[SOLVED] $900 PC Build

[dragonfly22588]

I am finally looking at getting a new system on my 2012 system. I am a light gamer playing games like World of Warships on occasion, some strategy games like COH, Civilization, MS office products . I'm experiencing some performance issues in these games and not running on high settings, running out of space in my 1 T HD. I'm thinking of doing a new build, looking for reliable and practical performance. Are computer components at this time still way overpriced? 1-2 years ago I was thinking of doing it but people were saying at the time it was way to expensive. In the next few months is there any particular reason to wait or buy now? The system I have is in my signature and I live in the Los Angeles area. A few things about the recommendation I am looking for.

1. I would like to have a 2 TB SSD and only 1 storage drive
2. I would strongly prefer to keep my existing graphics card as it works but if it's to old or to much of a bottleneck then I would consider a total budget of $1100
3. I am looking for a reliable and stable system that I won't do any over clocking or upgrades except for the graphics card. I'm expecting this system to run me another 10 years.
4. I won't need an OS as I should be able to transfer mine to the new computer.
5. I won't be purchasing a monitor and I currently have a Asus VG356H.

Thanks.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Now is actually better than it has been in quite some time. CPUs are fairly reasonably priced. Memory is very low priced right now. Drives are at least reasonably priced but beginning to go up a bit. Graphics cards are selling at or near MSRP for the first time in forever, so long as you are not looking at any of the RTX 40 series Nvidia cards which are so far only the 4080 and 4090 anyhow and are astronomically high even for high end models, IMO anyhow. To me, 2000 dollars for a flagship card that you could get (Granted, I'm not talking about comparable performance, but the top of the line cards from a few years back WERE the top of the line at that time) for 1000 dollars or so maybe three years ago. Even the Titan cards never ran that high.

Motherboards are not particularly cheap if you want a higher end model but there are very good models to be had in all ranges from low to high of the mid tiered boards. Even some budget models that are well worth looking at.

Where are you looking to go on the graphics card, as that kind of makes a big difference in terms of what capacity we want to target on the power supply so you don't have to buy one twice for lack of foresight?

Also, are you looking to replace the case as well?

 

[Why_Me]

@dragonfly22588 there's a Micro Center located in Tustin (Orange County).

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1543118-REG/cougar_mx330_g_air_gaming_mid_tower.html
COUGAR MX330-G Air Mid-Tower Case $59.99

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09YZ2THMB
NZXT C650 (2022) 650W 80+ Gold Modular Power Supply $79.99

https://www.microcenter.com/product/646495/msi-b660-a-pro-ddr4-intel-lga-1700-atx-motherboard
MSI B660-A Pro DDR4 $139.99 Save $20 when bundled with a compatible eligible processor

https://www.microcenter.com/product...0-boxed-processor-intel-stock-cooler-included
Intel Core i5-12400 $179.99 Save $20 when bundled with a compatible eligible motherboard

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09S38FD1J
Thermalright Assassin X 120 SE CPU Cooler $19.90

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092ZCVHS8
Silicon Power DDR4 3200 32GB (2x16GB) CL16 $69.97

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1710646-REG/crucial_ct2000p3ssd8_2tb_p3_nvme_pcie.html
Crucial P3 2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 Internal SSD $119.99

https://www.newegg.com/asrock-radeon-rx-6600-rx6600-cld-8g/p/N82E16814930066
ASRock Radeon RX 6600 8GB Video Card $215.99

Total: $865.81

https://shopsoftwarekeys.com/shop/microsoft-windows-10-home-32-64-bit-usb-box-pack/
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 32/64-bit USB $79.99

A better look at those components.

https://cougargaming.com/us/products/cases/mx330-g-air/

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/PRO-B660-A-DDR4

http://www.thermalright.com/product/assassin-x-120/

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...12400-processor-18m-cache-up-to-4-40-ghz.html

i5 12400 gaming benchmarks.

 

[dragonfly22588]

@Why_Me me @Darkbreeze About the graphics card as I mentioned I'd strongly prefer to keep mine which is a GPU: XFX Radeon RX 570 (4GBs) unless it is a serious bottleneck performance wise. If not is there any particular benefit hiking down to the Microcenter? Are their products and prices going to be better than the equivalent online? It would take me several hours minimum driving back and forth.

I would be looking for a new case as well.

 

[Why_Me]

@Why_Me me @Darkbreeze About the graphics card as I mentioned I'd strongly prefer to keep mine which is a GPU: XFX Radeon RX 570 (4GBs) unless it is a serious bottleneck performance wise. If not is there any particular benefit hiking down to the Microcenter? Are their products and prices going to be better than the equivalent online? It would take me several hours minimum driving back and forth.

I would be looking for a new case as well.

This board and cpu down below keeps you within your budget and no driving involved. I posted a case up above but is there something particular you want in a case as far as looks while still achieving decent airflow? You can save some money with this gpu down below which lowers the cost of that build up above to $865.81

https://www.newegg.com/asrock-radeon-rx-6600-rx6600-cld-8g/p/N82E16814930066
ASRock Radeon RX 6600 8GB Video Card $215.99

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813144531
MSI PRO B660M-A DDR4 $129.99 Sale Ends in 23 Hours

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/PRO-B660M-A-DDR4

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...512400f_core_i5_12400f_desktop_processor.html
Intel Core i5-12400F $166.99

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...2400f-processor-18m-cache-up-to-4-40-ghz.html

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=o2pX85UqX0c

 

[dragonfly22588]

@Why_Me I must have missed the case but I did just read some reviews on it having issues with the power button sticking down. The button itself is top mounted, if there is another case with a front mounted button and similar USB I/O and as you said with good air flow. About the graphics card, is there a way to estimate roughly how much of a boost I'd get going from your 1st and 2nd recommendation from what I am currently using? If I were to continue using my current card and I am really handicapping what I can get out of the system?

As for the CPU it seems the version in your 2nd post just doesn't have integrated graphics which is fine since I'll have a GPU but what would happen if the video card were to suddenly fail. Would I be able to get into the system to do the very basic stuff or would I not even be able to get into the OS? Any other possible downsides not getting a CPU with integrated graphics?

I realized it seems nowadays built in wifi on the mobo is an option and that would be something I'd like to have so maybe another mobo recommendation?

 

[helper800]

If I were to make the build with a graphics card this is how I would do it;

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-12400F 2.5 GHz 6-Core Processor ($166.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool AG400 BK ARGB 75.89 CFM CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI PRO B660M-A WIFI DDR4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory ($58.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($124.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: ASRock Challenger D Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card ($215.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Focus 2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($65.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RM750 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fan ($9.08 @ Amazon)
Total: $901.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-12-19 12:12 EST-0500

 

[dragonfly22588]

@helper800 thanks for your recommendations. It seems you recommended the same graphics card as why_me but I also wanted to know what kind of performance boost am I likely to see with a new graphics card as opposed to sticking to my existing one. Is what I am using now dramatically bottlenecking other components?

 

[helper800]

@helper800 thanks for your recommendations. It seems you recommended the same graphics card as why_me but I also wanted to know what kind of performance boost am I likely to see with a new graphics card as opposed to sticking to my existing one. Is what I am using now dramatically bottlenecking other components?

I would take this as rough approximate. https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/AMD-RX-6600-vs-AMD-RX-570/4128vs3924
You would be gaining a huge amount of performance and Vram is becoming more important with games even at 1080p.

 

[Why_Me]

@Why_Me I must have missed the case but I did just read some reviews on it having issues with the power button sticking down. The button itself is top mounted, if there is another case with a front mounted button and similar USB I/O and as you said with good air flow. About the graphics card, is there a way to estimate roughly how much of a boost I'd get going from your 1st and 2nd recommendation from what I am currently using? If I were to continue using my current card and I am really handicapping what I can get out of the system?

As for the CPU it seems the version in your 2nd post just doesn't have integrated graphics which is fine since I'll have a GPU but what would happen if the video card were to suddenly fail. Would I be able to get into the system to do the very basic stuff or would I not even be able to get into the OS? Any other possible downsides not getting a CPU with integrated graphics?

I realized it seems nowadays built in wifi on the mobo is an option and that would be something I'd like to have so maybe another mobo recommendation?

Hold on to your old gpu and if your new card ever bricks use your old card for a backup.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PX7D8KY
MSI PRO B660M-A WiFi DDR4 $149.99

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/PRO-B660M-A-WIFI-DDR4

https://www.newegg.com/black-fractal-design-focus-g-atx-mid-tower/p/N82E16811352069
Fractal Design Focus G Black Mid Tower Computer Case $54.99

Focus G

www.fractal-design.com

Rear exhaust fan for that case.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GJGF56L
ARCTIC P12 PWM PST 120mm 4-Pin Case Fan $9.99

 

[Why_Me]

@helper800 thanks for your recommendations. It seems you recommended the same graphics card as why_me but I also wanted to know what kind of performance boost am I likely to see with a new graphics card as opposed to sticking to my existing one. Is what I am using now dramatically bottlenecking other components?

I posted a youtube vid comparing those two cards,

 

[logainofhades]

@Why_Me me @Darkbreeze About the graphics card as I mentioned I'd strongly prefer to keep mine which is a GPU: XFX Radeon RX 570 (4GBs) unless it is a serious bottleneck performance wise. If not is there any particular benefit hiking down to the Microcenter? Are their products and prices going to be better than the equivalent online? It would take me several hours minimum driving back and forth.

I would be looking for a new case as well.

You cannot beat microcenter's bundle deals, on CPU's and motherboards.

https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/bundle-and-save.aspx

 

[helper800]

You cannot beat microcenter's bundle deals, on CPU's and motherboards.

https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/bundle-and-save.aspx

You can if it costs 40 dollars in gas, and 2+ hours of driving LA traffic to get to Tustin...

 

[logainofhades]

You can if it costs 40 dollars in gas, and 2+ hours of driving LA traffic to get to Tustin...

That $40 still wouldn't kill the savings, of getting a Z690 motherboard for only $50, or getting your ram for free, with AM5 Ryzen. The 12600k deal is quite interesting.

Buy an Intel® Core™ i5-12600K 3.7GHz processor (326678) for only $248.98 & get a $50 ASUS Z690 Motherboard that is under $260 for FREE Reg. $219.99 / LIMIT ONE PER HOUSEHOLD / IN-STORE ONLY / WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

 

[dragonfly22588]

ok @logainofhades and @helper800 turns out this Saturday I will be traveling in the direction of Microcenter and might be tempted to go there since I've never been there anyway so given the fact I am now leaning toward purchasing the Video Card: ASRock Challenger D Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card with the new system, what items from your recommendation might change so that I can still take advantage of their deal especially since I'd now like to have a mobo with wifi? Thanks.

 

[Why_Me]

ok @logainofhades and @helper800 turns out this Saturday I will be traveling in the direction of Microcenter and might be tempted to go there since I've never been there anyway so given the fact I am now leaning toward purchasing the Video Card: ASRock Challenger D Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card with the new system, what items from your recommendation might change so that I can still take advantage of their deal especially since I'd now like to have a mobo with wifi? Thanks.

Combo this board with the i5 12400 I linked in the build I posted.

https://www.microcenter.com/product...r-wifi-d4-intel-lga-1700-microatx-motherboard
MSI B660 MAG Mortar WiFi DDR4 $169.99 Save $20 when bundled with a compatible eligible processor

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-B660M-MORTAR-WIFI-DDR4

 

[Why_Me]

The Tustin store also has an open box board for $143.96.

https://www.microcenter.com/product...g-wifi-d4-intel-lga-1700-microatx-motherboard

TUF GAMING B660M-PLUS WIFI D4｜Motherboards｜ASUS Global

TUF Gaming series distills essential elements of the latest AMD and Intel® platforms, and combines them with game-ready features and proven durability. Engineered with military-grade components, an upgraded power solution and a comprehensive set of cooling options, this motherboard delivers...

www.asus.com

 

[Why_Me]

https://www.microcenter.com/category/4294964318/computer-cases

 

[helper800]

That $40 still wouldn't kill the savings, of getting a Z690 motherboard for only $50, or getting your ram for free, with AM5 Ryzen. The 12600k deal is quite interesting.

If I value my time at 20-30 dollars an hour, you mind as well pay more online, but I definitely understand chasing these deals. I am only 25 minutes from this specific store myself.

 

[Zerk2012]

283 miles one direction just to get to ST. Louis for me.

 

[Ar558]

This is my suggestion
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PZGrsL

This will give you an upgrade path to 13th Gen which could extend the life in a few years time at relatively little extra cost.

 

[helper800]

283 miles one direction just to get to ST. Louis for me.

Hope you can get in that bi-plane or helicopter to make in 1h one way.

 

[Zerk2012]

Hope you can get in that bi-plane or helicopter to make in 1h one way.

We go to a couple of these each year so I can stop in if it's worth it we take the exit towards Chicago right at ST Louis.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQI_2eicRhk

 

[dragonfly22588]

@Why_Me I'm curious, could you help me understand your recommendation for memory:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092ZCVHS8
Silicon Power DDR4 3200 32GB (2x16GB) CL16 $69.97

At least one other person on here and some people on another forum recommended 16 GB (2x8 GB) configuration instead. Are there any downsides to 32 GB? I noticed the your recommendation is for DDR4 3200 vs. the 16 GB sticks at DDR4 3600, would it be dependent on the motherboard I end up picking? In the future if I wanted to expand, can I just add 2 more sticks to get 64 GB pretty easily?

 

[Why_Me]

@Why_Me I'm curious, could you help me understand your recommendation for memory:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092ZCVHS8
Silicon Power DDR4 3200 32GB (2x16GB) CL16 $69.97

At least one other person on here and some people on another forum recommended 16 GB (2x8 GB) configuration instead. Are there any downsides to 32 GB? I noticed the your recommendation is for DDR4 3200 vs. the 16 GB sticks at DDR4 3600, would it be dependent on the motherboard I end up picking? In the future if I wanted to expand, can I just add 2 more sticks to get 64 GB pretty easily?

32GB allows everything to run smoothly and it fits in your budget. You can always add another set of that RAM in the future if you ever feel the need for 64GB.