Question PC Build $1k-$2k

Jun 17, 2022
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I am upgrading my PC / doing a new build. After diving into all the different considerations I could find when picking parts, I'd like to run it by people and see if there's any recommendations / considerations I'm not aware of. I'll go in depth into the parts further down, but to start, here's the info based on FinneousPJ template:

Approximate Purchase Date: In the next month or two
Budget Range: 1k - 2k
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, web browsing, video watching, programming
Are you buying a monitor: Maybe

Parts to Buy: All except HDD
Do you need to buy OS: Yes
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: None. I link to PCPP just because that's where I built it. I'll likely order from Newegg, though.
Location: Mountain Time
Parts Preferences: Not married to any brand, but I typically get intel & nvidia
Overclocking: No - it's a bit beyond the scope of what I'm comfortable with doing, but I'll probably go into the bios and enable a better RAM timing profile; though, I've never done that either.
SLI or Crossfire: No
Your Monitor Resolution: Currently 1920x1080, but (as noted above) I might get new monitors
Additional Comments: I play video games frequently (i.e. I just finished MC Stoneblock2, Wartales, and need to go back and finish Elden Ring). I also use it for work, which involved programming in R, so lots of data computations. I'd like it to be quiet, but it doesn't need to make no noise whatsoever.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Current PC is okay. I've got GTX 1070, but my bottleneck is the cpu (Intel Core i7-4790, LGA1150). I can't upgrade cpu without upgrading MB, because of the socket. And since I finally have discretionary funds, I'd like to do a full makeover.


CPU:
I started with the CPU. To future proof, I figured I'd go big, and chose the Intel Core i9-12900K 16 core. I figure the extra cores will be useful for work, too since I do a lot of data computations; though, work isn't my priority with my personal machine.

Chipset:
Next I chose the chipset. I decided on the Intel Z690 because it supports:
  • dual channel DIMMs (I plan on doing a 2x16)
  • up to four displays(I currently use three)
  • PCIe gen 4
  • more than 20 PCIe lanes (I plan on having 1 GPU and at least one M.2 SSD, maybe two)
  • PCIe config 1x16+1x4 (same as prev note, GPU + SSD)
  • USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, 2, 1
Specific Chipset Questions:
1.) Since the PCIe config is 1x16+1x4, would I be bottlenecking by doing GPU (16 lanes) and two M.2's (4 lanes each, i.e. one for OS and one for my video games)? One M.2 would need to go to the chipset (see MB below).
2.) Which M.2 would be better to go to the chipset (OS or games, that's assuming I don't put both on the same M.2 SSD).

Motherboard:
With the chipset chosen, I can look at MB's next, the MSI PRO Z690-A DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard (or the manufacturer site). In addition to the obvious support for the chipset & cpu, it has:
  • dual-channel support
  • PCIe 4 & 5 (mainly looking for 4, but 5 is good future proofing)
  • a few SATA (HDDs, optical, and any others)
  • M.2 Gen 4 slots (one processor allocated & one chipset allocated)
  • RAID (don't plan to use soon, but maybe in future)
  • ATX form factor
  • USB Gen 3.2 2x2, 2, 1
  • DDR4 (5 is new and expensive)

RAM:
After MB, I turned my attention to the memory. Primarily, given how new DDR5 is, but also expensive, I'm thinking I'll stick with DDR4 for now. With the high end cpu I'm using, I don't think I'll have a problem finding a MB in the future that supports the socket and DDR5 when I want to upgrade. That said, I'm not quite sure what speed and timings to go with. The CPU says "Up to DDR4 3200" and the MB says "Supports 1R 2133/ 2666/ 2933/ 3200 MHz (by JEDEC & POR)" while it's page for supported memory shows ones with speeds up to 5100 (for DDR4). I would assume to not go below the maximum, 'cause that would be a RAM bottleneck, and that going over the max doesn't hurt anything. So, I looked for speed of 4000, 2x16 modules, with CAS = 16 ('cause lower is more expensive), and timings with tRAS <= 36. Comparing to the MB manufacturer's supported memory list, the G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-4000 CL19 fits the bill, albiet a bit expensive, $300. It looks like anything with tRAS > 36 is below $220.
Specific RAM Questions:
1.) Are these speed and timings okay, bad, or overkill?
2.) i.e. would a 16-16-16-40 have no noticeable difference from a 16-16-16-36? And thus save me $80+


SSD:
And on the other side of memory, is SSD and HDD. My current system has a 250 Gb MZ-7TE250 SATA SSD (I think this link matches) for the OS and several internal HDDs (1-2 Tb) for main file storage, and an external 4Tb HDD for scheduled backups. So, I wanted to upgrade the OS SSD to an M.2 like the Samsung 970 Evo Plus 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME . Currently my games are all on an HDD and they run alright, but I'd like to put them on an SSD.
Specific SSD Questions:
1.) Since the only SSD I have is for the OS, and I could get an even bigger M.2 SSD, like the Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME, I'm wondering about getting the big SSD and using that for OS and games, or if I should keep the games separate from the OS.
2.) Do I need to worry about heat dissipation? If so, how to?

GPU:
The next part I chose was the GPU. After looking at the GPU Benchmarks and Hierarchy 2022 page, I was interested in getting something in the RTX 30 family. For my three monitors, I need at least 2 HDMI and 1 Display port. I have used Nvidia in the past, so I figured I'd use them again, but that's mostly just to narrow down the selection. I arbitrarily chose 12 Gb memory, a bit more than the smallest. This left me with 3060's and 3080/3080Ti's, the latter being much more expensive. So, I chose the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB GAMING OC Rev 2.0 Video Card which looks like it gives decent fps on ultra based on TH Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 12GB Review, and isn't nearly as expensive, i.e. $440 - $500, as the 3080's, which are around $900 - $1000.

PSU:
And finally the PSU; the part I'm least comfortable / confident picking. Newegg's calculator says 800-900 Watts. Outervisions' says 544W load, rec PSU 594W, and rec UPS 1200 VA - I currently have a CP1000PFCLCD PSU which is 1000VA. Cool master says rec 502W. I know I don't need to max out the 80Plus rating (i.e. titanium or platinum) and bigger PSU isn't always better.
Specific PSU Questions:
1.) ATX (now-a-days) is the same as ATX12V, right? And those are the forms I should be looking at, right? i.e. not BTX, EPS12V, or SFX12V.
2.) The only cables I need to worry about are 20+4 pin is for ATX MB, 6 pin is for PCIe GPU, and SATA cables for SATA drives (HDD and SDD) & optical.

Cooling:
I haven't looked into this much at all, but I like the idea of trying out some liquid cooling. I'm thinking of getting closed loop liquid cooler, because I they're easy to set up - my current system is just stock fan - something like Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360R RGB 66.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler

Case:
I figure I'll fit the case to the parts once they're finalized, to make sure I have room and if I'm doing liquid cooling that there's a spot for the fans.
 
You have too much of your budget going towards cpu, cooler and RAM and because of that you've shorted yourself on the gpu. The 12900K is an overpriced heat producing power hog that you won't see recommended for a gaming build on this site w/ a 2k budget. If you have future plans of running dual M.2 SSD's then you want a board that comes with dual M.2 heatsinks so your SSD doesn't get too warm because when they get too warm they slow down. This board down below is an example of a board that comes with those heatsinks.

https://www.newegg.com/gigabyte-aorus-z690-gaming-x-ddr4/p/N82E16813145347
GIGABYTE Z690 GAMING X DDR4 $209.99 Save: $20.00 (8%) $189.99 after $20.00 rebate card

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/Z690-GAMING-X-DDR4-rev-10

Any CL16 3600MHz RAM will suffice just fine. I'll use this Corsair set for an example seeing how it has low profile heat sinks that won't impede a cpu cooler.

https://www.newegg.com/corsair-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820236758
CORSAIR Vengeance LPX DDR4 3600MHz 32GB (2x16GB) CL16 $126.98

This cpu uses less power and creates less heat than it's 12700K / 12700KF brethren yet it trails them by a whopping one frame per second in games.

https://www.newegg.com/intel-core-i7-12700f-core-i7-12th-gen/p/N82E16819118359
Intel Core i7-12700F $314.99 + $5 off w/ promo code FDYBTA447

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

Either of these coolers down below will easily do the job with that cpu I posted up above yet won't break the bank.

https://www.amazon.com/DeepCool-AK620-High-Performance-Dual-Tower-Dissipation/dp/B09CSXS3X4
DeepCool AK620 CPU Cooler $64.99

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/deepcool-ak620-review

https://global.deepcool.com/product...-High-Performance-CPU-Cooler/2021/13067.shtml

or ...

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

https://hardwarecanucks.com/forum/t...-review-the-best-cpu-cooler-got-cooler.84709/

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

If you have any future plans of going with an RTX 3080 or 3080 Ti then a 850w psu is what's recommended.

https://www.newegg.com/super-flower-leadex-iii-sf-850f14hg-850w/p/1HU-024C-00005
Super Flower Leadex III 850W 80+ Gold Modular Power Supply $109.99 + $5 off w/ promo code FDYBTA4357


i7 12700 / 12700F gaming benchmarks.

i712700.jpg
 
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This is how I would do it;
*edited it to be better

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-12700F 2.1 GHz 12-Core Processor ($309.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI PRO Z690-A WIFI DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($219.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Patriot Viper Steel 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: HP EX950 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce RTX 3080 12GB LHR 12 GB GAMING Trinity OC Video Card ($899.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Lian Li LANCOOL 215 ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G6 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($104.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM 64-bit ($119.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $2029.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-06-17 19:36 EDT-0400
 
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Another costcutter would be going with this board + i7 12700F and a single 2TB SSD.

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

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813144528
MSI MAG B660M BAZOOKA DDR4 $139.99

PNY CS2130 2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe Gen3 x4 Internal SSD $179.99
 
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This is how I would do it;
*edited it to be better

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-12700F 2.1 GHz 12-Core Processor ($309.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI PRO Z690-A WIFI DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($219.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Patriot Viper Steel 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: HP EX950 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce RTX 3080 12GB LHR 12 GB GAMING Trinity OC Video Card ($899.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Lian Li LANCOOL 215 ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G6 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($104.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM 64-bit ($119.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $2029.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-06-17 19:36 EDT-0400


Would add faster memory and SSD as well better motherboard.

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-12700F 2.1 GHz 12-Core Processor | $309.99 @ Newegg
CPU Cooler | be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler | $89.90 @ Amazon
Motherboard | ASRock Z690 Extreme ATX LGA1700 Motherboard | $224.99 @ Newegg
Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory | $109.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | $114.46 @ Amazon
Video Card | Zotac GeForce RTX 3080 12GB LHR 12 GB GAMING Trinity OC Video Card | $899.99 @ Amazon
Case | Lian Li LANCOOL 215 ATX Mid Tower Case | $89.99 @ B&H
Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA G6 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | $104.99 @ Amazon
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM 64-bit | $119.98 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $2064.28
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-06-18 13:16 EDT-0400 |
 
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Would add faster memory and SSD as well better motherboard.

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-12700F 2.1 GHz 12-Core Processor | $309.99 @ Newegg
CPU Cooler | be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler | $89.90 @ Amazon
Motherboard | ASRock Z690 Extreme ATX LGA1700 Motherboard | $224.99 @ Newegg
Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory | $109.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | $114.46 @ Amazon
Video Card | Zotac GeForce RTX 3080 12GB LHR 12 GB GAMING Trinity OC Video Card | $899.99 @ Amazon
Case | Lian Li LANCOOL 215 ATX Mid Tower Case | $89.99 @ B&H
Power Supply | EVGA SuperNOVA G6 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | $104.99 @ Amazon
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM 64-bit | $119.98 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $2064.28
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-06-18 13:16 EDT-0400 |
The HP EX950 is just as good of an SSD as the 970 evo+. Faster than 3200 RAM at cl16 is practically pointless for a 12700f. The Asrock z690 extreme is in almost every single way a worse motherboard than the MSI PRO Z690-A WIFI. I can quantify that statement via the difference in VRMs, the Asrock having fewer USB ports, and the MSI coming with wi-fi and Bluetooth.
 
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