Build Advice Build advice for 3500-4000

Feb 1, 2023
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1
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I am looking for a build that will last me 5 years or so of gaming and light work. Quality components over flashy components. I can spend up to 4k all in, but don't want to if I don't need to. My biggest fear is to skimp on something now and pay twice for it later, so that's usually why I just throw top of the line everything into a build, but it's been 5 years and the landscape has changed so I come to the experts for help. Thanks ahead of time.

Approximate Purchase Date: within 30 days

Budget Range: 2500-4000 all in

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, remote work (nothing intensive)

Are you buying a monitor: No, have an Alienware AW2518H.

Parts to Upgrade: Full Build

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Any within the US, Microcenter is under an hour away so they are a good choice usually.

Location: Outside Boston, MA

Parts Preferences: My experience is with Intel, but not opposed to AMD

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire:
No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1080, but want room for 4k upgrade

Additional Comments: Not big on bling, but not opposed to things looking nice. Prefer to spend money on functionality over form.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I build my own computer every 5 years or so, and need it to last 5 years with minor/no upgrades. Right now I'm on a 1080ti build that is feeling every bit as old as it is. I don't mind spending 4k if that is necessary to get me components that will last and be usable in 5 years, but if it can be done for less I have no ego and don't care about having the "best", so long as it performs great.

This is one I based off the TH recommended build.


PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i9-13900K 3 GHz 24-Core Processor | $599.97 @ Newegg
CPU Cooler | Deepcool LT720 85.85 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | $143.98 @ Newegg
Motherboard | MSI MPG Z790 CARBON WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard | $471.99 @ Newegg
Memory | G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6400 CL32 Memory | $197.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | $269.87 @ MemoryC
Video Card | Asus TUF GAMING OC GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB Video Card | $1799.99 @ ASUS
Case | Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB ATX Mid Tower Case | $369.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | Corsair RM1000e 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | $179.99 @ Newegg
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $4033.77
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-02-01 14:03 EST-0500 |
 
I would suggest waiting a bit longer if possible.

The LGA 1700 socket has ended with the 13900k so no future upgrade.

AMD just released the new AM5 socket and will have a future upgrade path.

High end cpu's are not required for 4k gaming and the 13900k is a beast to try and cool.

AMD is going to release the 7000 series x3d cpu's on the 14th, should be interesting.

Nothing wrong with your build as stated.
 

logainofhades

Titan
Moderator
You with you having a Microcenter in your area, so I would definitely take advantage of the free 32gb ram, if they offer it with the x3d chips, at the end of the month. Intel and AMD are very close, in gaming, as it is, and once you move to 4k, your GPU would be the limiting factor, so the performance would be the same, most of the time. 990 pros, I believe are having an issue of dying. A Crucial P5 plus is much cheaper, and very reliable. With a 4090 and a 13900k, you might want to go up a bit more, on the PSU wattage, to handle power spikes. You can save a bit more, and go with an MSI 4090 gaming x trio. That also means one less software needed to control RGB effects.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i9-13900K 3 GHz 24-Core Processor ($599.91 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool LT720 85.85 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($143.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI MPG Z790 CARBON WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($471.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6400 CL32 Memory ($197.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GAMING X TRIO GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB Video Card ($1729.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair iCUE 5000T RGB ATX Mid Tower Case ($369.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex Platinum SE 1200 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($204.99 @ Newegg Sellers)
Total: $3898.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-02-01 14:54 EST-0500
 
https://www.microcenter.com/product...pered-glass-atx-mid-tower-computer-case-black
Lian Li LANCOOL III RGB Tempered Glass ATX Mid-Tower Computer Case $169.99

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/jR...-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-cp-9020201-na
CORSAIR RMx Series (2021) RM1000x 1000W 80+ GOLD Modular Power Supply $189.99

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...1313&_nkw=corsair+600w+12vhpwr+cable&_sacat=0
Corsair 600W PCIe 5.0 12VHPWR Type-4 PSU Power Cable CP-8920284 $39.97

https://www.microcenter.com/product/660220/msi-z790-a-pro-wifi-intel-lga-1700-atx-motherboard
MSI Z790-A Pro WiFi $279.99 Save $20 when bundled with a compatible eligible processor

https://www.microcenter.com/product...re-lga-1700-boxed-processor-heatsink-included
Intel Core i7-13700 $319.99 Save $20 when bundled with a compatible eligible motherboard

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=thermalright+lga1700+contact+frame&crid=3O869KM5QVBBP&sprefix=thermalright+lga,aps,196&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_4_16
Thermalright LGA1700 Anti-Bending Frame $12.88

https://www.newegg.com/deepcool-ag620-bk-argb/p/N82E16835856225
DeepCool AG620 BK ARGB Dual-Tower CPU Cooler $49.99

Low profile RAM so it doesn't impede the cpu cooler.

https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-32gb/p/N82E16820374451
G.SKILL Ripjaws S5 Series DDR5 6400 32GB (2x16GB) CL32 $159.99

O/S SSD
Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD 500GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 Internal SSD $59.99

Storage SSD
Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD 2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 Internal SSD $159.99

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/mV...video-card-geforce-rtx-4090-gaming-x-trio-24g
MSI GAMING X TRIO GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB Video Card $1729.98

Total: $3152.75

https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-dvd903211-Windows-11-USB/dp/B09V6R9QZZ
Microsoft Windows 11 Home (USB) $135.99

A better look at those components.

https://lian-li.com/product/lancool-iii/

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/PRO-Z790-A-WIFI

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/deepcool-ag620-air-cooler

https://www.deepcool.com/products/C...K-ARGB-Dual-Tower-CPU-Cooler/2022/16082.shtml

https://www.intel.com/content/www/u...-30m-cache-up-to-5-20-ghz/specifications.html

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zE9Rg6wGvA

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYU1OskbY-Q
 
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Feb 1, 2023
2
1
15
AMD is going to release the 7000 series x3d cpu's on the 14th, should be interesting.

Thank you, I had no idea. It does appear to get the better performance, I will have to spend more than the 13900k, or wait until the fall.

990 pros, I believe are having an issue of dying.

You are absolutely right, thanks for the heads up. I figured Samsung would be the more reliable brand, but goes to show.

https://www.microcenter.com/product...pered-glass-atx-mid-tower-computer-case-black
Lian Li LANCOOL III RGB Tempered Glass ATX Mid-Tower Computer Case $169.99

That's a pretty sweet case, I may go with that instead to save a few hundred.
 
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Thank you, I had no idea. It does appear to get the better performance, I will have to spend more than the 13900k, or wait until the fall.



You are absolutely right, thanks for the heads up. I figured Samsung would be the more reliable brand, but goes to show.



That's a pretty sweet case, I may go with that instead to save a few hundred.
The Pros are having issues atm, not the Evo Plus.
 
Add in a 7900X3D for 599, leaves you about 400 for a new monitor or other peripherals upgrade if you want...

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: Deepcool LT720 85.85 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($143.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX X670E-A GAMING WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard ($378.89 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Flare X5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory ($136.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Black SN850X 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Zotac GAMING AMP Extreme AIRO GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB Video Card ($1824.84 @ Amazon)
Case: be quiet! Pure Base 500DX ATX Mid Tower Case ($118.21 @ Newegg Sellers)
Power Supply: Corsair RM1000x (2021) 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($189.99 @ Corsair)
Total: $2972.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-02-02 06:57 EST-0500
 
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If I were to make an Intel based build at this price point, this is what I would do:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-13700K 3.4 GHz 16-Core Processor ($417.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 72.8 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($116.84 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI PRO Z790-P WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($246.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($146.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 990 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($169.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Black SN850X 4 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($399.47 @ Amazon)
Video Card: PNY XLR8 Gaming VERTO EPIC-X RGB OC GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB Video Card ($1649.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Lian Li LANCOOL III RGB ATX Mid Tower Case ($159.99 @ Newegg Sellers)
Power Supply: Corsair RM1000x (2021) 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($189.99 @ Corsair)
Total: $3498.23
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-02-02 11:34 EST-0500
 

logainofhades

Titan
Moderator
I would personally take the future upgrade path, just because I am lazy and a bit of a cheapskate. Not needing to tear down everything, replace a board, and doing a fresh windows install, all are appealing to me. My time means more to me, than the minor difference in performance, between the two. Saving money not needing to get a new board is just an extra bonus.
 
I would personally take the future upgrade path, just because I am lazy and a bit of a cheapskate. Not needing to tear down everything, replace a board, and doing a fresh windows install, all are appealing to me. My time means more to me, than the minor difference in performance, between the two. Saving money not needing to get a new board is just an extra bonus.
With a high end budget build, dead end platform or one with a future upgrade path? Hmmm......................
Either an Intel or AMD build will be great. Personally I build a computer and use it for 6-8 years with a graphics card upgrade here or there. Of course if I had the option of a CPU upgrade I may do so.
 
Some people do complete rebuilds every X amount of years.

Yes they do but I'm not quite sure what duration of "X" years. My longest in-between was almost 7 years with an i7 920. My latest was only 3 years between builds.

Typically new builds come down to a persons budget that often dictates time between builds/upgrades.

It's always suggested to get the best components a budget will allow.