4k Gaming Build

[Haxus]

1. Budget & Location

- My budget is roughly $5,000 USD. Located in the US.

2. Aim

- The system will be used mainly for gaming. I want to be able to game in 4k on the latest titles with a minimum of 60 FPS (more if possible). I want to get the system setup to the point that it isn't really bottlenecked by anything other than the GPU when gaming. I also would like to have the option of overclocking, though if I do jump down that rabbit hole I likely will go with a mild overclock rather than really pushing the limits of the system.

3. Monitors

- I typically use two monitors. Though with the 4k monitor I am planning to buy (included in parts list) I will be up to three monitors. Still undecided as to whether I will be using all three or getting rid of one.

4. Peripherals

- I will need to buy a new license for Windows (included in parts list).

5. Why are you upgrading?

- I am upgrading due to my current PC being way behind the times and I have the time to try my hand at building my own. I am currently running an AMD Ryzen 5 1600X and a NVIDIA 1050 TI with Kingston 2x8GB DDR4-2666 Ram.

6. Notes:

- I do typically have several tabs open in google chrome while I game. I typically watch youtube or movies or even play more than one game at a time (when it comes to grind loving runescape). I do play competitive games from time to time and want a setup that is way over spec for them (Halo Infinite, LoL, CoD etc..). I play just about everything under the sun other than platformer games. I also may eventually try my hand at streaming.

 

Notes on part list:

- I am planning on trying to get everything in one go from Micro Center. With that said I am not apposed to swapping out just about anything in the suggested build. I do feel like I want to stick with the 5900x CPU even though it is likely overkill even with a 3080 Ti GPU. The GPU is more or less the best that I can get with current availability, I would go for a 3090 but it seems to still be out of stock everywhere. For aesthetics I do want to have the ability to have my case look like unicorn vomit with all the RGB, though that is not something i absolutely have to have, cooling would take priority over that.

 

- The two main things I would ask for feedback on are the RAM and power supply (yes I do know 64GB of ram is way more than I will really need while gaming, I simply don't want the chance of running into a RAM bottleneck). I have read that unless I overclock the CPU it would not benefit or possibly even run with faster RAM such as a 3600Hz CL16. The power supply I was caught between getting an 850 Watt or 1,000 Watt for another $100.

 

- There was only two options for a fan to cool the CPU over an AIO. I am not sure if either would do the trick. If it had been an option I may have gone with an Noctua heatsink/fan for the cpu.

 

- I do need recommendations on the monitor as there were very few option available on the Micro Center Website.

 

- Last but not least I don't know much about compatibility, so if anyone sees something that is known to have problems or straight up wont work together, please let me know (I was trusting Micro Center's website to check compatibility).

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Here is the parts list:

https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/custom-pc-builder.aspx?load=987131d9-2f72-450e-bd97-8ecd1e636bd0

 

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X

Motherboard: MSI - B550 MPG Gaming Carbon

RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws V 64GB (4x16GB) DDR4-3200 MHz CL 16

Case: Lian Li - PC-011 Dynamic RGB Rzer Edition

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 850 GA 859 Watt 80 Plus Gold

GPU: Zotac GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Trinity Overclocked

Storage: Samsung 980 SSD 250GB M.2 NVMe (Boot/OS Drive)

Storage 2: Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD 2TB

AIO: NZXT - Kraken x53 RGB 240MM

Monitor: Acer CG437K Pbmiiippuzx 43" 4k UHD 144Hz

Extra Case Fans: Lian Li - UNI FAN SL120 DYNAMIC BEARING 3 PACK BLACK / Lian Li - UNI FAN SL120 Fluid Dynamic Bearing 1 pack

 

 

 

[peepeepoopoo545]

I don't think you need 64gb ram, and instead of getting wifi motherboard, just use an Ethernet cable so you can connect(unless you really need the wifi). Also try using pc partpicker because they will show you the cheapest prices for each item and you might get some lower prices. Also where is your cooler? 

[Haxus]

2 minutes ago, peepeepoopoo545 said:

I don't think you need 64gb ram, and instead of getting wifi motherboard, just use an Ethernet cable so you can connect(unless you really need the wifi). Also try using pc partpicker because they will show you the cheapest prices for each item and you might get some lower prices. Also where is your cooler? 

I do agree that I probably could drop it down the 32GB, but with the current 16gb that I have, I am utilizing 30% without even having a game running. Hence one reason for getting 64GB.

 

The Cooler is the AIO listed: NZXT - Kraken x53 RGB 240MM

[jaslion]

6 minutes ago, Haxus said:

The system will be used mainly for gaming. I want to be able to game in 4k on the latest titles with a minimum of 60 FPS (more if possible)

So yeah we still are not there for 4k high refresh rate. So either lower the settings A LOT or just do what everyone else is doing and get a 1440p 27 inch monitor.

 

That acer monitor has already been superceded twice by equally expensive crap. So don't bother with that.

 

As for the computer. Makes very little sense.

 

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/XxkCbK

CPU: Intel Core i5-12600K 3.7 GHz 10-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Scythe FUMA 2 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler  ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z690 PG Riptide ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($207.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB RT 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory  ($167.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce RTX 3090 24 GB GAMING Trinity OC Video Card  ($2299.98 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case  ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: MSI MPG A-GF 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($119.55 @ Amazon)
Total: $3060.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-03-17 14:19 EDT-0400

 

This is a better gaming system WITH an upgrade path for years later and it's well under budget. Then add your rgb stuff as your like.

[jaslion]

1 minute ago, Haxus said:

I do agree that I probably could drop it down the 32GB, but with the current 16gb that I have, I am utilizing 30% without even having a game running. Hence one reason for getting 64GB.

 

The Cooler is the AIO listed: NZXT - Kraken x53 RGB 240MM

Yeah that is reserved memory. WIndows is smart enough. WIll do the same with 32gb of ram. Don't worry about it.

[peepeepoopoo545]

I think instead of getting that ace monitor, you should just get a Samsung G9 or G7

[peepeepoopoo545]

This is the best I could come up with. The case fans were not available for some reason, and I didn't add the monitor

Total:

$3585.91

[Jonathan Lee]

28 minutes ago, Haxus said:

do typically have several tabs open in google chrome while I game. I typically watch youtube or movies or even play more than one game at a time (when it comes to grind loving runescape). I do play competitive games from time to time and want a setup that is way over spec for them (Halo Infinite, LoL, CoD etc..). I play just about everything under the sun other than platformer games. I also may eventually try my hand at streaming.

Yea for this use case 64GB make 100% sense. Guess people are not reading how you use your computer. I'll be here to support your decision . Arguably, you might benefit from the 5950X from this use case. More than one game? Probably gonna need the extra CPU horsepower. 

 

28 minutes ago, Haxus said:

Though with the 4k monitor I am planning to buy

For 4K, I would recommend going to the top end GPU unless you don't really play AAA games.

 

Recommended build:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5950X 3.4 GHz 16-Core Processor  ($589.98 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 56.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($111.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: MSI MAG X570S TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($259.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Patriot Viper 4 Blackout 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($244.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: ADATA XPG GAMMIX S70 Blade 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($249.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 3090 24 GB FTW3 ULTRA GAMING Video Card  ($2354.98 @ Amazon) 
Case: be quiet! Pure Base 500DX ATX Mid Tower Case  ($107.89 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GT 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($167.29 @ Amazon) 
Total: $4087.10
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-03-17 14:37 EDT-0400

 

You could consider the 6900XT which is much cheaper and not that much slower than the 3090. Won't have ray tracing though

Edited March 17, 2022 by Jonathan Lee
Alternative GPU

[Haxus]

33 minutes ago, jaslion said:

So yeah we still are not there for 4k high refresh rate. So either lower the settings A LOT or just do what everyone else is doing and get a 1440p 27 inch monitor.

 

That acer monitor has already been superceded twice by equally expensive crap. So don't bother with that.

 

As for the computer. Makes very little sense.

 

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/XxkCbK

CPU: Intel Core i5-12600K 3.7 GHz 10-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Scythe FUMA 2 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler  ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z690 PG Riptide ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($207.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB RT 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory  ($167.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce RTX 3090 24 GB GAMING Trinity OC Video Card  ($2299.98 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case  ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: MSI MPG A-GF 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($119.55 @ Amazon)
Total: $3060.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-03-17 14:19 EDT-0400

 

This is a better gaming system WITH an upgrade path for years later and it's well under budget. Then add your rgb stuff as your like.

I find it interesting that you're recommending Intel over AMD. I did some digging on UserBenchmark that does suggest the i5-12600K as being slightly faster and more bang for the buck. Though I admittedly do not 100% know what I am looking at. I have found some resources that confirm that Intel's Alder Lake CPUs are beating out Ryzen 3 on performance at the moment. I have been an AMD fanboy for years so if you have more information on why I should go intel vs AMD I would love to read up on it. 

 

Also with the build you're recommending, it does come in as less than the one I speced out. However, you included one less SSD and 1.25TB less of storage space, i typically run my OS on one ssd and all my games on another. The cooler is indeed a much cheaper option than going with an AIO. The question would be if it will keep the system cool without sounding like a rocket ship?

 

I have been somewhat avoiding amazon because of the nightmares of parts getting beaten up in shipping as well as false advertising / used items sold as new. I am worried I may get ripped off (not just by scalpers in regards to the GPU).

 

What monitors would you recommend?

 

Thank you for the build recommendation.

16 minutes ago, Jonathan Lee said:

Yea for this use case 64GB make 100% sense. Guess people are not reading how you use your computer. I'll be here to support your decision . Arguably, you might benefit from the 5950X from this use case. More than one game? Probably gonna need the extra CPU horsepower. 

 

For 4K, I would recommend going to the top end GPU unless you don't really play AAA games.

 

Recommended build:

  Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5950X 3.4 GHz 16-Core Processor  ($589.98 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 56.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($111.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: MSI MAG X570S TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($259.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Patriot Viper 4 Blackout 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($244.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: ADATA XPG GAMMIX S70 Blade 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($249.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce RTX 3090 24 GB FTW3 ULTRA GAMING Video Card  ($2354.98 @ Amazon) 
Case: be quiet! Pure Base 500DX ATX Mid Tower Case  ($107.89 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GT 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($167.29 @ Amazon) 
Total: $4087.10
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-03-17 14:37 EDT-0400

 

You could consider the 6900XT which is much cheaper and not that much slower than the 3090. Won't have ray tracing though

Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate the build recommendation. When it comes to Intel VS. AMD, as a previous post pointed out, it would seem that Intel may actually beat out AMD at the moment. What would be your reasoning on continuing to go with AMD, like I was planning, versus switching to Intel?

 

[Jonathan Lee]

43 minutes ago, Haxus said:

Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate the build recommendation. When it comes to Intel VS. AMD, as a previous post pointed out, it would seem that Intel may actually beat out AMD at the moment. What would be your reasoning on continuing to go with AMD, like I was planning, versus switching to Intel?

Both are great CPU's. Based your use case which is very heavily multithread (multitasking + multiple games), I think the 16 "real" cores (16 cores/32 threads) would actually be more of a benefit over the higher IPC and clock speeds of intel 12th gen. At the top end, the 12900K is a 8p + 8e core CPU (16 cores/24 threads), which does beat the 5950X. However, the 5950X can edge out the 12900K in some multithreaded situations. I don't think you can go wrong with either though.

[MrSmiles]

1 hour ago, jaslion said:

So yeah we still are not there for 4k high refresh rate. So either lower the settings A LOT or just do what everyone else is doing and get a 1440p 27 inch monitor.

 

That acer monitor has already been superceded twice by equally expensive crap. So don't bother with that.

 

As for the computer. Makes very little sense.

 

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/XxkCbK

CPU: Intel Core i5-12600K 3.7 GHz 10-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Scythe FUMA 2 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler  ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z690 PG Riptide ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($207.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB RT 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory  ($167.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce RTX 3090 24 GB GAMING Trinity OC Video Card  ($2299.98 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case  ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: MSI MPG A-GF 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($119.55 @ Amazon)
Total: $3060.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-03-17 14:19 EDT-0400

 

This is a better gaming system WITH an upgrade path for years later and it's well under budget. Then add your rgb stuff as your like.

12600k good base for a gaming build, any higher your in ‘enthusiast’ territory. I mean you don’t even need the 3090.... but why not muhahaha! (Just think of how fast this market is now, you end up in a buy then sell to buy every couple of months. Well, you know what I mean.)

[Awesomon2234]

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/rmwGGL
changed cpu to 5950x
changed cooler to Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360
changed memory to 4x8 3600 cl14 memory

1tb boot drive 2tb game drive samsung 970 pro (you most likely wont use 980 pcie gen 4 to its fullest capacity)
found cheaper 3080ti
changed case
right fitted psu
added better 4k monitor

total: $4080 usd
you said your budget was 5k which is enough to make an amazing pc, i also left you room to upgrade the gpu if you want (id recommend 3090 or waiting for 4000 series)

[IkeaGnome]

2 minutes ago, Awesomon2234 said:

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/
changed cpu to 5950x
changed cooler to Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360
changed memory to 4x8 3600 cl14 memory

1tb boot drive 2tb game drive samsung 970 pro (you most likely wont use 980 pcie gen 4 to its fullest capacity)
found cheaper 3080ti
changed case
right fitted psu
added better 4k monitor

total: $4080 usd
you said your budget was 5k which is enough to make an amazing pc, i also left you room to upgrade the gpu if you want (id recommend 3090 or waiting for 4000 series)

Wrong link. You need this one. Or you can copy and paste the BB code.

[Awesomon2234]

3 minutes ago, IkeaGnome said:

Wrong link. You need this one. Or you can copy and paste the BB code.

sorry, i swear i had, i fixed it now

 

[jaslion]

2 hours ago, Haxus said:

I find it interesting that you're recommending Intel over AMD. I did some digging on UserBenchmark that does suggest the i5-12600K as being slightly faster and more bang for the buck. Though I admittedly do not 100% know what I am looking at. I have found some resources that confirm that Intel's Alder Lake CPUs are beating out Ryzen 3 on performance at the moment. I have been an AMD fanboy for years so if you have more information on why I should go intel vs AMD I would love to read up on it. 

 

Also with the build you're recommending, it does come in as less than the one I speced out. However, you included one less SSD and 1.25TB less of storage space, i typically run my OS on one ssd and all my games on another. The cooler is indeed a much cheaper option than going with an AIO. The question would be if it will keep the system cool without sounding like a rocket ship?

 

I have been somewhat avoiding amazon because of the nightmares of parts getting beaten up in shipping as well as false advertising / used items sold as new. I am worried I may get ripped off (not just by scalpers in regards to the GPU).

 

What monitors would you recommend?

 

Thank you for the build recommendation.

Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate the build recommendation. When it comes to Intel VS. AMD, as a previous post pointed out, it would seem that Intel may actually beat out AMD at the moment. What would be your reasoning on continuing to go with AMD, like I was planning, versus switching to Intel?

 

Userbenchmark is like the worst site for comparisons. Either way for gaming a 12600k is faster.

 

The sycthe fuma 2 is BEYOND plenty for a 12600k and more than enough for even a 5900x. That and it can't even get loud it's fans are built to be so quiet they cannot get loud.

 

I simply forgot to add another 2tb ssd thats my bad.

 

The vendors are automatically selected by pcpartpicker. Amazon is fine as they have a generous return policy and are good against scams.

 

Monitor wise I'd just get the good ol solid gigabyte m27q. It's a damn good monitor and well doesn't cost a whole lot but easily fights against monitors that cost double.

 

I see no reason to continue with amd as intel is both cheaper and faster for your usecase.

[IkeaGnome]

1 hour ago, jaslion said:

Userbenchmark is like the worst site for comparisons. Either way for gaming a 12600k is faster.

I do hate UBM also. However, it does have it's limited use. Someone used it the other day to show their hardware was underperforming compared to similar, and I think it's fine for that. However,

@HaxusUBM is historically very biased, but can't get it's numbers straight. Just give this a quick peek.

Spoiler

Their numbers don't add up. Let alone the 7700k apparently doing better in games than the 5600x.

3 hours ago, Haxus said:

I did some digging on UserBenchmark that does suggest the i5-12600K as being slightly faster and more bang for the buck. Though I admittedly do not 100% know what I am looking at.

In this case though, they are correct.

The 12600k also punches above it's weight class in productivity builds.

https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/12th-Gen-Intel-Core-CPU-Review-Roundup-2248/

12600k would do plenty fine, but if you wanted to pick up more productivity based workloads, the 12700k would be just fine. Also, if you're talking about OSRS instead of RS3, keep in mind bot farms run on old xeons. Multiple instances of that won't be CPU heavy, even with RuneLite. 

[Haxus]

So this is the build I ended up going with:

 

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/n3ghgb

 

CPU: Intel Core i9-12900K 3.2 GHz 16-Core Processor  ($579.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Lian Li GALAHAD AIO 360 RGB 69.17 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($214.50 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX Z690-A GAMING WIFI D4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($349.99 @ ASUS) 
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory  ($189.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory  ($189.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($128.87 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($199.99 @ Adorama) 
Video Card: Asus GeForce RTX 3090 24 GB STRIX GAMING OC Video Card 
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case  ($94.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: EVGA P2 1200 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($235.98 @ Newegg) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  ($109.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $2294.27
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-03-24 22:54 EDT-0400

 

I also went with an 28" Asus Tuf Gaming VG28U 4k Monitor.

 

Thanks for all the feedback. I will post a picture once I get it put together.