My First Build in a Long Time

Jan 25, 2022
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So, my current home desktop is pushing 7 years old or so and the time has come where I need to replace it. I don't do a ton of gaming these days (just don't have the time) but I enjoy games and want a system that can play modern games for the never several years. It doesn't have to be the fastest or the best...but I do want to be able to use it for 5 years or so and not have to upgrade parts.

I have built systems in the past but I haven't even given it any thought since I did my last build back around 2014. So I'm trying to do some research now and have come up with a list of parts that I think is a good starting place...but it's also a bit more expensive that I would like it to be. Again, I don't need an insane gaming system...but I do want something that's gonna be pretty maintenance free (meaning no upgrades) for several years. I would like to be able to play modern games and not have a lot of issues.

One thing that is strange about my setup is I need a LOT of storage space. I do a lot of photography and raw files tend to eat up a ton of space pretty fast. So, I did include a pair of 12TB HDs in my setup to ensure I have ample space for years to come.

I also plan on running Windows 10 as that is what I'm familiar with and figure I can always upgrade to 11 down the road.

So, with that in mind, here is my initial thought. I know this will need some refining but this is where I am starting from. This is more than I want to spend so hopefully with some help I can find areas where I can cut a little cost.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

CPU:
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X

Cooler:
AMD Wraith Prism LED RGB Cooler Fan from Ryzen 7

Motherboard:
ASUS ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING AM4 AMD B550 SATA 6Gb/s ATX AMD Motherboard

RAM:
CORSAIR Vengeance RGB Pro 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3600 (PC4 28800) Intel XMP 2.0 Desktop Memory Model CMW32GX4M2D3600C18


Video Card: MSI Mech Radeon RX 6600 8GB PCI Express 4.0 Video Card RX 6600 MECH 2X 8G


SSD:
Crucial P2 2TB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD Up to 2400 MB/s

Hard Drives:
Seagate IronWolf 12TB NAS Hard Drive 7200 RPM 256MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s CMR 3.5" Internal HDD for RAID Network Attached Storage ST12000VN0008 - OEM x2


Case: ROSEWILL CULLINAN MX Tempered Glass RGB ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with Remote Controlled RGB LED Fans


Power Supply: Rosewill CFZ600 600W ATX Semi Modular Gaming Power Supply | 80 PLUS Bronze Certified, Single +12V Rail | Continuous Power SLI & Crossfire Ready


Monitor: ASUS TUF Gaming 27” 1080P Monitor (VG279Q1R) - Full HD, IPS, 144Hz, 1ms, Extreme Low Motion Blur, Speaker, FreeSync Premium, Shadow Boost, VESA Mountable, DisplayPort, HDMI, Tilt Adjustable

[Mod edit: shortened Amazon URL.]
 
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Jan 25, 2022
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Welcome to the forum :)

What country are you in, and buying in?


We need an idea of your budget so our experts can put together some suggestions.
I'm in the United States. This initial list is right around $2500 and I could probably swing that but I would rather be closer to the $2000 mark so I have a little room for a new keyboard/mouse and whatever other odds and ends.
 
You won't find Rosewell psu's recommended on any worthwhile tech sites. You want to use Windows 11 with these new Alder Lake cpu's that have the big/little cores. btw that ebay seller 'Antonline' (cpu) is a major supplier for the likes of Target. They have their own website if you google them.

Better quality case than that Rosewill imo.

Phanteks Eclipse P360A $79.99

Exhaust fan for that case.

https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-P12-120-Pressure-optimised-Quiet-Computer/dp/B07GB16RK7
ARCTIC P12 PWM - 120mm 4-Pin Case Fan $8.00

https://www.newegg.com/super-flower-leadex-iii-sf-550f14hg-550w/p/1HU-024C-00008
Super Flower Leadex III 550W 80+ Gold Modular Power Supply $54.99 Save: $50.00 (47%)

MSI MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI DDR4 $179.99

or ...

ASUS TUF GAMING B660M-PLUS WIFI D4 $179.99

https://www.ebay.com/itm/294689414993
Intel Core i7-12700F $329.99

https://www.amazon.com/Gelid-Solutions-Glacier-Cooler-2x120mm-220w-Double/dp/B094VWK8T3/
Gelid Solutions Glacier ARGB CPU Cooler $34.99

https://gelidstore.com/collections/new/products/lga1700-bracket-for-glacier-and-glacier-black
Gelid Solutions LGA1700 Mounting Kit $5.90

https://www.newegg.com/corsair-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820236607
CORSAIR Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4 3600 32GB (2x16GB) CL18 $139.99 + $5 off w/ promo code SSBN2524, limited offer

https://www.newegg.com/intel-660p-series-2tb/p/N82E16820167461
Intel 660p Series M.2 2280 2TB PCIe NVMe 3.0 x4 Internal SSD $199.99 + 21% off w/ promo code CNEBN25584, limited offer

https://www.newegg.com/seagate-ironwolf-st12000vn0008-12tb/p/1JW-001N-00027
Seagate IronWolf 12TB NAS Hard Drive - OEM $269.99

https://www.newegg.com/seagate-ironwolf-st12000vn0008-12tb/p/1JW-001N-00027
Seagate IronWolf 12TB NAS Hard Drive - OEM $269.99

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GeForce-RTX-3060-12G/dp/B08WPJ5P4R/
MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 OC RGB 12GB Graphics Card $829.99

Total: $2374 *including promo codes & discounts



https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-B660M-MORTAR-WIFI-DDR4



Reviews of that cpu w/benchmarks.

https://www.techspot.com/review/2391-intel-core-i7-12700/

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydgN4W97Esk&t=708s


1080p_Average.png
 
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Board w/o built in WiFi.

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813119543
ASUS PRIME B660-PLUS D4 $139.99


Cheaper cpu that works fine with Windows 10.

https://www.newegg.com/intel-core-i5-12400f-core-i5-12th-gen/p/N82E16819118360
Intel Core i5-12400F $199.97

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813144522
MSI MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI DDR4 $179.99

DEEPCOOL GAMMAXX GT A-RGB CPU Cooler $29.99

https://global.deepcool.com/company/pressroom/newsrelease/2021/14926.shtml?id=PressRoom
DEEPCOOL LGA1700 Mounting Kit


Reviews of that cpu with benchmarks.

https://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/core-i5-12400-processor-review,1.html


crt7kaXuExn7kL4EiMfRM5-970-80.png
 
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It sounds like Windows 11 is a must with the i7. I know it's a pretty new OS and I'm always leery with that but from what I have read it sounds like it works pretty well. Should I not be concerned about a newly released OS?
 
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It sounds like Windows 11 is a must with the i7. I know it's a pretty new OS and I'm always leery with that but from what I have read it sounds like it works pretty well. Should I not be concerned about a newly released OS?
I hate using new operating systems until they're at least a year old and the bugs have been worked out of them. With that said all the games now run Windows 11 smoothly and that OS is the only one that works with these new Alder Lake cpu's that have the big/little cores.
 
Jan 25, 2022
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I hate using new operating systems until they're at least a year old and the bugs have been worked out of them. With that said all the games now run Windows 11 smoothly and that OS is the only one that works with these new Alder Lake cpu's that have the big/little cores.
Fair enough. I need to go back and see what kind of CD Key I have on my current system and see if it's something I can transfer over and upgrade.

It's been so long I can't remember. Haha.
 
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Jan 26, 2022
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You won't find Rosewell psu's recommended on any worthwhile tech sites. You want to use Windows 11 with these new Alder Lake cpu's that have the big/little cores.

Better quality case than that Rosewill imo.

Phanteks Eclipse P360A $79.99

Exhaust fan for that case.

https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-P12-120-Pressure-optimised-Quiet-Computer/dp/B07GB16RK7
ARCTIC P12 PWM - 120mm 4-Pin Case Fan $8.00

https://www.newegg.com/super-flower-leadex-iii-argb-sf-550f14rg-550w/p/1HU-024C-00004
Super Flower Leadex III ARGB 550W 80+ Gold Modular Power Supply $99.99 + $20 off w/ promo code CLBNE235, limited offer By Super Flower Save: $50.00 (33%)

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813144522
MSI MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI DDR4 $179.99

or ...

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813119540
ASUS TUF GAMING B660M-PLUS WIFI D4 $179.99

https://www.ebay.com/itm/294689414993
Intel Core i7-12700F $329.99

https://www.amazon.com/Gelid-Solutions-Glacier-Cooler-2x120mm-220w-Double/dp/B094VWK8T3/
Gelid Solutions Glacier ARGB CPU Cooler $34.99

https://gelidstore.com/collections/new/products/lga1700-bracket-for-glacier-and-glacier-black
Gelid Solutions LGA1700 Mounting Kit $5.90

https://www.newegg.com/corsair-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820236607
CORSAIR Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4 3600 32GB (2x16GB) CL18 $139.99 + $5 off w/ promo code SSBN2524, limited offer

https://www.newegg.com/intel-660p-series-2tb/p/N82E16820167461
Intel 660p Series M.2 2280 2TB PCIe NVMe 3.0 x4 Internal SSD $199.99 + 21% off w/ promo code CNEBN25584, limited offer

https://www.newegg.com/seagate-ironwolf-st12000vn0008-12tb/p/1JW-001N-00027
Seagate IronWolf 12TB NAS Hard Drive - OEM $269.99

https://www.newegg.com/seagate-ironwolf-st12000vn0008-12tb/p/1JW-001N-00027
Seagate IronWolf 12TB NAS Hard Drive - OEM $269.99

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GeForce-RTX-3060-12G/dp/B08WPJ5P4R/
MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 OC RGB 12GB Graphics Card $830.50

Total: $2380 *including promo codes & discounts



https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-B660M-MORTAR-WIFI-DDR4



Reviews of that cpu w/benchmarks.

https://www.techspot.com/review/2391-intel-core-i7-12700/

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydgN4W97Esk&t=708s


1080p_Average.png

Board w/o built in WiFi.

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813119543
ASUS PRIME B660-PLUS D4 $139.99


Cheaper cpu that works fine with Windows 10.

https://www.newegg.com/intel-core-i5-12400f-core-i5-12th-gen/p/N82E16819118360
Intel Core i5-12400F $199.97

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813144522
MSI MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI DDR4 $179.99

DEEPCOOL GAMMAXX GT A-RGB CPU Cooler $29.99

https://global.deepcool.com/company/pressroom/newsrelease/2021/14926.shtml?id=PressRoom
DEEPCOOL LGA1700 Mounting Kit


Reviews of that cpu with benchmarks.

https://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/core-i5-12400-processor-review,1.html


crt7kaXuExn7kL4EiMfRM5-970-80.png
In your initial list of parts, you recommended against Rosewill PSU (or someone did) and that was fine. I know of no one who would recommend that. You recommended this: Super Flower Leadex III ARGB 550W 80+ Gold Modular Power Supply $99.99 + $20 off w/ promo code CLBNE235, limited offer By Super Flower Save: $50.00 (33%) I have not heard of that one either. With the RTX 3060 OC you recommended, you need to make sure you have enough on the +12v rail. Corsair is usually pretty good in that respect and Seasonic has been good. There is another one that I cannot think of the name of. That is probably more important than the wattage. I noticed there was a LOT of storage. Over all the list was good. I used to moderate at the PCWorld.com Forums until they shut down and took the magazine digital.
 
In your initial list of parts, you recommended against Rosewill PSU (or someone did) and that was fine. I know of no one who would recommend that. You recommended this: Super Flower Leadex III ARGB 550W 80+ Gold Modular Power Supply $99.99 + $20 off w/ promo code CLBNE235, limited offer By Super Flower Save: $50.00 (33%) I have not heard of that one either. With the RTX 3060 OC you recommended, you need to make sure you have enough on the +12v rail. Corsair is usually pretty good in that respect and Seasonic has been good. There is another one that I cannot think of the name of. That is probably more important than the wattage. I noticed there was a LOT of storage. Over all the list was good. I used to moderate at the PCWorld.com Forums until they shut down and took the magazine digital.
Super Flower makes the high end psu's for EVGA ... just like how Seasonic makes the high end psu's for Corsair.
 
Jan 26, 2022
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Super Flower makes the high end psu's for EVGA ... just like how Seasonic makes the high end psu's for Corsair.
Ahh. Okay. I hadn't heard of them. I primarily use Corsair. Now, as for Video Cards, it is EVGA, although I briefly used an Radeon HD 5770 back in the day. The biggest issue is having enough on the +12v Rail. People would be surprised at how little wattage you really need. I am sitting here using a Corsair AX 850. Way more watts than I need, but plenty on the rail to support the GTX 1080 SC I have in here.
 
Jan 25, 2022
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I really appreciate all the advice so far. It's been a huge help.

Let me ask you this. My current computer is running a retail copy of Windows 10 Pro (it was an upgrade from Windows 7). Will I be able to use this same OS key and upgrade to Windows 11 or will I need to purchase a new OS for this build?
 
I really appreciate all the advice so far. It's been a huge help.

Let me ask you this. My current computer is running a retail copy of Windows 10 Pro (it was an upgrade from Windows 7). Will I be able to use this same OS key and upgrade to Windows 11 or will I need to purchase a new OS for this build?
Your Windows key is supposed to be tied to one motherboard but I've heard of people using those key's on two PC's so its worth a shot and if it doesn't work get Windows 11 USB Flash Drive.
 
Ahh. Okay. I hadn't heard of them. I primarily use Corsair. Now, as for Video Cards, it is EVGA, although I briefly used an Radeon HD 5770 back in the day. The biggest issue is having enough on the +12v Rail. People would be surprised at how little wattage you really need. I am sitting here using a Corsair AX 850. Way more watts than I need, but plenty on the rail to support the GTX 1080 SC I have in here.
https://www.newegg.com/super-flower-leadex-iii-argb-sf-550f14rg-550w/p/1HU-024C-00004

Output: +3.3V@20A, +5V@20A, +12V@45.8A, -12V@0.5A, +5Vsb@3A
 
Jan 25, 2022
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You won't find Rosewell psu's recommended on any worthwhile tech sites. You want to use Windows 11 with these new Alder Lake cpu's that have the big/little cores.

Better quality case than that Rosewill imo.

Phanteks Eclipse P360A $79.99

Exhaust fan for that case.

https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-P12-120-Pressure-optimised-Quiet-Computer/dp/B07GB16RK7
ARCTIC P12 PWM - 120mm 4-Pin Case Fan $8.00

https://www.newegg.com/super-flower-leadex-iii-argb-sf-550f14rg-550w/p/1HU-024C-00004
Super Flower Leadex III ARGB 550W 80+ Gold Modular Power Supply $99.99 + $20 off w/ promo code CLBNE235, limited offer By Super Flower Save: $50.00 (33%)

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813144522
MSI MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI DDR4 $179.99

or ...

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813119540
ASUS TUF GAMING B660M-PLUS WIFI D4 $179.99

https://www.ebay.com/itm/294689414993
Intel Core i7-12700F $329.99

https://www.amazon.com/Gelid-Solutions-Glacier-Cooler-2x120mm-220w-Double/dp/B094VWK8T3/
Gelid Solutions Glacier ARGB CPU Cooler $34.99

https://gelidstore.com/collections/new/products/lga1700-bracket-for-glacier-and-glacier-black
Gelid Solutions LGA1700 Mounting Kit $5.90

https://www.newegg.com/corsair-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820236607
CORSAIR Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4 3600 32GB (2x16GB) CL18 $139.99 + $5 off w/ promo code SSBN2524, limited offer

https://www.newegg.com/intel-660p-series-2tb/p/N82E16820167461
Intel 660p Series M.2 2280 2TB PCIe NVMe 3.0 x4 Internal SSD $199.99 + 21% off w/ promo code CNEBN25584, limited offer

https://www.newegg.com/seagate-ironwolf-st12000vn0008-12tb/p/1JW-001N-00027
Seagate IronWolf 12TB NAS Hard Drive - OEM $269.99

https://www.newegg.com/seagate-ironwolf-st12000vn0008-12tb/p/1JW-001N-00027
Seagate IronWolf 12TB NAS Hard Drive - OEM $269.99

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-GeForce-RTX-3060-12G/dp/B08WPJ5P4R/
MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 OC RGB 12GB Graphics Card $830.50

Total: $2380 *including promo codes & discounts



https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-B660M-MORTAR-WIFI-DDR4



Reviews of that cpu w/benchmarks.

https://www.techspot.com/review/2391-intel-core-i7-12700/

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydgN4W97Esk&t=708s


1080p_Average.png
I honestly think what you have here would be an epic build for me. Both motherboards you suggest look basically the same. Can you give me a little insight on what makes them different...I don't really see much,
 
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Your Windows key is supposed to be tied to one motherboard but I've heard of people using those key's on two PC's so its worth a shot and if it doesn't work get Windows 11 USB Flash Drive.
Because I have a system I'm running Windows 10 on...can I put Windows 11 on a new system without a fee or will I need to buy Windows 11 if this doesn't work? My old system doesn't meet the requirements for Windows 11.
 
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So, I've decided to take your advice @Why_Me and go with the i7 build you recommended above. Let me ask you this, is it really necessary to go with the aftermarket cooler recommended or is the stock Intel cooler powerful enough? To be honest, I'm a little concerned about space with the bigger cooler and it looks a little intimidating.
 
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So, I've decided to take your advice @Why_Me and go with the i7 build you recommended above. Let me ask you this, is it really necessary to go with the aftermarket cooler recommended or is the stock Intel cooler powerful enough? To be honest, I'm a little concerned about space with the bigger cooler and it looks a little intimidating.
You want an aftermarket cpu cooler for that cpu. Here's a smaller one.

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition RGB CPU Air Cooler $49.99


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cZKGxWmh6U
 
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I honestly think what you have here would be an epic build for me. Both motherboards you suggest look basically the same. Can you give me a little insight on what makes them different...I don't really see much,
I just noticed the MSI board has the newer 1200 audio codec vs the older 897 audio codec for that Asus board. Not a biggy unless you play first person shooter games where hearing things such as footsteps is a biggy.
 
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