Build Advice 12700k & 6950XT PC Gaming/Illustration Build Advice

[me_23]

Hello,
Hoping to get a new PC build since my last 7 year veteran went kaput. Was hoping to get the best of the tail-end of this generation. Going to be primarily using it for gaming and some illustration work, nothing too heavy. I want to stick to the AMD/Intel combo so just any advice on improvements or efficient upgrades would be nice, thanks.

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-12700K 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor | £375.59 @ Newegg UK
CPU Cooler | Deepcool AK620 68.99 CFM CPU Cooler | £60.00 @ Computer Orbit
Motherboard | MSI MAG Z690 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard | £245.98 @ Amazon UK
Memory | Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory | £117.77 @ Technextday
Storage | Samsung 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | Purchased For £0.00
Storage | Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | £124.85 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Samsung 870 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive | Purchased For £0.00
Video Card | PowerColor Radeon RX 6950 XT 16 GB Red Devil OC Video Card | £1003.48 @ Ebuyer
Case | Lian Li Lancool II Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case | £87.59 @ Overclockers.co.uk
Power Supply | Corsair RMx (2021) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | £109.98 @ Scan.co.uk
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | Purchased For £0.00
Case Fan | Noctua A14 PWM chromax.black.swap 82.52 CFM 140 mm Fan | £31.47 @ Scan.co.uk
Case Fan | Noctua A14 PWM chromax.black.swap 82.52 CFM 140 mm Fan | £31.47 @ Scan.co.uk
Monitor | Acer VG271U Pbmiipx 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor | Purchased For £0.00
Keyboard | Corsair K63 Wired Gaming Keyboard | Purchased For £0.00
Mouse | Razer DeathAdder V2 Wired Optical Mouse | £29.98 @ Currys PC World Business
Headphones | HP HyperX Cloud II 7.1 Channel Headset | Purchased For £0.00
Webcam | Logitech C920 HD Pro Webcam | Purchased For £0.00
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | £2218.16
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-07-13 09:41 BST+0100 |

 

[Why_Me]

That Lain Li case shouldn't need any extra fans. I'd check the temps for the first month and if they're ok then I'd skip ordering extra case fans such as the Noctua's you have listed. With that said here's a few cost cutters for you to have a look at.

https://www.box.co.uk/90MB18V0-M0EAY0-ASUS-TUF-Gaming-Z690-PLUS-WiFi-D4-Mother_4027322.html
ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-PLUS WiFi D4 £237.99

https://www.asus.com/Motherboards-Components/Motherboards/TUF-Gaming/TUF-GAMING-Z690-PLUS-WIFI-D4/

This cpu down below not only uses less power and produces less heat than the 12700K, it goes head to head with it.

https://www.pccatalyst.co.uk/product/intel-core-i7-12700f-1700-retail/
Intel Core i7-12700F £316.98

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...2700f-processor-25m-cache-up-to-4-90-ghz.html

i7 12700 / 12700F gaming benchmarks.

 

[me_23]

That Lain Li case shouldn't need any extra fans. I'd check the temps for the first month and if they're ok then I'd skip ordering extra case fans such as the Noctua's you have listed. With that said here's a few cost cutters for you to have a look at.

https://www.box.co.uk/90MB18V0-M0EAY0-ASUS-TUF-Gaming-Z690-PLUS-WiFi-D4-Mother_4027322.html
ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-PLUS WiFi D4 £237.99

https://www.asus.com/Motherboards-Components/Motherboards/TUF-Gaming/TUF-GAMING-Z690-PLUS-WIFI-D4/

This cpu down below not only uses less power and produces less heat than the 12700K, it goes head to head with it.

https://www.pccatalyst.co.uk/product/intel-core-i7-12700f-1700-retail/
Intel Core i7-12700F £316.98

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...2700f-processor-25m-cache-up-to-4-90-ghz.html

i7 12700 / 12700F gaming benchmarks.

Thanks for this feedback! Regarding fan cases: will this PC not run a bit too hot? I'm willing to throw a little more down if it means the case maintains a pretty cool temp as it took me a while to do so for my previous PC.

Will look at the MoBo as well, thank you!

Regarding the CPU though: should I just go for the KF? I don't plan on overclocking the CPU and I'll always have a dedicated GPU so iGPU isn't something I'll really need.

 

[Why_Me]

Thanks for this feedback! Regarding fan cases: will this PC not run a bit too hot? I'm willing to throw a little more down if it means the case maintains a pretty cool temp as it took me a while to do so for my previous PC.

Will look at the MoBo as well, thank you!

Regarding the CPU though: should I just go for the KF? I don't plan on overclocking the CPU and I'll always have a dedicated GPU so iGPU isn't something I'll really need.

That case has two 140mm intake fans up front and a 120mm exhaust fan in the rear. That case is about as good as it gets imo for a gaming case. As far as integrated graphics go ...if you feel the need for it then look at the 12700.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09MDJDSGH

Lancool-II-Mesh-Performance

<h2>Born to push the limits</h2> LANCOOL II MESH Performance features a mesh front panel and mesh bottom left shroud panel, honeycomb vent design and built-in PWM fans, ensuring bountiful airflow delivered to your components while the system runs at peak performance. <span...

lian-li.com

 

[KyaraM]

I would switch out the Samsung 980 Pro for the WD Black SN850.
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product...tb-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-wds100t1x0e
Better write speed, same read, saved a couple bucks especially if you buy it today during Prime Day. You won't need a heatsink, your board already got one. I know I seriously considered getting a second one...

 

[Hellfire13]

Since you are not going to OC no point going for a unlocked CPU as the boost clock of the locked CPUs are pretty robust, almost on par with the unlocked CPUs. iGPU is good for debugging if your card fails.
The board is pretty good in terms of thermal performance...
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/msi-mag-b660m-mortar-wifi-ddr4

This should be good,,,

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-12700 2.1 GHz 12-Core Processor | £340.46 @ Amazon UK
CPU Cooler | ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports DUO CPU Cooler | £43.05 @ Amazon UK
Motherboard | MSI MAG B660M MORTAR DDR4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard | £144.97 @ Amazon UK
Memory | Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory | £114.20 @ Box Limited
Storage | Western Digital Black SN850 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | £85.49 @ Ebuyer
Video Card | PowerColor Radeon RX 6950 XT 16 GB Red Devil OC Video Card | £1003.48 @ Ebuyer
Case | Lian Li Lancool II Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case | £87.59 @ Overclockers.co.uk
Power Supply | Corsair RMx (2021) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | £109.98 @ Scan.co.uk
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM 64-bit | £95.99 @ Box Limited
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | £2025.21
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-07-13 11:23 BST+0100 |

 

[me_23]

I would switch out the Samsung 980 Pro for the WD Black SN850.
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product...tb-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-wds100t1x0e
Better write speed, same read, saved a couple bucks especially if you buy it today during Prime Day. You won't need a heatsink, your board already got one. I know I seriously considered getting a second one...

Very good catch! Ordering it today!

 

[me_23]

Since you are not going to OC no point going for a unlocked CPU as the boost clock of the locked CPUs are pretty robust, almost on par with the unlocked CPUs. iGPU is good for debugging if your card fails.
The board is pretty good in terms of thermal performance...
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/msi-mag-b660m-mortar-wifi-ddr4

This should be good,,,

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-12700 2.1 GHz 12-Core Processor | £340.46 @ Amazon UK
CPU Cooler | ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports DUO CPU Cooler | £43.05 @ Amazon UK
Motherboard | MSI MAG B660M MORTAR DDR4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard | £144.97 @ Amazon UK
Memory | Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory | £114.20 @ Box Limited
Storage | Western Digital Black SN850 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | £85.49 @ Ebuyer
Video Card | PowerColor Radeon RX 6950 XT 16 GB Red Devil OC Video Card | £1003.48 @ Ebuyer
Case | Lian Li Lancool II Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case | £87.59 @ Overclockers.co.uk
Power Supply | Corsair RMx (2021) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | £109.98 @ Scan.co.uk
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM 64-bit | £95.99 @ Box Limited
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | £2025.21
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-07-13 11:23 BST+0100 |

Good point about the K unlocked CPU. Not going to be doing any OC of any kind so I'll go for the cheaper of the options. Thanks for the mobo rec too!

 

[Why_Me]

Good point about the K unlocked CPU. Not going to be doing any OC of any kind so I'll go for the cheaper of the options. Thanks for the mobo rec too!

You don't want a B660 board if you plan on running dual M.2 SSD's for the fact it will gimp the second SSD by running it at x4 due to that chipsets lack of PCIe lanes. Both the Z690 and H670 boards will run two M.2 SSD's at x8.

https://www.ebuyer.com/1421666-msi-...4-atx-motherboard-mag-h670-tomahawk-wifi-ddr4
MSI MAG Intel H670 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR4 £199.98

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-H670-TOMAHAWK-WIFI-DDR4

 

[geofelt]

Your build will work as is.

Some thoughts:

I7-12700K will be a very good processor for you.
Yes, you can save a bit with the KF version, but, if you ever have a graphics card issue, then the integrated graphics becomes invaluable.

For gaming, most will bypass overclocking and use the turbo mechanism to increase the clock of a few cores which is exactly what games need.
The turbo will happen when workload is not full and thermal conditions permit.
That usually means 70c.
To that end, I would suggest a top cooler like the noctua NH-D15s.
The D15s is offset a bit to clear the backplate on some graphics cards.
I suspect(do not know) that your graphics card might be an issue otherwise.

Love Samsung ssd devices.
Puget systems does too:

Most Reliable PC Hardware of 2021

Here at Puget Systems, our goal is not only to provide the fastest workstations possible, but the most reliable as well. As a part of our constant drive to offer only the highest quality components possible, we track and regularly review the failure rates for each part we carry. Today, we want...

www.pugetsystems.com

But, the PRO versions do not offer much added value.
The added endurance is no issue on 1tb drives.
I would instead use a 970 evo plus, perhaps in 2tb size.

Do not chase synthetic ssd sequential speeds.
You will not notice any difference.
These guys could not tell:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DKLA7w9eeA



The video card is a beast, I can see the attraction.
It requires three 8 pin pcie power connectors.

For that, I think I would go stronger than 850w.
Corsair rm is good with a 10 year warranty.
Equally good would be one of the seasonic GX units.

Plan on upgrading your windows 10 to 11.
ii will make use of the 12th gen hardware to better schedule jobs.

I would at least try the supplied 140mm front fans.
You could always swap them out later.

 

[Hellfire13]

You don't want a B660 board if you plan on running dual M.2 SSD's for the fact it will gimp the second SSD by running it at x4 due to that chipsets lack of PCIe lanes. Both the Z690 and H670 boards will run two M.2 SSD's at x8.

https://www.ebuyer.com/1421666-msi-...4-atx-motherboard-mag-h670-tomahawk-wifi-ddr4
MSI MAG Intel H670 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR4 £199.98

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-H670-TOMAHAWK-WIFI-DDR4

I don't think that is accurate...

2x M.2 slots (Key M)
M2_1 slot (From CPU)
Supports PCIe 4.0 x4
Supports 2242/ 2260/ 2280 storage devices
M2_2 slot (From B660 Chipset) 1
Supports PCIe 4.0 x4
Supports SATA 6Gb/s
Supports 2242/ 2260/ 2280 storage devices
Supports Intel® Optane™ Memory

As per the specs. on the manufacturers page, the first slot runs PCIe4 from the CPU and the second slot runs PCIe4 from the chipset disabling the last SATA port.

The x8 factor will come in the picture for boards with the third M2 slot.

 

[Why_Me]

I don't think that is accurate...

2x M.2 slots (Key M)
M2_1 slot (From CPU)
Supports PCIe 4.0 x4
Supports 2242/ 2260/ 2280 storage devices
M2_2 slot (From B660 Chipset) 1
Supports PCIe 4.0 x4
Supports SATA 6Gb/s
Supports 2242/ 2260/ 2280 storage devices
Supports Intel® Optane™ Memory

As per the specs. on the manufacturers page, the first slot runs PCIe4 from the CPU and the second slot runs PCIe4 from the chipset disabling the last SATA port.

The x8 factor will come in the picture for boards with the third M2 slot.

Not sure how they pulled that off when the B660 chipset has 12 PCIe lanes.

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-h670-b660-h610-motherboard-roundup
With the 600-series chipset, Intel has once again buffed the DMI link that connects the chipset to the processor. The previous 500-series chipset increased from PCIe 3.0 x4 to PCIe 3.0 x8. For the 600-series, Intel bumped the DMI up to PCIe 4.0 x8, allowing for twice the bandwidth. However, only the Z690 and H670 chipset have the full x8 link, whereas the B660 and H610 chipsets sport an x4 connection.

 

[Hellfire13]

Not sure how they pulled that off when the B660 chipset has only 12 PCIe lanes.

It actually has 8x4 lanes and 6x3 lanes which is a total of 14 lanes. As per my understanding, they are pulling off the x4 DMIs from those 8x4 lanes. You won't need a x8 lane for anything other than a x8 card anyway, which basically comes down to a second GPU.

 

[KyaraM]

I think all Z690 boards have PCIE 4.0 x4 lanes in the first two slots, so 8 total plus a possible additional 4.0x4 in the third slot for a rotal of 12 lanes maximum.
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/msi-mag-z690-tomahawk-wifi

Z690 AORUS MASTER (rev. 1.x) Specification | Motherboard - GIGABYTE Global

Lasting Quality from GIGABYTE.GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ motherboards bring together a unique blend of features and technologies that offer users the absolute ...

www.gigabyte.com

So no single SSD slot has x8.

Btw, if we are at $200 H670 boards already, then I would just make the jump to a Z690 board in that price range...

 

[me_23]

Your build will work as is.

Some thoughts:

I7-12700K will be a very good processor for you.
Yes, you can save a bit with the KF version, but, if you ever have a graphics card issue, then the integrated graphics becomes invaluable.

For gaming, most will bypass overclocking and use the turbo mechanism to increase the clock of a few cores which is exactly what games need.
The turbo will happen when workload is not full and thermal conditions permit.
That usually means 70c.
To that end, I would suggest a top cooler like the noctua NH-D15s.
The D15s is offset a bit to clear the backplate on some graphics cards.
I suspect(do not know) that your graphics card might be an issue otherwise.

Love Samsung ssd devices.
Puget systems does too:

Most Reliable PC Hardware of 2021

Here at Puget Systems, our goal is not only to provide the fastest workstations possible, but the most reliable as well. As a part of our constant drive to offer only the highest quality components possible, we track and regularly review the failure rates for each part we carry. Today, we want...

www.pugetsystems.com

But, the PRO versions do not offer much added value.
The added endurance is no issue on 1tb drives.
I would instead use a 970 evo plus, perhaps in 2tb size.

Do not chase synthetic ssd sequential speeds.
You will not notice any difference.
These guys could not tell:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DKLA7w9eeA



The video card is a beast, I can see the attraction.
It requires three 8 pin pcie power connectors.

For that, I think I would go stronger than 850w.
Corsair rm is good with a 10 year warranty.
Equally good would be one of the seasonic GX units.

Plan on upgrading your windows 10 to 11.
ii will make use of the 12th gen hardware to better schedule jobs.

I would at least try the supplied 140mm front fans.
You could always swap them out later.

No integrated iGPU in case of a GPU failure is my only worry too, I'll be choosing the the parts at the end of the month so I'll likely decide for K or KF then. Not too much of a pain either way for me though.

The DH-15 was actually my original choice for a CPU cooler, I only ended up moving to the current one based on cheapness and speed. I'll go back to that Cooler though because I did find it was a good choice. I was going to do the Chromax.black version, I assume there's no real difference between that and the regular version though?

Regarding PRO Samsung SSD, I think I only went for PRO because I couldn't find the regular for much cheaper, I'll keep an eye out but this is something that I don't mind swapping about like the KF.

850w seems to cover what I've got for now, but I'll take a look around to see some other stats on a 950w version.

So, I have retail version of Windows, so I was just going swap out my current version of Windows 10 onto my new PC. Is there a way to do this upgrade when installing my carryover Windows 10 on my new PC?

 

[Hellfire13]

Few points to mention...

No integrated iGPU in case of a GPU failure is my only worry too, I'll be choosing the the parts at the end of the month so I'll likely decide for K or KF then. Not too much of a pain either way for me though.

There is no point choosing a non iGPU chip unless you are really hard pressed with budget. The iGPU not only gives you troubleshooting option in case of card failure, but also comes with a handy editing feature called Intel® Quick Sync...

"Intel® Quick Sync Video uses the dedicated media processing capabilities of Intel® Graphics Technology to decode and encode fast, enabling the processor to complete other tasks and improving system responsiveness".

The DH-15 was actually my original choice for a CPU cooler, I only ended up moving to the current one based on cheapness and speed. I'll go back to that Cooler though because I did find it was a good choice. I was going to do the Chromax.black version, I assume there's no real difference between that and the regular version though?

The DH15 is an excellent cooler if you plan for K chip. However if you go for a locked chip a Arctic Freezer Duo or even the Deepcool in your original list should be more than enough.

Regarding PRO Samsung SSD, I think I only went for PRO because I couldn't find the regular for much cheaper, I'll keep an eye out but this is something that I don't mind swapping about like the KF.

If you go for the 980 series, stick with the Pro version as you have chosen originally. The Pro version comes with DRAM cache which is absent in the non Pro version. DRAM cache is good for overall performance...

"Whenever the system instructs the SSD to fetch some data, the drive needs to know where exactly the data is stored inside the memory cells. For this reason, the drive keeps a sort of “map” which actively tracks where all the data is physically stored. This “map” is stored on a drive’s DRAM Cache. This cache is a separate high-speed memory chip inside the SSD, which can often be of significant importance. This form of memory is much faster than the separate NAND Flash inside the SSD. "

In the history of Samsung NVMEs, the 980 non Pro is the only version that does not have a DRAM cache.

850w seems to cover what I've got for now, but I'll take a look around to see some other stats on a 950w version.

850w should suffice your build adequately. The total power draw should not be more than 550w from that configuration with stock clocks. The AMD cards are not yet known for transient spokes like the NVIDIA cards, but then again there has not been enough testing done yet.

So, I have retail version of Windows, so I was just going swap out my current version of Windows 10 onto my new PC. Is there a way to do this upgrade when installing my carryover Windows 10 on my new PC?

Here are the upgrade routes to Windows 11...
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/ways-to-install-windows-11-e0edbbfb-cfc5-4011-868b-2ce77ac7c70e#:~:text=If you're upgrading from,Windows Update > Check for updates.