Question New Gaming PC Build....

[N1njaDestr0yer]

Hello There,

I am in the mood to build another gaming PC but I am having trouble as to finding the right parts for the build, I was aiming to have an i7 12700k + 3070 Ti (maybe an RTX 3070 Ti) if the budget allows...

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/J9Kg3y My current list for the PC and I am trying to keep the PC's budget at $2,000.

Another thing is I do not live near a Microcenter (which sucks) I considered going to Best Buy to get all the parts that I need. Since I don't want to buy parts and wait while other parts are still in shipping/transit... I'd rather get all the parts in one stop, But that's just me... Any thoughts/improvements are welcome.

Also should I ditch the 500GB SSD (Boot Drive)?

Edit, I am aware of the i7 12700KF but I don't like CPU's that don't have integrated graphics on board, since what if I need to remove a virus is safe mode but can't use my GPU's Drivers or the GPU dies then you are SOS...

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

I like your build list. I would consider (simply look into the price difference) of faster RAM. The extra SSD is your choice. More space is always better. I would keep it for Windows install disk so I could format and reinstall Windows without losing everything on the 2TB. I also don't see you being able to buy all that at a Best Buy. My local Best Buy had a single GT 730 a couple weeks ago. That was the only GPU they had.

 

[Darkbreeze]

The whole build looks fine to me. I don't see any glaring problems EXCEPT for the EVGA GA series PSU. I would highly recommend you avoid that since it's been out for a while and is STILL an unknown quantity. There are exactly zero reviews of it that I can find and considering that practically every PSU model EVGA has released since ending their relationship with Super Flower as the OEM for the majority of their products has been no better than mediocre, and some of them REALLY bad, I would highly suggest that avoiding any of their models that has not had a proper review of it done is a very good idea.

Don't get me wrong, overall EVGA is an outstanding company. Best customer service in the PC hardware industry, so far as I'm concerned. Arguably the best manufacturer of Nvidia based graphics cards. Used to offer several lines of very high quality power supplies. But when it comes to power supplies they've taken a turn down the wrong road for the most part in that regard and while the GA series "could" be ok, I would not bank on it without a professional review since they've had so many dropped balls over the last few years. There are too many well known, unquestionably good units out there to take that risk with an expensive build like this.

Spend a little more and get something halfway decent with no question marks. The Earthwatts Pro Gold is probably the best 750w option under 100 dollars currently and the RMx is probably the best under 120 bucks. If you don't mind it being white, you could get a 750w RMx for about five bucks cheaper than the black one shown here.

https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/TDjJ7P,6NcG3C/

 

[Vic 40]

Think these two are good options too,

https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/P7pmP6,qH4Ycf/

 

[Darkbreeze]

On the G6 I don't like the fact that it has power factor correction issues. They might only need "tuning" while the unit is new, but I could see a unit with a few miles that has power factor correction issues becoming a REAL problem for somebody. Until they fix that, I'd avoid those units. Last thing you need is a system straying a bit too high or low, both of which could cause serious issues, out of it's intended power factor range. I'm not sure I've ever seen Aris straight up say a unit needs it's APFC tuned before, so that's notable.

On the Toughpower GF1 PE, again, this is one of those cases where there are no reviews of this unit and because Thermaltake is REALLY WELL KNOWN for not only having some real turds, but putting a couple of letters on the end of a product name, or making very slight changes to the model number, and turning out a completely different (Much cheaper, in some cases entirely different platform) product than the one with good reviews and a similar name, so without concrete evidence that the unit is good, I'd avoid it too. And for the record, the "Toughpower" name does not instantly mean quality like it used to. There are reviews of a few different models of Toughpower units that are very problematic. Even from one revision to the next, ie, something like XXXX vs XXXX v2, Thermalfake is well known for going cheap and bringing really problematic products to the market in a way that can only be construed as intentionally misleading, at best.

But you're right, I'm sure there are worse choices out there. For my money, when I'm paying more than 75 bucks for a power supply, I want to make sure I'm not spending it on something that has any question marks attached. After all, it is the MOST important component in any build.

 

[N1njaDestr0yer]

I updated the PC PartPicker list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/KDwXfv

I still would like to keep the PC at the $2,000 pricetag

 

[Why_Me]

If the primary use of your PC is for gaming then it's a no brainer imo. The RTX 3070 Ti is closer to the RTX 3070 in performance than it is to the RTX 3080 10GB. btw that Corsair 4000D comes with only a single intake fan.

https://www.amazon.com/Phanteks-PH-EC360ATG_DBK01-Ultra-fine-Performance-Digital-RGB/dp/B08KKF38XV
Phanteks Eclipse P360A Mesh Front Panel Mid-Tower $89.99

Exhaust fan for that case.

https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-F12-PWM-PST-Technology/dp/B08WH3XV6G/
ARCTIC F12 PWM 120mm 4-Pin Case Fan $9.99

https://www.newegg.com/evga-supernova-850-g5-220-g5-0850-x1-850w/p/N82E16817438161
EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G5 850W 80+ Gold Modular Power Supply $104.99

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1687328-REG/msi_mag_b660m_mortar_wifi.html
MSI MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI $159.99

https://www.amazon.com/Intel-Core-i7-12700-Dodeca-core-Processor/dp/B09NPHHSZ1
Intel Core i7-12700 $342.98

https://www.amazon.com/Rev-B-Cooler-LGA1700-LGA1151-Towers/dp/B09NZGH4RD/
Scythe Fuma 2 Rev.B CPU Cooler $65.99

https://www.provantage.com/kingston-technology-kf552c40bbk2-32~7KIN9405.htm
Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 5200 32GB (2x16GB) CL40 $175.32

https://www.amazon.com/PNY-CS2130-500GB-Internal-Solid/dp/B0869BW8MH/

PNY CS2130 500GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Gen3 x4 Internal SSD $57.99

https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-MX500-NAND-SATA-Internal/dp/B003J5JB12/
Crucial MX500 2TB 3D NAND SATA 2.5" Internal SSD $179.99

https://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-GeForce-Graphics-WINDFORCE-GV-N3080GAMING/dp/B098TZ3RMZ/
GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming OC 10GB (REV 2.0) Graphics Card $799.99

Total: $1987.22

https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-11-Home-USB/dp/B09V6R9QZZ/
Microsoft Windows 11 Home USB $139.00

https://phanteks.com/Eclipse-P360A.html

https://www.scytheus.com/fuma2-rev-b

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

 

[N1njaDestr0yer]

Would there be enough budget to include the 12700k over the 12700? since I wanted the 12700k since it's the "top of the line" CPU to date...

 

[Why_Me]

Would there be enough budget to include the 12700k over the 12700? since I wanted the 12700k since it's the "top of the line" CPU to date...

https://www.intel.com/content/www/u...-25m-cache-up-to-5-00-ghz/specifications.html
Intel Core i7-12700K

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...12700-processor-25m-cache-up-to-4-90-ghz.html
Intel Core i7-12700

Intel Core i7-12700 + Intel B660 Review

Today we have a combo review of all-new Intel hardware, our first look at the affordable Intel B660 platform, the non-K Core i7-12700 and Intel's latest box...

www.techspot.com

 

[Darkbreeze]

I updated the PC PartPicker list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/KDwXfv

I still would like to keep the PC at the $2,000 pricetag

This looks fine, except the RMx is a much better power supply than the RM. For six dollars more, you are getting a PSU that is much quieter, has a fan with a much longer life bearing and a better internal build. If you really need to save six bucks, that's up to you, the RM is still a really decent PSU, but the six bucks is well spent getting the RMx model instead.

 

[N1njaDestr0yer]

Second attempt at updating the PC PartPicker List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Bxpn2m

since when did PC parts get so expensive...???

 

[Bob.B]

Hello There,

I am in the mood to build another gaming PC but I am having trouble as to finding the right parts for the build, I was aiming to have an i7 12700k + 3070 Ti (maybe an RTX 3070 Ti) if the budget allows...

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/J9Kg3y My current list for the PC and I am trying to keep the PC's budget at $2,000.

Another thing is I do not live near a Microcenter (which sucks) I considered going to Best Buy to get all the parts that I need. Since I don't want to buy parts and wait while other parts are still in shipping/transit... I'd rather get all the parts in one stop, But that's just me... Any thoughts/improvements are welcome.

Also should I ditch the 500GB SSD (Boot Drive)?

Edit, I am aware of the i7 12700KF but I don't like CPU's that don't have integrated graphics on board, since what if I need to remove a virus is safe mode but can't use my GPU's Drivers or the GPU dies then you are SOS...

Is there an OS in this mix?

 

[Phaaze88]

If this is really gaming focused, do you really need the K-SKU? The E-cores are too slow to be useful in games, and the P-cores will blaze through anything else. With that, is there any point to the Z-series motherboard:?

 

[Vic 40]

The cpu cooler however good is really a bulky thing and limits you in ram (height mostly) , would myself use this,
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WP6M7P7?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1
(there are rgb ones)
gives the easy opportunity to use this ram,
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dq...16-gb-ddr4-4000-cl18-memory-f4-4000c18d-32gvk
might just fit under the Be quiet, but the Arctic would have my vote anyway.

 

[Darkbreeze]

If this is really gaming focused, do you really need the K-SKU? The E-cores are too slow to be useful in games, and the P-cores will blaze through anything else. With that, is there any point to the Z-series motherboard:?

I have this CPU, and I can tell you without doubt, that yes, the E cores are helpful even when gaming UNLESS you are PURELY gaming and nothing else. That's hardly anybody these days. And even so, if you are running a game that can utilize a lot of cores, those E cores become useful for Windows background processes that will run at the most inopportune times no matter how you have something configured. It's kind of the point of those cores after all. They can help with other crap in the background when the performance cores are busy..............performing.

Point being though that these days most people are multitasking, running browser tabs, streaming, recording, doing other crap, have all kinds of overlays, mods or monitoring utilities running, and those additional cores, again, especially if you are playing a game that is highly optimized for multithreaded performance, are moderately to extremely helpful in that regard in addition to the ever present Windows background processes.

Also, that Corsair Vengeance LPX memory is extremely short compared to some of Corsair's other modules. It should fit under just about any modern heatsink. I see no reason to have to run an AIO if you are not inclined to, but then again, I see no reason not to if you want to either. This CPU does just fine on air.

And as far as the heatsink goes, contrary to what a lot of people are spouting, the 12700k is not a particularly hot CPU unless you are manually overclocking it. I'm running mine with the same Noctua NH-U14S that I ran my 6700k on and it runs cooler than the 6700k did, but then again, I had a 4.7Ghz OC on the 6700k and I'm not overclocking this, yet, because I don't see any need to. It performs fantastic and has not tripped up on anything I've thrown at it yet.

 

[N1njaDestr0yer]

Is there an OS in this mix?

Yes I was going to install Windows 10 20H2 from a USB Drive

 

[Darkbreeze]

Yes I was going to install Windows 10 20H2 from a USB Drive

You already have a valid Windows license from a previous build that you intend to use with this machine? And it is attached to YOU via a Microsoft account? Because if not, you are going to have activation problems, so you might want to do that if you haven't already, before tearing down your current machine. Here is how.

How to associate your windows 10 license with a Microsoft account

Reactivating Windows 10 after a hardware change

Windows build 1607 (Or newer) and activation after a hardware change



and in case you should ever need to do a CLEAN install of Windows, this guide will help to ensure it gets done properly.

How to do a CLEAN installation of Windows 10, the RIGHT way

​

Also, I wouldn't use that 20H2 installer. I'd go to the Microsoft website, download the media creation tool and create NEW installation media on your flash drive that will be the 21H2 build release.

 

[Why_Me]

Yes I was going to install Windows 10 20H2 from a USB Drive

You want to use Windows 11 with these Intel 12 gen cpu's due to the scheduler.

 

[N1njaDestr0yer]

No, I don't have a Microsoft Account I just use local accounts instead of signing up for one, and I also Debloat/Tweak Windows 10 to get more FPS and reduce lag.... And yes I downloaded this Windows installer direct from Microsoft's media creation tool along with a Windows 11 USB too (also downloaded the same way as the 20H2 USB was)

 

[N1njaDestr0yer]

You want to use Windows 11 with these Intel 12 gen cpu's due to the scheduler.

Can't Windows 10 work with Intel's 12th Gen CPU's? Why use Windows 11? I've never used Windows 11 before... always stuck to Windows 10(easier to use)

 

[Phaaze88]

I have this CPU, and I can tell you without doubt, that yes, the E cores are helpful even when gaming UNLESS you are PURELY gaming and nothing else. That's hardly anybody these days. And even so, if you are running a game that can utilize a lot of cores, those E cores become useful for Windows background processes that will run at the most inopportune times no matter how you have something configured. It's kind of the point of those cores after all. They can help with other crap in the background when the performance cores are busy..............performing.

Point being though that these days most people are multitasking, running browser tabs, streaming, recording, doing other crap, have all kinds of overlays, mods or monitoring utilities running, and those additional cores, again, especially if you are playing a game that is highly optimized for multithreaded performance, are moderately to extremely helpful in that regard in addition to the ever present Windows background processes.

Windows - well, any OS is going to be doing something in the background, there's no way around that. These activities are little love taps - save for Windows Update. Some users have too much crap, or aren't aware of the crap that's on their PCs?
Now the E-cores seem like some kind of band-aid.
The number of highly optimized, multi-threaded games currently available can probably be counted on both hands, or maybe one... most are stuck on a single core handling everything, including commands to the other threads.

 

[Why_Me]

Can't Windows 10 work with Intel's 12th Gen CPU's? Why use Windows 11? I've never used Windows 11 before... always stuck to Windows 10(easier to use)

Windows 11 was tailor made for Intel 12 gen RE big - little cores. Warzone players have witnessed anywhere from a 15 - 20 FPS boost when they moved from Window 10 to Windows 11 with these cpu's.

 

[Darkbreeze]

You want to use Windows 11 with these Intel 12 gen cpu's due to the scheduler.

Right, no argument there, however, for some people it would be easier to install a clean copy of 10, do the upgrade so that the copy of 11 is attached to them, then either just use as is or preferably then turn around and do a clean install of 11.

Or, you could simply install 11 so long as you are familiar with the process of navigating the fact that you already have a valid Windows 10 license key, and use that key to activate 11, which would be the preferred way to do it so you don't have to go through a lengthy process.

But I'll be honest, while I know and understand the scheduler aspect, I first was running this hardware on 10 and I had no such issues. It worked flawlessly. I simply moved to a clean install of 11 because it's inevitable anyhow so might as well rip the bandage off now and let the shiznit start healing.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Windows 11 was tailor made for Intel 12 gen RE big - little cores. Warzone players have witnessed anywhere from a 15 - 20 FPS boost when they moved from Window 10 to Windows 11 with these cpu's.

Also, the difference is minimal in almost every scenario. Sure, there are some few areas that show improvement, but overall, not enough for it to even be a conversation. There's really only one reason to move to Windows 11, IF you have compatible hardware, and that is because they are going to make you anyhow eventually when they sooner or later stop supporting Windows 10. Which, they will, sooner or later.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBFTSej-yIs

 

[N1njaDestr0yer]

Where could I find all the parts that I wanted in that build list? I would like to buy all the parts instead of buying parts then waiting 3-4 days while some parts show up and while others are still in transit....

Also I have never used an AIO, not once... I've always gone with a Air Cooler, simpler, and a lot less parts to fail sometime down the road...