firstbuild First ever build

[Turmbo]

Budget (including currency): $2800 USD (total cost of the build+sales tax should preferably be well under this)

Country: USA 

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Elden Ring, Witcher 3, Doom Eternal, Blender, Krita, may also use some other various art programs or possibly do some editing. 

Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc): Currently the only things I have is are a Corsair Obsidian Series 550D case and a Micron 2280 512 gb m.2 SATA ssd with my files from my old laptop. As for peripherals ill need a mouse and keyboard max im willing to spend on them is $80.

I'm upgrading from  Dell inspiron laptop and this is technically going to be the first actual PC I've ever owned (only had macs and laptops before this). I'm possibly going to be buying some parts late April but will be like buying around the middle of May, with late May-early June being the absolute longest I'm willing to wait. The only """computer""" I've had for two months is my cellphone and i really cant justify waiting longer unless new gpus launch like two weeks into June which im 99% sure wont happen. I'm currently looking to buy a Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ 27.0" 2560x1440 165 Hz Monitor for $332 but would be fine with lower resolution and refresh rate if it's just not worth it (monitor is included in total cost and must be within budget). 

 

Here's what I've picked out so far on pcpartpicker:(https://pcpartpicker.com/list/hFDk9r)

 

Type|Item|Price

:----|:----|:----

**CPU** | [Intel Core i7-12700K 3.6 GHz 12-Core Processor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/ZbddnQ/intel-core-i7-12700k-36-ghz-8-core-processor-bx8071512700k) | $384.94 @ Newegg 

**CPU Cooler** | [Scythe Fuma 2 Rev.B 39.44 CFM CPU Cooler](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/D3Gbt6/scythe-fuma-2-revb-3944-cfm-cpu-cooler-scfm-2100) |- (this doesn't have a price listed on pcpartpicker but it's $66 on amazon

**Motherboard** | [MSI MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI DDR4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/pzstt6/msi-mag-b660m-mortar-wifi-ddr4-micro-atx-lga1700-motherboard-mag-b660m-mortar-wifi-ddr4) | $179.95 @ Amazon 

**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/W6ndnQ/corsair-vengeance-lpx-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-ddr4-3200-memory-cmk32gx4m2e3200c16) | $132.99 @ Corsair 

**Storage** | [Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Zxw7YJ/samsung-970-evo-plus-1-tb-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-mz-v7s1t0bam) | $102.64 @ Amazon 

**Video Card** | [EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB FTW3 ULTRA GAMING Video Card](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/M2rRsY/evga-geforce-rtx-3070-ti-8-gb-ftw3-ultra-gaming-video-card-08g-p5-3797-kl) | $799.94 @ Amazon 

**Case** | [Corsair 550D ATX Mid Tower Case](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/T7xfrH/corsair-case-550d) |-

**Power Supply** | [Corsair RMx (2021) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/26rRsY/corsair-rmx-2021-850-w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-cp-9020200-na) | $149.99 @ Amazon 

**Case Fan** | [ARCTIC P14 72.8 CFM 140 mm Fan](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/byjJ7P/arctic-p14-728-cfm-140-mm-fan-acfan00124a) | $10.99 @ Amazon 

**Case Fan** | [ARCTIC P14 72.8 CFM 140 mm Fan](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/byjJ7P/arctic-p14-728-cfm-140-mm-fan-acfan00124a) | $10.99 @ Amazon 

**Case Fan** | [ARCTIC P14 72.8 CFM 140 mm Fan](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/byjJ7P/arctic-p14-728-cfm-140-mm-fan-acfan00124a) | $10.99 @ Amazon 

**Case Fan** | [ARCTIC P14 72.8 CFM 140 mm Fan](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/byjJ7P/arctic-p14-728-cfm-140-mm-fan-acfan00124a) | $10.99 @ Amazon 

**Monitor** | [Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ 27.0" 2560x1440 165 Hz Monitor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/pGqBD3/asus-tuf-gaming-vg27aq-270-2560x1440-165-hz-monitor-vg27aq) | $332.65 @ Amazon 

 | *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |

 | **Total** | **$2127.06**

 | Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2022-04-19 12:21 EDT-0400 |  

 

I have zero brand or aesthetic preferences for the build so keep that in mind for suggestions. I have no idea of the memory I picked out is dual rank or not or if the ssd has dram cache. I assume the ssd does have dram cache since it has a listed cache on pc part picker but I'm quite new to this so I'm not sure if the listed cache of 1024 MB on pcpartpicker is the dram cache mentioned in the latest PC build guide on Linus Tech Tips or if its something else entirely (why does this information have to be so hard to find!!!).

 

 

I picked an i7 12700k less for the overclocking potential (thus my mobo choice) and more so for the integrated graphics in the case gpu prices shoot back by the time I'm ready to buy. I chose intel over amd mostly because amd will be ending support for their current motherboards when they release their next gen cpus and that's too far off for me to wait. If I'm remembering right the current LGA 1700 intel boards should support 1 or 2 more gens of intel cpus which would be nice for future upgradeability. 

 

I picked the MSI MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI DDR4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard for a few reasons, any motherboard I get MUST have at least one slot that supports 2280 m.2 SATA ssd's so I can use my old drive and this one does. It has m.2 heatsinks, wifi, and a pre-installed I/O shield and all of that save a nice bit of extra hassle. It seems to be a fairly reasonable price but it does have a few downsides. It's only got 4 total headers for fans which isn't a huge problem but it does mean I'll probably have to get some Fan splitter cables or a fan hub (assuming my mobo choice doesn't change reccomendations for these would be appreciated but not necessary). It's a b660 which means no overclocking despite the overclock capable cpu (I MAY downgrade to a 12700f depending on how everything looks concerning gpus when I'm ready to buy). So yeah the ideal Motherboard would be a z690 with at a reasonable cost (around $210) with atleast 4 case Fan headers and 1 cpu fan header plus everything else the Motherboard I picked out already has. Obviously the ideal scenario is unlikely and I'm willing to compromise on everything but the aforementioned need of a sata 2280 m.2 ssd slot. 

 

 

My gpu choice should pretty much be ignored I'll likely end up grabbing anything I can get my hands on in the $600-$900 price range when the time comes. I really only picked an nvidia gpu because it seems to be the more widely preferred option and is currently within budget though it did sort if factor into my choice of monitor with the one I picked being gsync compatible so if everyone agrees an amd gpu would be the better choice please also let me know if I should look into picking out a different monitor. 

 

 

I think the psu I picked out is fairly quality and has a high enough wattage for an upgrade or two in the future but it's another component I'm a little less certain about. It seems lots of other brands offer higher rated or higher wattage power supplies for the same price or lower as the 850 watt 80+ Gold Corsair one I picked out for example a quick search on amazon led me to a 850 watt 80+ platinum power supply from a company called Segotep but it only has a 5 year warranty, thats just the tip of the psu iceberg. I don't want to overpay on anything due to brand paranoia but i also know its probably best to just go with the safest bet. 

 

 

Now for what I actually need the most help figuring out, the case and cooling. As previously stated i got a Corsair Obsidian Series 550D secondhand. It's in pretty good condition and it would suck to have to buy a new case if this one will work. Well that's the big question, will it work? By my count it has spots for 10 case fans 6 of which accommodate 140 mm fans. I was planning on mounting 2 140 mms on the side panel for intake and 2 140 mms at the top for exhaust. Problem is I'm not sure if the side panel 140 mms will actually be able to fit with the cpu cooler installed. By my measurements I have roughly 180-190 mms of space when measured from the top of an installed mobo standoff to the back of the front panel where the 140 mm fans would be installed. The cpu cooler I picked has a height of 155 mm and the fans I picked out have a height of 27 mm. This might be barely enough room but the fans would be practically touching the cpu cooler which may or may not be a problem not sure. Alternatively I could put two 120 mm fans at the front panel for intake and two more 120 mms mounted on the side of the hard drive cages (i could also completely remove the drive cages and just use two 120s at the front) and some combination of 120 or 140 mm fans for exhaust at the top and back of the case. There is one space for a 120/140mm fan at the bottom of the case but unlike every other fan mounting spot in the case (not counting the mounting spots on the drive cages) it doesn't have little rubber pads/spacers which I don't think would be an issue but felt I should mention it just incase (I've included a picture so you can see what I mean). I could also install and aio liquid cooler and mount the radiator at the top, I don't think there would be any clearance issues with mounting fans at the front panel if I did that but not too sure and haven't really looked into aio's too much. So yeah lots of different options to consider including just throwing out the case and buying a new one. Ideally I would like to use the case with the configuration of parts I have selected (scythe fima 2 reb b 4 140 mm fans two at the top two at the side) but am willing to use some other configuration of fans or a shorter cpu cooler (maybe even an aio). If people seem to think I should just ditch this case and get a new one though I'll do that. 

 

Well I'm probably forgetting various other things but this post is already way too lengthy if anyone has any additional questions please ask them since im really not sure what information is necessary to include or not as I'm completely new to building pc's. 

 

 

[Zando_]

4 minutes ago, Turmbo said:

Now for what I actually need the most help figuring out, the case and cooling.

Easy. Put 2 good fans in the front and one in the rear (usually 2x 140mm front and 1x 120mm rear for most cases). Simple airflow, straight in the front and out the back.

 

The classic 2 front/1 back combo has worked for me with basic entry level stuff up to an OCed 8600K and SLI GTX 1080s inside an S340 Elite (known for "bad airflow", thought I never had any issue with basic Corsair 140 and 120mm fans). Even with an AIO in the front I haven't had temp issues, a 2060 Super FE was the only GPU that got anywhere near spicy, and that was because the FE cooler isn't all that great performance wise (a monster card like the Vega 56 Nitro+ LE had 0 issues). I only have top fans in my rig now to feed fresh air to the radiator for my custom loop. 

[Turmbo]

10 minutes ago, Zando_ said:

Easy. Put 2 good fans in the front and one in the rear (usually 2x 140mm front and 1x 120mm rear for most cases). Simple airflow, straight in the front and out the back.

 

The classic 2 front/1 back combo has worked for me with basic entry level stuff up to an OCed 8600K and SLI GTX 1080s inside an S340 Elite (known for "bad airflow", thought I never had any issue with basic Corsair 140 and 120mm fans). Even with an AIO in the front I haven't had temp issues, a 2060 Super FE was the only GPU that got anywhere near spicy, and that was because the FE cooler isn't all that great performance wise (a monster card like the Vega 56 Nitro+ LE had 0 issues). I only have top fans in my rig now to feed fresh air to the radiator for my custom loop. 

See that's what I would do but it can't fit any 140 mm fans at the front only 120 mm's 

[Zando_]

Just now, Turmbo said:

See that's what I would do but it can't fit any 140 mm fans at the front only 120 mm's 

Two 120s works pretty much the same, I just noted 140s because most of the cases I've used ran 140s in the front. 

[Turmbo]

5 minutes ago, Zando_ said:

Two 120s works pretty much the same, I just noted 140s because most of the cases I've used ran 140s in the front. 

Alright I'm probably overthinking the whole fan thing but I just want to be safe since I had someone tell me this case had bad airflow but using 2 140 mm's on the side panel and two at the top would be fine. 

[Zando_]

9 minutes ago, Turmbo said:

Alright I'm probably overthinking the whole fan thing but I just want to be safe since I had someone tell me this case had bad airflow but using 2 140 mm's on the side panel and two at the top would be fine. 

It does look like it chokes the front fans a bit, but the older Define S is similar (flat front, little intakes on the bottom/sides) and I didn't have any issues with that. Or with a Node 804, which only has a cutout on the bottom of the front panel to let the front fans breathe. If you run into temp issues you can add intakes on the top or sides after the fact (the side intake supports 120mm fans too, so you could get some 120x15mm slim fans if you're worried about conflicts with the CPU cooler). 

[Turmbo]

3 minutes ago, Zando_ said:

It does look like it chokes the front fans a bit, but the older Define S is similar (flat front, little intakes on the bottom/sides) and I didn't have any issues with that. Or with a Node 804, which only has a cutout on the bottom of the front panel to let the front fans breathe. If you run into temp issues you can add intakes on the top or sides after the fact (the side intake supports 120mm fans too, so you could get some 120x15mm slim fans if you're worried about conflicts with the CPU cooler). 

Oh the front panel is actually removable to increase airflow which is how I would set it up if I install fans there, same with the drive cages. I should have mentioned that in the post my b. 

[Zando_]

1 minute ago, Turmbo said:

Oh the front panel is actually removable to increase airflow which is how I would set it up if I install fans there, same with the drive cages. I should have mentioned that in the post my b. 

Should be good then! I'm not seeing any other issues with the build. For the other notes you have:

 

• Monitor seems fine, that's about what you seem to pay for a good panel (and this review puts it down as a solid gaming panel: https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/asus/tuf-vg27aq).
• SSD should be good, I've had the non-Plus version of the 970 Evo 1TB kicking as my main drive for a couple years now, have a second hand 960 Evo in an alt rig, in my experience they've been damn quality drives. Apparently Samsung did have to swap parts on the Plus models due to component shortages - https://www.tomshardware.com/news/samsung-is-swapping-ssd-parts-too - but it performs the same in real world use so I'm not sure what the drama was about. I guess if you regularly do synthetic tests with single files significantly larger than 115GB it'd be a dealbreaker . 

[Turmbo]

11 minutes ago, Zando_ said:

Should be good then! I'm not seeing any other issues with the build. For the other notes you have:

 

• Monitor seems fine, that's about what you seem to pay for a good panel (and this review puts it down as a solid gaming panel: https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/asus/tuf-vg27aq).
• SSD should be good, I've had the non-Plus version of the 970 Evo 1TB kicking as my main drive for a couple years now, have a second hand 960 Evo in an alt rig, in my experience they've been damn quality drives. Apparently Samsung did have to swap parts on the Plus models due to component shortages - https://www.tomshardware.com/news/samsung-is-swapping-ssd-parts-too - but it performs the same in real world use so I'm not sure what the drama was about. I guess if you regularly do synthetic tests with single files significantly larger than 115GB it'd be a dealbreaker . 

Alright, thank you so much for your help and time! You've massively eased my worries about the case and Fan setup. Probably going to still do a bit more research and asking around before actually purchasing anything but it's good to know what I've picked out so far doesn't have any egregious problems.