PC construction guidance for Build AdviceFirst — feedback welcome
PC construction guidance for Build AdviceFirst — feedback welcome
Hi Everyone!
This is my first PC build, and I haven’t done one before, so please give me your advice.
I have a white theme and a budget around $1000. Mostly it’s for 1080p gaming, and I don’t have any plans for CPU overclocking or ray tracing.
My main choices right now are:
- ASRock B760M Pro RS Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard – $162.99
- Intel Core i5-12400F 2.5 GHz 6-Core Processor – $142.99
- Deepcool AK400 66.47 CFM CPU Cooler – $37.99
- ADATA XPG GAMMIX S70 Blade 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD – $59.99
- ASRock Steel Legend OC Radeon RX 6650 XT 8 GB Video Card – $249.99
- Lian Li LANCOOL 216 ATX Mid Tower Case – $103.99
- Corsair RM750e (2023) 750 W, 80+ Gold Certified, Fully Modular ATX Power Supply – $99.99
Total comes to about $957.92
Will it be fine to run 1080p games? I plan to play Hogwarts Legacy, Civilization 5 & 6, Witcher 3, and the Final Fantasy 7 remake on a high but not the highest setting.
Questions:
1. Should I upgrade my motherboard? My brother suggested buying the Asus ROG STRIX B760-A GAMING WIFI ATX LGA1700.
2. Is it okay if I only use one 16GB RAM stick for those games?
3. The case already has two 160mm fans at the front and one 140mm fan at the back—do I need three more for the top?
Thanks everyone!
The 120mm fan is positioned inside the rear of the case to serve as an exhaust fan.
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU:
- Intel Core i5-12400F 2.5 GHz 6-Core Processor ($142.99 @ Newegg)
- Thermalright Assassin X 120 Refined SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($18.89 @ Amazon)
Motherboard:
- Gigabyte B660M AORUS ELITE AX DDR4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Memory:
- TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Storage:
- Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME SSD ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card:
- Asus DUAL OC GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Amazon)
Case:
- Fractal Design Focus 2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($52.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply:
- Corsair RM750e (2023) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Best Buy)
Case Fan:
- ARCTIC P12 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fan ($9.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $959.80
All prices encompass shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts
*Selected lowest-priced components based on specified criteria*
Generated by PCPartPicker
2023-07-29 23:49 EDT-0400
Link: https://www.fractal-design.com/products/...lear-tint/
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIG4vFQbDn4
Support others with 2x16gb of RAM, but be aware the processor can only handle up to 3200Mhz. I own a 12400 and use Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x16gb at 3200MHz.
To answer your questions...
1. No you do not need the more expensive motherboard unless you need wifi.
The 12400 processor is not a high power draw.
2. It is not ok to use one stick of ram. Performance is better with dual channel. Buy the ram you need up front, many, today will buy a 2 x 16gb kit since ram is relatively cheap. But no game is going to need more than 16gb.
If you plan on multitasking while gaming, like streaming of discord, then get 32gb up front.
Do not plan on adding ram later; ram must be bought in a single kit to guarantee proper performance.
3. Love the case. You do not need any more fans. In fact top fans may well be counterproductive by diverting cooling air up and out of the case before reaching the cpu cooler, motherboard and graphics cards.
On your parts list:
Penny wise and pound foolish to try to save $25 on a F processor.
If you ever have a graphics problem, integrated graphics will save you.
12400 is fine; 13400 is the next step up.
Both come with a stock cooler that can do the job.
I would be inclined to install the stock cooler first and see how you do.
Gaming does not put the same cpu load on the processor that multithreaded batch apps do.
I think 1tb is a bit small. games are getting bigger and 2tb might be better.
You can buy a 2tb intel 670P for $65:
Intel 670p Series M.2 2280 2TB PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe 3D4 QLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) SSDPEKNU020TZX1 - Newegg.com
Buy Intel 670p Series M.2 2280 2TB PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe 3D4 QLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) SSDPEKNU020TZX1 with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!
www.newegg.com
I have no opinion on graphics cards. You mostly get what you pay for.
Over time, you can expect to do a graphics upgrade as you move to higher resolution monitors.
The RM750e is fine; 850w would not be out of line.
A psu only uses the power demanded of it, regardless of the max capability.
For a first time builder, here is
MY build process:
Before anything, while waiting for your parts to be delivered, download
and read, cover to cover your case and motherboard manual.
Buy a long #2 magnetic tip philips screwdriver.
A small led flashlight is also useful.
I find it handy to buy a power switch like this for testing.
https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16812119009...klink=true
1. I assemble the critical parts outside of the case.
That lets me test them for functionality easily.
A wood table or cardboard is fine.
2. Plug in only the necessary parts at first. Ram, cpu, cooler, psu.
Do not force anything. Parts fit only one way.
Attach a monitor to the integrated motherboard adapter if you have one, otherwise to the graphics card.
3. If your motherboard does not have a PWR button, momentarily touch the two pwr front panel pins with a flat blade screwdriver.
4. Repeatedly hit F2 or DEL, and that should get you into the bios display.
5. Boot from a cd or usb stick with memtest86 on it. memtest will exercise your ram and cpu functionality.
They boot from a usb stick and do not use windows.
You can download them here:
MemTest86 - Official Site of the x86 Memory Testing Tool
MemTest86 is the original self booting memory testing software for x86 and ARM computers. Supporting both BIOS and UEFI, with options to boot from USB.
www.memtest86.com
Memtest86+ | The Open-Source Memory Testing Tool
Memtest86+ is an advanced, free, open-source, stand-alone memory tester for 32- and 64-bit computers (UEFI & BIOS supported)
www.memtest.org
If you can run a full pass with NO errors, your ram should be ok.
Running several more passes will sometimes uncover an issue, but it takes more time.
Probably not worth it unless you really suspect a ram issue.
Opinions vary on updating the bios.
Normally, one does not update a bios unless there is a fix for something that is impacting you. I violate this rule on a new build and will update to currency up front.
Use the usb option, not the windows option.
If there is a severe problem, the impact is small.
6. Install windows.
7. Install the motherboard cd drivers. Particularly the lan drivers so you can access the internet.
Do not select the easy install option, or you will get a bunch of utilities and trialware that you don't want. Drivers only.
7. Connect to the internet and install an antivirus program. Microsoft defender is free, easy, and unobtrusive.
8. Install your graphics card and driver if you tested with integrated graphics.
You will need to remove the graphics card later to install your motherboard in the case.
As a tip when screwing the motherboard into the posts, give the screw a small counterclockwise turn until you feel a click.
That lets you know that the screw will engage properly.
Make a note of how the graphics card latches into the pcie slot.
The mechanism will be hidden under the card and may be difficult to work if you have not previously checked how.
9. Update windows to currency.
10. Only now do I take apart what I need to and install it in the case.
11. Now is the time to reinstall your graphics card.
if you are close to a microcenter, obtain the 5600X3D
https://www.microcenter.com/product...-6...t-included
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU Cooler:
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE WHITE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler
($38.90 @ Amazon)
Motherboard:
ASRock X570 Steel Legend WiFi ax ATX AM4 Motherboard
($156.99 @ Newegg)
Memory:
Timetec PINNACLE Konduit 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory
($54.99 @ Newegg Sellers)
Storage:
Crucial P5 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD
($97.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card:
ASRock Steel Legend OC Radeon RX 7600 8 GB Video Card
($289.99 @ Newegg)
Case:
Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case
($69.00 @ Newegg Sellers)
Power Supply:
Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 Snow - TT Premium 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
($99.99 @ Amazon)
Summary:
Total amounts to approximately $807.85
Includes shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts
Created by
PCPartPicker
2023-07-31 03:53 EDT-0400
Amount comes to about $1040 USD
Thank you very much for the thorough guide on geofelt, I really appreciate it.
Thanks everyone for your assistance!
Everything is almost the same except for the processor I chose an i5 12400. I skipped getting a CPU cooler and upgraded the SSD from 1TB to 2TB. The RAM was set to buy two 16GB sticks.
It's a bit scary for me doing this PC build for the first time, but really grateful for your help!