New PC Build (2026)
A full ground-up rebuild of my primary workstation and gaming rig. The old system (Ryzen 5 5600G + RX 6800 XT) served well since 2021 but is being repurposed as a home NAS, so this is a clean-slate build on the AM5 platform.
Parts List
| Component | Part | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D | $245.74 (Microcenter) |
| Cooler | Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE | $54.99 (Microcenter) ¹ |
| Motherboard | Asus TUF GAMING B650E-E WIFI | $153.17 (Microcenter) |
| RAM | G.Skill Flare X5 32GB DDR5-6000 CL36 | $201.07 (Microcenter) |
| SSD | Crucial P310 2TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe | $249.99 (Microcenter) |
| GPU | Sapphire NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB | $799.99 (Newegg) |
| PSU | Seasonic Focus GX-850 80+ Gold | $139.29 (Amazon) |
| Case | Lian Li LANCOOL 216 | $98.99 (Amazon, delivered March 2) |
| Monitor | ViewSonic VX2758-2KP-MHD (carried over) |
The CPU, motherboard, and RAM were purchased as a bundle at Microcenter, which avoided a significant DDR5 price spike — the Flare X5 kit was $379.99 on Newegg at the time.
¹ The cooler was originally ordered from Amazon ($32.31) but the package was lost in transit and refunded. Purchased from Microcenter instead for $54.99.
Key Decisions
7800X3D over 7900X or 9800X3D: The 7800X3D remains the best gaming CPU per dollar. The 9800X3D is faster but commands a steep premium, and the workloads here (gaming + development) don’t saturate 8 cores.
RX 9070 XT: RDNA 4 was a strong generational leap. The Sapphire NITRO+ variant has an excellent cooler — runs significantly cooler and quieter than the reference design. The GPU market was chaotic at launch; I ordered through Newegg the morning stock appeared (2/27/2026).
Seasonic Focus GX-850: ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0 native support with a 10-year warranty. Overkill for current draw, but headroom for the future and no adapter needed for the 9070 XT’s 16-pin connector.
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE over AIO: The 7800X3D has a relatively modest TDP — this air cooler handles it easily without the maintenance risk or pump noise of a 240mm AIO.
Previous Build (for reference)
The outgoing system used a Ryzen 5 5600G (with iGPU as a fallback) and an RX 6800 XT bought refurbished from Newegg in December 2024 for $409.99. That system was repurposed as the home NAS, with the RX 6800 XT staying in it for GPU transcoding.
Tasks
- Finalize parts list high
- Purchase CPU, motherboard, and RAM (Microcenter bundle) high
- Purchase GPU (Sapphire NITRO+ RX 9070 XT) high
- Purchase PSU, SSD, and cooler high
- Acquire case (Lian Li LANCOOL 216) medium
- Assemble build high
- Install OS and drivers high
- Cable management and final tidying low
- Benchmark and stress test medium
Milestones
- Parts list finalized
- All parts purchased
- Build assembled and POSTing
- OS installed, drivers configured
- Benchmarked and tuned
Dev Log
Secured RX 9070 XT on launch day
Ordered the Sapphire NITRO+ RX 9070 XT through Newegg the morning RDNA 4 launched. Last major part acquired — everything else came from Microcenter.
RDNA 4 launched today and the RX 9070 XT stock situation was about as expected: gone within minutes on most retailers. Got lucky with Newegg — the Sapphire NITRO+ 16GB was in stock when I checked at 8:42 AM and the order went through.
Order #389021309, $799.99, shipping from CA.
Everything else came from Microcenter
Did a Microcenter run a few weeks prior and picked up everything except the GPU and PSU:
- Ryzen 7 7800X3D — $245.74, about $140 under MSRP. Microcenter’s in-store CPU pricing is genuinely hard to beat.
- Asus TUF B650E-E WIFI — $153.17, bought as part of a combo with the CPU and RAM
- G.Skill Flare X5 32GB DDR5-6000 — $201.07 via combo. The same kit was $379.99 on Newegg that week. The combo discount absorbed most of the difference.
- Crucial P310 2TB Gen4 NVMe — $249.99
- Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE — $54.99
The PSU (Seasonic Focus GX-850) came from Amazon at $139.29.
Still needed
Case — Lian Li LANCOOL 216. Holding off until the GPU arrives so I can verify clearance. The LANCOOL 216 has great airflow for the NITRO+ which runs a triple-fan cooler and should have no issues fitting, but wanted to confirm the GPU dimensions before committing.