Best PC Builds for Gaming, Streaming and Productivity

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At even the lowest budget end, I'd never recommend the 9100F, as a 4c/4t CPUs frame rates often struggle for maintaining minimum FPS..; the R3/3300X is a $120 budget beast, with it's 4c/8t CPU often nearly matching the R5-3600 in many games...
 
The z490-Pro has this in the specifications - Supports 1R 2133/2666/2933 MHz - And you seem to be recommending a 3200 Mhz DDR4?
 
vinaysb14 said:
The z490-Pro has this in the specifications - Supports 1R 2133/2666/2933 MHz - And you seem to be recommending a 3200 Mhz DDR4?
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Those are "officially" supported speeds. They're basically guaranteed speeds the motherboard will run, but you can easily run higher speed RAM (especially on Intel-based platforms) with overclocking profiles that are embedded within RAM kits you buy (aka XMP profiles).
 
This is a horrible article. Every build inconsistently lists components, sometimes giving specifics, sometimes being general, and other times skipping over components altogether. The $1500 build says "We’ve stuck with the same RAM ... from our $1000 build" yet the $1,000 build doesn't list any RAM. A 500 GB SSD drive is listed as 1 TB.
 
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Tom's Hardware seems to be focusing more and more on gaming. That is bad. There is a myriad of gaming oriented websites already. I'm a business user, focused on productivity. I couldn't care less about gaming.
 
What's the point of suggestions with imaginary GPU prices that don't exist? None of the builds even meet their price points anymore (if they ever did), even with their fictitiously low GPU prices. The only exception is the $500 machine. It at least fits with its fictional pricing.

Came for the productivity builds. Stayed for the disaster show.

P.S. Why does the article say it's from "2 days ago", with comments from 5 months ago?
 
Yes what GPU do I need to power dual 4K monitors not for gaming?

Literally only for office work, browsing, streaming, and music production. No gaming. It is impossible to find advice on this issue. Every single article is shilling Gaming GPU's.
 
Can we get real? Half the prices listed are for sold-out components. Until we can actually buy PC parts again it may be time for a new approach to these build articles.
 
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RYZEN cpus are now readily available and the prices are falling ! 5600x is pretty much at retail price and the other 3 are getting relatively close in Aus ! High end video cards are rare as hens teeth!
Right now in OZ i can buy 5600X and 5800x systems for similar if not the same as 11600k and 11700k systems!
Funny how RYZEN isnt considered in any bar the $500 build! 11400 is faster than 3600. but setup costs will be similar after you factor in the extra costs of mother board + water cooler. so cheaper is not quite right but it is faster for same price, so its better! But it is old generation, not current!
If total cost of intel is way less than AMD then it would be the better choice but that is not the case except 11400.
Observation from last 20 years - Reality is when Intel is the best, AMD dont really get mentioned, yet when Intel is NOT the best they have to be included as an alternative!
You might think i am biased but I have had mostly Intel over the last 20 years but i have currently built myself RYZEN R5 5600x, CM Hyper212BlackRGB, X570 Tomahawk 4x 8GB Gskill Ripjaws V F4-3600C16D-8GVK Asus RTX2070 Super Samsung 500GB 970 evo plus, 2TB Samsung 870QVO Corsair RM850W Fractal Design Define R5 Black.
 
Please note: We have completely updated all of the recommendations, added tables, and used eBay "realistic" pricing on the GPUs. That required reworking many of the choices, but these are PCs that you should be able to go out and build today (assuming you're willing to pay eBay / scalper prices on the GPU).
 
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You dont put any gpus with some of the builds in the parts listed sections?
Ebaying a used GPU, now i am definately not fond of that at all for a new build.
You dont run 3600mhz memory with Ryzen 5600X, which gives the best support for Ryzen .
3600mhz C16 versions are readily available and affordable. There is no excuse not to use it!
Aftermarket cooler like cm hyper 212 runs Ryzen 5600X 20C cooler and are dirt cheap! Just do it !

Intel 12600k is more budget. DDR4 fair enough !
But buying 12900k using DDR4 you cant be serious! . if you can afford a 12900k then you can afford DDR5. DDR4 right now is cheaper but is certainly not setting it up for maximum performance. basically you are taking away one of its main advantages. are you better to bite the bullet now and save on mother board upgrade later on.
Still dissappointed that there are not seperate PCI-e 5.0 lanes for m.2 drives. Even on the top of the line Z690 mbs you have to gimp the gpu 16x lanes ie share 8x for GPU and 8X for m.2 drives, Seriuosly 🙁 .
Raptorlake is supposed to be compatable with z690 so why on earth wouldnt you go for DDR5 straight up in 12 months time you could probly upgrade to way faster memory also slot in a new Raptor lake cpu as well.
 
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WARNING: The March 2022 builds of https://www.tomshardware.com/best-picks/best-pc-builds-gaming are untested. The recommended "Best $1,000 PC Build for Gaming" lists the motherboard "ASRock B450M Pro4 (AMD)" with the case "NZXT H210", an incompatible mini-ITX case. The motherboard needs at least a compact ATX mid-tower case such as the NZXT H510. The specific case recommended isn't close to being able to fit the paired motherboard. In retrospect, I regret not test their list against PCPartPicker.com compatibility checks, a step all Tom's Hardware authors should take in future build articles. Better yet, actually build the builds you recommend!
 
tneller said:
WARNING: The March 2022 builds of https://www.tomshardware.com/best-picks/best-pc-builds-gaming are untested. The recommended "Best $1,000 PC Build for Gaming" lists the motherboard "ASRock B450M Pro4 (AMD)" with the case "NZXT H210", an incompatible mini-ITX case. The motherboard needs at least a compact ATX mid-tower case such as the NZXT H510. The specific case recommended isn't close to being able to fit the paired motherboard. In retrospect, I regret not test their list against PCPartPicker.com compatibility checks, a step all Tom's Hardware authors should take in future build articles. Better yet, actually build the builds you recommend!
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What you ask for would be lovely, but given frequent changes in prices and component variation, it's generally impractical. Motherboards, memory, cases, power supplies, and specific graphics cards are all effectively commodity items. You select something that works and offers the best relative deal at the time you put it together. We have tested similar PCs before, and we've tested all the major CPUs and GPUs (just not every specific model of graphics card). Unfortunately, someone updated this list to pick new choices that were perhaps better than what was there previously, due to the above component price fluctuations, and inadvertently selected a mini-ITX case. I have corrected this now and opted for the similar in practice NZXT H510 Flow.
 
Admin said:
Whether you’re spending $500 or $2,000 on components, we’ve picked out the perfect parts for your next PC build.

Best PC Builds for Gaming, Streaming and Productivity : Read more
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Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360R RGB is not the right model for 1700 chipset for cooling. It would require also purchasing the 603005870-GP upgrade kit. Please correct to one of the models that already support 1700 chipset so others don't have to waste day(s) waiting on a brackset set to make it fit.
 
JarredWaltonGPU said:
What you ask for would be lovely, but given frequent changes in prices and component variation, it's generally impractical. Motherboards, memory, cases, power supplies, and specific graphics cards are all effectively commodity items. You select something that works and offers the best relative deal at the time you put it together. We have tested similar PCs before, and we've tested all the major CPUs and GPUs (just not every specific model of graphics card). Unfortunately, someone updated this list to pick new choices that were perhaps better than what was there previously, due to the above component price fluctuations, and inadvertently selected a mini-ITX case. I have corrected this now and opted for the similar in practice NZXT H510 Flow.
Click to expand...

This is a sad reply. The idea that a site marketed specifically as a hardware site for computers would not actually build the suggested builds and could make mistakes like suggesting the wrong case or the wrong liquid cooler for the build being recommended...well it's shocking. And that you would be completely comfortable with that state of affairs is more shocking.

I guess with COVID and all maybe it's just a sign of the times. Maybe everyone's working from home and we publish updated articles by searching the internet and swapping out parts found in the browser. If that's the job then I only have one more thing to say:

You have any openings? I don't mind browsing the web looking for computer parts to update articles if the price is right. Especially if it's OK for me to make a mistake here or there.
 
heislord55 said:
This is a sad reply. The idea that a site marketed specifically as a hardware site for computers would not actually build the suggested builds and could make mistakes like suggesting the wrong case or the wrong liquid cooler for the build being recommended...well it's shocking. And that you would be completely comfortable with that state of affairs is more shocking.

I guess with COVID and all maybe it's just a sign of the times. Maybe everyone's working from home and we publish updated articles by searching the internet and swapping out parts found in the browser. If that's the job then I only have one more thing to say:

You have any openings? I don't mind browsing the web looking for computer parts to update articles if the price is right. Especially if it's OK for me to make a mistake here or there.
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There are frequent openings, we just hired a new person in fact. She's located in LA, and she may not know as much about tech as you or I would like. As a person who has built literally hundreds of PCs over the years, I totally get that mistakes can be made in component selections, and I get that trying to maintain every article that deals with this sort of stuff is a pain. If you can write coherently without condescending to people, maybe even bring some entertainment into play, and you can also make good component choices and have time available to write for us during the day (flexible hours, as we're basically a global website), by all means drop me a note. Because I would love to have competent people helping to take care of things and we are continually looking for new talent.

Also FWIW, I have fixed any issues (I hope) with the extreme build and updated its prices, which thankfully are almost universally lower than just a few weeks ago.
 
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JarredWaltonGPU said:
There are frequent openings, we just hired a new person in fact. She's located in LA, and she may not know as much about tech as you or I would like. As a person who has built literally hundreds of PCs over the years, I totally get that mistakes can be made in component selections, and I get that trying to maintain every article that deals with this sort of stuff is a pain. If you can write coherently without condescending to people, maybe even bring some entertainment into play, and you can also make good component choices and have time available to write for us during the day (flexible hours, as we're basically a global website), by all means drop me a note. Because I would love to have competent people helping to take care of things and we are continually looking for new talent.

Also FWIW, I have fixed any issues (I hope) with the extreme build and updated its prices, which thankfully are almost universally lower than just a few weeks ago.
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Even though my offer of labor was tongue-in-cheek I do appreciate your response and willingness to update the article to be accurate. Thanks. Have a nice weekend.
 
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I quite disagree with the $1k build. This would be a much better way to spend $1k

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-12400 2.5 GHz 6-Core Processor ($174.99 @ Best Buy)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 V2 64.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($19.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI PRO B660M-A DDR4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($104.97 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Blue SN570 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($81.00 @ Newegg)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Fighter Video Card ($333.33 @ Amazon)
Case: Deepcool MATREXX 40 3FS MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($63.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 650 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $978.23
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-04-27 22:41 EDT-0400


Or if you want an even better GPU, and want to upgrade the ram later.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-12400 2.5 GHz 6-Core Processor ($174.99 @ Best Buy)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 V2 64.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($19.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI PRO B660M-A DDR4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Silicon Power 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($55.97 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Blue SN570 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($81.00 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 6600 XT 8 GB MECH 2X OC Video Card ($399.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Deepcool MATREXX 40 3FS MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($63.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 650 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $995.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-04-27 22:46 EDT-0400
 
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