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When considering budget boards that lack DDR5, avoid CPUs with a stock TDP above 200W. Most LGA 1700 boards support DDR5, and the latest DDR4 options aren't particularly strong (even the one in the bundle). For lasting performance similar to your current 12700K, 13600K, or 14600K models, opt for a system with a 7700(X) or higher. This choice also offers room for future upgrades.
Which option offers better NVMe performance: a single 1 TB drive focused on the OS and other storage devices, or a single larger drive for all purposes?
Here is my suggested build ($1675):
DDR5 except in some gaming circumstances is superior to DDR4. This kit is 64Gb, and it's not meant for gaming. It will do, but lower latency and higher frequency would be needed for heavy duty gaming.
The motherboard is not cheap, but that's not a bad thing. If there is something it lacks or if it's overkill, let me know please.
For storage i chose a 1Tb OS drive and a 4Tb secondary NVMe. Not sure if this is ideal or not, but let's roll with it for now.
I suggest installing the OS drive into the 4.0 CPU slot (to keep the PCIe 16x slot free; it drops to 8x if an NVMe is installed in the 5.0 CPU slot). Very little to gain running a NVMe in a 5.0 slot anyway. Some would say nothing at all. The Samsung 980 Pro is a 4.0 drive anyway.
Power supply is far more than the system needs, but as it's a long term build and it may accomodate more than a puny GPU in it someday, and it's reliable, and it's efficient... It's worth the money, but it
is
more than is needed.
GPU is just expensive and decent enough to not be a nuisance or gutless. It will not do well with demanding games but it's capable for a sub $300 GPU.
If it proves to be too weak, or once it is outdated there will be better GPUs to upgrade to.
The case is just a case. Nothing notable except it's pretty decent for the low price.
If aesthetics are a concern, it would be better if you chose the case yourself. Just check the fine print to see if there is enough space to fit everything. Plus you can always ask here for advice.
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU:
Intel Core i5-13600K 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor
($272.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler:
Scythe Fuma 3 67.62 CFM CPU Cooler
($49.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard:
Gigabyte Z790 AERO G ATX LGA1700 Motherboard
($269.99 @ Amazon)
Memory:
Crucial CT2K32G48C40U5 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-4800 CL40 Memory
($170.99 @ Newegg)
Storage:
Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
($98.31 @ Amazon)
Storage:
Crucial P3 Plus 4 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
($237.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card:
Zotac GAMING Twin Edge OC GeForce RTX 4060 8 GB Video Card
($289.99 @ Amazon)
Case:
Phanteks XT PRO ATX Mid Tower Case
($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply:
Silverstone HELA 850R 850 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
($224.20 @ Amazon)
Total:
$1664.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by
PCPartPicker
2024-04-08 03:39 EDT-0400
Your question about whether using the M.2 - 5.0 slot affects the performance of the 16x PCIe express slot is clear. You were considering a 2TB drive and wanted to know if it would impact the other drive. You also mentioned you planned to keep everything on one drive and asked for guidance.
I remember purchasing a $200 12700kf during Black Friday. I also chose DDR4 because I plan to reuse this CPU, motherboard, and RAM in the future. If you intend to keep it longer, switching to DDR5 seems sensible.
Many Z790 boards come with a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot that shares bandwidth with the main x16 slot for graphics. More premium boards offer a BIOS option to run the first M.2 slot at PCIe 4.0 via the chipset, maintaining all 16x lanes for the GPU. Just keep in mind what you're buying when selecting a board.
Besides the most premium motherboards, the M.2 port and PCIe 16x slot also share lanes with the CPU. If you install an M.2 slot, the PCIe lane count reduces to 8x. This isn’t a major concern unless you’re heavily gaming. Still, it’s worth noting.
The Aero G motherboard addresses the “shared CPU lanes” problem by including an additional M.2 port on the CPU side. Typically, only one M.2 slot connects to the CPU, with the rest integrated into the chipset. The extra M.2 slot on Aero G doesn’t affect the PCIe x16 slot’s performance when downgraded to x8.
If this sounds too complex, just ignore it and use your preferred drives—speed differences won’t impact you or gaming much.
I also mentioned how NVMe slots function on modern boards today (one fast lane shared with the GPU slot plus slower ones).
There are very few 5.0 drives available, and none offer enough value to justify their cost. You could opt for a 3.0 drive without any noticeable difference. They’re all extremely fast, so the variations are negligible.
In addition to having separate drives, there isn't much advantage. With only a few M.2 slots, adding a small drive would require moving it later. Many people still do this. It makes backing up the secondary drive simpler because it involves just bulk file storage and doesn't affect the operating system.
Absolutely! I'm sure this will be the last time I purchase from Newegg. The board arrived damaged, which forced me to request a return from the manufacturer. I won't buy anything from them again. I've seen many bad RMA experiences on YouTube, and I thought I was alone in this situation. Instead, I plan to get the board and CPU from Microcenter so I can replace it immediately if the problem comes up again.