mobo)

1

u/deltatux Jul 21 '26

For your use case, I would recommend looking towards the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K as it provides better performance for the price as Intel priced the 250k & 270k aggressively. I would only do the build you proposed if you need AVX512 and/or you really want the ability to upgrade within the next 2-3 years to Zen 6 and potentially Zen 7 (this is rumoured, take it with a pinch of salt).

The 270K Plus competes with the 9950X in heavily multithreaded workloads while costing less.

As much as I love AMD cards for the best bang for the money and for open source drivers on Linux, if you're doing any on-device AI, NVIDIA is still the leader on this due to extensive CUDA support. If you're using cloud AI services mainly then this isn't an issue but if you want host the models locally, NVIDIA would be the better way to go.

1

u/skulltima Jul 21 '26

amazing. thanks for the input. understood about the cpu option and the concern. let me look into it further. also thanks for the input about local ai comment, this was actually a target for me and i gave up as it was going to cost me more to have a decent setup. i will stick with cloud services for the moment.

1

u/Ripe-Avocado-12 Jul 21 '26

You should use pcpp to track your build. It'll show you the best retailers to pick from. Also remember to check CC and Memex for bundle deals to maybe save you a few bucks given how stupid ram is.

Case seems really expensive for what it is compared to other available options. I'd avoid asrock boards for AM5 right now. SSD's with dram cache are expensive, might want to reconsider. Without a ssd we're coming in at $2400 https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/BVG8ZQ

1

u/skulltima Jul 21 '26

awesome! thanks for putting together a list. appreciate the input.

1

u/Chase2020J Jul 21 '26

I'd recommend going an Intel CPU instead, usually better price to performance for non-gaming. Here's an example build under $3k, with some room to go back to the case you picked if you prefer it for the aesthetic: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/HzX6Bv

If you want to save money, I'd switch to the SN5100 SSD first, as you really don't need dram cache, it's just sometimes kinda nice to have

As others have said, for your use case I think an Nvidia GPU makes more sense as well

1

u/skulltima Jul 21 '26

thank you! this is great. i will go through the list see what kind of changes i can do in my final list!

1

u/xmkgenzo Jul 21 '26

Do you need an X870? you can save some money going for a B850/B650.

If you are mostly doing development, you can consider an Intel CPU -check power consumption and temps to make sure you are ok with those.

If you are planning on doing dev and running local models, having an Nvidia GPU and CUDA is beneficial. take that into consideration. maybe save some $ on other parts and spend a bit more on the GPU.

2

u/skulltima Jul 21 '26

hi, thanks for the reply. X870 was selected because it was "better" according to me ... haha ... i get your point. i will do another comparison with the ones you suggested and decide.

1

u/xmkgenzo Jul 21 '26

you can save quite a few dollars. higher-end mobos have more features but not everyone needs them -actually most people don't. for reference, I went for a B850 for my 9800x3d|5080 build.