Recent Posts

1

System Builds & Upgrades / Re: Nick's ATX Build

« Last post by scuzzy on June 28, 2022, 10:04 hrs »

Your Intel DDR5 build, so far:

Fractal Design Define 7 Case $115 + 16 S/H = $131

MSI PRO Z690-A WiFi DDR5 Intel ATX Motherboard $230

Intel Core i5-12600K 12th Gen Alder Lake 10-Core 3.7 GHz 125W w/UHD Graphics 770 CPU $278

Fractal Design Celsius S24 Blackout 240mm CPU liquid cooler $115

Kingston Fury Beast 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5 4800 RAM $190

Samsung 980 PRO M.2 2280 500GB PCIe Gen 4.0 x4, NVMe Internal SSD $100

EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G6, 80 Plus Gold 750W Fully Modular PSU $90

Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64-bit $50 (MrKeyShop)

This build total is $1,184, or $1053 excluding the case.

2

System Builds & Upgrades / Re: Nick's ATX Build

« Last post by scuzzy on June 15, 2022, 10:32 hrs »

Excellent video regarding AIO liquid cooling:

STOP DOING THIS!!!!!!!

3

System Builds & Upgrades / Re: Nick's ATX Build

« Last post by scuzzy on June 13, 2022, 11:02 hrs »

Here's an informative article from Tom'sHardware:

DDR5 vs DDR4: Is It Time To Upgrade Your RAM?

The bottom line is that DDR4 is the better value. However, the article was published in December 2021, or six months ago. That can be a lifetime when it comes to computer tech.

Staying with the Core i5-12600K and choosing a DDR4 motherboard and RAM remains a viable option. DDR4 is mature, and it would save you a considerable amount of cash. Another thing is that PCIe 5.0 is in its infancy, with few peripherals to support it anyway.

There's nothing wrong with choosing DDR5. It all depends on your budget and what makes you happy, but "bang for the buck" remains in DDR4's corner, at least for now.

4

System Builds & Upgrades / Re: Nick's ATX Build

« Last post by scuzzy on June 10, 2022, 16:05 hrs »

Looking at today's prices, the motherboard and the CPU are available for a little less. Although the motherboard is still priced the same, it is currently available with a $20 rebate. The CPU's price is also down by $13:

MSI PRO Z690-A WiFi DDR5 Intel ATX Motherboard $230 (with additional $20 rebate)

Intel Core i5-12600K 12th Gen Alder Lake 10-Core 3.7 GHz 125W w/UHD Graphics 770 CPU $265

5

System Builds & Upgrades / Re: Nick's ATX Build

« Last post by scuzzy on June 09, 2022, 12:20 hrs »

Under the assumption that you want DDR5 RAM, that looks like a good combination. The mobo has four M.2 slots; three of which run PCIe 4.0. You get USB-C support for your case, as well as built-in WiFi 6 & Bluetooth 5.2. The Core i5-12600K CPU has onboard APU, so a separate graphics card is not required. Looks like win-win for your needs.

All that's left is to decide on RAM and a CPU cooler (air cooled vs liquid). For memory, I'd look at DDR5 4800 RAM, which will pair up with the Core i5-12600K perfectly. I think 32GB total (2 x 16GB) is the sweet spot for years to come, even if you decide to go with Windows 11.

This deal over at Amazon is probably the best DDR5 RAM option at the moment:

Kingston Fury Beast 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5 4800 RAM $190

Should you decide on liquid cooled, for an extra $5 I'd take the S36 over the S24:

Fractal Design Celsius S36 360mm Silent High Performance CPU Liquid Cooler $120

6

System Builds & Upgrades / Re: Nick's ATX Build

« Last post by nick on June 09, 2022, 12:02 hrs »

Ok so I am considering this motherboard and chip combination

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813144503 MSi PRO Z690

https://www.newegg.com/intel-core-i5-12600k-core-i5-12th-gen/p/N82E16819118347

Do you see any potential problems with this setup?

7

System Builds & Upgrades / Re: Nick's ATX Build

« Last post by scuzzy on June 09, 2022, 11:51 hrs »

As an FYI, I'm not pushing you to get a Core i5 over a Ryzen 5 or 7. I believe it's worth a close look, but ultimately you have to decide what's best for your needs and your budget. As I said before, there is nothing inherently wrong with choosing an AMD build.

Keep in mind that if you want PCIe 4.0 support, then you can't have an AMD solution with onboard graphics. With Core i5 you can have both, plus the added support of PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 RAM. The downside is the power requirement... nearly double that of most Ryzen CPUs (125W vs 65W). Of course, running a separate video card with an AMD CPU would draw more power as well.

8

System Builds & Upgrades / Re: Nick's ATX Build

« Last post by scuzzy on June 09, 2022, 09:08 hrs »

I took a close look at this. Intel's Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) is an automated overclocking technology that is a moot point, unless you plan to overclock an Intel Core CPU. It also has to be configured in the BIOS/UEFI in order to get the added boost. The bottom line is that XMP is an option available only for Intel Core CPUs, but XMP-enabled RAM will work perfectly fine with AMD.

On a related note, AMD's version is Accelerated Memory Profiles (AMP). Ryzen's Accelerated Memory Profile (RAMP) is also being thrown around as a possible name. Regardless of what it's called, AMP will be available for AMD's upcoming AM5 socket. If I had to take a Scientific Wild Ass Guess, I'd say that future RAM sticks will support both XMP and AMP.

Just another thing to know. But if you don't overclock, it won't matter anyway.

9

System Builds & Upgrades / Re: Nick's ATX Build

« Last post by nick on June 08, 2022, 23:25 hrs »

I am a bit confused. I was looking into ram after I finished reading the article that you posted earlier. Are there certain brands of ram that only work with one processor and not another. for example:

Both the G. Skill RipJaw and TridentZ say Intel XMP does this mean it can only be paired with an Intel Processor?
(and yes I know one is DDR 4 and the other is DDR 5)

10

System Builds & Upgrades / Re: Nick's ATX Build

« Last post by scuzzy on June 06, 2022, 17:28 hrs »

Sweet. I'm sure that the G6 is a fine choice. I'll keep an eye out for the package.

Where are your thoughts on AMD vs Intel?