NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Build Guide

MicroCenterOfficial

Looking to pick up the brand new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, but not sure what you want to build with it? We've got you covered with two builds, one AMD and one Intel, designed to make the most of the new graphics card.

                                                                                                                                                                           Photo: NVIDIA

AMD NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Build

For AMD, we'll be putting together a sleek black minimalist build, focused on power over flash.

Processor: Ryzen 5 5600X

We're aiming for the sweet spot with the Ryzen 5 5600X. It'll be more than enough processing power for your average usage, with a sizable chunk to spare, without breaking the bank.

Motherboard: ASUS x570 TUF Gaming

If you're building with an RTX 3060 the day it comes out, you're going to have a bit of an easier time making the most of the card with an AMD build. The RTX 3060 can make use of a PCIe 4.0 slot, and doing so gives it an extra bit of oomph. And, while Intel is starting to put out PCIe 4.0 motherboards, AMD has been making use of them for a bit now. Add on to that the minimal black aesthetic that we're looking for with this build, and you have a winning motherboard.

Graphics Card: ASUS NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 TUF Gaming Overclocked Triple-Fan 12GB GDDR6 PCIe 4.0

Obviously, we'll be going with one of the new GeForce RTX 3060s, but the ASUS TUF version has the synergy with our x570 TUF motherboard we're looking for, as well as that simple black coloring to match the rest of the build. But, this also has RGB, letting you draw attention to your gorgeous new graphics card while bathing the rest of your all-black build in soft, rainbow light.

RAM: G.Skill Ripjaw V 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200

16 gigs of RAM is more than most users will ever need, but with only two sticks to get us there, you'll have plenty of room to expand. Plus, the aesthetic of the RAM will blend in perfectly with the build.

Hard Drives: WD Black SN 750 500GB M.2 (For OS) and Samsung 860 EVO 1TB SSD (For everything else)

Hard drives might not be the flashiest part of a PC build, but with a WD Black M.2 for your OS (with room to spare), your computer will be up and running in the blink of an eye. Add on an extra terabyte of space with Samsung's 860 EVO in a 2.5" form factor and you've got all the space you need, running at lightning speeds.

Power Supply: Corsair CX650M 650 Watt 80+ Bronze ATX Semi-Modular Power Supply

If we want to put together something sleek and clean, we need good cable management. Enter the semi-modular power supply. Use the cables you need, put the rest back in the box.

Case: Lian Li 205 Tempered Glass ATX

Lian Li makes nothing but gorgeous, sleek cases, and the 205 is no exception. With no RGB on-board, the only glow will be from your brand new 3060, lighting up the 205 through its tempered glass window, showcasing a clean powerhouse of a build.

The full parts list can be found on our Custom PC Builder: https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/custom-pc-builder.aspx?load=bb8da1ad-6dd2-4bff-8443-5d8de9f0c20f

Intel NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Build

For our Intel build, we'll be putting something together with a lot of flash and RGB, wrapped up in a clean white aesthetic.

Processor: Intel Core i5-10600K

Much like the AMD build, the i5-10600k hits the sweet spot of having enough power to handle daily tasks and gaming with ease without breaking the bank.

Motherboard: ASUS Z590-P Prime Intel LGA 1200 ATX Motherboard

Getting the most out of an Intel build is a bit trickier, but there are a few recently-released motherboards that can still get you that PCIe 4.0 slot that will allow you to make the most out of your new RTX 3060. Plus the silver trim on the board sets up what is going to be an incredibly clean and colorful build.

Graphics Card: Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Vision Overclocked Triple-Fan 12GB GDDR6 PCIe 4.0

The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3060 not only makes full use of the PCIe 4.0 slots in our ASUS Z590-P motherboard, but the silver plating matches the silver trim as well. Add on to that even more RGB to really drive home those bright multi-colored lights in a light backdrop, and you've got a winning card.

RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 White

Two sticks of 8GM DD4-3200, more than enough for daily use with the ability to add more if you need it. But the choice for this ram comes from the white color and on-RAM RGB lighting to keep with the color theme while adding more lights to your build.

Hard Drives: WD Black SN 750 500GB M.2 (For OS) and Samsung 860 EVO 1TB SSD (For everything else)

Same reasons as the AMD build: they might not be the flashiest part of a PC build, but with a WD Black M.2 for your OS (with room to spare), your computer will be up and running in the blink of an eye. Add on an extra terabyte of space with Samsung's 860 EVO in a 2.5" form factor and you've got all the space you need, running at lightning speeds.

Power Supply: Corsair RM850x 850 Watt 80+ Gold ATX Fully Modular Power Supply

850 Watts with an 80+ Gold rating, this power supply is ready to handle everything you can throw at it, and look invisible doing it thanks to fully modular cables, meaning you only use what you absolutely have to. Less cables = less cable management = cleaner looking PC. Plus, the white paint job will help your PSU blend right into your case.

Case: Lian Li Liancool II Tempered Glass eATX Mesh Mid Tower Computer Case - White

Lian Li makes its second appearance with another, totally different case. This white case features swing panels on both sides for easy access, a basement for cable storage, and glass panels so everyone can gasp at your pure white, RGB-filled build. Oh, and the case also has RGB.

Bonus - Heat Sink: Red Dragon CC2011 CPU Cooler, Slim Design RGB LED White Heat Sink Fan

Not a necessary part for the build, but definitely necessary to pull the whole aesthetic together. Forgo the stock fan that comes with your Intel i5-10600k in favor of one with more power and more RGB. White radiator with an RGB fan? A perfect finishing touch.

The full parts list can be found on our Custom PC Builder: https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/custom-pc-builder.aspx?load=417cb877-192d-4284-888c-5f9be291be55

Got your own idea for a build? Leave them in the comments! Or, if you build either of these, we want to see them over on our Build Showcase!

Benzoxazine

Why go with an X570? You'll only see at most 1-2% difference in performance. I would have gone with a B450/X470 build. Shave off $70 there. If you choose the appropriate MB, you can do resizable bar even with 400 series AM4 MBs. Both the video cards you listed at way over MSRP at approx. $500 at the time of this post (which is important!). Go with the EVGA XC model instead to save $110. So now we have $200 to save or to invest in other parts. So we could upgrade the CPU to a 5600X and save money still! Changing to this CPU will affect the performance significantly more than having a better MB or different GPU model.

JJOP

I returned my 5600x, B550 F-ROG, RAM and ROG power supply when it was obvious I wasn't completing a build anytime soon. Nice hypotheticals you have here. I'm forced into prebuilts.

JS_MC

Hey @Benzoxazine I can't be 100% certain of the reason SeanM made his choices here, but I have a fairly good guess.

If the board manufacturer has listed that B450/X470 is compatible with the 5600X, then you definitely could do that. However, it would require at least a BIOS update.

The ASUS x570 TUF Gaming is quite an economical option for the X570 series especially if you're looking to upgrade your storage down the line. After all, these are just recommendations and you could definitely mix and match compatible parts to better suit your theme or your budget.

@JJOP

Sorry to hear that you wouldn't be able to complete your build quickly. There is a global shortage of several essential parts to complete a PC right now. We're doing our best to get as many as possible as quickly as possible! Thanks for your understanding.