Question Friend Asking me to Create Parts List for Him

[Noobgamer37]

I have a friend who is looking to spend $2000-2500 for a gaming PC. I haven't been paying much attention to PC parts recently so I don't really know what the best parts are right now. Can anyone recommend a good build in that price range? Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks.

 

[Lafong]

Self-built, not pre-built?

What games at what settings?

How much total storage anticipated?

Will your friend be buying from a store in Timbuktu? Newegg web site? Amazon UK?

Any "must have" things like AMD or Intel or liquid cooling or?

Buying how soon?

 

[Noobgamer37]

Yes self-built

Souls Games as well as some esports games like League I'd assume at that pricepoint he could run it at all high settings(currently only has a 1080p monitor although that could change in the future)

I don't think there are any specific storage requirements. Whatever is standard these days will probably be fine. Maybe a separate dive for the os though

Site with the best deals in the US

He doesn't care about the brand or cooling type but since I'm assuming his price range is on the higher end it probably wouldn't hurt to throw in a liquid cooler

He'll be buying this within the next few weeks

 

[Lafong]

Does he need to buy a monitor or Windows in that budget?

If monitor, what minimum specs?

 

[Noobgamer37]

No he is going to stick with his current monitor for now, and he's also good on windows

 

[joan16v]

Intel i7 12700 processor
Noctua NH-D15 cooler
B660 motherboard
16GB DDR4 RAM Memory (2x8GB 3200Mhz)
SSD NVME disk 1TB (brands: WD, Adata, Corsair...)
Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080
PSU 850W 80+ Gold (EVGA, Seasonic, Corsair, Bitfenix)
Lian Li PC O11 Dynamic chassis

 

[Noobgamer37]

Intel i7 12700 processor
Noctua NH-D15 cooler
B660 motherboard
16GB DDR4 RAM Memory (2x8GB 3200Mhz)
SSD NVME disk 1TB (brands: WD, Adata, Corsair...)
Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080
PSU 850W 80+ Gold (EVGA, Seasonic, Corsair, Bitfenix)
Lian Li PC O11 Dynamic chassis

Thanks. Just so I know is 16gb still standard for ram in most PCs?

 

[KananX]

Thanks. Just so I know is 16gb still standard for ram in most PCs?

No, you should go for 2x16 GB, and I would also go for 3600 or 3800 speed DDR. Processor, 12700K, is fine.

NVME take one with 1 TB at least and PCIE4.0. Something like WD Black.

And buy the 3080 with 12 GB not the one with 10.

 

[Eximo]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-12700K 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor ($379.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z690 UD AX DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory ($121.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sabrent Rocket 4.0 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 12GB LHR 12 GB GAMING OC Video Card ($799.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2021) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($110.00 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 PST 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fans 5-Pack ($28.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $2135.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-06-08 11:16 EDT-0400

 

[Why_Me]

@Noobgamer37 this build includes a 1440P / 2K 170Hz G-Sync compatible IPS gaming monitor.

https://www.newegg.com/black-phanteks-eclipse-p360a-atx-mid-tower/p/N82E16811854103
Phanteks Eclipse P360A Performance Mesh Mid-Tower Case $89.99

Exhaust fan for that case.

https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-F12-PWM-PST-Technology/dp/B08WH3XV6G/
ARCTIC F12 PWM 120mm 4-Pin Case Fan $9.99

https://www.newegg.com/evga-supernova-850-g6-220-g6-0850-x1-850w/p/N82E16817438212
EVGA SuperNOVA 850W 80+ GOLD Modular Power Supply $104.99 Save: $75.00 (41%)

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813144528
MSI MAG B660M BAZOOKA DDR4 $139.99 Save: $20.00 (12%)

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-i7-12700F-2-1GHz-6xxChipset-BX8071512700F/dp/B09NPJDPVG
Intel Core i7-12700F $312.97

https://www.amazon.com/Rev-B-Cooler-LGA1700-LGA1151-Towers/dp/B09NZGH4RD/
Scythe Fuma 2 Rev.B CPU Cooler $65.99

https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance-PC4-28800-Desktop-Memory/dp/B07ZPLM1R1/
Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3600 32GB (2x16GB) CL16 $127.99

https://www.amazon.com/PNY-CS2130-Internal-Solid-State/dp/B0869C35V2/
PNY CS2130 2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe Gen3 x4 Internal SSD $176.00

https://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-Graphics-WINDFORCE-GV-N308TGAMING-OC-12GD/dp/B083HZGMWZ/
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Gaming OC 12GB Graphics Card $1,099.99

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CZ8QJTX
ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQ1A 27" 2K HDR Monitor QHD (2560 x 1440), IPS, 170Hz, 1ms, Extreme Low Motion Blur, G-SYNC Compatible Gaming Monitor $312.99

Total: $2440.89

https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-11-Home-USB/dp/B09V6R9QZZ/
Microsoft Windows 11 Home USB $139.00

A better look at those components.

https://www.asus.com/us/Displays-Desktops/Monitors/TUF-Gaming/TUF-GAMING-VG27AQ1A/

https://phanteks.com/Eclipse-P360A.html

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-B660M-BAZOOKA-DDR4

https://hardwarecanucks.com/forum/t...-review-the-best-cpu-cooler-got-cooler.84709/

https://www.scytheus.com/fuma2-rev-b

https://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/gigabyte-geforce-rtx-3080-ti-gaming-oc-review,1.html

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...2700f-processor-25m-cache-up-to-4-90-ghz.html

i7 12700 / 12700F gaming benchmarks.

Spiele auf Grafikkarten der GeForce RTX 40-Serie

Frames Win Games. Sichere dir einen Wettbewerbsvorteil mit über 144 FPS.

www.nvidia.com

NVIDIA DLSS-Technologie

Steigert die Leistung aller GeForce RTX-Grafikprozessoren.

www.nvidia.com

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZcQV9ZBKZM&t=426s

 

[tennis2]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X 3.4 GHz 8-Core Processor ($279.00 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool AS500 70.81 CFM CPU Cooler ($50.00 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming-ITX/ax Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Black SN770 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB PULSE Video Card ($799.00 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Torrent Nano RGB Mini ITX Desktop Case ($144.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G6 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: ARCTIC P14 Silent 29.8 CFM 140 mm Fan ($10.26 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 PST A-RGB 0dB 48.8 CFM 120 mm Fan ($16.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $1895.18
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-06-09 13:58 EDT-0400

 

[Noobgamer37]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X 3.4 GHz 8-Core Processor ($279.00 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool AS500 70.81 CFM CPU Cooler ($50.00 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming-ITX/ax Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Black SN770 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB PULSE Video Card ($799.00 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Torrent Nano RGB Mini ITX Desktop Case ($144.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G6 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1867.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-06-09 13:49 EDT-0400

How much of a difference is there between AMD and Intel these days? Also why radeon instead of Nvidia graphics?

 

[KananX]

How much of a difference is there between AMD and Intel these days? Also why radeon instead of Nvidia graphics?

It’s 300$ less, the CPU is pretty fast in both cases, the 12700K has 4 additional smaller cores that are primarily useful for anything but gaming. The GPUs are very comparable, but the 3080 is faster in 4K.

 

[tennis2]

How much of a difference is there between AMD and Intel these days?

5700X = less power draw than a 12700K for mITX use. Like....almost 100W less.
5700X is ~$100 cheaper than a 12700K.
Note that you [should] be using PBO on AMD CPUs.
AMD mobos are generally cheaper than Intel 600 series.
Offering alternatives.

Also why radeon instead of Nvidia graphics?

Didn't like the price/performance of the 3080Ti options. The 3080 12GB is too power-hungry IMO.
Offering alternatives.

Note above that this budget puts you in the class of hardware that's best used with a 1440p monitor with 144-240Hz refresh rate, or even 4k. Hopefully your friend's monitor is somewhere in that region. I purposely landed on the low end of the budget range in case a monitor upgrade is needed.

 

[KananX]

Didn't like the price/performance of the 3080Ti options.

Since the 3080 12 GB the 3080 Ti is more like a scam, at least for gamers. They are dead even, maybe 1% apart in performance. The extra CUDA cores help maybe in some work usages, though.

 

[Noobgamer37]

5700X = less power draw than a 12700K for mITX use. Like....almost 100W less.
5700X is ~$100 cheaper than a 12700K.
Note that you [should] be using PBO on AMD CPUs.
AMD mobos are generally cheaper than Intel 600 series.
Offering alternatives.

Didn't like the price/performance of the 3080Ti options. The 3080 12GB is too power-hungry IMO.
Offering alternatives.

Note above that this budget puts you in the class of hardware that's best used with a 1440p monitor with 144-240Hz refresh rate, or even 4k. Hopefully your friend's monitor is somewhere in that region. I purposely landed on the low end of the budget range in case a monitor upgrade is needed.

Alright that's good to know! Since this would leave a lot of room in his budget could we upgrade this to ddr5 ram and MB?

 

[KananX]

Alright that's good to know! Since this would leave a lot of room in his budget could we upgrade this to ddr5 ram and MB?

You can’t, that would drive the price higher than even before, it would be like 2300$ then, and AMD processors are still on DDR4, the new one end of year will have DDR5.

 

[Noobgamer37]

You can’t, that would drive the price higher than even before, it would be like 2300$ then, and AMD processors are still on DDR4, the new one end of year will have DDR5.

His budget is up to $2500 so theres quite a bit of room between the build tennis sent and what he's looking to spend

 

[KananX]

His budget is up to $2500 so theres quite a bit of room between the build tennis sent and what he's looking to spend

Well unless he wants to do bandwidth heavy work, it’s not worth to go for DDR5. I would invest that extra money into something else then.

 

[Why_Me]

His budget is up to $2500 so theres quite a bit of room between the build tennis sent and what he's looking to spend

Take the monitor out of that build I posted earlier in this thread in order to fit the DDR5 in his budget and switch out the board & RAM with this.

https://www.provantage.com/kingston-technology-kf552c40bbk2-32~7KIN9405.htm
Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 5200 32GB (2x16GB) CL40 $175.32

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813144521
MSI MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI DDR5 $169.99

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-B660M-MORTAR-WIFI

or ...

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813145392
GIGABYTE Z690 GAMING X $219.99

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/Z690-GAMING-X-rev-10#kf

 

[tennis2]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-12700F 2.1 GHz 12-Core Processor ($309.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool AS500 70.81 CFM CPU Cooler ($50.00 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston FURY Beast 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5200 CL40 Memory ($193.51 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Black SN770 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB PULSE Video Card ($799.00 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($109.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G6 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($104.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Fractal Design Dynamic X2 GP-14 68.4 CFM 140 mm Fan ($14.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Fractal Design Dynamic X2 GP-14 68.4 CFM 140 mm Fan ($14.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1967.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-06-09 15:56 EDT-0400

Start: 19:00

 

[Noobgamer37]

Thank you for all the help here are the lists I have kind of come with after seeing all the things you guys recommended. I did mix and match from the lists I was given

DDR5/Intel: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/QHVjGL
DDR4/Intel: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Mb4xfv
AMD/DDR4: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/yjfqd9

 

[KananX]

I don’t like this cheap DDR5 kit, for me it is, either go real or don’t use DDR5 at all.

i like this kit:
https://www.newegg.com/amp/g-skill-32gb-288-pin-ddr5-sdram/p/N82E16820374318

ofc out of stock because it’s the best, go for this though, IMO. And go for a Z board, not B.

 

[tennis2]

Consider what you're gaining from ~$2000 to ~$2500 builds (+25% cost). Pretend it's your money. Is the cost being justified?

If this is for gaming, are you getting more FPS with CPU/GPU/RAM differences? If so, how much?
Are you getting cooler CPU temps by spending 3x on a 240mm AIO? https://www.techpowerup.com/review/deepcool-as500-cpu-air-cooler/6.html
What is all that empty space in a Corsair 4000D being used for?
Why a 2nd NVMe SSD for only +1TB of storage? (also the Samsung 970 Evo Plus is PCIe3.0 FYI)
What monitor does your friend have? Would that extra $500 they set aside easily buy an appropriate monitor for this build?

I'm not suggesting my two $2000 builds are the bees knees, but they do establish a solid price/performance point to expand off of for [justified] changes/upgrades.
Want more RGB in that Intel DDR5 build? You've got money left over.
Don't like the case? They're very "personal taste" choices.
Want to add an AIO for looks? Fine.
Don't like AMD? OK
Etc etc.

 

[Noobgamer37]

Consider what you're gaining from ~$2000 to ~$2500 builds (+25% cost). Pretend it's your money. Is the cost being justified?

If this is for gaming, are you getting more FPS with CPU/GPU/RAM differences? If so, how much?
Are you getting cooler CPU temps by spending 3x on a 240mm AIO?
What is all that empty space in a Corsair 4000D being used for?
Why a 2nd NVMe SSD for only +1TB of storage?
What monitor does your friend have? Would that extra $500 they set aside easily buy an appropriate monitor for this build?

I'm not suggesting my two $2000 builds are the bees knees, but they do establish a solid price/performance point to expand off of for [justified] changes/upgrades.
Want more RGB in that Intel DDR5 build? You've got money left over.
Don't like the case? They're very "personal taste" choices.
Want to add an AIO for looks? Fine.
Don't like AMD? OK
Etc etc.

For most of these, I do believe the extra cost is justified. The cooler is +$50 over the air coolers I was looking at and I'm partial to liquid. The second SSD however I do agree it's a little overkill however I do know he wants a lot of storage space so I could probably change that out for a cheaper alternative.
As far as the case goes I'm a big fan of that case for appearance and airflow. I do plan to tell him if he can find one he likes that's cheaper then he should definitely go with the alternative.

With that being said I will also give him this information so he can decide for himself since he may not care about liquid like I do. I'll also send most of the lists on this thread not just the ones I created