Build Advice Reliable moderate gaming build recommendations

[tenniseric98]

Hi, I would appreciate any recommendations for a new PC build!

Budget (including currency): 1700 USD
Country: USA
Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: 1440p gaming at 165hz, Apex Legends, Hunt: Showdown, Minecraft w/ Ray Tracing, code compilation in VS Code, multi-tasking with lots of chrome tabs
Other details:
would love to have a mix of USB-C and USB-Type A ports on front I/O, as well as headphone jack.
would love to have 32GB DDR5 ram
would love to have a quiet system with low temps

Monitors
Currently have one 1440p monitor, but in the future may plan on having two 1440p monitors, or one 4k and one 1440p.

Peripherals
Not right now

Why are you upgrading?
Current PC build is 5 years old; while fully functional as a productivity machine that I will give to someone else, it currently lags on games such as Apex Legends.

 

[tennis2]

Could you list your current build?
Mobo
CPU
GPU
Case
RAM
Storage
PSU

Or are you not interested in reusing any of the existing machine?

 

[tenniseric98]

Correct, I am not interested in reusing any of the existing machine, since I'll be giving that one away to someone who just uses spreadsheets and internet browsing.

 

[logainofhades]

This would get you great 1440p performance.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor ($300.00 @ Best Buy)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool AK620 68.99 CFM CPU Cooler ($64.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z790 UD AC ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL36 Memory ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($199.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: PowerColor Red Dragon OC Radeon RX 6800 16 GB Video Card ($521.46 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT H510 Flow ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex V Platinum Pro 850 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg Sellers)
Total: $1646.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-16 12:39 EST-0500

 

[tenniseric98]

This would get you great 1440p performance.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor ($300.00 @ Best Buy)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool AK620 68.99 CFM CPU Cooler ($64.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z790 UD AC ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL36 Memory ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($199.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: PowerColor Red Dragon OC Radeon RX 6800 16 GB Video Card ($521.46 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT H510 Flow ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex V Platinum Pro 850 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg Sellers)
Total: $1646.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-16 12:39 EST-0500

Thank you so much for this list! What is the difference between a Z790 and Z690 board?

For instance, I found this board at the same price: https://www.antonline.com/Gigabyte/Computers/Electronic_Components/Motherboards/1442556

I also forgot to mention that I have a HDD and WD Black SSD on a current build that I want to carry over to this new one -- is the PSU enough?

 

[tennis2]

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/bykWGX/deepcool-as500-7081-cfm-cpu-cooler-r-as500-bknlmn-g

 

[tenniseric98]

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/bykWGX/deepcool-as500-7081-cfm-cpu-cooler-r-as500-bknlmn-g

Wouldn't this be louder since it is smaller, has 1 less heat pipe, and 1 less fan than the AK620?

 

[tennis2]

The AS500 is a 140mm cooler whereas the AK620 is 120mm. So the AS500 spins its fan considerably slower.

Also RAM clearance wouldn't be a concern with the AS500 whereas the AK620 overhangs ALL the ram slots.

Before you get too hung up on the ~5C temp difference, realize that an i9-10850K at 63C is still VERY good.

 

[logainofhades]

Thank you so much for this list! What is the difference between a Z790 and Z690 board?

For instance, I found this board at the same price: https://www.antonline.com/Gigabyte/Computers/Electronic_Components/Motherboards/1442556

I also forgot to mention that I have a HDD and WD Black SSD on a current build that I want to carry over to this new one -- is the PSU enough?

Nothing much that really matters. Z690 will need a bios update to use 13th gen, but that board has gigabyte's version of bios flashback. I would probably choose that Z690, over the Z790, that I found. The 850w PSU that I linked is plenty for this rig. For reference my rig has a 5800x, and an RX 6800, and I am using a fractal ION SFX 650w, without issue. 850w gives you some upgrade headroom, and a little extra for that power hungry CPU.

 

[tenniseric98]

The AS500 is a 140mm cooler whereas the AK620 is 120mm. So the AS500 spins its fan considerably slower.

Also RAM clearance wouldn't be a concern with the AS500 whereas the AK620 overhangs ALL the ram slots.

Before you get too hung up on the ~5C temp difference, realize that an i9-10850K at 63C is still VERY good.

Ok, interesting, thank you!

 

[tenniseric98]

Nothing much that really matters. Z690 will need a bios update to use 13th gen, but that board has gigabyte's version of bios flashback. I would probably choose that Z690, over the Z790, that I found. The 850w PSU that I linked is plenty for this rig. For reference my rig has a 5800x, and an RX 6800, and I am using a fractal ION SFX 650w, without issue. 850w gives you some upgrade headroom, and a little extra for that power hungry CPU.

Ok, got it, thanks so much for the explanation!

 

[tenniseric98]

Maybe switch cases to one with more than a single front intake fan.

LANCOOL 216

• Mid-tower chassis configurable for air cooling and water cooling • Airflow optimized front, top and PSU shroud side mesh panels • Equipped with 2 x front 160 PWM fans (ARGB or non-RGB) and 1 x rear 140mm PWM fan • Supports 360 radiator at the top, front and a maximum of 10 fans • Includes rear...

lian-li.com

https://www.newegg.com/p/2AM-000Z-000A7
LIAN LI LANCOOL 216 X B Mid Tower Computer Case $99.90

Thanks! Sorry for the delay in responding. This definitely is a great deal at $99, however prices on this case have gone up.

 

[Kitty_Salad]

for 1700$...
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PgjB3y
this is the best I could find
I did not include storage as you said you have your own already
I dont know how quiet / cool you want but you would expect 35~80c for temps
mostly in the lower side of temps as the 40 series graphics cards are a beast when it comes to temps

 

[tenniseric98]

for 1700$...
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PgjB3y
this is the best I could find
I did not include storage as you said you have your own already
I dont know how quiet / cool you want but you would expect 35~80c for temps
mostly in the lower side of temps as the 40 series graphics cards are a beast when it comes to temps

Thanks for the list!

 

[tenniseric98]

https://www.newegg.com/black-fractal-design-pop-air-atx-mid-tower/p/N82E16811352168

Pop Air

Fractal fuse flair with function in the new Pop series of cases that doesn’t skimp on aesthetics or flexibility. The entire series offers a solid foundation and excellent build quality, giving all users plenty of options and room to maneuver.

www.fractal-design.com

Wow this looks good, thanks!

 

[g-unit1111]

for 1700$...
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PgjB3y
this is the best I could find
I did not include storage as you said you have your own already
I dont know how quiet / cool you want but you would expect 35~80c for temps
mostly in the lower side of temps as the 40 series graphics cards are a beast when it comes to temps

If you're gaming go Intel. The 13th generation definitely exceeds Ryzen 7000. Ryzen 7000 is a good platform don't get me wrong, and I'm currently on 5th gen Ryzen myself. But for the newer games you'll definitely want a 13th generation Intel i5. I would suggest this:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor ($319.88 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair iCUE H115i ELITE CAPELLIX 97 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z790 AORUS ELITE AX ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6400 CL32 Memory ($197.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GAMING OC GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8 GB Video Card ($459.99)
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case ($108.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: Corsair RM850x (2021) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1771.81
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-01-26 15:27 EST-0500

The hard part is finding a GPU at that price. Stores seem to run out as fast as they can stock them. But I have that same card and I can definitely vouch for it.