First Desktop Build

[slauter6]

Long time console gamer looking to finally move into PC gaming. Have an old laptop that I've been using to try out PC gaming and am looking to upgrade. 

 

1. Budget & Location

Up to ~$1500 USD, based in the US but can buy in Canada if it is cheaper there for some reason. 

2. Aim

Gaming: Minecraft, Cities Skylines, tried out Railway Empire 2 but it quickly became a slide show on my laptop. Really hope to get a machine that can run Anno 1800. It looks like a lot of fun. 

Not Games: Mostly Lightroom and some basic dev work. Anything heavy I'll make my employer pay for the VM to run it in. 

3. Monitors

Have 2 4K work from home monitors I could 'borrow' on the weekends but would mostly use a 1080p 60Hz display to keep work and fun separate. 

4. Peripherals

Have a good keyboard + mouse + OS. Have monitors, could always buy more monitors. But not the top priority. 

5. Why are you upgrading?

Currently gaming on an Xbox One (2013) and a Dell Inspiron Laptop (i7-8565U CPU, GeForce Mx 250). So there is ample opportunity to improve. 

 

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

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($299.00 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX ATX AM5 Motherboard  ($202.30 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL36 Memory  ($92.99 @ Best Buy) 
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($99.99 @ Adorama) 
Video Card: *MSI MECH 2X OC Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB Video Card  ($339.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($94.99 @ Newegg) (Note: Flexible, but want something easy to build in) 
Power Supply: Corsair SF750 750 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply  ($163.49 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1292.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
 

Questions: 

1. I don't think upgrading the GPU would really improve the experience for the types of games that I play (For example going to a RX 6950XT). Does that match other folks thinking + experience? 
2. The 7700 comes with a stock cooler, any thoughts on if it needs a different cooler? 65w seems like a reasonable load for a stock air cooler. 

3. Anything jump out about this machine that might cause me problems 5+ years down the road? I'm used to the console upgrade lifecycle of 8+ years on the same hardware. Would like to get as close to that as possible with this machine. I'm comfortable with repairing both the software and hardware as needed but would like to get ahead of any obvious issues when possible. 

4. Currently coming in $200 under budget. Currently planning to use that money for games once I build it, but open to hardware upgrades if anyone has a suggestion. 

[FalseControl]

I think it's a solid build. If I was building this I would want to put an air cooler on it for more silent operation which you could pick up a pretty decent one for 50$ but a stock cooler will do just fine. To each their own. 

[filpo]

51 minutes ago, slauter6 said:

I don't think upgrading the GPU would really improve the experience for the types of games that I play (For example going to a RX 6950XT). Does that match other folks thinking + experience? 

For 1080p your right but I might go up to a 6800 or 6800 xt if the budget allows it

 

51 minutes ago, slauter6 said:

The 7700 comes with a stock cooler, any thoughts on if it needs a different cooler? 65w seems like a reasonable load for a stock air cooler. 

The stock cooler is good on the 7700. Tho we can upgrade it to a good single tower air cooler like the ak400 or a double tower like the PA120

 

51 minutes ago, slauter6 said:

Anything jump out about this machine that might cause me problems 5+ years down the road? I'm used to the console upgrade lifecycle of 8+ years on the same hardware. Would like to get as close to that as possible with this machine. I'm comfortable with repairing both the software and hardware as needed but would like to get ahead of any obvious issues when possible. 

4. Currently coming in $200 under budget. Currently planning to use that money for games once I build it, but open to hardware upgrades if anyone has a suggestion. 

what I'd do is go for this build (yours but with a few tweaks)

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

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($439.00 @ B&H) 
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler  ($37.90 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock B650M PG RIPTIDE Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard  ($169.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL28 Memory  ($97.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($99.99 @ Adorama) 
Video Card: XFX Speedster MERC 319 CORE Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB Video Card  ($499.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Thermaltake Versa H18 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($43.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 PE 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($99.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1488.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-07-11 02:56 EDT-0400

[SorryBella]

11 minutes ago, slauter6 said:

Power Supply: Corsair SF750 750 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply  ($163.49 @ Amazon) 

wrong PSU. you need ATX.

 

On simulation titles you would be more CPU and cache bound and considering this is a 1080p system, id go for more IPC than more GPU power. But maxxing out the budget can yield us 6800XT which would do a bang up job for 1440p60 on pretty high quality settings. 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($439.00 @ B&H) 
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Burst Assassin 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler  ($25.90 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B650 GAMING X AX ATX AM5 Motherboard  ($169.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: G.Skill Flare X5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($99.99 @ Adorama) 
Video Card: XFX Speedster MERC 319 CORE Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB Video Card  ($499.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Fractal Design Pop Air ATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ B&H) 
Power Supply: Thermaltake TOUGHPOWER GF A3 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1504.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-07-11 02:20 EDT-0400

[Why_Me]

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/graphics-cards/40-series/rtx-4060-4060ti/ 

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB
Starting at $499.00
Coming July 

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *Intel Core i5-13600KF 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor  ($289.99 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: *Deepcool AG620 BK ARGB 67.88 CFM CPU Cooler  ($52.98 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: *MSI B760 GAMING PLUS WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard  ($149.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: *G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6400 CL32 Memory  ($108.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: *Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($99.99 @ Adorama) 
Case: *Fractal Design Focus 2 RGB ATX Mid Tower Case  ($53.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: *Corsair RM750e (2023) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($99.99 @ Best Buy) 
Case Fan: *ARCTIC P12 PST RGB 0dB 48.8 CFM 120 mm Fan  ($13.92 @ Amazon) 
Total: $869.83
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-07-11 02:45 EDT-0400

[GreatnessRD]

26 minutes ago, SorryBella said:

wrong PSU. you need ATX.

 

On simulation titles you would be more CPU and cache bound and considering this is a 1080p system, id go for more IPC than more GPU power. But maxxing out the budget can yield us 6800XT which would do a bang up job for 1440p60 on pretty high quality settings. 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($439.00 @ B&H) 
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Burst Assassin 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler  ($25.90 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B650 GAMING X AX ATX AM5 Motherboard  ($169.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: G.Skill Flare X5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($99.99 @ Adorama) 
Video Card: XFX Speedster MERC 319 CORE Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB Video Card  ($499.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Fractal Design Pop Air ATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ B&H) 
Power Supply: Thermaltake TOUGHPOWER GF A3 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1504.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-07-11 02:20 EDT-0400

This is the build right here.

[GeorgeMKane]

45 minutes ago, slauter6 said:

Long time console gamer looking to finally move into PC gaming. Have an old laptop that I've been using to try out PC gaming and am looking to upgrade. 

 

1. Budget & Location

Up to ~$1500 USD, based in the US but can buy in Canada if it is cheaper there for some reason. 

2. Aim

Gaming: Minecraft, Cities Skylines, tried out Railway Empire 2 but it quickly became a slide show on my laptop. Really hope to get a machine that can run Anno 1800. It looks like a lot of fun. 

Not Games: Mostly Lightroom and some basic dev work. Anything heavy I'll make my employer pay for the VM to run it in. 

3. Monitors

Have 2 4K work from home monitors I could 'borrow' on the weekends but would mostly use a 1080p 60Hz display to keep work and fun separate. 

4. Peripherals

Have a good keyboard + mouse + OS. Have monitors, could always buy more monitors. But not the top priority. 

5. Why are you upgrading?

Currently gaming on an Xbox One (2013) and a Dell Inspiron Laptop (i7-8565U CPU, GeForce Mx 250). So there is ample opportunity to improve. 

 

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

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($299.00 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX ATX AM5 Motherboard  ($202.30 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL36 Memory  ($92.99 @ Best Buy) 
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($99.99 @ Adorama) 
Video Card: *MSI MECH 2X OC Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB Video Card  ($339.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($94.99 @ Newegg) (Note: Flexible, but want something easy to build in) 
Power Supply: Corsair SF750 750 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply  ($163.49 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1292.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
 

Questions: 

1. I don't think upgrading the GPU would really improve the experience for the types of games that I play (For example going to a RX 6950XT). Does that match other folks thinking + experience? 
2. The 7700 comes with a stock cooler, any thoughts on if it needs a different cooler? 65w seems like a reasonable load for a stock air cooler. 

3. Anything jump out about this machine that might cause me problems 5+ years down the road? I'm used to the console upgrade lifecycle of 8+ years on the same hardware. Would like to get as close to that as possible with this machine. I'm comfortable with repairing both the software and hardware as needed but would like to get ahead of any obvious issues when possible. 

4. Currently coming in $200 under budget. Currently planning to use that money for games once I build it, but open to hardware upgrades if anyone has a suggestion. 

I would definitely recommend going higher on the GPU, and a little less on the CPU & RAM. You also have a Full Tower case in your list, which isn't necessary. Even a microATX mid tower case is easy enough to build in.

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/PC8Hv3

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X 3.4 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($173.23 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Deepcool AG400 BK ARGB 75.89 CFM CPU Cooler  ($28.98 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Asus TUF GAMING B550M-PLUS WIFI II Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($172.79 @ Adorama) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory  ($86.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($99.99 @ Adorama) 
Video Card: XFX Speedster MERC 319 CORE Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB Video Card  ($499.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Fractal Design Pop Mini Air MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.99 @ B&H) 
Power Supply: Corsair RM750e (2023) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($99.99 @ Best Buy) 
$1251.95

[slauter6]

Thanks everyone for your input - really appreciate it. 

Think I'm going to skip the extra bump up of a GPU, that'll be a possible upgrade a few years down the line. Love the suggestion to go with the 7800X3D now as it seems to be the best bet for the sim games. Also with the heatsink version of the Samsung 980 Pro because it is $20 cheaper.

 

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/6dh2Kp

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($439.00 @ B&H) 
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Burst Assassin 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler  ($25.90 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B650 GAMING X AX ATX AM5 Motherboard  ($169.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: G.Skill Flare X5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory  ($94.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro w/Heatsink 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($99.99 @ B&H) 
Video Card: ASRock Radeon RX6700XT CLD 12G Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB Video Card  ($309.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Fractal Design Pop Air ATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ B&H) 
Power Supply: Corsair RM750e (2023) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($99.99 @ Best Buy) 
Total: $1319.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Will post pictures when it is all here and built. Really looking forward to it! 

[filpo]

3 hours ago, slauter6 said:

Power Supply: Corsair RM750e (2023) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($99.99 @ Best Buy) 

This psu out for this one Thermaltake TOUGHPOWER GF A3 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (PS-TPD-0850FNFAGU-L) - PCPartPicker

3 hours ago, slauter6 said:

Memory: G.Skill Flare X5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory  ($94.99 @ Amazon) 

this ram out for this ram G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL28 Memory (F5-5600J2834F16GX2-RS5K) - PCPartPicker

 

and the cpu cooler for this one Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (PA120 SE-D3) - PCPartPicker

[The Hope]

Total:    $1430.55