Monitor Madness - A Workhorse PC for Ultrawide Monitors

MicroCenterOfficial

Written by @Vaganza

Up until recently, I was always a proponent of multiple-display setups, as each additional monitor offers more space to work with and, as a result, more utility. That was until I picked up an ultrawide monitor. I frequently work with programs like AutoCAD and have found that an ultrawide monitor just has far more options when it comes to drawing scales, as it isn't limited to the traditional 16:9 aspect ratio. As such, I thought I would share my newfound love by designing a PC with ultrawide monitors in mind!

For this build, I have put together a nice mid-range PC for typical home office work with an emphasis on ultrawide display capabilities. I chose to do a small-form-factor (or SFF) PC that will sit nicely on the table and compliment the focus on the display. The build features a nice clean, white design throughout. I’ve also picked out some nice looking and great sounding speakers to wrap up the entire package.

Processor: Intel Core i5-13600K Raptor Lake 3.5GHz Fourteen-Core LGA 1700 Boxed Processor

Intel's 13th gen is their latest and greatest, and the i5-13600k is no exception. This is a great middle-of-the-road, 14-core (6performance cores and 8 Efficiency cores) CPU running at 3.5 GHz. The performance-to-cost ratio is ideal for a small home office PC that can handle all of your daily tasks and a decently heavy workload to boot. It also doesn’t require a cooler that needs a lot of fans, helping to save on your budget and making it easier to build in smaller form factor cases.

Processor Cooler: Corsair iCUE H100i ELITE CAPELLIX XT 240mm All in One Liquid CPU Cooling Kit

The case - a HYTE Revolt 3 Mini, which we'll get to in a moment - works great with a 240mm radiator. Corsair’s AIO coolers have a great track record for performance and reliability. As an added feature, the RGB on the components can be set to create a nice ambient glow in the case.

Motherboard: ASRock Z690M-ITX/ax Intel LGA 1700 Mini-ITX Motherboard

Equipped with built-In WIFI 6, this board is ready for a nice productive life. The Z690M supports RAM speeds of up to DDR4-3000 with a maximum port capacity of 32 GB. There are a pair of NVMe M Key Slots and 1 E Key slot. It supports USB 3.2 and a has 1 PCI-E 5 16x slot for video card. This board also has ethernet speeds supported up to 2.5 GBPS and carries a 3 year manufacturer’s warranty. And, of course, itt also features white components on the board to compliment the theme. 

Graphics Card: ASUS NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Dual White Edition Overclocked Dual Fan 8GB GDDR6 PCIe 4.0

A GeForce RTX 3060 may technically be a last-generation card, but that doesn't mean its not powerful. It has more than enough oomph to handle anything you can throw at it during a day of work with a bit left over for some light gaming, if that's your speed. 

RAM: Corsair – VENGEANCE RGB PRO SL 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3600 PC4-28800 CL18 Dual Channel Desktop Memory Kit CMH32GX4M2D36KW - White

If you have one RGB component, it can be smart to stick with the same brand for all RGB components, as it will make syncing and adjusting far easier. Both the Vengeance PRO RAM and AIO use Corsair's iCUE software for easy RGB setup. Its not all about aesthetic though - this RAM performs at lightning-quick 3600Mhz and offers the same reliability that Corsair has put out there for years.

Hard Drive: Inland - Performance Plus 2TB 3D TLC NAND PCIe Gen 4 x4 NVMe M.2 Internal SSD

I have fallen in love with the Inland series of NVMe SSDs as the performance is great and the price is just fantastic.  With 7000 MBps read and 6850 MBps write speeds, this 2TB SSD has the room and speed to keep your PC at peak efficiency for years to come.

Power Supply: Lian Li - SP 750 GA 750 Watt 80 Plus Gold SFX Fully Modular Power Supply

Lian Li's SFX-size, fully-modular SP 750 power supply provides all you need for the components in this build. And not only does the color match up with the case selection, since its fully modular, you won't have extra cables cluttering up your small case!

Case: HYTE - Revolt 3 Mini-ITX Mini Tower Computer Case - White

This compact ITX case has an interesting look that stands on your desk like a cleanly designed model skyscraper. Ventilation and airflow is often a concern with SFF builds, but with mesh on all sides of the case, your fans have more than enough airflow to keep your PC cool. The Revolt 3 will sit nicely on the corner of any desk, comfortably tucked behind the corner of any curved, ultrawide display, but especially the one I've chose. Speaking of...

Display: Samsung - Odyssey Neo LS49AG952NNXZA G9 49" 5K DQHD (5120 x 1440) 240Hz UltraWide Curved Gaming Monitor

The ultra sharp, super fast, display is a 49” 240Hz Ultrawide curved monitor. While the Odyssey Neo is geared for gaming, it offers a nice, attractive, clean workspace for any project that would be helped by more space. The Neo has a 32:9 aspect ratio with a resolution of 5120x1440, which is approximately a pair of 2K displays, neatly condensed into a single panel. A truly massive 1.07 billion - yes, with a 'B' - colors are supported on this display, making it great for everything from gaming to CAD to photo and video editing. And right now, during Monitor Madness, this Neo is $600 off!

Speakers: Kanto - Living YU2 Powered 2 Channel Stereo Computer Speakers w/ Built-in USB DAC - Matte White

As someone who loves to listen to music while working, I have to include Kanto's Living YU2 speakers. As a pair of 25 Watt 3” 2way speakers, they'll fit comfortably on most desks without taking up too much space. That said, they will absolutely fill the space they don't take up with lush, vibrant sound.

Keyboard: Logitech G - G513 Carbon LIGHTSYNC RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - GX Red (Linear)

Did I choose this build because 513 is coincidentally the zip code of the Cincinnati Micro Center? Maybe. Is it a fantastic keyboard either way? Absolutely. With a sleek, subtle design and linear keys, it won't distract from the star of the show.

Mouse: Logitech G - G502 X LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Mouse – White

A white mouse that pairs well with the Logitech gaming keyboard. I own three of these mice, and keep one with each of my systems, that's how good these mice are.

Mousemat: Glorious - Extended Gaming Mouse Mat - XXL Black

I am also a fan of the oversized mousemat that also sits under the keyboard. It protects the table top well and is really comfortable to work on.

The full parts list can be found on our Custom PC Builder:

https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/custom-pc-builder.aspx?load=bc48430a-5f33-404c-9688-ef1734244cc9

Want even more Monitor Madness? Be sure to check out all our Top Deals for even more savings. On the Community, we have Champion Monitor recommendations and Gaming Monitor Guides. We'll be celebrating Monitor Madness all month long, so be sure to keep an eye on the Micro Center Community as we dig into PC build guides for high-end monitors, deals, and recommendations!

Ian

Great suggestion!

ChaosDTV

good suggestions i love the build

Vladdy

Super clean looking GPU!

-V

ronwoodson

I believe it also supports PbP mode using a built in KVM switch. Useful feature if you want your work laptop and your gaming pc to share the same monitor.

ricardo_ortega

This is some great spec recommendations for autoCAD users. I will keep this in mind. Thanks 

ronwoodson

I remember when I dipped my toes in the water and tried an ultrawide monitor for the first time. I'm totally sold on it as a productivity must have. I want to go bigger now.