[SOLVED] Suggestions on building a new PC

[TwoStarPie]

Monitor: MSI Optix MAG274QRF 1440P (I bought it already)
CPU: Intel Core i7-12700
CPU Cooler: Deepcool AS500 Plus
Motherboard: MSI MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI DDR4
Memory: 2 x 16GB Crucial Ballistix 3200 DDR4 Memory White (BL16G32C16U4W)
Storage: My old SATA SSDs and a HDD, will buy an NVMe SSD when required
Case: Lian Li Lancool II Mesh Black - Type C RGB Case
Video Card: I'll upgrade to a next gen GPU (that performs somewhere around an RTX 3080) when it's available around MSRP, I'll wait a year or two if I have to, I don't want to buy overpriced GPUs that are not worth their price. I have an old GTX 760 which I undervolted and power limited (to 75 Watts) with a modified bios. I did this to prevent it from overheating since the fans stopped working since last year . It performs slightly slower than a GT 740 (based on some benchmarks I saw online). I think I'll be better off using the integrated graphics on the i7-12700. I have a huge backlog of older games that would work fine even with integrated graphics, so I'll play them until I get a new GPU.
Power Supply: ADATA XPG Core Reactor 650 Watt 80 Plus Gold or Asus ROG Strix 650W PSU
UPS: APC Easy UPS BVX1200LI-IN 1200VA / 650W, 230V
A note regarding Power Supply and UPS: APC UPS with a higher wattage (900W) rating cost twice as much, so I decided to go with a 650W Power supply and 650W UPS. The power outlet is connected to the Home UPS, but i like to use my PC with a separate UPS to prevent any voltage fluctuations.
I'd prefer to buy a 650W power supply and run the i7-12700 CPU with PL2 (power limit) of 140W if the PSU is inadequate when PL2 is set to 180 Watts. I'd pair the CPU with a next gen GPU that has a TDP of 300 Watts or lower (The RTX 3080 has a TDP of 320W, so the next gen GPU that has a similar level of performance will have a lower TDP).

What are your suggestions? Will I face any compatibility issues with this build? Is there anything that I have to change?

Thank you in advance.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

every where i look these days GPUs have come down to MSRP.
there are always still 3rd party vendors on Amazon, Newegg, Walmart, etc still listing at scalper prices but i've purchased 5 different RTX 3000 & RX 6000 cards now at or below MSRP over the last couple months.

RTX 3080, 3070 Ti / RX 6800 XT

 

[TwoStarPie]

every where i look these days GPUs have come down to MSRP.
there are always still 3rd party vendors on Amazon, Newegg, Walmart, etc still listing at scalper prices but i've purchased 5 different RTX 3000 & RX 6000 cards now at or below MSRP over the last couple months.

RTX 3080, 3070 Ti / RX 6800 XT

In my country the prices haven't dropped down significantly, the GPUs like RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 still cost 30 to 50 percent more than their MSRP (some GPUs cost even more than that).
I'm waiting for the next gen GPUs (like an RTX 4060 or 4060 ti or AMD equivalent or even from Intel) which could offer better value for money and better power efficiency.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

waiting for the next gen GPUs which could offer better value for money.

then why not just wait and build an entire "next gen" system when that time comes?

Intel & AMD will have released their next line of CPUs by then and DDR5 will be the standard with much lower prices.

considering you're mentioning RTX 3080 performance i'd guess this is either for gaming or very heavy video processing.
using a GTX 760 with this currently listed build will not give you any better video processing performance than what a nice 4th gen Intel Core system could achieve.

 

[TwoStarPie]

then why not just wait and build an entire "next gen" system when that time comes?

Intel & AMD will have released their next line of CPUs by then and DDR5 will be the standard with much lower prices.

considering you're mentioning RTX 3080 performance i'd guess this is either for gaming or very heavy video processing.
using a GTX 760 with this currently listed build will not give you any better video processing performance than what a nice 4th gen Intel Core system could achieve.

I need my old home PC for my new office (I carry my Macbook with me for now). So I thought of building a new gaming PC and I'm not so sure about DDR5 prices coming down later this year.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

I thought of building a new gaming PC.

and if you're waiting years for a new GPU,
as i previously stated,

using a GTX 760 with this currently listed build will not give you any better video processing performance than what a nice 4th gen Intel Core system could've achieved many years ago.

so you might as well just wait until then when all new, higher performance, hardware is available for the same prices as those today.

 

[TwoStarPie]

and if you're waiting years for a new GPU,
as i previously stated,

so you might as well just wait until then when all new, higher performance, hardware is available for the same prices as those today.

You're right, I did think about it. It's just that I have holidays during the month of May, so I thought maybe I could just build the PC (without GPU) right now since I'll have a lot of time during this month.

 

[geofelt]

I think your plan is reasonable.

It sounds like your primary use will be for gaming.
To that end, try to plan on a strong graphics card.
With some decline in mining, graphics card prices are trending toward msrp.
Add in the impending launch of the Intel discrete graphics cards, you can expect some price competition.
Planning on integrated graphics initially is a good strategy.

Whenever you get that graphics card, a 3080 class card is likely to require more than a 650w psu.
More like 750w.
Here is a handy chart:
http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm
Then, also, modern 3000 class cards can have power spike demands above the nominal power so I would plan on 850w.
When shopping for a psu, quality counts. Look for a unit with a 7 to 10 year warranty.
A quality psu will have more reserve capability than advertised.
Corsair rm and seasonic focus are two good units to start with.

Since you have a APC ups, set up their power monitoring app called PowerChute.
It will show your current power usage, history of recoveries and estimated run time.
The run time may be much longer than you think.
Does your monitor need to be connected, for example?

The value of a I7-12700 is that it has 20 processing threads.
Perhaps more than you need.
Games rarely can effectively use more than 4-8 threads.
I think a I5-12600K with 16 threads or even a I3-12400 would game just as well.
Here are two reviews:
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-core-i5-12400-review

Core i5 12600K processor review

With six performance cores and four energy-efficient ones, the Core i5 12600K might become the most budget-friendly and really well-performing Alder Lake series processor. It offers heaps of performan... Performance - Gaming RTX 3090 - 1920x1080 (Full HD)

www.guru3d.com

The single thread performance of these units is not all that different.
That is what games need most.
Run the cpu-Z bench on your current system and look at the single thread performance.
Here is a list which includes the 12600K.
I find no numbers for the 12700, but I would expect it to be a tad lower than the 12700K

CPU-Z Benchmark for Intel Core i5-12400F (1T) - CPU-Z VALIDATOR

Best CPU performance - 64-bit - May 2022

valid.x86.fr

On ram, for real app processing, 3200 speed is fine.
But, for integrated graphics, I would buy 3600 speed.
The price differential should be small.

 

[TwoStarPie]

I think your plan is reasonable.

It sounds like your primary use will be for gaming.
To that end, try to plan on a strong graphics card.
With some decline in mining, graphics card prices are trending toward msrp.
Add in the impending launch of the Intel discrete graphics cards, you can expect some price competition.
Planning on integrated graphics initially is a good strategy.

Whenever you get that graphics card, a 3080 class card is likely to require more than a 650w psu.
More like 750w.
Here is a handy chart:
http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm
Then, also, modern 3000 class cards can have power spike demands above the nominal power so I would plan on 850w.
When shopping for a psu, quality counts. Look for a unit with a 7 to 10 year warranty.
A quality psu will have more reserve capability than advertised.
Corsair rm and seasonic focus are two good units to start with.

Since you have a APC ups, set up their power monitoring app called PowerChute.
It will show your current power usage, history of recoveries and estimated run time.
The run time may be much longer than you think.
Does your monitor need to be connected, for example?

The value of a I7-12700 is that it has 20 processing threads.
Perhaps more than you need.
Games rarely can effectively use more than 4-8 threads.
I think a I5-12600K with 16 threads or even a I3-12400 would game just as well.
Here are two reviews:
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-core-i5-12400-review

Core i5 12600K processor review

With six performance cores and four energy-efficient ones, the Core i5 12600K might become the most budget-friendly and really well-performing Alder Lake series processor. It offers heaps of performan... Performance - Gaming RTX 3090 - 1920x1080 (Full HD)

www.guru3d.com

The single thread performance of these units is not all that different.
That is what games need most.
Run the cpu-Z bench on your current system and look at the single thread performance.
Here is a list which includes the 12600K.
I find no numbers for the 12700, but I would expect it to be a tad lower than the 12700K

CPU-Z Benchmark for Intel Core i5-12400F (1T) - CPU-Z VALIDATOR

Best CPU performance - 64-bit - May 2022

valid.x86.fr

On ram, for real app processing, 3200 speed is fine.
But, for integrated graphics, I would buy 3600 speed.
The price differential should be small.

Thank you for taking your time to post this. I plan to use the PC for several years, so I first chose the i7 CPU believing that it's eight Performance cores (rather than E cores) might help prevent any stuttering issues in future games, but I wasn't so sure about it since games often rely on single threaded performance like you have said.
If I choose an i5-12600k instead of an i7-12700, will I still need more than a good quality 650w power supply?
What if next gen GPUs (that perform like an RTX 3080) have a TDP of around 250 to 275 watts, will I still need a power supply that provides more than 650 watts?
I can't find any seasonic focus power supplies in my country, but I did read somewhere on the internet that the Asus Rog Strix PSUs are based on seasonic focus power supplies. Both the power supplies I listed above come with a 10 year warranty.

One more question, can I just buy a 750w or 850w power supply and run the PC without a separate UPS, but connected directly to the wall outlet, while setting the home inverter to "UPS mode", are there any drawbacks? Will the PC be safe during voltage fluctuations and power outages? If there are no major drawbacks, I might as well skip getting another APC UPS for the new PC and just buy a 750 or 850 watt power supply and connect the PC directly to the wall outlet (with a surge protector for extra safety).

 

[geofelt]

The psu wattage you need is primarily dictated by the graphics card you will use.
The maximum turbo power of the i7-12700 is 180w.
The turbo TDP of the 12600K is 150w.
Really not significantly different.

A UPS is designed to keep connected devices running despite a power failure.
A surge protector is designed to protect devices.

How long a UPS can run is a function of the battery used and the wattage of the connected devices. It also can keep connected devices running over temporary interruptions or power spikes.

Nothing is truly safe from power spikes unless you are using something like a SURGE X
device which is expensive:

SurgeX Products

Browse our huge selection of SurgeX products and more at FullCompass.com. Free Shipping on thousands of items!

www.fullcompass.com

Most inexpensive surge protectors are self destructive . If you get a sufficiently bad surge, that can not be dissipated to the house ground, the device fails and must be replaced.
The Surgex devices can be reset.

You would place the surge protector between the ups and the wall.

You do not have to connect everything to the battery backup portion of your UPS.
If you have two monitors, connect just one, for example.

I don't know exactly what "UPS MODE" on your inverter does.

A psu will only use the power demanded of it, regardless of the max capability.
I would plan on a 850w unit and adjust what needs to be connected to the UPS.

 

[TwoStarPie]

The psu wattage you need is primarily dictated by the graphics card you will use.
The maximum turbo power of the i7-12700 is 180w.
The turbo TDP of the 12600K is 150w.
Really not significantly different.

A UPS is designed to keep connected devices running despite a power failure.
A surge protector is designed to protect devices.

How long a UPS can run is a function of the battery used and the wattage of the connected devices. It also can keep connected devices running over temporary interruptions or power spikes.

Nothing is truly safe from power spikes unless you are using something like a SURGE X
device which is expensive:

SurgeX Products

Browse our huge selection of SurgeX products and more at FullCompass.com. Free Shipping on thousands of items!

www.fullcompass.com

Most inexpensive surge protectors are self destructive . If you get a sufficiently bad surge, that can not be dissipated to the house ground, the device fails and must be replaced.
The Surgex devices can be reset.

You would place the surge protector between the ups and the wall.

You do not have to connect everything to the battery backup portion of your UPS.
If you have two monitors, connect just one, for example.

I don't know exactly what "UPS MODE" on your inverter does.

A psu will only use the power demanded of it, regardless of the max capability.
I would plan on a 850w unit and adjust what needs to be connected to the UPS.

In UPS mode, in case of power cut, the home inverter immediately switches over to supply power, the time delay to switch is negligible. While in inverter mode, it takes microseconds to switch over and supply the power, this would cause the PC to reset.

I'll get a 850w PSU and try to use it with the home inverter set to "UPS mode" and see how it works during voltage fluctuations, I'll buy another APC UPS for the new PC later if required.

Should I save some money and go with the i5-12600k instead of the i7-12700?
Which motherboard should I buy between these two?
Gigabyte Z690M A ELITE DDR4 or MSI MAG B660M Mortar WIFI DDR4
The B660 motherboard has WIFI and it's just 3 percent cheaper, but the gigabyte motherboard supports overclocking, has an additional m.2 slot and supports PCI express 5.0, I'm not sure if it's worth getting the Z690 if I don't overclock, the inbuilt WIFI feature in the B660 Motherboard might be useful. Which one would you choose?

 

[geofelt]

For gaming, I would pick the 12600k vs. the 12700.
Max turbo boost one each is exactly the same at 4.9.
12 P core threads is plenty.

On the motherboards, I think I would pick the msi B660 unit.
I would not expect to make use of overclocking capability.
Plan on using the turbo capability instead.

I do not much value pcie 5.0 either for graphics or for ssd.
Only very top end graphics cards get much benefit from pcie4.0 vs. 3.0
And that difference is minimal.
The value of m.2 pcie devices is in their superior sequential speeds.
But most of what we do is random and a conventional 2,5" ssd serves equally well.
Here is an amusing video on that:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DKLA7w9eeA

 

[TwoStarPie]

For gaming, I would pick the 12600k vs. the 12700.
Max turbo boost one each is exactly the same at 4.9.
12 P core threads is plenty.

On the motherboards, I think I would pick the msi B660 unit.
I would not expect to make use of overclocking capability.
Plan on using the turbo capability instead.

I do not much value pcie 5.0 either for graphics or for ssd.
Only very top end graphics cards get much benefit from pcie4.0 vs. 3.0
And that difference is minimal.
The value of m.2 pcie devices is in their superior sequential speeds.
But most of what we do is random and a conventional 2,5" ssd serves equally well.
Here is an amusing video on that:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DKLA7w9eeA

I was wondering if "Direct storage" would benefit from PCI 5.0 SSDs in the future, but I do think that we are far away from it.
I was just reading this article about overclocking: https://www.tomshardware.com/review...-i5-12600k-review-retaking-the-gaming-crown/4
I was wondering whether it would be useful to overclock.
Does the i5-12600k support high frequency RAM like DDR4 4000 MHz in gear 1 when paired with a B660 motherboard?

 

[geofelt]

Ram speed support is a function of both the cpu and the motherboard.
Non K processors may limit the ram speed.
The B660 chipset supports ram overclocking.
The specs on the MSI MAG B660M Mortar WIFI DDR4 indicate support of up to 4800 speed ram via overclocking.
https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-B660M-MORTAR-WIFI-DDR4/Specification
The lower speeds you see are the speeds at which you can enter the bios.
Once there, you can set the ram performance via the XMP setting.
Intel does not need fast ram to perform up to it's potential like ryzen.
3600 speed seems to be the sweet spot.

In actual usage, you will not notice the difference if you were to overclock.
Generally, the default turbo will exceed the all core overclock when conditions are right.
One of the conditions is a good cpu temperature.
To that end, you might want to consider a stronger cooler like the twin tower noctua NH-D15s. The price will be similar to the as500 deepcool plus.

 

[TwoStarPie]

The NH-D15s and NH-D15 are often priced similarly in India (Around Rs.8100 + Rs.650 for the LGA 1700 mounting bracket), they are nearly twice as expensive as the Deepcool AS500 Plus (Costs Rs.4575 + 249 for LGA 1700 mounting bracket ) and according to benchmarks I saw online, the difference in temperature is between 2 to 4 degrees celsius.

I'm gonna order the parts today or by tomorrow.
Which one of these PSUs would you choose? (They have a similar price):
https://www.theitdepot.com/details-Adata+XPG+Core+Reactor+850W+Fully+Modular+PSU_C14P32639.html

https://www.theitdepot.com/details-Asus+ROG+Strix+750W+Gold+PSU+(ROG-STRIX-750G)_C14P34346.html

Which one of these CPUs would you choose?
Price of the CPUS (from www.https://www.theitdepot.com/):
i5-12600K Rs.25525
i7-12700F Rs.27810
i7-12700 Rs.30995
i7-12700KF Rs.35600 (Costs Rs.33639 on www.mdcomputers.in which only offers a three days return policy)
i7-12700K Rs.36710

The i7-12700F costs a little more than the i5 but doesn't have integrated graphics and doesn't have good support for memory overclocking, if I choose the i7-12700F, then I would have to use the old GTX 760 which stays just under 90 degrees celsius peak temperature when gaming without the fans (with undervolted bios and 75w power limit), it performs slightly slower than a GT 740 (I'm just guessing based on benchmarks I found online).

If i choose the i5-12600k, then I wouldn't have to worry about the high temperatures of the GTX 760 potentially reducing the lifespan of the new motherboard and I would have some peace of mind having that integrated GPU which might come in handy sometimes. it would also support memory overclocking.

Plan A:
I could pair this RAM with the i5-12600k and run it at 4000 MHz or lower frequency with tighter timings:
https://www.theitdepot.com/details-...mory+-+Black+(BLM2K16G44C19U4B)_C6P36244.html
Price: Rs.12270

OR

Plan B:
I could get the 12700F or 12700 and pair it with something like this:
https://www.theitdepot.com/details-...0MHz+DDR4+(AX4U320016G16A-DT60)_C6P37027.html
Price: Rs.11910
or this:
https://www.theitdepot.com/details-...ng+Memory+White+(BL16G32C16U4W)_C6P35873.html
Rs.5115 x 2 = 10230
Note that this model is not available as a kit, but it has lower latency than the one above, though the frequency is the same.

Which would offer more value for money when it comes to gaming and general tasks?

 

[geofelt]

Some thoughts:

Noctua coolers now come with lga1700 mounting hardware.

Here is one psu quality list:

[EOL] PSU Tier List rev. 14.8

PSU Tier List 4.0 rev. 14.8 (END OF LIFE) Last Update: 27-07-2021 Legend : Gray - EoL/obsolete and/or otherwise not recommended for purchase. Green - small form-factor (gold and blue colors are disregarded due to scarcity of SFX PSUs) Gold - best units in the tier (includes requirements for blue ...

linustechtips.com

The Adata psu shows up well, I think.

You would, as a practical matter, not be able to tell any performance difference among the listed processors in a gaming environment.
With a limited budget, pick the I5-12600K.

On ram, never buy individual sticks; buy only kits.
Ram is sold in kits for a reason.
A motherboard must manage all the ram using the same specs of voltage, cas and speed.
The internal workings are designed for the capacity of the kit.
Ram from the same vendor and part number can be made up of differing manufacturing components over time.
Some motherboards, can be very sensitive to this.
This is more difficult when more sticks are involved.
Ram must be matched for proper operation.

Faster ram is accompanied by higher timings, negating much of the practical benefit.
As a figure of merit, divide the speed by the cas and you will get something like 200.
Since you will have a discrete graphics card, any speed will do.
I think the sweet spot is 3600 speed, but your local ram prices will determine that.
Here is one article:

Don't waste money chasing RAM speed for gaming on AMD or Intel

Revisiting the question that every gamer considers when building a new gaming system: does RAM speed matter?

www.pcgamer.com

Spend your extra budget elsewhere.

 

[TwoStarPie]

Some thoughts:

Noctua coolers now come with lga1700 mounting hardware.

Here is one psu quality list:

[EOL] PSU Tier List rev. 14.8

PSU Tier List 4.0 rev. 14.8 (END OF LIFE) Last Update: 27-07-2021 Legend : Gray - EoL/obsolete and/or otherwise not recommended for purchase. Green - small form-factor (gold and blue colors are disregarded due to scarcity of SFX PSUs) Gold - best units in the tier (includes requirements for blue ...

linustechtips.com

The Adata psu shows up well, I think.

You would, as a practical matter, not be able to tell any performance difference among the listed processors in a gaming environment.
With a limited budget, pick the I5-12600K.

On ram, never buy individual sticks; buy only kits.
Ram is sold in kits for a reason.
A motherboard must manage all the ram using the same specs of voltage, cas and speed.
The internal workings are designed for the capacity of the kit.
Ram from the same vendor and part number can be made up of differing manufacturing components over time.
Some motherboards, can be very sensitive to this.
This is more difficult when more sticks are involved.
Ram must be matched for proper operation.

Faster ram is accompanied by higher timings, negating much of the practical benefit.
As a figure of merit, divide the speed by the cas and you will get something like 200.
Since you will have a discrete graphics card, any speed will do.
I think the sweet spot is 3600 speed, but your local ram prices will determine that.
Here is one article:

Don't waste money chasing RAM speed for gaming on AMD or Intel

Revisiting the question that every gamer considers when building a new gaming system: does RAM speed matter?

www.pcgamer.com

Spend your extra budget elsewhere.

I think we have to send them a proof of purchase/invoice to get the mounting kit for free. Coolers in newer packaging might come with the mounting hardware included, but I can't seem to find any site online that lists the LGA 1700 socket as supported by the cooler. I want the mounting kit included in the packaging so that I could build and test the PC before the return period expires. Most Noctua coolers seem to be out of stock or overpriced with many online retailers, so I chose the deepcool as500 plus. I'm not a fan of liquid coolers, I've never used them before.

I think I might go with the 12600k and buy a RAM kit.
The motherboards that I mentioned before seem to be out of stock on that site,
Which one of these motherboards would you choose?

Motherboard | PC Motherboards, AMD-Platform, Intel Platform

Shop Online for Motherboards | Both for AMD, Ryzen Platform. Intel, Z490, Z390, 10th Gen, 9th Gen Platform Motherboards, From, Asus, MSI, Gigabyte, Asrock

mdcomputers.in

I'd prefer a good quality motherboard with good VRM and thermal performance, I'd like to have at least 2 M.2 slots (which most of them seem to have) and a front panel USB type C internal connector that is compatible with the "Lian Li Lancool II Mesh Black - Type C RGB Case" (USB 3.2 Gen 2 also referred to as USB 3.1 Gen 2 or USB 3.1 - supports transfer rate of 10 Gb/s ).

Is it possible to connect a USB 5 gb/s internal connector to 10 gb/s front panel port on the case?
MSI PRO B660-A DDR4 costs 25 percent less than MSI MAG B660 Tomahawk WIFI DDR4 motherboard, but it's still a good quality motherboard according to "Hardware Unboxed" benchmarks. So I could save some money on the motherboard by getting a motherboard that has half the USB speed (since I don't have an external NVMe SSD right now, but I might get it in the future) and doesn't have WIFI. I could get a USB WIFI adapter since my desktop is mostly connected to the router through ethernet cable. I only use WIFI to connect to mobile hotspot when there is a problem with the internet service.
https://mdcomputers.in/msi-pro-b660-a-ddr4.html

The Gigabyte B660M Aorus Pro AX DDR4 (Wi-Fi) Motherboard has WIFI and USB 3.2 Gen 2 support at the same price as the "MSI MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI DDR4" , but I don't know much about it's quality.

 

[TwoStarPie]

I ordered these yesterday:
CPU: Intel Core i7-12700 (Since I plan to keep this PC for 10 years, the extra cores might help in future games & applications while multi-tasking, since I'm getting a B660 motherboard and not planning to overclock, I thought I might as well get the i7 non k CPU)
Memory: Adata XPG Spectrix D60G 32GB (16GBX2) DDR4 3200MHz RGB CL 16-20-20 (AX4U320016G16A-DT60), it's the cheapest 16GB x 2 Kit available.
The G.Skill Ripjaws V 32GB (16GBx2) DDR4 3200MHz CL 16-18-18-38 costs 10.6 percent more, but I thought there won't be any noticeable difference in performance, so I bought the Adata kit.
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black (I was informed by the seller that I have to contact Noctua with a physical copy of the invoice to get the LGA 1700 mounting brackets, I might have to use the stock cooler until I get the brackets)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B660M Aorus Pro AX DDR4 (Wi-Fi), (the MSI MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI DDR4 motherboard was not in stock and this Gigabyte motherboard performs about the same according to "Hardware Unboxed" benchmarks).
Case: Lian Li Lancool II Mesh Black - Type C RGB Case
Power Supply: ADATA XPG Core Reactor 850 Watt 80 Plus Gold

I won't be able to use two fans with the Noctua NH-D15 due to height of the memory sticks (I wasn't able to find any Noctua NH-D15S in stock), so I'm wondering what to do with the second fan, can I use them as a case fan (for top of the case) or do I just keep it as a spare?

 

[geofelt]

The D15 chromax black should come with a LGA1700 mounting.
It is a relatively new product.
In the event that it does not, include the mount, it is a simple matter to email Noctua and include invoices for both the D15 and the lga1700 motherboard.
In the USA, it should take about a week. I needed to do so for kits for two noctua coolers I bought years ago.
Noctua customer support is very good.

The case comes with two front 140mm intake fans and a rear 120mm exhaust.
That is sufficient, and adding other fans will disrupt the natural front to back airflow.
The cooler really does not need a second fan to be sufficiently effective.
If you want to experiment, your case has quite a bit of headroom and I would try just shifting up the front fan on the cooler.
Or, mount the fan in the rear to help pull air through.
As an alternative, you could buy a 120mm front fan.

You are looking at only a few c. in temperature difference and that is not likely to be important. Such changes are easy to do if you want to experiment.

The stock fan will serve initially.

 

[TwoStarPie]

The D15 chromax black should come with a LGA1700 mounting.
It is a relatively new product.
In the event that it does not, include the mount, it is a simple matter to email Noctua and include invoices for both the D15 and the lga1700 motherboard.
In the USA, it should take about a week. I needed to do so for kits for two noctua coolers I bought years ago.
Noctua customer support is very good.

The case comes with two front 140mm intake fans and a rear 120mm exhaust.
That is sufficient, and adding other fans will disrupt the natural front to back airflow.
The cooler really does not need a second fan to be sufficiently effective.
If you want to experiment, your case has quite a bit of headroom and I would try just shifting up the front fan on the cooler.
Or, mount the fan in the rear to help pull air through.
As an alternative, you could buy a 120mm front fan.

You are looking at only a few c. in temperature difference and that is not likely to be important. Such changes are easy to do if you want to experiment.

The stock fan will serve initially.

I had cancelled the order for " Adata XPG Spectrix D60G 32GB" today and ordered the "G.Skill Ripjaws V 32GB (16GBx2) DDR4 3200MHz CL 16-18-18-38" for better compatibility with the cooler (so that I could use two fans on the cooler). I'll be charged a restocking fee that is 5%. of the product value. I should've read the "Refund Policy" before placing the order.

The Adata RAM is 45.93 mm tall, the G skill RAM is 42 mm tall. The Noctua cooler supports 32 mm RAM when using two fans, but the fan could be moved up higher to support taller RAM depending on the space available inside the case, the case I ordered has a clearance of 176 mm. So I thought the G Skill RAM might be a better fit.

 

[geofelt]

You have the correct height and moving the fan 3mm lower is not a big improvement.
If you can, look for Corsair LPX which is only 31 mm tall.
The lpx is usually decently priced.

 

[TwoStarPie]

You have the correct height and moving the fan 3mm lower is not a big improvement.
If you can, look for Corsair LPX which is only 31 mm tall.
The lpx is usually decently priced.

The cheapest Corsair LPX RAM has worse timings "CL 22-22-22-53", the ones with latency like CL 16 cost about 50 percent more than the kits I had ordered recently.
I received an e-mail from the seller stating that both RAM and CPU were packaged together and that I'll be charged a restocking fee that is 5% of the product value, they asked me to confirm the cancellation. I'm not sure if they were referring to the RAM only or both the RAM and the CPU. I have sent an e-mail requesting them to cancel the RAM and deliver the CPU, if they say that they'll charge 5% product value of the CPU for that, then I might decide to cancel the return of the first order and cancel the order for the G Skill RAM instead.

 

[geofelt]

The cheapest Corsair LPX RAM has worse timings "CL 22-22-22-53", the ones with latency like CL 16 cost about 50 percent more than the kits I had ordered recently.
I received an e-mail from the seller stating that both RAM and CPU were packaged together and that I'll be charged a restocking fee that is 5% of the product value, they asked me to confirm the cancellation. I'm not sure if they were referring to the RAM only or both the RAM and the CPU. I have sent an e-mail requesting them to cancel the RAM and deliver the CPU, if they say that they'll charge 5% product value of the CPU for that, then I might decide to cancel the return of the first order and cancel the order for the G Skill RAM instead.

Sounds like a not-so-friendly seller.
I think keeping the first ram kit is probably the best thing to do.
You have options as I explained before.

You may do well without doing anything.
12600K is not an overly hot processor, and gaming loads(vs batch loads) do not stress it all that much.
In tests I have seen, a similar NH-D15s with just one fan only did some 2c. better with the addition of a second 120mm front fan.

 

[TwoStarPie]

Sounds like a not-so-friendly seller.
I think keeping the first ram kit is probably the best thing to do.
You have options as I explained before.

You may do well without doing anything.
12600K is not an overly hot processor, and gaming loads(vs batch loads) do not stress it all that much.
In tests I have seen, a similar NH-D15s with just one fan only did some 2c. better with the addition of a second 120mm front fan.

They were polite when I spoke to them on the phone, it's just that they charge a "convenience fee" (that's what they call it) when you return a product. But they sell their products at lower prices when compared to Amazon.
I contacted them and they clarified that they'll only deduct the amount for the item being returned (the RAM) and not for the processor. I asked if they could get the Adata RAM delivered and refund the second order (G Skill RAM) since they have already shipped the product in the first order, they said they have initiated a return request with the courier service and they are not very sure about it's current status and that they'll see whether they could cancel the return request. They said it would most likely be difficult for them to cancel a return request with the courier. I told them that I would keep the Adata RAM if the product gets delivered or they could send me the G Skill RAM in case the products in the first order are returned to the seller and to the refund the amount for the other RAM.

I ordered the 12700 (non K), not the 12600K, I guess you are right about the Noctua cooler, I just thought "Why not make the most out of both fans since we bought it anyway." Lets hope they deliver the products soon.

 

[TwoStarPie]

I received the CPU, RAM and the PSU, still waiting for the CPU cooler, motherboard and the case. I noticed that the power cord that came with the PSU (the one that connects the back of the PSU to the wall) has a plug that looks like a "Type E" or "Type F" plug as shown here:

Plug & socket types

www.worldstandards.eu

In India we use the "Type D" plugs. Though the plug that came in the box will fit the "Type D" sockets on the wall (or my old APC UPS), it won't be grounded. So I'd like to know whether it's safe to use a power cord like this:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B083M249WD...colid=29BITG523MQAO&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1
The power cord that I linked above supports 6 Amp 250 Volts, the power cord that came with the PSU supports 16 Amp 250v.

The ADATA PSU supports:
Input Voltage 100V-240V
Input Current 10A-5A
Input Frequency 47Hz-63Hz
Source: https://www.xpg.com/us/xpg/641?tab=specification

In India, the voltage ranges between 220-240 Volts with 50 Hz frequency (googled it).

The "MSI Optix MAG274QRF" monitor that I had bought recently, came with a power brick and a power cord (which connects to the power brick and the wall) with a plug (2.5 Amp, 250 volts) that looks like the one that came with the Adata PSU. I plugged it in my APC UPS and it works fine. But I'm wondering if it would be better to buy something like this for the monitor:
https://www.amazon.in/Gizga-Essenti...0c231&pd_rd_wg=fxvJn&pd_rd_i=B01IOZUHRS&psc=1