Question I play niche games help me pick my cpu

[Joe Gallo]

Hey guys I’m starting a new build, I mostly play arma 3, dcs, total wars, paradox strategies, 2k, forza horizon, gta and red dead. I’d like the cpu to last me at least 3-4 years.

I’m leaning 11700k with the z590, I want a little rgb and it’s a white motherboard to fit my build.

however, I want to make sure I’m not compromising too much for it. I want my triple a games to feel triple a, 1% lows and average fps on dcs and arma 3 can be toxic to say the least. Total war doesn’t like pushing the game to its furthest extents, and late game choppiness on paradox games is game ruining.

Coming from a fx-6300 id like as smooth an experience as possible.

my options are
11700kf, z590 Asus strx a wifi $535 CAD
12600kf, z690 gigabyte ud ax $530 CAD
12400f with a b660 mag tomahawk wifi $500 CAD
5800x B550 aorus ax elite wifi6 for $550 CAD

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Hey there,

Arguably, I'd rule out the 11700k/Z590 Combo straight away. For nearly the same price as the other options, it's not great value.

12600k and Z690 (which prob has much better VRM's than the B660) will hold up better. Both in therms of the current cpu, but also the option of a Raptor lake upgrade on the high end (maybe a 13700k) which you could drop into the Z690. For $30 more, it's a better value than the 12400f with the B660.

Then you have the 5800x. If it was the 5800x 3D, then I'd say it's a good call. With the vanilla 5800x, not so much. The 3d version is a superb gamer, for games that can make more of its high L3 cache.

With all things considered, 12600k/z690 is the way to go for me. Gives you an upgrade option too.

 

[Ralston18]

Start with the games that you play.

Most software manufacturers, games included, provide some listing of the hardware requirements (usually in some form of "Minimum", "Recommended", or "Best") needed to support the software

You do not want minimum and you do want as much best as you can afford.

Scale your hardware (e.g. CPU) to the requirements of the most demanding game that you play.

Likely doing so will force you beyond the $500-$550 budget that seems to be the present range.

However, you must also look at the entire system as a whole and the accompanying power demands.

You will need a really good PSU for the new build.

Start here:

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-psus,4229.html

First to use the calculators to determine the appropriate wattage and second to help chose a PSU that will support the new build and allow for future growth.

 

[Joe Gallo]

Start with the games that you play.

Most software manufacturers, games included, provide some listing of the hardware requirements (usually in some form of "Minimum", "Recommended", or "Best") needed to support the software

You do not want minimum and you do want as much best as you can afford.

Scale your hardware (e.g. CPU) to the requirements of the most demanding game that you play.

Likely doing so will force you beyond the $500-$550 budget that seems to be the present range.

However, you must also look at the entire system as a whole and the accompanying power demands.

You will need a really good PSU for the new build.

Start here:

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-psus,4229.html

First to use the calculators to determine the appropriate wattage and second to help chose a PSU that will support the new build and allow for future growth.

I have a p2 Evga 850 watt, I should be good. The rest of the system is going to be 32gb ddr4 3600/c16, a 980 ti, and a Samsung 970 evo plus

I just can’t find much in the way of benchmarks for the cpus, and I was hoping to get some people to reply as most people benchmark single player arma and dcs and not online and that is where the cpu crunch comes.

 

[Joe Gallo]

Hey there,

Arguably, I'd rule out the 11700k/Z590 Combo straight away. For nearly the same price as the other options, it's not great value.

12600k and Z690 (which prob has much better VRM's than the B660) will hold up better. Both in therms of the current cpu, but also the option of a Raptor lake upgrade on the high end (maybe a 13700k) which you could drop into the Z690. For $30 more, it's a better value than the 12400f with the B660.

Then you have the 5800x. If it was the 5800x 3D, then I'd say it's a good call. With the vanilla 5800x, not so much. The 3d version is a superb gamer, for games that can make more of its high L3 cache.

With all things considered, 12600k/z690 is the way to go for me. Gives you an upgrade option too.

Is the gigabyte ud ax not the most budget of budget z690s though?

And yeah I’d spring for 5800x3d if could afford it I’m trying to stay as close to 500 as my original budget was 400 for the combo.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

No, I wouldn't say that at all. That model Z90 is really decent, with a 16+1+2 phase design. Pretty capable and fine for the 12600k. I'd even say it would take a 13900k purely based on its phase design.

However, it would need a bios update to take a Raptor lake CPu in the future. But once you get the combo, then simply update the bios to the most recent one, and then you will be a position to update the CPU to a Raptor Lake model.