High-End Gaming Build, Near Complete

Noli

Hi there, thanks in advance for the advice!
I’ve never built a pc before and as a software person only I’ve always been really embarrassed by my relative lack of hardware knowledge, which has kept me from taking the plunge to my own pc. Having said that, I’ve put a decent amount of time into trying to put together my dream high-end gaming pc which I’m finally ready to buy. Here’s a link to (most of) my build so far: https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/custom-pc-builder.aspx?load=d6684a88-12ee-4d71-b49e-9325dcf5f8ba

A few small addendums:
(1) I have a few other parts that I’m currently interested in which I did not see listed. I’m happy to hear about any suggested changes on any part, including those I could not find listed at MC. For memory: G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32 GB (2x16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16. For power: Corsair RMx 1000 W 80+ Gold Fully Modular ATX. On the memory, I’ll admit it’s mostly aesthetic as I see MC carrying a similar model in black/white rather than plain black.

Other than that, the linked MC part list is what I’m currently looking at. The only things I’ve locked in so far are the CPU and GPU (both already purchased at MC, the latter of the two just this morning—thanks!). So, the first question is just generally any thoughts on the build?

(2) So, the case. I’ll admit, I really like the look of the case I included in my list. However, I’ve come to understand that the cases with front glass paneling especially can have poor thermals. As this is going to be a high performance build, I’m worried that I’ll be choking my system. Is the liquid cooling with the ML fans (and additional fans, bringing the count up to 6) going to be enough to offset this, or is this case just a bad idea? Two other alternatives I’ve considered are the Lian Li o11 Dynamic (swapping out the 280 AIO for the 360 AIO and adding in additional QL fans for a total of the 9 permitted in the case), or maybe going mesh with something like the Corsair 4000D airflow. But, I think it should be clear my knowledge here is really low and I need some advice.  What kind of cooling and air flow does a build like mine really necessitate? Thoughts on the 3 options I gave? Any other cases I should be considering instead?

(3) I haven’t decided on the specific model yet but I’m looking to hook this up to 2 4K 144hz monitors. Problem is, in a perfect world I’d be able to use the peripherals (2 monitors, keyboard, mouse) to switch between the gaming pc and my workstation (Lenovo thinkpad dock). I know KVMs are a thing but (a) they seem kind of unreliable and I’m not going to tank my build for this and (b) I haven’t seen one yet that can handle 2 4K 144hz monitors. Any KVMs that fit the bill here, or any other solutions you might have? My solution has to be hardware and not software due to security concerns on my work laptop.

(4) What miscellaneous parts that (as a newbie) I’m not considering will I need? I’m strongly considering having MC do this build so I just want to make sure I have all the cables and miscellany. As an example, I learned that some Corsair fans have control hub components sold separately which can be used for certain fan control functions? I would have never known this if I hadn’t randomly come across this, so I know there must be other things I’m not aware of.

I really, really appreciate any and all advice you may have as I finish making these purchases!

TSTDavey

Hello @Noli thanks for posting on the Microcenter Community Forum. What type of games will you be playing on this custom build PC? Will you be doing any content creation or video editing? You want to pick your parts for your build based on what the PC will be used for. We think what you have a is a good start to the parts you've chosen. You'll need to choose your RAM. The G.skills Trident would be a good selection. 16gb of ram would be good to start off with or you go up to 32gb, up to you. Depending on the games you play (ex., fortnite, COD, League of Legends, etc.), 32gb may be overkill. The 1000w PSU should work. Don't worry about the tempered glass, it does not effect pc air flow.  You want to look at what what Heat Sink you want to get for the 5900x. If you get it from Microcenter the CPU doesn't come with a cpu cooler/heatsink. You can chose to go with a AM4 (5900x cpu socket type) cooler or a AM4 water cooler. Again I don't know what games you play, but if its fortnite or COD or Cyberpunk, you can just go with a AM4 cooler such as the Noctua NH-C14S. Cyberpunk only requires 16gb of ram for their Ultra setting at 4K. But you can also choose a liquid cooling heatsink/cpu cooler like the NZXT Kraken X53. Again its your chose, but you'd be fine with the Noctua NH-C14S.
Unfortunately we do not have any KVM's that support dual 4k Monitors. But you may be able to find something online from Newegg or Amazon. Below is a google link for your search.
Does this reply answer all your questions?

Link: (Google KVM Search)
https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=5wz1X6_5G52F9PwP7IOc2A0&q=kvm+that+supports+dual+monitors+4k&oq=kvm+that+supports+dual+monitors+4k&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzIICCEQFhAdEB46DgguELEDEMcBEKMCEJMCOgsILhCxAxDHARCjAjoFCC4QsQM6CAguEMcBEKMCOgIIADoICC4QsQMQgwE6BQgAELEDOggIABCxAxDJAzoICAAQsQMQgwE6BQgAEMkDOgYIABAWEB46CAgAEBYQChAeOgkIABDJAxAWEB5QrwFYpSNgjiVoAHAAeACAAVWIAbwKkgECMjCYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwjviJvhjobuAhWdAp0JHewBB9sQ4dUDCAk&uact=5 

Noli

Thanks for your response! I really appreciate the advice.

On the type of games I’m hoping to play: I expect to be playing resource intensive games like Cyberpunk, Death Stranding, the new Assassin’s Creed, etc. I also want the latitude to be able to play other games in the future that are similarly resource intensive.

On RAM: Sorry, I think this got lost in my (admittedly long) post, but I was thinking of going with the G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32 GB (2x16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16. I’m assuming that would work okay?

On the case: Really? That’s great! I keep hearing that cases like that have terrible thermal performance and I know the 5900x should put off a lot of heat, so just want to make sure I’m not cooking my pc.

On the cooler: I was anticipating using an AIO liquid cooler, but let me know if you disagree based on the performance needs I mentioned above. In the linked build I went with a Corsair honestly just because I wanted the fans to match, but I guess I’m not married to that choice. E.g., for the Corsair 4000X case I think I’d go with the iCUE H115i Elite Capellix (280) Liquid CPU Cooler. So, (a) is that choice okay, or do you think a different liquid cooler makes more sense and (b) if I indeed use one of these AIO coolers just confirming this case choice is fine from a thermal perspective.

This is really my only hangup before buying the remaining parts, so would love this final mark of approval before I purchase and hand it over to you guys to build! Thanks again for your help.

JS_MC

This looks like it'll be an amazing system @Noli! I'm a bit green with envy. 😁

RAM: Yes, the G.Skill Memory you mentioned will work with this system! Ryzen CPUs love high-speed memory and 3600 speed is great!

Case: The goal of fans in cases is to pull or push the air through and create airflow patterns that are conducive to good air temperatures around the important parts, like the CPU cooler or the GPU. As long as cool air is available to the case a glass side panel will not have much effect on the performance of the case and its cooling. I'd suggest going with the most aesthetically pleasing case you can find that works with your parts!

Cooler: Yes, the cooler you mentioned does make sense! The 4000X supports many radiator sizes(listed below) so the 280mm H115i would be a great fit. 

1 x 280 mm Front Internal
1 x 120 mm Rear Internal
1 x 240 mm Top Internal
1 x 280 mm Top Internal
1 x 360 mm Front Internal

I think I was able to answer all your questions but let me know if I didn't respond to everything!

I'd be happy to talk further about this!

Noli

Awesome! I finally took the plunge and bought the remaining parts. Thanks very much for all your help.

JS_MC

You're quite welcome! We'd love to see your build! Be sure to share it on our Build Showcase!