You can build a computer in so many different ways, and my goal with this series is to showcase as much different hardware as possible, and in doing so, help you figure out what you really like in a PC. It’s easy to grab the Best CPU , pair that with the Best Graphics Card , grab some of the Best Memory , along with the Best SSD , the Best Power Supply , and the Best Case , but where’s the fun in that?
If you’re a reader of Tom’s Hardware, then a PC is something that’s, in all likelihood, highly personal to you, so stop building something generic and go create something unique.
Disclaimer Disclaimer: Do actually check out the best pages mentioned above, though, before buying anything . My colleagues who manage those pages are far more qualified to give recommendations for their respective categories. I’m just here to inspire you to do something different. Or as my mother-in-law likes to say; to stir the pot and cause trouble.
All that being said, the goal is to inspire attainable creativity. I won’t be showcasing ultra-high-end Threadripper systems in this series, nor will I be delving into custom liquid cooling. Any modding that I do here has to be optional to the build, so my dream of slapping a motherboard onto a hand-carved piece of oak will also have to wait for another day.
Niels Broekhuijsen Niels Broekhuijsen is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He reviews cases, water cooling and pc builds.
scottsoapbox Cool case. Tiny SSD. But I suppose current RAM prices killed your $2K budget. That’s a sentence I never thought I’d say. Reply
Makaveli scottsoapbox said: Cool case. Tiny SSD. But I suppose current RAM prices killed your $2K budget. That’s a sentence I never thought I’d say. Agreed decent build but 1TB of total storage is not enough and current memory prices also made a huge difference here. Also a personal pet peeve of mine those AIO cable just dangling mid air like that affects how clean the build looks. I would get ties and figure out a way to pull them back toward to motherboard to make it look cleaner. That is one of reason's I prefer front mounted AIO's over top but I understand that is a limitation of this case. Reply
cknobman Super sexy and classy build. I'd be proud to have that on my desk. Although I just would not be able to swallow paying that much for a 9070xt. Reply
Zescion Very good looking and classy result. I usually snob fish tank and illuminated cases, but you really got my attention with class. Very good start for this creative build series. I'll be looking forward for the next episodes. Reply
_EBN_ AssRock with X3D cpu? That is playing with fire. So many issues still at reddit. B850 Pro-A WiFi did great with VRM temps, but B850 RS Pro WiFi for pocket change more would be worth it as you get the little extras and bigger heatsinks running bit cooler still. hLMTT7-rfeM:1511 View: https://youtu.be/hLMTT7-rfeM?t=1511 Reply
ejolson Thank you! I enjoyed the down to earth explanations of the reasons behind each decision, the pointers on craftsmanship and the good writing in general. I know performance testing is out of scope. At the same time, I think reliability testing is important before the return-by dates expire. For anyone trying their own build a recommended set of tests that could be used to verify the hardware works properly would, in my opinion, be a valuable addition to this series. Reply
Aeacus In this new series, I’ll be assembling some computers that might not entirely make sense. Not because I can’t build a normal computer, but because I’m bored with building the same computer. Oh, is that another 9800X3D build I see with 32GB of memory in a fishtank? Yawn. Yet, the build showcased is 7800X3D with 32GB RAM in a fishtank PC case. :rolleyes: How is this showcase build ANY different, in a meaningful way, from what was tried to be avoided? :??: Btw, PC case is showpiece case. Nice to look at but terrible as daily driver, due to extremely limited airflow it has. With it, one either gets high temps or loud noise. Neither is good as a daily driver. Reply
thestryker This is an interesting concept for a build series and I'm curious where else it will go. The leather is a really nice looking bit of flair which works very well for the case in use. The explanations for parts usage is also a good addition. The choice for this memory kit was an easy one – any modern system needs 32GB of memory, and when looking for a 2-dimm, RGB DDR5 kit, G.Skill’s pairing takes the crown, as tested by our resident RAM expert, Zhiye Liu. The kit comes at a ludicrous DDR5-6000 speed, and is priced just two Hamiltons ($20) above the most affordable DDR5 kits without RGB or these high speeds. This may have been true when the article was being written, but is very much not now. This kit now costs $90 more than without RGB (other brands with RGB cost $50-60 less). Given that the PSU isn't visible in this build moving to a Montech Century II would also drop the price. Dropping the price would allow for more storage capacity at the very least. I do understand all too well the limitations of cost on builds though. Reply
thestryker Aeacus said: Btw, PC case is showpiece case. Nice to look at but terrible as daily driver, due to extremely limited airflow it has. With it, one either gets high temps or loud noise. Neither is good as a daily driver. It'll only be loud if one is trying to get the exact same thermal performance out of it as a front intake case. The temperature differences should be rather minor at equivalent noise levels and given this build uses a 7800X3D will be a complete non-issue. _EBN_ said: AssRock with X3D cpu? That is playing with fire. So many issues still at reddit. No issues using a 7800X3D that I've ever seen (aside from the one where multiple motherboard makers were blowing them up due to SOC voltage) and the author does note it in the article regarding the 9000 series. Makaveli said: Also a personal pet peeve of mine those AIO cable just dangling mid air like that affects how clean the build looks. I would get ties and figure out a way to pull them back toward to motherboard to make it look cleaner. It could look a bit cleaner, but there's no getting around the tube mounting locations which makes this difficult. Ideally one of the Lian-li Hydroshift AIOs would be used for a showcase build, but this build would have gone over the price point with the other selected components. Reply
jblosun I'm so happy to see a building series here again, I still miss quarterly build-offs. I enjoyed this one, and I'm looking forward to the next installment. Still, even if the point of this series isn't about monster 4k framerates, it feels unfinished without any benchmarking. How's performance, thermals, overclocking? It's like reading about a custom hot rod project, and at the end they never drive it! Reply
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/desktops/gaming-pcs/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/desktops/gaming-pcs/usd2-000-pc-build-spotlight-rising-phoenix#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.