AMD Ryzen PC Build for Graphic Work / Video Editing ($2k- $2.5k Budget)

astrotrain on 10/07/2025 - 21:25
Last edited 11/07/2025 - 10:24 by 1 other user

My 8 year old PC is due for retirement I keep getting notification saying Windows 10 support is about to end and I can't upgrade to Windows 11. Just saw there is the AMD Ryzen 9950x available as part of Prime Day sales and was thinking of jumping on and using this as the basis for a new build.

Prime considerations around the specs are to build a PC for doing graphic work (Adobe apps), video editing (After Effects, Premiere) and then looking at getting into 3D (blender). Would also like to do some gaming on it but this is not the primary purpose. Went through and did a quick PC parts picker build just wanted to see if anyone could offer any advice. Any parts that might be overkill or unnecessary. Any parts i might need to consider upgrading:

PCPartPicker Part List:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X 4.3 GHz 16-Core Processor ($751.63 @ Amazon Australia)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.00 @ Scorptec) —
Motherboard: ASRock B650M PG Lightning Wifi Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard ($159.00 @ Scorptec) — Looks like it has lots of ports and connectivity and also compatible with AMD
Memory: Patriot Viper Venom 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory ($265.99 @ Amazon Australia) — Want 64gb minimum
Storage: Kingston NV3 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($84.00 @ Amazon Australia) — I'll probably remove this as I already have a similar drive in my current setup which i will transfer over (will upgrade to a 2TB down the track)
Video Card: Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB Video Card ($629.00 @ Centre Com) — I actually have no idea what to get here but want to stick to around $600-700. Again prime consideration of for graphics work / video editing.
Case: Thermaltake CTE C700 Air ATX Mid Tower Case ($159.00 @ Computer Alliance) — I just wanted a case that has multiple slots for 3.5in drives as I have a bunch of my work saved on 4 TB drives that I am constantly referencing in my day to day work.
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 (2024) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($279.10 @ Newegg Australia) — Not sure if i need such an exy PSU

Total: $2386.72

I'm guessing I would need to buy some intake and exhaust fans? Anything thing else that I may have missed. Already have monitor and all the other peripherals.

Also just noting I've never built a PC but have tinkered and replaced parts on my PC so am reasonably confident in open the box up removing parts connecting cables etc.

Any advice much appreciated.

Computing Computer Desktop Computer

Comments

  • skid on 10/07/2025 - 21:50
    +1

    Yeh, the spec looks fine. That's a good price on the CPU. I'd jump on that.

    If you have a few more hundred dollars to spare, I'd put that into the GPU and/or the cooler.

    You don't need fans.

    • astrotrain on 11/07/2025 - 13:15

      Thank you, can i just ask what considerations i need to make with the cooler? What would be considered a decent mid range option compared to that one i pulled from PCPP?

      • scrimshaw on 11/07/2025 - 13:39
        +1

        Arctic Liquid Freezer III is considered one of the very best bang for your buck coolers you can buy

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfffNRTOZCc

        It is currently on sale too, but the discounts are kind of small.

        Thermalright also makes AIO coolers, and they're very cheap at just $86 for black or $79 for RGB. At this sub $80 price point they have basically undercut every major player in the market and you wonder how they're even making any profit.

        Steve from Gamers Nexus gives it a thumbs up since it's criminally cheap. that any flaws with it is inconsequential. Do watch the review though and judge for yourself.

      • skid on 11/07/2025 - 13:46
        +2

        The Peerless Assassin is good value for money.

        The 9950X is unusual in that it will go to max clocks by default, as high as it can limited by the CPU's temperature. What this means is that the cooler it is, the faster.

        Check if the case can fit this cooler. It is a good performer and costs $149 at scorptec: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 280 72.8 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler

        edit: did not see scrimshaws post at the time of this posting and we happen to recommend the same cooler

        • astrotrain on 11/07/2025 - 16:42

          Awesome thanks to you both @scrimshaw. Will look into the cooler. Planning on locking in the parts over the next few weeks.

          And thanks for detailing why i need to spend on the cooler relative to the CPU i have chosen. its really helpful.

  • oscargamer on 10/07/2025 - 22:30

    As you noted, there's something odd about that psu. It's listed as $124 for shipping

  • scrimshaw on 10/07/2025 - 22:41
    +2

    There is a CORSAIR RM850x SHIFT Power supply from Amazon for $175 which is price matching CPL + Umart. 10 year warranty. Less 5% if you use PAYTOPD code.

    Your choice of GPU does affect performance with some video editing software and the hardware video encoder can also impact the output / quality of your videos. So if you use Da Vinci Resolve or Premiere for instance you might want to lookup benchmarks online to see what brand of GPU does best, whether that's AMD / Nvidia or even Intel GPU

    https://www.google.com/search?q=video+editing+AMD+or+Nvidia+…

    • astrotrain on 11/07/2025 - 13:00

      Thanks i ended up buying the CPU and powersupply as I've been procrastinating for so long i need to move now or I'll be asking the same questions in 6 months time. Will now dig into the GPU next. Have taken a quick look through the links you shared and looks like Nvidia is the way to go. Thanks a lot

      • jk82 on 11/07/2025 - 18:25

        Did you get the SHIFT power supply? If so you’ll have to make sure you get the right case, the reason it’s called SHIFT is that the power adapters are shifted 90degrees from the norm so it’s not a standard PSU and is designed for very specific situations

        • astrotrain on 12/07/2025 - 10:21

          Thanks for the heads up. Will take a look into the cases but might be easier to just return it and by the standard version as its at the same price atm on Amazon.

  • raisinberry777 on 10/07/2025 - 22:52
    +2

    As @scrimshaw has posted, check what software functions are available with AMD vs Nvidia for the apps that you're using. You might find that you need Nvidia for certain functionality, or if hardware encoding is being used, Nvidia/Intel are substantially better than AMD.

    • jk82 on 11/07/2025 - 10:22
      +1

      This^^

      I'd probably do a bit more research, you'll definitely want an nvidia card and I think an intel cpu will serve you better. Also if you're going for a high core CPU and will be doing lots of renders / exports you'll likely need better cooling than an air tower cooler. Probably look at a 360 AIO depending on what CPU you end up going for.

      • astrotrain on 11/07/2025 - 13:14

        I already bought the 9950X so I'm locked in :/ From my quick research it looks like the AMD chips do well with the Adobe apps but recommendation is for at Nvidia card. Am I Ok to just get a 5060 ti card for now or maybe an older card with better specs? Looking in the $650-750 range. I'm thinking i would buy something to get me going for now and then look at upgrading in a year or 2. For the most part I'm just in Photoshop and basic Premiere/After effects editing (1080P) but its something i want to expand on in future.

        • Boop Doucha on 11/07/2025 - 13:57
          +1

          700-800 seems like a lot to spend on a temporary GPU solution. Most of the 16GB 5060ti models are closer to $800 plus. Might be worth researching whether the Arc B580 might offer enough performance at $450 for what you are planning on using.

          • astrotrain on 11/07/2025 - 16:49

            @Boop Doucha: Thanks for the suggestion will look into it. Trying to stay around $2.5k mark so maybe you're right in getting something cheaper now GPU wise then splashing out next year when i have rebuilt my PC piggy bank.

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