PC PC Building, Maintenance, and Games Discussion

[Karan]

On 3/2/2022 at 9:51 AM, Cash or Czech said:

 

If you're not getting a crazy deal on a 5600X, I'd go with the 12600K. More powerful, newer architecture, option for DDR5 once that finally has performance uplifts. And it's actually able to be cooled unlike the 12900K and the 12700K to an extent. I'm curious what AMD's next gen will offer, apparently that's rumored for Q2 of this year.

 

Yeah I'm leaning towards the 12600K based on it's superior performance (not far from the 12700K either) and it's DDR5 support.

 

What I'm wondering is should I get a Z690 chipset mobo with DDR4 or DDR5 slots? DDR5 memory is so scarce and overpriced right now, not to mention the latencies are still quite high. But I feel like I'd regret getting a CPU with DDR5 support and then commit to DDR4 for the next 3-4 years until my next system build. So maybe I should just commit to a DDR5 Z690 mobo (the prices aren't that much more than the DDR4 variants) and then buy some cheap (in relative terms) DDR5 memory until they become more common.

 

The other factor is there isn't much chipset stability on the Intel platform. So when the time comes to upgrade the 12700K, chances are Z690 will be replaced with a new chipset, and I'll have to commit to DDR5 at that point anyway. 

 

What are your thoughts?

Edited March 3, 2022 by Karan

[Karan]

On 3/2/2022 at 11:28 AM, Cash or Czech said:

 

It just runs hot. The 12900K is more the issue, you're able to get the 12700K under control with a higher rated air cooler or 240/360 radiator. Intel basically said "performance, no efficiency" in this generation of chips. Basically a rocket ship.

 

Thermals start at 8:30. That's with a 360 rad.

 

Yeah efficiency went out the window with this generation, the 12900K is extremely power hungry, and the 12700K to a degree as well compared to the AMD equivalents. 

[Cash or Czech]

22 minutes ago, Karan said:

 

Yeah I'm leaning towards the 12600K based on it's superior performance (not far from the 12700K either) and it's DDR5 support.

 

What I'm wondering is should I get a Z690 chipset mobo with DDR4 or DDR5 slots? DDR5 memory is so scarce and overpriced right now, not to mention the latencies are still quite high. But I feel like I'd regret getting a CPU with DDR5 support and then commit to DDR4 for the next 3-4 years until my next system build. So maybe I should just commit to a DDR5 Z690 mobo (the prices aren't that much more than the DDR4 variants) and then buy some cheap (in relative terms) DDR5 memory until they become more common.

 

The other factor is there isn't much chipset stability on the Intel platform. So when the time comes to upgrade the 12700K, chances are Z690 will be replaced with a new chipset, and I'll have to commit to DDR5 at that point anyway. 

 

What are your thoughts?

 

If it were me, I'd go with a DDR4 kit this time around. The technology is still new, the timings are loose as you said, and the practical performance lift isn't being taken advantage of. I believe Steve at GN did some testing as well comparing DDR4 to DDR5 and frames/second were within 1-3% of each other, with DDR4 being higher in some cases. Unless you have a workload that utilizes having really fast RAM, I don't think the increased price is justified. I just got 32GB (16x2) of 3600Mhz RAM for $120. The cost and availability of DDR5 puts the cost through the roof.

 

Edit: https://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?N=4294966965+4294815592&NTK=all&sortby=pricelow

 

The cheapest DDR5 kit is 16GB 4800 Mhz for $170. Then the rest are 32GB kits and are all over $300. I don't see how that's anywhere near worth the value in price:performance.

Edited March 3, 2022 by Cash or Czech

[Karan]

10 hours ago, Cash or Czech said:

 

If it were me, I'd go with a DDR4 kit this time around. The technology is still new, the timings are loose as you said, and the practical performance lift isn't being taken advantage of. I believe Steve at GN did some testing as well comparing DDR4 to DDR5 and frames/second were within 1-3% of each other, with DDR4 being higher in some cases. Unless you have a workload that utilizes having really fast RAM, I don't think the increased price is justified. I just got 32GB (16x2) of 3600Mhz RAM for $120. The cost and availability of DDR5 puts the cost through the roof.

 

Edit: https://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?N=4294966965+4294815592&NTK=all&sortby=pricelow

 

The cheapest DDR5 kit is 16GB 4800 Mhz for $170. Then the rest are 32GB kits and are all over $300. I don't see how that's anywhere near worth the value in price:performance.

 

Yeah the DDR5 is eyewatering right now and double the price of DDR4, so even if I run this new build for the next 2-3 years, I don't see the benefit of DDR5 being that significant even once it matures.

 

So this is what the current spec list looks like. The sound card, network card and speakers will be re-used from my current system. It'll be several months yet before I can get my hands on the display, probably closer to a Black Friday sale when it's a bit more affordable. Now just have to wait for some of the components to go on discount, probably during a summer sale.

• Motherboard: MSI Pro Z690-A DDR4
• Processor: Intel Core i5-12600K
• CPU Heatsink / Fan: Arctic Freezer i35 A-RGB
• Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro SL 32GB DDR4 3200MHz DRAM (16GB x 2)
• Case: Fractal Define 7, Light Tempered Glass, Grey
• Power Supply: Corsair RM1000x 1000W PSU
• Storage 1: Samsung 980 Pro NVMe M.2 PCI-E v4.0 SSD 1TB
• Storage 2: Samsung 980 Pro NVMe M.2 PCI-E v4.0 SSD 500GB
• Video Card: AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
• Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound BlasterX AE-7 
• Network Card: Asus PCE-AX58BT
• Display: LG OLED42C2
• Speakers: Logitech Z-5500 5.1 
   

Edited March 4, 2022 by Karan

[Shane Falco]

On 2/28/2022 at 9:42 PM, Cash or Czech said:

Full Specs:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

CPU Cooler: Be Quiet! Dark Rock 4

MOBO: MSI B550I Gaming Edge Max Wifi

GPU: ASUS RTX 3070 Dual OC

RAM: 32GB (16x2) Teamforce T-Force 3600MHz

Storage: 2 TB Sabrent NVMe

PSU: EVGA G5 850W Gold

Case: Fractal Torrent Nano

How do you like the fractal nano? I’ve been thinking of getting it for my bro. He’s currently using a NZXT H510. 

[Cash or Czech]

7 hours ago, Shane Falco said:

How do you like the fractal nano? I’ve been thinking of getting it for my bro. He’s currently using a NZXT H510. 

 

I really enjoy the aesthetic of it. It's nice and compact, and fits well on my desk. It is not the easiest to build in. mITX is the only motherboard size supported which makes things very compact already. The power supply being housed on the top is great for space inside the case, but makes it impossible to hide cables or have them come up underneath the board. That said, it can support a full size power supply and a 3-slot GPU over 300mm, which is very impressive for an mITX case.

 

Does your bro have a small build in the H510 already and he's looking to put it into something else, or is he looking for an entirely new build?

[Karan]

This was an awesome video and major props to Steve for being so down to earth helping out the random fan and not overwhelming him with some ultra advanced computer lingo and genuinely going out of his way to help him out. And then Steve even paying for the guy's parts at the end was just too wholesome.  This was also my first time seeing the inside of a MC and man I way too envious, PC porn mecca for sure. On the plus side Steve answered a lot of his questions the same as I had (like Ryzen 5/7 vs. Alder Lake and DDR4 vs. DDR5 memory and mobo) so it was a somewhat helpful video as well.

 

 

Edited March 7, 2022 by Karan

[Cash or Czech]

It was such a nice, wholesome video. Especially happening the same day as the Newegg meeting. Just overall positive, helping a random guy out who recognized you. And the Microcenter folks are super chill about all of it. Never had a bad experience in any of their stores.

[Morphinity 2.0]

Helped my dad get this build:

i7 12700K

Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB DDR4-3600

ASUS TUF Z690-Plus

He also decided to go with water cooling so we got an ASUS TUF LC 240 AIO

 

--

 

He's got a 3060 Ti already, so this is a half-upgrade. 

[Morphinity 2.0]

On 3/7/2022 at 11:09 AM, Karan said:

 This was also my first time seeing the inside of a MC and man I way too envious, PC porn mecca for sure.

Microcenter really is a cool place. It's a relic of the past - what places like CompUSA and even Best Buy used to be like. It's super easy to go in there and spend a bunch of money.

 

I used to be lucky enough to live next to a Microcenter for a couple of years. Now I have one about 50 minutes away, but it's still worth the trip more often than not (although my dad got his shit on Amazon because of gas prices and him being a little further away from Microcenter than me.)

[Karan]

2 hours ago, Morphinity said:

Helped my dad get this build:

i7 12700K

Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB DDR4-3600

ASUS TUF Z690-Plus

He also decided to go with water cooling so we got an ASUS TUF LC 240 AIO

 

--

 

He's got a 3060 Ti already, so this is a half-upgrade. 

 

That's one solid machine! Should be good for quite a few years to come.

[Karan]

The red beast has been fired up. Man, it was a night and day difference going from the compact and light single-fan GTX 1060 to the size and heft of this thing, not to mention single 6-pin power to dual 8-pin. Can't wait to see how it does with gaming even on my older system at the moment (Ryzen 7 1700X on an MSI X370 mobo). Although at 4K I don't expect too much of a CPU bottleneck. 

 

 

[BrooksBurner]

On 3/2/2022 at 12:29 PM, Morphinity said:

What are the cooling issues with the 12700k?

I’ve had zero issues with that, but I also put a 360 liquid cpu cooler on it.

[BrooksBurner]

I was able to get a 3070 ti ordered through Amazon. Then got lucky and got an online order through for a 3080 at Best Buy.
 

I received the 3070 ti, but won’t open it if the 3080 order actually fills this week like it’s supposed to.

[Cash or Czech]

I also just picked up a 3070Ti...putting the 3070 back in my wife's PC for when Hogwarts Legacy comes out, and also to give myself a slight upgrade with a cooling solution I actually find attractive.

 

3DMark is also on sale on Steam for 60% off. I'm not even going to game anymore. Just gonna focus on improving my scores if I ever were to game again

[Cash or Czech]

 

New desk. New GPU. Need to do something with that power strip cable 

[Keirik]

On 3/26/2022 at 7:36 PM, Cash or Czech said:

 

New desk. New GPU. Need to do something with that power strip cable 

I have that exact carpet in my basement lol

 

 

[Cash or Czech]

12 hours ago, Keirik said:

I have that exact carpet in my basement lol

 

 

 

How's your static? Was really bad for me in the winter before I installed a humidifier. Honestly thought about replacing it, but I have so many other projects to work on first lol

[Keirik]

22 minutes ago, Cash or Czech said:

 

How's your static? Was really bad for me in the winter before I installed a humidifier. Honestly thought about replacing it, but I have so many other projects to work on first lol

Not so bad but it's already fairly humid down there. Shouldn't even be carpeted to be honest. No idea why the previous owner put one there 

[Karan]

Hearing some really promising things about AMD's upcoming Zen4 CPUs and AM5 based motherboards. Going to hold off on the PC build until later in the year to see how they fare against Intel, who I'm sure will respond strongly with their new Raptor Lake offerings later this year as well.

 

 

[LindG1000]

Good to see graphics cards coming back to earth now too.

 

[Cash or Czech]

Microcenter GPU prices are really nice right now. Still waiting for DDR5 prices to drop and for performance to improve 

[Cash or Czech]

LEGO is having a steam sale. Got a decent chunk off of the new LEGO Skywalker Saga game that everyone has raved about.

[Sharpshooter]

So, I have a recent PC build and I'm looking back into getting gaming steadily on a PC again. It's been a very long time. Primarily I would play FPS games on there because I love the mouse and keyboard for it. Some RPGs like The Witcher franchise as well. How are they key bindings in general for things like Death Stranding, FFVII Remake, and games of that ilk? If they aren't great (well maybe even if they are), I was thinking about purchasing a game pad. What would you guys recommend? Is a new XBOX controller good enough? I believe quite a few games have those buttons available (A,B, etc.) instead of the PS5 symbols as I am used to.

[Cash or Czech]

27 minutes ago, Sharpshooter said:

So, I have a recent PC build and I'm looking back into getting gaming steadily on a PC again. It's been a very long time. Primarily I would play FPS games on there because I love the mouse and keyboard for it. Some RPGs like The Witcher franchise as well. How are they key bindings in general for things like Death Stranding, FFVII Remake, and games of that ilk? If they aren't great (well maybe even if they are), I was thinking about purchasing a game pad. What would you guys recommend? Is a new XBOX controller good enough? I believe quite a few games have those buttons available (A,B, etc.) instead of the PS5 symbols as I am used to.

 

I grew up on Xbox, so I have an affinity for the Xbox controller. It takes a connector dongle because of the Xbox controller's unique frequency which is an annoying extra cost, but I have had zero issues with the setup whatsoever. I can't speak for those games specifically, but most games designed for controllers/consoles in mind have great mapping already. I've never had an issue with a mainstream game I tried to play.

 

If you're an FPS player, I've put about 20 hours into BF2042 lately. Launch was a dumpster fire, there's not a ton of maps or guns, but the core of the game is still battlefield even if the specialists are also kinda bleh. If it's on sale for $15 to $20, I'd reco it. Never at $60 though.