Whether or not content creation can become an independent market like gaming is, is a question many people have had since 2019. However, the way I see it is that professional creators do have a high demand for powerful and stable hardware, which is not the same as the needs of gamers. And there is actually a problem that manufacturers have ignored, that is most creators spend all their time creating content, they have no time to research on how to install a computer by themselves, or how to read the specifications. To solve this problem, I have created a recommended list of beginner equipment for you with a video teaching how to install it on your own. Just follow the steps and it won't be difficult at all!
As usual, we first make a list of what is used in the installation:
ASUS ProArt B550-CREATOR
For the motherboard, we choose the ASUS ProArt, which is also a creator series. It has a special design texture in appearance, especially the PROART outlined by the gold line on the heat sink, which gives the motherboard a unique design aesthetic. In addition to the appearance, it is as good as gaming motherboards in terms of functionality. The PCIe 4.0 x 16 slot supports high-power graphics cards or M.2 PCIe SSDs, so that professional creators don't have to worry about graphics card compatibility issues or the data processing speed not being fast enough. Moreover, considering that professional creators often use NAS systems and external SSDs, it is equipped with two 2.5Gb Ethernet and two Thunderbolt 4 Type-C connectors, which maximize the transfer speed, so that large video and audio content can be transferred in a blink of an eye. I believe it is the most creator-friendly motherboard on the market today.
R7-3700X
The model that was originally to be installed was an R7-5800X, but considering the price difference was a lot, and creators rarely overclock their device, we pick the R7-3700X, which is also 8-core and 16-thread. I think this CPU is enough for use, if it is not, you can always upgrade it yourself.
T-CREATE CLASSIC PCIe4.0 SSD
At present, T-CREATE from TEAMGROUP is the only storage manufacturer on the market that has established sub-brands and launched dedicated products for creators. This T-CREATE CLASSIC PCIe 4.0 SSD is obviously different from gaming products in appearance, with a style that focuses more on texture rather than RGB. The matte silver heat spreader fits perfectly on the ProArt motherboard, so you don't need to worry about the abrupt appearance.
In terms of performance, we choose the Gen4x4 SSD that perfectly demonstrates the performance of the B550-CREATOR with the R7-3700X. This is a new generation supported by AMD 3000 series CPU. With read and write speeds of up to 5,000/4,000 MB/s, it is suitable for creators who need to process a large amount of files daily, effectively shortening the file transfer time and allowing creators to have more time to focus on their various works.
T-CREATE CLASSIC DDR4 10L DESKTOP MEMORY
The memory is selected from the T-CREATE CLASSIC series of desktop memory. Since it is the same series as the SSD, the colors and the materials are identical, so there is no color matching problem at all. Just plug it in and it is that simple.
The native 3200MHz specification allows creators who have no time to research on how to overclock to experience the performance of high-frequency memory. This series supports up to a single 32GB capacity. I only list the most basic specifications first. If there is a larger amount of multitasking or rendering requirements, you can choose a higher capacity memory. Our recommended motherboard + CPU is fully capable of supporting 32GB*4 3200MHz flagship specification!
NVDIA Quadro RTX 5000
Since this PC is dedicated for creators, the most important thing is the graphics card after all, whether it is for photo editing or animation production, there are high requirements for the graphics card. Unlike the gaming graphics cards often used in gaming, we choose a Quadro graphics card for design and professional use. It is not very different from the gaming graphics cards in terms of hardware, perhaps only the graphics memory has a larger capacity. The biggest reason for me to choose a graphics card for design/professional use is that it will optimize drivers for specific software, so that creators can use it with more stability. The advantage of stability alone is enough for us to spend more money to buy it.
SilverStone SETA A1
Getting the right case is all about choosing the one that best meets your needs in terms of appearance, ease of assembly, heat dissipation, etc. This time we first consider the appearance when choosing the case, and look for the color matching the matte silver. The front of this case is very in line with the demand. With a slightly wavy corner design, the overall appearance is not as square as traditional cases, which instantly catches my attention. The second is heat dissipation. This case is equipped with two 200mm suction fans at the front and one exhaust fan at the back, which is enough for the air to flow effectively. This allows the heat generated by the high-end graphics card under high-speed operation to be released from the case quickly enough to meet our needs.
CoolerMaster V1000 Platinum
Choosing a power supply is also very easy. If you don't know much about brands on the market and feel confused, the principle is very simple, we only need to consider two factors, "wattage" and "warranty". This time, according to our requirement for a mid-range graphics card, there is actually no need to get a 1000W power supply. However, considering that some creators will buy a second graphics card and link them together, we generally recommend getting enough wattage at once to avoid having to purchase a new power supply afterwards, which is time-consuming and costly. In addition, the warranty is also very important since creators put stability as the first priority. We recommend choosing a power supply with a 10-year warranty for better protection and peace of mind.
This is the end of the introduction on how to select your hardware. For installation steps, please watch the video we made for this article. We sequentially include the location and precautions for each component to be installed, so that everyone can learn to install their own PC in as little time as possible. I'll see you next time!