What kind of gaming PC can I get for $2,300?

Quiz

Quiz

Gawd
Joined
Aug 25, 2010
Messages
659
This is just for the case and everything inside. Already have monitor, speakers, sound card, keyboard, and mouse.

Currently have a 1440p 165 Hz G-SYNC monitor. Could upgrade to a 4K monitor later down the line.

Edit: Graphics card should be NVIDIA but I'm open to both Intel and AMD CPUs.
 
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At 4k with a 4090 the rest is almost unimpotant.
So cobble up something for 700 + a 4090.

Even with a 10 year old pcie 3 9900k rig you will beat any 4080 combination.
 
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Carlyle2020 said:
At 4k with a 4090 the rest is almost unimpotant.
So cobble up something for 700 + a 4090.

Even with a 10 year old pcie 3 9900k rig you will beat any 4080 combination.
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Since it is easier to upgrade the graphics card vs. the rest of the components like CPU, wouldn't it be better to get an RTX 4080 or something for now and a higher end CPU, etc.?
 
My 3070 and 5800X3D plays just fine on my 1440@144.

Lot depends on what it is you plan on playing.
 
An RTX 4090 even if by the time I get a 4K monitor the RTX 50 Series will probably be out? The current goal is 1440p 165 Hz.
 
Quiz said:
An RTX 4090 even if by the time I get a 4K monitor the RTX 50 Series will probably be out? The current goal is 1440p 165 Hz.
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Bro you are trolling lol you know enough to know what you want to do. This thread is pointless 😂
 
How's this? I went over my budget but would appreciate any feedback. Also, I need a power supply but not sure what to get. Are ATX 3.0 power supplies recommended or can any type do? What kind of wattage should I get?

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/G22xfy
 
I should point out that I really don't game much at all. I'll play a game once in a blue moon. To be honest, I am not sure why I am even considering a new gaming PC (probably because my current desktop PC is very outdated and want to refresh it). I'm also considering a new MacBook Pro 14" with one of the new M3 Pro chips.
 
That's more of a 4k system, not one for 1440p. You're way overspending unless you have definite plans to update your display soon. What games are you playing, and what other tasks do you use this system for?
  • CPU: Overkill for almost all gaming. The 14700K is perfectly fine, and the 14600K also does well for many games. On the AMD side, the 7800X3D is the gaming go-to.
  • CPU Cooler: $330 for pretty colors and some tiny display? Yikes.
  • Mainboard: Also yikes. A perfectly fine mainboard can be had for half that.
  • RAM: Also seems crazy. Intel systems just aren't that sensitive to RAM speeds, at least in the same way AMD-based ones are.
  • SSD: That's a good drive, and AFAICT a reasonable price. Though consider if you really need 4 TB for your OS/app volume.
  • GPU: Again, a RTX 4080 is overkill for a 1440p setup for most any game. The 4070 or 4070ti would be perfectly fine. AFAIK that line of cards is good.
  • Case: That's a good case, but it is large. The 4000D is smaller if that works better for your space.
  • PSU: It's hard to go wrong with a current gold+ rated Seasonic. Most of the Corsairs are good too, but the OEM varies per-model so check reviews. An ATX 3.0 unit is nice in that is cleans up/simplifies cabling a bit, but is not necessary. Nvidia and AMD have recommendations for the PSU wattage for each card.
For example, this is a build I've been toying with off-and-on for the last few months for a 1440p system (just replace the 13700K with a 14700K). A comparable AMD 7800X3D system comes out to about the same cost:
If you don't need a system now maybe wait and see how the rumored RTX 4000 Super cards shake out in a couple months (possibly CES in January). At least wait a couple weeks or so for Black Friday sales to come out.
 
Awesome, thanks.

What games do I play? I actually don't play much but it's sometimes Apex Legends (which I haven't played in several months) and/or some single player game. Right now I'm playing Layers of Fear (2023). I can very rarely find the motivation for gaming these days for some reason. If I don't consider gaming, my current very outdated desktop PC is still fine. I'm mostly browsing the Internet or doing some light Microsoft Office work.

For the same price you spec'd out, I could get a base model MacBook Pro 14" with the M3 Pro chip. If I'm not really gaming, I'm not sure why I need a big desktop PC.
 
I went from X99/5820K to 12700K and after the novelty wore off the only diff is in higher min FPS.
My days of number crunching are over, retired analytical center director with a extensive SEM and XRD background.
Are you near a Microcenter?, I got a deal for around 400 USD Asus MB, Corsair 32gig Ram and 12700K CPU. My 3080 gpu is overkill at 14440P/144Hz. Does Cyberpunk Benchmark at around 80FPS RT overdrive preset with DLSS on.

https://www.microcenter.com/product...ill-32gb-ddr5-6000-kit,-computer-build-bundle
 
I don't live in the US so not near a Microcenter. However, I'm still contemplating PC vs. Mac right now.
 
BlueLineSwinger said:
That's more of a 4k system, not one for 1440p. You're way overspending unless you have definite plans to update your display soon. What games are you playing, and what other tasks do you use this system for?
  • CPU: Overkill for almost all gaming. The 14700K is perfectly fine, and the 14600K also does well for many games. On the AMD side, the 7800X3D is the gaming go-to.
  • CPU Cooler: $330 for pretty colors and some tiny display? Yikes.
  • Mainboard: Also yikes. A perfectly fine mainboard can be had for half that.
  • RAM: Also seems crazy. Intel systems just aren't that sensitive to RAM speeds, at least in the same way AMD-based ones are.
  • SSD: That's a good drive, and AFAICT a reasonable price. Though consider if you really need 4 TB for your OS/app volume.
  • GPU: Again, a RTX 4080 is overkill for a 1440p setup for most any game. The 4070 or 4070ti would be perfectly fine. AFAIK that line of cards is good.
  • Case: That's a good case, but it is large. The 4000D is smaller if that works better for your space.
  • PSU: It's hard to go wrong with a current gold+ rated Seasonic. Most of the Corsairs are good too, but the OEM varies per-model so check reviews. An ATX 3.0 unit is nice in that is cleans up/simplifies cabling a bit, but is not necessary. Nvidia and AMD have recommendations for the PSU wattage for each card.
For example, this is a build I've been toying with off-and-on for the last few months for a 1440p system (just replace the 13700K with a 14700K). A comparable AMD 7800X3D system comes out to about the same cost:
If you don't need a system now maybe wait and see how the rumored RTX 4000 Super cards shake out in a couple months (possibly CES in January). At least wait a couple weeks or so for Black Friday sales to come out.
Click to expand...
Changed the SSD and case: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/8DX2kJ

Look ok? It says I might have to update the BIOS on the motherboard before I can use the 14th gen CPU. Also, I just wanted to get a little more roomier case just in case if I ever get a larger GPU later on. But can the 4000D support the RTX 4090?

Also, if I upgrade the GPU later down the line to say a RTX 4090 level one, will the 750 watt PSU be good enough?
 
Quiz said:
What games do I play? I actually don't play much but it's sometimes Apex Legends (which I haven't played in several months) and/or some single player game. Right now I'm playing Layers of Fear (2023). I can very rarely find the motivation for gaming these days for some reason. If I don't consider gaming, my current very outdated desktop PC is still fine. I'm mostly browsing the Internet or doing some light Microsoft Office work.
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Your gaming outlook may change some after building a new PC. As far as the 750w PSU goes I'd go with at least a 1000W or higher highly rated unit for future upgrades.
 
Yeah, I'll probably up the PSU power rating.

By the way, I use a Microsoft SideWinder X4 keyboard with my current PC. I love the keyboard. Been using it since January 2012. Is there any reason for me to change it out to one of the newer mechanical keyboards? Is the feel of the keys the only difference between a membrane keyboard and a mechanical one or is there an improvement to the latency or input delay in any way?
 
Quiz said:
Yeah, I'll probably up the PSU power rating.

By the way, I use a Microsoft SideWinder X4 keyboard with my current PC. I love the keyboard. Been using it since January 2012. Is there any reason for me to change it out to one of the newer mechanical keyboards? Is the feel of the keys the only difference between a membrane keyboard and a mechanical one or is there an improvement to the latency or input delay in any way?
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If you like the keyboard then I'd just stay with it. I personally don't care for the mechanical switches of the newer keyboards and usually stick with a membrane keyboard.
 
Niner21 said:
If you like the keyboard then I'd just stay with it. I personally don't care for the mechanical switches of the newer keyboards and usually stick with a membrane keyboard.
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What keyboard do you have?
 
I use a SteelSeries Apex 3. It's very quiet and the reason I don't like mechanical switches is due to the noise. This keyboard gives a little feel of mechanical switches without the noise.
Here
 
Is it better to mount AIO cooler at the top of the case or front? The cooler I selected has a thick radiator and probably won't fit at the top of the case. Will installing it at the front result in higher GPU temps?
 
Quiz said:
Is it better to mount AIO cooler at the top of the case or front? The cooler I selected has a thick radiator and probably won't fit at the top of the case. Will installing it at the front result in higher GPU temps?
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That can vary. I've always mounted mine at the top, but I have seen others mounted at the front. A quick YouTube or google search may answer your question better.
 
First of all, can you just tell me what exactly you want to do with this system, for sure? Because if it's just gaming and then other light use, you can't get any better than a 7800X3D, if budget is a concern at all. Maybe a 7950X3D if you want slightly mixed usage. I'm not sure why you went straight for a 14900k and then overshot your original budget by over 1000$.

Also what exactly is your country? PCpartpicker has country selections at the top so we can use your prices.
 
I am not sure a 4090 cost +tax leave room for the $2300 budget, the PSU/case that come to have a comfortable out of the box setup with a 4090 as well...

7800x3D (around $400)
A superb $100 cooler (say an artic liquid freezer 280mm), that cpu is quite reasonable to cool, so that a luxury to keep things quiet over heavy load, not a necessity at all.
A nice B650 ($190)
2TB WD SX850nx ($150), good time to buy good and large SSDs
32GB of DDR5-6000 with reasonably low latency, $200

Put you a $1040, say $220 for PSU+Case if you need them and you have an really nice $800-$1050 depending if the tax are included or not in that buget

A 7900xtx would be really nice in that price range would you be open to an AMD gpu, if you are in the US maybe a $1060 4080 at bestbuy:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/gigaby...PCPartPicker&mpid=79301&ref=198&skuId=6525662

Quite the great card for a 1440p-165hz setup
 
LukeTbk said:
I am not sure a 4090 cost +tax leave room for the $2300 budget, the PSU/case that come to have a comfortable out of the box setup with a 4090 as well...
Click to expand...

Unfortunately with the China ban, a 4090 is making less and less sense by the day, unless you live near a Microcenter and can get lucky with an open box one. The cheapest one you can find online is nearly $1800 at this point. Combined with the 4080 dropping by a further $50 to about 1050, unfortunately it just doesn't make sense to go 4090 unless you have big pockets. The 4080 is slowly becoming an okay deal now... unfortunately.

I put together some part lists for people on PCPartpicker with 4090s just a few weeks ago, and all of those are now way past the initial budget I set them for (which was around $2500, not 2300 as this user has it).

They're also not in the US, which is even worse.
LukeTbk said:
A superb $100 cooler (say an artic liquid freezer 280mm), that cpu is quite reasonable to cool, so that a luxury to keep things quiet over heavy load, not a necessity at all.
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You really don't need that for a 7800X3D at all. Just slap a $35 Thermalright Peerless Assassin on it and it'll be 100% peachy. It's actually overkill lol. I'm pretty sure it'll basically be silent because that thing hardly generates any heat at all.
 
I live in the UAE (but I can order from Amazon, Newegg, etc. with no problems). Use case for the PC is gaming and Office work.
 
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So an AIO liquid cooler is overkill for the 7800X3D? What coolers would you guys recommend? I know the Thermalright was recommended above but want to see if I can get some more recommendations.
 
Quiz said:
So an AIO liquid cooler is overkill for the 7800X3D? What coolers would you guys recommend? I know the Thermalright was recommended above but want to see if I can get some more recommendations.
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Peerless Assassin is the go to and a ridiculous value. If you want to pay more for similar performance with a different aesthetic, consider the Scythe Fuma 3, Noctua NH-D15, or Deepcool Assassin IV.
 
Dopamin3 said:
Peerless Assassin is the go to and a ridiculous value. If you want to pay more for similar performance with a different aesthetic, consider the Scythe Fuma 3, Noctua NH-D15, or Deepcool Assassin IV.
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Thanks.

However, on second though, I'm not sure if I want a regular HSF over an AIO liquid cooler just on appearance alone. Regular HSFs look like a massive block hanging from the middle of the motherboard and also put a lot of weight on the motherboard. True old school. I've gotten used to the look of AIO liquid coolers.
 
Quiz said:
Thanks.

However, on second though, I'm not sure if I want a regular HSF over an AIO liquid cooler just on appearance alone. Regular HSFs look like a massive block hanging from the middle of the motherboard and also put a lot of weight on the motherboard. True old school. I've gotten used to the look of AIO liquid coolers.
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The weight is a moot point. I've used NH-D14 and NH-D15 on numerous motherboard/CPU combinations and it's never caused any concern or damage. The Fuma 3 looks the nicest IMHO and doesn't block any RAM slots.

There is no shame on putting an AIO on the 7800X3D though. I'd probably just get a 240mm on sale and you'll be fine.
 
Quiz said:
Regular HSFs look like a massive block hanging from the middle of the motherboard and also put a lot of weight on the motherboard.
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For some situation, ram clearance can also be a major issue and in some case height room, weight for the regular one a la pearless assassin/dark pro/NH-D14 outside shipping context feel less an issue than modern gpus weight wise to me, because how the 4 mounting point are placed and a bit less heavy.

Obviously, look is pure subjective.
 
Does RAM speed make a difference with the 7800X3D? Or is DDR5-6000 CL30 the "optimum" speed?
 
How's this?

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/DvHPfy

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor ($391.98 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240 56.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($95.41 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX X670E-A GAMING WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard ($376.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus ProArt GeForce RTX 4080 16 GB Video Card ($1249.99 @ B&H)
Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Super Flower LEADEX VII XG 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($209.99 @ Newegg Sellers)
Total: $2659.33
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-11-08 18:47 EST-0500
 
That a really expensive motherboard for a very easy to drive power wise CPU, it is really hard to say versus knowing exactly the plan
Quiz said:
I should point out that I really don't game much at all.
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For example, what would it be used for, potential the 7800x3d is an overpriced bad pick for non gaming use.
Powersupply would be only if you consider upgrading in the future, both the 4080 and the 7800x3d are for what they are quite good on the powerusage
4080 is potentially a way overkill video card for a non gaming PC, chance are an iGPU specially the intel one would be enough or the AMD APU, maybe an 5700 APU AM4 would be more than enough

If this is luxury for fun to build a PC and to have a nice item to play with and look at (ProArt card is really good looking they have matching ProArt motherboard as well), it is all good quality component, good frequency CL timing on the memory at a good price.

you can make sure your memory kit will have an AMD expo, it is likely, you could consider an 64GB upgrade if you go down the price on the motherboard:
https://www.gskill.com/configurator...524725352&chipset=1663552665&model=1663555268

What it will be for exactly ?, maybe the non 3d CPU would be better performance at a better price for your need.
 
LukeTbk said:
That a really expensive motherboard for a very easy to drive power wise CPU, it is really hard to say versus knowing exactly the plan

For example, what would it be used for, potential the 7800x3d is an overpriced bad pick for non gaming use.
Powersupply would be only if you consider upgrading in the future, both the 4080 and the 7800x3d are for what they are quite good on the powerusage
4080 is potentially a way overkill video card for a non gaming PC, chance are an iGPU specially the intel one would be enough or the AMD APU, maybe an 5700 APU AM4 would be more than enough

If this is luxury for fun to build a PC and to have a nice item to play with and look at (ProArt card is really good looking they have matching ProArt motherboard as well), it is all good quality component, good frequency CL timing on the memory at a good price.

you can make sure your memory kit will have an AMD expo, it is likely, you could consider an 64GB upgrade if you go down the price on the motherboard:
https://www.gskill.com/configurator...524725352&chipset=1663552665&model=1663555268

What it will be for exactly ?, maybe the non 3d CPU would be better performance at a better price for your need.
Click to expand...
I know I said gaming is not something I do, but I probably will pick it back up with the new PC. There are 1 or 2 multiplayer games that I need high fps for as well.
 
Guess no new desktop PC. Decided to get a Mac instead. Just placed my order for the base model 14" M3 Pro in Space Black to replace my current desktop PC.
 
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