New PC build looking for advice please.

Adm9154

Member
You're not gaming or streaming in 4k, you've got a 1440p monitor.

I'm currently gaming at double your resolution with a 4th gen i7 very happily.

Your CPU is not the issue.
I'm sorry but I've also got a BenQ EL2870U 4K, 28 inch, 1ms, 75hz HDR monitor, used for watching stuff in 4k.
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
I'm sorry but I've also got a BenQ EL2870U 4K, 28 inch, 1ms, 75hz HDR monitor, used for watching stuff in 4k.
Are you gaming on that?

Watching is not the same as streaming.

Watching a stream takes zero resources on the CPU, nothing worthy of mentioning anyway, other than the browser or app you're using to watch the source and some GPU encoding. You can do that on integrated graphics with a dual core athlon CPU in 5 year old mobile phone. All it is is receiving a video feed, the same as basic output to a monitor. Takes no resources whatsoever.

Streaming is when you're creating a video feed on the fly through a webcam or monitor output, converting it to a stream compressed bit rate, and then uploading it to the cloud in real time. That takes a bit of CPU and graphics performance.

But you said you're just watching streams. That's not streaming. That's just watching a video feed. Takes no resource.
 
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Adm9154

Member
Are you gaming on that?

Watching is not the same as streaming.

Watching a stream takes zero resources, other than the browser or app you're using to watch the source. You can do that on integrated graphics with a dual core athlon CPU in 5 year old mobile phone. All it is is receiving a video feed, the same as basic output to a monitor. Takes no resources whatsoever.

Streaming is when you're creating a video feed on the fly through a webcam or monitor output, converting it to a stream compressed bit rate, and then uploading it to the cloud in real time. That takes a bit of CPU and graphics performance.

But you said you're just watching streams. That's not streaming. That's just watching a video feed. Takes no resource.
I'm gaming on the 1440 whilst also watching 4k streams on my 4k. Multitasking. Putting YouTube videos into 4k increases the CPU usage by a lot :s
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
I'm gaming on the 1440 whilst also watching 4k streams on my 4k. Multitasking. Putting YouTube videos into 4k increases the CPU usage by a lot :s
Yes, as advised multiple times, if you're seeing high CPU usage, it's nothing to do with your hardware, there's a software issue.

I would suggest a clean install of windows. Something is stealing your resources. Or you haven't set up GPU encoding for Youtube.

Your GPU is not suitable for 4k or 1440p gaming, that's the bottleneck
 
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Adm9154

Member
Yes, as advised multiple times, if you're seeing high CPU usage, it's nothing to do with your hardware, there's a software issue.

I would suggest a clean install of windows. Something is stealing your resources. Or you haven't set up GPU encoding for Youtube.

Your GPU is not suitable for 4k or 1440p gaming, that's the bottleneck
Okay, thanks for your advice, I will consider just ordering a 3060Ti but I must sleep now.
Out of interest, what windows version are you on?
Windows 10
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Okay, thanks for your advice, I will consider just ordering a 3060Ti but I must sleep now.
It's likely you just haven't got hardware acceleration set on Chrome so it's doing all the processing on the CPU.


If that's enabled, and you're still getting high CPU usage, it's because of a software issue that you need to troubleshoot.

A clean windows install will likely be a lot quicker than troubleshooting the cause though.

But there's nothing wrong with your hardware.

I would just upgrade the GPU, then you can carry that across to a new build in 2 or 3 years when this one is past it's prime. But this build still has some life in it yet.
 

DarTon

Well-known member
Seems to me that, assuming you can use the PCS upgrade facility, buying a 3060 Ti would be the logical option. I see that costing £552. If that doesn't help, you can they come back and buy a new system without a GPU. Move the new GPU to the new PC. I see the difference in price between your current spec and your spec without a GPU as £582 so it seems to save £30. Free option!

As an aside though, if you're willing to spend up to £3000, that's more than enough to build a high end 1440p system (3070 Ti) and buy a new ultrawide monitor at the same time. You have precisely zero need for a 12900K that adds at most a few percent to gaming performance. It's not clear you need DDR5. Your cooling with a 12900K would cause everything to melt and leak out of the case. A 10-core 12600KF would be more than adequate.
 

gigachip

Member
Yes, as advised multiple times, if you're seeing high CPU usage, it's nothing to do with your hardware, there's a software issue.

I would suggest a clean install of windows. Something is stealing your resources. Or you haven't set up GPU encoding for Youtube.

Your GPU is not suitable for 4k or 1440p gaming, that's the bottleneck
This. ⬆️ Windows 10 task manager, click on 'more details' should, I expect, show what is eating up resources.
 

Adm9154

Member
It's likely you just haven't got hardware acceleration set on Chrome so it's doing all the processing on the CPU.


If that's enabled, and you're still getting high CPU usage, it's because of a software issue that you need to troubleshoot.

A clean windows install will likely be a lot quicker than troubleshooting the cause though.

But there's nothing wrong with your hardware.

I would just upgrade the GPU, then you can carry that across to a new build in 2 or 3 years when this one is past it's prime. But this build still has some life in it yet.
Yeah, I've turned on the hardware acceleration and it's not using as much CPU now, thanks for the advice.
 

Adm9154

Member
Hi, I'd appreciate some advice on a build less overpowered than the one I posted before. I will be using this spec to game on a DELL - S2721DGFA Quad HD 27” LCD Gaming Monitor and also watching up to 4k streams on a BenQ EL2870U 28 Inch UHD 4K at the same time. Multitasking. I previously got advice to upgrade my current PC but really just want a new one that has good enough cooling and power to upgrade in the future. Thank you. :)
Case
BE QUIET! BASE 601 TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700K (3.6GHz) 25MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z690-A GAMING WIFI D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 2500MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB CORSAIR MP400 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 3480 MB/R, 1880 MB/W)
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H150i RGB PRO XT Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans
2x 120mm Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00003]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
Price: £2,304.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z690-pc/dKCsVh4x8K/
 

JUNI0R

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
I've ordered it now so hopefully it's okay.
All looks pretty solid. A few changes I'd recommend:

Case
CORSAIR 5000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE I've personally never been a fan of the 601 (excuse the pun), if you're looking for a quiet case I'd recommend the Fractal Define 7, if you're not then the Corsair 5000D is a fantastic option.
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700K (3.6GHz) 25MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB) I'd recommend a minimum of 3200mhz RAM, small change but will make all the difference
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 2500MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2500MB/sW) The Corsair drives don't have the best write endurance (the Intel 670p is has a better TBW and generally our suggestion)
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET 850W will run this current build fine, but for any future upgradability, I'd recommend upping to 1000W
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans
2x 120mm Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001] I'd personally stick to Windows 10 for now
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE I'd recommend getting rid of BullGuard, it's known to reduce system performance and cause instability. Windows Defender is a completly capable antivirus software that's designed to work within Windows
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) Silver warranty is well worth the £5
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
Price: £2,276.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z690-pc/WmXQAE7uZH/
 

Martinr36

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Thanks for the advice, it's too late to change the RAM now but I can buy better in the future if it sucks. I will have to get rid of the anti-virus software when it arrives. The order said this build would only use 570 but I went for 850 hoping that would be sufficient for upgrades :/ If I was to purchase faster RAM, would I be able to put it in with the other RAM or would the slower have to go?
If it's still pie production you can still make the changes
 

Adm9154

Member
All looks pretty solid. A few changes I'd recommend:

Case
CORSAIR 5000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE I've personally never been a fan of the 601 (excuse the pun), if you're looking for a quiet case I'd recommend the Fractal Define 7, if you're not then the Corsair 5000D is a fantastic option.
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700K (3.6GHz) 25MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB) I'd recommend a minimum of 3200mhz RAM, small change but will make all the difference
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 2500MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2500MB/sW) The Corsair drives don't have the best write endurance (the Intel 670p is has a better TBW and generally our suggestion)
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET 850W will run this current build fine, but for any future upgradability, I'd recommend upping to 1000W
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans
2x 120mm Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001] I'd personally stick to Windows 10 for now
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE I'd recommend getting rid of BullGuard, it's known to reduce system performance and cause instability. Windows Defender is a completly capable antivirus software that's designed to work within Windows
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) Silver warranty is well worth the £5
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
Price: £2,276.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z690-pc/WmXQAE7uZH/
I've made the changes you recommended though I actually went for the 3600Mhz RAM since you said "minimum", didn't realise I could but it's done now. Thank you!
 
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