When AMD launched its first CPU with AMD 3D V-Cache Technology, it created two groups in its lineup. In one grouping, the company offered its gaming-first “X3D” chips, like the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D. In the other group were its all-arounder and productivity-oriented options like the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X. Now, all that’s changing. There’s a new king of the CPU hill, and it’s the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. Independent reviewers are nearly unanimous in crowning this chip as both the best consumer-grade CPU for gaming and the best CPU for productivity workloads.
But while this CPU is perfectly comfortable straddling the worlds of gaming and productivity, most PC components out there don’t offer the same flexibility. We mean no offense to parts and peripherals designed with gamers in mind — we lean into this community without reservation through our Republic of Gamers lineup. But professionals have different needs than gamers when it comes to their PCs.
That’s why we offer our ProArt lineup. This PC hardware family caters to creators with its minimalist design, wide-ranging connectivity, and unshakeable performance. If you’re building a new PC today around the chart-topping AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, and you need this PC to move easily between the worlds of gaming and productivity, ProArt components are your premium picks. Here’s what we recommend for such a system.
Your build’s versatile foundation: the ProArt X870E-Creator WiFi
Let’s start with your CPU’s new home: the motherboard. The ProArt X870E-Creator WiFi was built from the ground up to handle the needs of a top-end CPU like the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. This chip can draw no small amount of power when all its cores are engaged, but this motherboard is ready and waiting with 16(80A)+2(80A)+2 power stages that integrate high-side and low-side MOSFETs and drivers into packages rated for up to 80 amps each. Its eight-layer PCB enhances heat dissipation around the voltage regulators, while ProCool II connectors ensure flush contact with the PSU power lines for lower impedance, prevention of hotspots, and reduced likelihood of connector failure.
The ProArt X870E-Creator WiFi s ready to accelerate your work with the massive bandwidth, lightning-quick speeds, and exceptional power efficiency offered by next-generation DDR5 RAM. With PCIe 5.0 connectivity, this motherboard gives you access to the fastest next-gen SSDs and GPUs. This motherboard boasts not just one, but two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots. They can operate in an x8/x8 configuration so that you can take full advantage of a pair of graphics cards. Since many creative pursuits and AI-powered apps can take full advantage of the fastest transfer speeds that they can get, we equipped this board with four onboard M.2 slots, two of which are wired for PCIe 5.0. It’ll be easy to equip this system with separate drives for your operating system and primary project files, each primed for peak performance.
You’ll get rich networking options with this motherboard, too. A Marvell AQtion 10Gb Ethernet port provides ultra-high-bandwidth access to resources on your local network, such as a NAS device. Additionally, this board provides WiFi 7 support and an Intel 2.5Gb Ethernet port.
Many creators rely on a wide range of peripherals for their workstations. The ProArt X870E-Creator WiFi provides the high-end connectivity you need for such a setup with two onboard USB4 ports, a broad selection of high-speed USB ports, and a header for a front-panel USB 20Gbps port with 30W USB Power Delivery 3.0 and Quick Charge 4+.
A sophisticated chassis built for supreme airflow: the ProArt PA602
No component establishes the look and feel of your build more than the chassis. With the ProArt PA602, you get minimalist style that communicates professionalism in any context and reduces distractions in your workspace. For an elegant look that’s rooted in natural materials, consider the ProArt PA602 Wood Edition. This alternate edition upgrades the aesthetic with carefully crafted ash pieces, and it’s available with either a metal side panel or a tempered glass side panel.
Sensible style is far from the only trick up the ProArt PA602’s sleeve. It’s a proven performer in the world of cooling. Its cooling prowess starts up front with an open-grille front panel with wide 15.5mm venting slots. Two pre-installed 200x38mm ProArt fans behind this grille give you an incredible balance of performance and acoustics. They’re rated for airflow up to 190.2 CFM, nearly double what typical 200mm system fans offer.
Inside the chassis, dual air deflectors help send cooling air where it’s needed the most. A lengthy panel along the front edge of motherboard tray gently nudges the airstream over the top edge of your motherboard for reduced turbulence and to ensure great cooling for your CPU and power delivery circuitry. The PSU shroud also features an angled front edge to direct airflow toward your graphics card. To supply your GPU with even more cooling air, the ProArt PA602’s tempered-glass side panel features a perforated insert that lets the fans on your graphics card breathe more deeply.
There’s a lot more to love about this chassis: 420mm liquid cooling radiator support, eight install points for 2.5-inch SSDs, a 53mm-wide cable routing channel, five front-panel USB ports, a patented automatic dust detection system, and more.
AIO convenience with a massive radiator: the ProArt LC 420
Professional creators quite regularly task their CPUs with demanding workloads. Exporting projects, transcoding video, or rendering a 3D model can put every core and thread in your processor to work, potentially for long stretches of time. To help you keep your AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D operating at optimal temperatures without undue fan noise, even under all-core workloads, we offer the ProArt LC 420 all-in-one CPU liquid cooler.
Key technologies equip the ProArt LC 420 to overcome the thermal challenges presented by the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. It starts with the cooler’s beefy radiator. Not only does it provide a large surface area for heat dissipation, but this thicker radiator also allows for an increased volume of coolant. These upgrades give the ProArt LC 420 the significant sustained cooling power it needs to beat the heat when you fire up a longer-running task.
Quiet operation is a must-have for many creators, so we equipped the ProArt LC 420 AIO liquid cooler with an advanced three-phase motor that keeps the coolant moving without distracting you with noise. For wide chassis compatibility, even with larger EATX cases like the ProArt PA602 chassis, the ProArt LC 420’s tubing is 450mm long, and features a braided mesh sleeve for durability.
For the ProArt LC 420’s fans, we turned to one of the most respected names in the industry. A trio of Noctua NF-A14 industrialPPC-2000 PWM fans keep cooling air moving through the radiator. As 140mm fans, they’re capable of moving a similar amount of air more quietly than common 120mm fans can. They’re also more than capable of ramping up when you need them the most — with a top rotational speed of 2000 RPM, they’re ready to kick into high gear during a challenging workload.
Professional-grade monitors with a high refresh rate
As with any other component, most monitors equally ready for the world of gaming and productivity. But the ProArt Display PA278CGV isn’t just any monitor. This 27-inch display straddles the divide between gaming prowess and creative excellence, letting game developers and asset artists view their creations exactly as they’ll be reproduced on gaming PCs. The PA278CGV’s 2560×1440 resolution both brings out fine detail and provides plenty of room for viewing multiple windows simultaneously.
The PA278CGV’s FreeSync Premium certification attests to its rock-solid gaming credentials. With a variable refresh rate range that reaches all the way up to 144Hz, you’ll get buttery-smooth on-screen animation without screen tearing, even in games with fast-paced action.
This feature-rich display combines those key gaming specs with accurate color. It’s factory-calibrated and Calman Verified to ensure an average ΔE of less than two out of the box, so you can be confident that your content will look the same wherever it’s viewed. Its 95% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamuts and 100% coverage of the sRGB and Rec. 709 color gamuts lets you master game assets with confidence.
Perhaps you’d prefer a premium OLED display with outstanding HDR support, world-leading color accuracy, and a luscious 240Hz refresh rate? Check out the just-launched ProArt Display OLED PA32UCDM. It’s a 31.5-inch monitor with a detailed 4K resolution, and it delivers beautifully saturated colors with true 10-bit color depth and 99% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut. It achieves an average ΔE value of less than one 1 for world-leading color accuracy, and ASUS ProArt Hardware Calibration tech provides color-accuracy optimization and color profile write-back. Additionally, the PA32UCDM is configured to work seamlessly with Calman and Light Illusion ColourSpace CMS professional hardware calibration software.
The PA32UCDM is an exceptional choice for creators working with HDR content. With 1000 nits of break brightness, it delivers outstanding detail in highlights, and as an OLED panel, it offers deep, inky blacks. This display supports multiple HDR metadata formats, including HLG and HDR10, allowing creators to check how content will appear for a wide range of target displays before it is sent off for final delivery.
For creators who work with moving media, the ProArt Display OLED PA32UCDM provides a sizzling 240Hz refresh rate. This provides buttery-smooth animation during rendering work, allows you to conduct quality checks on one display.
Rich connectivity and versatile placement options round out the PA32UCDM’s high-end feature list. It includes a Thunderbolt™ 4 port ready to offer up to 96W Power Delivery, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a built-in USB Hub. Its base is 50% smaller than our last-gen option, holding the display sturdily while maintaining a compact footprint so that you have more desktop space for your full workstation. Additionally, the display’s included bracket lets you mount the display on a partition wall.