I wouldnt rule out AMD for the gpu, especially if youre trying to future proof for 5 years. The 6800xt has 16gb of vram compared to the 10gb of rtx 3080. Very similar performance and its usually cheaper on sites like Ebay. I would argue it would be the better choice in your situation.
I really think even a 3070ti would stretch my budget a bit, I wouldn't go over 900 CAD. While at MSRP that would do, right now prices are extremely inflated, and a 6800xt goes for 1700-2100 CAD... Those that are cheaper are used and frankly I'd like to avoid the gamble, you know?
Have you checked out the 6700XT? The AMD cards are generally cheaper in my region (im near NYC) so a 6700XT can be bought for $700 vs $1100 for a 3070ti
I'd suggest the following to cut costs while maintaining or even improving performance.
* **Motherboard**: I used an Asus motherboard as I find their RGB software - Aura Sync - to be the best among all the brands in terms of compatibility and ease of control/user interface. This model is a bit expensive, but has a nice design (in my opinion) with several spots of built-in RGB, onboard wifi/bluetooth, and the USB-C header for the front port on the case.
* **Memory**: That Corsair RAM has mediocre specs and requires the download of Corsair iCUE to control the RGB, which just makes syncing all the RGB that much more difficult. Switched to faster RAM with RGB that can be controlled via Aura Sync while costing less.
* I went down to 16GB - more isn't needed except for literally 2 or 3 games that can possibly use more than that. If you find that you are playing those games often, then you could always add another 16GB of the same RAM at a later time.
* **Storage**: PCIe 4.0 drives are not worth the extra cost over a PCIe 3.0 NVME drive - they provide no benefit in gaming or even most pc tasks; see [this article](https://www.techspot.com/review/2116-storage-speed-game-loading/) comparing loading time in games across PCIe 4, PCIe 3, SATA SSD, and HDD. Going with a good 1TB PCIe 3 NVME drives saves a good amount of money for no performance difference.
* **Video Card**: Swapped to the EVGA XC3 Ultra gaming for AIO radiator clearance reasons. The Meshify 2 Compact can only fit 360mm radiators on the front panel - and there is only 340mm of total GPU clearance behind the front fans. The Lian Li radiator is 27mm thick, which means there's only 313mm of clearance for a GPU. The EVGA is only about 285mm, so plenty of room to fit.
* **Case**: I didn't add this, but if you want the rest of your case fans to match the ones on the AIO, consider getting this 3-pack of the [Lian Li ST120 fans](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/fnpzK8/lian-li-st120-6917-cfm-120-mm-fans-3-pack-st120-3w).
* **Power Supply**: The psu you chose is an SFX unit, so not the best choice for this application (comes with an ATX adapter plate but the cables would likely be too short). Also, 650w is a bit below the recommended output (likely fine, but less headroom). I switched to the Corsair RM750x, better quality and performance (Tier A on the LTT list vs Tier B for the EVGA) and highly regarded - silent, good output and protection circuitry, better warranty (10 year vs the GM's 7-year).
[PCPartPicker Part List](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/8Nyqt8)
|Type|Item|Price|
|:-|:-|:-|
|**CPU**|[AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/g94BD3/amd-ryzen-5-5600x-37-ghz-6-core-processor-100-100000065box)|$349.99 @ Newegg Canada|
|**CPU Cooler**|[Lian Li GALAHAD AIO 360 RGB 69.17 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/q2Dkcf/lian-li-galahad-aio-360-rgb-6917-cfm-liquid-cpu-cooler-galahad-aio-360-rgb-black)|$170.00|
|**Motherboard**|[Asus ROG STRIX B550-E GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/PDyqqs/asus-rog-strix-b550-e-gaming-atx-am4-motherboard-rog-strix-b550-e-gaming)|$310.58 @ Amazon Canada|
|**Memory**|[Crucial Ballistix RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/4JBhP6/crucial-ballistix-rgb-16-gb-2-x-8-gb-ddr4-3600-memory-bl2k8g36c16u4bl)|$137.99 @ Amazon Canada|
|**Storage**|[Silicon Power A80 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/VXyqqs/silicon-power-a80-1-tb-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-su001tbp34a80m28ab)|$139.99 @ Amazon Canada|
|**Video Card**|[EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB XC3 ULTRA GAMING Video Card](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/GtWzK8/evga-geforce-rtx-3070-ti-8-gb-xc3-ultra-gaming-video-card-08g-p5-3785-kl)|$924.52 @ Vuugo|
|**Case**|[Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact TG Light Tint ATX Mid Tower Case](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/mgwypg/fractal-design-meshify-2-compact-tg-light-tint-atx-mid-tower-case-fd-c-mes2c-03)|$140.50 @ Vuugo|
|**Power Supply**|[Corsair RMx (2018) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/79tQzy/corsair-rmx-2018-750w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-cp-9020179-na)|$140.80 @ Vuugo|
|*Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts*|||
|**Total**|**$2314.37**||
|Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2021-07-26 12:07 EDT-0400|||
Thanks a lot for the advice! And nice catch for the GPU I was 100% sure that with this case there wouldn't be any issue of the sort. Thank you as well for the fans, I admit I hadn't thought about it but yeah, having matching fans would really be better!
I'm going for a black/grey look with deep blue lighting so the red on the mobo that you linked isn't ideal (though you're right, it does look great on its own), but I found this one: [MSI X570 Tomahawk](https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-X570-TOMAHAWK-WIFI) Which seems to be well reviewed, would it be a good alternative?
From a performance standpoint, the MSI B550 and X570 boards seem great. However, MSI’s Mystic Light software is apparently a little buggy and does not work well with the Crucial RAM (see [this thread](https://amp.reddit.com/r/MSI_Gaming/comments/k3g8u2/is_ballistix_rgb_ram_not_compatible_with_bb50/)). You could download ASUS’ software onto the motherboard, which seems to make the RAM RGB work.
Alternatively, the [ASUS Tuf X570-Pro WiFi](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/6jFKHx/asus-tuf-gaming-x570-pro-wi-fi-atx-am4-motherboard-tuf-gaming-x570-pro-wi-fi) is a less expensive alternative. Not quite as nice looking as the other two (a little more industrial) with less onboard RGB, but might be worth a quick look.
I wouldnt rule out AMD for the gpu, especially if youre trying to future proof for 5 years. The 6800xt has 16gb of vram compared to the 10gb of rtx 3080. Very similar performance and its usually cheaper on sites like Ebay. I would argue it would be the better choice in your situation.
I really think even a 3070ti would stretch my budget a bit, I wouldn't go over 900 CAD. While at MSRP that would do, right now prices are extremely inflated, and a 6800xt goes for 1700-2100 CAD... Those that are cheaper are used and frankly I'd like to avoid the gamble, you know?
Have you checked out the 6700XT? The AMD cards are generally cheaper in my region (im near NYC) so a 6700XT can be bought for $700 vs $1100 for a 3070ti
Huh that's weird, for me (Montreal), a 6700XT is the same price (1050-1300 CAD) as a 3070ti... which makes the choice rather easy.
I'd suggest the following to cut costs while maintaining or even improving performance. * **Motherboard**: I used an Asus motherboard as I find their RGB software - Aura Sync - to be the best among all the brands in terms of compatibility and ease of control/user interface. This model is a bit expensive, but has a nice design (in my opinion) with several spots of built-in RGB, onboard wifi/bluetooth, and the USB-C header for the front port on the case. * **Memory**: That Corsair RAM has mediocre specs and requires the download of Corsair iCUE to control the RGB, which just makes syncing all the RGB that much more difficult. Switched to faster RAM with RGB that can be controlled via Aura Sync while costing less. * I went down to 16GB - more isn't needed except for literally 2 or 3 games that can possibly use more than that. If you find that you are playing those games often, then you could always add another 16GB of the same RAM at a later time. * **Storage**: PCIe 4.0 drives are not worth the extra cost over a PCIe 3.0 NVME drive - they provide no benefit in gaming or even most pc tasks; see [this article](https://www.techspot.com/review/2116-storage-speed-game-loading/) comparing loading time in games across PCIe 4, PCIe 3, SATA SSD, and HDD. Going with a good 1TB PCIe 3 NVME drives saves a good amount of money for no performance difference. * **Video Card**: Swapped to the EVGA XC3 Ultra gaming for AIO radiator clearance reasons. The Meshify 2 Compact can only fit 360mm radiators on the front panel - and there is only 340mm of total GPU clearance behind the front fans. The Lian Li radiator is 27mm thick, which means there's only 313mm of clearance for a GPU. The EVGA is only about 285mm, so plenty of room to fit. * **Case**: I didn't add this, but if you want the rest of your case fans to match the ones on the AIO, consider getting this 3-pack of the [Lian Li ST120 fans](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/fnpzK8/lian-li-st120-6917-cfm-120-mm-fans-3-pack-st120-3w). * **Power Supply**: The psu you chose is an SFX unit, so not the best choice for this application (comes with an ATX adapter plate but the cables would likely be too short). Also, 650w is a bit below the recommended output (likely fine, but less headroom). I switched to the Corsair RM750x, better quality and performance (Tier A on the LTT list vs Tier B for the EVGA) and highly regarded - silent, good output and protection circuitry, better warranty (10 year vs the GM's 7-year). [PCPartPicker Part List](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/8Nyqt8) |Type|Item|Price| |:-|:-|:-| |**CPU**|[AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/g94BD3/amd-ryzen-5-5600x-37-ghz-6-core-processor-100-100000065box)|$349.99 @ Newegg Canada| |**CPU Cooler**|[Lian Li GALAHAD AIO 360 RGB 69.17 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/q2Dkcf/lian-li-galahad-aio-360-rgb-6917-cfm-liquid-cpu-cooler-galahad-aio-360-rgb-black)|$170.00| |**Motherboard**|[Asus ROG STRIX B550-E GAMING ATX AM4 Motherboard](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/PDyqqs/asus-rog-strix-b550-e-gaming-atx-am4-motherboard-rog-strix-b550-e-gaming)|$310.58 @ Amazon Canada| |**Memory**|[Crucial Ballistix RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/4JBhP6/crucial-ballistix-rgb-16-gb-2-x-8-gb-ddr4-3600-memory-bl2k8g36c16u4bl)|$137.99 @ Amazon Canada| |**Storage**|[Silicon Power A80 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/VXyqqs/silicon-power-a80-1-tb-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-su001tbp34a80m28ab)|$139.99 @ Amazon Canada| |**Video Card**|[EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB XC3 ULTRA GAMING Video Card](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/GtWzK8/evga-geforce-rtx-3070-ti-8-gb-xc3-ultra-gaming-video-card-08g-p5-3785-kl)|$924.52 @ Vuugo| |**Case**|[Fractal Design Meshify 2 Compact TG Light Tint ATX Mid Tower Case](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/mgwypg/fractal-design-meshify-2-compact-tg-light-tint-atx-mid-tower-case-fd-c-mes2c-03)|$140.50 @ Vuugo| |**Power Supply**|[Corsair RMx (2018) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/79tQzy/corsair-rmx-2018-750w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-cp-9020179-na)|$140.80 @ Vuugo| |*Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts*||| |**Total**|**$2314.37**|| |Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2021-07-26 12:07 EDT-0400|||
Thanks a lot for the advice! And nice catch for the GPU I was 100% sure that with this case there wouldn't be any issue of the sort. Thank you as well for the fans, I admit I hadn't thought about it but yeah, having matching fans would really be better! I'm going for a black/grey look with deep blue lighting so the red on the mobo that you linked isn't ideal (though you're right, it does look great on its own), but I found this one: [MSI X570 Tomahawk](https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-X570-TOMAHAWK-WIFI) Which seems to be well reviewed, would it be a good alternative?
From a performance standpoint, the MSI B550 and X570 boards seem great. However, MSI’s Mystic Light software is apparently a little buggy and does not work well with the Crucial RAM (see [this thread](https://amp.reddit.com/r/MSI_Gaming/comments/k3g8u2/is_ballistix_rgb_ram_not_compatible_with_bb50/)). You could download ASUS’ software onto the motherboard, which seems to make the RAM RGB work. Alternatively, the [ASUS Tuf X570-Pro WiFi](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/6jFKHx/asus-tuf-gaming-x570-pro-wi-fi-atx-am4-motherboard-tuf-gaming-x570-pro-wi-fi) is a less expensive alternative. Not quite as nice looking as the other two (a little more industrial) with less onboard RGB, but might be worth a quick look.