Hello. I'm building my first ever desktop. I have always purchased open box/refurb laptops and people tell me the desktops are night and day better. So we'll see about that!
I havent been able to decide if DDR5 is the play or not since I'm building from scratch. There are some combo deals available.
I also havent decided between 13600K or next gen AMD. Not sure if it'd be smarter to get on a fresh product cycle or get the value in price to performance of the 13600K.

Description:Aiming for ultra 1440p gaming and I would like to stream for fun - not professionally. I currently do not use photoshop. But I may lightly edit my streams for youtube videos, however I don't believe I need a workhorse for that as it will be minimal.

Budget:$2000 with a monitor.

More specific use (what games, what programs):Final Fantasy 16 when it comes out next year. Diablo 4 when it comes out. Then old games like Diablo 2 Resurrected

Planned time until purchase:As soon as possible, and/or on Black Friday. Been monitoring Micro Center (Madison Heights, MI location) for open box/refurb parts.

Do you need an Operating System?: Will download $10 key.

Do you have any specific preferred components?: Corsair 4000D Airflow, Fractal Torrent Compact / Pop Air, Lian Li 215, Lian Li O11 Dynamic, any will do. I like with some white accents or all black and tasteful RGB. I would be in to streamer cables.

Do you need a sound or wireless card?:Wifi, sure. But I'll be plugged in. I still want bluetooth.

Do you want stock cooling or do you plan on overclocking?: AIO is ideal. No overclocking - I don't know what I'm doing.

Do you need a monitor? mouse? keyboard?:Yes I plan to either go Gigabyte M27Q-P, M27Q-X, or one of them OLEDs. No Keyboard or mouse needed.

Zip code/location? (Shipping costs): Michigan, USA. I have a Micro Center ~40 minutes away. They have some good open box deals I think but I'm new at this.

This post was edited by Stealth on Nov 14 2022 10:08pm

for what you're doing that processor is too much. if you really want it, go for it, but deals right now lie in last gen amd (AM4) which is ddr4.

this is what i'd do for your 'white/subtle rgb'
disclaimer: i've never used nzxt motherboards but it fit your case and seems to have decent reviews
i also don't really like AIO coolers as they tend to fail and air flow is much more reliable so choose your poison, aio for amd is also overkill
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/TGXbDq

Is the $2000 budget total, do you have a separate budget for your monitor?

Thank you very much.
I struggle with knowing how much compute power is too much vs the balance of future-proofing as I typically upgrade like once a decade lol. So I'm not sure if it's better to buy last gen or get on the next gen train now as I'll be on that train a while. Or at least the motherboard would give me the opportunity to upgrade it I felt like it or some wild deal happened.

Don't you think the 5800x3d would be better with that logic in mind (the longest life/runway)?
And since it's $329, that's why I thought 13600k instead of 5800x3D. But again, I'm a noob.

Also, I meant to say, black build with tasteful RGB and only maybe white accents as I like some of the black and white builds. I really like the all white builds but the extra cost is wasteful.



I would like to get everything under $2000, monitor included.
M27Q-Pro or X seems to be a good deal when on sale so I was gonna wait for those. I'm also worried though that we're on the cusp of some good OLED competition.

Like Hardware Unboxed seems to think of you are building fresh, you should bite the bullet on cost now and get DDR5.
But I see other people say no it barely makes a difference which I understand. But I can't make a decision due to the split opinions lol.

Same with like 5800x3D vs AM4 vs 13th gen.
Get on the next gen train or just buy last gen. I know last gen is most economical. But is it wisest long-term - I do not know how to know for sure lol.

someone made this build list for me.

https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/custom-pc-builder.aspx?load=d52c4846-8894-47c7-9887-846b743d06e6

Seems cheaper than yours if you remove the monitor.
And I'd likely go with your GPU not the one listed in this build list. So wouldn't that be better? Cheaper and more performance even though I don't need it?
Honestly asking

Yeah that build is fine too. Intel just runs hotter but the CPU is 10% faster. This build I'd change the nvme drive to the one in line (Samsung evo plus), this builds motherboard has no WiFi or Bluetooth either. Also has no CPU cooler.

All those things considered there is probably the difference in price. My build was based off the white and rgb which is more expensive marginally. Lian li cases feel a little more sturdy in my experience as well, I used to have the corsair case and it was massive and felt kinda cheap.

Another thing to consider is the gpu in my build is amd based so I'd consider amd if going that route, probably a little better optimization with the pairing

This post was edited by Candyzcanes on Nov 15 2022 02:15pm

The 5800x3d is so hard to find in stock right now because AMD slamming their prices down on CPU's and GPU's rn and the hype on that processor is huge since it has been exposed with AM5 platforms, etc. Keep in mind they will be releasing an x3d processor for AM5 also.. If the hardest decision is DDR5 or DDR4, do your research because the MOBO will be dependent on utilizing one or the other. I don't believe they can make them cross compatible, so if you start off with DDR4 and want DDR5, you'll be replacing MOBO as well. I will put a build together and allot $400.00 for Monitor and $1600.00 for the build.



I own the Corsair 4000D and can confirm it's a brute. I have it w/ tinted glass, mostly blacked out with some RGB and it looks great but for desk space it's huge.

Thanks looking forward to it.
Yes I personally landed on the 13600k because the x3D is $30 more and the 13600k is effectively the same FPS performance + efficiency cores , and even though I won't use them or get the most out of them, it's still a better purchase than the x3D or so it seems to me.

Yeah, putting anything up to the 5800x3d is a tall task, it's def one of the fastest gaming chips out rn but I agree the i5 13600k is better price to performance for what the market reflects. Price justifiable if you can find them in stock and on sale (5800x3d).

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/KR7R6r

I personally wouldn't go current Gen just because of the prices and you'd still wind up going DDR4 probably. Your main wants/needs will be GPU dependent and the i5 12400F won't be bottlenecked at 1440p where the majority of games are GPU bound. I understand the premise of wanting the 'K' variant overclocking chips, but it's typically unnecessary for common gamers and especially your tasks. The build I posted comes in at $1708.89 USD (monitor included) and leaves room for RGB Streamer Cables, the option to switch fans out with RGB or White Accent Variants. Essentially a lot of leftover flow for the accessories that make the case pop the way you want it to. Noctua has a line of fans that you can accessorize with color anti vibration pads, etc that are pretty cool. I added the Dell 1440p 165hz IPS Flat Panel monitor as an option, I've never had luck with any Gigabyte monitors I've purchased and they've always been underwhelming. Dell makes fantastic monitors and are priced accordingly, and they always have Black Friday deals.

I didn't add much of any white into the build, it would come through on your Cooler Master ML280 Mirror ARGB AIO (Unbelievable deal @ $29.00 ~ they are blowing them out for the next series) and the ROYAL Ram. Essentially the white would be the RGB you choose, rest is Black/Graphite.

GL on your PC Build Journey