Hi all, looking to get some advice on some key components before I dive in. I have been spending some time researching and learning the basics, but I still have a few questions before I take my first dip into a PC build.
To start, I am looking to keep my cost around $2,000-$2,500, and I want to build rather than go the prebuilt route. I would like to focus on maximum gaming performance (FPS) given the parameters but I also want the ability to turn the graphics up on games that offer great visuals. I have typically played FPS games on console, but I am beginning to venture into other games, and I am looking for better performance than what I can currently get on console. I know the market is crazy right now, so with that said, I would also be welcome to opinions on whether I should wait a bit to see if things cool down.
Here are my main questions:
Any input is appreciated.
Hope This Helps!
1.Probably get Intel. I'd recommend the Intel Core i7-12700(no overclocking though) for only $300 right now at Micro Center. You could go for overclocking with the Intel Core i7-12700K for $50 more, but you probably don't need to, as the Intel Core i7-12700 is already very good.
2.I'd honestly suggest the RX 6900 XT(at $1400 brand new), still an expensive card, but only marked up 40% and packs better performance than the RTX 3090 in pure computing power, although for ray tracing, look around for a RTX 3080 TI probably.
3.The ASRock Z690 A-PRO is a high-end board for a reasonable price(at $220 at Micro Center), and one of the better boards that support DDR4(which is much cheaper and provides basically almost the same(like 98% of DDR5) performance.
4.Any type of dual channel(2 sticks of 16GB) that makes 32 GB is good for this build. Since DDR4 is pretty cheap, I recommend getting any ram that has around 3200 MHz or higher. For Micro Center, the TeamGroup T-FORCE Vulcan 32GB 3200MHZ is only $110 right now.
5.Probably get the Inland Premium 2TB NVME SSD for only $180 right now. NVME SSDs are basically preferred for any build above $750 because of their compactness and fast speeds.
6.Any sort of air cooler around $40(probably the Cooler Master HYPER 212 V2) should be able to satisfy the needs of this desktop.
This build alone not including the case and power supply is $2250 or 2300(with the Intel Core i7-12700K) for basically the highest end gaming performance.
Hope this helps you make your decision a little easier :D!
Submit photos and a description of your PC to our build showcase
See other custom PC builds and get some ideas for what can be done
Services starting at $149.99
