Buyer's Guide
Welcome to the PC Builders Thread, where we talk about computer hardware! Whether you're upgrading your existing computer, want to build a new one, have a question, or just like talking about computers in general - we've got you covered! Now with even more ARGB!
CPUs: BUY (5/2023)
Best: Ryzen 7800X3D / Core i9 13700K
Melting issue aside, the 7800X3D is generally the best gaming CPU today. But the 13700K, despite being a power consumption smokestack, is also supremely capable. There are lots of good CPU choices on the market right now, and the next gen is still ~6 months away.
GPUs: BUY (5/2023)
Best: RTX 4080 / 4090
The GPU market continues to see prices tank as the bitcoin world exited and demand floundered. We are starting to see more value-oriented GPUs like the 4060ti-16GB. But the old days of the best GPUs being $500 or less are long gone. Possible refreshes probably won't happen until November, so it's still a good time to buy now if you see a card in your price range.
SSDs: BUY (5/2023)
Sweet Spot: 1TB M.2 NVMe (PCIe 4.0)
Gen5 is here, and it's very expensive. So the best perf is still looking at a 1TB NVMe in the Gen4 flavor.
MONITORS: BUY (5/2023)
Sweet Spot: 27" 1440p (IPS) @ 165hz
Setup and Overclocking
Want to know exactly what you bought? Or figure out what kind of overclocking room you may have? Try these.
- CPU-Z: Displays CPU, Motherboard, and Memory info.
- GPU-Z: Displays extremely detailed Graphics Card info.
- MSI Afterburner: Videocard overclocking, temps, fans. Works on non-MSI cards.
- AMD Ryzen Master: Overclocking/temps for AMD CPUs. Installs some power plans that are good for AMD Builds.
- WizTree: Visual display of your files, great for figuring out how to make space on your SSD.
- Macrium Reflect Free Edition: Clone a drive or make an exact backup for later.
- HWiNFO: Not as obvious as CPU-Z but it lets you do realtime temperature/fan monitoring, if you need that.
Want to test exactly how fast your new build is? Try these.
- Cinebench R20 - CPU Benchmark
- Blender Benchmark - CPU Benchmark
- Unigine Heaven - Graphics Benchmark
- 3DMark - Graphics Benchmark (Click "Download Demo")
- FF XIV Stormblood Benchmark - Graphics Benchmark
- CrystalDiskMark - Artificial benchmark to test HDD / SSD Storage speeds.
- UserBenchmark - Full system benchmark, comparing your components to others' same components (note, if others overclocked their specific component and you did not, it's likely yours will fall below the average, so don't necessarily panic!)
Concerned there could be an error or stability issue? These can help by stress-testing parts of your system to dig out the problems.
- OCCT - CPU/GPU/PSU (perfect for finding power supply issues and more)
- Karhu RAM Test - Memory (paid, but fast/surefire to find problems. Use OCCT if you don't want to pay)
(Let me know if there's a preferred shop in your region of the world...)
- Amazon: The defacto world store. Some counterfeits now and then but they do try to crack down on it.
- NewEgg: Also has a big world presence now. Trusted PC parts seller.
- MicroCenter (USA): Has a lot of US retail locations, but also functions as an online retailer.
- Memory Express / Canada Computers (CANADA): Trusted Canada parts dealers with some retail shops.
- Lazada (Singapore): Generally the place for parts if you don't want to go to Sim Lim.
- Reddit: r/buildapcsales is a good source to keep an eye out for details if you use Amazon/NewEgg/MicroCenter/etc.
- PCPartPicker: Price out your own build online, share with us, or just use it as a reminder for your build in the future. (There is a region selector in the top-right for different pricing)
- Geizhals (Austria/Germany) AKA Skinflint (UK/Poland) are a recommended alternative to PartPicker in Europe. They often have a broader selection of parts and sellers listed.
Answering these questions will help us recommend or put together a build for you:
- What's your budget and currency?
- What do you want to use the computer for? (gaming? web? video editing? everything?)
- When do you plan to purchase the parts and build it?
- Are you reusing any parts or are you building a completely new computer?
- Do you only need the computer itself or do you need accessories, such as a monitor, mouse, keyboard, and speakers?
- Do you want to overclock? (will make your PC faster, but requires better cooling and can have various side effects)
There are plenty of options out there if you don't want to take our word for it...
- Gamers Nexus (YouTube / Web) Very thorough reviews, mainly cases/coolers/GPUs/CPUs
- Hardware Unboxed (YouTube) The king of monitor reviews.
- Anandtech (Web) The founder has left, but they still are a very technical and detailed site.
- Tech Power-up (Web): Usually does very detailed multi-page reviews.
- Actually Hardcore Overclocking (YouTube) Buildzoid is considered the king of VRM and knows everything about OC.
- Gear Seekers (YouTube) Has more-or-less mastered the art of montage building.
- Hardware Canucks (YouTube) Always good for the "hits" of reviews.
- JayzTwoCents (YouTube) Obsessed with watercooling.
- Linus Tech Tips (YouTube) The king of bite-sized PC info.
- How to assemble a computer (YouTube, 2012)
- How to assemble a computer (Web, 2019)
- Explanation of hyper-threading/SMT (YouTube, 2013)
- Introduction to custom water cooling (YouTube, 2013)
- SSD Comparison Chart (Web, 2020)
- Monitor technology guide; TN vs VA vs IPS (Article, 2019)
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