The Best $2000 High-End Creator PC Build

It leaves plenty of threads for an encoder alongside a game, with a lower power rating than the 16-core chips.

The Ryzen 9 9900X brings 12 cores and 24 threads, a 5.6GHz maximum boost, 64MB of L3 cache and a 120W rating, and it accounts for 17% of the parts total. It ships without a cooler, so the build pairs it with the Coreliquid A13 360 White. Its integrated graphics stay available as a backup display output.

Both the Ryzen 9 9900X and the PRO X870-P are AM5, so the chip fits the board without adapters. A newer processor on an older board can need a BIOS update, so the support list is worth a look. The Trident Z5 RGB White is a DDR5 kit, the type both the PRO X870-P (DDR5) and the Ryzen 9 9900X (DDR5) accept. A kit of the other generation would not physically fit the board. AM5 appears in the Coreliquid A13 360 White's supported sockets (AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700), so the bracket for the Ryzen 9 9900X comes in its box. To spend less, the Ryzen 7 8700G is 8 cores against 12, roughly 22% cheaper than the Ryzen 9 9900X; the board, memory and cooler rows still hold.

ASRock's Challenger version is 249mm long and needs one 8-pin plug and a 650W PSU.

The Arc B580 Challenger gives the build 12GB of GDDR6, the Arc B580 chip, a 2-slot cooler, a 249mm length and 1 x 8-pin power, and at 17% of the parts total it is the biggest line in the budget. Its chip's maker recommends a 650W supply for the whole system.

The Arc B580 Challenger is listed at 249mm and the Pop 2 Vision takes cards up to 412mm, which leaves 163mm before a front fan or radiator. For an Arc B580 card the recommended supply is 650W, and the MSI MAG A750GL PCIE5 offers 750W, a margin of 100W above that figure. The Arc B580 Challenger lists 1 x 8-pin, and the MSI MAG A750GL PCIE5 lists one 12V-2x6 connector, so match the cable to the card's socket. A cheaper route is the ASRock Arc A580 Challenger: the Arc A580 with 8GB of GDDR6, against the Arc B580's 12GB, roughly 45% cheaper than the Arc B580 Challenger; the power-supply and case checks still pass.

Three M.2 slots are one fewer than the pricier X870 boards.

AM5 is the socket on the PRO X870-P, a board with the X870 chipset, ATX size, 3 M.2 slots, Wi-Fi 7 and 5GbE LAN that accounts for 9% of the parts total; its memory slots accept DDR5 and nothing else.

Both the Ryzen 9 9900X and the PRO X870-P are AM5, so the chip fits the board without adapters. A newer processor on an older board can need a BIOS update, so the support list is worth a look. The Trident Z5 RGB White is a DDR5 kit, the type both the PRO X870-P (DDR5) and the Ryzen 9 9900X (DDR5) accept. A kit of the other generation would not physically fit the board. The PRO X870-P lists 3 M.2 slots, so the SN7100X 2TB has a home and a second drive can follow. The manual says which slot runs at full PCIe speed.

You get 32GB, DDR5, 6000MT/s, CL36 and EXPO and XMP profiles as a pair of sticks for 27% of the parts total; DDR5 pricing makes memory one of the larger lines in this build.

The Trident Z5 RGB White is a DDR5 kit, the type both the PRO X870-P (DDR5) and the Ryzen 9 9900X (DDR5) accept. A kit of the other generation would not physically fit the board. The Trident Z5 RGB White totals 32GB in two sticks, so fit them in the slot pair the board manual names for dual-channel operation. A step up is the Flare X5 64GB: 64GB at 6000MT/s, roughly 125% dearer than the Trident Z5 RGB White; it stays on the generation the board and processor take.

On the spec sheet, it offers a 7,250MB/s rated read speed and is rated for 2TB.

The SN7100X 2TB offers 2TB, PCIe 4.0 and up to 7250MB/s sequential reads and takes 17% of the parts total.

The PRO X870-P lists 3 M.2 slots, so the SN7100X 2TB has a home and a second drive can follow. The manual says which slot runs at full PCIe speed. If the budget allows more, the SN5000 4TB offers 4TB on PCIe 4.0, roughly 52% dearer than the SN7100X 2TB; the board's M.2 row is unaffected.

The MSI MAG A750GL PCIE5 is 750W, Gold rated, ATX 3.1, ATX format, fully modular cables and one 12V-2x6 connector and takes 5% of the parts total.

For an Arc B580 card the recommended supply is 650W, and the MSI MAG A750GL PCIE5 offers 750W, a margin of 100W above that figure. The Arc B580 Challenger lists 1 x 8-pin, and the MSI MAG A750GL PCIE5 lists one 12V-2x6 connector, so match the cable to the card's socket. The MSI MAG A750GL PCIE5 is a standard ATX unit, and the Pop 2 Vision listing does not name a power supply type, so confirm ATX fits in its manual.

On the spec sheet, it offers a 412mm GPU clearance and offers a 360mm largest radiator size.

The Pop 2 Vision lists room for ATX boards, graphics cards up to 412mm, a radiator up to 360mm and 4 fans in the box and takes 4% of the parts total.

ATX is the PRO X870-P's size, and the Pop 2 Vision lists ATX, so the board has a place on its tray. The Arc B580 Challenger is listed at 249mm and the Pop 2 Vision takes cards up to 412mm, which leaves 163mm before a front fan or radiator. The MSI MAG A750GL PCIE5 is a standard ATX unit, and the Pop 2 Vision listing does not name a power supply type, so confirm ATX fits in its manual.

The Coreliquid A13 360 White is a liquid cooler with a 360mm radiator and AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700 mounting, and it takes 4% of the parts total.

AM5 appears in the Coreliquid A13 360 White's supported sockets (AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700), so the bracket for the Ryzen 9 9900X comes in its box. The Coreliquid A13 360 White has a 360mm radiator and the Pop 2 Vision lists room for up to 360mm, so it mounts at the front or top as the case manual allows. Check clearance over the memory if it goes on top.