Can someone help me build my next PC? non-gaming, high work performance/home movies

Sethdras

Hi all,

I built my last PC just going into Microcenter and having someone walk around with me and my barely googled list. This time, I want to make sure I get the best of what I need. Mind you, my PC lasted 9 years of hard use, so that's a success in my book.

Can someone please advise on the best/wallet friendly PC build for a non gamer? I legit have no gaming systems. I use my PC mainly for work, watching tv/movies and being the hub for storing a lot of data on my external drives/Nas.

I am thinking a huge graphics card isnt really needed, but I could be wrong. I called Microcenter twice but nobody gave me the call back I was told was coming.

Here is the list that the "custom builder" put together, i'm not sure i need all this power, but it might be fun to have, although it's pricey:

Anyone?

Lambdaben

Hello @Sethdras!

Sorry you didn't hear back from one of our store associates, but I'll gladly help you out on here. Looking at your build, I would suggest a few things:

1. I would upgrade your power supply to something Gold rated or higher if you are looking for the machine to last a number of years.
2. I would upgrade the cooler to something beefier for better cooling and longevity
3. I don't think you need the Samsung 870, instead I would get 2 - 970 SSD's or a single 2TB NVMe SSD.

What's your intended budget for the build? I can give you an updated list with parts I would recommend.

Sethdras

Thanks so much. I am pretty sure I selected almost all the higher end/pricier items. I was hoping to keep this around $1000 (parts) as I will be putting it together myself. Also, i do have a couple solid state drives (two 2TB drives) that i will be bringing over from my old PC. That said, i might only need the boot drive and maybe 1 new HD to start fresh.

magarity

All the Intel CPUs come with integrated graphics that work just fine for watching videos, etc, so there's really no need for a graphics card at all.

The i9 level is a specialized part for people who really need that many cores, so unless you just want to say you have an i9 it sounds like the 12700k is a much better choice for what you want to use this computer for. All the reviews point to getting the i7, read this one from tomshardware: Intel Core i7-12700K Review: Taking the Shine Off Core i9 | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com) This will save you some money and last just as long. That cooler you selected is wimpy even for the i7 layer, so you need to select a better one whichever CPU you get.

What brand exactly is "Smart Series" for the power supply? You might not want to cheap out on the power supply. Use some of the savings from i9 to i7 to get a gold or platinum one.

Just get a larger capacity m.2 SSD, and if you need more but slower storage then the hard drive. The 870 SSD is kinda out of place. You can add one later if you really need something in between the m.2 and the hard drive, but I suspect this is not something you need up front.

Sethdras

Thanks! yea, i dont think i really need a graphics card at all either...i dont have one on my current PC.

To be honest, I dont know what would cause the need for more cores. I typically run Office programs...Outlook, Teams, many instances of excel, a couple browsers (many tabs), music running, some download programs/streaming.... So the i7-12700K seems good to me. I dont need to say i have the i9 haha, i'd rather be smart.

I will definitely up the cooler, i'm having fan issues recently so i dont want that going foward. Any specific recommendation?

Power supply as well, i'll go with the gold/highest quality.

SSDs as well, good call.

Thank you!!! Almost to the final specs!

magarity

That model case has a max cooler height of 160mm and the 12700k has a max power draw of 190W. So look for a cooler that is no bigger and rated to at least that. Sorry, I have liquid cooling so I'm not current on good air coolers. People give really good comments on the beQuiet dark rock 4 so check that one's size as a starting point (it can certainly handle the 190W).

Sethdras

i wouldnt mind adding the liquid cooling either...

magarity

I put Corsair H100 all-in-one liquid coolers both in my teen's PC and gave one to a friend as a bday present: Corsair iCUE H100i RGB ELITE 240mm Water Cooling Kit - Black - Micro Center

Excellent warranty and both say the things works great.

My own is all out custom open loop :/

Sethdras

perfect, yea, i'm not going that crazy with this. Again, no need since it's just basically my work PC. Thanks so much!