Extreme gaming PC build 2022
(Image credit: Future)
Building an extreme gaming PC is about designing a rig that crushes any and every game you throw at it. If you’re unsure when it comes to pairing parts, this list will give you the framework for a monster machine. This beast will run Elden Ring at 4K on max settings, without flinching, and will likely keep even the games of tomorrow running smoothly. Putting together a gaming PC with the best CPU for gaming and the best graphics card is the best way to future proof your gaming setup.
All that will cost you, however. With this exact build you’re looking at around $4,000. If that number made your wallet shrivel up, the more fiscally responsible PC gamers among you can check out our high-end PC build guide . Otherwise, a smaller SSD or a RAM downgrade can shave off a few hundred dollars from the overall cost.
The final price doesn’t include accessories or peripherals either, so don’t forget to pick up the best gaming mouse , and best gaming keyboard combo. And if you’re going all-in on 4K gaming, you should pick yourself up a quality gaming monitor that’ll make the most out of your GPU. Don’t bottleneck your high-powered components with a super out-of-date gaming panel, people.
Over the years, myself and my colleagues have tested more components than your could shake a stick at, and here’s where we’ve collated all the most powerful PC components that work together. It’s a true monster of a gaming PC with little to no care about cost. It really is the PC of our dreams.
Extreme gaming PC build
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CPU
CPU: Intel Core i9 12900K (Image credit: Intel)
Intel Core i9 12900K
The new enthusiast processor to beat
Specifications
Cores: 8+8
Threads: 24
Base Clock: 3.2GHz P-core, 2.4GHz E-core
Boost Clock : 5.
2GHz P-core, 3.9GHz E-core
Overclocking: Yes
L3 Cache (smart): 30MB
L2 Cache: 14MB
MTP: 241W
PCIe 5.0 lanes: 16
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
+
Incredible single-threaded performance
+
Much improved multithreaded ability
Reasons to avoid
—
Top performance requires power
—
Some games don’t play nicely with Alder Lake yet
The Core i9 12900K represents the very best in Intel’s desktop 12th Generation processors, and the fastest chip out there today. That said, AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800X3D does give it a run for its money in gaming performance, but we’re looking at a more holistic chip in the 12th Gen unit. Its hybrid Core architecture, characterised by Intel’s addition of Performance Cores (P-Cores) and Efficient Cores (E-Cores), gives it an edge—the P-Cores especially when it comes to gaming.
It’s second on our best CPUs for gaming list only because it’s a little ridiculous, and can get pretty pricey as a result, so it’s the perfect recommendation for an intense build like this. You’ll need a decent motherboard, some serious cooling, and a powerful PSU to get the most from it, but that’s what this build is all about.
Read our full Intel Core i9 12900K review .
Motherboard
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Pro (Image credit: Gigabyte)
Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Pro
An extreme motherboard for an extreme build
Specifications
Chipset: Z690
Memory: 4x DIMM, 128GB, DDR5-6200 (OC)
Expansion slots: 4x M.2 PCIe, 2x PCIe 3.0 x4, 1x PCIe 5.0 x16, 6x SATA 6GB/s
Video ports: 1x DisplayPort 1.4
USB ports: 20x
Storage: 4x M.2; 6x SATA
Network: Intel Wi-Fi 6; Intel i225V 2.5G LAN
Lighting: 2x aRGB (3-pin), 2x RGB (4-pin)
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
+
Four M.
2 slots
+
13 rear USB ports
+
Strong VRM
Reasons to avoid
—
The very grey design might not be to your taste
—
WiFi 6 only
With DDR5 support, and space for up to four NVMe SSDs, the totally specced out Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Pro is perfect for an extreme build. It leaves hardly a thing to be desired, with 13 rear USB ports and strong VRM for delivering clean and consistent power to your components.
And by limiting it to Wi-Fi 6, and 2.5G Intel wired networking connections, and eschewing such unnecessary luxuries as Thunderbolt 4 or another M.2 slot, Gigabyte has managed to keep the price at least relatively sensible.
If you want more options, then check out our list of the best gaming motherboards .
Read our full Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Pro review .
CPU Cooling
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X62 (Image credit: NZXT)
NZXT Kraken X62
Substantial cooling for your Core i9 processor
Specifications
Size: 280mm
Fan speed: 1,200rpm
Airflow: 55.
4CFM
Noise level: 20.4dB(A)
Dimensions: 315 x 143 x 29mm
Socket support: LGA1700, LGA115x, LGA2011, LGA2066, AM2, AM3, AM4
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
+
Good cooling and software
+
Quieter than previous revision
Reasons to avoid
—
Not much more powerful than the Kraken X52
This rig has a beastly CPU, and yes, it loves some overclocking. Liquid cooling is highly recommended when you’re trying to get the most out of Intel’s unlocked enthusiast chips, and the 12th Gen Core i9 processors require it.
The NZXT Kraken X62 is an impressive piece of kit and works with all major platforms. It’s reasonably easy to install and features a large 280mm radiator with a pair of 140mm fans. Once everything is installed, having a small water block on your CPU instead of a massive air cooler makes things look much cleaner.
You’ll need a large case capable of housing the radiator, naturally, but we’ll get to that shortly.
But even with the X62, you may run into thermal limitations. If you’re serious about pushing the i9 12900K to its limits, you’ll want to consider going with a fully custom liquid cooling loop. That’s beyond this buying guide’s scope, but know that even a good AIO cooler likely won’t allow maximum overclock with the i9 12900K.
Graphics Card
Graphics card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti (Image credit: Nvidia)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
The fastest graphics card for gaming on the cutting edge
Specifications
GPU Cores: 10,240
Boost Clock: 1,665MHz
Memory: 12GB GDDR6X
Memory speed: 19Gbps
Memory Bandwidth: 912GB/s
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
+
More or less an RTX 3090 in games
+
Breezy 4K performance
+
Minimises ray tracing impact
Reasons to avoid
—
Slimmer VRAM than RTX 3090
—
Significantly pricier than an RTX 3080
—
Thirsty for power
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti essentially offers the same gaming performance as the RTX 3090 but costs $300 less.
Even here, with our extreme build, we can’t help but keep a vague eye on value for money, and with the release of the 3080 Ti, Nvidia has basically retired the RTX 3090 when it comes to gaming. The RTX 3080 Ti is still a $1,200 graphics card, and that’s if you net the Founder’s Edition and not a pricier third-party job. While it’s one of the best graphics cards around, it’s hardly a budget option.
The only reason you might want to track down an RTX 3090 still is if you want to pair up your graphics cards. At least for Nvidia Ampere, the RTX 3090 and its even more pricier sibling, the RTX 3090 Ti , are your only options for dual-GPU action. Even with that installed, you’ll still have to worry about whether the games you play will use both GPUs. Hint: most don’t, and support is only dwindling further as time marches on.
Speaking of the RTX 3090 Ti , that costs even more and makes even less sense for normal gaming—although if you dabble with more professional workloads, you may be able to make a case for it.
Comparisons to the RTX 3090 cards aside, the key consideration for the RTX 3080 Ti is that it is a supremely capable card for 4K gaming. Even ray tracing is on the table, especially if you’re happy to turn on the modern magic that is DLSS 2.0—framerates are smooth, and the final image quality stands up to scrutiny without issue.
Read our full Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti review .
Memory
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5-6400 (Image credit: G.Skill)
G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5-6400
The best DDR5 memory you can buy
Specifications
Capacity: 32GB (2x 16GB)
Speed: 6400MHz
Timings: 32-39-39-102
Voltage: 1.40V
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
+
Strong performance in memory sensitive apps
+
Lovely design
Reasons to avoid
—
Overkill for 98% of users
You could put more memory into this build (up to 64GB), but two sticks of 16GB DDR5-6400 RAM is more than sufficient for gaming.
There are many memory options, and speed is more about bragging rights than actual performance, but we love the look of G.Skill’s Trident Z5 RGB sticks.
Sure DDR5 is blisteringly fast compared to yesterday’s standard, but most importantly, the designs haven’t shied away from including pretty lighting.
Besides G.Skill, we recommend Corsair, Kingston, HyperX, Crucial, Adata, and Team as safe picks. RAM has reached the point where most modules work well, so it’s often a question of price—and color, if that’s your thing—rather than minuscule performance differences.
Need other options? Here’s the best RAM for gaming .
Read our full G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB review .
Storage
Primary Storage: Sabrent Rocket Q 4TB (Image credit: Sabrent)
Sabrent Rocket Q 4TB
A tiny SSD with a whole lot of speedy storage space
Specifications
Capacity: 4,096GB
Interface: M.2 PCIe 3.0
Sequential read/write speed: 3,200MB/s / 3,000MB/s
Random IOPS: 550K read / 680K write
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
+
Huge capacity
+
Genuine speed
+
Almost affordable
Reasons to avoid
—
Last-gen PCIe 3.
0 throughput
We’ve been pretty scathing about QLC SSDs in the past, even recently with Samsung’s 870 QVO , but it seems that if you match the cheapest, slowest form of SSD memory with a high capacity and an M.2 interface, some magic happens. The Sabrent Rocket Q 4TB drive packs a huge amount of storage into an SSD the size of a stick of gum and still maintains performance on par with MLC drives.
The Sabrent is not quite as bandwidth-friendly as some other PCIe 4.0 drives, but without platform-wide PCIe 4.0 support on our chosen combination of CPU and motherboard, that speed would only go to waste.
The Sabrent’s speed and capacity mean you can have a fast, capacious SSD boot drive without having to pick a slower option for data storage. If you’re capturing a lot of footage or want to have all your games installed at any one point, the Sabrent Rocket Q is a genuinely impressive drive.
And if you want to go all out, there’s the similarly spectacular Sabrent Rocket Q 8TB drive too.
Though that is around $1,400 for the privilege…
These are the best SSD for gaming options right now.
Read our full Sabrent Rocket Q 4TB review .
Power Supply
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNova 1000 G5 (Image credit: EVGA)
EVGA SuperNova 1000 G5
Enough power for overclocking and then some
Specifications
Output: 1,000W
Efficiency: 80 Plus Gold
Connectors: 1x 24-Pin ATX, 2x 8-Pin (4+4) EPS12V, 8x 8-Pin (6+2) PCIe, 12x SATA, 4x Molex, 1x Floppy
Modular: Fully
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
+
Gold efficiency
+
Connectors to spare
+
10 year warranty
Reasons to avoid
—
Noisy
—
Increased Vampire Power
—
Poor transient response
A wise man once told us never to underestimate the power of the dark supply.
Or something like that. The point is, you don’t want a crappy PSU taking down the rest of your rig, and when you’re putting together the best PC possible, that means getting an equally bodacious power supply.
The EVGA SuperNova 1000 G5 is a great option to build an extreme rig around when it comes to power supplies. If the name hasn’t given it away already, this sucker offers up 1000W of power for your extreme build to turn into super-smooth gaming experiences. And you’ll need most of that, as the i9 12900K and Z690 motherboard can draw a hell of a lot of power under load, and the RTX 3080 Ti is no wallflower either—and power draw only goes up if you run the CPU and GPU overclocked, which is the point of an extreme build.
If you only plan to run a more modest GPU, or a lower-tier CPU (like the i7 12700K), EVGA’s SuperNOVA 850 T2 is a great alternative that will save some money. If you want to save even more, the SuperNOVA 850 P2 costs about $50 (£50) less and is every bit as good.
But saving money isn’t the objective here.
Need more? Here are our best power supply units for PC .
Case
Image 1 of 6
Case: Corsair Obsidian 1000D (Image credit: newegg)Case: Corsair Obsidian 1000D (Image credit: Newegg)Case: Corsair Obsidian 1000D (Image credit: Newegg)Case: Corsair Obsidian 1000D (Image credit: Newegg)Case: Corsair Obsidian 1000D (Image credit: Newegg)Case: Corsair Obsidian 1000D (Image credit: Newegg)
Corsair Obsidian 1000D
The best high-end PC case
Specifications
Form Factor: Super-tower
Motherboard Support: ATX, Extended ATX, Mini-ITX, SSI EEB, microATX
Dimensions: 27.4 x 12.1 x 27.3 inches (697 x 307 x 693 mm)
Weight: 65 lb (29.5 kg)
Radiator Support: 120 mm; 140 mm; 240 mm; 280 mm; 360 mm; 420 mm; 480 mm
I/O Ports: 1x Audio/Mic, 4x USB 3.0, 2x USB 3.1 Type-C
Drive Bays: 6x 2.5-inch, 5x 3.5-inch
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
+
Supports just about any crazy build
+
Can house an E-ATX and Mini-ITX build at the same time
+
Supports dual 480mm front radiators
Reasons to avoid
—
No Fans
—
No power supply
The Corsair Obsidian Series 1000D is a behemoth of a PC case ready to house the biggest and baddest systems.
Standing tall at a staggering 27.3-inches, this «super-tower» boasts enough space to house 18 fans and up to four massive radiators installed simultaneously.
Don’t want to build?
If PC building isn’t part of your skillset, look at our guides for the best gaming PCs and best gaming laptops that can give you the most bang for your buck and save you a headache.
The 1000D features a unique triple-chamber design with convenient French-door-styled storage compartments and telescoping radiator trays for easy installation in addition to the stellar cooling support. Of course, there is also an RGB lit front panel I/O with built-in smart lighting and fan control courtesy of Corsair’s integrated Commander Pro controller.
The Obsidian 900D has long been a top choice for massive, over-the-top builds, and it only fits that the 1000D was designed to knock it off its throne.
Extreme Gaming PC — the full build
PC Gamer Extreme Gaming PC Build
Reduced Price
Intel Core i9-12900k
£451.
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£420.55
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Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
£1,933.52
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Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Pro
£302.80
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G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5-6400
£233.57
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Sabrent Rocket Q 4TB NVMe SSD
£589.
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£549.99
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EVGA SuperNova 1000 G5
£276
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Corsair Obsidian 1000D
£559.99
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Extreme gaming PC build FAQ
Should I build my own extreme gaming PC?
One thing to consider: With the component supply chain still recovering, CPU and graphics card stocks continue to fluctuate a bit. It’s more common to find them in stock and at MSRP, but you can’t count on it quite yet. You still might want to consider picking up a pre-built system if you’re after the best gear.
Otherwise, if you’re determined to build it yourself, and manage to spot some available stock of a like-for-like product, go for it.
Handling the high-end components of an extreme gaming PC can be daunting, especially if this is your first PC build. Have a look at our guide on how to build a gaming PC before you jump in to ease your worries.
Is it cheaper/better to build my own gaming PC?
Generally, manufacturers of pre-built gaming PCs will add an extra service charge on top of the cost of the components, but it’s possible to find a good deal every now and then. Just make sure you double check, don’t take their word that it’s a good deal.
We recommend building your own, though, for that feeling of ultimate satisfaction when the fans whirr to life and the splash screen seems to whisper «Good job, mate. You didn’t mess it up.»
Of course, if you rush or botch the job, building your own PC could result in some expensive mishaps. Handle your components carefully, and it’s sure to be a much more rewarding, intimate experience than just buying one someone else has put together.
And you’ll probably save some dollar, too.
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Dave has been gaming since the days of Zaxxon and Lady Bug on the Colecovision, and code books for the Commodore Vic 20 (Death Race 2000!). He built his first gaming PC at the tender age of 16, and finally finished bug-fixing the Cyrix-based system around a year later. When he dropped it out of the window. He first started writing for Official PlayStation Magazine and Xbox World many decades ago, then moved onto PC Format full-time, then PC Gamer, TechRadar, and T3 among others. Now he’s back, writing about the nightmarish graphics card market, CPUs with more cores than sense, gaming laptops hotter than the sun, and SSDs more capacious than a Cybertruck.
Intel Core i9 12900K review
Our Verdict
The Core i9 12900K is an enthusiast processor built for boasting.
It offers the highest gaming frame rates in most titles and its clever new architecture and cutting-edge features provide multithreaded performance on tap. If you’re building a super high-end PC in 2021, this is now the chip to do it with.
For
- Incredible single-threaded performance
- Much improved multithreaded ability
- Big leap for Intel’s Core CPUs
- The best desktop platform with DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 support
Against
- Some games don’t play nicely with Alder Lake yet
- High power consumption
- Potentially high platform costs at launch
Why you can trust PC Gamer
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Alder Lake may well be the beginning of Intel’s push back against a resurgent AMD, but more than that, for the PC gamer in 2021, it’s an extremely good gaming chip. And that’s really what counts, right?
I can harp on about what this chip means for the heavyweight title fight between x86 goliaths, Intel and AMD, and don’t worry I will, but on this site, it ultimately comes down to which is better for gaming and offer us the best bang for our buck.
That’s often fallen in AMD’s favour as of late, whose Ryzen 5000-series processors are all-mighty for gaming and a smart choice for streamers and content creators, but that’s set to change with the arrival of Intel’s 12th Gen Alder Lake CPUs.
The 12th Gen is Intel claiming back its gaming crown and even does so at a lower price tag than the usually bargainous red team.
It’d be remiss of me not to mention Alder Lake’s peculiarities. With every significant shake-up of a piece of computing hardware, there’s a bedding-in period that must occur, and Intel’s 12th Gen isn’t entirely without idiosyncrasies. For one, it comes with the prerequisite of Windows 11 if you desire top performance. But more on that shortly.
Ultimately, the Core i9 12900K offers us a good indication as to whether Intel is back at its best. At the very least, Alder Lake is a huge step in the right direction, but when running at its very best it looks as much the return to form for the chipmaker at the leading edge from the very beginning as it has been made out to be.
Architecture
(Image credit: Future)
What’s different about the Intel Core i9 12900K?
The Core i9 12900K represents the very best in Intel’s desktop 12th Generation processors, and what that means is it houses the Alder Lake architecture in its most performant form. At its simplest, that equates to more cores, more speed, and more bandwidth than ever before, but if you dig beneath the surface you’ll find a chip architecture that is wildly different to what came before.
With that comes frame rates, OS requirements, and idiosyncrasies. All of which makes for fascinating analysis.
The most notable change of the lot for Intel Alder Lake is the hybrid Core architecture.
So let’s dig into it, starting with the process that defines the entire chip: Intel 7. Alder Lake is Intel’s first desktop processor to use the Intel 7 process node, which was previously referred to as Intel 10nm SuperFin, and also the first in a very long time to not use the 14nm process node.
Oh, how times have changed. Intel has finally broken free the shackles of 14nm and managed to escape the node that was once so congested it caused a fairly embarrassing pile-up for the chipmaker. With Alder Lake, it’s no longer tied to that node, so it’s free to do more in the space it’s got, and the company says it even expects to shift a lot of Alder Lake chips this side of New Year So perhaps this is some silicon you’ll actually be able to buy at launch.
Here’s hoping, anyways.
The most notable change of the lot for Intel Alder Lake, though, is the hybrid Core architecture. What this means is that Intel is stuffing all of the K-series 12th Gen chips, those which are arriving at launch, with two types of cores: Performance Cores (P-Cores) and Efficient Cores (E-Cores).
The P-Cores are based on the Golden Cove microarchitecture, which is one step beyond the Willow Lake microarchitecture found in Intel’s 11th Gen mobile Tiger Lake processors. In desktop terms, that’s roughly two steps on the architectural marathon from the backported Sunny Cove microarchitecture, renamed Cypress Cove, in Intel’s 11th Gen Rocket Lake desktop processors, such as the Core i9 10900K.
(Image credit: Intel)
And you’re probably already thinking that’s a lot of architectural codenames, and you’d be right. Alder Lake is like a Russian nesting doll of architectures. It doesn’t get any easier, either, but it is quite a bit more exciting for it.
Alder Lake’s P-Cores are more closely related to the CPU cores of previous Intel desktop generations. Take the Core i9 10900K, for example, which has eight CPU cores in total. Consider the 12900K’s eight P-Cores in much the same way, although considerably faster.
For gaming these P-Cores are key. They offer the highest clock speeds of the two—on the Core i9 12900K these reach 5.2GHz at times—and nail down slick single-threaded speed for it. They’re also built to minimise latency, and they’re technically wider and smarter to catch up with the competition. That’s AMD’s savvy Zen 3 architecture, by the by.
Each P-Core has access to 1.25MB of L2 cache. From there, they’re hooked up to 30MB of Intel Smart Cache, which is also shared between E-Cores and onboard integrated graphics (disabled in KF-series chips).
For a marker of performance, the Core i9 12900K’s P-Cores are able to surpass the Cypress Cove cores in the Core i9 11900K by a significant margin, and we’re yet to touch on the eight Efficient Cores that Intel has stuffed into the 12900K’s back pocket.
The Efficient Cores are built on the Gracemont architecture, whose origins are in the Atom lineup. Traditionally built for lower-power, lower-performance processors, Intel has decided that its Atom architecture may find a use in more powerful processors after all, and the Core i9 12900K features eight Gracemont Efficient Cores in total.
That’s eight Efficient Cores clustered into two groups of four, each group with access to 2MB of L2 cache. These then share access to that same 30MB of Intel Smart Cache that the P-Cores are also privy to.
I’ll admit I wasn’t always sure about Intel’s Efficient Cores. Chip designer Arm has been rolling out big.LITTLE designs for a while, to great success, but primarily in the mobile market where power efficiency equates to longer battery life.
Intel intends to bring Alder Lake to mobile, too, so I get that angle, but on the desktop side of things, it didn’t first appear that these would be of tremendous value. What is a cluster of small cores, built out of Intel’s next-gen Atom architecture, going to deliver a PC gamer like me?
Well, I should’ve known it wasn’t all about raw numbers, clock speeds, and single-threaded performance, because Intel’s Efficient Cores are much more than you might first imagine.
These Efficient Cores serve a couple of functions with Alder Lake. For starters, they help increase the multi-threaded performance, as you’ve simply got more cores to throw at a problem. Then, there’s the ability to remove load from the P-Cores in a pinch, which is really where these low-power cores come in handy for gaming.
Say you’re a streamer and you’re trying to play a competitive title on one screen and beam your capture off to the world on the other. An Alder Lake CPU, with a little help from Windows 11, should be able to divvy up this workload in order to keep your P-Cores focused on delivering gaming frame rates and your E-Cores on streaming that over the web.
Intel’s Thread Director works in tandem with Windows 11 (Image credit: Intel)
Therein lies some of Alder Lake’s magic, but there’s more to getting all of these architectures working together than simply placing them all on one chip. A large part of Intel’s Alder Lake performance comes from utilising these two different cores in an effective manner, and to do that it uses something called the Thread Director.
The Thread Director helps your OS decide which tasks should go to which cores, by handing your OS more information than it would otherwise have available to it. Through constantly monitoring and feeding thread information back to the OS, Thread Director works to make sure your game always gets priority over your RGB lighting controller doing an update. Thus keeping your frame rate steady.
Ultimately, though, it’s your OS that makes these decisions, and that’s why Thread Director works best with Windows 11, which Intel worked with Microsoft on to get just right for Alder Lake.
The use of a hardware embedded Thread Director has a couple of knock-on effects for us, then. Firstly, it means you’ll really want to use Windows 11 if you have an Alder Lake processor for the best performance, which has its ups and downs and isn’t entirely an OS we recommend today . Secondly, there are still some oddities in the Alder Lake architecture and optimisation that mean these two different cores either aren’t utilise to their fullest, or don’t function at all with a handful of games.
Now, granted, a processor with a straight 16-cores is able to manage multiple workloads just fine, too, such as the Ryzen 9 5950X , but Alder Lake does have a few more performance boons up its sleeve.
(Image credit: Future)
The most significant is DDR5. For a long while now we’ve been happily plodding along with DDR4 machines, and admittedly these DDR4 kits have started to hit incredible speeds considering their humble beginnings, but times are a-changin’. DDR5 is already setting the bar higher for memory frequencies and performance, and Alder Lake is ready to meet it.
So you’re looking at much higher frequencies with the trade-off being much higher memory latencies on early DDR5 kits. They also come with generally higher price tags, which isn’t something PC gamers will want to hear in 2021—unfortunately, that’s the reality of a brand new technology such as this coming to market. Perhaps especially so because of the ongoing global shortages affecting all manner of chips.
On the plus side, you can buy a DDR4 compatible motherboard and skip over the burgeoning DDR5 market altogether. Though do bear in mind that you are stuck with one or the other. So make your pick and be prepared to live with it for the rest of your chip’s life. Or get a new motherboard, either way.
That brings us neatly onto the Z690 chipset in compatible LGA 1700 motherboards. The new socket shouldn’t come as much of a surprise if you’ve caught sight of the 12900K itself, as the heat spreader on this chip is larger than previous Core desktop processors. It does, however, mean you will need a new motherboard for Alder Lake.
These new boards do offer greater bandwidth for PCIe devices through support for PCIe 5.0, which will mean more for SSD storage than anything else, although we’re only just getting used to speedy PCIe 4.0, so this is spec’d out for the future.
Specifications
(Image credit: Future)
What’s inside the Intel Core i9 12900K?
As the leading processor out of Intel’s 12th Gen family, the Core i9 12900K offers the most cores, the highest speeds, and the best performance. It’s Alder Lake running on all cylinders, which means this specific chip offers us a great glimpse of what this architecture can do when it is able to stretch its legs.
The Core i9 12900K is a 16-core processor in an 8+8 design, which means it includes eight P-Cores and eight E-Cores to meet its total core count. HyperThreading is enabled on the P-Cores, which doubles the available threads to 16, making for a total of 24 with the E-Cores factored in. That means the Core i9 12900K is tentatively a match for AMD’s Ryzen 9 5950X in terms of raw core count but has to make up a little lost ground in terms of threads.
Core i9 12900K specs
Cores (P+E): 8+8
Threads: 24
L3 Cache (Smart Cache): 30MB
L2 Cache: 14MB
Max P-core Turbo frequency (GHz): 5.2
Max E-core Turbo frequency (GHz): 3.9
P-core base frequency (GHz): 3.2
E-core base frequency (GHz): 2.4
Unlocked: Yes
Graphics: UHD Graphics 770
Memory support (up to): DDR5 4800MT/s, DDR4 3200MT/s
Processor Base Power (W): 125
Maximum Turbo Power (W): 241
Recommended customer price: $589–599
Retail price (boxed, Newegg/Overclockers): $649.99/£599.99
Those eight P-Cores are clocked mightily high, too. The maximum Turbo clock speed of the P-Cores on the Core i9 12900K is 5.2GHz, although with a base clock of 3.2GHz, you’ll tend to see clock speeds somewhere between the two during real-world operation and depending on the workload.
For all its speed, the Core i9 12900K is also the most power-hungry of the Alder Lake lot, and, well, most desktop CPUs to date. Despite Intel’s best efforts with the Intel 7 process node and the Efficient Cores, this chip is still quite thirsty at 241W Maximum Turbo Power (MTP).
You’ll notice that’s MTP, not TDP. Intel says it’s doing away with the TDP specification for the 12th Gen, and in some ways, I agree with its decision, if only to be fair to our poor CPU coolers. Previous TDPs haven’t been particularly representative of, well, much at all with Intel’s past few CPU generations, and so MTP, along with the new Processor Base Power (PBP), appear a little more upfront.
The PBP of the Core i9 12900K is 125W, which is a match for the Core i9 11900K’s TDP. Neither chip operates within this power envelope for the most part, however.
You can make matters worse by fiddling with your chip’s power to ensure a stable overclock, which is not only possible with the unlocked K-series processors, such as the Core i9 12900K, and compatible Z690 motherboards, but even encouraged by Intel this generation .
The Z690 motherboard you choose will play an important role in overclocking, but beyond that, the new chipset does have its benefits for everyone, overclocker or no.
For starters, there’s PCIe 4.0 support baked right into the Z690 chipset, up to 12 lanes of it. That accompanies the 16 lanes of PCIe 5.0 direct from the CPU, which means you shouldn’t end up short of available bandwidth for your GPU and a handful of speedy SSDs. The availability of plenty of bandwidth also ensures there’s the potential for plenty of USB ports, although that will depend on your board choice.
Speaking of bandwidth and the Core i9 12900K, like any of the 12th Gen chips, it supports both DDR5 and DDR4 memory kits. You’ll need to check which your motherboard supports before you buy, as no board supports both. So you’ll have to stick with your decision, either way.
Benchmarks
(Image credit: Future)
How does the Intel Core i9 12900K perform?
Intel’s been talking a big game when it comes to Intel Alder Lake performance, and after getting my hands on the Core i9 12900K, I can’t say I’m surprised, either.
This chip does reclaim the gaming performance crown in almost every game we tested, and often by a large margin.
Let’s not forget what the Core i9 12900K is up against. That’s the Ryzen 9 5950X, potentially the best processor AMD has ever put together and the most well-suited desktop CPU for just about anything you throw at it. Not to put down the Ryzen 9 5950X in any way, but the Core i9 12900K is simply the far better gaming chip.
That’s really saying something for Intel’s efforts in single-core improvements on the Core i9 12900K. It’s clocked to the heavens, which sure helps, but architecturally the Golden Cove P-Cores appear to be working wonders when it counts in gaming workloads.
Something particularly noteworthy here is Intel’s performance in games that traditionally favour AMD’s chips, such as Far Cry 6. These would usually be the games where we’d see the biggest swings towards AMD’s processors in performance, but while that is true to some extent today, the Core i9 12900K has managed to head off any major advances into the lead from the Ryzen 9 5950X.
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(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)
PC Gamer 12th Gen test rig: Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Hero, Corsair Dominator @ 5,200MHz (effective), Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, 1TB WD Black SN850 PCIe 4.0, Asus ROG Ryujin II 360, NZXT 850W, DimasTech Mini V2, Windows 11
PC Gamer 11th Gen test rig: MSI MPG Z490 Carbon WiFi, Corsair Vengeance Pro RGB @ 3,600MHz (effective), Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, 1TB WD Black SN850 PCIe 4.0, Asus ROG Ryujin II 360, NZXT 850W, DimasTech Mini V2, Windows 11
PC Gamer AMD test rig: Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master, Thermaltake DDR4 @ 3,600MHz, Zadak Spark AIO, 2TB Sabrent Rocket PCIe 4.0, Corsair 850W, Windows 11
The same goes for synthetic single-core performance. Look to Cinebench R23, which I ran through a 10-minute cycle to ensure no power draw funny business, and you’ll notice that the Core i9 12900K delivers a tremendous leap in single-core performance over the best of Zen 3 in the Ryzen 9 5950X.
Even the lower-clocked Core i5 12600K, too, delivers a huge bump here, so that’s absolutely a return to form for Intel.
Pair its excellent single-threaded performance with the new wave of E-Cores and you’re onto a winner in multi-threaded performance, too. To my surprise, the Core i9 12900K manages to outmuscle the Ryzen 9 5950X, a straight 16-core chip, in Cinebench R23. In Time Spy’s CPU tests, it runs away with it. In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting the blend of P-Cores and E-Cores to do this in such a way.
The Ryzen 9 5950X does hold its own in x264 v5.0, however, and just edges out the Core i9 12900K in Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Civilisation 6’s turn time benchmark, where AMD has been stronger in recent years. So it’s not a flawless victory for Intel, though it is still a very convincing one.
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(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)
Though I am missing one benchmark result for Intel’s Core i9 12900K: Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla.
The reason being it doesn’t work on Alder Lake, or at least our system and probably a fair few more. As Intel told me, «We are aware of an issue with Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, and we are working with the game publisher on a fix.» Though this does play into the slightly wobbly aspect of Alder Lake at launch.
As I’ve said before, Alder Lake isn’t an iterative update to an already long-standing architecture. For that, it appears some creases weren’t ironed out ahead of launch, and one is the occasional incompatible game, as Intel stated ahead of time in regards to DRM solution, Denuvo.
Intel said it was yet to remedy an issue with Denuvo on Alder Lake for 32 games, which was causing issues playing these games on the platform, but the remainder of the library was good to go.
So clearly there are still some areas to run the iron over, even post-launch. I can only be hopeful that these issues are solved early on and that new releases are correctly optimised for Alder Lake.
I would assume so, but I can’t say for sure. So sit tight, and if you’re a big Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla fan, maybe stick with your old CPU for a little while before upgrading to the 12th Gen.
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(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)
When it comes to CPU power and thermal performance, as I mentioned before, the Core i9 12900K is not the most power-savvy chip going. At least in its default, out-of-the-box, state.
Intel has clearly still had to push its Core i9 package to the nines to make sure it’s capable of beating AMD’s top Ryzen processor, and that means I’m seeing a much higher power draw under load than AMD’s Ryzen 9 5950X during x264 v5.0 benchmarking, at a 53% increase, and a 6°C increase in peak temperature.
That’s even in excess of the Core i9 11900K, the chip infamous for its high wattage draw. Though Intel writes this off as saying that, if you were to drop the Core i9 12900K to even a fraction of its 241W MTP, at just 65W, it would still be a match for the Core i9 11900K.
At least the performance is there to justify the leap in wattage by way of comparison with Intel’s own chips, but next to AMD’s processors it still appears comparatively high.
Analysis
(Image credit: Future)
What does the Intel Core i9 12900K mean for PC gaming?
I mentioned at the beginning of this review that it’s important to focus on the real-world performance and capability of these chips, and not get too lost in the competition aspect of it all. But hey, I’m human, and the ongoing tug-of-war back and forth between Intel and AMD is one of my favourite spectator sports. So let’s get into what the Core i9 12900K, and the wider Alder Lake 12th Gen release, means for that all-important battle.
Starting with comparisons to Intel’s previous generation, the 11th Gen, and the Core i9 11900K felt like a processor launched to claim the world’s fastest gaming processor title, With the Core i9 12900K, Intel may have built one that actually deserves it.
As both a proposition to gamers today and a glimpse of what’s to come from Intel, the Core i9 12900K is an incredibly exciting chip and one we’ve been waiting to get our hands on for a long time. It’s an exciting platform, too. Often playing catch-up to AMD this past half-decade, Intel is delivering the latest technologies, such as DDR5 and PCIe 5.0, ahead of AMD this time.
Pricing is what largely decides our opinion of these impressive processors, and rumours had initially foretold of a much closer pricing battle between Intel’s 12th Gen and AMD’s Ryzen 5000-series. Intel’s pricing wasn’t quite as sky-high as expected, though, and we’re left with a situation where Intel’s 12th Gen could put a lot of pressure on AMD’s Ryzen 5000-series.
Let’s hone in on the Core i9 12900K we’re discussing here today. This chip is listed at its cheapest at $589 on Intel’s Ark product database, and that’s $210 cheaper than the MSRP of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X. To be fair to AMD, though, let’s draw a comparison between the actual on-sale price of these two chips right now instead, which are more like $649 for the Core i9 12900K and $749 for the Ryzen 9 5950X.
If you were to actually hit the checkout with either chip today, that makes for roughly a $100 saving with Intel’s Core i9 over AMD’s Ryzen 9.
That’s probably going to have an impact on AMD’s outlook, as the company no longer has a totally unmatched enthusiast desktop processor. The Core i9 12900K is a match, and it’s cheaper, effectively shifting the bar for future enthusiast desktop processors from both companies.
For AMD, that would appear to be its 3D V-Cache processors, which it says are already in production and should improve gaming performance by up to 15%. If you scan over my benchmarking numbers, that has the potential to once again give AMD a lead in many games. But these chips are going to have to deliver a significant boost to compete at their current prices, and for once it’s AMD in the hot seat to justify its premium pricing rather than the other way around.
At least AMD’s AM4 platform offers plenty of cheaper motherboards today, something we may have to wait around for a bit longer to see from Intel’s board partners.
There are also still some finer points to work out with Alder Lake as I write this, though it’s been less hit-or-miss in testing than I had expected it to be at times during its development and unveiling. Ultimately, though, it feels like Intel has made forward progress with Alder Lake, and that can only be a good thing for our gaming PCs. More competition begets more aggressive prices, more competitive feature sets, and faster adoption of up-to-date standards.
For those reasons, and for its pure speed advantage today, the Intel Core i9 12900K means a lot for PC gaming.
Verdict
(Image credit: Future)
Should you buy an Intel Core i9 12900K?
The Core i9 12900K aims for the top spot as the best CPU for gaming, and by most metrics makes it soundly. By hook and by crook, Intel has leapfrogged back in front of AMD in gaming performance, utilising a new architecture, process, approach, and platform—all the things we’ve been waiting patiently for it to do.
The Core i9 12900K totally obliterates previous Intel generations by most metrics.
From an enthusiast’s point of view, and the Core i9 12900K is an enthusiast chip after all, this chip totally obliterates previous Intel generations by most metrics: single-threaded performance, multithreaded performance, clock speed, and memory performance. And you’re probably paying less for the privilege, which is really saying something in this day and age.
From a gamer’s point of view, the Core i9 12900K can deliver the performance to game, stream, capture, and more, all at once. Though it must be said that cheaper chips such as the Core i5 12600K would appear the more sensible buy if you’re primarily gaming, since even the Core i5 makes mincemeat of the 11th Gen Core i9 for PC gamers, and will only hinder your graphics card at 4K and beyond as much as most other modern processors.
To tie a bow on it, if you’re genuinely in the market for a new processor at this moment and you want the best for gaming, the Core i9 12900K is that and more.
The Z690 platform offers the only way into the most cutting-edge technologies around today, and for PC builders in 2021, it’s sure nice to know you won’t be falling behind the curve in 2022 once PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 are more widely adopted.
So if you fit the enthusiast profile and don’t mind some added platform costs, yes, you should buy the Core i9 12900K.
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Core i9-12900K
The Core i9 12900K is an enthusiast processor built for boasting. It offers the highest gaming frame rates in most titles and its clever new architecture and cutting-edge features provide multithreaded performance on tap. If you’re building a super high-end PC in 2021, this is now the chip to do it with.
Jacob earned his first byline writing for his own tech blog from his hometown in Wales in 2017. From there, he graduated to professionally breaking things as hardware writer at PCGamesN, where he would later win command of the kit cupboard as hardware editor. Nowadays, as senior hardware editor at PC Gamer, he spends his days reporting on the latest developments in the technology and gaming industry.
When he’s not writing about GPUs and CPUs, however, you’ll find him trying to get as far away from the modern world as possible by wild camping.
PC of the month (December 2022) — ITC.ua
We continue the traditional heading «PC of the month». This time we will consider the configurations «Optimal», «Progressive» and «Full Stuffing». New CPUs from Intel/AMD have been released, opening up new horizons for computer assemblies. For those who are still looking for cheap options, we offer current budget options.
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Prices for inexpensive components have not changed much. Unless some models of video cards dropped in value. Therefore, the basic autumn assemblies keep their relevance by the end of the year.
Zmist
- 1 Optimal computer from 835 to 860 dollars
- 2 Progressive computer from 19$95 to $2,000
- 3 Full Minced Computer $5,950 to $6,150
Best PC $835 to $860
The Ultimate PC of late 2022 will be based on six-core processors that have become a crowd favorite. Intel Core i5-12400F and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X.
| PC «Optimal» | USD $ | |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-12400F | 190 |
| AMD Ryzen 5 5600X | 215 | |
| Motherboard | Intel B660 | 95 |
| AMD B550 | 95 | |
| RAM | 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3200MHz | 50 |
| Video card | NVIDIA RTX 3050/Radeon RX 6600 | 345 |
| Accumulator | SSD M2 PCI-E 3.0 1Tb | 75 |
| Housing and PSU | 80 | |
| Cooling | BOX | 30 |
| All PC Intel | 835 | |
| All PC AMD | 860 | |
Just what you need for optimal builds.
Consider the low cost of DDR4 RAM and AM4 motherboards. The new AM5 platform will not soon displace its predecessor from the budget segment. nine0003
Alternatively, consider the Ryzen 5 5600/5600G. Of course, they are somewhat weaker, but the price is quite attractive.
The Intel Core i5-12400F is a balanced and strong CPU with low power requirements. A very successful generation of Alder Lake performs well on all fronts. You can save a little and buy an Intel Core i3-12100F. It is also very productive. For video games or home use abound.
The «Optimal» PC does not need to overpay for the motherboard. But let’s not save too much. We choose mid-range chipsets without unnecessary bells and whistles. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, the best audio codec are all very nice to have, but we are looking for minimalistic «boards» with reliable power. We choose motherboards B550 for AMD Ryzen and inexpensive B660 for Intel Core. nine0003
Very good RAM suggestion. Only for 1900 hryvnia fast RAM from a well-known manufacturer.
Good frequency of 3200 MHz, low latency CL 16 and massive heatsinks. It is possible that it will be possible to overclock this RAM. A 2×8 GB kit will suffice. While DDR5 is taking over the market more and more, DDR4 is becoming profitable like never before.
With video cards, everything is simple. NVIDIA RTX 3050 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 fall into the same price category. Inexpensive and productive. Ideal choice for 1080p resolution. Both models have 8 GB video buffer. The RX 6600 may seem faster than its competitor, but let’s not ignore DLSS. nine0003
This technology performs much better than software counterparts from AMD / Intel. In addition, ray tracing on NVIDIA will work with less performance loss.
PCI-E 3.0 M2 SSD is suitable for data storage. An inexpensive 1000 GB model is enough. The volume will satisfy the needs of most users. If you really want, you can purchase a SATA model. We do this only on the condition that it is significantly cheaper. Priority NVMe SSD.
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Pack the «Optimal» PC in an economical case. It’s not worth overpaying for thick metal. Let’s leave expensive cases for computer fetishists who like to look at the insides of a PC. We take a simple case with the lower placement of the power supply to our taste. PSU is enough for 500-600W. It is difficult to make a mistake in the price category up to 2000 UAH. Almost all models are certified. We take a proven brand.
Cooling processors will not be very difficult. A simple 150-180 watt tower is enough. In most scenarios, adequate temperatures and relative silence are guaranteed. nine0003
Optimal PC configuration as of December 2022 will cost $835 if built on Intel. AMD fans will spend more — $860.
Progressive computer from 1995 to 2000 dollars
Progressive PC is assembled on the latest AMD AM5 and Intel LGA1700 13th Gen platforms. Good competition in the market makes the buyer think about the choice.
| Progressive PC | USD $ | |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-13600 KF | 345 |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7700X | 375 | |
| Motherboard | Intel Z690/B660 | 250 |
| AMD X670/B650 | 225 | |
| RAM | 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 5200MHz | 165 |
| Video card | NVIDIA RTX 3080/AMD Radeon 6900 XT | 825 |
| Accumulator | SSD M2 NVMe PCI-E 3. 0 2Tb |
130 |
| Housing and PSU | Midi / Mini Tower ATX, 750W Gold | 215 |
| Cooling | 260W Dual 120mm Air Tower | 65 |
| All PC Intel | 1995 | |
| All PC AMD | 2000 | |
Ryzen 7000-series processors turned out to be quite productive, but the prices are not in a hurry to fall yet. For its part, Intel offered a very good mid-range Intel Core i5-13600K, nominated for the best processor of the year. nine0003
14(20)-core Intel Core i5-13600KF versus 8(16)-core AMD Ryzen 7 7700X. In terms of single-threaded power, AMD is slightly ahead, but with all cores used, Intel gets the upper hand. You can add Ryzen 5 7600X to the comparison.
The user saves a lot, but loses only synthetic performance. Ryzen loses 30-40% to the new Intel Core i5 in a multi-core test, but in many real-world scenarios it can outperform a competitor.
7600X is a good processor that has fallen in price over the past month. Whether the overpayment for the Ryzen 7 7700X is worth it is up to everyone to decide for themselves based on their own CPU utilization needs. But for a «progressive» PC, the Ryzen 7 model is better suited. nine0003
Motherboard for AMD Ryzen 7000 series is expensive. The best B650 options start from 7500-8000 UAH. A «progressive» PC can also be supplied with an inexpensive X670. Not too much overpayment for a top-end chipset.
There are cheaper motherboards for Intel than the B660 DDR5. If the client wants to save money, you can look at versions with DDR4 RAM. There are good models for 150-200 dollars. RAM is not as productive anymore, but the price is attractive. A kind of «economy-progressive PC.» On the other hand, we can look at the more expensive Z69 chipsets0. The overpayment will not be significant.
DDR5 memory dropped a little in price, but still expensive compared to DDR4.
For a computer of this level, it is optimal to put two 16 GB bars. Don’t chase the frequency. The overpayment will be more tangible than the increase in productivity. We look at models with frequencies of 4800-5200 MHz.
Video card for such a PC must be of the appropriate level. NVIDIA RTX 3080 and Radeon RX 6900 XT are sold at similar prices. Ray tracing, DLSS is a definite advantage. But the Radeon side has more video memory. If the user plans to work in professional programs, definitely NVIDIA. She will show several times the best result. For games, both options are relevant. nine0003
As a drive, we install an inexpensive 2 TB SSD. Speeds of 1500-2000 Mb / s will be enough. We choose models of the M 2 NVMe PCI — E 3.0 format.
You can shove all of these accessories into a Midi / Mini Tower case. We choose according to your taste. We draw attention to the limitation of installing video cards in length and cooling the CPU in height. The gold standard 750W PSU will do just fine.
The modular model is a priority, but those who want to save money can look at simpler options. nine0003
Cooling these processors is not easy. They consume a lot of energy. Don’t skimp on cooling. It is quite expensive to put a dropsy. Look for good towers. We offer a good option at the lowest price. This tower is quite cheap, but dissipates up to 260 watts. Two 120 mm fans, 6 heat pipes and a weight of one and a half kilograms. Product from the category «top for your money». But you will have to take care of adapters for AM5/LGA1700 yourself.
Progressive PC configuration for December 2022 will cost the buyer 19$95 if you select the Intel platform. If you give advantage to AMD Ryzen, you will have to spend $ 2000 on such a build. The difference is within the margin of error.
Computer «Full Stuffing» from 5950 to 6150 dollars
This month we will return to the rubric the most expensive PC configurations «Full Stuffing». The latest powerful processors and motherboards for them have come to light.
And most importantly, gamers saw the possibilities of the flagship NVIDIA ADA RTX 4090 graphics card.0042
We put the most powerful processor at the heart of the assembly.
The Intel Core i9-13900KF is a significant improvement over its Alder Lake predecessor. You can choose a version with the KF index (without an integrated video core). This will not affect the performance of the CPU in any way.
From AMD, the all-new Ryzen 9 7950X will compete in this release. The new generation of CPUs from AMD has shown itself well and is a good competitor to Intel’s new products. Comparison of these processors will be as close as possible in terms of processing power. AMD’s version is somewhat cheaper. nine0003
For the stable operation of the entire system of elite PCs, we look at the top motherboards of the Z790 chipsets. Note that the Intel Core i9-13900K feels great on Z690 motherboards as well. We are considering configurations with powerful power. The processor is quite «hungry» in terms of power consumption.
For AMD assembly, we also choose the elite X670 chipset motherboard. This is a top base for PC, giving a large upgrade margin for the future.
We hope that AM5 will be as long-lived as its predecessor AM4.
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Use fast DDR5 RAM. The 6000MHz frequency will be a good addition for both systems. We do not exclude the possibility of overclocking. We take four modules of 16GB each. 64GB for «Full Stuffing» is exactly what you need.
Radeon RX 7900XTX video cards have not yet reached the store shelves. Therefore, NVIDIA RTX 4090 is added to the flagship assembly without alternatives. The video card has doubled the performance in relation to previous flagships.
This is by far the best a PC gamer can get. She shows herself very well in professional programs. An excellent tool for game development, process virtualization, learning neural networks, rendering 3D graphics, etc. Learn more about MSI RTX 409 graphics card0 Suprim X read our editorial review.
The drive will be M2 PCI-E 4.0 with high read speed. We choose a model of a trusted manufacturer. To store the system, games, programs, personal files, additional media content, two SSDs of 2000 GB each will be enough.
This volume will satisfy the needs of demanding gamers or professional content makers.
We will keep all this elite set of components in a beautiful case. A spacious Full / Midi Tower with a classic design will do. For such warm processors, it is important that the case is equipped with a well-thought-out ventilation system.
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Add a 1000W 80 Plus power supply here. For the RTX 4090, 650-750W PSU is enough, as the ITC editors were convinced in their own experience. But the «Full Stuffing» assembly always includes the choice of parts «with a margin», so we take the top kilowatt unit.
Water cooling is a must for these CPUs. The classic three-section «dropsy» will be enough. Relatively quiet operation of the fans and good temperature performance are provided. The specified model of liquid cooling is within the power of any modern CPU. And yet, it is fully compatible with AM5 / LGA1700.
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PC configuration «Full Stuffing» as of December 2022 will cost the buyer $6150, provided that he chooses the build based on the Intel Core i9-13900KF.
Those who prefer the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X will have to shell out $5950 for such an ultimate system.
GAMING PC 2022
Today’s games are becoming more cinematic and using technologies that demand high performance from a gaming PC. PCs with GeForce RTX graphics cards expand familiar use cases. From 4K ultra settings and eSports to a professional streaming studio or station for graphics and video. nine0421 GeForce RTX PCs are much more than just PCs.
COMPUTERS FOR 4K GAMING
Designed for 4K gaming at ultra settings with the coveted 60 FPS and above. Incredible high-definition image quality for a immersive gaming experience in top-tier ray-traced and DLSS games. For example, Cyberpunk 2077 looks amazing in 4K.
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COMPUTERS FOR CYBER-SPORTING GAMES
Frame rate (FPS) and system response time are especially important in competitive games.
All computers in the series provide optimal FPS from 144 fps and support monitors with hardware synchronization G-Sync and Reflex technology, which is the most effective solution today for a smooth gaming experience with minimal system response. nine0003
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2K GAME COMPUTERS
2K resolution (1440p) is becoming more and more popular and is actively replacing FullHD. Computers for games in 2K will allow you to play at maximum settings and FPS from 60 fps. Top AAA titles and esports games with premium image quality thanks to ray tracing and DLSS will give you the best experience.
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BEGINNING GAMING SERIES
Starting series gaming computers are designed for games in low resolution 1080p with FPS from 60 frames per second at ultra quality settings. They will allow you to play all modern games, but without new technologies such as ray tracing and DLSS. A budget solution for those who want to touch the world of computer games and try themselves in various genres.
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GEFORCE
BENEFITS
NVIDIA DLSS
MAXIMUM FPS
NVIDIA DLSS is a revolutionary AI rendering technology that dramatically increases FPS and delivers top-level graphics quality in games. DLSS makes it possible to play in 4K resolution with maximum quality settings even in the most demanding games with FPS from 60 fps and competitive games with FPS from 144 fps. At the end of 2021, 120+ games support DLSS
#RTXON
RAY TRACING
Ray tracing accurately simulates natural lighting, reflections and shadows in real time. The technology is recognized as a new standard in computer graphics and is being actively implemented by developers in games. Used in such top projects as Cyberpunk 2077, Watch Dogs: Legion, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Minecraft, Fortnite, and others.
NVIDIA REFLEX
MINIMUM INPUT LAG
NVIDIA Reflex delivers a unique competitive advantage by significantly reducing response times with GeForce RTX 30 graphics cards.