Build Advice for first-time Desktop Building

[mayorcat]

Hello Forum,

I hope everyone is having a lovely day.

I'm looking to buy the below build but just wanted to post it and ask a couple of questions before I pull the trigger on it. My main uses are gaming on it: I'll be playing games like Baldurs gate 3 etc. I am planning to mostly game on 1080p but wouldn't mind being able to play 1440p either. I know gpu may be a tad overkill but I want to future-proof the build a bit.

• I am a bit puzzled, especially when selecting a motherboard and choosing between DDR4 and DDR5. My first question would be, is going for DDR4 OK for 1080p - 1440p gaming?

• Also, Is the cooling solution I choose would be enough to keep my build cool? I'm not interested in overclocking, but would like it to be future proofed in case I ever upgrade my gpu/cpu.

• I also wanted to ask if my RAM is suitable. I don't know whether a higher MHz would make any difference in 1080p/1440p gaming.

• Regarding the motherboard, I have zero information on motherboards, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

• And finally, would it make any difference if I go for the 12600KF instead of the 12600K since I will have a dedicated GPU in the build? Is there any use case for an integrated GPU, or can I just ditch it and save a couple of quids?

I put some parts I am also considering in brackets.

Thanks in advance

Budget: Around £1500 - £1600

Case
CORSAIR 175R RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE (Special Offer)

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 14-Core Processor i5-13600KF (Up to 5.1GHz) 24MB Cache

Motherboard
GIGABYTE B760 DS3H DDR4 (LGA1700, DDR4, USB 3.2) - ARGB Ready!
{GIGABYTE Z790 GAMING X AX (DDR5, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready}


Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
{32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 4800MHz (1 x 32GB)}

Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4070 - HDMI, DP, LHR

Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti AND ABOVE)

1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 2950MB/sW)

Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W CV SERIES™ CV-650 POWER SUPPLY

Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)

Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 200 Series High Performance CPU Cooler

Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND

Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)

Network Card
ONBOARD LAN PORT

Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6E AX210 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
{No wireless card If I go for the option in brackets for motherboard as I understand it has integrated WiFi}

USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS

Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00027]

Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language


Total Cost : £1,512.00
{£1,619.00 if I go for the alternative picks}

 

[Scott]

With the 1080p to 1440p dilemma, do you have a 1080p monitor or a 1440p monitor? Are you purchasing a monitor? What is the budget for it and when are you looking to purchase.

You want to build and spec the system based on today (+ a couple of months maximum). If you're wanting to buy a monitor down the line, get the GPU to match down the line) as it makes more financial sense due to the ever changing cost & technology.

For me the build is all wrong, for £1600 I would be looking at AMD for this level of build. I would also be aiming for a platform with some life in it and thinking to the future so DDR5 and AM5 for sure.

 

[mayorcat]

Hey,

I have a 1440p monitor already.

Why are you suggesting amd for this price point? In the benchmarks intel seems to be the faster one. I’m asking because I don’t have much information on this topic. If I replace the cpu with AMD 5600x, do you think the rest of the build is fine? I’ll probably go for ddr5. Thanks.

 

[SpyderTracks]

In the benchmarks intel seems to be the faster one.

That's not correct if you're looking at userbenchmark or cpubenchmark those are made up scores not based on any real world testing and they falsely put intel ahead. They're banned on most legitimate sites including this one. They don't benchmark anything.

UserBenchmark gets cancelled for biased component rating, drama

PC component rating website 'UserBenchmark' faces a near-universal backlash from multiple DIY PC subreddits and its moderators. This is due to its inaccurate benchmark and rating system which misguided many unsuspecting readers, therefore ending not

thinkcomputers.org

Userbenchmark is rated "Bad" with 1.3 / 5 on Trustpilot

Do you agree with Userbenchmark's TrustScore? Voice your opinion today and hear what 141 customers have already said.

www.trustpilot.com

Rampant Ryzen 9 7900X further exposes UserBenchmark bias as AMD's 12-core Zen 4 chip rips up Raptor Lake rivals

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X has made its first appearance on UserBenchmark and in the process has not only destroyed every contender in the average bench chart but has also exposed the site’s labyrinthine scoring system. The Zen 4 Ryzen 9 7900X managed to outpace an unnamed Raptor Lake rival that may...

www.notebookcheck.net

You have to view legitimate 3rd party benchmarks

 

[Scott]

Hey,

I have a 1440p monitor already.

Why are you suggesting amd for this price point? In the benchmarks intel seems to be the faster one. I’m asking because I don’t have much information on this topic. If I replace the cpu with AMD 5600x, do you think the rest of the build is fine? I’ll probably go for ddr5. Thanks.

The 5600x is a previous generation CPU. I would only really look to the older platform when the budget was a constraint. It's also limited to DDR4.

This is £100 over but right on the money for your uses. A bit more powerful on the GPU front as well. Which monitor is it you have? The system below is designed for maximum frames at 1440p so you would be looking at 144hz. If it's less than this you could reduce the price by reducing the GPU.

It's not the most powerful system for gaming but the budget isn't there for the 7800X3D which is the gaming king. The rest of the system supports future upgrades though, if you wanted to change things out over the years. The 7800X3D could get away with the cooler but you would ideally want a decent AIO in there such as the H100i.

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 7600 Six Core CPU (4.0GHz-5.2GHz/38MB CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI (DDR5, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
16GB AMD RADEON™ RX 6950 XT - HDMI, DP - DX® 12
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 2950MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ - MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 150 Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00003]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 12 working days
Price: £1,704.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/nbnKzem3Rh/