Hello and thank you to anyone who reads this and is able to help me out. I apologize if I've posted incorrectly, as I have never done this before. My laptop (ASUS, 2018) just isn't capable of doing what I want from it anymore. I love playing video games, and for some of the heftier ones – Rust, Conan Exiles, Borderlands 3, etc. – I get major FPS lag, sometimes to the point of unplayability and frustration. It seems like a daunting task to build a PC for the first time, but my friends and family have convinced me to do so. Tom's Hardware has been suggested as a place to get better help/opinions than they could offer, and I would greatly appreciate any guidance/improvements others can offer to my build.
Approximate Purchase Date: Within the next month or couple of months; flexible.
Budget Range: $3,000 – $3,500.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, streaming over discord (maybe on twitch one day), watching movies/shows, multitasking (e.g. two different games at the same time, gaming + streaming or watching something else on another monitor or tabbed out).
Are you buying a monitor: Yes. For now, only one Asus ROG Swift PG279QM, and a second one at a later date.
Parts to Upgrade: It is a fresh, new, first-time build.
Do you need to buy OS: Yes.
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg, Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, in that order. Open to other trusted sites.
Location: Hawaii, USA. It gets very humid here in the summer, especially being on one of the hotter sides of the island, and I don't have AC – just a junk ceiling fan and windows in my room. I am also prone to termite season here. When it comes around, a bright gaming night will be met with many, many termite wings and bugs in my PC's vicinity. Lord knows there are some lurking (R.I.P.) in this very laptop I am typing this from. It's rough.
Parts Preferences: Intel.
Overclocking: No.
SLI or Crossfire: No. Unless, do I need to choose one or the other? From what I've seen, since I don't plan on using multiple GPUs, I don't need SLI or Crossfire.
Your Monitor Resolution: I currently do everything on my laptop, which is 1920x1080. I'm looking to buy a 2560x1440 monitor -- the Asus ROG Swift PG279QM.
Additional Comments: As stated earlier, I have a bug problem where I live. They (ants/termites, mainly) have crawled into my laptop and died, taking it with them. Not as a hive attack or anything, just as stragglers here and there. I don't think they are crazy ants that chew through electronics, since I haven't noticed that issue, but they are annoying. Because of this, and because it seems like a task I am not yet ready for, I will not be looking into liquid cooling. Is there a way to bug-proof my PC? Also, I may ship some things to my family in either WA or FL and have them ship it to me. Sometimes, companies are unable to ship certain things to my state – or they are able to ship here, but the rates are atrocious.
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I want to have a better gaming experience. Struggling to run games like Rust, Conan Exiles, Borderlands 3, etc. on my laptop because it is dying. I want to have the option to upgrade parts of my PC that I see fit more easily than I would with a laptop, if at all.
Parts List:
CPU: Intel Core i7-12700K Desktop Processor 12 (8P+4E) Cores up to 5.0 GHz Unlocked LGA1700 600 Series Chipset 125W - $379.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FXNVDBJ?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15, Premium CPU Cooler with 2X NF-A15 PWM 140mm Fans (Brown) - $99.95
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L7UZMAK?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix Z690-A Gaming WiFi D4 LGA1700(Intel® 12th Gen) ATX Gaming Motherboard(PCIe 5.0,DDR4,16+1 Power Stages,WiFi 6,2.5 Gb LAN,BT v5.2,Thunderbolt 4,4xM.2 and Front USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C) - $319.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09J1RM86X?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
Memory: G.SKILL Trident Z Royal Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin PC RAM DDR4 3600 (PC4 28800) Intel XMP 2.0 Desktop Memory Model F4-3600C19D-32GTRS - $152.99
https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820232822?Item=N82E16820232822&nm_mc=AFC-RAN-COM&cm_mmc=AFC-RAN-COM&AFFID=2558510&AFFNAME=PCPartPicker&ACRID=1&ASID=https://pcpartpicker.com/&ranMID=44583&ranEAID=2558510&ranSiteID=8BacdVP0GFs-xudD_zzm_24AybPWd2qzsQ
Storage: SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus SSD 2TB - M.2 NVMe Interface Internal Solid State Drive with V-NAND Technology (MZ-V7S2T0B/AM) - $219.99
https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-970-EVO-Plus-MZ-V7S2T0B/dp/B07MFZXR1B/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2Y1DMLQIDWUVZ&keywords=SAMSUNG+970+EVO+Plus+SSD+2TB+-+M.2+NVMe+Interface+Internal+Solid+State+Drive+with+V-NAND+Technology+(MZ-V7S2T0B/AM)&qid=1657001971&sprefix=samsung+970+evo+plus+ssd+2tb+-+m.2+nvme+interface+internal+solid+state+drive+with+v-nand+technology+mz-v7s2t0b/am+,aps,312&sr=8-3
AND an extra SSD for Windows only: SAMSUNG 980 SSD 500GB PCle 3.0x4, NVMe M.2 2280, Internal Solid State Drive, Storage for PC, Laptops, HMB Technology, Intelligent Turbowrite, Sequential Read Speeds of up-to 3,500MB/s, MZ-V8V500B/AM - $54.99
https://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-Technology-Intelligent-Turbowrite-Sequential/dp/B08V7GT6F3/ref=sr_1_3?crid=6E7K2CEX2JOD&keywords=Samsung+980+500+GB+M.2-2280+NVME+Solid+State+Drive+Samsung+980+500+GB+M.2-2280+NVME+Solid+State+Drive&qid=1657002012&sprefix=samsung+980+500+gb+m.2-2280+nvme+solid+state+drive+samsung+980+500+gb+m.2-2280+nvme+solid+state+drive,aps,175&sr=8-3
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming, 12G-P5-3967-KR, 12GB GDDR6X, iCX3 Technology, ARGB LED, Metal Backplate - $1,141.07
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09622N253?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
Case: Corsair 5000D Airflow Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX PC Case – Black - $149.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08M49WW51?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
Power Supply: Corsair HX Series, HX1000, 1000 Watt, Fully Modular Power Supply, 80+ Platinum Certified, CP-9020139-NA - $254.07
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5NWKHH?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
Monitor: ASUS ROG Swift 27” 1440P Gaming Monitor (PG279QM) - WQHD (2560 x 1440), Fast IPS, 240Hz, 1ms, G-SYNC, NVIDIA Reflex Latency Analyzer, DisplayHDR400, Eye Care, HDMI, DisplayPort, USB, Height Adjustable - $749.00
https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-PG279QM/dp/B08LCNWQWL/ref=sr_1_3?crid=4WVRCS0USQDH&keywords=Asus+ROG+Swift+PG279QM&qid=1657017165&sprefix=asus+rog+swift+pg279qm,aps,367&sr=8-3
Keyboard: G.SKILL KM360 Professional Tenkeyless Mechanical Keyboard, Cherry MX Red, ABS Dual Injection Keycap, (Black) - $54.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X4Y5RDC?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
Finally, here is my list from pcpartpicker, for easier viewing.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/GyrkjZ
Total: $3,497.02
Notes:
I selected these parts using pcpartpicker. The compatibility notes at the bottom are as follows:
"Note A: A USB 3.2 Gen 2 to USB 3.2 Gen 1 header adapter is required."
"Note B: The Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler may require a separately available mounting adapter to fit the Asus ROG STRIX Z690-A GAMING WIFI D4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard."
"Disclaimer: Some physical dimension constraints are currently not checked, such as CPU coolers and RAM clearance." I assume this means the website just doesn't have the ability to confirm the compatibility of some parts as they would fit in the case. I would have to use my best judgement according to the size of the items listed compared to the size of the case.
What am I lacking or what would be a better selection to avoid these potential incompatibilities? If you guys have any recommendations or improvements to make to my build, please let me know -- I'm a noob! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post, and even more so if you've responded – I greatly appreciate it!
Approximate Purchase Date: Within the next month or couple of months; flexible.
Budget Range: $3,000 – $3,500.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, streaming over discord (maybe on twitch one day), watching movies/shows, multitasking (e.g. two different games at the same time, gaming + streaming or watching something else on another monitor or tabbed out).
Are you buying a monitor: Yes. For now, only one Asus ROG Swift PG279QM, and a second one at a later date.
Parts to Upgrade: It is a fresh, new, first-time build.
Do you need to buy OS: Yes.
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg, Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, in that order. Open to other trusted sites.
Location: Hawaii, USA. It gets very humid here in the summer, especially being on one of the hotter sides of the island, and I don't have AC – just a junk ceiling fan and windows in my room. I am also prone to termite season here. When it comes around, a bright gaming night will be met with many, many termite wings and bugs in my PC's vicinity. Lord knows there are some lurking (R.I.P.) in this very laptop I am typing this from. It's rough.
Parts Preferences: Intel.
Overclocking: No.
SLI or Crossfire: No. Unless, do I need to choose one or the other? From what I've seen, since I don't plan on using multiple GPUs, I don't need SLI or Crossfire.
Your Monitor Resolution: I currently do everything on my laptop, which is 1920x1080. I'm looking to buy a 2560x1440 monitor -- the Asus ROG Swift PG279QM.
Additional Comments: As stated earlier, I have a bug problem where I live. They (ants/termites, mainly) have crawled into my laptop and died, taking it with them. Not as a hive attack or anything, just as stragglers here and there. I don't think they are crazy ants that chew through electronics, since I haven't noticed that issue, but they are annoying. Because of this, and because it seems like a task I am not yet ready for, I will not be looking into liquid cooling. Is there a way to bug-proof my PC? Also, I may ship some things to my family in either WA or FL and have them ship it to me. Sometimes, companies are unable to ship certain things to my state – or they are able to ship here, but the rates are atrocious.
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I want to have a better gaming experience. Struggling to run games like Rust, Conan Exiles, Borderlands 3, etc. on my laptop because it is dying. I want to have the option to upgrade parts of my PC that I see fit more easily than I would with a laptop, if at all.
Parts List:
CPU: Intel Core i7-12700K Desktop Processor 12 (8P+4E) Cores up to 5.0 GHz Unlocked LGA1700 600 Series Chipset 125W - $379.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FXNVDBJ?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15, Premium CPU Cooler with 2X NF-A15 PWM 140mm Fans (Brown) - $99.95
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L7UZMAK?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix Z690-A Gaming WiFi D4 LGA1700(Intel® 12th Gen) ATX Gaming Motherboard(PCIe 5.0,DDR4,16+1 Power Stages,WiFi 6,2.5 Gb LAN,BT v5.2,Thunderbolt 4,4xM.2 and Front USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C) - $319.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09J1RM86X?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
Memory: G.SKILL Trident Z Royal Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin PC RAM DDR4 3600 (PC4 28800) Intel XMP 2.0 Desktop Memory Model F4-3600C19D-32GTRS - $152.99
https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820232822?Item=N82E16820232822&nm_mc=AFC-RAN-COM&cm_mmc=AFC-RAN-COM&AFFID=2558510&AFFNAME=PCPartPicker&ACRID=1&ASID=https://pcpartpicker.com/&ranMID=44583&ranEAID=2558510&ranSiteID=8BacdVP0GFs-xudD_zzm_24AybPWd2qzsQ
Storage: SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus SSD 2TB - M.2 NVMe Interface Internal Solid State Drive with V-NAND Technology (MZ-V7S2T0B/AM) - $219.99
https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-970-EVO-Plus-MZ-V7S2T0B/dp/B07MFZXR1B/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2Y1DMLQIDWUVZ&keywords=SAMSUNG+970+EVO+Plus+SSD+2TB+-+M.2+NVMe+Interface+Internal+Solid+State+Drive+with+V-NAND+Technology+(MZ-V7S2T0B/AM)&qid=1657001971&sprefix=samsung+970+evo+plus+ssd+2tb+-+m.2+nvme+interface+internal+solid+state+drive+with+v-nand+technology+mz-v7s2t0b/am+,aps,312&sr=8-3
AND an extra SSD for Windows only: SAMSUNG 980 SSD 500GB PCle 3.0x4, NVMe M.2 2280, Internal Solid State Drive, Storage for PC, Laptops, HMB Technology, Intelligent Turbowrite, Sequential Read Speeds of up-to 3,500MB/s, MZ-V8V500B/AM - $54.99
https://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-Technology-Intelligent-Turbowrite-Sequential/dp/B08V7GT6F3/ref=sr_1_3?crid=6E7K2CEX2JOD&keywords=Samsung+980+500+GB+M.2-2280+NVME+Solid+State+Drive+Samsung+980+500+GB+M.2-2280+NVME+Solid+State+Drive&qid=1657002012&sprefix=samsung+980+500+gb+m.2-2280+nvme+solid+state+drive+samsung+980+500+gb+m.2-2280+nvme+solid+state+drive,aps,175&sr=8-3
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming, 12G-P5-3967-KR, 12GB GDDR6X, iCX3 Technology, ARGB LED, Metal Backplate - $1,141.07
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09622N253?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
Case: Corsair 5000D Airflow Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX PC Case – Black - $149.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08M49WW51?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
Power Supply: Corsair HX Series, HX1000, 1000 Watt, Fully Modular Power Supply, 80+ Platinum Certified, CP-9020139-NA - $254.07
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5NWKHH?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
Monitor: ASUS ROG Swift 27” 1440P Gaming Monitor (PG279QM) - WQHD (2560 x 1440), Fast IPS, 240Hz, 1ms, G-SYNC, NVIDIA Reflex Latency Analyzer, DisplayHDR400, Eye Care, HDMI, DisplayPort, USB, Height Adjustable - $749.00
https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-PG279QM/dp/B08LCNWQWL/ref=sr_1_3?crid=4WVRCS0USQDH&keywords=Asus+ROG+Swift+PG279QM&qid=1657017165&sprefix=asus+rog+swift+pg279qm,aps,367&sr=8-3
Keyboard: G.SKILL KM360 Professional Tenkeyless Mechanical Keyboard, Cherry MX Red, ABS Dual Injection Keycap, (Black) - $54.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X4Y5RDC?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
Finally, here is my list from pcpartpicker, for easier viewing.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/GyrkjZ
Total: $3,497.02
Notes:
I selected these parts using pcpartpicker. The compatibility notes at the bottom are as follows:
"Note A: A USB 3.2 Gen 2 to USB 3.2 Gen 1 header adapter is required."
"Note B: The Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler may require a separately available mounting adapter to fit the Asus ROG STRIX Z690-A GAMING WIFI D4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard."
"Disclaimer: Some physical dimension constraints are currently not checked, such as CPU coolers and RAM clearance." I assume this means the website just doesn't have the ability to confirm the compatibility of some parts as they would fit in the case. I would have to use my best judgement according to the size of the items listed compared to the size of the case.
What am I lacking or what would be a better selection to avoid these potential incompatibilities? If you guys have any recommendations or improvements to make to my build, please let me know -- I'm a noob! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post, and even more so if you've responded – I greatly appreciate it!