DIY PC Rig Recommendations For 2025

[Yongkit]

Actually the CPU core temps runs high when I run a certain game.
I had open a thread in HWC.
Really regret using the stock cooler. Double job. Have to remove the original black socket clips and then put in the stock cooler which imho not as easy as it looks. It looks easy on those youtube videos, but in reality not easy as need to screw down 4 screws evenly. Took me almost 45 mins.

Guess after all these years, AMD still give out lousy coolers. Last time AM2+ /AM3 time, I never use their stock cooler. Prefer cooler master hyper 101 or deepcool replica.

I do agreed air cooler sometime seems simple, but to certain extent could be the most tedious part and longer time to assemble compared to other component which is plug and play.

your cpu temp is still within the acceptable range not over 90c even using igpu for gaming, which should be much better than many other stock cooler, it might not be the best but also not the worst.

sometimes if the cooler does not sit equally balance could also affect the temperature of the cpu, but i doubt it will be the case since your temperature is within my opinion acceptable performance.

the only information missing was the cpu fan rpm from your current screenshot I am not sure how fast does it run and how noisy you are experience currently. Normally i will monitor my system stat with HWiNFO instead of this HWmonitor.

nevertheless over time it is still good to invest in a after market air cooler since there are many option available now in the market.

truly there is nothing alarming based on current indicator.

I will take a look on your other thread in hwc.

 

[kimsix]

Actually the CPU core temps runs high when I run a certain game.
I had open a thread in HWC.
Really regret using the stock cooler. Double job. Have to remove the original black socket clips and then put in the stock cooler which imho not as easy as it looks. It looks easy on those youtube videos, but in reality not easy as need to screw down 4 screws evenly. Took me almost 45 mins.

Guess after all these years, AMD still give out lousy coolers. Last time AM2+ /AM3 time, I never use their stock cooler. Prefer cooler master hyper 101 or deepcool replica.

yes amd stock cooler is super hard and scary to install. you need to remove the decorative 'amd' plate on the cooler, the 4 screws are really short and need to press down really hard, can hear the screeching sound like wanna crack the cpu heat spreader.

amd out!

btw 80c is hot by the number, but still within specs. modern desktop let it run until cant tahan will auto safety throttle.

can ignore it unless the stock fan run noisy that anony you or you keep getting throttled.

otherwise have to buy a simple ~$40 separate heatsink will drop temps and noise

 

[NightRaven49]

I am intending to use Lian Li Lancool 216 casing. Other than the 3 fans that come with the casing, I intend to get a 3-pack Cooler Master Sickleflow 120 ARGB. So do I need a ARGB module? Or the Mobo/casing can handle it? Thanks

yeah u might want to invest in a fan/rgb hub. the case hub only supports 4 fans and already comes with 3 preinstalled, so if ur mobo has less than 3 fan/rgb headers there wont be enough for all fans.

Hi! Posted a thread last year to ask for advice on upgrading my PC, but didn't went about doing it due to waiting for prices to drop.

My PC is currently in dying status, so looking for advice again. Already lasted me at least 5 years.

Current rig specs:
CPU: Intel i5 7600
Mobo: ASRock H270 Pro4
GPU: MSI 1080 (Aiming for 3K series)
Power: Seasonic 660w 80 Gold X series
Cooler: Water cooler (can't remember brand)
Ram: 2x8gb Klevv
Casing: Phantek (Can't remember model, quite old)
HDD: 1x 120GB SSD, 1x 500GB SSD (like to reuse)

Will be using my PC for gaming mainly (in 1080p). No need for monitors (am using 2 monitors). Hopefully next rig can last as long. Budget about $2000. Can be abit more if needed.

Also looking to get a PC for my wife, so also looking for advice from bros here too. She doesn't game much, so am thinking of reusing the 1080 and the PSU for her rig.

if just 1080p gaming, the value gaming rig @ 1.1k will do high refresh rate gaming easily. since u have a large budget and looking to reuse some parts, u can opt to get current gen cpu + mobo + ram like those suggested in the >2.5k builds, or higher tier cards like the 6750xt/3070 as suggested in the midrange build.

Actually the CPU core temps runs high when I run a certain game.
I had open a thread in HWC.

wraith stealth is barely enough for zen 3. that time i put it on a 5600, once in gaming i saw over 90 degrees to be fair zen 3 runs a lot hotter than zen 2, i remember being able to post renoir apus and poke around bios for a few minutes without cooler.

Really regret using the stock cooler. Double job. Have to remove the original black socket clips and then put in the stock cooler which imho not as easy as it looks. It looks easy on those youtube videos, but in reality not easy as need to screw down 4 screws evenly. Took me almost 45 mins.

Guess after all these years, AMD still give out lousy coolers. Last time AM2+ /AM3 time, I never use their stock cooler. Prefer cooler master hyper 101 or deepcool replica.

still better than intel box cooler

 

[Duramis]

ryzen 5 7600 + gigabyte b650m ds3h
gskill flare x5 2x 16gb 6000c36 ddr5 expo
gigabyte rtx 3070 eagle

will this cpu,mobo,ram,gpu combi cause any bottle necking?

 

[Yongkit]

ryzen 5 7600 + gigabyte b650m ds3h
gskill flare x5 2x 16gb 6000c36 ddr5 expo
gigabyte rtx 3070 eagle

will this cpu,mobo,ram,gpu combi cause any bottle necking?

GPU is the bottleneck as to be balance setup you will need 3080 tier above for nvidia / 6800xt for amd.

 

[vincegoh]

yeah u might want to invest in a fan/rgb hub. the case hub only supports 4 fans and already comes with 3 preinstalled, so if ur mobo has less than 3 fan/rgb headers there wont be enough for all fans.

Thanks. I will be using the Asrock B550m/AC as recommended by you. Below is the connector spec. So with the chassis 3 ARGB fans + 3 more 120 coolermaster sickle ARGB fan. Will the mother board support? If not, please do recommend me a brand and model to buy. Thanks a lot.

- 1 x COM Port Header
- 1 x SPI TPM Header
- 1 x Power LED and Speaker Header
- 2 x RGB LED Headers*
- 2 x Addressable LED Headers**
- 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin)***
- 3 x Chassis/Water Pump Fan Connectors (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)****
- 1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector
- 1 x 8 pin 12V Power Connector
- 1 x Front Panel Audio Connector
- 2 x USB 2.0 Headers (Support 4 USB 2.0 ports) (Supports ESD Protection)
- 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Headers (Support 4 USB 3.2 Gen1 ports) (Supports ESD Protection)

*Support in total up to 12V/3A, 36W LED Strip

**Support in total up to 5V/3A, 15W LED Strip

***The CPU Fan Connector supports the CPU fan of maximum 1A (12W) fan power.

****The Chassis/Water Pump Fan supports the water cooler fan of maximum 2A (24W) fan power.
CHA_FAN1/WP, CHA_FAN2/WP and CHA_FAN4/WP can auto detect if 3-pin or 4-pin fan is in use.

 

[MouseRoar]

Hi HWZ forum

I want a new PC for gaming and am looking for a system integrator/ builder. My present PC is about 10 years old from someone who has gone out of the business and I have no idea about the present market.

My only frame of reference is the shops at Sim Lim. Are there any other recomendations? I prefer local warranty coverage.

 

[Steyr69]

the only information missing was the cpu fan rpm from your current screenshot I am not sure how fast does it run and how noisy you are experience currently. Normally i will monitor my system stat with HWiNFO instead of this HWmonitor.

nevertheless over time it is still good to invest in a after market air cooler since there are many option available now in the market.

truly there is nothing alarming based on current indicator.

I will take a look on your other thread in hwc.

Thank you, Bro.

The fan speed based on my observation.
Upon start up -- 1600+ rpm
Normal usage (surf web, youtube,.....non gaming) -- 1700 ~ 2000 + rpm
Gaming (once I access that game ) -- 2700+ rpm. This is where the core temps reach 80+ celcius. But lucky never hit 90 C. But the fan is not noisy at this speed. No turbo jet engine sound. Lol.

Anyway, based on feedback received, looks like my core temps are the "norm". Lol.
I don't really game much...only access that game for like 1 or 2 hours daily.
Maybe in the near future, if I am very free, I will change to a tower cpu cooler.
And also explore the ECO mode which you mentioned earlier.

 

[Haman]

Hi, i am looking to DIY another PC for my own gaming (up to 2K visual) and normal usage. My current setup is as follows :

Intel i5-10600K

MSI MAG B560 Tomahawk

Crucial Ballistix RGB 2x8 DDR4 3600

MSI GeForce RTX™ 3080 GAMING Z TRIO 10G

WD SN750 1TB NVMe M.2

Crucial P5 2TB NVMe M.2

Superflower Leadex III 750W

Lian Li Lancool II Mesh Performance

Artic Freezer 34 eSports Duo

Artic P12 PWM 5pc pack

Artic 1-10 PWM fan hub

Is the Mid-range gaming rig $1565 and 2k build $1999 listed on 1st page better than my current one? Also, 5 of the mb mentioned came from Asrock, are they good for value or why this brand? I am also looking to get a smaller casing then my current one as PC will be located under my WFH table. I guess my budget for my new PC is up to $1700. GPU will be 2nd hand - 3070 or 3080.

Thanks.

 

[NightRaven49]

ryzen 5 7600 + gigabyte b650m ds3h
gskill flare x5 2x 16gb 6000c36 ddr5 expo
gigabyte rtx 3070 eagle

will this cpu,mobo,ram,gpu combi cause any bottle necking?

GPU is the bottleneck as to be balance setup you will need 3080 tier above for nvidia / 6800xt for amd.

fully balanced setup is very difficult to achieve and will not hold for all games, next best is to have gpu bottleneck. anyway 3080 is quite overkill for 1080p, probably better to get a radeon gpu like the 6750xt for cheaper and less driver overhead.

Thanks. I will be using the Asrock B550m/AC as recommended by you. Below is the connector spec. So with the chassis 3 ARGB fans + 3 more 120 coolermaster sickle ARGB fan. Will the mother board support? If not, please do recommend me a brand and model to buy. Thanks a lot.

- 2 x RGB LED Headers*
- 2 x Addressable LED Headers**
- 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin)***
- 3 x Chassis/Water Pump Fan Connectors (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)****

*Support in total up to 12V/3A, 36W LED Strip

**Support in total up to 5V/3A, 15W LED Strip

doesnt look like there will be any issue powering all the fans but rgb may not be enough. i also not too sure of the exact functionality of the case hub and which motherboards have more than 2 rgb and 2 argb connectors, so id suggest u buy everything first, see if enough and buy a splitter/hub if not enough.

Hi HWZ forum

I want a new PC for gaming and am looking for a system integrator/ builder. My present PC is about 10 years old from someone who has gone out of the business and I have no idea about the present market.

My only frame of reference is the shops at Sim Lim. Are there any other recomendations? I prefer local warranty coverage.

there are other retail chains like cr group which sell local distro parts, but they are few and scattered. online etailers are also a viable option, though u have to make sure that u are getting local parts. sls is still the place to go for the widest variety of parts and for building services.

Is the Mid-range gaming rig $1565 and 2k build $1999 listed on 1st page better than my current one?

no, in fact they will be downgrades; i suggest u keep ur current setup. u did mention u want to downsize, but with an atx motherboard this will be quite difficult, so if anything u may want to swap to a matx board or smaller and probably snag a z4/590 while u r at it.

Also, 5 of the mb mentioned came from Asrock, are they good for value or why this brand?

its just the cheapest that is appropriate for the cpu mentioned, which is also the same across many builds.

 

[Toilet93]

Hello, my desktop has given up on me for some months, and I have equally given up on it… until now. I suspect it’s the RAM issue but w/e it’s time for an upgrade anyway.

This is my current setup
Gigabyte Z77-D3H
Intel i3-3470 (ancient)
Samsung 840 EVO 120 GB
WD HDD 1 TB 7200 RPM
Galax GTX 1050 Ti
RAM… mai gong alr say alr also pekchek

ASUS Prime B660-PLUS - $199
Intel i3-12100F - $156
Corsair Vengeance 8GB 3200MHz x 2 - $70
is this setup compatible with my old GPU, HDD and SSD? tiagong recession sigh, cannot splurge so need as budget as possible.

Appreciate any replies!

 

[MDP_LEE]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for the amazing list of recommended rigs by nightraven!

It was amazing but please regard me as a complete noob as I do not know how to avoid things like bottlenecks or identify reliable brands or buying sources. Assembly might even be an issue as I am very sick.

It's been forever since I built anything and in an attempt to upgrade myself, I have signed up for many online courses which I need a decently fast performance rig to do videos and rendering/sculpting for 3D printing or pictures

I will run Windows 11 Pro I guess.

Softwares used will be PS, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Blender and/or Autocad Fusion 360.

Accessories used are Wacom Cinitiq, headphones, microphone and webcam.

Good sound would be nice and being able to game with it from time to time would be a bonus. I have not played games forever so I do not know what to expect.

Ideally the budget be around 3k excluding the monitor. I saw the recommended but noticed the lack of any Intel rigs in that price range.

Thank you for reading!

 

[Ramelec]

So it's been a while, so time to buy a new "budget" rig for my wife and daughter usage:

Now which brand do you recommend:
CPU & MB: ?
Memory: ?
Storage: ?
PSU: ?
I am looking for small casing

What brand should I avoid?

I read the forum thread it seems AMD Ryzen is more popular, any reason?
Also HDD, which brand is good? Seagate? ...?
Thanks a lot!

 

[vincegoh]

I realised that ASRock B550m/AC MB does not have USB 3.1 Gen 2 connection that come with my Lancool 216. There is nowhere to connect on the MB. Did I missed out the connection on the MB or it is just missing? Is there any other work around to have casing usb C to work since the MB do not have the right connection? Thanks.

 

[Duramis]

ryzen 5 7600 + gigabyte b650m ds3h ($654-tradepac)
scythe fuma 2 rev b ($84-dynacore)
gskill flare x5 2x 16gb 6000cl36 ddr5 ($249-dynacore)
wd blue sn570 500gb ($58-dynacore)
msi 3070 gaming x trio (2nd hand)
msi mpg a650gf ($133-dynacore)
corsair 4000d airflow ($120-dynacore)

Mixed and matched using the lists at the 1st page. Can this be further optimize vs dollar spend? Trying to keep near $2000.

Also, is the PSU enough for the whole system?

 

[NightRaven49]

ASUS Prime B660-PLUS - $199
Intel i3-12100F - $156
Corsair Vengeance 8GB 3200MHz x 2 - $70
is this setup compatible with my old GPU, HDD and SSD?

that is a very poor motherboard, while it is fine for the 12100 it will struggle to handle even a 12700 should u choose to upgrade in the future. i would minimally go with something like the tuf gaming b660m plus, msi pro b660m-a (oos in a lot of places though) or gigabyte aorus pro. or u can opt for ryzen, tradepac has a 5600 + msi b550m pro vdh wifi for like $10 more compared to the 12100 + b660 price u mentioned; u get more performance and the board is more well equipped. either way u go, compatibility should not be an issue as the connectors to ur gpu, hdd and ssd have been standard for years now.

I need a decently fast performance rig to do videos and rendering/sculpting for 3D printing or pictures

I will run Windows 11 Pro I guess.

Softwares used will be PS, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Blender and/or Autocad Fusion 360.

Ideally the budget be around 3k excluding the monitor. I saw the recommended but noticed the lack of any Intel rigs in that price range.

u can mix and match the suggestions like what @Duramis did. for eg, u can take the 13700f + b660 + ram + cooler from the 3.2k rig and pair it with the rest of the components from the 2.7k rig and u have a photo/video editing and 3d modelling monster while still staying in ur budget.

I read the forum thread it seems AMD Ryzen is more popular, any reason?

more performance for less money for am4 in general, though less true for am5.

I realised that ASRock B550m/AC MB does not have USB 3.1 Gen 2 connection that come with my Lancool 216. There is nowhere to connect on the MB. Did I missed out the connection on the MB or it is just missing? Is there any other work around to have casing usb C to work since the MB do not have the right connection? Thanks.

some boards do not have front panel type c connector, which is the case of the b550m/ac. u can opt for either pcie expansion cards with the connector or adapters.
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/pc-upgrades.6789244/#post-143099017

ryzen 5 7600 + gigabyte b650m ds3h ($654-tradepac)
scythe fuma 2 rev b ($84-dynacore)
gskill flare x5 2x 16gb 6000cl36 ddr5 ($249-dynacore)
wd blue sn570 500gb ($58-dynacore)
msi 3070 gaming x trio (2nd hand)
msi mpg a650gf ($133-dynacore)
corsair 4000d airflow ($120-dynacore)

Mixed and matched using the lists at the 1st page. Can this be further optimize vs dollar spend? Trying to keep near $2000.

Also, is the PSU enough for the whole system?

looks good to me, though tiagong the a650gf is oos, so u may have to opt for another psu. 650w is fine though. if u really want value, u can check out the sn770 1tb on amazon sg for under $100, double the capacity and faster for less than double the price. i didnt see any good ddr5 deals, though they usually do and they have 2x 8gb kits if u dont need 32gb of ram.

 

[Duramis]

if I choose to use instead a i5 13600K, would the b650m be a suitable mobo?

 

[vincegoh]

some boards do not have front panel type c connector, which is the case of the b550m/ac. u can opt for either pcie expansion cards with the connector or adapters.
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/pc-upgrades.6789244/#post-143099017

Hi bro. Is there an adapter to convert that USB 3 Gen 2 connectors head into maybe sata so that I can plug into sata port on the MB? If yes, can you advise on the name so that I can source for it? Thanks.

 

[Steyr69]

Hello, my desktop has given up on me for some months, and I have equally given up on it… until now. I suspect it’s the RAM issue but w/e it’s time for an upgrade anyway.

Corsair Vengeance 8GB 3200MHz x 2 - $70

Appreciate any replies!

This one good price....where did you see it?

 

[LegendZenify]

How is the asus z790 prime-p mobo and is it recommended ?

Looks like one of the cheapest mobo on the market, just wondering what concerns I should have with going for this budget option.

Will be pairing with 13600kf.

Thanks.