cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/44235097

I’ve been a long time Linux user on laptops, but this will be my first time putting hardware together and running a dedicated gaming rig on Arch. I’m aiming for a high end 1440p ultra wide gaming experience and some light Davinci Resolve work. Want to make sure I haven’t made any “first timer” mistakes with compatibility or bottlenecks.

I divided the purchase in 3 phases (Let me know if this approach is correct). 1- Get the parts that I can immediately use with my current laptop (Webcam and Monitor). 2- Get a working system w/o the dGPU (As it is the most expensive part.) 3- Get the GPU. So Phase 1 is done and now will save money for phase 2 by May (although I have already secured the SSD and the RAM for the cheapest I could find — It is arriving today so I will check the RAM on my SIL’s prebuilt AM5 build and the SSD via usb-c adapter with my laptop).

Below is the table of the parts. . These prices are somewhat close to INR (Indian Rupee).

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 9700X 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor	$303.00 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	Deepcool AK620 68.99 CFM CPU Cooler	$52.00
Motherboard	MSI B650 GAMING PLUS WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard	$169.99 @ Amazon
Memory	G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory	Purchased For $387.75
Storage	Western Digital WD_BLACK SN7100 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	Purchased For $294.50
Video Card	ASRock Challenger Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB Video Card	$729.99 @ Amazon
Case	NZXT H5 Flow RGB (2024) ATX Mid Tower Case	$94.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply	MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$118.50 @ Amazon
Monitor	Dell Alienware AW3423DWF 34.2" 3440 x 1440 165 Hz Curved Monitor	Purchased For $784.00
Webcam	NexiGo N60 Webcam	Purchased For $46.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
Total	$2980.72

PC PartPicker just gives these warnings which are pretty self-explanatory.

Warning: The MSI B650 GAMING PLUS WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard supports the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor with BIOS version 7E26v1C. If the motherboard is using an older BIOS version, updating the BIOS will be necessary to support the CPU.

Disclaimer: Some physical constraints are not checked, such as RAM clearance with CPU Coolers.

The CPU Cooler has a height of 160mm so it leaves a 10mm gap between it and the case. I was wondering if I should go with a Liquid Cooler like the Arctic Liquid Freezer III because the summers are HOT AF over here like 40-45 degrees C during day and 30 at night and also for the RAM Clearance whose height is 33mm. But then I don’t know how reliable the idea of water running in your system is.