Building my wife a PC that she can play Civ 7 for the next five years. Thoughts on my list? <3
Posted by AngryAbsalom@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 113 comments
Haven't built my own PC since 2015 so I am a bit behind in what parts are not only standard, but also good deals. Is there anything on here that sticks out to you that I should change? She'll want to play at 144fps, 2k if possible. Civ 7 is the most demanding thing she'll be playing. I'm least knowledgeable about good motherboards. Her build is black with pink accents and I will most likely give her my 3070 and upgrade my own GPU. Thank you all!
[PCPartPicker Part List](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/4rcgdH)
Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Core i7-14700K 3.4 GHz 20-Core Processor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/BmWJ7P/intel-core-i7-14700k-34-ghz-20-core-processor-bx8071514700k) | $354.99 @ Amazon
**CPU Cooler** | [be quiet! Pure Rock 2 FX CPU Cooler](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/2L3gXL/be-quiet-pure-rock-2-fx-cpu-cooler-bk033) | $47.99 @ Amazon
**Motherboard** | [MSI MAG B760 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/CxLFf7/msi-mag-b760-tomahawk-wifi-atx-lga1700-motherboard-mag-b760-tomahawk-wifi) | $169.99 @ Amazon
**Memory** | [G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/CXKKHx/gskill-trident-z5-neo-rgb-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-ddr5-6000-cl30-memory-f5-6000j3038f16gx2-tz5nr) | $112.99 @ Amazon
**Storage** | [Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Zxw7YJ/samsung-970-evo-plus-1-tb-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-mz-v7s1t0bam) | $109.90 @ Amazon
**Video Card** | [Asus DUAL OC GeForce RTX 3070 8 GB Video Card](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/NhzFf7/asus-geforce-rtx-3070-8-gb-dual-oc-video-card-dual-rtx3070-o8g) | $548.51 @ Amazon
**Case** | [Fractal Design Pop Air ATX Mid Tower Case](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/9YjBD3/fractal-design-pop-air-atx-mid-tower-case-fd-c-por1a-03) | $89.99 @ Adorama
**Power Supply** | [Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 - V2 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/tWMTwP/cooler-master-mwe-gold-850-v2-850-w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-mpe-8501-afaag-us) | $84.99 @ Amazon
**Operating System** | [\*Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM - DVD 64-bit](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dKkWGX/microsoft-windows-11-home-oem-dvd-64-bit-kw9-00633) | $119.99 @ Amazon
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| **Total** | **$1639.34**
| \*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria |
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2024-10-15 13:43 EDT-0400 |
chimkee@reddit
You could do a lot better for close to 1700
chimkee@reddit
I would suggest this build.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/sZdGmD
lukeskylicker1@reddit
Dude. It's a 4x title. FPS means very nearly nothing here, the real bottleneck is going to be waiting on calculations and AI behavior. If you're going to dump half of your budget into something for this use case, it's for the CPU not the GPU. That's not even a particularly good list either, but in this very specific context there are few combinations worse than a 7600x paired with... well, pretty much any GPU if we have a $1700 budget, never mind a wildly overpriced 4080S.
chimkee@reddit
You saying the 7600x paired with any GPU is bad is laughable when the recommended specs is for a Ryzen 5 3600x.
lukeskylicker1@reddit
Congratulations on demonstrating that you have absolutely no grasp on the nature of these types of games. MSFS 2020 has an insane 150GB file size, but it's recommend CPU is just an measly i5-8400. Stellaris is a flagship title from a major publisher known specifically for their strategy/simulation games, and the recommend specs only call for an i5-3570K. Dwarf Fortress is legendary game and has inspired countless others. The steam versions recommend spec is a dual-core CPU with +4GHz. If that eye watering requirement is just too much for you, then a 7W Intel Celeron from 2014 will just barely meet the minimum requirements of a dual-core CPU with +2.4GHz.
What do all these games have in common? They are notorious and well known CPU destroyers that make overclocked and self-destructing 14900KS look like an IBM mainframe. A popular pass time in MSFS 2020 is complaining that a 7800X3D, the best gaming CPU period, is still not good enough to process the game without issues. Stellaris has the same fatal flaw as every other Paradox game, the notorious late-game slowdown, which leads to players installing performance mods on a 'low requirement' game and unironically advocating to commit genocide in game to reduce the number of calculations the game has to perform. Dwarf Fortress, is a simulation's simulation, allowing for people to create entire worlds and histories, and depending on your settings and what you need to make the game simulate, single instances of time can be measure in minutes, and world generation in actual days.
I don't know what kind of games you play normally, but ask any people who have actually played these games and they will all say the same thing: If you're very serious about plaything these games, get the best CPU you can today, because tomorrow's best CPU still isn't going to be good enough. The less you have to wait on calculations, or AI behavior, or pulling information from memory, the more you're able to actually play the game instead of waiting to play the game.
chimkee@reddit
Would love to know what your build suggestion would be.
lukeskylicker1@reddit
For real? Top to bottom build? I'd tentatively recommend something like this but, seeing as how the game is not out yet, some of the parts are still quite questionable.
For one, a 7700 XT is still probably overkill. In addition, 50 series, RDNA 4, and Battlemage are probably all going to launch either before or very soon after Civ VII does, and are probably going to be superior options in terms of performance per dollar... maybe not so much on Nvidia's side but definitely AMD and Intel. But as of The Year of Our Lord 2024 in the month of October that would be my recommended GPU. An alternative would be the 4070S if you really don't want to touch a Radeon.
CPU could also be 9700x, that lower power draw is actually somewhat enticing, but at current prices the 7700X is practically a steal in comparison. Alternatives would be to go up a step to the 7900x which is going for a fairly good price as well, the 7800x3D though it's becoming harder to recommend as prices increase, and the prior mentioned 9700x.
Lastly the AIO and motherboard are the biggest needless expenses, and bluntly both were picked primarily to complete the "all white" build with the Fractal North. Swap the motherboard for a black "naked" board (no IO shields), get an air cooler for a third of the price of an AIO, and then spend the $100+ you saved on the DLCs and scenario packs that will make Civ VII not be worse Civ VI.
All in all the price comes out to just ~$1450 as of writing, with a decent range of fluctuation dependent on alternative parts, though my firm recommendation would be to just wait on incoming parts, notably the graphics cards, since Civ VII seems to be the primary and exclusive use case here and that's still four months out.
chimkee@reddit
LOL, so you think the 7600x is bad but chose the 7700x which only gives about 3% increase in processing power for about 70 bucks more.
Hell I could have recommended a AMD GPU but it looked like OP wanted an NVIDIA GPU.
I would have recommended the 7800xt , 7900GRE, which would have reduced the price by quite a bit. I suggested the 4080 super to maximize the build for his budget.
You just basically built a fluff PC that looks pretty. Spending extra money on items that aren't really necessary but good on you bro.
lukeskylicker1@reddit
... and two extra cores and four threads... both of which are extremely useful for this title.
Yeah, that's it, I'm done here.
Elitefuture@reddit
Based on civil 6, get an amd cpu.
https://www.anandtech.com/show/21084/intel-core-i9-14900k-core-i7-14700k-and-core-i5-14600k-review-raptor-lake-refreshed/13
The amd cpus, even the $200 7600x runs the game faster and using way less power.
The 7800x3d is sometimes found for $450 if you can find it in a physical store, that cpu is the best overall gaming cpu.
But the non x3d cpus run civ better for some reason.
Intel under performs a lot in civilization. They also use 2d the power
prevenientWalk357@reddit
4x games like Civ tend to love more CPU cores. Might be a case for Threadripper
fresh_titty_biscuits@reddit
Lol $3k down the toilet, lesssss gooooooo
prevenientWalk357@reddit
Honestly, for a 4x centered gaming PC… makes more sense than going overboard on GPU
fresh_titty_biscuits@reddit
Nah, diminishing returns. A 4X game isn’t going to draw more than what a current i7/Ryzen 7 can offer.
prevenientWalk357@reddit
City Skylines 2 would like to have a word…
Cohibaluxe@reddit
C:S2 is neither a 4X game nor is it particularly fond of multiple cores.
Elastichedgehog@reddit
Not a 4X game.
fresh_titty_biscuits@reddit
City Skylines 2 is one of the few games that is actually GPU bound. It was poorly built from the start.
NotoriouslyNice@reddit
I’m about to get the 7600X with a similar build, is it worth getting the 7700X? Can’t find a 7800X
fresh_titty_biscuits@reddit
7800 only comes in the x3d variant.
00Cubic@reddit
I'm pretty sure thats what they meant
Elitefuture@reddit
Actually, the price difference is only $40. It's worth it if you do non gaming stuff
NotoriouslyNice@reddit
For me it’s 140$ AUD 😪
Elitefuture@reddit
The 7700x isn't really worth it imo. The 7800x3d is only available in person due to it being sold out everywhere. And it's still $450.
The 7600x is probably the best budget option.
The 7700x is like $280 and it is not 40% better.
AlarmingConsequence@reddit
System requirements
Graphics Preset: High Resolution: 1080p FPS: 60 FPS
Requires a 64-Bit processor and operating system OS: Windows® 10 / 11 64-bit Processor: Intel® i5-10400 / AMD Ryzen™ 5 3600X Memory: 16 GB RAM Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2060 / AMD Radeon™ RX 6600 / Intel® Arc™ A750 DirectX: Version 12 Storage: 20 GB available space
ULTRA:
Graphics Preset: High Resolution: 4K FPS: 60 FPS
Requires a 64-Bit processor and operating system OS: Windows® 10 / 11 64-bit Processor: Intel® i7-14700F / AMD Ryzen™ 9 5950X Memory: 32 GB RAM Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 4070 / AMD Radeon™ RX 7800 XT DirectX: Version 12 Storage: 20 GB available space https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1295660/view/4688900740986775082
Admiral_peck@reddit
If it were me I'd still go AMD. We don't know for sure if the 14th gen voltage issues are permanently solved and plus going AM5 means that you have future capability in the same socket, since we know that AMD 7000 series is still beating the new 15th gen intel chips in most applications, and matching the best chip of the 14th gen for performance with less power, and then the 9000 series chips are dropping as we speak, with the 9950x3d due out any day now.
Idk how much the 3dvcache would be worth in civ but even just the 7700x would be another the reccomended system specs for civ 7 in 1440p I'm certain.
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
Thanks, that’s solid advice! She’d be heartbroken if an expensive piece gave out so I’m definitely hesitant about Intel
Admiral_peck@reddit
I only just noticed what GPU you're using. I would recommend a minimum of 10gb of vram going forward on video cards, many games are requiring more than 8gb Even in 1080p. For the price of the 3070 you should be able to get a nice 7700xt or 6800xt no problem, and yeah, they're not as good for streaming as nvidia (my gf streams rainbow 6 siege at 1440p on her 5700xt through OBS/ADRENALINE so they're obviously not unusable), but they're still very capable cards in 1440p, with them both beating the 3070 ti on average in 1440p ultra, with the 6800xt actually beating the 3080 8gb in 1440p ultra and almost matching the 3080 12gb in the same settings, and also almost exactly matching the regular 4070 for rasterization. The 7700xt is worse than the 6800xt but is available new for cheaper than a used 3070ti or 6800xt and still beats the 3070ti
00Cubic@reddit
do NOT pay $550 for an RTX 3070, the 8gb vram alone makes it completely a scam at that price
Get an RTX 4070 Super or RX 7900 GRE instead, those cards are 1. way better then the 3070 and 2. wayyyyy better for the price
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
As mentioned in my post the 3070 is a placeholder, I’ll be giving her mine and upgrading
00Cubic@reddit
oh thats mb for not reading the post 😅
YakWish@reddit
Intel's 15th gen chips launch in 9 days. Civ VII launches in 4 months. Don't pay full price for a computer that will be outdated by the time it's used for its intended purpose.
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
I was planning on buying pieces over time as they go on sale :) I didn’t know they were about to come out with a new gen of chips! Is it dangerous to be an earlier adopter for new gens or is that a relatively safe bet?
Sphearow@reddit
Agree that buying one component at a time as they go on sale is a terrible idea. You lost out on any return periods you get and "waste" their warranty/RMA periods.
Put the money you would spend into a savings account and earn some interest instead. Once you have enough money, buy the whole build all at once.
Attempt9001@reddit
Well taking into consideration that you would have bought a pretty wildly know unreliable CPU (intels 13&14th gen have two issues that cause them to break over time (in some cases within weeks and others hold out longer, the one that killed the quicker has been somewhat addressed with microcode updates at a performance detriment) i would say, buying a new gen isn't any more dangerous than buying a year old or even a generation old CPU. For the GPU, you are being ripped of massively. I'll add my modified list in a moment
Attempt9001@reddit
200-300.- less and simpler GPU performance to a 3090, i would personally get this. (It is the GPU that i currently run and haven't had any complaints)
PCPartPicker Part List
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the suggestions, I think I will base her build off this :)
snmnky9490@reddit
Just in case you didn't catch it, your original and this build both have the DVD version of windows.
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
Thank you. As I said in the post, the GPU is a placeholder and she will be receiving my used 3070. I’ll definitely be wary of the CPUs but consensus seems to be on just going AMD and skipping those.
Attempt9001@reddit
Oh, missed that
PM-Your-Fuzzy-Socks@reddit
overtime is how you buy you something that is DoA and can’t return it because it’s too late by the time you build. buy everything within a week
dyingforeverr@reddit
Only thing I disagree on this take with is the PC case as long as it doesn’t have any specific parts that may arrive DOA. Case is pretty much only part you can buy in advance without worrying about returning in most instances.
Horsierer@reddit
I honestly wouldn’t add PC cases as an exception. I recently helped a friend build a PC and when we pressed the power button, nothing happened. Turns out the power button wasn’t working. He was still within the return window but I decided to just resolder the wires rather than take everything out of the case, ship it back, wait for the new one, and rebuild it all over again. Point is a PC case is not necessarily less likely to fail.
FunBuilding2707@reddit
Uhmm fans? Front ports?
dyingforeverr@reddit
Yeah there’s still risk but just letting people know that cases are probably the safest part of the entire build to buy first. Best practice would be all at once like others have said. A reliable case tho would have pretty great QC so the likelihood is lower but still doesn’t eliminate all the risk.
00Cubic@reddit
I did this
My Lian Li Lancool 216 was on sale, but I didn't have enough money for all the parts at once, so I just bought it then
Looking back it wasn't the smartest choice I've made, but hey, it turned out perfectly; the case is amazing!
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
I have a way to test my components when I get them but yes the goal is to get as many pieces simultaneously as possible while still buying sale pieces if I can.
washed_king_jos@reddit
Idk why you are getting told to buy all at once, pc parts are about the only product i ever see on sale for real often. Like a sale where you actually save money not one of those garbage “sales” where things are knocked off 5%.
I have probably one of the strongest pcs in the country that i slowly swapped out parts for as they came out on sale.
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
It is a little confusing too because everyone says to get x y and z parts on sale but they aren’t on sale at the same time and it’s impossible to predict. I’ve only ever bought all the pieces at one time and thought that I might be able to save some money by utilizing the same deals you brought up. I mean the game doesn’t come out til like March so I thought it might be smart. Guess not lmfao
washed_king_jos@reddit
You have a super solid list here just be aware that the intel 14th gen has had a bunch of issues that could require a bios update but tbh its not stopping me from buying one and pulling the slot machine if i have a lot of disposable income because my experience with intel chips has generally been amazing.
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
Thank you :) I’ll probably lean AMD because of it (and it’s never bad to learn some new stuff) but I don’t think I’m as Intel-averse as some of the others here haha
Legitimate-Skill-112@reddit
You'll likely be able to get previous gen stuff after new stuff comes out, usually it brings discounts and price cuts for the old stuff.
Crimbustime@reddit
Look for sales on GPUs for sure. They are basically compatible with every system. I think the used market is the way to go there. It’s like $100 CAD per 4GB in a card up to $400/16GB card for used prices on average I’d say. After that you might as well look for a good sale.
I’d also gamble a used motherboard.
For the CPU and RAM go new for sure though. I got an open box CPU half off with a warranty from Newegg.
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
Thanks, that seems to be super useful info!
DardS8Br@reddit
Terrible idea. Get everything at once when you're ready to use it.
New Intel and AMD CPUs + new Nvidia and AMD GPUs are set to launch in the coming few months. It's safe to be an early adopter
grammar_mattras@reddit
Intel's 13th and 14th gen i7's and i9's have some serious reliability issues (breaking, overheating and shit). I wouldn't recommend 13th or 14th gen intel right now.
You're best either waiting for next generation, or safe money now on a ryzen 7600x with later upgrade at 10.000 series ryzen. Ryzen 7800x3d has suddenly become very expensive lately, so I would recommend waiting right now for the 9800x3d to either be better or make the 7800x3d cheaper.
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
She doesn’t play any graphically intense games, just cpu intense so I think I can get away with not getting the x3d. Thank you for the advice, looks like I’ll have to make an AMD system.
Timmaigh@reddit
X3D will be specifically helpful for simulation games like Civ to shorten the endgame turn-times. Definitely that over Intel, 9800x3D, if you can afford, shall be released next week apparently.
FunBuilding2707@reddit
It's because it's CPU intensive that you get X3D CPUs. It's the fastest gaming CPUs.
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
Ugh. I’m really gonna give my non-gamer wife a better CPU than I have myself, huh 😂
grammar_mattras@reddit
The only situation I which x3d chips don't do better in cpu heavy games is those heavily multithreaded citybuilder style games. But I've even seen those saturate workstation cpu's,
Attempt9001@reddit
X3d is, as much as it sounds, not a graphics thing, but more cache in the CPU. 3d because they found a way to stack cache chips on top of each other. This helps some CPU intense games to perform better.
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
Huh, fascinating. I’m always shocked by how little the branding of these products convey what they actually do. Thanks!
Attempt9001@reddit
I know, and the constant name chances, i'm starting to believe they are doing this on purpose
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
I watched a LTT video on the AMD naming convention and there’s NOOOOO way it’s not intentional. Should be illegal as hell
ConsistencyWelder@reddit
Connect the dots.
grammar_mattras@reddit
That explains part of the rise, but the 2nd part of it is that most likely amd has already started switching production to 9x3d chips. Usually you wouldn't notice that switch as much in price as new chips are ruined, but that's where the intel fiasco comes in.
Grim5989@reddit
Not a single person has mentioned the $500 3070?! A 4070 costs that much or even a 7800xt
Former-Entrance-3189@reddit
Get 4070 for that price
Overall-Tailor8949@reddit
You may want to wait a bit before ordering anything to see what the 3^(rd) party reviews for the new Intel chips are like. Then you could either spend some more on a 15^(th) gen or save some on a 14^(th). One thing I would do though is go with more memory, 64Gb or even 96Gb if the MoBo/CPU you choose will work with the 48Gb sticks. Just be EXTREMELY diligent looking at the QVL for the MoBo you choose.
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
Thank you very much, I’ll def wait and see a bit longer before pulling the trigger. Black Friday is just around the corner anyways. Guess I’ve got to research QVL!
Overall-Tailor8949@reddit
Yeah, I got bit in the rear when building a couple of systems for my better half and myself by NOT making sure the memory was on the tested list. And we don't push our systems hard at ALL These were AM4 systems and I wanted to max memory on them. The memory I chose was perfect with only two sticks. nothing but BSOD at best with 4.
Disastrous-Ice-5971@reddit
Just in case, please read about the suicidal behaviour of Intel in 13th and 14th generations. You have a big chance to buy a headache for your own money. And there is a significant chance, that they would not live 5 years (or even 5 weeks, if you are unlucky)°. So, either go with AMD, or wait for 15th gen Intel.
In general, I would recommend waiting until Civ.7 is released and tested. And then buy components all together. That is why:
It may be released in 4 months, or maybe in 6, or more, who knows... Games are often delayed.
Hardware, which is now optimal for Civ.6 may not be optimal for Civ.7.
* Unless some really big serious shit explodes in the world, even current-gen config will be cheaper in 4 months, than today. Or you will get a better from the next-gen for the same money.
__° I know, I know that Intel said that they have fixed the issue. Again. But personally I wouldn't bet my own money on that. __
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
Thank you for the info, that’s amazing. God dammit though I did not want to learn about AMD, I’ve never made a non-intel machine. Guess I’ve got to bite the bullet and make a whole new machine build
poolback@reddit
I was like you with Intel only, but in the end learning AMD is not that hard and they re worth it.
I'd recommend checking for X3D processors as they tend the be the most powerful gaming CPUs on the market, especially for simulation games.
Either 5800X3D with the last Gen AM4 socket which would be cheap nowadays.
Or go with AM5 socket and you could wait for the 9800X3D, in which case I'd recommend a B650E motherboard with 6000MHz DDR5 (not higher). You can have higher tier motherboards but realistically they mostly only add USB speed...
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
That’s very helpful info, thanks :) Gives me a good jumping off point
Visible-Impact1259@reddit
You don't sound informed at all. Maybe you're better off waiting and monitoring the market before you buy something you'll regret.
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
Ok relax lmao I stated that I haven’t been keeping on top of benchmarks. People come here to get informed btw, you don’t need to be a dick about it. Everyone else has been nice and informative.
Disastrous-Ice-5971@reddit
Just to note, if (for whatever reason) you would like to get Nvidia graphics with the AMD CPU - you can do that, everything will work without problems. As well as Intel CPU with AMD graphics and so on. I am writing this, because I noticed that often people somehow only look at the Intel+Nvidia or AMD+AMD pairs. :)
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
THANK YOU! This is something I vaguely knew but was going to have to research. I will be giving her my current RTX3070 and upgrading my own so it is important that her machine can use it. You rock!
OutlandishnessNo8126@reddit
AMD is the way to go nowadays. I'm regretting my 13th gen build.
that_vapeguy@reddit
That 3070 is hella expensive. You can get almost a 4070 with that
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
In my post I mentioned that it’s a placeholder part, wife will be getting my 3070
that_vapeguy@reddit
Oh ok. Also you can buy a windows 11 key for less than 20$. some savings there
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
Thanks! Gonna mooch off my buddy who works at Microsoft lol
Visible-Impact1259@reddit
Get a 7800x3d or wait for the 9800x3d. Get a 1000w PSU because they come with an extra 600w pcie connector so your partner has the ability to upgrade her GPU later on. The MB is fine you can get the same one for the AM5 platform. Everything else is a matter of opinion I think. There's not much of a real world difference between all the M2 SSDs.
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
Interesting, that’s very useful info. Thanks!
SwankSinatra504@reddit
Is Civ 7 gonna be THAT heavy to run?!
I've seen Haswell/Broadwell Xeons doing 7 second turns in Civ 6.
Seems a bit overkill, but I recognize this is a hobby so budget is often unimportant!
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
It is quite literally her favorite thing in the universe so I am going to make it SMOOTH, dammit! She’ll play it on this pc for half a decade probably. She also wants to dabble in Baldur’s Gate 3 and such but she doesn’t care about running that on max settings.
SwankSinatra504@reddit
No I get it! If buy high end you don't have to think about it for 5-10 years.
BG3 runs smooth on a 6GB 3050 so you can't go wrong with any decent new card.
As you are planning to keep this rig for a while I guess my only advice is pick a GPU with at least 12GB VRAM and good upscaling tech. Those will help squeeze out years 6-10.
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
Solid, thanks :) I read something else about VRAM that reached the same conclusion so I will do that!
Moscato359@reddit
Save a bunch of money and go AMD for CPU. Put that money into better GPU.
If you can get a 4070 instead of a 3070, you'd be much better off. You could cut some cost on the cooler if you go peerless assassin evo
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
That seems to be the consensus, yep. I’ll build AMD.
I am planning on giving her my 3070 as said in the post. I’ll buy a new 4070 for me 😈
Visible-Impact1259@reddit
Get a 4090 when the 5090 drops. Lots of 4090 owners will sell theirs to get a 5090. Pair that with an AMD CPU and you'll be set for the next years.
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
And thanks for the cooler rec!
Appropriate-Low-9582@reddit
I would avoid intel and go for a 3d am5 chip. Even though they said they are fixed, why risk a doa platform. Also buying things over time isn’t the way to go especially with new stuff on the horizon
OutlandishnessNo8126@reddit
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/FztLVW
Not the best I could have done for price, but it looks fairly good and performs well for the price.
Better CPU. Could also go with the upcoming 9800X3D that heats less. Apparently the non X3D CPU performs (marginally) better for CIV 7, but they perform way better for any other games, so I'd go with that.
The cooler is not the best for the price, but it's sexier than the Peerless Assassin or Phantom Spirit, imo. You can change it if you want.
For the storage, just went with the cheapest but well rated Gen4x4 NVMe m.2 SSD. Should be plenty enough.
The GPU is a better value and performs well, can totally go with a 6750xt, a 6800, a 4060ti, a 4060ti 16GB etc... (listed from the slowest to the fastest) but the 4070 super performs better than all of those option (including the 3070)
The case is a really pretty looking and cheap one, It's perfect.
The PSU is a latest well rated PSU. Not much to say, should work perfectly fine.
Maybe I'm out of touch because i'm not used to the U.S. prices. It's so much cheaper in the U.S. 🥲
OutlandishnessNo8126@reddit
Oh yeah and don't buy windows :
massgrave(dot)dev
https://github.com/memstechtips/UnattendedWinstall
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AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
Thank you so so much! Gives me a great baseline to work around.
And don’t forget the case is pink so I of course could not pick anything else lol
OutlandishnessNo8126@reddit
Sorry didn't account for the pink case lol I went solely based on price/performance ratio. But this computer should perform amazing for your needs. Much better than the one you made and also uses latest gen (except for the cpu) stuff.
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
You rock! I love computers but it’s a pain having to re-benchmark my brain after a few years of not paying attention to new products so this is a big help
OutlandishnessNo8126@reddit
My pleasure ❤️
Xcissors280@reddit
WAIT UNTIL THE GAME COMES OUT, but id
go amd or 15th gen intel
get a better cooler
mobo is fine
consider better ram
ssd is fine
get a better GPU
might want something with argb fans +easier to build in, also adorama costs more than amazon
PSU is ok but if you get a newer GPU get something with 12V HPWR
the dvd costs more than digital license, either way you can get them much cheaper elsewhere, even official partners like dell
total price seems pretty high for what your getting tbh, you might want to consider a used gpu and maybe cpu
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
Thank you. I was planning on waiting til the game comes out but she wants to play Civ now lol. Also I appreciate the help but your suggestions most likely will shoot the price up heavily. Also, she will be getting my used 3070 as mentioned in the post.
Consensus seems to be on building AMD instead, like you said. And thanks for the advice on the PSU, I’ll take a look.
Xcissors280@reddit
this with a decent amd cpu isnt bad assuming you dont have a micro center nearby
id probably give her your PSU and use the new one for your pc
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
I’d considered giving her my PSU as well but hadn’t done any research yet. Thanks :)
Xcissors280@reddit
no problem
Ponald-Dump@reddit
Holy shit do NOT spend 550 bucks on a 3070….
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
You and everyone else lmfao it’s all good
Ironman__BTW@reddit
PSU looks good. B tier on cultists list
Don't buy that $120 key. There's other options out there. Im not going to further into detail, just Google it.
Use some of that instead to get a 990 evo 2tb instead, 1tb doesn't go as far as it used to.
Another user suggested waiting for 15th gen intel that should be releasing on the 24th. Definitely wait a week and see what the independent testing for performance gain is. I had heard that the generational improvement will not be that good per Intel, but we'll see.
AngryAbsalom@reddit (OP)
I was just getting the whole build together. I have a bunch of friends who work at Microsoft so a key is ez.
Thanks for the advice, I will wait til next week before making a decision. I was gonna try to hold out for Black Friday anyways :)
Pumciusz@reddit
3070 only used.
970 evo is bad value, you can have better drives for cheaper.
You can have a better cooler for cheaper like Phantom Spirit.
I wouldn't go intel anyway, but the next gen is coming.