[SOLVED] Questions about planned new PC build ?

[matan2244]

i would like to build a new desktop pc, and it is very hard for me to decide what to buy because i have many questions.
the use: programming and data science.
cpu: intel alder lake i5 12600k or 12700/12700k
ram: 64gb ddr4
storage: ssd pcie 4.0 1TB (probably western union sn850)
maybe in future: gpu (currently thinking about using the one from the cpu)

1. i probably won't be doing overclocking, but i am concerned about the base frequency of non k (12700) 2.10 GHz compared to 12700k 3.60 GHz. does looking at the base matter, or will it always be at max speed anyway (turbo) without overclocking? can't decide between k and non k series.
2. it is very hard to me to choose the right cooling for the cpu, i do know that i don't want to do maintenance very often i am afraid of water spilling out ruining my pc, but the alder lake cpu's heat easily and i really don't want cpu throttling,

can i get advice on choosing cpu cooling?

1. also very hard to choose motherboard, conflicted between H670 and B660. one has 4 lanes of DMI and the other has 8 lanes, does it matter?
2. do i need heatsink for western digital sn850 ssd, should i buy a motherboard with heatsink or thermal guard or something like that?

thanks a lot !

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

1. The frequency will depend on your work loads.
2. Please keep in mind that if you choose a K suffix processor, you should look into a dual channel DDR4-3600MHz ram kit and a Z series motherboard and by that at least a 240mm/280mm AIO. If you're looking at a non-k suffix processor, you should be fine with a 240mm AIO or a Scythe Fuma 2 cooler provided you have access to said latter air cooler.

If B series, go with a non K processor and DDR4-3200MHz ram kit.

A build comprises of more than just a motherboard, cooler, storage and CPU. You will need to list out your proposed build like so;
CPU:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:

 

[matan2244]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

1. The frequency will depend on your work loads.
2. Please keep in mind that if you choose a K suffix processor, you should look into a dual channel DDR4-3600MHz ram kit and a Z series motherboard and by that at least a 240mm/280mm AIO. If you're looking at a non-k suffix processor, you should be fine with a 240mm AIO or a Scythe Fuma 2 cooler provided you have access to said latter air cooler.

If B series, go with a non K processor and DDR4-3200MHz ram kit.

A build comprises of more than just a motherboard, cooler, storage and CPU. You will need to list out your proposed build like so;
CPU:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:

1. i am interested in programming using multi proccessing (parallel), that is the worload, code that may run for hours sometimes, but i would like it to run fast and not just at 2 ghz, how often will it use about 5 ghz?
2. can't b series use 3600mhz efficiently?
3. what is your opinion of air cooling instead of water cooling? as i said, i am afraid of water spilling, and maintenance.

 

[Why_Me]

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MSI MAG B660 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR4 $189.99

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https://www.newegg.com/intel-core-i7-12700-core-i7-12th-gen/p/N82E16819118368
Intel Core i7-12700 $349.99

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DeepCool AK620 CPU Cooler $64.99

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

 

[dwd999]

i would like to build a new desktop pc, and it is very hard for me to decide what to buy because i have many questions.
the use: programming and data science.
cpu: intel alder lake i5 12600k or 12700/12700k
ram: 64gb ddr4
storage: ssd pcie 4.0 1TB (probably western union sn850)
maybe in future: gpu (currently thinking about using the one from the cpu)

1. i probably won't be doing overclocking, but i am concerned about the base frequency of non k (12700) 2.10 GHz compared to 12700k 3.60 GHz. does looking at the base matter, or will it always be at max speed anyway (turbo) without overclocking? can't decide between k and non k series.
2. it is very hard to me to choose the right cooling for the cpu, i do know that i don't want to do maintenance very often i am afraid of water spilling out ruining my pc, but the alder lake cpu's heat easily and i really don't want cpu throttling,

can i get advice on choosing cpu cooling?

1. also very hard to choose motherboard, conflicted between H670 and B660. one has 4 lanes of DMI and the other has 8 lanes, does it matter?
2. do i need heatsink for western digital sn850 ssd, should i buy a motherboard with heatsink or thermal guard or something like that?

thanks a lot !

The base speed is irrelevant for most people unless you want your cpu to last forever. Everyone I've ever known in the 35 years I've been doing this turns the Turbo speed ON. This is why its included in Intel's specs. I've also used air cooling all the time; I'm currently cooling a 11900K at turbo speed with a Noctua D15 cooler and its fine. I also have the Western Digital SN850; at the time I bought it April 2021 they did not offer the heat sink but my ASUS motherboard includes one of those heatsinks that mounts on top of the m.2.

 

[Bob.B]

i would like to build a new desktop pc, and it is very hard for me to decide what to buy because i have many questions.
the use: programming and data science.
cpu: intel alder lake i5 12600k or 12700/12700k
ram: 64gb ddr4
storage: ssd pcie 4.0 1TB (probably western union sn850)
maybe in future: gpu (currently thinking about using the one from the cpu)

1. i probably won't be doing overclocking, but i am concerned about the base frequency of non k (12700) 2.10 GHz compared to 12700k 3.60 GHz. does looking at the base matter, or will it always be at max speed anyway (turbo) without overclocking? can't decide between k and non k series.
2. it is very hard to me to choose the right cooling for the cpu, i do know that i don't want to do maintenance very often i am afraid of water spilling out ruining my pc, but the alder lake cpu's heat easily and i really don't want cpu throttling,

can i get advice on choosing cpu cooling?

1. also very hard to choose motherboard, conflicted between H670 and B660. one has 4 lanes of DMI and the other has 8 lanes, does it matter?
2. do i need heatsink for western digital sn850 ssd, should i buy a motherboard with heatsink or thermal guard or something like that?

thanks a lot !

Opinion.

Cpu.....12700 non K.

Cpu cooler.....test the stock cooler with your apps.
You can add a cooler if needed.

M.2 heatsink......if the mobo comes with a heatsink use it.
If no mobo heatsink test without.
You can add a heatsink if needed.

 

[geofelt]

Unless you will be running multithreaded apps that can fully load many threads,
Concentrate more on the max turbo speeds.
Really, any of the chips you list would do you very well.
I might suggest the i5-12600K. 16 threads is usually more than you need and the turbo of 4.9 is plenty good. 5.0 from the 12700K does not seem like much of a difference. The K versions will have a slightly higher boost than the non-K.
Planning on turbo boost instead of overclocking is what most do today.
You get max performance on a few cores when conditions are right.
I would pick a Z690 based motherboard for this. A basic one is not expensive and will do the job.

I very much like noctua air cooling in a good case.
Noctua maintains a suitability chart for their coolers.
Here is the chart for the 12600k:
https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/Intel-Core-i5-12600K-1581
Of the many suitable coolers, I would pick one with a stronger nspr like the NH-D15s.
Better cooling will increase the turbo performance.

Intel is not particularly hindered by ram speed. DDR4 3600 speed is probably the sweet spot.
64gb seems a bit much, but if you need that, buy a single kit. two kits may not be compatible.

On the ssd, do not pay too much attention to claimed sequential speeds. Most of what you do will be random.
I would pick samsung for quality.
Puget systems thinks highly of them:

Most Reliable PC Hardware of 2021

Here at Puget Systems, our goal is not only to provide the fastest workstations possible, but the most reliable as well. As a part of our constant drive to offer only the highest quality components possible, we track and regularly review the failure rates for each part we carry. Today, we want...

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Heatsinks for m.2 devices are mostly marketing.
A m.2 will heat up mainly on long(30 second) runs of sequential processing.
If it gets too hot, it will just slow down a bit; no big deal.

 

[g-unit1111]

On the ssd, do not pay too much attention to claimed sequential speeds. Most of what you do will be random.
I would pick samsung for quality.
Puget systems thinks highly of them:

I pretty much only buy Samsung or WD for my SSD needs. If you don't want either, the Corsair SP600s are a decent option.

1. also very hard to choose motherboard, conflicted between H670 and B660. one has 4 lanes of DMI and the other has 8 lanes, does it matter?
2. do i need heatsink for western digital sn850 ssd, should i buy a motherboard with heatsink or thermal guard or something like that?

1. That mainly depends on what kind of GPU you plan to run and if you plan to do any overclocking on said GPU. If you're not going to overclock or run a GPU like the 3080/3090 then I wouldn't worry about it too much. I'd probably go with the H670 just to be on the safe side.

2. No, heatsinks for SSDs are mainly for looks and that's about it. Most "thermal guard" stuff is really just marketing terminology.