[SOLVED] PC Build Suggestions

[Hyziu]

Hello all!

I want to come back to gaming and need a PC that will handle all of my work stuff, gaming and potentially some streaming.
I will play some newer titles like Dying Light 2 however most of my hours will be spent on CS:GO/Valorant.

PCPartPicker Part List: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/BYkh3y

CPU: Intel Core i7-12700KF 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor (£369.99 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: MSI MAG CORE LIQUID 240R 78.73 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (£60.99 @ Box Limited)
Motherboard: MSI MPG Z690 CARBON WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard (£339.99 @ Box Limited)
Memory: Kingston FURY Beast 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5200 CL40 Memory (£190.59 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Western Digital WD_Black SN850 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive (£119.99 @ Scan.co.uk)
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB Founders Edition Video Card (£600 from my brother)
Case: Lian Li Lancool II Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case (£91.99 @ Box Limited)
Power Supply: Corsair RM (2021) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (£89.99 @ Box Limited)
Total: £1863.53

Any suggestions that will make this a better system or a cheaper system please let me know 😀
Ideally I'd like to save a few hundred pounds if possible. Have a great day!

 

[Lafong]

Saving money perhaps:

There's minimal practical difference between the WD 850 and earlier generations such as the 750.

How confident are you regarding 32 GB RAM rather than 16 for your particular use pattern?

Have you deliberately rejected micro ATX boards such as MSI B660M Mortar Wifi?

Did you choose liquid cooling out of a perceived necessity?

 

[Hyziu]

Saving money perhaps:

There's minimal practical difference between the WD 850 and earlier generations such as the 750.

Changed to Crucial P5 Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive (£10 Saving)

How confident are you regarding 32 GB RAM rather than 16 for your particular use pattern?

I'm not sure to be fair however I'm still wondering if DDR5 is worth it, what are your thoughts?

Have you deliberately rejected micro ATX boards such as MSI B660M Mortar Wifi?

I've always went for full size ATX Board, no reason for it.

Did you choose liquid cooling out of a perceived necessity?

Bundled with mobo, around £50 savings.

 

[Lafong]

Crucial P5 Plus is a PCIe 4.0 drive just like the WD 850.....no noticeable advantage over earlier PCIe 3.0 drives like WD SN 750. Check price on the 750 and also Samsung PCIe 3.0 models.

Current thinking is that DDR 5 is not "worth it"...might be in a year.

If you aren't overclocking, there is little reason to get a full ATX board UNLESS it has some particular features you cannot get on micro ATX. Might save 30 to 60?

I'm not sure of advantages to you for 32 RAM versus 16. Might cost 30 or 40 to get the extra 16, but that money might be better spent elsewhere, or not spent at all. Depends how much you want to reduce costs.

Intel KF lacks integrated graphics. Intel 12700 non K includes integrated graphics....which can be handy.

Regarding 12700K and 12700KF.....is overclocking definitely on your menu of things to do? Overclocking is less commonly done than on previous generations.

 

[Hellfire13]

This should be good without sacrificing quality...

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-12700K 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor | £350.80 @ Amazon UK
CPU Cooler | Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler | £89.94 @ Amazon UK
Motherboard | Asus TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard | £228.99 @ Box Limited
Memory | Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory | £116.99 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | £101.90 @ Alza
Video Card | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB Founders Edition Video Card | £600.00
Case | Lian Li Lancool II Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case | £91.99 @ Box Limited
Power Supply | Corsair RMx (2021) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | £104.99 @ AWD-IT
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | £1685.60
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-05-12 12:17 BST+0100 |

Motherboard VRM...

Intel Z690 Motherboard VRM, Entry-Level Roundup

We test VRM thermal performance of 9 Intel Z690 motherboards priced between $220 and $300. If you're aiming for best value, these are budget boards to pair...

www.techspot.com

 

[Hyziu]

Crucial P5 Plus is a PCIe 4.0 drive just like the WD 850.....no noticeable advantage over earlier PCIe 3.0 drives like WD SN 750. Check price on the 750 and also Samsung PCIe 3.0 models.

Replaced with Crucial P2 1TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD (£45 Savings! Thank you!)

Current thinking is that DDR 5 is not "worth it"...might be in a year.

Ram changed to Patriot Viper Steel 32GB (2x 16GB) 3200MHz DDR4 (£75 Savings, good enough ram?)

If you aren't overclocking, there is little reason to get a full ATX board UNLESS it has some particular features you cannot get on micro ATX. Might save 30 to 60?
I'm not sure of advantages to you for 32 RAM versus 16. Might cost 30 or 40 to get the extra 16, but that money might be better spent elsewhere, or not spent at all. Depends how much you want to reduce costs.

MOBO Changed to MSI PRO B660M-A WIFI DDR4 Intel Motherboard (£210 Savings, good enough board?)
Cooler changed to Be Quiet! Dark Rock 4 CPU Air Tower Cooler

Intel KF lacks integrated graphics. Intel 12700 non K includes integrated graphics....which can be handy.
Regarding 12700K and 12700KF.....is overclocking definitely on your menu of things to do? Overclocking is less commonly done than on previous generations.

I'm not planning to overclock so changed to Intel Core i7 12700 Alder Lake-S CPU (£65 Savings! Thank you!)
Could this be even more reduced changing to i5 or AMD? How do I choses between AMD and Intel?

 

[Hyziu]

This should be good...

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-12700K 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor | £350.80 @ Amazon UK
CPU Cooler | Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler | £89.94 @ Amazon UK
Motherboard | Asus TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard | £228.99 @ Box Limited
Memory | Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory | £116.99 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | £101.90 @ Alza
Video Card | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB Founders Edition Video Card | £600.00
Case | Lian Li Lancool II Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case | £91.99 @ Box Limited
Power Supply | Corsair RMx (2021) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | £104.99 @ AWD-IT
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | £1685.60
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-05-12 12:17 BST+0100 |

Motherboard VRM...

Intel Z690 Motherboard VRM, Entry-Level Roundup

We test VRM thermal performance of 9 Intel Z690 motherboards priced between $220 and $300. If you're aiming for best value, these are budget boards to pair...

www.techspot.com

How does your build compare to my updated one?

CPU Intel Core i7 12700 Alder Lake-S CPU
CPU Cooler Be Quiet! Dark Rock 4 CPU Air Tower Cooler
RAM Patriot Viper Steel 32GB (2x 16GB) 3200MHz DDR4
MOBO MSI PRO B660M-A WIFI DDR4 Intel Motherboard
Storage Crucial P2 1TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD
Video Card RTX 3070Ti
Case Lian Li Lancool II Mesh RGB Mid Tower Gaming Case
Power Supply Corsair RM Series RM850 850W Modular 80+ Gold PSU
Total £1485

 

[Nine Layer Nige]

You mention "work stuff" but what is your work stuff ?
That might tell about why you chose the i7-12700k over the i5-12600k and why you picked an expensive Z690 mobo @ £339 over a cheaper Z690 @ £199.
Are you going to overclock ?

 

[Hyziu]

You mention "work stuff" but what is your work stuff ?
That might tell about why you chose the i7-12700k over the i5-12600k and why you picked an expensive Z690 mobo @ £339 over a cheaper Z690 @ £199.
Are you going to overclock ?

Hello bud,
I decided to not overclock, see my updated build above.
I'm not worried about any work stuff actually as I'm currently running everything on a MacBook pro M1
Let me know your thoughts 😀

 

[Hellfire13]

How does your build compare to my updated one?

CPU Intel Core i7 12700 Alder Lake-S CPU
CPU Cooler Be Quiet! Dark Rock 4 CPU Air Tower Cooler
RAM Crucial P2 1TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD
MOBO MSI PRO B660M-A WIFI DDR4 Intel Motherboard
Storage Crucial P2 1TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD
Video Card RTX 3070Ti
Case Lian Li Lancool II Mesh RGB Mid Tower Gaming Case
Power Supply Corsair RM Series RM850 850W Modular 80+ Gold PSU
Total £1485

Looks good. But you put Crucial P2 in RAM by mistake. Pick the 3600mhz kit i linked above, its not much more expensive, but the low profile would help with that cooler.

Edit: Also try to pick a SSD with DRAM cache. It helps...
:A DRAM cache can be important in more ways than just holding a map of the data. An SSD moves the data around quite a bit in an effort to extend its lifespan. This technique is called “Wear Leveling” and is employed in an effort to prevent some of the memory cells from wearing out too quickly. "

Advanced SSD Buying Guide - NAND types, DRAM Cache, HMB Explained - Appuals.com

Storage is one of the most vital components of any computer. Ever since the days of the physically gigantic 64KB drives, storage has become an

appuals.com

.

That P2 does not have DRAM cache.

 

[helper800]

If you were to go DDR5 I would do something like this. I would use the arctic cooler over the MSI branded one any day for much better performance, QC, and warranty support. You can front mount the arctic cooler in the Lian LI and put the front fans as top exhaust. I assume you wanted ARGB fans so I added the arctic cooler that came with them. I picked much faster lower timing RAM because its not a huge amount more than the base 5200 speed cl40 RAM and it can make a difference for a few things. I scaled back the motherboard to the Tomahawk which is features wise very similar but also much cheaper and allows all the other parts changes I made while keeping the price similar. I also went with a Seasonic PSU over the corsair because they have similar warranties, support, and performance and it just so happened to be cheaper. As others have stated the performance difference in the NVMe drives are minimal so i stepped it down to a WD 750 1 TB saving further 30 GBP. This system will man handle most games at 1080p-1440p 240hz or so.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-12700KF 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor (£364.69 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 A-RGB 48.8 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (£118.69 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Motherboard: MSI MAG Z690 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard (£269.47 @ Box Limited)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL36 Memory (£232.82 @ Technextday)
Storage: Western Digital WD_BLACK SN750 SE 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive (£97.95 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB Founders Edition Video Card (£600.00)
Case: Lian Li Lancool II Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case (£91.99 @ Box Limited)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS GX 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (£94.96 @ Box Limited)
Total: £1870.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-05-12 17:15 BST+0100

 

[Lafong]

How does your build compare to my updated one?

CPU Intel Core i7 12700 Alder Lake-S CPU
CPU Cooler Be Quiet! Dark Rock 4 CPU Air Tower Cooler
RAM Patriot Viper Steel 32GB (2x 16GB) 3200MHz DDR4
MOBO MSI PRO B660M-A WIFI DDR4 Intel Motherboard
Storage Crucial P2 1TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD
Video Card RTX 3070Ti
Case Lian Li Lancool II Mesh RGB Mid Tower Gaming Case
Power Supply Corsair RM Series RM850 850W Modular 80+ Gold PSU
Total £1485

That looks pretty good.

Consider Intel Core i5 12600K instead of 12700; maybe 50 cheaper? Core advantage of 12700 may be pointless for your use?

Consider mobo MSI B660M Mortar Wifi; it and your chosen board differ somewhat; Mortar has more recent Realtek audio codec; slightly different USB ports; your choice has more monitor connectors.. Do you need that?

Compare them here:

https://storage-asset.msi.com/datasheet/mb/us/MAG-B660M-MORTAR-WIFI-DDR4.pdf

https://storage-asset.msi.com/datasheet/mb/us/PRO-B660M-A-DDR4.pdf

I'd google for reviews of both.


Still don't know if 32 GB RAM is "worth it" versus 16 in your circumstances.

I think Dark Rock 4 cooler is fine; you might check reviews re mounting mechanism. Not sure how well designed it is. Noctua U12 or U14 series is an option.

You might want to replace whatever case fans are included with the Lian Li case. They may be noisier than you'd like....but maybe you don't care about noise?

You need to confirm the Lian Li case is wide enough to accept the Dark Rock 4 cooler. It likely is, but I have not checked.