Build Advice Help needed with my first new build since 2016 ?

[asif2005]

The last machine I built was back in Feb 2016 and it is still rock solid and I use it to date.

I am building a new PC now and I have some questions and need some suggestions. My work involves programming and development. I do all of my development work on my Virtual Machines and try not to install too much software on the primary OS on the host machine. Some of the work I do involves some graphic design and I needs Photoshop and Illustrator installed on the primary desktop. To be able to run VMs I need a lot of memory. My current build has 32 GB RAM.

So enough with the background....

Here are the parts that I have come up with for the new build:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-12700K 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor
• CPU Cooler: ID-COOLING SE-214-XT ARGB 68.2 CFM CPU Cooler
• Mothrboard: ASRock Z790 PRO RS WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard
• RAM: G.Skill Flare X5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory

About the video card, I don't want to break the bank since I don't play any graphic intensive games. I am not into gaming whatsoever. The CPU I have selected does have integrated graphics but since I want to continue to have dual display, I do want a dedicated GPU. My current GPU on my 8 year old build is this:

EVGA Superclocked GeForce GT 740 2 GB Video Card

Can I continue using this in the new build? If not, I was thinking of getting this since its not too expensive.

XFX GTS XXX Radeon RX 580 8 GB Video Card


My question is, would it be a worth-it upgrade? I will consider other suggestions and I really appreciate it if you have read my lenghy post up until this point.

About the Power Supply, I have Thermaltake 700W smart series in my current build. I am also debating whether to replace it or not. Besides not being modular and poor cable management, no complaints.

Currently I have the following case and I need suggestions for a basic case with good airflow, cable management to compliment a good PS and has at least four 3.5" drive bays and 2 SSDs.

Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-02 Mid-Tower Gaming Case


Again, I really appreciate all the help.

Thanks,

 

[Lafong]

You will likely get frowning about your existing power supply for age reasons alone.

Do you have any particular attraction to Intel rather than AMD?

You don't mention a budget. Any clues on that?

Re 12700K: are you averse to newer Intel generations (13 through 15) for whatever reason? The 12700K may well do exactly what you need, just wondering why 12th generation?

Any particular reason you chose that CPU cooler?

Just trying to get some insight into your decision process.

 

[asif2005]

Agree about the PSU. I can get a new one.

I have always been an Intel guy and have been generally happy.

The 12th gen CPU seems to be a sweet spot for a good price point before it makes a $100+ difference to the next one up for little difference in performance, unless someone tells me otherwise.

Not sure why I selected a cooler. I think the part picker site was suggesting one. I guess I don't need it?

I am trying to stay around $800 if I can help it.

 

[Lafong]

800 for these 5 parts only?

Power supply, CPU, motherboard, cooler, RAM

What specific drives will you attach to the motherboard?

Can you comment on the reasons that led you to that particular motherboard? Specific features?

Are you averse to a micro ATX board?

Some would point you toward 6000 speed RAM with a CL of 30.

And Gskill Ripjaws on Intel rather than Flare.

You might consider a non-K i5 CPU from the 13th or 14th generation (maybe 13500 or 14500)...you'd have to check on the performance and price differences at somewhere like Passmark.com. I think they would include a cooler. Might not matter much. The i5s may run a bit cooler?

https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?N=100007671 601393085&LeftPriceRange=200+250&Order=1

Intel CPUs between 200 and 250 dollars.

These are all relatively minor points. You are in the ballpark for sure.

 

[asif2005]

800 for these 5 parts only?

Power supply, CPU, motherboard, cooler, RAM

What specific drives will you attach to the motherboard?

Can you comment on the reasons that led you to that particular motherboard? Specific features?

Are you averse to a micro ATX board?

Some would point you toward 6000 speed RAM with a CL of 30.

And Gskill Ripjaws on Intel rather than Flare.

You might consider a non-K i5 CPU from the 13th or 14th generation (maybe 13500 or 14500)...you'd have to check on the performance and price differences at somewhere like Passmark.com. I think they would include a cooler. Might not matter much. The i5s may run a bit cooler?

https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?N=100007671 601393085&LeftPriceRange=200+250&Order=1

Intel CPUs between 200 and 250 dollars.

These are all relatively minor points. You are in the ballpark for sure.

Thanks so much for your input. I selected this motherboard for its price point and the number of SATA connections (I have 6 drives in my current machine - two SSDs and the other four 3.5"). Not a big micro atx fan as things tend to get too cramped.

Do you think an i5 13th gen is better than i7 12th gen?

Did you read my comments about Case and GPU? Any feedback there?

 

[Lafong]

GPU: I don't use them. Don't need one for my purposes. Haven't in at least 10 years. I assume you believe that integrated video from the CPU is inadequate for your purposes. So I yield to your knowledge.

Case: do you have any specific complaints about your current case? If not, it would be low priority for a replacement. You have a budget and I'd think that the 100 a new one might cost is better spent on something more important....CPU horsepower, GPU, etc. If 100 brand new dollars fell out of the sky, you'd have a 900 dollar budget and maybe then you buy a new case.

"(I have 7 drives in my current machine - two SSDs and the other four 3.5")."

Two plus four is?

You need 7 SATA, not 6? Not quite following you. No M.2 drives at all and not foreseeable? It seems many recent boards are trending toward 4 SATA rather than 6 due to the rise of NVME drives.

 

[asif2005]

GPU: I don't use them. Don't need one for my purposes. Haven't in at least 10 years. I assume you believe that integrated video from the CPU is inadequate for your purposes. So I yield to your knowledge.

Case: do you have any specific complaints about your current case? If not, it would be low priority for a replacement. You have a budget and I'd think that the 100 a new one might cost is better spent on something more important....CPU horsepower, GPU, etc. If 100 brand new dollars fell out of the sky, you'd have a 900 dollar budget and maybe then you buy a new case.

"(I have 7 drives in my current machine - two SSDs and the other four 3.5")."

Two plus four is?

You need 7 SATA, not 6? Not quite following you. No M.2 drives at all and not foreseeable? It seems many recent boards are trending toward 4 SATA rather than 6 due to the rise of NVME drives.

7 was a typo and I quickly corrected it before you responded but obviously got to it before I did. I already have these drives and I want to continue to use them. M.2 is an option for future when one of these dies outside of warranty. One of my WD 4TB 3.5 died one year into it (about a year ago) and the replacement died too last week during the 2 year warranty and I just RMA'd it again earlier this week so I will get a replacement for that. My Segates have been rock solid and I also have a Hitachi which I never though would last 8+ years but it has.

 

[Lafong]

"Do you think an i5 13th gen is better than i7 12th gen?"

Entirely possible that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference in performance at the same price point. For a typical user.

Are you atypical? Dunno.

I don't know the finer points of your use case........maybe your specific software and tasks could take advantage of an i7. Maybe not.

You may be indifferent to any of the "advantages" that might be seen on 13th/14th gen spec sheets.

12700K: 8 P cores; 4 E cores; 20 threads.

13500: 6 P cores; 8 E cores; 20 threads

14500; same as 13500, but clocked a bit higher.

12700K is about 30 cheaper.

I took a look at Passmark scores for the above 3. The 12700K is slightly above the other 2. That difference may not be noticeable at all in real world use.

Here's an idea; go with the 12700K, but upgrade the cooler to something in the 50 dollar category. Keep the case at least for now and see if it has temp problems after you build the new machine with the improved cooler.

Generally...I'd allot more of the total expenditure to the motherboard than you have (140 dollars), but that's mostly wishful thinking that I'd ever benefit from it. Any motherboard can be a total disaster.

It's all about where to put the last 100 dollars and your opinion is as good as anyone's. Lean toward avoiding buyer's remorse.

 

[Bob.B]

The last machine I built was back in Feb 2016 and it is still rock solid and I use it to date.

I am building a new PC now and I have some questions and need some suggestions. My work involves programming and development. I do all of my development work on my Virtual Machines and try not to install too much software on the primary OS on the host machine. Some of the work I do involves some graphic design and I needs Photoshop and Illustrator installed on the primary desktop. To be able to run VMs I need a lot of memory. My current build has 32 GB RAM.

So enough with the background....

Here are the parts that I have come up with for the new build:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-12700K 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor
• CPU Cooler: ID-COOLING SE-214-XT ARGB 68.2 CFM CPU Cooler
• Mothrboard: ASRock Z790 PRO RS WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard
• RAM: G.Skill Flare X5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory

About the video card, I don't want to break the bank since I don't play any graphic intensive games. I am not into gaming whatsoever. The CPU I have selected does have integrated graphics but since I want to continue to have dual display, I do want a dedicated GPU. My current GPU on my 8 year old build is this:

EVGA Superclocked GeForce GT 740 2 GB Video Card

Can I continue using this in the new build? If not, I was thinking of getting this since its not too expensive.

XFX GTS XXX Radeon RX 580 8 GB Video Card


My question is, would it be a worth-it upgrade? I will consider other suggestions and I really appreciate it if you have read my lenghy post up until this point.

About the Power Supply, I have Thermaltake 700W smart series in my current build. I am also debating whether to replace it or not. Besides not being modular and poor cable management, no complaints.

Currently I have the following case and I need suggestions for a basic case with good airflow, cable management to compliment a good PS and has at least four 3.5" drive bays and 2 SSDs.

Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-02 Mid-Tower Gaming Case


Again, I really appreciate all the help.

Thanks,

Don't forget the OS in the mix.

 

[logainofhades]

I would stick with 12th gen. 13th and 14th gen have had some degredation issues. Intel claims they are fixed, but only time will tell. You could save some money, and go the DDR4 route. 12th gen doesn't really see much benefit from faster ddr5, unless you are gaming and using a 4090. Also you can get double the ram, for not much more money than that 32gb ddr5 you chose, which you need for your VM's. You really do not need the GPU, as the motherboard I am choosing has a Display Port and HDMI port.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-12700K 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor ($209.98 @ GameStop)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($39.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z690 Steel Legend ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($97.99 @ Newegg)
Case: DARKROCK Classico Storage Master ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 - TT Premium Edition 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Best Buy)
Wireless Network Adapter: Intel AX200 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax M.2 Wi-Fi Adapter ($25.79 @ Amazon)
Total: $673.63
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-11-07 12:36 EST-0500

 

[Misgar]

Some of the work I do involves some graphic design and I needs Photoshop and Illustrator installed on the primary desktop.

Is there any reason why you're not running Photoshop in a VM (apart from the fact it's not officially supported by Adobe as far as I know)? It is possible to invoke GPU Passthrough in Hyper-V. Not sure which manager you're using.

To be able to run VMs I need a lot of memory. My current build has 32 GB RAM.

I'm running small VMs in a G3258 Dual Core Pentium with 8GB total RAM, but I'm happier with 64GB RAM in other PCs for serious work. Are you sure 32GB is enough. If you might need more, best to buy 2 x 32GB now, rather than trying to add another unmatched 2 x 16GB later.

The CPU I have selected does have integrated graphics but since I want to continue to have dual display, I do want a dedicated GPU.

I can run two monitors on the iGPU in this i7-4770K, but a dedicated GPU is better for OpenCL/GL work in Photoshop et al. A modern GPU (not Rx 580) really comes into its own for video processing, e.g. Premiere Pro. Photoshop less so.

Can I continue using this in the new build? If not, I was thinking of getting this since its not too expensive.

You can use any GPU you like including the GT 740. After all it is your machine. I have various GT 710s in old builds, two RX 580s (one new, one second hand) and others including an RTX 3060 12GB. For video renders a much faster GPU would speed things up, but the RTX 4080 and 4090 cost more than I care to pay.

One point to note is that anything after Photoshop CC 2019 will probably not install on a GT 740. The further you head up towards Photoshop 2024, the more powerful the basic spec for the GPU. For all I know you might be perfectly happy with CS5.1/5.5 or CS6.0. No need for all this new-fangled AI stuff in Photoshop.

Currently I have the following case and I need suggestions for a basic case with good airflow, cable management to compliment a good PS and has at least four 3.5" drive bays and 2 SSDs.

I prefer old fashioned cases with room for loads of hard disks and a 5.25in bay or two if I need a BDR optical drive or an internal LTO tape drive. Modern cases with room for hard disks include the Fractal Design R5. Get the version with eight 3.5in drive bays - useful for RAID-Z2 ZFS arrays.

Really old cases include Lian Li V2000 with separate 12-drive bay and room for another 4-drive hot swap bay at the front. Not to everyone's tastes, but personally, I wouldn't buy a gaming case covered in bling, flashing lights and 12 DayGlo fans.

If you need more SATA ports, you can buy plug-in PCIe SATA cards, or a second hand LSI SAS HBA controller card for under $30. SAS cards will handle SATA drives equally well.

 

[asif2005]

Don't forget the OS in the mix.

I have win11 business license through work with my MS Subscription and will be doing office work with PC for the most part so no need for needing to buy OS.

 

[asif2005]

I would stick with 12th gen. 13th and 14th gen have had some degredation issues. Intel claims they are fixed, but only time will tell. You could save some money, and go the DDR4 route. 12th gen doesn't really see much benefit from faster ddr5, unless you are gaming and using a 4090. Also you can get double the ram, for not much more money than that 32gb ddr5 you chose, which you need for your VM's. You really do not need the GPU, as the motherboard I am choosing has a Display Port and HDMI port.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-12700K 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor ($209.98 @ GameStop)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($39.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z690 Steel Legend ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($97.99 @ Newegg)
Case: DARKROCK Classico Storage Master ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 - TT Premium Edition 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Best Buy)
Wireless Network Adapter: Intel AX200 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax M.2 Wi-Fi Adapter ($25.79 @ Amazon)
Total: $673.63
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-11-07 12:36 EST-0500

Excellent suggestions, thanks so much. Do you think that I can survive with integrated graphics though while using Photoshop CC 2019?

 

[asif2005]

"Do you think an i5 13th gen is better than i7 12th gen?"

Entirely possible that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference in performance at the same price point. For a typical user.

Are you atypical? Dunno.

I don't know the finer points of your use case........maybe your specific software and tasks could take advantage of an i7. Maybe not.

You may be indifferent to any of the "advantages" that might be seen on 13th/14th gen spec sheets.

12700K: 8 P cores; 4 E cores; 20 threads.

13500: 6 P cores; 8 E cores; 20 threads

14500; same as 13500, but clocked a bit higher.

12700K is about 30 cheaper.

I took a look at Passmark scores for the above 3. The 12700K is slightly above the other 2. That difference may not be noticeable at all in real world use.

Here's an idea; go with the 12700K, but upgrade the cooler to something in the 50 dollar category. Keep the case at least for now and see if it has temp problems after you build the new machine with the improved cooler.

Generally...I'd allot more of the total expenditure to the motherboard than you have (140 dollars), but that's mostly wishful thinking that I'd ever benefit from it. Any motherboard can be a total disaster.

It's all about where to put the last 100 dollars and your opinion is as good as anyone's. Lean toward avoiding buyer's remorse.

Not a typical user but not a gamer either. I think your suggestion to stay with 12700K but having a better cooler seems like a better idea

 

[asif2005]

Is there any reason why you're not running Photoshop in a VM (apart from the fact it's not officially supported by Adobe as far as I know)? It is possible to invoke GPU Passthrough in Hyper-V. Not sure which manager you're using.


I'm running small VMs in a G3258 Dual Core Pentium with 8GB total RAM, but I'm happier with 64GB RAM in other PCs for serious work. Are you sure 32GB is enough. If you might need more, best to buy 2 x 32GB now, rather than trying to add another unmatched 2 x 16GB later.


I can run two monitors on the iGPU in this i7-4770K, but a dedicated GPU is better for OpenCL/GL work in Photoshop et al. A modern GPU (not Rx 580) really comes into its own for video processing, e.g. Premiere Pro. Photoshop less so.


You can use any GPU you like including the GT 740. After all it is your machine. I have various GT 710s in old builds, two RX 580s (one new, one second hand) and others including an RTX 3060 12GB. For video renders a much faster GPU would speed things up, but the RTX 4080 and 4090 cost more than I care to pay.

One point to note is that anything after Photoshop CC 2019 will probably not install on a GT 740. The further you head up towards Photoshop 2024, the more powerful the basic spec for the GPU. For all I know you might be perfectly happy with CS5.1/5.5 or CS6.0. No need for all this new-fangled AI stuff in Photoshop.


I prefer old fashioned cases with room for loads of hard disks and a 5.25in bay or two if I need a BDR optical drive or an internal LTO tape drive. Modern cases with room for hard disks include the Fractal Design R5. Get the version with eight 3.5in drive bays - useful for RAID-Z2 ZFS arrays.

Really old cases include Lian Li V2000 with separate 12-drive bay and room for another 4-drive hot swap bay at the front. Not to everyone's tastes, but personally, I wouldn't buy a gaming case covered in bling, flashing lights and 12 DayGlo fans.

If you need more SATA ports, you can buy plug-in PCIe SATA cards, or a second hand LSI SAS HBA controller card for under $30. SAS cards will handle SATA drives equally well.

Great feedback!!! I do serious very resource intensive work with VMs some times multiple ones running and talking to each other. Some of them running Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, IIS, Websphere etc. and need a lot of memory. I will switch to 64GB RAM based on your suggestion and the post before yours. I have PS CC20019 running just fine on my current machine with GT 740 so there is that. My current OS is Win 7 though (I know! don't laugh) With your knowledge on GPUs, can you suggest me a GPU that I can use with the latest and greatest Photoshop version?

I do need a whole bunch of storage space. Some of my VMs are touching 400 GBs with all the snapshots and at the rate they go corrupt, I need even more space for backing them up. I use VMWare by they way.