Help! After a decade out of the game I'm building my second computer

[Stevethe11th]

Budget (including currency): $1,000-1,500 USD

Country: USA

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: now: assetto corsa competizione | future: assetto corsa evo, gta 6 

Other details : need a monitor upgrade but not including it in this budget

 

After 9 years of service, Microsoft is effectively bringing my computer to end of life with the end of windows 10. I know there's work arounds, but it's time to move on.

I know this is the worst time to buy, but I recently received a $1000 dollar gift card that I want to put towards a new pc. I know almost nothing about the current pc market besides intel sucks now and nvidia is the big shit.

I mostly do sim racing now which isn't super graphicly intense, but I would like to be able to hit 4k on future casual games like gta 6 for my tv. I'm ok with upscaling and frame gen and 60 fps would be good enough. 

I guess nvidia gpu's are out of the picture at this price point since they're literally unobtainium, but I don't know if an intel arc or amd rtx would be up to snuff either.

 

Any advice or points in the right direction to get up to speed would be greatly appreciated.

[strange13930]

18 minutes ago, Stevethe11th said:

Budget (including currency): $1,000-1,500 USD

Country: USA

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: now: assetto corsa competizione | future: assetto corsa evo, gta 6 

Other details : need a monitor upgrade but not including it in this budget

 

After 9 years of service, Microsoft is effectively bringing my computer to end of life with the end of windows 10. I know there's work arounds, but it's time to move on.

I know this is the worst time to buy, but I recently received a $1000 dollar gift card that I want to put towards a new pc. I know almost nothing about the current pc market besides intel sucks now and nvidia is the big shit.

I mostly do sim racing now which isn't super graphicly intense, but I would like to be able to hit 4k on future casual games like gta 6 for my tv. I'm ok with upscaling and frame gen and 60 fps would be good enough. 

I guess nvidia gpu's are out of the picture at this price point since they're literally unobtainium, but I don't know if an intel arc or amd rtx would be up to snuff either.

 

Any advice or points in the right direction to get up to speed would be greatly appreciated.

here's a build, can't guarantee it will run gta6  because its probably going to be a few years before it releases.https://pcpartpicker.com/list/wJXFMC

[Tetras]

19 minutes ago, Stevethe11th said:

but I would like to be able to hit 4k on future casual games like gta 6 for my tv. I'm ok with upscaling and frame gen and 60 fps would be good enough. 

Difficult for us to say that anything will hit 4K on GTA6.

 

22 minutes ago, Stevethe11th said:

Any advice or points in the right direction to get up to speed would be greatly appreciated.

Ideally, I'd want at least a 5070 or 9070 if I was planning on 4K in AAA games. Definitely not less than a 5060 Ti 16GB.

 

The Arc B580 I'd consider at best a 1440p card, not something I'd want to rely on at 4K.

[Stevethe11th]

Just put this together with limited research and knowledge.

 

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($385.38 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9S chromax.black 46.4 CFM CPU Cooler  ($74.95 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock B650M PG Lightning Wifi Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard  ($119.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Patriot Viper Venom 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory  ($82.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($124.59 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GAMING OC GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Video Card  ($529.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Phanteks XT PRO ATX Mid Tower Case  ($68.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Apevia Premier 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply  ($54.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1441.86

 

Doesn't include fans or a os. Probably am going to rock 2-3 noctua fans.

[Stevethe11th]

2 minutes ago, Tetras said:

Difficult for us to say that anything will hit 4K on GTA6.

 

Ideally, I'd want at least a 5070 or 9070 if I was planning on 4K in AAA games. Definitely not less than a 5060 Ti 16GB.

 

The Arc B580 I'd consider at best a 1440p card, not something I'd want to rely on at 4K.

Apparently the second trailer was run on a ps5 pro at 4k 30 fps. I know 30 fps isn't great, but I think everyone can agree the graphics were pretty impressive.

[Tetras]

5 minutes ago, Stevethe11th said:

Just put this together with limited research and knowledge.

If the peerless assassin or freezer 36 are available, I'd drop the Noctua and use the money for a better PSU.

 

There's an argument to be made at 4K for dropping the CPU down and the GPU up (e.g. 7600X and 5070 Ti), but without any benchmarks that could backfire in future games like GTA6.

 

5 minutes ago, Stevethe11th said:

Case: Phanteks XT PRO ATX Mid Tower Case  ($68.98 @ Newegg) 

XT Pro Ultra includes the fans.

[strange13930]

3 minutes ago, Stevethe11th said:

Just put this together with limited research and knowledge.

 

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($385.38 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9S chromax.black 46.4 CFM CPU Cooler  ($74.95 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock B650M PG Lightning Wifi Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard  ($119.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Patriot Viper Venom 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory  ($82.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($124.59 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GAMING OC GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Video Card  ($529.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Phanteks XT PRO ATX Mid Tower Case  ($68.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Apevia Premier 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply  ($54.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1441.86

 

Doesn't include fans or a os. Probably am going to rock 2-3 noctua fans.

get the Thermalright Peerless assassin 120 se for the cpu cooler. it a cheaper cooler that holds up really well. and I would get a 750watt psu that isn't Apevia branded.

[Stevethe11th]

11 minutes ago, strange13930 said:

here's a build, can't guarantee it will run gta6  because its probably going to be a few years before it releases.https://pcpartpicker.com/list/wJXFMC

Ha, this makes me feel better seeing that we picked the same cpu, ram, and storage. Unfortunately looks like you cant get that gpu for less than 650. Maybe I should try my luck with trying to snag a card second hand?

[Stevethe11th]

2 minutes ago, Tetras said:

If the peerless assassin or freezer 36 are available, I'd drop the Noctua and use the money for a better PSU.

 

There's an argument to be made at 4K for dropping the CPU down and the GPU up (e.g. 7600X and 5070 Ti), but without any benchmarks that could backfire in future games like GTA6.

Yeah I just don't know at what point would a cpu become a bottle neck on a triple a game. Back in the day it was "4 cores is overkill", but I don't know what the modern rules of them are. I can look at a different cooler. I just currently have noctua fans and love them.

[strange13930]

6 minutes ago, Stevethe11th said:

Ha, this makes me feel better seeing that we picked the same cpu, ram, and storage. Unfortunately looks like you cant get that gpu for less than 650. Maybe I should try my luck with trying to snag a card second hand?

the 5060 ti 16gb is a better card I just didn't know if you would be able to get it for a good price in your area.

[Stevethe11th]

5 minutes ago, strange13930 said:

get the Thermalright Peerless assassin 120 se for the cpu cooler. it a cheaper cooler that holds up really well. and I would get a 750watt psu that isn't Apevia branded.

pc part picker estimates a total wattage of 450. Do you think 650 is not enough headroom? I don't know how they estimate this.

[Tetras]

7 minutes ago, Stevethe11th said:

I just currently have noctua fans and love them.

For your budget, I'd usually pick a case with fans included and cheap, like Montech's 903.

 

Otherwise, they can take your budget away for far more important parts. If you're gaming at 4K, you need every bit of help you can get.

 

7 minutes ago, Stevethe11th said:

Yeah I just don't know at what point would a cpu become a bottle neck on a triple a game. Back in the day it was "4 cores is overkill", but I don't know what the modern rules of them are.

Generally speaking, the 6 core entry-level CPUs like the 7600/7600X are plenty if you're happy 60 fps gaming (especially at 4K), but some games do love the X3D's cache and in those circumstances, there's nothing that your cash is better spent on (for fps per $$ or fps per watt).

 

That said, some games don't care about the X3D and especially at higher resolutions, you can often see a difference of like... 2-5 fps between the lowest and highest AM5 CPUs.

 

If GTA6 will be one of those games that the X3D is king, we can't be sure yet.

[CatTNT]

You seem to be on the right track already. Just ensure, if you make any changes, DO NOT BUY AN INTEL CPU, they are garbage at the high end at the moment, might be worthwhile in a generation or two. Also, I've built a system with a Thermalright Sprit 120 SE (similar to yours), and it can cool a 9950X, so great value. For RAM, just get DDR5-6000 CL30 at whatever capacity you want, anything slower  or faster is not worth it. 

[Stevethe11th]

I could maybe swing a 5070 12 gb, but is losing that 4 gb of vram worth it over the 5060 ti? A 5070 ti is most likely out of my price range. The cheapest one I can find in stock is currently $930

[Tetras]

Just now, Stevethe11th said:

I could maybe swing a 5070 12 gb, but is losing that 4 gb of vram worth it over the 5060 ti?

Have a look at this, much more thorough than I can answer here:

 

There are timestamps in the description on YT, if you want to skip to the end.

[strange13930]

29 minutes ago, Stevethe11th said:

pc part picker estimates a total wattage of 450. Do you think 650 is not enough headroom? I don't know how they estimate this.

It is enough but the 750 watt will give you room to upgrade parts.

 

21 minutes ago, Stevethe11th said:

I could maybe swing a 5070 12 gb, but is losing that 4 gb of vram worth it over the 5060 ti? A 5070 ti is most likely out of my price range. The cheapest one I can find in stock is currently $930

for 4k the 16gb will help

[Stevethe11th]

23 minutes ago, Tetras said:

Have a look at this, much more thorough than I can answer here:

 

There are timestamps in the description on YT, if you want to skip to the end.

Damn I wish the 5070 ti wasn't 900 dollars. Even a couple months ago it was going for 830. Would've been a lot easier to swallow. I guess I could get a 5070 for now and sell and upgrade later if the price becomes worth it, but prices rarely come down.

[jordanbuilds1]

48 minutes ago, Stevethe11th said:

Just put this together with limited research and knowledge.

 

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($385.38 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9S chromax.black 46.4 CFM CPU Cooler  ($74.95 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock B650M PG Lightning Wifi Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard  ($119.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Patriot Viper Venom 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory  ($82.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($124.59 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GAMING OC GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Video Card  ($529.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Phanteks XT PRO ATX Mid Tower Case  ($68.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Apevia Premier 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply  ($54.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1441.86

 

Doesn't include fans or a os. Probably am going to rock 2-3 noctua fans.

DONT BUY NEW NVIDIA!

 

the reason im saying this is because of how lack luster drivers are rn ( yes, now nvidia has garbage drivers and amd has god tier drivers). Also perf isn’t that great, and the amd rx9060xt is releasing soon, which should in theory be better then the 5060ti.

 

if you don’t mind me asking, what wheel do you use for sim racing.

[Tetras]

14 minutes ago, Stevethe11th said:

Damn I wish the 5070 ti wasn't 900 dollars. Even a couple months ago it was going for 830. Would've been a lot easier to swallow. I guess I could get a 5070 for now and sell and upgrade later if the price becomes worth it, but prices rarely come down.

From what I've seen of the USD market, it is a good idea to have a ballpark of what performance level you want and see if you can get something on clearance, or a special offer from a local store. You might get lucky that way.

 

If you're not sure on how stuff compares, TPU's GPU database is a good place to start.

 

Here's the 5060 Ti 16GB's entry:

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/geforce-rtx-5060-ti-8-gb.c4246

 

Note that these numbers don't take into account ray tracing, or the impact of VRAM, so don't use the charts blindly:

 

[Stevethe11th]

7 minutes ago, jordanbuilds1 said:

DONT BUY NEW NVIDIA!

 

the reason im saying this is because of how lack luster drivers are rn ( yes, now nvidia has garbage drivers and amd has god tier drivers). Also perf isn’t that great, and the amd rx9060xt is releasing soon, which should in theory be better then the 5060ti.

 

if you don’t mind me asking, what wheel do you use for sim racing.

Well currently the rx9070s and 9070xt's are either impossible to find or way over priced while competing with the 5070. I don't know if I want to wait for a worse card to also be impossible to find and overpriced. Its a bit sad I was fully sold on the 9070xt, until I found out the msrp was a complete lie...

 

I currently use a fanatec csl elite wheel and pedal set. It's a bit old at this point, but it doesn't have that much use and it does a decent job. First thing I would want to replace would be the brake pedal. Absolutely no feel at the moment.

[Stevethe11th]

7 minutes ago, Tetras said:

From what I've seen of the USD market, it is a good idea to have a ballpark of what performance level you want and see if you can get something on clearance, or a special offer from a local store. You might get lucky that way.

 

If you're not sure on how stuff compares, TPU's GPU database is a good place to start.

 

Here's the 5060 Ti 16GB's entry:

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/geforce-rtx-5060-ti-8-gb.c4246

 

Note that these numbers don't take into account ray tracing, or the impact of VRAM, so don't use the charts blindly:

 

Microcenter has 5070 ti's for 835 in stock. That would bring my part total to 1750 without an os. Don't know if there's a way to not pay 120 dollars for windows 11.

I could wait around and see if gpu pricing gets more competitive, but trump could also roll out new tariffs tomorrow. Who knows.

 

Here's my current list, changed out the cooler, case, and psu. Motherboard has lukewarm reviews. I just found the cheapest compatible one with at least 2 m.2 slots 

 

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($385.38 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler  ($37.90 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: ASRock B650M PG Lightning Wifi Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard  ($119.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Patriot Viper Venom 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory  ($82.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($124.59 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: MSI SHADOW 3X GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB Video Card  ($829.99 @ MSI - OOS) 
Case: Montech XR ATX Mid Tower Case  ($80.90 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply: Montech CENTURY II 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($89.90 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1751.64

[strange13930]

6 minutes ago, Stevethe11th said:

Don't know if there's a way to not pay 120 dollars for windows 11.

Zach’s tech turf uses a website with windows keys for about $20 I don’t remember it’s name though.

[Stevethe11th]

4 minutes ago, strange13930 said:

Zach’s tech turf uses a website with windows keys for about $20 I don’t remember it’s name though.

Sounds sketchy. I'm in.

[jordanbuilds1]

1 hour ago, Stevethe11th said:

Well currently the rx9070s and 9070xt's are either impossible to find or way over priced while competing with the 5070. I don't know if I want to wait for a worse card to also be impossible to find and overpriced. Its a bit sad I was fully sold on the 9070xt, until I found out the msrp was a complete lie...

 

I currently use a fanatec csl elite wheel and pedal set. It's a bit old at this point, but it doesn't have that much use and it does a decent job. First thing I would want to replace would be the brake pedal. Absolutely no feel at the moment.

Well like I said, I wouldn’t recommend nvidia atm. The 7800xt is $500 and while it’s not as good in rt, it defeats the 5060 ti and it would be able to run the hardest to run ac mods (not that ac mods are that hard).

 

im thinking of getting a wheel soon but I don’t think I’d benefit much going the direct drive route unless I can find one that competes with a g29

[Stevethe11th]

18 minutes ago, jordanbuilds1 said:

Well like I said, I wouldn’t recommend nvidia atm. The 7800xt is $500 and while it’s not as good in rt, it defeats the 5060 ti and it would be able to run the hardest to run ac mods (not that ac mods are that hard).

 

im thinking of getting a wheel soon but I don’t think I’d benefit much going the direct drive route unless I can find one that competes with a g29

The CSL Elite is belt driven. Definitely recommend a belt drive wheel. Idk what Logitech makes now but back when I bought my wheel they only made gear driven wheels.