Question Need A New Rig But I Stink At Building Anything

hassenpheffer

Honorable
Dec 5, 2015
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Hello All!

So I bought my last (and current) rig through ibuypower over 20 years ago. I have taken very good care of it, replaced this and that, added this and that, but it's come time to buy a new one and retire this soldier. It's served me well.

I absolutely stink at anything technical so I do NOT want to try and build a new rig from scratch. I know I'll mess it up so I'd rather just buy a prebuilt one like my last one.

I don't know if ibuypower is as good as it was back in 2001 so I'd like some advice as to where to purchase a prebuilt rig.

My budget is a modest one at 2k.

The rig is for gaming.

Case can be large as it is going on a desktop. My current one is a Thermaltake Armor+ 20" (H)x 18" (D)x9"(W).

I don't care for aesthetics so any design/color is fine.

No water cooling.

I'm not planning on any tournaments nor do I spend a lot of time playing so it doesn't have to a beast. Just a rig that is reliable and long lasting.

No need for a keyboard or mouse and one SSD is fine for the OS as I have others.

I have 2 GTX 970s currently but those won't be any good for a new rig since RayTracing seems to be thing nowadays. As far as processors and motherboards go I'm good with either AMD or Intel. Same goes for GPUs.

I'm not sure what to else to add so the technical parts (RAM/MB/Power Supply) can be anything as long as it's worth the money and compatible.

Lastly: I realize there's a chip shortage and GPUs are pricey nowadays because of miners so: should I wait for lower prices or newer processors/GPUs or buy now? Get Windows 10 or 11?

I know this is a lot to ask but I would greatly appreciate anyone assistance in finding a business/tech online that builds and builds well.

Thanks in advance!
 
I don't know if ibuypower is as good as it was back in 2001 so I'd like some advice as to where to purchase a prebuilt rig.
they are known for having some of the worst customer service and for using very low quality components where they can; drives, memory, cooling, power supplies, etc.
GPUs are pricey nowadays because of miners so: should I wait for lower prices or newer processors/GPUs or buy now?

Get Windows 10 or 11?
you can attempt signing up for the Newegg Shuffle each morning and hopefully get access to a good card without a bundle of junk included with it.
i've received two nice GPUs through them for MSRP.

if you have a current registered Windows installation you should be able to have that license transferred over to a new Windows 10/11 installation.
i would recommend sticking with 10 and giving them a bit more time with development for 11 before relying on it.
I do NOT want to try and build a new rig from scratch.
NZXT offers some good options for pre-builts, basic starter builds, and other options.
 
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logainofhades

Titan
Moderator
Might want to look at Skytech and ABS systems, on Newegg. If I were forced to buy a prebuilt, right now, I would probably go with this one. The PSU would be my only concern, though tweaktown did review the 750w version of the one in this, and found it to be a decent unit. PSU swap is easy enough, if you felt the need for a more well known, higher quality, unit, with maybe a bit more wattage.

https://www.newegg.com/skytech-st-c...883289216?Item=N82E16883289216&quicklink=true
 
Might want to look at Skytech and ABS systems, on Newegg. If I were forced to buy a prebuilt, right now, I would probably go with this one. The PSU would be my only concern, though tweaktown did review the 750w version of the one in this, and found it to be a decent unit. PSU swap is easy enough, if you felt the need for a more well known, higher quality, unit, with maybe a bit more wattage.

https://www.newegg.com/skytech-st-c...883289216?Item=N82E16883289216&quicklink=true
"No water cooling"
 
I would personally get this, I configured it to have quality parts, and then I would get this as an air cooler for the CPU. The problem with discluding water cooling in a pre-built is that nearly all companies ship AIO water coolers now. The Ibuypower configurator does not even have an air cooling option so I chose the cheapest AIO so you can reinstall the linked air cooler above. The computer is specced as follows;
CaseiBUYPOWER Lian Li LANCOOL II Mesh RGB Tempered Glass Gaming Case - Black
ProcessorIntel® Core™ i5-12600KF Processor (6X 3.70GHz + 4X 2.80GHz /20MB L3 Cache)
MotherboardMSI PRO Z690-A DDR4 - ARGB Header (2), USB 3.2 Ports (1 Type-C, 3 Type-A), M.2 Slot (4)
Memory16 GB [8 GB x2] DDR4-3200 Memory Module-Corsair Vengeance-LPX
Video CardNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti - 8GB GDDR6 (VR-Ready)
Case LightingNone
Power Supply750 Watt - CORSAIR RM750X - 80 PLUS Gold, Fully Modular
Processor CoolingiBUYPOWER 240mm Addressable RGB Liquid Cooling System - Black-[Free Upgrade to iBUYPOWER DEEPCOOL GAMERSTORM RGB 240mm CASTLE 240EX Liquid Cooler]
Primary Storage1TB WD Blue SN570 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD -- Read: 3500MB/s; Write: 3000MB/s
Secondary Storage-[FREE] 2 TB SEAGATE HARD DRIVE 7200RPM - Today Only

PC is 1865 + 50 for the Noctual air cooler Total; 1915 USD.
 
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Hello All!

So I bought my last (and current) rig through ibuypower over 20 years ago. I have taken very good care of it, replaced this and that, added this and that, but it's come time to buy a new one and retire this soldier. It's served me well.

I absolutely stink at anything technical so I do NOT want to try and build a new rig from scratch. I know I'll mess it up so I'd rather just buy a prebuilt one like my last one.

I don't know if ibuypower is as good as it was back in 2001 so I'd like some advice as to where to purchase a prebuilt rig.

My budget is a modest one at 2k.

The rig is for gaming.

Case can be large as it is going on a desktop. My current one is a Thermaltake Armor+ 20" (H)x 18" (D)x9"(W).

I don't care for aesthetics so any design/color is fine.

No water cooling.

I'm not planning on any tournaments nor do I spend a lot of time playing so it doesn't have to a beast. Just a rig that is reliable and long lasting.

No need for a keyboard or mouse and one SSD is fine for the OS as I have others.

I have 2 GTX 970s currently but those won't be any good for a new rig since RayTracing seems to be thing nowadays. As far as processors and motherboards go I'm good with either AMD or Intel. Same goes for GPUs.

I'm not sure what to else to add so the technical parts (RAM/MB/Power Supply) can be anything as long as it's worth the money and compatible.

Lastly: I realize there's a chip shortage and GPUs are pricey nowadays because of miners so: should I wait for lower prices or newer processors/GPUs or buy now? Get Windows 10 or 11?

I know this is a lot to ask but I would greatly appreciate anyone assistance in finding a business/tech online that builds and builds well.

Thanks in advance!
What country are you located and what is your monitor resolution?
 
Assuming you are in the US and your resolution is 1080P. No reason why you can't order the components and have a local computer shop build it for you. People do this all the time.

https://www.newegg.com/black-lian-li-lancool-ii-performance-atx-mid-tower/p/2AM-000Z-00086
LIAN LI LANCOOL II MESH C PERFORMANCE $109.99

https://www.amazon.com/Seasonic-GX-650-Full-Modular-Application-SSR-650FX/dp/B077J9QTDR
Seasonic FOCUS GX-650, 650W 80+ Gold Modular Power Supply $114.41

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-Mortar-Gaming-Motherboard-Socket/dp/B09PXD16F6/
MSI MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI DDR4 $179.99

https://www.newegg.com/intel-core-i7-12700f-core-i7-12th-gen/p/N82E16819118359
Intel Core i7-12700F $319.99

https://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-TOUGHAIR-Pressure-Performance-CL-P075-AL12BL/dp/B08XN6LLJG/
Thermaltake TOUGHAIR 510 180W TDP LGA 1700 CPU Cooler $59.99

https://www.newegg.com/corsair-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820236541
CORSAIR Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200 32GB (2x16GB) CL16 $110.50

O/S SSD

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0869BW8MH
PNY CS2130 500GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Gen3 x4 Internal SSD $54.99

https://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-REV2-0-WINDFORCE-GV-N306TGAMING-OC-8GD/dp/B09BKBJ14W/
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Gaming OC 8GB (REV2.0) Graphics Card $849.95

Total: $1790


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

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/msi-mag-b660m-mortar-wifi-ddr4

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


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydgN4W97Esk&t=708s


1080p_Average.png
 
Last edited:

hassenpheffer

Honorable
Dec 5, 2015
17
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10,515
I forgot to ask:

Is this a good time to buy a new rig? Will there be new technologies soon that are worth waiting for?

Does anything over 16GB of RAM make any difference?
 
Last edited:

hassenpheffer

Honorable
Dec 5, 2015
17
3
10,515
I would personally get this, I configured it to have quality parts, and then I would get this as an air cooler for the CPU. The problem with discluding water cooling in a pre-built is that nearly all companies ship AIO water coolers now. The Ibuypower configurator does not even have an air cooling option so I chose the cheapest AIO so you can reinstall the linked air cooler above. The computer is specced as follows;
CaseiBUYPOWER Lian Li LANCOOL II Mesh RGB Tempered Glass Gaming Case - Black
ProcessorIntel® Core™ i5-12600KF Processor (6X 3.70GHz + 4X 2.80GHz /20MB L3 Cache)
MotherboardMSI PRO Z690-A DDR4 - ARGB Header (2), USB 3.2 Ports (1 Type-C, 3 Type-A), M.2 Slot (4)
Memory16 GB [8 GB x2] DDR4-3200 Memory Module-Corsair Vengeance-LPX
Video CardNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti - 8GB GDDR6 (VR-Ready)
Case LightingNone
Power Supply750 Watt - CORSAIR RM750X - 80 PLUS Gold, Fully Modular
Processor CoolingiBUYPOWER 240mm Addressable RGB Liquid Cooling System - Black-[Free Upgrade to iBUYPOWER DEEPCOOL GAMERSTORM RGB 240mm CASTLE 240EX Liquid Cooler]
Primary Storage1TB WD Blue SN570 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD -- Read: 3500MB/s; Write: 3000MB/s
Secondary Storage-[FREE] 2 TB SEAGATE HARD DRIVE 7200RPM - Today Only

PC is 1865 + 50 for the Noctual air cooler Total; 1915 USD.

Would it be worth paying a bit more for the i9 or should I buy this and upgrade in the future?
 

logainofhades

Titan
Moderator
"No water cooling"

Missed that one. This one would work. It is open box, but Newegg does sell 3yr system protection plans, for $200. I doubt you will see a faster GPU, at the $2000 price point.

https://www.newegg.com/abs-ali575-gladiator/p/N82E16883360210R?Item=N82E16883360210R

  • CPU: Intel Core i7-11700F 2.5GHz (4.9GHz Turbo) 8-Core 16-Thread
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8GB (Brand May Vary)
  • Motherboard: Intel B560
  • RAM: G.Skill TridentZ RGB 16GB DDR4 3200MHz
  • SSD: 1TB Intel M.2 NVMe SSD
$1784.99
 

Karadjgne

Titan
Ambassador
For just gaming? You'll not need anything bigger than a 12600k, even a 12400 is solid choice. Going to be a huge step up over what you have currently.

I'd stay away from any F squ Intel, it's seriously not worth the expense difference between F and non-F to skip out on the igpu. It's the single biggest downfall of the Ryzens, there's more postings here about blackscreens and non-responsive gpus than any other. You might never have the need, but it's better to have and not need than need and not have.

Gpus are hard to get, even for the big brand builders, so a lot of companies who have the gpus for sale to the builders are dumping their junk stuff included in a combo. Want gpu's? Gotta buy this junky mobo or liquid cooler too or we'll sell to someone who will buy it. So now these builders have excess stock in junk parts they can't sell, so they pass them on in prebuilts to you, the buyer.

If I had to go pre-built, I'd go with ABS, it's newegg house brand. They get the parts regardless, nobody refuses newegg.

Since you seem to be technically savvy enough to make upgrades, the one pre-built to stay away from is anything proprietary. That means Lenovo, Dell, HP, Sony etc. No 'Big Box' deals. Hunt through the configuration page, build the pc. Do this on multiple sites, weight the prices vs options, look for actual names, like Asus, Msi, Corsair, Crucial etc. Any build with a bunch of generic or no name listings is to be avoided.

Hunt down info and reviews on parts. They need to be decent, no point in getting bottom of the barrel, no point in getting stuff that will need to be replaced or has limitations. No Ryzen 3700x on A320 mobo's etc.

The homework isn't hard, just a little time consuming, but the education will be priceless and you'll end up with a pc that not only should last a good long while, but won't require spending twice on useless parts.
 

hassenpheffer

Honorable
Dec 5, 2015
17
3
10,515
For just gaming? You'll not need anything bigger than a 12600k, even a 12400 is solid choice. Going to be a huge step up over what you have currently.

I'd stay away from any F squ Intel, it's seriously not worth the expense difference between F and non-F to skip out on the igpu. It's the single biggest downfall of the Ryzens, there's more postings here about blackscreens and non-responsive gpus than any other. You might never have the need, but it's better to have and not need than need and not have.

Gpus are hard to get, even for the big brand builders, so a lot of companies who have the gpus for sale to the builders are dumping their junk stuff included in a combo. Want gpu's? Gotta buy this junky mobo or liquid cooler too or we'll sell to someone who will buy it. So now these builders have excess stock in junk parts they can't sell, so they pass them on in prebuilts to you, the buyer.

If I had to go pre-built, I'd go with ABS, it's newegg house brand. They get the parts regardless, nobody refuses newegg.

Since you seem to be technically savvy enough to make upgrades, the one pre-built to stay away from is anything proprietary. That means Lenovo, Dell, HP, Sony etc. No 'Big Box' deals. Hunt through the configuration page, build the pc. Do this on multiple sites, weight the prices vs options, look for actual names, like Asus, Msi, Corsair, Crucial etc. Any build with a bunch of generic or no name listings is to be avoided.

Hunt down info and reviews on parts. They need to be decent, no point in getting bottom of the barrel, no point in getting stuff that will need to be replaced or has limitations. No Ryzen 3700x on A320 mobo's etc.

The homework isn't hard, just a little time consuming, but the education will be priceless and you'll end up with a pc that not only should last a good long while, but won't require spending twice on useless parts.
Thank you so much for your insight.

When I originally got my rig it had all high end parts and was put together just right. It's too bad ibuypower isn't as good as they once were.

I will be either surfing, watching video or gaming on my PC. I don't do heavy photo/video/audio editing or mining.

I am have kept my rig alive till this day but I don't know enough about what goes with what or what's new and what's obsolete. I just tried putting an ABS rig together and I don't understand much of jargon.
 
Last edited:

Karadjgne

Titan
Ambassador
Jargon is all the same as it used to be, nothing has changed. It's still amd vs Intel, it's still a motherboard and cpu and ram and storage, back in lga1155 it was a Z77 mobo and i7 3770k on top, but most went cheaper with the i5 3750 because games were simple and didn't use more than 4 cores. Today they do but i5 is still plenty. I9 12900k is like i7-3770K, best for production, gaming bonus is byproduct.

Don't be fooled by big sounding words and uber technical explanations, at the end of the day it's all the same just with fancier explanations.
 

hassenpheffer

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Dec 5, 2015
17
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Jargon is all the same as it used to be, nothing has changed. It's still amd vs Intel, it's still a motherboard and cpu and ram and storage, back in lga1155 it was a Z77 mobo and i7 3770k on top, but most went cheaper with the i5 3750 because games were simple and didn't use more than 4 cores. Today they do but i5 is still plenty. I9 12900k is like i7-3770K, best for production, gaming bonus is byproduct.

Don't be fooled by big sounding words and uber technical explanations, at the end of the day it's all the same just with fancier explanations.

I know some stuff but I just want to make sure things are compatible. I tried building a rig on ibuypower and things werent allowed to go together. It's frustrating since they don't say why they don't work together. I gave up.

I'm still going through the suggestions on here.

I have terrible luck at anything technical. I usually breaking things when I'm trying to fix something. It's horrible. :D
 
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frustrating since they don't say why they don't work together. I gave up
you can try starting here,
should only give access to compatible components through the build process:

Newegg Custom PC Builder

you will be able to select specific component lists from the vertical bar on the right of the page.
and if you wish, can narrow down those choices through the menu on the left.

CPU & motherboard should already be included in the list.
if this link doesn't provide the correct startup for the build you can just start over.
 

hassenpheffer

Honorable
Dec 5, 2015
17
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I went ahead and bought a rig from ibuypower. It was a good deal at a good price of $1600:

Specs:
  • Windows 11 Home
  • iBUYPOWER Slate HAKO MR Tempered Glass ARGB
  • Core i7-12700KF Processor 8P + 4E Cores, 20T
  • iBUYPOWER 240mm Addressable RGB Liquid Cooling System - Black
  • Z690 DDR4 Motherboard
  • 16GB (8GBx2) DDR4-3600 MHz Ram
  • 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
  • RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 Graphics
  • PCIe or On-Board Wireless Network
  • iBUYPOWER RGB Gaming Keyboard
  • iBUYPOWER RGB Gaming Mouse
  • 650W 80+ Gold PSU
  • 2 Day Shipping
Not sure about Windows 11. I might just wipe it with 10.

Thanks to all for your input. Much appreciated!
 

Karadjgne

Titan
Ambassador
Could be. The 3070 generally pulls @ 200-250w, the 12700k can pull as much as 275w with a 5.0GHz OC and stress test. That's around 475-525w + another 50-100w worth of mobo, drives, ram, fans + RGB. That's pretty close to max on the psu, if it's decent quality it'll be ok, they are built for sustained 100% loads, but if it's not quality......
 
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