Build Advice Help building a new PC ?

[Serge884]

Hi all, I've gotten old and unfortunately out of the loop when it comes to building PC's (When crypto mining skyrocketed GPU's I about gave up lol)
My PC is going on 10 years old (maybe more), and quite frankly has just been frankensteined to make it this far. I would greatly appreciate any help, suggestions, etc people can throw my way in building an upgraded system from scratch that doesn't break the bank too bad.
I don't really need top of the line stuff, my PC now can handle most things I throw at it surprisingly, I'm not trying to do 4k gaming or anything like that. I very occasionally buy new games and do dabble with programs like Gaea and Blender.

For reference, this is my Frankenstein;
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z170X Gaming 7
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700K CPU @ 4.00GHz (8 CPUs), ~4.0GHz
Memory: 16384MB RAM
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
PSU: Don't remember exacts but it's a dying fellow around 700W

 

[DiamondKing]

RTX 2060 super

 

[iTRiP]

You say you don't want to break the bank to hard, you can start by giving some sort of estimate what you like to spend, and where you are situated to help find a suitable retailer for this build.

 

[geofelt]

What is your budget?
Where do you shop?
There is no useful cpu upgrade without changing out the motherboard and ram also.

Your psu should be scheduled for a replacement.
A good quality unit will have a 7 year warranty or more and be ATX3.0 compliant. How strong depends most on your graphics card. Think 850w or better.

 

[Eximo]

Mid-range everything:

i5-12600k is a nice Six P Core CPU with 4 E cores. You can swap this for an i5-13500, 12700k, or 13600k, or 13700k depending on if you want just a little more CPU. Max would be the 14700k which is only slightly faster and not really worth the money.

GPU is a little dated, but relatively cheap. Also has the full bandwidth that a lot of the newer cards lack in that price range. Sticking with Nvidia so you don't have to switch vendors for your rendering.

If you want more, RTX 4070 Super is good, but $600. Beyond that you would want to consider also increasing PSU size.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-12600K 3.7 GHz 10-Core Processor ($187.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($35.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z790 GAMING X AX ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($179.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory ($91.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.95 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus Dual GeForce RTX 3060 V2 OC Edition GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card ($299.99 @ Best Buy)
Case: Fractal Design Pop Air ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 - TT Premium Edition 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1085.79
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-03-05 16:53 EST-0500

 

[Serge884]

You say you don't want to break the bank to hard, you can start by giving some sort of estimate what you like to spend, and where you are situated to help find a suitable retailer for this build.

Apologies for the late reply,
I'm in the US,Michigan. As far as an estimate goes probably between one and two thousand. My computer isn't dead yet, so I figure I can order parts throughout the year so I can get the parts that might cost a tad more without worrying too much.

Mid-range everything:

i5-12600k is a nice Six P Core CPU with 4 E cores. You can swap this for an i5-13500, 12700k, or 13600k, or 13700k depending on if you want just a little more CPU. Max would be the 14700k which is only slightly faster and not really worth the money.

GPU is a little dated, but relatively cheap. Also has the full bandwidth that a lot of the newer cards lack in that price range. Sticking with Nvidia so you don't have to switch vendors for your rendering.

If you want more, RTX 4070 Super is good, but $600. Beyond that you would want to consider also increasing PSU size.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-12600K 3.7 GHz 10-Core Processor ($187.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($35.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z790 GAMING X AX ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($179.99 @ B&H)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory ($91.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.95 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus Dual GeForce RTX 3060 V2 OC Edition GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card ($299.99 @ Best Buy)
Case: Fractal Design Pop Air ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 - TT Premium Edition 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1085.79
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-03-05 16:53 EST-0500

Thanks! I'll have to look into all of this, much appreciated.

 

[Eximo]

The recommended build still holds up for the money for the most part.

If you want to spend more, the suggestions about bumping it up to an i7 work and the RTX 4070 or 4070 Super is the next logical GPU step if you want to do a $1500 budget.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-14700 2.1 GHz 20-Core Processor ($399.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($35.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B760 AORUS ELITE AX ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($104.85 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.95 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12 GB Video Card ($599.99 @ Best Buy)
Case: Fractal Design Pop Air ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1600.65
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-03-19 15:02 EDT-0400

 

[King Dranzer]

Apologies for the late reply,
I'm in the US,Michigan. As far as an estimate goes probably between one and two thousand. My computer isn't dead yet, so I figure I can order parts throughout the year so I can get the parts that might cost a tad more without worrying too much.

Thanks! I'll have to look into all of this, much appreciated.

Hold off another year man. That this is still getting you through. If you think PSU be failing then get Corsair RM1000X and that is it. Hold off on all other components.

Next gen with huge performance increase is not far away now. RTX5000 series said to get a good 70%+ performance boost on its Top end. So even in the worst case the Tier Below be a good 55-60% improvement over current Gen which is crazy. So considering you plan to use this PC for a long period as well like your previous one. I highly recommend to hold off for another year. And keep adding to the budget as much as you can till then. Doing that you can get no compromise PC which will last you and serve you very long.

 

[geofelt]

If you have the need or the itch, buy now.
If you wait for the next thing, you will wait forever.
There will be no magic with the next gen. Think about a 15% boost in price/performance with the top products commanding a premium.
It really is not a good thing to buy parts piecemeal.
Over time, you may regret some premature purchases, or the return period may run out.
For desktop quickness, and gaming, the single thread performance is all important.
Run the cpu-Z bench on your I7-6700K.
You should get a score around 464. More if you have overclocked.
By comparison, a modern $229 i5-13500 will score 764:
https://valid.x86.fr/bench/skb5pt

I3/i5/i7/i9 no longer mean what they used to, namely how many cores and hyperthreading.
Today, it is more of a performance class.

If 16gb of ram will serve for a long time, you could reuse your DDR4 ram. But, I would consider a 2 x 16gb ram kit.
Speed is not so important to Intel.

Since you are now an Intel and Nvidia user, I would sick with that for simplicity.
The price/performance of either is similar.

In the future, you might expect to make a graphics card upgrade.
4k wide monitors are wonderful.
It is the graphics card that mostly determines how strong a psu you need.
To that end, buy a stronger psu in the 850w or more.
Absent a reliable psu review, your best guide to psu quality os the warranty. 7 years or more is good.

 

[Why_Me]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *Intel Core i5-12600KF 3.7 GHz 10-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: *Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($35.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: *MSI B760 GAMING PLUS WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: *Silicon Power Value Gaming 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($95.97 @ Amazon)
Storage: *Acer Predator GM7000 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($124.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: *Zotac Twin Edge GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER 12 GB Video Card ($579.99 @ Newegg)
Case: *Fractal Design Focus 2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: *Corsair RM750e (2023) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Best Buy)
Case Fan: *ARCTIC P12 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fan ($8.58 @ Amazon)
Total: $1315.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-03-19 18:00 EDT-0400

 

[35below0]

Another intel build. To the tune of $1050:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-12600K 3.7 GHz 10-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Freezer 36 CO CPU Cooler ($27.71 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B760 GAMING X AX ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($105.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.95 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte EAGLE OC GeForce RTX 4060 8 GB Video Card ($309.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case ($65.00 @ B&H)
Power Supply: Corsair RM750e (2023) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $1048.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-03-19 19:22 EDT-0400

For an extra $200-300 i could upgrade the CPU to a 13th gen and pick a little bit nicer motherboard, though performance would not improve very much.
Spending an extra $200 on a Radeon RX 7800 XT would be a dramatic improvement. The 4060 does the job though, like the rest of the build.

PSU has some extra power should you decide to go with the 7800XT or upgrade in the future.


Indulging a bit, and spending an extra $500 of your money:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor ($294.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool AK620 68.99 CFM CPU Cooler ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX Z790-H GAMING WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($105.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.95 @ Amazon)
Video Card: PowerColor Fighter OC Radeon RX 7800 XT 16 GB Video Card ($509.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case ($65.00 @ B&H)
Power Supply: Corsair RM750e (2023) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($89.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $1490.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-03-19 19:15 EDT-0400

Motherboard is better, GPU is more powerfull and probably offers better value. However for an extra 50% increase in price, i can't say this build blows away the much more affordable $1000 12th gen & entry level 4060 build, which is already punching above what you stated you need.

Either will be really fast and enjoyable, and should last another 10 years.


When it comes tothe case, you should probably pick that yourself. Just check CPU cooler size allowance, and make sure it has a USB-C if you care about that.

 

[King Dranzer]

If you have the need or the itch, buy now.
If you wait for the next thing, you will wait forever.
There will be no magic with the next gen. Think about a 15% boost in price/performance with the top products commanding a premium.
It really is not a good thing to buy parts piecemeal.
Over time, you may regret some premature purchases, or the return period may run out.
For desktop quickness, and gaming, the single thread performance is all important.
Run the cpu-Z bench on your I7-6700K.
You should get a score around 464. More if you have overclocked.
By comparison, a modern $229 i5-13500 will score 764:
https://valid.x86.fr/bench/skb5pt

I3/i5/i7/i9 no longer mean what they used to, namely how many cores and hyperthreading.
Today, it is more of a performance class.

If 16gb of ram will serve for a long time, you could reuse your DDR4 ram. But, I would consider a 2 x 16gb ram kit.
Speed is not so important to Intel.

Since you are now an Intel and Nvidia user, I would sick with that for simplicity.
The price/performance of either is similar.

In the future, you might expect to make a graphics card upgrade.
4k wide monitors are wonderful.
It is the graphics card that mostly determines how strong a psu you need.
To that end, buy a stronger psu in the 850w or more.
Absent a reliable psu review, your best guide to psu quality os the warranty. 7 years or more is good.

Nah man. Next gen specially RTX5000 series gonna be major improvement. Like crazy huge improvement.

And no he won't be waiting for ever. As the next big jump will take a good 2Yrs after RTX5000 series release. And if he were to be here last year. Would have easily recommended RTX4080 setup for around that price. But seeing how insane the next gen performance up-lift gonna be. One should most definitely wait for it. Specially the one who plans to hold and use his PC for over a very long period of time.

This 1 Yr wait be absolutely worth it.

 

[35below0]

Nah man. Next gen specially RTX5000 series gonna be major improvement. Like crazy huge improvement.

And no he won't be waiting for ever. As the next big jump will take a good 2Yrs after RTX5000 series release. And if he were to be here last year. Would have easily recommended RTX4080 setup for around that price. But seeing how insane the next gen performance up-lift gonna be. One should most definitely wait for it. Specially the one who plans to hold and use his PC for over a very long period of time.

This 1 Yr wait be absolutely worth it.

A 4080 setup is way above what the OP wants. That's 4K beast territory.
Of course, you're welcome to throw it as a suggestion. Make a build/budged and suggest a hypotethical GPU with it's expected price.

Sometimes it's nice to at least look at an expensive option.