90K+ Upper mid-end PC build advice

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cybermantas

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Looking to upgrade my 5 yr old PC. Most parts will be new.

Main help needed on selecting CPU (Intel vs AMD) looking at price (motherboard becomes expensive with Intel) vs potential future-proofing benefits (on PCIe 5.0 and DDR5). And on the PC cabinet where I need more HDD storage (4* 3.5 inch HDD + 2* 2.5 inch HDD at least. More 3.5 inch slots (like 6) is preferred).

Questions
  1. What is your budget?
    • 100K (give or take)
  2. What is your existing hardware configuration (component name - component brand and model)
    • CPU - AMD R5 1600
    • GPU - GTX 1070
    • RAM - GSkill DDR4 2x8 Gb
    • Monitor - Asus (will be reused)
    • PSU - Seasonic
    • (please mention the rest in above format)
  3. Which hardware will you be keeping (component name - component brand and model)
    • Monitor - Asus
  4. Which hardware component are you looking to buy (component name). If you have already decided on a configuration then please mention the (component brand and model) as well, this will help us in fine tuning your requirement.
    • CPU - Deciding between Intel 12400F (or 12400) vs AMD R5 5600 (or 5600x) - need to decide on this basis some degree of costing and future proofing. Ryzen is cheaper but has only DDR4 support. Intel will become expensive due to DDR5 support on montherboard, but DDR5 is too expensive to get without any benefits. PCIe5 is the other consideration, but again offers no benefits in the near future (3 years?)
    • Motherboard - any compatible motherboard. Should have at least 6 SATA HDD ports and NVME as well.
    • GPU - GTX3060 Ti or 3070
    • PSU -
    • SSD - 1 tb NVME
    • HDD - will reuse existing ones. May buy 1 or 2 4tb HDD
    • Cabinet - Need an option with at least 4 * 3.5 inch HDD slots + 2* 2.5 inch HDD slots ... more is ok. Considering Fractal Meshify 2 / Lian-Li Mini Air .. need more suggestions on this. Tempered glass is nice to have but can be skipped
    • RAM - 2x8 or 2x16 gb as needed
    • Main help is needed for CPU and Cabinet.
  5. Is this going to be your final configuration or you would be adding/upgrading a component in near future. If yes then please mention when and which component
    • Final build
  6. Where will you buy this hardware? (Online/City/TE Dealer)
    • Mumbai
    • Open to online purchase
  7. Would you consider buying a second hand hardware from the TE market
    • Yes
  8. What is your intended use for this PC/hardware
    • Gaming
    • Browsing
  9. Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them and the reason for your preference/dislike.
    • Not particularly
  10. If you will be playing games then which type of games will you be playing?
    • Strategy / FPS / Sports - all sorts
  11. What is your preferred monitor resolution for gaming and normal usage
    1. Gaming - 1440p
  12. Are you looking to overclock?
    • No
  13. Which operating system do you intend to use with this configuration?
    • Windows 10 or 11 as needed
 
You can look at the PC I just bought for reference and pricing: https://techenclave.com/threads/gaming-pc-for-1440p-60-fps-gaming.206539/post-2372580

Since you have a higher budget, I'd suggest getting an i7 12700F instead, it's a worthy upgrade over 12400F and will cost you +12k.

You can get DDR4 motherboards for Intel 12th gen since they support both DDR4 and 5 both. Price difference as compared to AMD is about 2k. As for future proofing, I guess getting a higher end processor like 12700F would be better than getting DDR5 board. 12700F has very good single threaded performance and will last you a long time.

For GPU, if going for new, you won't be able to squeeze in anything more than 3060Ti in your budget. If you take the used route, then a 3070 might be possible.
 
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I doubt anyone buys an i5 12400 with DDR5 RAM as budget parts are meant to be more value for money & DDR5 is very expensive without much gains to a gamer. I have i5 12400 + B660M DS3H AX + DDR4 RAM because it was cheaper than Ryzen based systems. Performance is very similar to not be noticeable for budget or mid-range system. If you want, there's potential to upgrade to 13th gen with Intel system.

CPU - Intel i5 12400 - 17k (or get 12400F for 14k w/o iGPU)

Mobo - Gigabyte B660M DS3H - 10.5k (fine for 12400, not anything higher)

RAM - 2x8GB DDR4 3600MHz C18 - 6.5k (double it later if required)

GPU - Zotac RTX 3060Ti Twin Edge - 50k

M.2 SSD - Samsung 980 1TB - 8.5k

HDD - Yours

PSU - Deepcool PM650D 80+ gold - 5k

Cabinet - Deepcool Mattrexx 55 Mesh 4F - 5.2k

Monitor - Yours

Total - 102.7k


Check primeabgb, mdcomputers, theitdepot, vedant computers, clarion for PC parts at a good price.

Stock cooler is ok for gaming, not for productivity:
Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 Pro - 2.5k

You might have to jump to Z690 for more than 4 SATA ports, as most B660s will have just 4. Similarly, cabinets with more than 2x 3.5" HDD support are rare.

Zotac Twin Edge model doesn't have great thermals, so tune it to max out fans at 65C or so. Also, 3060Ti Twin Edge is ok, 3070 one might get a bit toasty. Register warranty within 30 days to get full 5 year warranty. I will recommend Zotac over Inno3D, Galax & Colorful.
 
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Thanks for the responses. Not to be curt, but my 2 points are still unaddressed:

a) The Cabinet suggested do not have enough 3.5 inch storage. I am ok to spend upto 10k or even 15k if the "value for money" can be maximised. For context, I already am using a Thermaltake View 31 TG cabinet and the only reason to not reuse it is because it doesnt have enough storage bays

b) On the CPU, I dont want to go for i7 or R7. I see no value going in that direction. I had much rather get a better motherboard or a cabinet or HDD or the GPU or save the money than go to i7 or R7. Thats a hard no. Between Intel and AMD, I am specifically highlighting that DDR5 doesnt make sense, for now. PCIe 5 doesnt make sense, for now. With that at the back of the mind (but as a possible option), how should I decide between Intel (i5 12400 or 12400F) and AMD (R5 5600 / 5600x). This wont come down to the CPU alone but the motherboard choice (and pricing) as well. Further, the motherboard needs to have at least 6 SATA ports (independent of NVMe) which pushes the price up. I am unable to research the right motherboard choice within the wide plethora of options, so need help here. The above 2 posts do not meet the SATA port requirements.
 
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cybermantas said:
Ryzen is cheaper but has only DDR4 support.
Click to expand...

cybermantas said:
PCIe5 is the other consideration
Click to expand...

cybermantas said:
I am specifically highlighting that DDR5 doesnt make sense, for now. PCIe 5 doesnt make sense, for now.
Click to expand...
I think what you're thinking and what you're writing are two different things. Your first post clearly says that DDR5 and PCIe5 are being considered. Then in your second post you're suddenly saying that they offer no benefit, so you're not considering them. If you weren't considering them, then you could have simply stated that you don't need those instead of putting confusing statements.

On the CPU front, if you're getting a dedicated GPU, then i5 12400F is clearly the best option as it's quite cheap and compares really well to R5 5600.

@RadarHz recommended motherboards. Keep in mind though that the b660 chipset natively supports only 4 SATA ports. The other 2 ports utilise a different controller and PCIe lanes. Many people report that performance on this is not at par with native SATA ports. Also note that on some motherboards, second M.2 slot and one or more SATA ports share lanes, so you can't use both SSD and HDD at the same time. Keeping these things in mind, it might be best to opt for a Z690 motherboard, like the Gigabyte Z690 UD AX DDR4. This is listed for 21k on mdcomputers.in

This is also an option https://mdcomputers.in/msi-mag-z690-tomahawk-wifi-ddr4.html

I have no suggestions to make about cabinets.
 
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gourav said:
I think what you're thinking and what you're writing are two different things. Your first post clearly says that DDR5 and PCIe5 are being considered. Then in your second post you're suddenly saying that they offer no benefit, so you're not considering them. If you weren't considering them, then you could have simply stated that you don't need those instead of putting confusing statements.
Click to expand...

Fair point. I see how what I said is confusing. Lemme clarify. I meant that while I am aware of some benefits of the Intel platform with respect to future proofing (namely PCIe and DDR5), I personally believe that they may not have too much value in the near future. And I wanted to confirm this personal view with the community to see if this was an important consideration or not. For example, If eventually the combined cost of the Intel platform and AMD platform didnt have much difference, then maybe Intel might trump even if having 1-2k higher cost. If the difference was more, then maybe not. At least this is what I meant when I wrote those seemingly conflicting statements.

gourav said:
@RadarHz recommended motherboards. Keep in mind though that the b660 chipset natively supports only 4 SATA ports. The other 2 ports utilise a different controller and PCIe lanes. Many people report that performance on this is not at par with native SATA ports. Also note that on some motherboards, second M.2 slot and one or more SATA ports share lanes, so you can't use both SSD and HDD at the same time. Keeping these things in mind, it might be best to opt for a Z690 motherboard, like the Gigabyte Z690 UD AX DDR4. This is listed for 21k on mdcomputers.in
Click to expand...

This is a good point. That effectively takes B660 out of running cos I am specifically looking at 4+ (ideally 6 at least) SATA ports. Also, I am aware of the M.2 slot overlapping with the SATA port in terms of lane usage (my current mobo Asus B350-F has the same limitation). All in all, seems like going Intel may need me to look at Z690 (as you pointed out) which makes the cost on the higher side. I may need to go back to and look at some AMD options with enough ports.

gourav said:
I have no suggestions to make about cabinets.
Click to expand...

Well, I did some research today. Narrowed down the options to the following (largely on the basis of the number of 3.5 inch drive bays ... which should be at least 6)

1. Phantek 500A
2. Phantek 400A
3. Fractal Meshify 2
4. Lian Li O11 Dynamic Evo
5. Lian Li Air Mini

All the above are in the 15k range (give or take 2-3k on either side) , so that also is on the higher side. I am wondering if there are any cabinets I am missing out from the 10k range which should be considered. If not, any views on these 5 itself.
 
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cybermantas said:
Thanks for the responses. Not to be curt, but my 2 points are still unaddressed:

a) The Cabinet suggested do not have enough 3.5 inch storage. I am ok to spend upto 10k or even 15k if the "value for money" can be maximised. For context, I already am using a Thermaltake View 31 TG cabinet and the only reason to not reuse it is because it doesnt have enough storage bays

b) On the CPU, I dont want to go for i7 or R7. I see no value going in that direction. I had much rather get a better motherboard or a cabinet or HDD or the GPU or save the money than go to i7 or R7. Thats a hard no. Between Intel and AMD, I am specifically highlighting that DDR5 doesnt make sense, for now. PCIe 5 doesnt make sense, for now. With that at the back of the mind (but as a possible option), how should I decide between Intel (i5 12400 or 12400F) and AMD (R5 5600 / 5600x). This wont come down to the CPU alone but the motherboard choice (and pricing) as well. Further, the motherboard needs to have at least 6 SATA ports (independent of NVMe) which pushes the price up. I am unable to research the right motherboard choice within the wide plethora of options, so need help here. The above 2 posts do not meet the SATA port requirements.
Click to expand...
1. Find yourself IMO. Lots of choices, see what fits your bill. As I mentioned, most cabinet just supports 2x 3.5" drive bays.

2. There are higher end B660 that support 6 SATA ports, but since those cost 20k, same as an entry level Z690, I see no point in getting the former.

If these 2 points are not flexible, for 2nd part my suggestion would be R5 5600/5600X for 16/17k + MSI X570 A Pro for 15.3k. It will push up your budget by about 8k. Note that AMD CPUs lack iGPU, another reason why I prefer i5 12400.

For Intel, get i5 12400F (14k) + MSI Pro Z690-A DDR4 (20k). This mobo has 4x M.2 slots as well as 6x SATA ports. Will be bit more expensive but maybe the 2x extra M.2 slots will benefit you.
 
hey
i would personally look for a 12600kf (24k) paired with a MSI B660 Mortar DDDR4 or Gigabyte B660M Aorux Pro AX(16kish), thats a fantastic price point for the combo @40k, and also future proofs you quite a bit !
hope it helps !
cybermantas said:
Looking to upgrade my 5 yr old PC. Most parts will be new.

Main help needed on selecting CPU (Intel vs AMD) looking at price (motherboard becomes expensive with Intel) vs potential future-proofing benefits (on PCIe 5.0 and DDR5). And on the PC cabinet where I need more HDD storage (4* 3.5 inch HDD + 2* 2.5 inch HDD at least. More 3.5 inch slots (like 6) is preferred).

Questions
  1. What is your budget?
    • 100K (give or take)
  2. What is your existing hardware configuration (component name - component brand and model)
    • CPU - AMD R5 1600
    • GPU - GTX 1070
    • RAM - GSkill DDR4 2x8 Gb
    • Monitor - Asus (will be reused)
    • PSU - Seasonic
    • (please mention the rest in above format)
  3. Which hardware will you be keeping (component name - component brand and model)
    • Monitor - Asus
  4. Which hardware component are you looking to buy (component name). If you have already decided on a configuration then please mention the (component brand and model) as well, this will help us in fine tuning your requirement.
    • CPU - Deciding between Intel 12400F (or 12400) vs AMD R5 5600 (or 5600x) - need to decide on this basis some degree of costing and future proofing. Ryzen is cheaper but has only DDR4 support. Intel will become expensive due to DDR5 support on montherboard, but DDR5 is too expensive to get without any benefits. PCIe5 is the other consideration, but again offers no benefits in the near future (3 years?)
    • Motherboard - any compatible motherboard. Should have at least 6 SATA HDD ports and NVME as well.
    • GPU - GTX3060 Ti or 3070
    • PSU -
    • SSD - 1 tb NVME
    • HDD - will reuse existing ones. May buy 1 or 2 4tb HDD
    • Cabinet - Need an option with at least 4 * 3.5 inch HDD slots + 2* 2.5 inch HDD slots ... more is ok. Considering Fractal Meshify 2 / Lian-Li Mini Air .. need more suggestions on this. Tempered glass is nice to have but can be skipped
    • RAM - 2x8 or 2x16 gb as needed
    • Main help is needed for CPU and Cabinet.
  5. Is this going to be your final configuration or you would be adding/upgrading a component in near future. If yes then please mention when and which component
    • Final build
  6. Where will you buy this hardware? (Online/City/TE Dealer)
    • Mumbai
    • Open to online purchase
  7. Would you consider buying a second hand hardware from the TE market
    • Yes
  8. What is your intended use for this PC/hardware
    • Gaming
    • Browsing
  9. Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them and the reason for your preference/dislike.
    • Not particularly
  10. If you will be playing games then which type of games will you be playing?
    • Strategy / FPS / Sports - all sorts
  11. What is your preferred monitor resolution for gaming and normal usage
    1. Gaming - 1440p
  12. Are you looking to overclock?
    • No
  13. Which operating system do you intend to use with this configuration?
    • Windows 10 or 11 as needed
Click to expand...
 
Hi

I have narrowed down my options to the following motherboards on the AM4 (Ryzen 5600x) side:

a) MSI MPG B550 Gaming Edge WIFI (~18.2k from Clarion Computers)
b) Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro AC with Wifi/USB-C (17.1k from MDComputers)
c) Asus TUF Gaming B550-plus with Wifi/USB-C (18.1k from Vedant Computers)
d) Asus ROG Strix B500-F with Wifi/USB-C (21.14k from Vednat Computers)

Any views on these 4 ? (Reason for selecting these 4 is the "6 Sata slots" on B550 motherboards in $150-$200 range)

Reason for going with AMD is that there are more options in the B550 motherboards for "6 Sata slots" as compared to B660 (Intel) motherboards. Also, the Intel path will probably require a separate cooler purchase further reducing the cost differential between the 2 choices. Again, happy to hear views.
 
pick a ryzen 5800x at 21-22 k in big billion sale Fk and AMZN, pick any of your AMD gpu from vedant or current Founders edition gpu from rptech you will live happily ever after .Most of the mobo manufacturers have updated their BIOs to support 5 series ryzens .you can use mobo money for some other stuff or buy better gpu or anything you desire of
 
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cybermantas said:
Hi

I have narrowed down my options to the following motherboards on the AM4 (Ryzen 5600x) side:

a) MSI MPG B550 Gaming Edge WIFI (~18.2k from Clarion Computers)
b) Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro AC with Wifi/USB-C (17.1k from MDComputers)
c) Asus TUF Gaming B550-plus with Wifi/USB-C (18.1k from Vedant Computers)
d) Asus ROG Strix B500-F with Wifi/USB-C (21.14k from Vednat Computers)

Any views on these 4 ? (Reason for selecting these 4 is the "6 Sata slots" on B550 motherboards in $150-$200 range)

Reason for going with AMD is that there are more options in the B550 motherboards for "6 Sata slots" as compared to B660 (Intel) motherboards. Also, the Intel path will probably require a separate cooler purchase further reducing the cost differential between the 2 choices. Again, happy to hear views.
Click to expand...
This thread made for interesting reading.
I am just curious as all these mobo choices have WIFI too. If your System is running 24x7 then go for the WiFi option else skip it and you can save money here.
Way back in 2013 I had a Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H WiFi board and the WiFi was really powerful ...... BUT of no use when the PC is not ON.
Just my tuppence matey.
 
Am I misunderstanding what you're saying here? Why would you want it when the system is not on? You're using the motherboard wifi instead of LAN, not using LAN+using motherboard wifi to set up an access point for other devices.
terence_fdes said:
This thread made for interesting reading.
I am just curious as all these mobo choices have WIFI too. If your System is running 24x7 then go for the WiFi option else skip it and you can save money here.
Way back in 2013 I had a Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H WiFi board and the WiFi was really powerful ...... BUT of no use when the PC is not ON.
Just my tuppence matey.
Click to expand...
 
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