Question Upgrading my PC- suggestions?

[Basil]

Upgrade info

Specs (PCPartPicker List)
• Processor: AMD A8-7600 Quad Core 3,1GHz FM2 (2015)
• Motherboard: ASUS A88XM-A FM2 (2015)
• Grahpics card: AMD Radeon R7 360 2GB (2015)
• Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB DDR3-1600 (2015)
• Power supply: 500 Watt Cooler Master (2015)

• Storage: Seagate 1000 GB Sata III HDD
• CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 412S
• Case: Cooler Master Silencio 550
• Monitor: 1080p 75Hz

Requirements: The most demanding game I play is valorant, what's more demanding is that I like to work on 3d renders and animations and my current build is not optimal for that.
I'm buying from the Netherlands. My budget (€1 = $1) is:
Motherboard: Around €100-200 (req: ssd slot, debug lights, compatible with current build)
SSD: €100
GPU (if needed): €500 to €1000 depending on the necessity of the upgrade
Other parts including CPU: add if necessary, but the total should preferably not exceed €1200
You can go over budget on any of these if you think it would be a good idea.

Thanks a lot for any suggestions!

 

[Why_Me]

https://www.megekko.nl/product/4186/264378/PC-Voedingen-PSU-/Seasonic-Focus-GX-550-PSU-PC-voeding
Seasonic Focus GX-550 550W 80+ Gold Modular Power Supply €74,90

https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B09RMHDKHL
Gigabyte B660M GAMING X DDR4 €157,99

https://azerty.nl/product/intel-core-i5-12400f-processor/4652670
Intel Core i5 12400F €209,00

https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B09TW2B1TL
DeepCool AK400 CPU Cooler €37,29

https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B07RW6Z692
Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200MHz 32GB (2x16GB) CL16 €119,85

https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B089DNM8LR
Crucial P2 1TB M.2 Internal SSD €89,38

https://azerty.nl/product/msi-geforce-rtx-3060-ventus-2x-12g-oc-videokaart/4472559
MSI GeForce RTX 3060 V2 12GB Graphics Card €479,00

Total: €1167,41

A better look at those components.

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/B660M-GAMING-X-DDR4-rev-10

https://www.deepcool.com/products/C...AK400-Performance-CPU-Cooler/2021/15222.shtml

https://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/deepcool-ak400-air-cooler-review,1.html

https://www.techpowerup.com/review/deepcool-ak400-cpu-cooler/

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...2400f-processor-18m-cache-up-to-4-40-ghz.html

i5 12400 / 12400F gaming benchmarks.

 

[Basil]

Seasonic Focus GX-550 550W 80+ Gold Modular Power Supply €74,90

Gigabyte B660M GAMING X DDR4 €157,99

Intel Core i5 12400F €209,00

DeepCool AK400 €37,29

Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200MHz 32GB (2x16GB) CL16 €119,85

Crucial P2 1TB M.2 Internal SSD €89,38

MSI GeForce RTX 3060 V2 12GB Graphics Card €479,00

Total: €1167,41

Thanks so much for your in-depth advice! I have a few questions.

1. Do you recommend the Crucial P2 1TB M.2 over the Samsung 970 EVO Plus ? I've seen a lot of people here recommending the latter which is in the same price range.
2. Your recommendation is practically a complete build - since I have all the peripherals, all that's missing is a case, so now I'm considering to just build a new PC and put this one away as a second full build to possibly repair it at another time. Do you have any recommendations for a case to go with this build?

 

[Why_Me]

Thanks so much for your in-depth advice! I have a few questions.

1. Do you recommend the Crucial P2 1TB M.2 over the Samsung 970 EVO Plus ? I've seen a lot of people here recommending the latter which is in the same price range.
2. Your recommendation is practically a complete build - since I have all the peripherals, all that's missing is a case, so now I'm considering to just build a new PC and put this one away as a second full build to possibly repair it at another time. Do you have any recommendations for a case to go with this build?

That Samsung is a better quality SSD but it's more expensive.

https://azerty.nl/product/phanteks-eclipse-p400a-midtowermodel/4108348
Phanteks Eclipse P400A Mid Tower Case €91,90

https://www.phanteks.com/Eclipse-P400A.html

Rear exhaust fan for that case.

https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B07GJGF56L
ARCTIC P12 PWM 120mm 4-Pin Case Fan €6,50

 

[Why_Me]

I'd consider a new monitor such as this one as your next upgrade after you finish your build.

https://www.megekko.nl/product/2077/274593/Monitoren/AOC-27G2U-BK-27-144Hz-Gaming-monitor

https://eu.aoc.com/en/gaming/products/monitors/27g2u-bk

 

[Basil]

I'll be building a new PC and want to finalize a parts list. Thanks again to @Why_Me for the build below! (I've made minimal changes)
I'm looking for some more opinions on this parts list:


PSU: Seasonic Focus GX-550 550W 80+ Gold Modular Power Supply (€75)

Motherboard: Gigabyte B660M GAMING X DDR4 (€157)

CPU: Intel Core i5 12400F (€209) OR Intel Core i5 12600K (€310) OR [Other CPU]

Cooler: DeepCool AK400 (€37)

RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200MHz 32GB (2x16GB) CL16 €120
Question: Go for 3200MHz or 3600MHz (+€10)?

GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 V2 12GB (€479)

SSD: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME SSD (€100)

Case / Case fans: Not sure yet.
Comment: Dust builds up quickly in my PC's room, so it needs to have easy to clean filters, while having good airflow. Low noise would be a good addition.

Monitor: Currently own a 27" 75Hz 1080p, might upgrade in the future.


The current cost is €1200 - €1300 (no case yet). Total budget is €1300 up to €1500.
The PC will be used for work, for gaming (not high-end games), and occasionally as a graphics workstation.

I would appreciate any advice to balance out this build. Would you swap out parts to make it stronger or more cost efficient? What do you think is a good case/fan?

 

[Fayerss]

im doing a very similar build https://it.pcpartpicker.com/list/Dx7M4s with this case u can see here , or maybe the kolnik citadel mesh microatx ,
both come with enough fans included

is it worth to go for the B660M -X motherboard or whats the difference from the B660M -A ?

 

[Why_Me]

Hi all,
I'll be building a new PC and want to finalize a parts list. Thanks again to @Why_Me for the build below! (I've made minimal changes)
I'm looking for some more opinions on this parts list:


PSU: Seasonic Focus GX-550 550W 80+ Gold Modular Power Supply (€75)

Motherboard: Gigabyte B660M GAMING X DDR4 (€157)

CPU: Intel Core i5 12400F (€209) OR Intel Core i5 12600K (€310) OR [Other CPU]

Cooler: DeepCool AK400 (€37)

RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200MHz 32GB (2x16GB) CL16 €120
Question: Go for 3200MHz or 3600MHz (+€10)?

GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 V2 12GB (€479)

SSD: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME SSD (€100)

Case / Case fans: Not sure yet.
Comment: Dust builds up quickly in my PC's room, so it needs to have easy to clean filters, while having good airflow. Low noise would be a good addition.

Monitor: Currently own a 27" 75Hz 1080p, might upgrade in the future.


The current cost is €1200 - €1300 (no case yet). Total budget is €1300 up to €1500.
The PC will be used for work, for gaming (not high-end games), and occasionally as a graphics workstation.

I would appreciate any advice to balance out this build. Would you swap out parts to make it stronger or more cost efficient? What do you think is a good case/fan?

Thanks for any advice!

If you go with the 12600K you want to change the cpu cooler and go with a board with better VRM's.

https://www.amazon.it/dp/B09NTPPSBP
MSI MAG B660M BAZOOKA DDR4 €160.66

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

https://www.alternate.it/Scythe/Fum...-1-pz-raffreddamento-CPU/html/product/1841184
Scythe Fuma 2 Rev.B CPU Cooler €61,90

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

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bM_TgpKqb8

 

[Basil]

If you go with the 12600K you want to change the cpu cooler and go with a board with better VRM's.

https://www.amazon.it/dp/B09NTPPSBP
MSI MAG B660M BAZOOKA DDR4 €160.66

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

https://www.alternate.it/Scythe/Fum...-1-pz-raffreddamento-CPU/html/product/1841184
Scythe Fuma 2 Rev.B CPU Cooler €61,90

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

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bM_TgpKqb8

Thanks for your reply - do you think it's worth going for the 12600K for my purposes? Or could it be bottlenecked by the GPU?

I also wasn't sure about the Phanteks Eclipse P400A Mid Tower Case you suggested, because I heard that the fans can be relatively loud... what do you think?
Lastly do you think it's worth going for 3600MHz RAM over 3200MHz?

 

[Why_Me]

Thanks for your reply - do you think it's worth going for the 12600K for my purposes? Or could it be bottlenecked by the GPU?

I also wasn't sure about the Phanteks Eclipse P400A Mid Tower Case you suggested, because I heard that the fans can be relatively loud... what do you think?
Lastly do you think it's worth going for 3600MHz RAM over 3200MHz?

That Phanteks case has a built in fan speed controller so no worries about it being too loud. 3600Mhz is nice if it fits your budget. Tough call on the 12600K ... best thing to do is read reviews and compare benchmarks. You can probably cut cost on that cpu by going with the 12600KF (no integrated graphics version of that cpu).

 

[Basil]

That Phanteks case has a built in fan speed controller so no worries about it being too loud. 3600Mhz is nice if it fits your budget. Tough call on the 12600K ... best thing to do is read reviews and compare benchmarks. You can probably cut cost on that cpu by going with the 12600KF (no integrated graphics version of that cpu).

So there is a small problem, since I'll place this tower on my desk I was thinking about getting a case with RGB support, which the 'Phanteks Eclipse P400A Digital' version of the case supports for a few extra bucks. The thing is... that case doesn't appear to have the fan speed controller on it...
If I can't adjust the fan speed on the fly, then the loudness is going to be an issue.
Do you have any suggestions for alterations of this build that would give it some RGB support, e.g. on the CPU cooler as well?

Edit: P.S., it's not necessary for the colors to be adjustable on the fly like the button on the Phanteks P400A-D. The fan speed also doesn't need to be adjustable provided the fans aren't loud when spinning at optimal speed.

 

[Why_Me]

So there is a small problem, since I'll place this tower on my desk I was thinking about getting a case with RGB support, which the 'Phanteks Eclipse P400A Digital' version of the case supports for a few extra bucks. The thing is... that case doesn't appear to have the fan speed controller on it...
If I can't adjust the fan speed on the fly, then the loudness is going to be an issue.
Do you have any suggestions for alterations of this build that would give it some RGB support, e.g. on the CPU cooler as well?

This case had good reviews and it comes with three fans but I'm not sure if it comes with a fan speed controller.

https://www.megekko.nl/product/2012...r-RGB-Black-TG-Clear-Tint-Micro-ATX-Behuizing
Fractal Design Pop Mini Air RGB Black mATX Case €114,90

https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/pop/pop-mini-air/rgb-black-tg-clear/

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aukcnCb-64U

 

[Basil]

This case had good reviews and it comes with three fans but I'm not sure if it comes with a fan speed controller.

https://www.megekko.nl/product/2012...r-RGB-Black-TG-Clear-Tint-Micro-ATX-Behuizing
Fractal Design Pop Mini Air RGB Black mATX Case €114,90

https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/pop/pop-mini-air/rgb-black-tg-clear/

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aukcnCb-64U

Thanks for the fractal pop mini air suggestion, it looks great! I'll go for that then.

Do you think there's a similar motherboard that isn't army green but works as well? Any neutral color would fit better than this, I think.
I found MSI's 'B660M Mortar' as opposed to Bazooka, which is black, though €20 more expensive.
I think the Mortar will work but there is also the B660M Pro, same price as Bazooka, I don't know if that will work with the CPU-thoughts?

For an alternative cooler what do you think of the Arctic Freezer i35? Slightly cheaper, supports ARGB.

That would be 4 ARGB fans, so the motherboard would need to support ARGB - can't find information about that. Also not sure if I'd need to add a fan header or if the 3 case fans can be daisy-chained.

 

[Why_Me]

Thanks for the fractal pop mini air suggestion, it looks great! I'll go for that then.

Do you think there's a similar motherboard that isn't army green but works as well? Any neutral color would fit better than this, I think.
I found MSI's 'B660M Mortar' as opposed to Bazooka, which is black, though €20 more expensive.
I think the Mortar will work but there is also the B660M Pro, same price as Bazooka, I don't know if that will work with the CPU-thoughts?

For an alternative cooler what do you think of the Arctic Freezer i35? Slightly cheaper, supports ARGB.

That would be 4 ARGB fans, so the motherboard would need to support ARGB - can't find information about that. Also not sure if I'd need to add a fan header or if the 3 case fans can be daisy-chained.

The B660M Mortar is an excellent board and has a better audio codec than the Bazooka. That cooler you have chosen will work fine with the 12400F but if you go with the 12600K/KF then I'd look at this one.

https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B07YFVML34
Enermax T50 Axe ARGB CPU Cooler €54,90

Enermax - ETS-T50 AXE ARGB - RGB CPU Cooler

The ETS-T50 AXE ARGB is not only a powerful CPU cooler but also sets itself apart by its addressable RGB lighting.

www.enermaxeu.com

 

[Basil]

Hey @Why_Me
I'm having some trouble with the cooler.
Please see this list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/VGtH78
There is a warning that the cooler does not properly mount on the motherboard. This motherboard seems to have that issue with a lot of coolers.
The Deepcool AS500 Plus, also recommended for this chip, has that same warning.

 

[Why_Me]

Hey @Why_Me
I'm having some trouble with the cooler.
Please see this list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/VGtH78
There is a warning that the cooler does not properly mount on the motherboard. This motherboard seems to have that issue with a lot of coolers.
The Deepcool AS500 Plus, also recommended for this chip, has that same warning.

That cpu cooler should come with an LGA 1700 mounting bracket, if by chance it doesn't then Enermax will send you one free of charge.

https://www.amazon.com/Enermax-ETS-T50-Cooler-LGA1700-Mounting/dp/B09PPMLKBX
Enermax ETS-T50 Axe ARGB CPU Cooler with LGA1700 Mounting kit for Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake

 

[Basil]

That cpu cooler should come with an LGA 1700 mounting bracket, if by chance it doesn't then Enermax will send you one free of charge.

https://www.amazon.com/Enermax-ETS-T50-Cooler-LGA1700-Mounting/dp/B09PPMLKBX
Enermax ETS-T50 Axe ARGB CPU Cooler with LGA1700 Mounting kit for Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake

This amazon bundle is sadly not available for purchase, at least not to me.
I could buy the ETS-T50 from another shop and order the free mounting kit from Enermax.. but it would probably take weeks to arrive whereas all the other parts take 1-3 days, which would make it a painful wait.

 

[Why_Me]

This amazon bundle is sadly not available for purchase, at least not to me.
I could buy the ETS-T50 from another shop and order the free mounting kit from Enermax.. but it would probably take weeks to arrive whereas all the other parts take 1-3 days, which would make it a painful wait.

Contact the shops that are offering that Enermax cooler and ask them if it comes with the LGA 1700 mounting bracket.