Help with a build

lemontarts

Hello. I've been looking to get an upgrade/build a new PC but I'm a bit at a loss with all the options...

Hoping to stay under $1200-1400 if possible; I currently play games moderately on my PC (MMORPGS and such) as well as use creative software, with some streaming every now and then.

I've been looking into some parts and was trying to find a motherboard to go with the i7-13700K but I'm not sure what would suffice. I'm not committed to Intel though, so a Ryzen alt suggestion would be cool too. Any advice would be appreciated.

Rye_Bread

I would start by looking at our current bundle deals, as they're some of the best value you can get right now.

Amazing Bundle Deals | Micro Center <-AMD

Amazing Bundle Deals | Micro Center <-Intel

If possible, I'd highly recommend swinging by your local Micro Center location to speak to one of our Build-Your-Own associates. They'd be more than willing to guide you through every step and make sure you're able to get the exact parts you need for the looks and performance you want!

JonA10

Checked for reviews & benchmarks on Tom's Hardware and was surprised to see in a little video "How to Choose a CPU" (displayed like an ad would be, at bottom of article) that said

"Demanding creative apps such as video editors and 3D animation software use a lot of threads at once."

"Most games only need a few threads at most so a CPU with a lower core count is fine for gaming."

(Should compare demanding to demanding.)

It was the first video in the 'ad roll.'

This was on

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-core-i7-13700k-cpu-review and

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-ryzen-5-5600x3d-cpu-review

If you like bar graphs,

The Best CPU for Gaming in 2023 has four charts, (didn't see a best for creative apps) and the CPU Benchmarks Hierarchy 2023 shows those and more:

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-cpus,3986.html (published Sept 11, 2023)

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-hierarchy,4312.html (published July 29, 2023)

The top bars of the first chart in each article show the same prices , so check for sales & deals since then.

Also, http://canyourunit.com (alias for www.systemrequirementslab.com) checks by software for minimum and recommended specifications. It'll test the computer used to visit the page, but you can use My Computer Details and then Edit "to see how different computer components compare against game requirements."