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Tom's Braintrust-
It's time to refresh my desktop setup, which has been running for about three to four years. I'm aiming for quality rather than the absolute newest gear, but I want solid performance without overspending. My machine handles email, browsing, Outlook, Word, Excel, plus light video and photo work. After checking online, I've identified some options that seem to balance cost and capability well.
I plan to keep my existing ATX tower, the Masterwatt Bronze 550W power supply, and the 1060ti graphics card, provided they still fit with these new parts. I'm hopeful they will.
For the motherboard, I'm considering the MSI Z890-S Wi-Fi model.
Link: https://www.newegg.com/msi-pro-z890-s-wi...6813144675
In terms of processor, I'm looking at an Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF or 265K.
Link: https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-trid...y-...6820374648
For storage, I need a Crucial T705 M.2 PCIe Gen 5 2TB drive.
Link: https://www.newegg.com/crucial-2tb-t705-...6820156398
Does this setup seem feasible and worth the investment?
Thanks!
It will function properly.
But:
Some considerations:
Avoid cutting corners just to save a few dollars—opt for the 265K model.
For your project, you might not require a dedicated graphics card.
How much memory do you truly need? And what speed is necessary?
A decent 2 x 16GB configuration at 6000 MHz is under $100
Both of your questions are clear. Could you confirm if 32GB would suffice for your needs? I typically run multiple tabs, open several documents, and use Outlook simultaneously. I also checked some budget brands but wasn’t very familiar with them, so I chose a well-known brand that’s popular on NewEgg. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
When purchasing RAM, it's best to buy as much as you'll ever need. Adding more RAM later isn't always effective. Chrome appears to be especially restrictive regarding RAM. It might be worth settling for a 2 x 24 kit with slightly lower speeds. Corsair, g.skil, and Patriot are all solid brand options. A lower CAS latency is preferable at a specific speed. If you calculate the speed divided by the CAS, you'll typically get a figure around 200 for most RAMs.
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 265K 3.9 GHz 20-Core Processor ($259.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Royal Pretor 130 81.88 CFM ($44.39 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX LGA1851 ($243.00 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws S5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial T500 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD ($139.99 @ Adorama)
Case: Montech AIR 903 MAX ATX Mid Tower ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Montech CENTURY II 850 W 80+ Gold Certified ($89.90 @ Amazon)
Total: $1026.26 (includes shipping, taxes, and available discounts)
Generated by PCPartPicker
2025-09-07 17:27 EDT-0400
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU:
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265K 3.9 GHz 20-Core Processor ($259.00 @ Amazon)
- Thermalright Royal Pretor 130 81.88 CFM CPU Cooler ($44.39 @ Amazon)
- Gigabyte Z890 EAGLE WIFI7 ATX LGA1851 Motherboard ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Memory:
- Patriot Viper Venom 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory ($148.99 @ Newegg)
Storage:
- MSI SPATIUM M480 PRO 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD ($119.99 @ MSI)
Total: $742.36
Prices encompass shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts
*Selected lowest-priced items based on specified criteria*
Generated by PCPartPicker
2025-09-08 01:21 EDT-0400
T705 ssd offers no significant advantage compared to a pcie4 ssd and comes at a higher cost, so I wouldn’t bother with it. Your PSU is quite old and its warranty is nearly expired; if it’s beyond warranty or close to expiring, I’d consider replacing it. The build quality looks good overall, except for the ram which others have pointed out.