Build Advice Which CPU should I get, and, if needed, a new motherboard and case ?

[RabbitsTachi]

Hello,

Approximate Purchase Date: This month

Budget Range: $200 for CPU, $200 for Motherboard, $200 for case. Before Rebates; Before Shipping

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Surfing the net, watching movies

Are you buying a monitor: No

Parts to Upgrade: CPU for sure. Possibly Motherboard and Case. **PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower GX2 600W 80 PLUS Gold ATX**

Do you need to buy OS: No
Please note that if you're using an OEM license of Windows, you will need a new one when buying a new motherboard.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg or Amazon

Location: Los Angeles, California, United States, Earth

Parts Preferences: Intel CPU around or under $200 that will bottleneck my GPU, a RTX 3050, as little as possible within cost.

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1600x900@60Hz

Additional Comments: My goal is to run Cyberpunk 2077 with max crowds and Riven (2024)

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: The 8 year old CPU is giving me “CPU Over Temperature Error!”s in BIOS so it’s time to upgrade. Also, it can’t run Riven (2024).

More context:

I got a hand-me-down computer last year and have been upgrading it bit by bit ever since. Everything is almost new except the CPU, Motherboard, and the Case which are all about 8 years old.

The CPU has always run hot but now I’m getting “CPU Over Temperature Error!”s in BIOS so it’s time to upgrade.

My understanding is that the Motherboard (an ASUS Z97-A) is too old for most modern CPUs, so I’ll be looking to replace the CPU, Motherboard, and Case. Otherwise, I’ll keep the Motherboard and Case. As far I can tell, they work fine.

I’m looking for a CPU around or under $200 that will bottleneck my GPU, a RTX 3050, as little as possible. I mostly play games and am looking to play games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Riven (2024).

A friend of mine recommended an Intel i3-12100F, but I wanted to check with the community here for your opinions.

Would this be a good choice? Can it work with an ASUS Z97-A? If not, I was thinking of getting a MicroATX ASRock B660M Pro RS Intel. What do you think?

What would be a good case?

Thank you all so much for your help.

Windows 10 Home 64-bit
CPU (8 years old)
Intel Core i5 4690K @ 3.50GHz
Haswell 22nm Technology
RAM (8 months old)
16.0GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 801MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard (8 years old)
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. Z97-A (SOCKET 1150)
Graphics (4 months old)
Sceptre E20 (1600x900@60Hz)
4095MB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 (MSI)
Storage (8 months old)
931GB Samsung SSD 870 EVO 1TB (SATA (SSD)
PSU (4 months old)
Thermaltake Toughpower GX2 600W 80 PLUS Gold ATX

 

[Lutfij]

so I’ll be looking to replace the CPU, Motherboard, and Case
You can't hold onto the Z97 chipset board and the ram won't work with the new platform either. So you'll need to get a CPU, motherboard and ram combo if going for a platform swap at the very least.

Might I ask why you're gravitating towards Intel processors/platform? I'd avoid Intel given what has come to light with their 13th Gen processors. They are also hot headed processor which would need aftermarket cooling.

Honestly I don't see you getting a combo for $200, maybe if you went to Microcenter it could be possible but I'd avoid Intel. Invest in AMD's AM4 platform if possible. You would need to clarify what your absolute budget is for your upgrade path.

This is not something I'd have suggested if you were a client;
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i3-12100 3.3 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($115.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B760M-HDV/M.2 D4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($47.97 @ Amazon)
Total: $253.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-10-07 00:17 EDT-0400
but it fits your budget and I would prefer having an iGPU in case you need to troubleshoot discrete GPU related issues.

You could shoehorn your motherboard linked above to get something like this;
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i3-12100 3.3 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($115.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B660M Pro RS Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($47.97 @ Amazon)
Case: BGears b-Masstige MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($50.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $309.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-10-07 00:43 EDT-0400
assuming you don't need an SSD and your satisfied with the Intel platform.

If I were to suggest something, it'd be something like this;
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor ($113.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Assassin Spirit 120 EVO DARK 70.4 CFM CPU Cooler ($20.90 @ Newegg Sellers)
Motherboard: MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory ($72.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P3 500 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($39.79 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($112.99 @ Amazon)
Case: BGears b-Masstige MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($50.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $500.64
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-10-07 00:34 EDT-0400
Larger capacity PCIe4.0 SSD is for your game library, smaller capacity PCIe3.0 SSD is for your OS and launchers. Motherboard has BIOS flash button so you can flash the BIOS in case you can't get POST with the Ryzen 5600x. You can later drop in a beefier discrete GPU into the build later down the road but the PSU will need to be replaced when you go down that route.

My 2 cents on the matter.

 

[Aeacus]

Good news and bad news.

Bad 1st;

PSU (4 months old)
Thermaltake Toughpower GX2 600W 80 PLUS Gold ATX

Low quality PSU, borderline crap. So, new PSU is essentially a must.

RAM (8 months old)
16.0GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 801MHz (9-9-9-24)

DDR3 RAM is dead platform. It ended with Intel 6th gen, where DDR4 became norm. Current one is DDR5. So, new RAM is a must as well.

So goes for new CPU cooler as well, since what you currently have, isn't even enough to cool i5-4690K. New CPU is running hotter.

Good news;
For 600 bucks, you can get all the missing components.

Something like this:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-12600K 3.7 GHz 10-Core Processor ($159.00 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI PRO Z790-S WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston FURY Beast 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case ($65.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS GX 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($96.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $566.85

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-10-07 00:31 EDT-0400

Few words.

CPU - 12th gen Core i5. Solid performer. Sure, latest is 14th gen but it has firmware issues currently. Also, 12th gen is still solid and you can upgrade to 13th or 14th gen if you like at later date.
CPU Cooler - value king. Big-boy twin-tower cooler. Won't find anything better at that price.
MoBo - From MSI. ATX in size, built-in wi-fi and DDR5 support.
RAM - 2x 8GB (16 GB) 6000 Mhz DDR5. Should be plenty.
PC case - From Fractal Design with good airflow. Note: choosing a PC case is personal choice and pick the one you like the most.
PSU - Solid unit from Seasonic. 650W, 10 year warranty, 80+ Gold. This PSU is both beefy and high quality to power up to RTX 4070 Super GPU.

Note: No OS drive, since you didn't ask one. Also, RTX 3050 will hold back the rest of the build. So, if you want good FPS, especially in Cyberpunk 2077, look towards new GPU. RTX 4060, 4060 Ti, 4070 or 4070 Super.

 

[RabbitsTachi]

Might I ask why you're gravitating towards Intel processors/platform? I'd avoid Intel given what has come to light with their 13th Gen processors. They are also hot headed processor which would need aftermarket cooling.

I just wanted to stick with the same brand, but if Intel is having problems, then I'll go AMD.

If I were to suggest something, it'd be something like this;
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor ($113.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Assassin Spirit 120 EVO DARK 70.4 CFM CPU Cooler ($20.90 @ Newegg Sellers)
Motherboard: MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory ($72.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P3 500 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($39.79 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($112.99 @ Amazon)
Case: BGears b-Masstige MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($50.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $500.64
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-10-07 00:34 EDT-0400
Larger capacity PCIe4.0 SSD is for your game library, smaller capacity PCIe3.0 SSD is for your OS and launchers. Motherboard has BIOS flash button so you can flash the BIOS in case you can't get POST with the Ryzen 5600x. You can later drop in a beefier discrete GPU into the build later down the road.

My 2 cents on the matter.

I was thinking $200 for CPU, mobo etc. each. So this works great. Do I need new storage though?

Good news and bad news.

Bad 1st;


Low quality PSU, borderline crap. So, new PSU is essentially a must.

From past experience, I've gained a paranoia about PSUs going bad so thanks for the catch.

I think I'll go with the AMD build since Intel having problems. But with the new PSU Aeacus recommended. Thank you both.

 

[Lutfij]

I think you prematurely selected my post as the Best Answer, since I feel like your thread can run a longer course with suggestions from the community. So far only two have chimed in. Removing Best Solution badge from my post 😉

 

[Why_Me]

Hello,

Approximate Purchase Date: This month

Budget Range: $200 for CPU, $200 for Motherboard, $200 for case. Before Rebates; Before Shipping

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Surfing the net, watching movies

Are you buying a monitor: No

Parts to Upgrade: CPU for sure. Possibly Motherboard and Case. **PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower GX2 600W 80 PLUS Gold ATX**

Do you need to buy OS: No
Please note that if you're using an OEM license of Windows, you will need a new one when buying a new motherboard.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg or Amazon

Location: Los Angeles, California, United States, Earth

Parts Preferences: Intel CPU around or under $200 that will bottleneck my GPU, a RTX 3050, as little as possible within cost.

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1600x900@60Hz

Additional Comments: My goal is to run Cyberpunk 2077 with max crowds and Riven (2024)

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: The 8 year old CPU is giving me “CPU Over Temperature Error!”s in BIOS so it’s time to upgrade. Also, it can’t run Riven (2024).

More context:

I got a hand-me-down computer last year and have been upgrading it bit by bit ever since. Everything is almost new except the CPU, Motherboard, and the Case which are all about 8 years old.

The CPU has always run hot but now I’m getting “CPU Over Temperature Error!”s in BIOS so it’s time to upgrade.

My understanding is that the Motherboard (an ASUS Z97-A) is too old for most modern CPUs, so I’ll be looking to replace the CPU, Motherboard, and Case. Otherwise, I’ll keep the Motherboard and Case. As far I can tell, they work fine.

I’m looking for a CPU around or under $200 that will bottleneck my GPU, a RTX 3050, as little as possible. I mostly play games and am looking to play games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Riven (2024).

A friend of mine recommended an Intel i3-12100F, but I wanted to check with the community here for your opinions.

Would this be a good choice? Can it work with an ASUS Z97-A? If not, I was thinking of getting a MicroATX ASRock B660M Pro RS Intel. What do you think?

What would be a good case?

Thank you all so much for your help.

Windows 10 Home 64-bit
CPU (8 years old)
Intel Core i5 4690K @ 3.50GHz
Haswell 22nm Technology
RAM (8 months old)
16.0GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 801MHz (9-9-9-24)
Motherboard (8 years old)
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. Z97-A (SOCKET 1150)
Graphics (4 months old)
Sceptre E20 (1600x900@60Hz)
4095MB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 (MSI)
Storage (8 months old)
931GB Samsung SSD 870 EVO 1TB (SATA (SSD)
PSU (4 months old)
Thermaltake Toughpower GX2 600W 80 PLUS Gold ATX

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *Intel Core i5-12400F 2.5 GHz 6-Core Processor ($111.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: *Thermalright Assassin X 120 V2 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($19.79 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: *ASRock B760 Pro RS/D4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: *Silicon Power XPOWER Turbine 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($47.97 @ Amazon)
Case: *Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case ($65.00 @ B&H)
Total: $354.74
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-10-07 03:26 EDT-0400

 

[Aeacus]

I just wanted to stick with the same brand, but if Intel is having problems, then I'll go AMD.

14th gen Intel, yes, is having firmware issues. And looks like, so is with 13th gen.
Latest info if interested: https://community.intel.com/t5/Blog...n-Desktop-Instability-Root-Cause/post/1633239

But Intel 12th gen is safe, like the i5-12600K i suggested.

Though, nothing wrong with AMD either. Sometimes, you can even get better price to performance ratio with AMD CPU, than that with Intel CPU. (Though, my personal preference is Intel.)

Do I need new storage though?

Samsung 870 Evo 1TB is solid and reliable SSD. No need to replace it. You can go for 2nd drive for more storage capacity, but 870 Evo does just fine as well.

E.g even i have 870 Evo in use, but mine are 2TB drives.

From past experience, I've gained a paranoia about PSUs going bad so thanks for the catch.

With PSUs, yes, you need to be careful and not cheaping out on them.

Besides the Seasonic Focus i listed (to fit your budget), other good PSUs to look for, are: Seasonic Vertex/PRIME, Corsair RMx/RMi/HXi/AXi, Super Flower Leadex Gold/Platinum/Titanium.

(My 3x PCs are also powered by Seasonic. I have 2x PRIME TX-650 units and one Focus PX-550 unit. Full specs with pics in my sig.)

And if you like to have the latest ATX 3.0/3.1 PSU, then this list here showcases best PSUs,
650W range: https://hwbusters.com/best_picks/best-atxv3-pcie5-ready-psus-picks-hardware-busters/2/

That article also lists best PSUs in other (higher) wattage capacity.

 

[RabbitsTachi]

According to https://pc-builds.com/bottleneck-calculator, Intel Core i5-12400F is the best match of a 3050, the other two CPUs are two powerful. I can't imagine I'll need to upgrade my 3050 for some time. Also, it's 12th gen. Very promising.

 

[Aeacus]

Intel Core i5-12400F is the best match of a 3050, the other two CPUs are two powerful.

You sure you checked it right?

Since i just checked it and i5-12600K + RTX 3050 + 1600x900 reso = 0% bottleneck,
results: https://pc-builds.com/bottleneck-calculator/result/1cf1av/1/general-tasks/1600x900/

But i5-12400F + RTX 3050 + 1600x900 reso = 2.2% CPU bottleneck,
results: https://pc-builds.com/bottleneck-calculator/result/1dv1av/1/general-tasks/1600x900/

Actually, the same 0% bottleneck is also with R5 5600X,
results: https://pc-builds.com/bottleneck-calculator/result/10f1av/1/general-tasks/1600x900/

 

[Why_Me]

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805937115185.html
AMD Ryzen 5 7500F $123.79

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: *ID-COOLING FROZN A620 PRO SE 58 CFM CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: *MSI PRO B650-S WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard ($125.90 @ Amazon)
Memory: *TEAMGROUP T-Create Expert 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($85.99 @ Amazon)
Case: *Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case ($65.00 @ B&H)
Total: $306.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-10-07 06:54 EDT-0400

 

[RabbitsTachi]

You sure you checked it right?

Since i just checked it and i5-12600K + RTX 3050 + 1600x900 reso = 0% bottleneck,
results: https://pc-builds.com/bottleneck-calculator/result/1cf1av/1/general-tasks/1600x900/

But i5-12400F + RTX 3050 + 1600x900 reso = 2.2% CPU bottleneck,
results: https://pc-builds.com/bottleneck-calculator/result/1dv1av/1/general-tasks/1600x900/

Actually, the same 0% bottleneck is also with R5 5600X,
results: https://pc-builds.com/bottleneck-calculator/result/10f1av/1/general-tasks/1600x900/

How strange. I wonder how that happened. Thanks for the catch.