Question $700 for a CPU, GPU, and MB setup ideal for light video editing and intensive office tasks
Question $700 for a CPU, GPU, and MB setup ideal for light video editing and intensive office tasks
My 12-year-old video editing PC (i7 2600K, Asus P8Z68-V Pro Gen3 MB, 16GB RAM) is becoming outdated, and the original graphics card (also from Asus) is no longer functional. I’m planning to resume video editing, so I need a fresh setup and have started researching current DIY options for our non-profit.
The combination of an Asus ProArt Z790 with an i5 14 600K and an Asus RTX 4070ti seemed appealing… but when I checked prices in the Czech Republic, those three parts alone cost well over $1000. That made me think this might be more than necessary for my needs.
I dug a bit deeper and explored various possibilities. Now I’m considering the best balance of components—Z790, H770, B780?—an Intel i5 14th gen CPU, and either an Intel Arc B850 or RTX 4060 GPU, with room to upgrade if funds allow. I’m aiming for around $700 for these three, and I’ll repurpose the rest from other devices or buy later.
I already own Adobe Premiere Pro CS6, Dreamweaver, Chief Architect, Office Pro. I have a lot of unused video clips from phones and dedicated cameras. I’m slowly retiring and want to sort through this footage to create quality videos for our non-profit center and family. I play games occasionally but not heavily—more like trucks (my 1965 M51A2) than F1 racing.
For daily tasks and news, I often juggle over 30 browser tabs, run four Pegasus Mail clients, and have several Word/Excel files open. I also listen to music while working. A slow or noisy PC isn’t my preference.
I’m thinking a CPU of i5 14th gen would be ideal, though maybe a lower-end 14 400 or 14 500 would suffice—no need for overclocking.
For the motherboard, I was considering Asus again and wondering between a ProArt B760 and a Prime Z790. Then I found two reviews that could be good alternatives: an Intel Arc B850 GPU paired with a Gigabyte Z790 Gaming x ax MB.
What’s the best balanced setup among these options, or is there a more affordable and effective solution?
For the rest of the build, I’ll stick to 16GB DDR5 RAM (more can be added later) and one M.2 SSD for the operating system and programs.
Estimated purchase time: within four weeks
Budget range: €700 (in the Czech Republic!)
Usage priorities from most to least important:
- Office work (four email clients, Word, Excel, Zoom)
- Photo editing and light video editing
- Design tasks
- Web browsing (often 30+ tabs open)
- Occasional gaming (not fast or multiplayer)
Parts not needed: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS, case, power supply, extra SSDs.
Country: Czech Republic, Europe
Preferred brands: ASUS or Gigabyte
Overclocking: No
Monitor resolution: Full HD or higher (4K not essential)
Most people would likely suggest going for 32 RAM instead of 16 now, with more options available later.
You might prefer not to use MSI; it seems Asus isn't receiving as many positive reviews as it did a decade or two ago.
It would be better to think about a mid to upper range micro ATX board rather than a full ATX board in the same price bracket, and opt for B series instead of Z. All aimed at giving you more flexibility for other upgrades like RAM, CPU, OS drive, or video card.
On typical benchmarks between 14500 and 14600K, performance is roughly 7 percent better on single thread and 22 percent on multi-thread.
The difference between 14400 and 14600K is around 53 percent in favor of the latter for multi-thread and 13 percent for single thread.
Your 17528.48Kč budget makes acquiring modern components quite challenging using on pcpartpicker. Do you have any other sites we might explore for more affordable options?
Initially, thank you for your responses. I haven't updated anything with Asus, but I've experienced excellent and lasting results with both Acer (laptops) and Asus (components). As you mentioned, this happened more than a decade ago. Back then, MSI was acceptable for mid-range use, though most reviews didn’t highlight them highly. That’s why I also added this Gigabyte MB, which seemed like an affordable Z790 board that could later be upgraded to something better.
The case type: I have sufficient space, so an ATX is fine and supports more cooling (bigger fans + improved airflow = quieter operation) and allows for older drives.
Regarding the difference between the 14 600k and 14 400 models: is it about overclocking limits or a distinction between basic versions? In reality, the 14 600 version tends to be pricier than the 14 400. The main reason for choosing non-K models would likely be lower temperatures.
Websites I frequently check:
- heureka.cz
- alza.cz (a platform that evaluates other sites)
- Alz.cz (a major German chain with small VIP discounts)
Prices:
- i5 14600: $350 (7 nm)
- i5 14 600 K: $245 (10 nm, no cooler)
- i5 14 400: $185 with discount (cooler not mentioned)
- i5 14 400 F: $161 including Intel Laminar RM1 Cooler
- Gigabyte z 790 gaming x ax MB: $255
- Asus Tuf Gaming H770: around $235
- Asus Prime Z790: around $235
- Asus ProArt B760: $255
- Asus Rog Strix B760: $275
- Asus Tuf Gaming Z790: $290
- Intel Arc B850 Limited Edition: $320
All items are available on pre-order, which is fine for me.
On Amazon.de, there’s a WEELIAO Gunnir 3 fan version at 2580 MHz for $470 already in stock.
Gigabyte RTX 4060 Windforce 2xfan: $310
Asus RTX 4060 Dual Evo OC 2xfan: $325
The top-tier models with three fans start around $50 more.
The cheapest 4060 Ti is the Gainward Ghost 8 Gb at $425.
The 4070 begins at $590, and the 4070 Super at $650.
I attempted but the Cz websites are simply too costly to stay within that budget and acquire a contemporary PC. The most reasonable graphics cards begin around 10k, which exceeds about two-thirds of your budget. Even with German pricing it remains challenging:
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU:
Intel Core i5-14400F 2.5 GHz 10-Core Processor
(€148.65 @ Amazon Deutschland)
CPU Cooler:
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler
(€40.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Motherboard:
ASRock B760M Pro RS Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard
(€132.45 @ reichelt elektronik)
Memory:
Patriot Viper Venom 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory
(€98.90 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Video Card:
XFX Speedster QICK 319 Core Radeon RX 6750 XT 12 GB Video Card
(€339.00 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Overall Cost:
€759.90
Includes shipping, taxes, and available discounts
Created by
PCPartPicker
2024-12-16 16:46 CET+0100
Strictly stock, without any overclocking. My earlier mention was about 14600k, 14500, and 14400. Not 14600. I don't have any information about the 14600.
My original graphics card was an ASUS-NVIDIA GTX 570 (a museum piece 😆).
I’m open to going up to 800 for the CPU, GPU, and motherboard if it works. The $1,400 price tag for the z970 + 4070 Super felt too steep.
DDR5 memory: 16GB (2x8) should cost about $60–80 in Kingston Fury models; other options are limited. Most DDR5 sticks come in 32GB sizes, which is usually priced around $110 for basic kits from brands like Patriot or Corsair. That could be a good value if I add it to the existing $700 budget.
I don’t need RGB lighting—wasting money and power isn’t worth it. I still prefer solid cases over anything with RGB.
As mentioned, my budget isn’t tight for new hardware, so I’m fine with a quiet ATX case, hot-swap bay, and an 850-watt PSU. If I have enough power connectors, I might stick with that setup for now to test things out.