Question Alright, it's that time of the decade again. Building a new gaming PC.

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Stg-Flame

Stg-Flame

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Mar 10, 2007
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1. What YOUR PC will be used for.
Strictly gaming.

2. What YOUR budget is.
Up to $5,000 but as always, I'd like to keep it as low as possible.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA / Online stores.

5. IF YOU have a brand preference.
EVGA for the PSU is about the only preference these days but I'm pretty flexible even on this. I've ran through a few Corsair PSUs that have all died on me, but my current EVGA is still going strong after 7 years.

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
Headset + 2X 512GB SSDs

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
I might tweak some things here and there but I don't think I'll do anything as extreme as I did with my current system.

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
4K 144hz. My only question would be since I'm going to use my current 2k monitor as a second screen, will that have any effect on a 4k monitor I purchase? In the past, all my monitors have been more or less the same so this one is new for me.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Around October 20th.

10. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system
Just the OS as far as I'm aware.

Now that that's all cleared up, time to get to the list.

CPU - i9-13900KF @ $630 PRE-ORDERED + $100 Heatsink
GPU - Nvidia RTX 3090ti Founder's Edition@ $1,100 PRE-ORDERED
PSU - EVGA SuperNova 1000w Platinum @ $200 ORDERED
RAM - G.Skill Trident Z5 32GB (6600) @ $310 BACK ORDERED
Mobo - ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E @ $500 PRE-ORDERED
HDD - 2X Samsung 980 Pro 2TB @ $380 + 2X NVMe Heatsinks @ $40 ORDERED
Case - MSI Gungnir @ $105 ORDERED
Monitor - ASUS ROG Strix 27" @ $700 @ $700 ORDERED
Peripherals - Random RGB Cherry keyboard $100 / Logitech G502 Wired @ $40
OS - Windows 11 Pro 64 bit @ $160 ORDERED

Overall current price - $4385

As I said before, I'm always happy to spend less than the proposed amount but I'm willing to go all the way to $5,000 so if there's a reason I should spend more somewhere else, please let me know why. I'll keep updating this as parts come and go and as I start finalizing my selections. I'd like to get this all ordered in one piece but since there's some deals going on right now with Amazon and I'm sure more deals will spring up later, I can always grab piece by piece.
 
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igor_kavinski

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Case suggestion: https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-GT501-Mid-Tower-Motherboards-GRY/dp/B07L6CHS16/

Do you really need the 24GB VRAM of the 3090 Ti? If not, would the 4080 16GB not be a better option? Also, the Radeon 7000 series in November may offer better performance and value and maybe more VRAM, unless you really need Nvidia features like DLSS.

850W PSU may not be completely stable with a 3090 Ti.

1665483107674.png

A spike like that would leave 322W for the rest of your PC components. May not be a problem as Raptor Lake probably won't consume a lot during lightly threaded workloads like gaming but you decide if this is enough PSU power headroom for your needs.

Seagate FireCuda 530 M.2 2280 2TB PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe 1.4 3D TLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) ZP2000GM3A013 - Newegg.com

That NVMe drive offers good performance with plenty of endurance to last you a long time. Be sure to invest in a good NVMe heatsink or cooler, like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1M2J61F/
 
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Stg-Flame

Stg-Flame

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igor_kavinski said:
Do you really need the 24GB VRAM of the 3090 Ti? If not, would the 4080 16GB not be a better option? Also, the Radeon 7000 series in November may offer better performance and value and maybe more VRAM, unless you really need Nvidia features like DLSS.
Click to expand...
I'm future proofing so I won't have to upgrade down the line and I'd like to get this built ASAP. Currently I'll only be waiting on the CPU and possibly the motherboard so I'll likely have this built before the 4080s hit the market.

Thanks for the information and links. I'll definitely check them out.
 
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JackMDS

JackMDS

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As some one that is "deeply" into personal computers since day one (I.e,. 1972) I never came across "Future proofing",

Old computers can be used for years for some specific personal use but future proofing is just verbal conundrum that is syntactically correct but has nothing to do thr reality of computing.

So.. build the best the you can afford today and start enjoying it.


:cool:
 
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Stg-Flame

Stg-Flame

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In2Photos said:
Seems strange to be buying top of the line gear and pre-ordering the CPU, but not waiting for the 4090 which comes out tomorrow for the GPU.
Click to expand...
Mainly because I wasn't sure when they were releasing and when they would be in stock. I can always cancel the 3090ti if the 4090s are going to be in stock but I wasn't banking on the fact I could get my hands on one so soon after launch, especially given the trend of GPUs disappearing immediately over the last two years.
 
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Tech Junky

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Stg-Flame said:
GPUs disappearing immediately over the last two years
Click to expand...
Well, that's mostly done since crypto merges went POS and drove prices down to make it less of an incentive to use GPU's vs ASIC miners that are more efficient per watt. Also, with Intel ARC entering the market it has started driving down prices as well.
 
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Stg-Flame

Stg-Flame

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Tech Junky said:
Well, that's mostly done since crypto merges went POS and drove prices down to make it less of an incentive to use GPU's vs ASIC miners that are more efficient per watt. Also, with Intel ARC entering the market it has started driving down prices as well.
Click to expand...
Still, everything I've found regarding the 4090 series all say out of stock or backordered. This is the main reason I went with the 3090ti because it was in stock and within my price range. A few months ago, the same GPU would have cost double but as I've said, if the 4090s become available before I get the CPU then I can just cancel the order and get a 4090 instead. I'm mainly needing advice on the rest of the build.
 
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Shmee

Shmee

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The list looks decent to me, but I tend to agree, better to go with a 4090 at this point if possible, or wait for AMD RDNA3 cards or 4090s with custom cooler designs. I am also not a fan of FE cards in general, but to each their own.

I would probably go with a 1000W PSU, they shouldn't be that much more and it would give you more headroom, for upgrades or just in general, given the tier of CPU and GPU you are choosing.

For windows, I would go with Windows 11 pro, but look on other sites to see if you can find a code cheaper.

As for NVMe drives, look for a decent sale on any of the following 2TB drives: Samsung 980 Pro, Adata XPG S70 Blade, Seagate Firecuda 530, WD Black SN850, Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus. All these are top tier PCIe gen4 m.2 drives, and overall should perform fairly closely, so IMO just buy the best deal at the time. I mention 2TB capacity as many of the lesser capacity NVMe drives will perform a little bit slower on the same model. 2TB seems to be the high end sweet spot right now for NVMe m.2 drives. You can also buy more than one m.2, you have plenty of slots on that board. I would probably start with one or two 2TB SSDs, though if you need a lot of storage, you may want to buy a few multi-TB WD Gold drives, or get/build a separate NAS.
 
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Stg-Flame

Stg-Flame

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Tech Junky said:
What advice do you need with two threads on the same subject. Lose the question on the thread with the parts you listed out.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what you hope to gain by coming into threads with a shitty attitude. You just come off sounding like I've personally offended you by asking for advice about which brands are better at the moment and now that I'm asking for advice to get all the parts together for a full build. If you are this annoyed by a harmless topic, you should just block me and move on because none of your responses in either topics have been helpful.

Shmee said:
For windows, I would go with Windows 11 pro, but look on other sites to see if you can find a code cheaper.
Click to expand...
Any reason for pro over home? It's been so long since I looked at operating systems and looking at the side-by-side comparison on Newegg, one doesn't seem to have any benefits over the other, though since you mentioned it I'm sure I'm just not looking in the right place.

Shmee said:
I would probably go with a 1000W PSU, they shouldn't be that much more and it would give you more headroom, for upgrades or just in general, given the tier of CPU and GPU you are choosing.
Click to expand...
I definitely don't want to bottleneck myself later down the road in a few years, so I'll check out a 1,000w PSU.

Shmee said:
I would probably start with one or two 2TB SSDs, though if you need a lot of storage, you may want to buy a few multi-TB WD Gold drives, or get/build a separate NAS.
Click to expand...
I'll snag two of them. I really only use one drive for the OS and older games, one drive for all my music/movies/mods/etc., and one drive specifically for Steam. I do have spare drives lying around so I can always swap things around for extra storage if needed.
 
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Stg-Flame

Stg-Flame

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I have the OP updated and I think I should have everything mostly finalized. I would love to get my hands on a 4090 but considering I work nights and I checked the main sites every hour to see about availability, it doesn't seem like I would be able to get one anytime soon and there's always room to upgrade down the line. I still have plenty of time to cancel the GPU and Best Buy offers up to 30 days (possibly longer) for a full refund if I want to return it and get a 4090 later.
 
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Shmee

Shmee

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Oh I forgot to mention, make sure you select a good CPU cooler. I don't think the CPU even comes with one.
 
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igor_kavinski

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Stg-Flame

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igor_kavinski said:

www.techpowerup.com

MSI MEG CORELIQUID S280 AIO Cooler Review

MSI looks to improve its share of the all-in-one liquid cooler market with the MEG CORELIQUID S280. The built-in IPS display on the pump and active cooling for the VRM result in this halo product delivering not only unique features, but also solid performance.
www.techpowerup.com www.techpowerup.com

Better than even some 360mm radiators. But expensive.
Click to expand...
Yeah, you weren't joking about expensive. I'm not planning on OCing the CPU so is something like that even necessary these days? I've used just a standard $40 heatsink on all my past CPUs and they've done just fine but as I've said before, I've been out of the loop for a long time. I have the left over funds for something fancy like that, but if a standard heatsink will suffice I'll just go with the cheaper option.
 
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igor_kavinski

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videocardz.com

Intel Core i9-13900KF already in enthusiast's hands, a week ahead of launch - VideoCardz.com

Retail Intel Core i9-13900KF appears You can buy anything with good connections. Jeges, a member of the Overclock.net forums, claims to own an unreleased Intel Core i9-13900KF processor already, and he is not afraid to talk about it. This is the first known retail sample of the KF variant that...
videocardz.com videocardz.com

Maybe get the same Arctic AIO?

It's relatively cheap too: https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-Liquid-Freezer-All-One/dp/B07WNJCVNW
 
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sze5003

sze5003

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Thanks for putting this together. I'll be getting the same motherboard, CPU, and possibly similar ram or slightly lower speed version.

I use an nzxt x73 360mm AIO right now on the i9 9900k so I'll need to contact nzxt for the LGA1700 bracket which I can't do until I buy the new board and cpu anyway.

I'm planning on going to a 4090 if I can get one..I'll be checking microcenter this week after work since I'm like 10 min from one...so far no luck.
 
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Stg-Flame

Stg-Flame

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sze5003 said:
Thanks for putting this together. I'll be getting the same motherboard, CPU, and possibly similar ram or slightly lower speed version.

I use an nzxt x73 360mm AIO right now on the i9 9900k so I'll need to contact nzxt for the LGA1700 bracket which I can't do until I buy the new board and cpu anyway.

I'm planning on going to a 4090 if I can get one..I'll be checking microcenter this week after work since I'm like 10 min from one...so far no luck.
Click to expand...
I've been trying to get a 4090 but it looks like I'll just stick with the 3090ti for a few years. It should hold up well enough for 4k. Aside from bots or buying from scalpers, I have no idea how people are getting them and with the closest micro center being six hours away from me, that's not an option.
 
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