Question First time builder - is this a decent pc?

[Crez]

Hey everyone!

I am looking to build my first PC and have been researching things quite a bit, I have put together this spec and was wondering if its decent enough. I plan on using the PC for two things really, gaming(flight simulation) and programming as part of my day job(needed decent memory for docker & local kubernetes clusters to spin up). Any advice on it would be very much appreciated!

I did get somewhat lost in the many threads about Intel vs AMD and to be honest I am not too sure which one is better over all, for this I just went with Intel as I seen some people saying that its hard to find coolers for AMD's newest chipsets?

Ideally i am trying to keep it somewhere around $2,600 - $2,800 CAD preferably.


Spec Below

CPU: Intel Core i7-13700K 3.4 GHz 16-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Deepcool LT720 85.85 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: MSI MAG Z790 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6600 CL32 Memory
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
Video Card: Asus DUAL OC GeForce RTX 4070 12 GB Video Card
Case: Lian Li LANCOOL 216 ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair RM1000x (2021) 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM - DVD 64-bit
Total: $2683.63
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-09-27 19:46 EDT-0400

 

[Why_Me]

Try this.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *Intel Core i7-13700F 2.1 GHz 16-Core Processor ($478.98 @ Best Buy Canada)
CPU Cooler: *Deepcool AG620 BK ARGB 67.88 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Memory Express)
Motherboard: *MSI B760 GAMING PLUS WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($219.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Memory: *G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($144.97 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: *Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($139.97 @ Newegg Canada)
Video Card: *Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12 GB Video Card ($1059.00 @ Canada Computers)
Case: *Lian Li LANCOOL 216 ATX Mid Tower Case ($139.99 @ Memory Express)
Power Supply: *MSI MPG A850G PCIE5 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Operating System: *Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM - DVD 64-bit ($145.25 @ Vuugo)
Total: $2548.13
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-09-28 02:16 EDT-0400

A better look at those components.

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B760-GAMING-PLUS-WIFI

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

https://www.deepcool.com/products/C...al-Tower-CPU-Cooler-1700-AM5/2022/16082.shtml

https://www.gskill.com/product/165/377/1649234797/F5-6000J3040F16GX2-RS5K-F5-6000J3040F16GA2-RS5K

GeForce RTX™ 4070 Ti WINDFORCE OC 12G Key Features | Graphics Card - GIGABYTE Global

Discover AORUS premium graphics cards, ft. WINDFORCE cooling, RGB lighting, PCB protection, and VR friendly features for the best gaming and VR experience!

www.gigabyte.com

MPG A850G PCIE5 | Power Supply | Overflow With Power

The MPG A850G PCIE5 power supply is designed to be ready for GeForce RTX^TM 4070 Ti and other graphics cards thanks to its ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0 support.

www.msi.com

 

[Lucky_SLS]

White build:

7900X3D and AM5 platform. B650E for all the extra ports you need.

front panel type C ARGB case

16 pin power connector PSU for future upgrades to Nvidia cards

7800XT performs better and has more VRAM

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D 4.4 GHz 12-Core Processor ($639.00 @ Canada Computers)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool AG620 WH ARGB 67.88 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Memory Express)
Motherboard: ASRock B650E STEEL LEGEND WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard ($289.50 @ Vuugo)
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Force Delta RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($136.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Kingston KC3000 2.048 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($154.97 @ Newegg Canada)
Video Card: ASRock Steel Legend OC Radeon RX 7800 XT 16 GB Video Card ($743.99 @ PC-Canada)
Case: Cooler Master MasterBox 520 Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Memory Express)
Power Supply: MSI MPG A850G PCIE5 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Case Fan: Cooler Master SickleFlow 120 ARGB 62 CFM 120 mm Fan ($14.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Total: $2299.41
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-09-28 02:48 EDT-0400

 

[Crez]

Thanks for the feedback, greatly appreciated! Just curious if you think it’s worth jumping from a 4070 to a 4080.

Happy to spend a bit more if it future proofs it for a few years?

 

[Lucky_SLS]

if you are gaming at 2k res, 16gb VRAM should be sufficient and the performance is good. So yes, a 4080 will serve you well if you can afford it.

just for your sanity check:

GPU Benchmarks and Hierarchy 2023: Graphics Cards Ranked

We've run hundreds of GPU benchmarks on Nvidia, AMD, and Intel graphics cards and ranked them in our comprehensive hierarchy.

www.tomshardware.com

But i would suggest a 1000W PSU just in case.

White cables and 16pin connector:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D 4.4 GHz 12-Core Processor ($639.00 @ Canada Computers)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool AG620 WH ARGB 67.88 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Memory Express)
Motherboard: ASRock B650E STEEL LEGEND WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard ($289.50 @ Vuugo)
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Force Delta RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($136.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Kingston KC3000 2.048 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($154.97 @ Newegg Canada)
Video Card: Zotac GAMING Trinity OC GeForce RTX 4080 16 GB Video Card ($1415.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Case: Cooler Master MasterBox 520 Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Memory Express)
Power Supply: Phanteks AMP v2 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($187.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Case Fan: Cooler Master SickleFlow 120 ARGB 62 CFM 120 mm Fan ($14.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Total: $3009.40
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-09-28 09:26 EDT-0400

 

[geofelt]

Your first build is just fine.
Do not change a thing.
You get fair value from either amd or Intel.

There is no such thing as "future proofing" in computing.
Who knows what you might want/need three years out.
Buy what you think you need for today and perhaps a year or two out.

As a first time builder, you may find this useful:
MY build process:

Before anything, while waiting for your parts to be delivered, download
and read, cover to cover your case and motherboard manual.
Buy a long #2 magnetic tip philips screwdriver.
A small led flashlight is also useful.

I find it handy to buy a power switch like this for testing.

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16812119009?Description=power%20switch&cm_re=power_switch-_-12-119-009-_-Product&quicklink=true

1. I assemble the critical parts outside of the case.
That lets me test them for functionality easily.
A wood table or cardboard is fine.
2. Plug in only the necessary parts at first. Ram, cpu, cooler, psu.
Do not force anything. Parts fit only one way.
Attach a monitor to the integrated motherboard adapter if you have one, otherwise to the graphics card.
3. If your motherboard does not have a PWR button, momentarily touch the two pwr front panel pins with a flat blade screwdriver.
4. Repeatedly hit F2 or DEL, and that should get you into the bios display.
5. Boot from a cd or usb stick with memtest86 on it. memtest will exercise your ram and cpu functionality.
They boot from a usb stick and do not use windows.
You can download them here:

MemTest86 - Official Site of the x86 Memory Testing Tool

MemTest86 is the original self booting memory testing software for x86 and ARM computers. Supporting both BIOS and UEFI, with options to boot from USB.

www.memtest86.com

Memtest86+ | The Open-Source Memory Testing Tool

Memtest86+ is an advanced, free, open-source, stand-alone memory tester for 32- and 64-bit computers (UEFI & BIOS supported)

www.memtest.org

If you can run a full pass with NO errors, your ram should be ok.

Running several more passes will sometimes uncover an issue, but it takes more time.

Probably not worth it unless you really suspect a ram issue.
Opinions vary on updating the bios.
Normally, one does not update a bios unless there is a fix for something that is impacting you. I violate this rule on a new build and will update to currency up front.
Use the usb option, not the windows option.
If there is a severe problem, the impact is small.


6. Install windows.
7. Install the motherboard cd drivers. Particularly the lan drivers so you can access the internet.
Do not select the easy install option, or you will get a bunch of utilities and trialware that you don't want. Drivers only.
7. Connect to the internet and install an antivirus program. Microsoft defender is free, easy, and unobtrusive.
8. Install your graphics card and driver if you tested with integrated graphics.
You will need to remove the graphics card later to install your motherboard in the case.
As a tip when screwing the motherboard into the posts, give the screw a small counterclockwise turn until you feel a click.
That lets you know that the screw will engage properly.
Make a note of how the graphics card latches into the pcie slot.
The mechanism will be hidden under the card and may be difficult to work if you have not previously checked how.
9. Update windows to currency.
10. Only now do I take apart what I need to and install it in the case.
11. Now is the time to reinstall your graphics card.

 

[Crez]

Your first build is just fine.
Do not change a thing.
You get fair value from either amd or Intel.

There is no such thing as "future proofing" in computing.
Who knows what you might want/need three years out.
Buy what you think you need for today and perhaps a year or two out.

As a first time builder, you may find this useful:
MY build process:

Before anything, while waiting for your parts to be delivered, download
and read, cover to cover your case and motherboard manual.
Buy a long #2 magnetic tip philips screwdriver.
A small led flashlight is also useful.

I find it handy to buy a power switch like this for testing.

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16812119009?Description=power%20switch&cm_re=power_switch-_-12-119-009-_-Product&quicklink=true

1. I assemble the critical parts outside of the case.
That lets me test them for functionality easily.
A wood table or cardboard is fine.
2. Plug in only the necessary parts at first. Ram, cpu, cooler, psu.
Do not force anything. Parts fit only one way.
Attach a monitor to the integrated motherboard adapter if you have one, otherwise to the graphics card.
3. If your motherboard does not have a PWR button, momentarily touch the two pwr front panel pins with a flat blade screwdriver.
4. Repeatedly hit F2 or DEL, and that should get you into the bios display.
5. Boot from a cd or usb stick with memtest86 on it. memtest will exercise your ram and cpu functionality.
They boot from a usb stick and do not use windows.
You can download them here:

MemTest86 - Official Site of the x86 Memory Testing Tool

MemTest86 is the original self booting memory testing software for x86 and ARM computers. Supporting both BIOS and UEFI, with options to boot from USB.

www.memtest86.com

Memtest86+ | The Open-Source Memory Testing Tool

Memtest86+ is an advanced, free, open-source, stand-alone memory tester for 32- and 64-bit computers (UEFI & BIOS supported)

www.memtest.org

If you can run a full pass with NO errors, your ram should be ok.

Running several more passes will sometimes uncover an issue, but it takes more time.

Probably not worth it unless you really suspect a ram issue.
Opinions vary on updating the bios.
Normally, one does not update a bios unless there is a fix for something that is impacting you. I violate this rule on a new build and will update to currency up front.
Use the usb option, not the windows option.
If there is a severe problem, the impact is small.


6. Install windows.
7. Install the motherboard cd drivers. Particularly the lan drivers so you can access the internet.
Do not select the easy install option, or you will get a bunch of utilities and trialware that you don't want. Drivers only.
7. Connect to the internet and install an antivirus program. Microsoft defender is free, easy, and unobtrusive.
8. Install your graphics card and driver if you tested with integrated graphics.
You will need to remove the graphics card later to install your motherboard in the case.
As a tip when screwing the motherboard into the posts, give the screw a small counterclockwise turn until you feel a click.
That lets you know that the screw will engage properly.
Make a note of how the graphics card latches into the pcie slot.
The mechanism will be hidden under the card and may be difficult to work if you have not previously checked how.
9. Update windows to currency.
10. Only now do I take apart what I need to and install it in the case.
11. Now is the time to reinstall your graphics card.

Wow, that’s all really helpful info. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply!