Cleanest Build Ever - But at What Cost? (ft RX 7900 GRE)

[@JerryNeutron]

Whoever decided to put the connectors on the back deserves a raise

[@RANDOMNATION907]

100% Agree

[@ToothlessSnakeable]

Fancy seeing you in the comments. Used to watch your videos back in the day.

[@theduck17]

Nah, case needed to support this is too wide for my taste. Still like my front connectors.

[@cs2n845]

Motherboard design has barely changed and leaves a lot to be desired. It's good to see innovation.

[@brandenwaite]

The only way they'd deserve more of a raise is if they came up with a 600 watt throughput, in which you send multiple hidden 8 pins or whatever the next industry standard will be... into your motherboard, and there's multiple male to male adapters for the board and gpu, again whatever the next industry standard is... Then everyone would make the power come from the back/the motherboard. But I just pooped that idea out... I'm sure no one will ever steal my poopy idea.

[@crully84]

Some may say that these long form videos are not as good, but I actually love these longer videos with all the information I need! Thanks for the video, and God Bless Paul!

[@mrcnorth7149]

We will lose the ability to test the components out on the mobo box first, as the on the back connectors, would be in the way of the mobo laying flat. Other than that it looks good to me, nice build.

[@paulshardware]

This is another reasonable point that I don't think I've heard anyone bring up about the backside connectors. Thanks for the comment!

[@TravelingStacker]

So lay it on its front then.

[@ipong1151]

Most tech have floating “mount” except diy builder

[@xler3441]

@@ipong1151 Jesus loves you so much and He is waiting for you with open arms, please accept Him in your heart and life while He is near

[@xler3441]

Jesus loves you so much and He is waiting for you with open arms, please accept Him in your heart and life while He is near

[@heytoast7129]

At this point, I could take it or leave it as far as the backside connectors are concerned. IMO, this should've happened a long time ago. My concern about it, is it's inevitably going to be another reason for case/mobo companies to jack prices up.

[@AwesomeKenneth240]

I hate that I agree with this.

[@xler3441]

Jesus loves you so much and He is waiting for you with open arms, please accept Him in your heart and life while He is near

[@SimonZerafa]

Well done Paul! At least one of the top tier creators has realised that the 2500 case is designed to allow the Project Zero type mainboards 🙂👍 lots of excellent "case" puns are always appreciated 🥴🖖

[@tonac13]

"why aren't all those motherboard connectors on the back side, and why in the hell can't they make connectors on the side of the psu???" - i have asked myself probably 15years ago...and finally, some manager/engineer came that also likes to build pc's and got enough money and/or is on some high power position in a specific pc-hardware company to make it happen 😃but hey, better late than never 🤣

[@WhiteError37]

Corsair Rx has got this I used it in my build

[@Audiosan79]

It realy limits the cases that can be used. you need a lot more space behind the MB tray. And the same problem goes for side mounted connectors on the PSU. In a case with the PSU on the bottom, you need more space on the side than a lot of cases got.

[@xler3441]

Jesus loves you so much and He is waiting for you with open arms, please accept Him in your heart and life while He is near

[@xnitropunkx]

50$ per fan is such an insult to consumers

[@MrDgt66]

@ 50 bucks I'm not a fan anymore..

[@superheracross89]

Qx are the 50 dollar ones rx is 35 the 3 packs are 160 vs 100 it more depends on how much rgb u want

[@LordMustangGT93]

I know JJ gonna be reading these comments, Hey JJ!, but call me old but I like the look of nicely done wires, and pipes. I do like the idea of the video card power slot, but still not a big deal to me. I like my nice wires.

[@Quad038]

The magical Golden Rabbit…

[@xler3441]

Jesus loves you so much and He is waiting for you with open arms, please accept Him in your heart and life while He is near

[@therealwhite]

Reject the 7900 GRE, embrace the Jesus botfarm

[@Arktorin]

Corsair iCue ecosystem is a nice environment and probably an effective direction which should be followed (by Corsair and by other manufacturers too), but right now it is too damn expensive.

[@TheBlueBunnyKen]

Literally have to buy all the cables and shit. They being greedy with it

[@TravelingStacker]

@@TheBlueBunnyKen A company trying to make money? Say it isn't so.

[@djbotello]

I like the PSU cables in the front tbh, but everything else is fine in the back. Something about braided and colored PSU extensions are so nice looking to me!

[@Lurch-Bot]

Could also easily be a fire hazard if you go cheap. Even if you get high quality extensions, you are doubling the length of cables that move a lot of power, which increases heat and may make the original cables (and indeed even the extensions) an insufficiently thin gauge to be safe, from an engineering standpoint. They're probably fine on a low power budget build but for a high end system, you're gonna want to get a modular PSU and high quality custom cables for it.

[@djbotello]

@@Lurch-Bot I have the official corsair replacement cables. Super high quality but I was just speaking in general. Generally, braided extension cables, or high quality replacement cables, have been pretty reliable for the last few years. Unless you're getting sketchy 2 dollar extensions, I don't really see a problem anymore, and even THAT can be ok these days lol. I see your point but that's kind of an old take tbh, things are generally fine now for braided PSU cables/extensions.

[@RmX.]

This is why a lot of RTX 4090 catch on fire, they use massive amount of power

[@TheyCallMePeters]

14:10 when that sax came in, well done Joe, well done.

[@ZenAndPsychedelicHealingCenter]

Good to see this build. I always enjoy your practical, hands on videos, as well as the way you present relevant tech news. I did find it a little strange that the 7900 GRE GPU was cited as having a performance uplift of only around 4%, in comparison to the 7800 XT. Most of the reviews and testing that I've come across talk about easily double that and more - at around 10% and higher. However, I think that this is going to be a moving target issue anyway, since AMD have said that they're going to remove the artificial OC limits on the 7900 GRE. I wonder how they can do that and still maintain the price point of the 7900 XT cards, so that should be interesting. I hope also you are taking time for yourself and enjoying what you do.

[@Gerder1]

I love the concept of the back connectors, but I can't deny I also simply love the look of some beautiful braided custom cables.

[@LucDesormeaux]

This is one super clean build. I was wondering about the AIO pump connectors, but Corsair seems to have them built into the radiator. That is smart.

[@paulshardware]

The power, RPM, RGB cabling for the AIO pump/block is all fed into the tubing sleeving, and then connected to the hub that's at one end of the radiator. I meant to call that out in the video, it's really nice not to have to plug any little plugs directly into the pump/block unit.

[@LucDesormeaux]

@@paulshardwareAgreed. I just installed a Thermalright AIO in my PCT and, god, I hate these connectors. 😀

[@swizzler8053]

Love to see that the wiring on the back is growing on him. I really like to see my custom psu cables. Keep up the great work you guys and stay safe.

[@jamesg7456]

I like the look of neatly combed cables routed in the traditional manner. The build turned out very nice though

[@Drebin2293]

And here's me still rocking an old Silverstone FT02. Don't think I'll be changing anytime soon either since they've decided to nix proper 5.25 and 3.5 bays in a lot of new cases.

[@Blobertbigly]

I have a be quiet 500dx and it's got two hard drive bays, and they be got rubber pads to reduce vibration

[@anonemus2971]

I'm rocking a old Corsair Carbide 400R. four 5.25in bays seven 3.5in bays. And 8 possible fans.

[@The_Man_In_Red]

Phanteks Enthoo Pro. Probably never gonna change this case, it has great ambient temps and airflow.

[@socaldayve]

My 2 pence: As much as I love the MoBo cables moved to the back, I wouldn't pay extra to do that when I've got all those GPU power cables running front and center. Would like to see sometime a zero cable build where the GPU is vertically mounted with a 90 degree adapter for sending those GPU power cables directly towards the MoBo.

[@tommeegunn9318]

There was a new system with the grafics card having the power direct from the mobo. No cables at all. It was shown at the show

[@Pathak84]

4070 super would have been amazing only thing keeping it back is the v ram . It might have been amazing if it came with 16gb for v ram ram

[@1leggeddog]

All the FPC in a single cable/connector is.... amazing

[@benjaminoechsli1941]

_Long_ overdue.

[@Yahtzee9820]

Hopefully board manufacturers keep an option for front side power connectors with all others on the rear. I prefer custom braided cables

[@pwcorgi2000]

These new motherboards with the connectors in the back is very interesting. Also the new kinds of fans that can be connected together. I want to build a pc that is very easy to upgrade.

[@Agentshadowolf]

They really need to do this from now now and have the connectors on motherboards be on the back so you can connect everything from the backside without going through all the hassles.

[@tim3172]

Brotip: you've established for the 19th time that we're talking about the RX 7900 GRE is, in fact the topic of discussion on a video with a tile referencing the RX 7900GRE. You don't have to say RX 7900 GRE every RX 7900 GRE time RX 7900 GRE you RX 7900 GRE refer RX 7900 GRE to RX 7900 GRE it RX 7900 GRE. You can say "GRE" "it" 7900" (we know you're talking about the RX 7900 GRE.)

[@spmasm2101]

Lmao bro

[@benjaminoechsli1941]

Thanks for improving video interaction!

[@Sean-wv2xt]

Great video Paul. I've been planning on doing a new build with the backside plugs and an AM5 motherboard and I am even more interested now in doing one now with the new setup. Thanks for all the great info. This is why I've been a follower of yours since your days with Newegg :P

[@slickftw]

iCue Link looks pretty fantastic ngl

[@nifftwatkins3135]

I get outstanding cooling with a conventional airflow case w two 140 intake fans and one 120 exhaust fan, and a $35 air cooler. All these fans and lights strike me as silly. But I like the rear connectors, maybe in a case w the motherboard rotated 90 degrees to reduce the footprint.

[@litebkt]

I thought long and hard about the 4070 Super but I don’t need the performance so I went with the 7800XT.

[@ZenAndPsychedelicHealingCenter]

It's a sweet card depending on the model.

[@sinon4]

one of the best looking builds i've seen a while

[@jmangames5562]

The 7900 GRE actually beats the 4070 super in some games using RT FYi and beats it in Rasterization. 50$ less, 4GB more vram....No brainer purchase if this is your price bracket.

[@Safetytrousers]

It depends on which model you get. The GRE Fe is beaten by the 4070 Super.

[@blankskater1]

Just wondering, why put the GPU power through the front grommet instead of the cut out under the motherboard at the bottom?

[@docbrody]

I like the back side connectors for ease of use, but they aren’t easy to use in 99% of cases.

[@7even67]

Thanks for your tutorials Paul! I am building my first PC with this exact case, and this really made me feel more confident in my purchase. I look forward to seeing your builds in the future!

[@chrispittmanComputing]

That is a really nice-looking build. Two thumbs up Paul.

[@kasper_429]

This build (the main one, not the sensible one 🤣🤷‍♂) is almost exactly what I have on my list for my new rig that I'm hopefully building soon-ish this year: 7950X3D, 64GB of DDR5 6000 (CL30 hopefully), at least a 2TB NVME drive, and I want either a 7900XTX or a 4090. I'll probably go with the 7900XTX at first, and then get a 4090 on "sale" when the 50 series comes out. I just want that sweet sweet 24GB of VRAM. I could take it or leave it as far as RT goes, lol.

[@titan1983x]

I just bought a 140mm 2 pack of these. I'm going to try them conjunction with their A115 Twin Tower Cooler. I already had a link set up and I wanted to switch to air cooling but the QX fans don't have the best static pressure. Looking forward to seeing how they preform with my 14700k. I also bought a Thermal Grizzly contact frame too.

[@Aremisalive]

Sounds like Paul got his numbers from the flawd HUB review. Rip

[@SiniSael]

damn tried twice to remove the branding on the A/C thinking it was a smudge my screen :D

[@chunknorris01]

I am kinda jelly. That is a clean build man!

[@ryangardinerusa2753]

Great vid Paul! I went with the 7900 GRE over the 7800 XT, only because I’m doing an all-white build for my daughter. And the price difference between the particular white 7800 XT and 7900 GRE GPUs I was researching, was only $10. 🤷‍♂️ However, I offset the total cost by acquiring a Ryzen 7600x CPU for $169 USD + tax. I feel the 7600x will work just fine with the 7900 GRE. And if it doesn’t, I’ll just go with something else. So, my conscience is clear. 😂😂😂

[@Konrad-z9w]

Although the times of lugging our machines to LANs are pretty much over you could make a video of how to secure a PC for transportation, maybe for moving flats a couple towns over.

[@jadams2289]

Hmm idk, I think these back connectors might catch on as a new standard. We already know how obsessed people are with looks, and practical users will like the ease of installation. I could see this also saving a lot of production time for prebuilt manufacturers. I think it will become more and more common and lower prices will follow.

[@DJ_NOOB]

"Perfectly adequate cooling" lol

[@alpsalish]

Would love to see a Paul build on air that looks dope.

[@robertomanfredi342]

I found out that the reference card 6800 xt which shows by default the Radeon logo in red, is actually rgb. You can control the lights with OpenRGB software.

[@kelpizzuti1693]

I’m really intrigued to see what’s happened since AMD fixed the overclocking bug

[@ardequerade3155]

it has yet to be fixed

[@drakken05]

Doing this exact build, just one question. I didn't purchase the 4tb m.2 ssd, but now it's not available on Amazon anymore. What's an alternative (brand, manufacture) i can go with that will pair together, or can i just buy any m.2 ssd and install it? Thought about getting another 2tb since that is still available, but I would rather have a 4t. Im new at this, thanks.

[@Starchface]

This is the first time I've heard of this back-side I/O. I'm not convinced that there's an access benefit after the system is complete. You can see that the PSU and associated cabling entirely obstruct access to the I/O, at least in this case. While building it appears easier, since the connections are not so deeply buried in the case, and there certainly are aesthetic benefits to be enjoyed for years to come. Case standards are the most static of all PC components. It's going to take time for a good selection of compatible cases to become readily available. I expect such cases and motherboards to be on the premium end of things, snapped up by custom builders for that clean look. Access to the I/O after the fact is no concern there. Full send. The DIY builder who is cost-conscious or who makes frequent changes to the machine may not appreciate the back-side I/O so much. This might become a thing, or it might fizzle out. Let us see what happens.

[@Treestorm]

Omg he is building the exact carbon copy of what I'm planning to buy in November.

[@michaelluong6484]

What a gloriously clean build

[@JonnyBravo0311]

I'm a bit confused about the comparison of the 7900 GRE to the 4070 Super. Maybe I misheard. Seeing the Time Spy results at 15:38 I thought to myself, "I swear my results were considerably better". So, I just ran Time Spy on my own recently built system (14900K, MSI RTX 4070 Super, 64G 6000MT/s CL30 RAM, MSI z790 Tomahawk Max)... and scored 21478 (21277 GPU). Granted, it's a synthetic benchmark, but I got more than double the score presented in the video. That certainly doesn't feel like these are relatively comparable cards by any stretch. I don't have a massive library of games or multiple GPUs hanging around to do side by side comparisons, so maybe real world results would put these two far closer than the benchmarks would suggest?

[@paulshardware]

Sounds like you ran Time Spy instead of Time Spy Extreme

[@JonnyBravo0311]

@@paulshardware I knew I must have missed something :). Thanks for the clarification, Paul!

[@walterlegere1403]

One of the main thing that drives these types of innovative re-designs is "demand." If they start selling a ton of these boards and cases then other manufacturers will jump on board and the prices for this kind of innovation should come down eventually if enough of them get on board with it but you're right about an "industry standard." One only has to look at the "ATX" standard that has been around for several decades. I just mounted a 2017 motherboard into a case made back in 2001 without any modifications. I only had to move one standoff! That's a pretty solid industry standard. However, having said that, it seems to be the "after market" industry that doesn't seem to have a problem with agreeing to a "standard" configuration. It's the large pre-built market that seems to live in the "proprietary" world. I guess we'll see where this kind of thing goes from here but it does seem to simplify a lot of the details of building a system and that's a good thing.

[@rkornilo]

"Paul made a video that was too long" - said no one, ever...

[@rastanz]

If the case had vertical GPU mount support you could mount the GPU vertically and use a 180 connector on the GPU to run the cables behind your graphics card where they wont be visible for an even cleaner aesthetic.

[@mlegos]

Are all those fans really necessary? I wonder what would be the best ratio?

[@bikedoc4145]

I really love this case and the new larger one that looks like a aquarium also, If I wouldn't have just traded out my 5000D for NZXT H9 Flow I would have gotten the larger Corsair one

[@treytrippin420]

At 0:50 you said they both have 16gb VRAM which isn't true. GRE has 16 and the 4070/super have 12gb. It's cheaper, more VRAM, it only slightly beats the GRE in SOME Ray tracing titles, for more money. You are a little backwards on some of your points.

[@steeltimberwolf]

The one thing I noticed with this case and build is that with standard length PSU cables it seems like you can't use that 3.5" drive cage . I also wonder how tight it is to connect the 8+8 CPU cables when the drive cage is installed. I get the move towards using smaller 2.5" and M2 SSD's but until you can buy 8+TB SSD's for a reasonable price like you can with the older 3.5" HD's the older HD's need a place in the ecosystem.

[@alpsalish]

That garage set looks amazing btw

[@chadnagel8657]

I have decided to build my own PC and have been watching your channel for all the information i could get. One thing that i did not realize was that some memory has been optimized for either Intel or AMD. I have never seen this addressed in any of the videos that i have watched. Is this true or can I use memory optimized for Intel in my AMD build?

[@Dexx1s]

One thing I never noticed nor thought about with these motherboard/cases that have the cables on the back. How do they handle board of difference sizes? This case, for example, wouldn't be able to work with any ITX reverse boards since the cutouts are there only for the mATX size.

[@briankgarland]

I hope it's worth the money. I just ordered everything you used for my grandson's birthday.

[@jdocgaming474]

I can't be the only one thinking there is almost no way you could have used the 3.5" HD bay with the clutter of cables at the top right of the case. The cage for the HDs must be a really close fit with the MB power connections as well, right? How would that even work? I always have at least (2) 10TB+ Iron Wolf drives for data storage so this would be a deal breaker for me, though I know I am likely in the minority still using spinning drives. Other than that though, looks pretty nice!

[@PsychoStreak]

Really liking the backside connectors. So much cleaner and easier to deal with once your components are installed. Like others have said, this is years overdue, and I feel like it'll be awhile before I build one as I'm not in the market for new cases. But a standard absolutely needs to happen. Hopefully, this catches on enough that the GPU power connectors also get moved; the top of the card was, is and always be the dumbest location choice in the history of the PC, and that's including the CPU power connectors. As for the rest of the build, a more reasonably priced GPU is great - I genuinely don't care if it's a strong overclocker or not. The fans - way too pricey just to move where the rats nest of RGB wiring is. Not a fan of the haphazard, 'wherever they'll fit' 2.5" drive layout, but this style case is clearly not geared towards storage.

[@chrishexx3360]

I really like that case and that was one great looking build. Nice job Paul.

[@Dobermanator]

What happened to the 7900 GRE patch that's supposed to boost performance? And we all know RT is a limited genre. Not many people wan to gimp their card in order that reflections in mud puddles are improved.

[@jimdob6528]

Amd is probably going to delay it for a bit longer so they can shoot themselves in the foot like they always do

[@Safetytrousers]

Tech channels go giddy over the RT options in Cyberpunk.

[@STARRLORDS]

Really good looking build, super clean. Would it have been excessive to put more fans in the bottom just for extra rainbow RGB effect? Would that be too much intake, or is it even possible to add them?

[@bobz5]

If you were building a gaming only pc what would you change on this build? I have a 4080 already and looking to upgrade from a 5950x. Great build thanks.

[@ChrisTaylor-un1wv]

Sorry if I missed it but you said you were going to do an video on how veiwers can upgrade their PC's. How to submit them for your advise

[@rodhester2166]

Everybody knooowwwwsss a double wide has more room..lol

[@OGMangler]

Companies that make custom cables will be out of business. I don't mind. I love this idea. I can't believe it took this long to figure this out.

[@paulwestphal7336]

I went with : Ryzen 7 5700X3D , MSI B550 A Pro, White $50 case, Gskill 3600 CL18, Asrock 7900GRE, Vetroo V5 with added pull fan, Be Quiet! 750M.

[@andrewjones198]

You didn't show the m2 heatplate. Did you peel off the film?

[@Justmakesomenoiz]

I'm after a real review of the board itself. Want to see if it's a good board or if it counts to the crappy 650 boards which are out there. Might just go for the asus 650e-e board instead but really like this clean look.

[@h.barkas1571]

It's nice for clean new builds. Owners of older cases would create a new market for extra long motherboard stand-off screws win-win?

[@geekdoh]

7900 GRE - Golden Rab... well I guess now Global Release Edition? Also, I like the backside connectors over everything plugged into the front....

[@michaelhanson0715]

Thank you for the great video, I have followed you for several years, and appreciate your time. I have learned much from you and have decided to build my own YT channel to follow my passion as you have. Thanks again. Success in Life with Mike

[@mste456]

great vid Paul and the team. 50 quid a fan!! are they having a laugh

[@Guyver02USA]

- In all honesty @13:59 , that wire management is not something I would do … It’s basically just tie and stuff .

[@useduction]

BTF is way to go! Just need a good case now. Im looking at you Lian Li.

[@itsdeonlol]

The 7900 GRE is decent, but it's cool to see more GPU options.

[@RmX.]

I don't know any new better GPU than GRE if you look at performance/value. It's the sweet spot

[@jonscriffignano]

Hows the hellhound coil whine?

[@NAMze86]

Not a fan of having the connectors on the back. I actually like seeing a little bit of the wires, especially if they are clean.

[@theyoungjawn]

The fact this ase doesn't have ATX board support is hialriously bad. No reason to buy it over the O11 Mini Air unless you really want back connect. Nice build though, Paul! Turned out really nice.

[@alandusautoy8204]

Love your videos, but I really liked it when you gave a PC part picker list as I could change to a different country and immediately get the local prices.

[@paulshardware]

I have good news then! I am working with PCPartPicker on a new series, kicking off next week 👍

[@tommeegunn9318]

I am searching through the vid for an overall price of the build. I cannot find price!

[@Broba_Fett]

I do hope more motherboard manufactures support this or at least MSI releases a black version.

[@josephstewart7256]

Nice build, and nice video! However, $50 PER fan would never make sense for me unless it was truly a zero budget limit AAA build. If I was already buying top of the line components in every category and still wanted to spend money to make the build special, then fine. But with potentially triple digits savings by choosing reasonable fans rather than the $50 Corsair fans, you could get a better GPU or CPU. If I wanted to splurge on something that wouldn't directly affect performance, you could max out your RAM capacity and have peace of mind knowing you won't habe to worry in the future or that you can have as many browser tabs or whatever open as you want without worrying... Anyways. I just can't get over fifty dollar fans. Lol

[@jonplaud]

That is the cleanest build I have seen.

[@techieg33k]

Nice build

[@ConeJellos]

8:55 my Corsair Air 540 just scoffed in your general direction.

[@TR0N1X70]

why no anti bending/buckle support for the cpu?

[@Fafhrd42]

Surprised you're as down on the GRE as you are. Digital Foundry was extremely positive in their review.

[@honkeypete9594]

What program are you using to Stress test? I'm sure you said it but I missed it. Sorry.

[@outlet6989]

Hi Paul. If I saw all those boxes on my friend's work bench it would mean two things. He got his IRS refund and has an account at NewEgg. My iCUE software went South in a big way. A video of what happens and what to do next would be informative.

[@achiboyke69]

Did he mention the total price of the Corsair build?

[@justinpatterson5291]

If I was still seeking an upgrade. I might have gotten one of these instead of the 7900 XT. Think I prefer the 1440p headroom though.

[@roscoeshaz9560]

love this Vid, and just love that new motherboard style.

[@tomjones4318]

Case proportions remind me of a 1980 19" TV. So the back cavern is dictated by the PSU? Then forget it. Back wiring is great, don't ruin it with hideous proportions and massive footprint. Total misstep. Are 90 degree connectors and new cable lengths necessary to make back wiring work? Cause that's not there yet.

[@craftchest]

Very nice. Thanks. Makes me want to build one.