I don’t even know where to start. I’m so overwhelmed. Everyone says build a PC, its cheapter and better, but I don’t know anything. I’m using PCPartPicker and I have only gotten as far as the monitor, OS, CPU and CPU cooler. Honestly, I have no clue if I even selected the right CPU and cooler. Ideally, I’d like to stay under $1000. I really only heavily play WoW, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to play other games. I’ve been playing on a laptop forever. I’ve never had a desktop so I’m out of my league here.
This is my build so far in PCPartPicker:
CPU: [AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor]
CPU cooler: [Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler]
Windows 11 OS
Monitor: [MSI Optix G271CP 27.0" 1920 x 1080 165 Hz Curved Monitor]
My laptop currently has 250g storage and a 1TB SSD, which is plenty of storage, but I don’t know what parts to choose.
None of this makes sense to me. It’s not as easy as people say. Sure, I can put it together, but knowing what to get is the hard part. Please help. Does anyone have suggestions on something that will give me great a great WoW experience and not overheat? My laptop is 7 years old and WoW bugs out so much now.
Get a 1440p monitor. 1080p pixels are like Legos at 27". Don’t get a curved monitor. I have one. All it’s done is alter my brain to see a flat image when looking at a curved one. Don’t let ppl fool you into believing there are health benefits to having a curved monitor.
If you’re not pinching for pennies its fine to get a prebuilt. If you still want to build your own, you can go to PCpartpicker and select the guides to get a quick tl;dr. There’s plenty of already built computers you can just copy.
I’d start with familiarizing yourself with CPU and GPU first. I prefer intel/nvidia combo, over AMD, so I’ll use that as an example, but you don’t have to buy that. So I’d start with i5-14600k (the current generation of intel processors) with a gtx 4060 (a “high-mid” range card, but will most certainly play WoW on max easily). From there you want to accommodate these parts. Before deciding on rest of the parts, try to buy current gen.
You can use benchmark here to assess the different processors, like this for CPUs https://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html
and this one for GPUs https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html
This is just to give you an idea how they compare (your mentioned processor isn’t too far off from the one I mentioned).
Once you got your CPU, find a suitable motherboard that matches the CPU’s socket. Make sure the RAM you buy matches the motherboard’s capability (DDR4 or 5 compatible these days I believe). Make sure you got a PSU with about 650 or so watt (thats the standard IIRC).
Here’s a PCpartpicker guide with my first chosen 2 https://pcpartpicker.com/b/cBRTwP
But that’s a bit over your budget. What you should do: check if there’s cheaper current gen ryzen CPU and use benchmark to assess how close it is to the i5 14600 processor to determine it’s speed. Once you get a new board, find a suitable motherboard. Then the RAM. Etc.
And once you get into the lingo you’ll notice which CPUs are new or how well they are in their hierarchy of power. Intel processors are i3, i5, i7, i9 in terms of power, and the number afterwards is their generation (12, 13, 14 etc). Do the same for GPUs. Nvidia’s work like this X0Y0 where X is the generation, Y is how strong it is from the current gens. So 4060 is newer gen version of 3060, but 3090 is very strong compared to 4060. Use benchmarks to assess. I don’t know how AMD works to tell you their nomenclature, but shouldn’t be hard to figure out.
Buying a pre-built is fine, just shop around. You’re on the right track as the 7800X3D is the best choice for a CPU at the moment. Make sure your case can fit the Peerless Assassin. I don’t know if it’s a big cooler but that’s been an issue for me recently.
You can buy a Windows 11 key from Etsy for around $10. Just download the installer from Microsoft onto a USB drive.
For RAM you probably want 32GB total. 2 sticks of 16GB DDR5 @ 6000Mhz+ with an EXPO setting. If you ever want to upgrade later, just buy the same exact kit. If you go with an Intel CPU (I wouldn’t), the RAM should have an XMP setting instead of EXPO, or it may have both.
The monitor could be better. I’d get one that’s FreeSync/Gsync compatible depending on which video card you buy. Since you don’t know where to start, Nvidia RTX = Gsync and AMD Radeon= FreeSync. You could always buy a really crappy monitor (<$100) and upgrade it later.
You don’t need an X670 motherboard or Z series if you go Intel. A cheap B650 is perfect for gaming and will save you quite a bit.
I think you can keep it near your budget and have a banger of a PC. Just buy/use a crappy keyboard and mouse until you find something nice when you have extra money. If you live near a Micro Center you’ll save more with their bundles.
OP, I wouldn’t dive into trying to build a computer yourself if you don’t feel confident about doing it or at least have a friend who can help you. There are a lot of things that can go wrong and turn it all into one expensive failed experiment.
As a compromise, I’d recommend buying a pre-built that can be easily upgraded (something other than a typical HP or Dell that uses tons of proprietary parts). Dip your toes into things by upgrading your PC over time, and then by the time you are ready for your next PC in a few years, then maybe you’ll be ready to build it from scratch.
With that said, a few comments on your parts selection:
The Peerless Assassin is a good heatsink, but there are better options at this point.
There is the Phantom Spirit, which is basically the same as the Peerless Assassin but with an extra heatpipe:
There is an “SE” version of the Phantom Spirit also, but the non-SE models are better (more metal fins).
There is also the Frost Spirit 140, which is also better than the Peerless Assassin, and one amazing bargain at it’s current price. It is larger however, so more potential for clearance issues:
Keep in mind that Windows 10 and Windows 11 keys are interchangeable, so if you can find a Windows 10 key for cheaper, go for it.
I don’t think that the benefits of a curved monitor really come into play much at only 27", but at 32" and above, and especially with ultrawide monitors, it certainly does help. I’m not sure what you are talking about when you say “health benefits” as that is honestly not a reason that I have ever read about when it comes to curved monitors.
The reason for curved monitors is viewing angles. Many monitors exhibit color shift and other negative visual issues when viewed at an angle as opposed to viewed straight-on. Above a certain size, you get to a point where the sides of the monitor are far enough away that these viewing-angle issues begin to apply to the sides of the monitor. Curved monitors simply reduce the off-axis viewing angle for the sides of the monitor so that there is less color shift on the sides compared to the center, etc. Of course, the degree to which this is necessary will vary depending on the exact monitor tech used, how far you sit from your monitor, and of course the size of the monitor.
If you can afford it I would stick with the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D. It wil give you more performance and probably get a bit more future proofing on the system.