[SOLVED] New Computer Build - All opinions welcome!

[High Gain]

Hello all, I'm a very long-time lurker but a new member/poster. I am in the market for a brand new computer, which is something I don't get to do very often (my last was in 2014). As such, I want to get this as right as I can, and that means asking people, like yourselves, that know way more than I do about the current state of computer affairs.

I will be using this machine for work and gaming, but if I'm honest, more gaming than work. Additionally, the work I will be doing on it is low-key stuff: basic browsing, spreadsheets, word processing, etc.

As far as gaming goes, I'm looking for something that (within my budget) knocks the socks off of today's games, can handle VR well, and be as futureproof as possible. Right now, I'm running the following:

Processor: Intel Core i5 4690K 4.4 GHz (Codename Devils Canyon) (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS/GIGABYTE (Intel Z97 Chipset) (SLI Ready)
System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Certified Performance Series
Power Supply: 750W EVGA/Corsair
Optical Drive: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Storage Set 1: 1x SSD (250GB Samsung 850 EVO)
Storage Set 2: 1x (1TB Seagate (7200 RPM) (64MB Cache)
Graphics Card(s): 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 4GB (Includes PhysX)
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-Bit Edition)
Display: Asus 4K Ultra HD 28 inch PB287Q Series (10-bit Color) (1ms Response Time) (3840 x 2160)

It can still hold its own, but I find it near the "minimum recommended specs" of the spectrum these days. And barely, at that.

My budget is $3600 US. I'm open to either intel or AMD CPUs and GPUs. The budget price must include a monitor capable of 144Hz or higher, with all the other factors balanced in to work best alongside the box (and perhaps the old monitor if feasible/possible):

• Resolution
• Screen Size
• Refresh Rate
• Response Time
• G-Sync/FreeSync
• HDR
• Color Gamut
• Inputs/Outputs
• Panel Type

So, if I may pick the brains of those who are far more up to date than I am, and you feel like designing a system that will get me the most gaming bang out of my buck for $3600, I'd be overjoyed to see some potential builds.

Thanks a ton, everyone!

 

[NameChanged38]

Considering you've been out of the loop for so long, you may or may not know about the GPU shortage. You'll be blowing a good amount of your budget on a GPU than you would in an otherwise normal market.

Another consideration to keep in mind is AMD aims to release their next generation of desktop CPUs (7000 series) mid 2022. Intel's new 12th gen finally broke their increasingly stagnant trend & they made massive gains.

My own biased opinion, but I'd avoid AMDs current GPU line. It's their first generation of raytracing & there's features you're still unable to use just the same as launch day roughly one year ago. Nvidia's compatibility & support is hard to beat.

Edit:

Initially wasn't going to make a list, but I did HERE.

This is what I personally would go with at this current moment

12900K as it's suitable for the budget.
Noctua NH-D15 as it's among top tier air cooling which you'll need for the 12900K & no need to worry about it failing.
Mid-range but well built Z690 motherboard (DDR4 version) motherboard as DDR5 is in its infancy.
16GB of Trident Z Neo DDR4 as it performs nicely. Did not choose 32GB+ because of the possibility of later upgrading the motherboard once DDR5 matures.
Samsung 970 Evo Plus NVME to take advantage of modern SSD amenities.
ASUS Strix RTX 3080 - Keeping with the ASUS theme, along with the fact it's a well-built card. Do note, I priced it at MSRP.
Lian Li Lancool II - Not much to say. Great case, great airflow. I've built in them and I approve.
Seasonic 850W Titanium - Suitable PSU for the needs. Perhaps a little extra. 12 year warranty, would expect it to outlast this build.

Total bill comes out to $2,732 so there's plenty of room for the unexpected/upgrades.

You might've noticed I didn't include a monitor. I'm out of the loop as far as monitors go as I use a high end TV. Won't speak about what I don't know.

Do keep in mind that there's no reason to stick to ASUS as I did. The major manufactures generally all make quality products whether they have small isolated incidents or not AHEM. The same rule of you get what you pay for still applies however.

The sole reason you would want to stay brand loyal is if you wanted to take advantage of RGB. RGB software is not standardized and it's still a disaster. However, ASUS appears to have the best compatibility. You could potentially have separate RGB software for your motherboard, CPU cooler, RAM, video card, mouse, keyboard, power supply (yes, seriously). All of which bogging down the system and reducing performance.