Advice for a 1080p/1440p high refresh rate gaming build

futekina

So it's about time to upgrade. My current setup is:

ASUS X79 Deluxe MB / i7 4820K / GTX 780 Ti / 32 GB RAM /1 TB HD x 2/ 120 AIOmm cooling

Honestly, it still works rather well, but it really shows it's age when trying to run some newer games like Horizon Zero Dawn or Cyberpunk 2077. New GPUs are scarce for now, and I'm really into Persona 4 Golden right now, so getting rolling is not super urgent, but still it's time to start looking forward and deciding on parts/a budget. I will be reusing my current case (Falcon Northwest Talon from 2013) and power supply (1000w). Aside from fan openings you can't really see the inside of my case, so I'm not really interested in RGB features which I figure can save me some money. Also debating whether to do AIO or air cooled this time. Leaning toward air cooled depending on if the unit I'm considering will fit in the case or not. Also it seems like the pricing on the stuff that I've put together is pretty comparable between Intel and AMD so far, and I'm unlikely to update the CPU before the next time I need to completely overhaul my rig again in 6-7 years, so I'm leaning Intel at this point because it seems like it's a better performer with the software/games I'm interested in for now. Here are a couple of builds I've been considering:

Intel build: MSI Z490 Gaming Edge Wifi (or the ASUS TUF Equivalent) / i5 10600K/ RTX 3060 Ti reference card of some kind/ 16 GB RAM / 1 NvME 500GB (OS& Apps) / 1 NvME 1TB (games) / Hyper 212 EVO (or 120mm AIO)

AMD build: Much the same except for either B550 or X570 chipset on the MB in the 150-200 price range and a Ryzen 5 3600/5600X.

The stuff that I've priced out seems to situate me in the $1300 neighborhood if I can get a GPU at MSRP eventually, which seems okay given what I have already squirreled away for this project. Also, I'm not married to NVidia, but the 3060 Ti seems to be at the price/performance sweet spot for what I want from this build.

Any Criticism/thoughts/advice would be welcome, especially when it comes to possible saving in the Motherboard/CPU area. Not sure if the i5/Ryzen 5 options I'm looking at are overkill or not.

Thanks!

LB3

@futekina It looks like a solid build for high FPS 1080p and medium FPS 1440p.

Only issue with the 5600X is it's nearly impossible to find. For the 3600X, keep in mind that memory speeds will affect AMD 3xxx series more than AMD 5xxx or Intel. For the 3600X make sure your RAM is at least 3200MHz, if not 3600MHz, especially for 1080p gaming. 1440p gaming relies more on the GPU so it's a coin flip if you want Intel or AMD. 

Also, the 3600X comes with an adequate cooler for stock performance. Whereas the 10600K does not. If you're not planning on overclocking you may want to look at the i7-10700 (non-K) as an option.

Regarding motherboards, after you've picked a CPU get the board that offers what you need. It comes down to budget and preference and what each chipset, Z490 vs X570, as to offer you. Each board offers upgrade paths - AMD up to 5xxx-series and Intel up to 11th Gen.

You mentioned 2 NVMe drives. Please note that each drive will use 4 PCI-e lanes and your graphics card will use 16. 16+4+4=24 PCIe lanes. You'll want to check the motherboard specs to make sure it will support this many PCI-e devices without seeing a performance hit. Most likely you're okay, just sayin'.

futekina

I hadn't considered the PCIe lanes, so that's super helpful, thanks. The 5600X is hard to find, but so is any forward looking GPU at this point. I had planned on waiting a bit before pulling any triggers anyway.

LB3

@futekina
If time is not a concern, definitely wait to see what Intel has to offer this March/April. I'd assume the i5-11600K will be a beast for 1080p. I upgraded recently to an i9-10850K and I've been very happy with the 1080p performance. Now I just need that 3060 eh?

JS_MC

Great recommendations @LB3

Looking for a new 30 Series card myself! Soon™ 😊

futekina

May we be swimming in 30 series cards like Scrooge McDuck soon enough.

Another question: How are the stock AMD Wraith fans if anyone knows? If they're good/quiet enough to avoid a cooling upgrade that might help in terms of decision/budget.

JS_MC

I've used the Wraith Prism for a time and it performed well enough. I kept it for a couple of months on my 3700X - until I found the CPU cooler I wanted. You won't be breaking any cooling records, but it'll keep you from thermal throttling.  I've since swapped over to the Noctua NH D15 Chromax. It looks like we only have the Brown version available at the moment. In my opinion, this is the best air cooler available. Otherwise, I'd recommend an AIO.

futekina

Can't really see any of my components anyway, so color isn't an issue. How does that Noctua cooler compare to something like a Cooler Master ML120 AIO?

JS_MC

It will handily outperform 120MM AIOs from my experience. Here's a helpful benchmark that I found comparing the NH-D15 against 5 high-end AIOs. I'd say that if you're considering a 120MM AIO go with the Noctua instead. If you're considering 240-280MM go with your preference. If you're going with 360MM the AIO would typically offer better cooling.

LB3

futekina said:

May we be swimming in 30 series cards like Scrooge McDuck soon enough.

Another question: How are the stock AMD Wraith fans if anyone knows? If they're good/quiet enough to avoid a cooling upgrade that might help in terms of decision/budget.

The AMD stock coolers are adequate if you're not overclocking. I've built a few Microsoft Flight Simulator stations using the 3600 and kept the stock cooler and I haven't seen any thermal issues but the case you use will need VERY good airflow to help it along.

120mm AIOs are a thing of the past, as @LandShark mentioned, many air coolers will easily outperform them. If you decide to overclock I'd suggest spending a minimum of $60-$80, or more, on an air cooler. Coolers below this price won't give you the performance-per-dollar over the stock Wraith.

In regards to AIOs, I personally use a 280mm but it's easy to overpay because they often charge premiums for aesthetics over function. I strongly suggest a moderately priced 280mm like the EVGA CLC 280mm. I've used this one for overclocking a 3900X and it was a very good experience.

futekina

Thanks folks. I don't think my case could really accommodate an AIO bigger than 120mm, and a lot of the chunkier fans might be a tight fit. From the outside the case width measures just under 8 inches so the Noctua in this thread, or even the 212 EVO I had been considering before, might be a tight fit (if they fit at all) in terms of the case width if I assume 7.75 inches of clearance. I probably will not be worried about overclocking since I will likely be sticking to a 1080p resolution display and I don't think it will really help in terms of the applications that I'll be using the machine for, I'm mostly concerned with the fans being relatively quiet and with quality/longevity of both the cooler and the CPU. If I were more certain about the form factor concerns I don't think I'd even be considering the AIO at this point.

LB3

Then the stock cooler should suffice, keep an eye on the temps for a few weeks and if everything looks okay then stick with it.
Alternately, have you considered low-profile, down firing coolers? I helped a friend reuse an old case from a pre-built and we ended up using a one but his CPU did not include a cooler.

Unfortunately, Micro Center does not carry a variety of these. I would suggest the Scythe Big Shuriken 3 Low Profile cooler or the Noctua NH-L12S low profile. Each are about $50.