First PC Build Suggestions/Recommendations

[SilentRam]

Hello everyone! This is my first time on the LTT Forums. I have been a fan for a while now but I am definitely a little concerned about my very first PC build. I am currently upgrading from a humble little OEM computer with integrated graphics since I am really not getting what I need out of it. I have been working for about a year and a half on computer graphics (primarily in the realm of game development mostly in AR/VR but mostly in the Simulation space). As such I really wanted to get a decent machine. 

Budget (including currency): My current budget is about $1500 USD. I could go just slightly above but really I am looking to be a little lower.

Country: I am located in the United States

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: I am going to be making things in Unreal Engine but I will be trying to play some games on this machine. The most intensive of which would be GTA5/GTA Online.

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): 
For this point I have created a PCPartPicker list (https://pcpartpicker.com/list/9wqPNc) which details a lot of what I am looking at. I do currently have a keyboard, mouse and a 2 monitor set up which I would like to keep. The Keyboard is wired while the mouse (bluetooth) is not. One of the monitors only supports HDMI while the other can support both DP and HDMI. 

Thank you again for hearing me out and I hope to hear any tips before I decide to buy sometime next week.

 

[Echo4life]

Hey!, Not an expert by any means, I just built my 1st system its alot of fun, I've played around abit with your build and updated the cpu to the 13600k and also had enough in the budget to jump from a 3060 to a 3070, Hope it helps

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/gWytbK

[SilentRam]

2 minutes ago, Echo4life said:

Hey!, Not an expert by any means, I just built my 1st system its alot of fun, I've played around abit with your build and updated the cpu to the 13600k and also had enough in the budget to jump from a 3060 to a 3070, Hope it helps

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/gWytbK

Thank you for replying! I wasn't sure if it was worth upgrading to either of those specs in my case just because I wanted to keep prices slightly down. I am not very sure about this but are there any major performance benefits between 12th and 13th gen CPUs or the 3060 and the 3070? I thought overall they are all relatively comparable but not sure.

[Dukesilver27-]

13600k instead of 12700k.

Cheaper but performs the same cooler.

Good Z690 board.

Low profile 32gb 3200 RAM.

Great value gen 4 2tb SSD.

3070 instead of 3060.

High quality 650W PSU.

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/rnwy78

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: Asus TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($213.27 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($65.97 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Kingston NV2 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: Zotac GAMING Twin Edge OC GeForce RTX 3070 LHR 8 GB Video Card  ($529.99 @ Adorama) 
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case  ($104.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Phanteks AMP 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1479.18
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-16 19:29 EST-0500

[Dukesilver27-]

Just now, SilentRam said:

Thank you for replying! I wasn't sure if it was worth upgrading to either of those specs in my case just because I wanted to keep prices slightly down. I am not very sure about this but are there any major performance benefits between 12th and 13th gen CPUs or the 3060 and the 3070? I thought overall they are all relatively comparable but not sure.

13600K cheaper and faster than 12700K.

https://www.techspot.com/review/2555-intel-core-i5-13600k/

3070 much faster than 3060 and provides better value.

https://www.techspot.com/review/2211-geforce-rtx-3060/

[SilentRam]

4 minutes ago, Dukesilver27- said:

13600K cheaper and faster than 12700K.

https://www.techspot.com/review/2555-intel-core-i5-13600k/

3070 much faster than 3060 and provides better value.

https://www.techspot.com/review/2211-geforce-rtx-3060/

So PCPartPicker was complaining before about BIOS version anytime I upgraded to a 13th gen CPU. Should I be concerned about that? I am not entirely sure about upgrading the BIOS ngl. I was also hoping to get most of my stuff from Amazon since I would rather go through fewer merchants

[Echo4life]

4 minutes ago, SilentRam said:

Thank you for replying! I wasn't sure if it was worth upgrading to either of those specs in my case just because I wanted to keep prices slightly down. I am not very sure about this but are there any major performance benefits between 12th and 13th gen CPUs or the 3060 and the 3070? I thought overall they are all relatively comparable but not sure.

Well if you're doing design work, the 13600k has more cores with 14 cores and 20 threads as opposed to 12 cores and 20 threads which would improve render times, the 3070 is significantly faster than the 3060 up to 50% in some games and for the small price increase you get alot better price to performance.

 

There are also places you can save on such as the power supply generally if its rated 80+ gold you're good to go, The motherboard too a B660 OR Z690 Wont really make a difference as they have pretty much all the same features.

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/yghFMb

[Dukesilver27-]

8 minutes ago, Echo4life said:

The motherboard too a B660 OR Z690 Wont really make a difference as they have pretty much all the same features.

This is very misleading. Z690 allows CPU overclocking to give better performance at the cost of more power draw, B660 is lacking in this department.

Even if he don't want to OC now, down the line he might, and at the price of his chosen B660, might as well go with Z690.

11 minutes ago, SilentRam said:

So PCPartPicker was complaining before about BIOS version anytime I upgraded to a 13th gen CPU. Should I be concerned about that? I am not entirely sure about upgrading the BIOS ngl. I was also hoping to get most of my stuff from Amazon since I would rather go through fewer merchants

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/MCvdcb

I changed the motherboard to an easier motherboard to upgrade BIOS, just google how to upgrade BIOS without CPU. Or ask the vendor if the BIOS is updated to 13th gen.

Also for the amazon part, well you certainly could find them all in amazon, the question is are they cheaper, pcpartpiker find the cheapest on the internet.

[SilentRam]

26 minutes ago, Echo4life said:

Well if you're doing design work, the 13600k has more cores with 14 cores and 20 threads as opposed to 12 cores and 20 threads which would improve render times, the 3070 is significantly faster than the 3060 up to 50% in some games and for the small price increase you get alot better price to performance.

 

There are also places you can save on such as the power supply generally if its rated 80+ gold you're good to go, The motherboard too a B660 OR Z690 Wont really make a difference as they have pretty much all the same features.

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/yghFMb

 

17 minutes ago, Dukesilver27- said:

This is very misleading. Z690 allows CPU overclocking to give better performance at the cost of more power draw, B660 is lacking in this department.

Even if he don't want to OC now, down the line he might, and at the price of his chosen B660, might as well go with Z690.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/MCvdcb

I changed the motherboard to an easier motherboard to upgrade BIOS, just google how to upgrade BIOS without CPU. Or ask the vendor if the BIOS is updated to 13th gen.

Also for the amazon part, well you certainly could find them all in amazon, the question is are they cheaper, pcpartpiker find the cheapest on the internet.

 

36 minutes ago, Dukesilver27- said:

13600K cheaper and faster than 12700K.

https://www.techspot.com/review/2555-intel-core-i5-13600k/

3070 much faster than 3060 and provides better value.

https://www.techspot.com/review/2211-geforce-rtx-3060/

I took a lot of consideration from these builds so far. Thank you both again for your help. How does this build look perchance? https://pcpartpicker.com/list/QKRY78
 

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor  ($319.99 @ Newegg)
-I do see the benefits here to upgrade
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($89.90 @ Amazon)
-While I do appreciate the other CPU Coolers, I want to stick with this one primarily from a noise standpoint.
Motherboard: MSI PRO Z690-A WIFI DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($229.99 @ Newegg)
-I am still a little concerned about BIOS upgrades mostly again cause this is my very first build and I would hate to ruin something so expensive, I am tentatively holding onto this board.
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($65.97 @ Amazon) 
-Definitely a lot better pricing than what I was going for on RAM. 
Storage: Kingston NV2 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Amazon)
-Great pricing on storage so probably what I am going for.
Video Card: Gigabyte GAMING OC Rev 2.0 GeForce RTX 3070 LHR 8 GB Video Card  ($539.99 @ Amazon)
-Clear improvement over the 3060 it seems especially since we were able to squeeze it in with about the same budget.
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case  ($104.99 @ Amazon)
-I think this is just a solid case. Not sure if I need additional fans.
Power Supply: Phanteks AMP 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ Newegg)
-Definitely better priced
Total: $1550.81 -Still a bit high on price but hopefully should come down for Black Friday/Cyber Monday


Definitely put more at ease with your help. I would love more feedback since again, first time so I am really afraid of accidentally messing this up hard.

 

 

[Dukesilver27-]

55 minutes ago, SilentRam said:

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor  ($319.99 @ Newegg)
-I do see the benefits here to upgrade
Motherboard: MSI PRO Z690-A WIFI DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($229.99 @ Newegg)
-I am still a little concerned about BIOS upgrades mostly again cause this is my very first build and I would hate to ruin something so expensive, I am tentatively holding onto this board.
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case  ($104.99 @ Amazon)
-I think this is just a solid case. Not sure if I need additional fans.

Alternatively, you could go with Z790, but they are generally more expensive and rarer.

Or, you could go to a computer repair shop and ask them to upgrade the BIOS for you, should take less than 30 minutes if they know what they're doing.

If you can't figure out how to update the BIOS, make sure the seller has updated the BIOS to support 13th gen, otherwise you will have to stick with 12th gen.

 

As for the case, if you just care about performance, there's no need. Your components are quite power hungry, but the case has quite good airflow already, another intake fans would improve cooling performance a bit, but not necessary.

If you care about looks, then definitely should replace them with RGB fans.

[SilentRam]

1 minute ago, Dukesilver27- said:

Alternatively, you could go with Z790, but they are generally more expensive and rarer.

Or, you could go to a computer repair shop and ask them to upgrade the BIOS for you, should take less than 30 minutes if they know what they're doing.

If you can't figure out how to update the BIOS, make sure the seller has updated the BIOS to support 13th gen, otherwise you will have to stick with 12th gen.

 

As for the case, if you just care about performance, there's no need. Your components are quite power hungry, but the case has quite good airflow already, another intake fans would improve cooling performance a bit, but not necessary.

If you care about looks, then definitely should replace them with RGB fans.

I will definitely ask for support from a local shop if I do have trouble with the BIOS upgrade.

Depending on how the price comes out to be, I might look into another fan but idk.

All these gamers out here wanting RGB. I have been trying my best to avoid it like the plague. I just want a nice simple performance build that is simple and gets the job done.

[Queen Chrysalis]

@Dukesilver27- @SilentRam

In my extremely unprofessional experience, these vendors have been REALLY quick about BIOS updates since the Ryzen age of mass backwards compatibility, especially with how fast everyone's stock is moving these days.  13th gen has been out for two months now, and more often than not I've also been seeing old 'unsupported' BIOS still work just enough to get into the setup in UEFI to do a flash with a new CPU.

[Queen Chrysalis]

Also, not to be that guy, but you can totally do a 6800xt with this budget for $100 less if you want:

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor  ($300.00 @ Best Buy) 
CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK TISIS CORE EDITION Fanless CPU Cooler  ($36.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Motherboard: ASRock B660 Pro RS ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($66.97 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Kingston NV2 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: ASRock Phantom Gaming D OC Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB Video Card  ($514.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case  ($104.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex III Gold 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($104.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Intel AX200 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax M.2 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($22.99 @ Amazon) 
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 PST 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fans 5-Pack 
Total: $1391.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-17 06:28 EST-0500

 

With the 4000D, you'll probably want to add more fans anyhow, and the 5-poack of P12s is an unbeatable value.  If you get that 5-pack, you'll have a couple extra, which would allow you to go with the Tisis Core for your cooler without the added expense of needing fans.  It's an outstanding cooler, a lot of people just don't buy it because it does not come with fans, but between adding fans 3 fans to the 4000D and 2 to the cooler, $27 for the 5 pack is no big deal.

 

I'm gonna post about thts in the build guide megathread, but intel dropped the price on the AX200 m.2 wifi/bt chip, to the point that a lot of mobos without wifi that have an m.2 wifi port are now a better deal than boards that come with wifi.  I've used the Pro RS on a couple PCs now, and it seems to hold steady to the expected baseline of reliability that the old Pro4 boards had, good enough to do anything you want, never really an issue. 

 

Also, the Leadex III 850 is an outstanding PSU for the money, and while the 750 was $90 and is out of stock the 850 is only $105, which is a really good deal for a 10-year PSU.  This build would probably also be fine with the AMP 650 posted earlier, but I'd hat e to have people frying my ass for listing a 650 with a 6800xt (even though it'd probably be fine).

 

This would also be an even better value:

RMx Series™ RM850x — 850 Watt 80 PLUS Gold Fully Modular ATX PSU (Refurbished) (corsair.com)

I've bought refurbished stuff from corsair plenty of times, and it's always in perfect condition.  Plus, you know it works becaue a technician has looked over it and inspected it thoroughly for functionality.  You still get a warranty, too.  The RMx is one of the best PSUs you can get and $90 for an 850w is an outstanding value.

[Echo4life]

1 hour ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

Also, not to be that guy, but you can totally do a 6800xt with this budget for $100 less if you want:

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor  ($300.00 @ Best Buy) 
CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK TISIS CORE EDITION Fanless CPU Cooler  ($36.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Motherboard: ASRock B660 Pro RS ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($66.97 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Kingston NV2 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: ASRock Phantom Gaming D OC Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB Video Card  ($514.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case  ($104.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex III Gold 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($104.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Intel AX200 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax M.2 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($22.99 @ Amazon) 
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 PST 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fans 5-Pack 
Total: $1391.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-17 06:28 EST-0500

 

With the 4000D, you'll probably want to add more fans anyhow, and the 5-poack of P12s is an unbeatable value.  If you get that 5-pack, you'll have a couple extra, which would allow you to go with the Tisis Core for your cooler without the added expense of needing fans.  It's an outstanding cooler, a lot of people just don't buy it because it does not come with fans, but between adding fans 3 fans to the 4000D and 2 to the cooler, $27 for the 5 pack is no big deal.

 

I'm gonna post about thts in the build guide megathread, but intel dropped the price on the AX200 m.2 wifi/bt chip, to the point that a lot of mobos without wifi that have an m.2 wifi port are now a better deal than boards that come with wifi.  I've used the Pro RS on a couple PCs now, and it seems to hold steady to the expected baseline of reliability that the old Pro4 boards had, good enough to do anything you want, never really an issue. 

 

Also, the Leadex III 850 is an outstanding PSU for the money, and while the 750 was $90 and is out of stock the 850 is only $105, which is a really good deal for a 10-year PSU.  This build would probably also be fine with the AMP 650 posted earlier, but I'd hat e to have people frying my ass for listing a 650 with a 6800xt (even though it'd probably be fine).

 

This would also be an even better value:

RMx Series™ RM850x — 850 Watt 80 PLUS Gold Fully Modular ATX PSU (Refurbished) (corsair.com)

I've bought refurbished stuff from corsair plenty of times, and it's always in perfect condition.  Plus, you know it works becaue a technician has looked over it and inspected it thoroughly for functionality.  You still get a warranty, too.  The RMx is one of the best PSUs you can get and $90 for an 850w is an outstanding value.

It's a good shout going for the 6800xt, generally it's a faster card for similar price,  I've also changed the mobo to a z690 with wifi so no need for wifi Adapter and has overclock capability as stated above, and comes just under budget.

 

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

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor ($300.00 @ Best Buy) 

CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK TISIS CORE EDITION Fanless CPU Cooler ($36.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 

Motherboard: MSI PRO Z690-A WIFI DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($219.99 @ B&H) 

Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($66.97 @ Amazon) 

Storage: Kingston NV2 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($129.99 @ Amazon) 

Video Card: ASRock Phantom Gaming D OC Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB Video Card ($514.99 @ Newegg) 

Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case ($104.99 @ Amazon) 

Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex III Gold 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($104.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 

Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 PST 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fans 5-Pack 

Total: $1478.91

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-17 08:24 EST-0500

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/qKLppH

[Somerandomtechyboi]

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/MXDnrD

¯\_ (ツ) _/¯ 

 

Wouldnt bother buying the 6900xt used unless you can get it sub 550$

 

2 hours ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

Motherboard: ASRock B660 Pro RS ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 

board seems to have rather weak vrms for a 13600k

[Queen Chrysalis]

26 minutes ago, Somerandomtechyboi said:

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/MXDnrD

¯\_ (ツ) _/¯ 

 

Wouldnt bother buying the 6900xt used unless you can get it sub 550$

 

board seems to have rather weak vrms for a 13600k

Running a 12600k on one at home right now with no issue, and the 13600k is less aggro AFAIK.

1 hour ago, Echo4life said:

It's a good shout going for the 6800xt, generally it's a faster card for similar price,  I've also changed the mobo to a z690 with wifi so no need for wifi Adapter and has overclock capability as stated above, and comes just under budget.

OC is not worth spending an extra $100 on, these chips will efficiently boost to their max freqs on their own.  I would say overclocking is honestly a worse option than precision boost with how well precision boost works now.   Not to mention that with how good new architectures are, most of these chips aren't even gonna need to hit more than 4GHz in most games anyhow, but even, so PB will still get them to 5.

[SilentRam]

6 hours ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

@Dukesilver27- @SilentRam

In my extremely unprofessional experience, these vendors have been REALLY quick about BIOS updates since the Ryzen age of mass backwards compatibility, especially with how fast everyone's stock is moving these days.  13th gen has been out for two months now, and more often than not I've also been seeing old 'unsupported' BIOS still work just enough to get into the setup in UEFI to do a flash with a new CPU.

This is probably true. I honestly don't know too much on this end so that is why I have been very unsure about this.
 

5 hours ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

Also, not to be that guy, but you can totally do a 6800xt with this budget for $100 less if you want:

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor  ($300.00 @ Best Buy) 
CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK TISIS CORE EDITION Fanless CPU Cooler  ($36.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Motherboard: ASRock B660 Pro RS ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($66.97 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Kingston NV2 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: ASRock Phantom Gaming D OC Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB Video Card  ($514.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case  ($104.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex III Gold 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($104.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Intel AX200 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax M.2 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($22.99 @ Amazon) 
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 PST 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fans 5-Pack 
Total: $1391.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-17 06:28 EST-0500

 

With the 4000D, you'll probably want to add more fans anyhow, and the 5-poack of P12s is an unbeatable value.  If you get that 5-pack, you'll have a couple extra, which would allow you to go with the Tisis Core for your cooler without the added expense of needing fans.  It's an outstanding cooler, a lot of people just don't buy it because it does not come with fans, but between adding fans 3 fans to the 4000D and 2 to the cooler, $27 for the 5 pack is no big deal.

 

I'm gonna post about thts in the build guide megathread, but intel dropped the price on the AX200 m.2 wifi/bt chip, to the point that a lot of mobos without wifi that have an m.2 wifi port are now a better deal than boards that come with wifi.  I've used the Pro RS on a couple PCs now, and it seems to hold steady to the expected baseline of reliability that the old Pro4 boards had, good enough to do anything you want, never really an issue. 

 

Also, the Leadex III 850 is an outstanding PSU for the money, and while the 750 was $90 and is out of stock the 850 is only $105, which is a really good deal for a 10-year PSU.  This build would probably also be fine with the AMP 650 posted earlier, but I'd hat e to have people frying my ass for listing a 650 with a 6800xt (even though it'd probably be fine).

 

This would also be an even better value:

RMx Series™ RM850x — 850 Watt 80 PLUS Gold Fully Modular ATX PSU (Refurbished) (corsair.com)

I've bought refurbished stuff from corsair plenty of times, and it's always in perfect condition.  Plus, you know it works becaue a technician has looked over it and inspected it thoroughly for functionality.  You still get a warranty, too.  The RMx is one of the best PSUs you can get and $90 for an 850w is an outstanding value.

I am personally going to stick with an Nvidia card honestly. The general work that I do is a lot more stable and works better on Nvidia compared to AMD cards (again I am treating this primarily as a work rig). Much of the software I use even just doesn't really work on AMD cards from what I know.

I do definitely think the pack of fans is a good idea but I am also not sure how many fans I can really hook up on these boards. So that is something worth considering (potentially just something to toss into the budget if the sales actually do drive the cost down enough). I did also say this before but the main reason I am sticking to the cooler that I have is because of the noise. I am not sure if I could really do that with another cooler honestly.

I am now honestly a little split on what Motherboard to go for at this point. I do think it might be better to get a cheaper board and then getting a wifi card however I am also not sure how much more complexity that is going to add for me as a builder since this is my first build.

[Queen Chrysalis]

Just now, SilentRam said:

This is probably true. I honestly don't know too much on this end so that is why I have been very unsure about this.
 

I am personally going to stick with an Nvidia card honestly. The general work that I do is a lot more stable and works better on Nvidia compared to AMD cards (again I am treating this primarily as a work rig). Much of the software I use even just doesn't really work on AMD cards from what I know.

I do definitely think the pack of fans is a good idea but I am also not sure how many fans I can really hook up on these boards. So that is something worth considering (potentially just something to toss into the budget if the sales actually do drive the cost down enough). I did also say this before but the main reason I am sticking to the cooler that I have is because of the noise. I am not sure if I could really do that with another cooler honestly.

I am now honestly a little split on what Motherboard to go for at this point. I do think it might be better to get a cheaper board and then getting a wifi card however I am also not sure how much more complexity that is going to add for me as a builder since this is my first build.

With the fans, the PST variant has daisychainability, so you would only need a few ports on the board.  The P12s are also really quiet and move a ton of air.

 

Yeah I missed the part about your work, def get the 3070 and a 650w PSU if that's the case.  The ASRock Pro RS mAXT variant is also the exact same board for $90 instead of $110, and has all of the same functionality. so long as you are only using a single GPU.

[SilentRam]

7 minutes ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

With the fans, the PST variant has daisychainability, so you would only need a few ports on the board.  The P12s are also really quiet and move a ton of air.

 

Yeah I missed the part about your work, def get the 3070 and a 650w PSU if that's the case.  The ASRock Pro RS mAXT variant is also the exact same board for $90 instead of $110, and has all of the same functionality. so long as you are only using a single GPU.

For the fans, that would be perfect honestly! I definitely will look into that. 

As for the board, could you send me a link? I am having a little trouble finding it sorry.

Additionally is there any drawbacks to having a PCIe based wireless card over an M.2? I think it might be better to have a PCIe one just for less wiring but idk.

[Queen Chrysalis]

7 minutes ago, SilentRam said:

For the fans, that would be perfect honestly! I definitely will look into that. 

As for the board, could you send me a link? I am having a little trouble finding it sorry.

Additionally is there any drawbacks to having a PCIe based wireless card over an M.2? I think it might be better to have a PCIe one just for less wiring but idk.

ASRock B660M Pro RS Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard (B660M Pro RS) - PCPartPicker

 

None. Just preference and cost.  The M.2 ones are cheaper for the same product as there is less material used.  Most of the PCIe ones end up just being essentially a PCIe to M.2 adapter with an m.2 chip anyway.   The AX200 is wifi 6, and for $22 you will not find an equivalent chip.  More like $40-$50.  The wiring is easy, too.  Two little wires that run from the m.2 wifi port in the picture to the PCIE stack where the antennas will be.  You can't see them if you run them nicely.

[Queen Chrysalis]

Though frankly, if you are doing UE5 development, you really wanna have 12GB of VRAM, so a 3070 might not be a good idea.  A 3060 would actually work better and would still game pretty well.  It would also cost a little bit less.  I see you had one in your original parts list, not sure why they talked you out of it.  I know the 3070 is way faster for gaming, but for development it doesn't have as much VRAM, which is a lot more important.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor  ($300.00 @ Best Buy) 
CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK TISIS CORE EDITION Fanless CPU Cooler  ($36.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Motherboard: ASRock B660M Pro RS Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($66.97 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Kingston NV2 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: MSI RTX 3060 Ventus 3X 12G OC GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB Video Card  ($379.99 @ B&H) 
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case  ($104.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Super Flower Legion GX Pro 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply  ($57.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Intel AX200 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax M.2 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($22.99 @ Amazon) 
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 PST 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fans 5-Pack 
Total: $1189.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-17 13:04 EST-0500

 

If you want a faster GPU than the 3060, a 3080 12GB LHR might be in the cards, but your budget would need to be about $1600:

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor  ($300.00 @ Best Buy) 
CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK TISIS CORE EDITION Fanless CPU Cooler  ($36.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Motherboard: ASRock B660M Pro RS Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($66.97 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Kingston NV2 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: MSI GAMING TRIO PLUS GeForce RTX 3080 12GB LHR 12 GB Video Card  ($799.99 @ Newegg) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Intel AX200 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax M.2 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($22.99 @ Amazon) 
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 PST 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fans 5-Pack 
Total: $1446.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-17 13:09 EST-0500

 

PSU & Case (this refurbed RMx 850 is the best deal you're gonna get, their refurbished stuff is always perfect, and shipping should be free if you get it and the case from corsair.com)

You might also be able to try out some promo cods, a lot of their refurbished stuff usually has a code or two that will get you a nice discount.

 

RMx Series™ RM850x — 850 Watt 80 PLUS Gold Fully Modular ATX PSU (Refurbished) (corsair.com)

4000D AIRFLOW Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX Case — Black (corsair.com)

 

+$195

Total: $1641

 

So basically, get the 3060 12GB, but if you really want a faster GPU, the 3080 12GB LHR is the move, which will cost about an extra $450 with it and a better PSU to handle it.

[SilentRam]

 

5 minutes ago, Queen Chrysalis said:

Though frankly, if you are doing UE5 development, you really wanna have 12GB of VRAM, so a 3070 might not be a good idea.  A 3060 would actually work better and would still game pretty well.  It would also cost a little bit less.  I see you had one in your original parts list, not sure why they talked you out of it.  I know the 3070 is way faster for gaming, but for development it doesn't have as much VRAM, which is a lot more important.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor  ($300.00 @ Best Buy) 
CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK TISIS CORE EDITION Fanless CPU Cooler  ($36.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Motherboard: ASRock B660M Pro RS Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($66.97 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Kingston NV2 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: MSI RTX 3060 Ventus 3X 12G OC GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB Video Card  ($379.99 @ B&H) 
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case  ($104.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Super Flower Legion GX Pro 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply  ($57.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Intel AX200 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax M.2 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($22.99 @ Amazon) 
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 PST 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fans 5-Pack 
Total: $1189.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-17 13:04 EST-0500

 

If you want a faster GPU than the 3060, a 3080 12GB LHR might be in the cards, but your budget would need to be about $1600:

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor  ($300.00 @ Best Buy) 
CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK TISIS CORE EDITION Fanless CPU Cooler  ($36.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Motherboard: ASRock B660M Pro RS Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($66.97 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Kingston NV2 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: MSI GAMING TRIO PLUS GeForce RTX 3080 12GB LHR 12 GB Video Card  ($799.99 @ Newegg) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Intel AX200 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax M.2 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($22.99 @ Amazon) 
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 PST 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fans 5-Pack 
Total: $1446.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-17 13:09 EST-0500

 

PSU & Case (this refurbed RMx 850 is the best deal you're gonna get, and shipping should be free if you get it and the case from corsair.com)

 

RMx Series™ RM850x — 850 Watt 80 PLUS Gold Fully Modular ATX PSU (Refurbished) (corsair.com)

4000D AIRFLOW Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX Case — Black (corsair.com)

 

+$195

Total: $1641

 

So basically, get the 3060 12GB, but if you really want a faster GPU, the 3080 12GB LHR is the move, which will cost about an extra $450 with it and a better PSU to handle it.

Thank you for your recommendations. I do think the 3060 then might work out a bit better for me. I also did switch the wireless adapter to a 6e one (just because that might come into play soon for me). I also chose the ATX version of the motherboard since I think it might be a little easier for me to work with as this is my very first build.

Current Build: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/BYFY78

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor  ($314.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($89.90 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock B660 Pro RS ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($66.97 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Kingston NV2 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Gaming X12G GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB Video Card  ($389.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case  ($104.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Phanteks AMP 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ Newegg) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WBAX210 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax PCIe x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($46.99 @ Amazon) 
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 PST 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fans 5-Pack 
Total: $1323.80

Again, feedback is always welcome. This is my first time so I really am looking for input into making sure I am not just wasting money.

[SilentRam]

On 11/17/2022 at 10:17 AM, SilentRam said:

 

Thank you for your recommendations. I do think the 3060 then might work out a bit better for me. I also did switch the wireless adapter to a 6e one (just because that might come into play soon for me). I also chose the ATX version of the motherboard since I think it might be a little easier for me to work with as this is my very first build.

Current Build: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/BYFY78

CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor  ($314.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($89.90 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock B660 Pro RS ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($66.97 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Kingston NV2 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Gaming X12G GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB Video Card  ($389.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case  ($104.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Phanteks AMP 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ Newegg) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WBAX210 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax PCIe x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($46.99 @ Amazon) 
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 PST 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fans 5-Pack 
Total: $1323.80

Again, feedback is always welcome. This is my first time so I really am looking for input into making sure I am not just wasting money.

So I have been thinking about it...because I am underbudget right now with this build, would it be worthwhile to use part of it to upgrade this from a DDR4 to DDR5 system? Would I see any benefits to it or is that just unnecessary?

[SilentRam]

Ok so I have been messing around with this build a bit more and this is what I have.

Base Build: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/BYFY78
CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor  ($300.00 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($89.90 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock B660 Pro RS ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($67.79 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Kingston NV2 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Gaming X12G GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB Video Card  ($359.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case  ($104.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Phanteks AMP 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ Newegg) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WBAX210 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax PCIe x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($46.99 @ Amazon) 
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 PST 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fans 5-Pack 
Total: $1279.63


Base Build + i7: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/NVnrXy
CPU: Intel Core i7-13700K 3.4 GHz 16-Core Processor  ($439.97 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($89.90 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock B660 Pro RS ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($67.79 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Kingston NV2 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Gaming X12G GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB Video Card  ($359.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case  ($104.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Phanteks AMP 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ Newegg) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WBAX210 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax PCIe x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($46.99 @ Amazon) 
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 PST 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fans 5-Pack 
Total: $1419.60


Base Build + DDR5: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/pFwFMb
CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor  ($300.00 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($89.90 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: MSI PRO Z690-A ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($206.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL36 Memory  ($149.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Kingston NV2 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Gaming X12G GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB Video Card  ($359.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case  ($104.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Phanteks AMP 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ Newegg) 
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WBAX210 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax PCIe x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($46.99 @ Amazon) 
Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 PST 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fans 5-Pack 
Total: $1458.83


These all come under budget ($1500 USD) but I am not sure what is best to go with at this point. Is upgrading to DDR5 better or just increasing to an i7?