Hi, I've been reading a bit around the forums and decided to ask for some advice on a build I'm currently trying to put together.
Context
My current tower PC built many years ago has a GTX 660 and only 4 GB of RAM, bless its little heart. It doesn't really do what I need it to do anymore. In more recent times I've also been getting by on an MX-150-0 in a pre-built Inspiron 15 7000 laptop, which is also now struggling badly, so I'm long past the point where I need to upgrade to something more substantial that can adequately manage what I need/want it to, and also have a bit of room for growth over the next few years.
Budget
My rough budget comes out at around £2000, but can be stretched by maybe up to £500 if it would provide a meaningful boost to performance and/or longevity. If it's better to delay for upcoming releases of new parts then this can potentially be stretched even further.
Aim
The general idea is to aim for a build that can comfortably handle 1080p and 1440p gaming. 4k isn't an imminently huge priority at the moment unless reasonble to achieve within the rough budget (unlikely, I think), so I'll aim for that with future upgrades/builds. Types of games range from early 2010s grand strategy, RTS, and LoL, all the way up to more recent Action/RPG games like Cyberpunk, Elden Ring, various Assassin's Creeds, and Horizon Zero Dawn, which I have held off ever playing due to being simply unable to run them. I am now at the point, however, where I'd like to actually play these in high quality with high FPS, while also having some leeway to pick up newer games over the next few years as well.
I also do a moderate amount of editing in programs like Photoshop (large canvasses especially, with lots of brushes) and Premiere Pro. On top of that, I also tend to multitask quite a bit, lots and lots of Chrome tabs, Office files, data analysis programs open concurrently etc.
Build
The current state of the build is below:
Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL II GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 10-Core Processor i5-12600K (3.7GHz) 20MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H100i RGB PRO XT Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Extra Case Fans
2x 120mm Black Case Fan
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Monitor
ASUS TUF GAMING VG247Q1A 24"
Monitor Cables
1 x 2m DisplayPort Cable - DP (M) to DP (M)
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 6 to 8 working days
Price: £1,891.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z690-pc/2waVc27Czh/
I'm not especially familiar with the landscape of parts at the moment and it's been a very long time, probably a decade or so, since I checked in with what was good where. So my understanding (please do correct any misunderstandings) is as follows:
Case - I have heard good things about the LIAN LI LANCOOL and the aesthetic works for me at a decent price.
CPU - I went with the i5-12600k since by all my readings this seems to be a pretty good cost-effective choice for gaming/other things at a lower price, without having too massive of a power draw either. If I'm not mistaken, there should be a newer i5 Raptor Lake coming out soonish so maybe it's better to wait for that? The new Ryzen CPUs seem to be DDR5-only and I'm not familiar with it and whether it's worth the price.
Motherboard - there wasn't an overabundance of choice in the options but I think this is the budget choice that works well with the CPU, and I don't think I'd get much benefit from the Rog Strix version for my needs.
RAM - My laptop currently has 16 GB and I tend to max it out quite a lot, possibly due to my laptop already struggling with Photoshop. 32 GB I think should give me enough breathing room to handle all the multi-tasking without being overkill? Again not DDR5 since I'm not really sure about it or whether the price is justified by its performance at this stage.
GPU - This is something I've been continuously switching and swapping between. At first, I was settled on getting a 3070 for some future-proofing and I saw somewhere that it also runs a bit more power-efficiently in terms of joules per frame than the 3060ti (please correct me if this is wrong). But I also read here that I may not even get the potential performance benefits out of the card anyway depending on the rest of the set-up (like the monitor). I have heard that the 40 series is also coming soon but I don't know if they're going to be giant energy-guzzling beasts with sky-high prices. Maybe they'll bring the 30 series prices down though? I might be able to stretch for a better monitor and pair it with a 3070 if that's likely to go a bit further.
Power Supply - I went with the 650W TXm since it provides more than enough power for the overall build, though I read in the advice that the RXm 750W might be better in general for overall quality? I don't need the extra 100W right now, but maybe it can be utilised at some point in the future with upgrades.
Cooling - Wasn't 100% sure on this since there's so much choice, but the guidance suggested that the H100i PRO XT should be suitable for most builds outside of the higher-end stuff so I'm hoping this is ok. Apparently, the radiator will take up the two top fan slots for the case? I ordered a couple more fans alongside to try and increase airflow if this is potentially a concern and to my understanding, there should be enough slots on the case for that to work.
Monitor - Another area where I'm somewhat uncertain. I've read around and I think that I need to have a higher refresh rate and size to actually get any benefit from the stronger GPUs (?), so I chose this one for the 165 Hz refresh and fast response time, though it is on the smaller side for a monitor and maybe it's still not enough. But to be honest, I'm not 100% sure what to look for in evaluating that I'm getting the most out of a monitor and not wasting the potential of the graphics card. It's probably not the best, but it seems fairly cost-effective for the price and I am open to upgrading to a bigger/better one at a later date when money permits (maybe something like the Gigabyte M34WQ 34 Inch 144 Hz?). I do intend to go for a second monitor eventually anyway. For now, I think it should do the job unless it has any glaring issues that I am not aware of. Perhaps it's better to just stretch and get the higher quality screen straight away?
I think that's mostly what I needed to say. I appreciate any further advice on what might work better, particularly regarding the GPU/monitor situation, but of course any other improvements or notes about horrible errors I have made are much appreciated as well. If there's any more information that would help with that then please let me know.
Thank you!
Context
My current tower PC built many years ago has a GTX 660 and only 4 GB of RAM, bless its little heart. It doesn't really do what I need it to do anymore. In more recent times I've also been getting by on an MX-150-0 in a pre-built Inspiron 15 7000 laptop, which is also now struggling badly, so I'm long past the point where I need to upgrade to something more substantial that can adequately manage what I need/want it to, and also have a bit of room for growth over the next few years.
Budget
My rough budget comes out at around £2000, but can be stretched by maybe up to £500 if it would provide a meaningful boost to performance and/or longevity. If it's better to delay for upcoming releases of new parts then this can potentially be stretched even further.
Aim
The general idea is to aim for a build that can comfortably handle 1080p and 1440p gaming. 4k isn't an imminently huge priority at the moment unless reasonble to achieve within the rough budget (unlikely, I think), so I'll aim for that with future upgrades/builds. Types of games range from early 2010s grand strategy, RTS, and LoL, all the way up to more recent Action/RPG games like Cyberpunk, Elden Ring, various Assassin's Creeds, and Horizon Zero Dawn, which I have held off ever playing due to being simply unable to run them. I am now at the point, however, where I'd like to actually play these in high quality with high FPS, while also having some leeway to pick up newer games over the next few years as well.
I also do a moderate amount of editing in programs like Photoshop (large canvasses especially, with lots of brushes) and Premiere Pro. On top of that, I also tend to multitask quite a bit, lots and lots of Chrome tabs, Office files, data analysis programs open concurrently etc.
Build
The current state of the build is below:
Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL II GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 10-Core Processor i5-12600K (3.7GHz) 20MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H100i RGB PRO XT Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Extra Case Fans
2x 120mm Black Case Fan
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Monitor
ASUS TUF GAMING VG247Q1A 24"
Monitor Cables
1 x 2m DisplayPort Cable - DP (M) to DP (M)
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 6 to 8 working days
Price: £1,891.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z690-pc/2waVc27Czh/
I'm not especially familiar with the landscape of parts at the moment and it's been a very long time, probably a decade or so, since I checked in with what was good where. So my understanding (please do correct any misunderstandings) is as follows:
Case - I have heard good things about the LIAN LI LANCOOL and the aesthetic works for me at a decent price.
CPU - I went with the i5-12600k since by all my readings this seems to be a pretty good cost-effective choice for gaming/other things at a lower price, without having too massive of a power draw either. If I'm not mistaken, there should be a newer i5 Raptor Lake coming out soonish so maybe it's better to wait for that? The new Ryzen CPUs seem to be DDR5-only and I'm not familiar with it and whether it's worth the price.
Motherboard - there wasn't an overabundance of choice in the options but I think this is the budget choice that works well with the CPU, and I don't think I'd get much benefit from the Rog Strix version for my needs.
RAM - My laptop currently has 16 GB and I tend to max it out quite a lot, possibly due to my laptop already struggling with Photoshop. 32 GB I think should give me enough breathing room to handle all the multi-tasking without being overkill? Again not DDR5 since I'm not really sure about it or whether the price is justified by its performance at this stage.
GPU - This is something I've been continuously switching and swapping between. At first, I was settled on getting a 3070 for some future-proofing and I saw somewhere that it also runs a bit more power-efficiently in terms of joules per frame than the 3060ti (please correct me if this is wrong). But I also read here that I may not even get the potential performance benefits out of the card anyway depending on the rest of the set-up (like the monitor). I have heard that the 40 series is also coming soon but I don't know if they're going to be giant energy-guzzling beasts with sky-high prices. Maybe they'll bring the 30 series prices down though? I might be able to stretch for a better monitor and pair it with a 3070 if that's likely to go a bit further.
Power Supply - I went with the 650W TXm since it provides more than enough power for the overall build, though I read in the advice that the RXm 750W might be better in general for overall quality? I don't need the extra 100W right now, but maybe it can be utilised at some point in the future with upgrades.
Cooling - Wasn't 100% sure on this since there's so much choice, but the guidance suggested that the H100i PRO XT should be suitable for most builds outside of the higher-end stuff so I'm hoping this is ok. Apparently, the radiator will take up the two top fan slots for the case? I ordered a couple more fans alongside to try and increase airflow if this is potentially a concern and to my understanding, there should be enough slots on the case for that to work.
Monitor - Another area where I'm somewhat uncertain. I've read around and I think that I need to have a higher refresh rate and size to actually get any benefit from the stronger GPUs (?), so I chose this one for the 165 Hz refresh and fast response time, though it is on the smaller side for a monitor and maybe it's still not enough. But to be honest, I'm not 100% sure what to look for in evaluating that I'm getting the most out of a monitor and not wasting the potential of the graphics card. It's probably not the best, but it seems fairly cost-effective for the price and I am open to upgrading to a bigger/better one at a later date when money permits (maybe something like the Gigabyte M34WQ 34 Inch 144 Hz?). I do intend to go for a second monitor eventually anyway. For now, I think it should do the job unless it has any glaring issues that I am not aware of. Perhaps it's better to just stretch and get the higher quality screen straight away?
I think that's mostly what I needed to say. I appreciate any further advice on what might work better, particularly regarding the GPU/monitor situation, but of course any other improvements or notes about horrible errors I have made are much appreciated as well. If there's any more information that would help with that then please let me know.
Thank you!