First PC Build and related questions

[GrilledChicken]

Apologies in advance if this topic had been previously discussed often. I would like to build PC for the first time after previously only using gaming laptops. I'm hoping to build something that will last at least 4 years before I need replace any parts, and perform midlevel gaming. I will also be using it to stream privately to friends, and some basic photo-editing/painting/video editing.

This is my current build
https://sg.pcpartpicker.com/list/8NxLQ6
CPU: Intel Core i5-13600KF 3.5 GHz 14-Core Processor ($763.00) (bundled with motherboard)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($76 online)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B760 GAMING X AX ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($0.00)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5200 CL40 Memory ($235.00)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($182.00)
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case ($138.00)
Power Supply: Corsair RM850x (2021) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($193.00)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM - DVD 64-bit ($146.00)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 24.0" 1920 x 1080 144 Hz Monitor ($135.00 2ndhand)
Total: $1792.00

Most prices are from Bizgram's list, except for cooler and monitor. My original budget was 2k including monitor, but I'm aware this current build has already exceeded, so looking to see which parts I could replace to still reach my aim and hopefully get as close as possible to 2k.

For this build, are there any parts that has mismatched performance with the other components, or perhaps unnecessarily powerful for the aims of the build? Is the overall price reasonable? I've deliberately left out graphics card, because I'm still not sure whether to buy new/second hand/local/international, but likely be going for rx6800, rx6800xt, or 4070Ti. Friends have advised that its best to go for 4070Ti for the software support, even with the price. What would be best?

I've also been told that 850W power is too much for the build, and I should switch to 650W.

I've seen several of the recommendations here, as well as prebuilds by different companies. Why are most of the advised builds use AMD cores instead of Intel? What are the pros and cons?

 

[NightRaven49]

hi there, that is a very interesting choice of parts given the budget. u will basically need to replace everything (including where you source your parts from) to have any chance of meeting your budget and your goals for the pc. to maximize your dollar spend, u should be comparing prices from multiple stores; bizgram doesn't really have good prices for many of its parts.

I've deliberately left out graphics card, because I'm still not sure whether to buy new/second hand/local/international, but likely be going for rx6800, rx6800xt, or 4070Ti. Friends have advised that its best to go for 4070Ti for the software support, even with the price. What would be best?

even without it, u have basically used most of ur budget, and u can only get a used card from 2 gens ago (that has likely been mined on) at best. with ur current parts, u will need to increase ur budget by at least 20% for a used 6800/xt, and way more (50%) for a 4070ti. while the amd cards generally provide better performance at the same prices as nv ones (especially at lower resolutions like 1080p), for real time streaming nv cards do produce better results at the same bitrate. I'd argue amd software is a lot more polished than nvidia's though, and its a lot more stable than what a lot of people give it credit for. I'd recommend u look at 3070s as u plan to stream and they are kind of reasonably priced nowadays.

I've also been told that 850W power is too much for the build, and I should switch to 650W.

yes you should. 850w is only really necessary with a 4090, while 6800/4070ti only call for 600w. the price delta between 650w and 850w units is actually a fairly big deal in ur constrained budget.

Why are most of the advised builds use AMD cores instead of Intel? What are the pros and cons?

that is because amd generally provides better value for money. am4 is very cheap compared to intel while delivering comparable if not superior gaming performance to competing intel cpus, eg 5600 + mobo combos cost less than 13100f + mobo combos while being faster in general. they also used to be faster in all core workloads, though that has changed with 12th gen intel. ryzen also generally consumes less power, so the cooling requirements are lower and u can get away with cheaper coolers or even just the included box cooler. most ryzen cpus are very sensitive to memory timings though, so getting a quality kit of ram is essential; not a problem for ddr4 but u will have to cough up more money for ddr5 expo.

for ur build, I'd recommend taking the midrange pc @ 1.5k from here as a baseline:
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/pc-rig-recommendations-for-2023.6852056/this is quite a balanced rig in my opinion which should handle ur demands well and u still have budget left over to splurge on parts that u prefer, eg going for intel over amd. if u do go intel, I'd suggest something like this ($1900):

core i5-13400f + asus tuf gaming b660m plus wifi d5	532	dynacore
id cooling se 224 xt	35	techdeals
gigabyte aorus 2x 16gb 5200c40 ddr5	199	fuwell
wd black sn770 1tb	130	dynacore
gigabyte rtx 3070 eagle	779	pc themes
cooler master mwe 650 v2 gold	105	dynacore
corsair 4000d airflow	120	dynacore/pc themes

since u are open to 2nd hand deals, i assume u are fine with online retailers like amazon sg, which do offer even better ram and ssd prices. for eg, the 1tb sn770 can be had for under $90 right now.

as an aside, mods should shift this topic to main hardware clinic forum, not a lot of traffic here.

 

[GrilledChicken]

hi there, that is a very interesting choice of parts given the budget. u will basically need to replace everything (including where you source your parts from) to have any chance of meeting your budget and your goals for the pc. to maximize your dollar spend, u should be comparing prices from multiple stores; bizgram doesn't really have good prices for many of its parts.

even without it, u have basically used most of ur budget, and u can only get a used card from 2 gens ago (that has likely been mined on) at best. with ur current parts, u will need to increase ur budget by at least 20% for a used 6800/xt, and way more (50%) for a 4070ti. while the amd cards generally provide better performance at the same prices as nv ones (especially at lower resolutions like 1080p), for real time streaming nv cards do produce better results at the same bitrate. I'd argue amd software is a lot more polished than nvidia's though, and its a lot more stable than what a lot of people give it credit for. I'd recommend u look at 3070s as u plan to stream and they are kind of reasonably priced nowadays.

To be completely honest, the budget is more of a rough guide, as I'm not familiar with part prices at all, and more calibrated towards laptop prices. When the list was made, I have no idea whether the budget was reasonable, only hoping that I could make something that can game respectably for a 4+ year stretch after initial purchase/build. The 2k budget was picked because my last gaming laptop cost just under 2k.

I've never bought anything from amazon before; is Amazon.sg a different site from Amazon.com? I have taken a glance at amazon, but it seems that most parts are imported from the US, and theres import duties and unclear warranty terms. I was planning to ask a friend from Indonesia to buy the graphics card there, as they seem to cost half local price even new, with Indonesian warranty (which, while it takes a bit of work, can be done, as long as I'm willing to ship back. still unsure if it is a good idea)

 

[NightRaven49]

To be completely honest, the budget is more of a rough guide, as I'm not familiar with part prices at all, and more calibrated towards laptop prices. When the list was made, I have no idea whether the budget was reasonable, only hoping that I could make something that can game respectably for a 4+ year stretch after initial purchase/build. The 2k budget was picked because my last gaming laptop cost just under 2k.

2k is quite reasonable, with the amount left over after buying the monitor u can still build a rig that should max out its refresh rate (or at least come very close). i would still recommend u follow the 1.5k rig list, as in gaming, the performance difference between a 5600 and a 13400 would be indistinguishable at midrange gpu performance levels. if u are able to find the alternative 6750xt at around $650, that would be a better value pick while delivering on average slightly better performance than the 3070 at 1080p.

I've never bought anything from amazon before; is Amazon.sg a different site from Amazon.com? I have taken a glance at amazon, but it seems that most parts are imported from the US, and theres import duties and unclear warranty terms.

slightly different, as amazon sg is tailored to sg market and hence already shows prices in sgd and includes import duties. as for warranty, some brands may offer international warranty, but even if they dont, for small parts like ram and ssd like i suggested, those are fairly easy and cheap to ship overseas and back for rma (especially compared to the indonesia gpus u are considering).