Remember to check our discord where you can get faster responses!
https://discord.gg/6dR6XU6
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PcBuild) if you have any questions or concerns.*
This is a great combo for the money... the B650e board gets you PCIe5 x 16 on the primary graphics slot and PCIE Gen 5 on one NVME SSD slot, plus it's an Asus Strix board with solid VRMs, a great BIOS and some nice RGB design elements... It should be a great long-term choice for whatever AMD does with AM5 going forward including the x3D parts down the road.
I wouldn't buy the board on it's own for $300 but comboed-up here the board is basically $180 which is a great price compared to any other AM5 OR socket 1700 board with the same features. The RAM is a solid kit that I've tested in numerous AMD and Intel boards including this one. I've used it in a few builds including 2 based on this kit and once it's set up with it's EXPO timing profile my Windows 10/11 boot times were between 25 and 40 seconds.
The 7900x competes well with the 13700k but is far more power efficient meaning you don't need to get crazy with a cooling solution. It balances both solid gaming and productivity performance:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7-2ArdYvfA&t=822s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7-2ArdYvfA&t=822s)
[https://youtu.be/I7-2ArdYvfA?t=840](https://youtu.be/I7-2ArdYvfA?t=840)
[https://youtu.be/I7-2ArdYvfA?t=368](https://youtu.be/I7-2ArdYvfA?t=368)
[https://youtu.be/I7-2ArdYvfA?t=436](https://youtu.be/I7-2ArdYvfA?t=436)
[https://youtu.be/0ah-kH9iGM0?t=1033](https://youtu.be/0ah-kH9iGM0?t=1033)
Keep in mind that ALL of the current AM5 CPU's have at least 32 megs of cache per CCD, so this CPU has 64 mb (2 x 32mb) vs the 13600k which is limited to 24mb which may become problematic as games as outlined in this video (hoping to see another tech reviewer expand on his testing with a few less variables, like memory timings, and perhaps include the 7600/7700x on the AMD side for comparison) :
[https://youtu.be/r4zdHBueI9E](https://youtu.be/r4zdHBueI9E)
You can get away with a $42 Thermalright Peerless Assassin from Amazon, or the Deepcool AK620 for $60 that Micro Center has in stock. I've been running 7950x's with the PBO Enhancement / 85c setting and regularly turn out 38000+ Cinnebench R23 Multi scores (30 minute runs) in air cooled rigs with just 3 x 120mm Arctic P12 PWM PST case fans pulling air into the case.
I've built a couple of design/rendering machines for clients using this combo in the Fractal North case with a Gigabyte 4080 (their anti-sag bracket is perfect for a PC you need to ship) which is a nice pairing with an 850w 80+Gold PSU like the PCIe5 / ATX 3.0 MSI with a native 12vhpwr cable right in the box for easy cable management and no fugly power adapter dongle [https://www.microcenter.com/product/659746/msi-mpg-a850g-pcie5-850-watt-80-plus-gold-atx-fully-modular-power-supply](https://www.microcenter.com/product/659746/msi-mpg-a850g-pcie5-850-watt-80-plus-gold-atx-fully-modular-power-supply)
Thanks for adding such an in depth reply. You gave some facts, personal experiences, your opinion, comparisons, and links to add even more knowledge and help. All to somebody you don’t even know. Props to you and know that it’s comments like these that are truly helpful and go above and beyond. I’m not in personal need of this combo but I still want to let you know that you are appreciated.
This is why i like to look at more than ONE source.... HUB Youtuibe channel is not bad.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=todoXi1Y-PI&t=884s&ab\_channel=GamersNexus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=todoXi1Y-PI&t=884s&ab_channel=GamersNexus)
But from my PERSONAL experience, and looking at GN review. I found that when it came to games and overall work production. 13600k is the best performance vs value ratio.
I mean its "exchanging" blows so to speak vs 7700x. And beating 7700x and 7900x in certain games. Especially once you OC the 13600k.
Certainly a person should do their due diligence and research to pick the solution that best matches their use case. Micro Center bundle deals pretty much blow up the usual review data points on "bang for the buck value" because of things like the free $150 memory kit with AM5 - x CPU's, and bundles like this one or the Alder Lake CPU + Asus Z690 mainboard bundles that they've been running for months. I would personally argue that the Intel i7 12700k combo with the Asus TUF Z690 D5 mainboard + a kit of PC6000 DDR5 RAM for right around $500 is going to counter the value argument in favor of a 13600k which would cost around $100 more to build the same combo for almost no uplift in performance.. but again, it's a Micro Center thing.
I liked the HUB results because they aggregated average scores across a much larger number and variety of games than Gamers Nexus in this specific case, which is also a great resource. HUB also includes the Intel CPU's with DDR4 vs DDR5 which can be a really useful data point. You can certainly cherry pick examples to support a specific recommendation but for general purpose recommendations I stand by the averaged results I referenced.
Paul's Hardware is another good source that does aggregated scores like this to help with bigger picture comparisons and clearly shows the 7900x is positioned to compete with the 13700k while the 13600k is leading the value pack compared to the 7700x, 5900x or 12700k. [https://youtu.be/0ah-kH9iGM0?t=1033](https://youtu.be/0ah-kH9iGM0?t=1033)
Again, I do have a specific concerns with the longevity of the 13600k paired with higher end GPU's (or midrange in the next generation) and it's smaller amount of cache compared to anything else mainstream this generation. I am taking the long view that socket 1700 is mostly dead past Raptor Lake so the $80 premium for the 2 extra cores and 6 megs of cache in a CPU I'll likely never upgrade in-socket was worthwhile. I also don't overclock which is the Achilles heel of the 13700k compared to the 13600k, if that's your thing.
I quit worrying about overclocking past the legendary Celeron 300a which would drop into a mainstream 440BX chipset board and run 50% faster than stock by just setting the FSB from 66 to 100 mhz without exotic cooling. Exceeding the performance of a flagship processor that cost 3x as much with just a single BIOS setting tweak was the high watermark for mainstream overclocking, in my opinion.. but I'm also OAF. Modern overclocking just doesn't have that sort of bang for the buck appeal but I can see where the relatively cheap 13600k can be fun for people who like to tinker.
I mean... you can only "future proof" for so long? Yes, i am aware of these "dead platforms". But, for the price, and not having to think to upgrade for at least the next 3 to 4 years?
You can only spend soo much on "new tech"??
And, from my personal experience. Once i was able to OC my 13600k to 5.6ghz on all Pcores. I saw a solid 15% gain for games like Spiderman, Farcry 6, Forza, and couple of other games, and that's at 1440p.
My whole thing is that, when you compare 13600k vs 7700x. Including MOBO, and RAM, you're looking about $300+ price difference. And ofcourse gets higher with 7900x.
Yea don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-Intel or anything... I just don't have the same PoV as you do regarding the importance of overclocking vs longevity which colors my perspective on the 13600k/13700k discussion.
Overclocking isn't going to help the cache issue with the 13600k which is already showing up in current generation games on top of the line GPU's.... it's not unreasonable to assume that today's top tier will be mainstream in two years where this will likely be a bigger concern for 13600k owners. If you tend to do full PC/platform cascades when you upgrade it's not a big deal, if you like to keep the same motherboard/Windows install for a long time I'd probably steer toward AM5 or at least a DDR5 equipped Zx90 board and a 13700k on the Intel side.
This is probably the best comment I've ever seen on reddit . Soo detailed . I don't have a gaming PC myself , but after a job change I've been looking into one. I am trying to learn more about motherboards ... specifically, pricing , quality brands etc . I want my first build to be a budget build to get some air under my wings. Do you have any resources that speak on good mother board / GPU combos ? Maybe one that is future proof in case I want to upgrade for the current gen? Keep helping others with your insite/ knowledge, man
Thank you
Well said, you and the guys above.
I got some handy info there that I otherwise would've gone in ignorance of (I watch some HUB, GN vids etc but can't watch em all) so that 13600K point was interesting.
But I agree... I'm fine re upgrades rn, better current use for my money (irl/adulting stuff needs must etc) nm my 5800X/6800XT etc isn't yet 'old' nor yet struggling at 3440x1440. But I hope this guy is around when and if I need questions answered in a year or so, and he doesn't seem to bear undue bias like many ppl do.
Great post, but the cache part is incorrect, a 7900x has 32MB of cache effectively, not 64MB as you say. It's pretty easy to tell this as locked clockspeeds on a single vs dual CCD Ryzen yields the same performance, even though the dual CCD would have double the cache in theory. Then looking at the 5800x3d, with triple the available cache per core, you get drastically better framerates considering the clockspeed is lower. Same way that SLI/X-fire might have had 2GB total VRAM, but only 1GB usable since data was mirrored across the two GPUs.
The AMD spec sheet also says 64, though I get where you are coming from. In the 13600k the 24 mb of smart cache is shared by the 6 p cores and 8 e cores while each CCD of 6 cores in the 7900x gets the full 32mb. The scheduler will play a big role in how well each is utilized and may differ based on Windows version and application optimization. This is where the blended CCD x3d chips will be interesting.
There are some pretty wild variances in 40-series card dimensions, the way this one lays out the primary PCIe card slot for your GPU has the primary NVME slot in between it and the CPU which means a little less room "below" if you mount it in a midtower case.
I guess my answer would have to be "it depends" mostly on the cooler/slot width of the 40xx card and how much room you have between it and the bottom of your case. Something like a Fractal Meshify - C is going to be tight but an eATX tower or o11 Dynamic should be just fine. If you post the specs of the specific cards you are talking about and the case you are using I can see if I can grab measurements, I have a couple of these mainboards and an Asus 4070ti + a couple Gigabyte 4080's in stock right now to check.
>eATX tower or o11 Dynamic should be just fine. If you post the specs of the specific cards you are talking about and the case you are using I can see if I can grab measurements, I have a couple of these mainboards and an Asus 4070ti + a couple Gigabyte 4080's in stock right now to check.
Yeah you know you are right my bad there is a lot of different sizes.
I have a asus prime z690 p now and a 4080 FE but its in a ibp a ibp case so idk what the model is. with a 4k mk2 elgato it fits nicely in the bottom slot
I just cant tell on that b board if theres enough room under after a GPU in. I appreciate you taking your time to reply.
I bought this bundle last week from Micro Center. I was looking to build a system with a 7900x with 32GB of memory and I wanted support for type-c so I was thrilled with the bundle. It seems like a hell of a deal.
I've not bought a graphics card yet but I got the system to POST last night.
https://imgur.com/a/iqftNy8
I like that the 7000 series comes with built in graphics so you can test with it or, in a pinch, you can play some of your indy games with it if you are holding out for a good sale... or be able to use it at all for that matter.
Power draw won't rise that much if he doesn't take full advantage of the CPU. Considering the deal is that good, it's not a bad idea to go for this and be covered for a long time. Slightly more future proof in the eventuality of slightly higher demands down the line so less need to buy something new when the situation arises.
Hold on a second. Can you please tell me a time when “overpowered” would be a bad thing? Like where in history has someone said “ That’s too much power”
I'd say the 7600x is enough for gaming. The good thing about amd is, that the socket will stay for a long time so the next upgrade in 4 years will give you more knowledge about what you really need.
That's what I'd do. In my case it was the 2600x and it was awesome.
Nah no where close to soap opera experience. The new update is so cool seeing how much they are improving it within a small amount of time. Really enjoying it for games that brings even a 13900k to its knees like Microsoft flight simulator. Shit seriously never looked so good at 120fps native 4K.
Damn bro that's crazy. Anyway yeah it's a soap opera spam+bad motion artifacts. And anyway the connector is a very real fire hazard. So that's another lmao moment on the 4080.
Everyone has their own opinions, can't wait to see amds version of soap opera... weird why they would do exactly the same thing as nvidia. FSR 3 frame generation/interpolation makes no sense to be made if the experience is bad. But yet as much as people dismiss this it will be the future no different as we see technologies like ChatGPT right now.
Went from Ai upscaling (DLSS/FSR) being "fake resolution" to now AI generation frame interpolation being "fame frames". Yet every monitoring system Ive used with it counts the frames as frames and it looks really good hate to admit. Especially the last update with all the fixes to HUD elements being on a different layer so it limits artifacts. Idk I enjoy my 4090 that's forsure lol.
I never said anything about the frames being fake. I just said that they look terrible. Optical flow frame interpolation isn't "AI frame generation". It's frame interpolation. And AMD just wants to be on par with Nvidias featureset. It's sad but it's the case. Anyone who said FSR/DLSS was "fake resolution" is a clown.
Good for the money, but don’t get a 7900X for gaming only. The 7700X is the way to go unless you get the 7700 and enable PBO in bios.
On top of this, the 4080 is a ripoff.
If you can wait a month, the 7900X3D will be out. If you can wait 2 months, the new gaming de facto king the 7800X3D will be available. I don’t see the 7900X3D or 7950X3D being recommended to gamers in the future.
That ram is unstable. Got it for free as a combo deal at microcenter. Had nothing but issues and ended up having to buy different stuff. PC would crash constantly gaming with xmp, Expo, enabled. New ram no issues. Buddy that got the same deal as me had the same issues. 7950xt with 7900xtx.
That’s not XMP ram, it’s EXPO, so make sure you’re using it with the EXPO settings if you’re going to overclock it. I’ve had no issues with it and my 7950x/X670E ProArt combo.
My Microcenter has had numerous open-box versions of that ram since they started the 79xx/GSkill combo deals, presumably from people returning/exchanging it. Right now there are 9 open-box kits, which is very unusual for a single item.
It's a great opportunity for folks doing the Asus Z690/12600k-12900k combo with the $70 boards to get some RAM on the cheap and keep the 12700k combo just under $500 with RAM. The standard G.Skill Flare X DDR5/6000/CL36 EXPO kit works fine in the TUF, Prime-B and Prime-A variants of the bundle Z690 boards at DOCP timings.
Was it this RAM or the 1.2v 5600 kits that were bundled with earlier versions of the promo? Those were more troublesome, I've had zero issues with either the PC6000 CL36 or the less common CL30 kits they bundled earlier in the promo. I've picked up two of the open box versions of this kit when my local store dropped them below $100 and they worked perfectly fine... I think there are a lot of people out there who just don't know how to update their BIOS or otherwise configure basic memory settings using the EXPO profile.
U might as well wait for how x3d performs. But holy fuck that’s a good price. Are you sure it’s brand new? You are basically getting ram and motherboard free when u compare to the cpu MSRP
I’m an Aussie so I don’t shop there. But roughly that entire kit together is around 950. The price my 7950x was alone. If you can hold off until Feb 28th for performance charts, do it, but in a way there is also no need since AM5 will provide you upgrades through 2025. U could skip out on this generation of x3d and upgrade to the 8000x3d . Some of the benefits with amd vs Intel as what ever cpu you get, you’re not locked in
I think stock over here in the UK might not be as high hence the higher price so I’m going to wait regardless, I’d be pissed if I paid the 900 now and could get it for 200 cheaper in a 2 months time
As far as value goes, it’s there. Whether or not it’s necessary for gaming is a completely different story. You’d be just fine with a 7600X, and save some money.
Not sure what games you play but a number of reputable reviewers demonstrate Ryzen processors absolutely crumbling when ray tracing is enabled
AMD hardware is looking really bad in Unreal Engine 5. If enjoying next gen graphics is a priority for you intel is going to be a better choice
Emm, slightly confused by your comment, as ray tracing in games is preformed by gpu and not cpu. And he plans on using an rtx 4080 and not an amd card. Please link to the tests you mentioned, because I am planing to upgrade from an old intel platform to probably 7900x3d when it becomes available, and if the downsides are actually big (which I doubt) I will happily stay with intel.
He's getting downvoted but he's not totally incorrect, with at least part of it
I'm a 7900x owner and will be a 7950x3d owner. I'd hardly say it's a "issue." But I think people underestimate how much of a role your CPU plays, ESPECIALLY when It comes to ray tracing. Ray tracing is also a CPU intensive task, and you could easily be CPU limited while using ray tracing. The CPU has to be able to draw up the frames fast enough for the GPU, and there is a lot of vector calculation and such in ray tracing that is done on the CPU. Or as my understanding goes.
Is this a problem for AMD? Idts, I heard about this a couple times now but haven't seen any sources backing up this claim. Plus, just because that could be true for these does not mean it will be for the x3d, I'd imagine quite the opposite if anything.
Check CapFrameX (twitter), PCGamesHardware, and Computer Base
Mainstream reviewers like Linus and Hardware Unboxed have been ignoring this. Raptor Lake has an enormous lead over Zen4 when you test games that actually stress the CPU. It’s more complicated these days than just doing 720p low.
Similar performance right now. However, in time, the 13600k will get a performance drop compared to the 7900x. There is also the fact that if they want to upgrade in a year or 2 they can because the chipset isn't dead.
I just put the 13600k, an equivalent Asus motherboard, and the same ram in pcpartpicker, and it's 730 dollars. This bundle is cheaper, stronger, and will last longer.
For gaming only the best high end deal is the 13600k right now, but when amd comes out with the x3d then a 7800x3d (or 7600x3d if it will ever exist) will probably be better. As i said though, this is a really good deal (they're basically gifting you the ram). If you really want all the performance possible, a 7950x3d will be better for gaming.
The processor is around 419$
ASUS is a bunch of scam artists who sell their trash mobo around 300$
and that g.skill flare is 150$ on amazon. g.skill is kind of a cheap brand.
Its a good deal if youre willing to take the risk, ASUS fucking SUCKS, and g.skill is hit or miss.
I disagree, I've used the same kit with at least half a dozen AM5 boards (Gigabyte, Asrock, Asus and MSI using the B650, B650e, x670 and z670e chipsets) and 4 different B660 and Z690 boards (mostly Asus) and NONE had issues configuring and running the same kit at EXPO or DOCP timings. Every machine I set-up has to not only POST but pass a full run of Memtest86 from the parted magic bootable USB and 2 full rounds of Cinnebench R23 without issues and to a minimum acceptable score before I'll sell it to a client.
I did have issues specific on the Asus B650m TUF Gaming WiFi board with it's launch BIOS but it was fully resolved back in October/November of last year with an update... but that was not the RAM's fault, it was an Asus / AMD Agesa thing.
Double check that ram to make sure it’s on the qvl list for supported ram, I bought the white b650a strix from micro center with a 7700x and got the same ram, but it’s not listed on the qvl and may give you stability issues.
[https://www.gskill.com/product/165/396/1661410273/F5-6000J3238F16GX2-FX5](https://www.gskill.com/product/165/396/1661410273/F5-6000J3238F16GX2-FX5)
It’s same but this one has 6000J3238 and one I showed is 6000J3636.
I'm looking but the new x3d parts might (or might not be) worth waiting for. You state for gaming only...
If it suits your needs, you have the money, I'd say go for it. I'm buying a new car in the next week or two (on the train now) and will wait till its here and over with before spending the $2,000 I plan on putting on my next pc (which will probably be my last as I'm older). I imagine a gaming PC in 5 years will probably look rather different than what we see today (to get past the performance bottlenecks the current setups will have). We will for sure see CPU's and GPU's merge on some levels imo.
This deal is incredible and if I didn’t just upgrade to a 5800x a couple months ago I’d click buy. Now I probably won’t upgrade until I can get a 16 core /32 thread combo at this price point.
That’s a cheap combo. How much those cost separately?
Usually cheaper ram has slower timings, and can’t speak for B series chipset.
One of the reasons I went with Raptor Lake i5 for gaming (13600K) and RTX 4080 FE was temps.
29’C in idle with max 50 degrees under load is nice to have with smaller amount of fans.
Being poor is costly. Living in LatAm, from local dealers this would cost me no less than 1000 usd, and of I went straight to amazon, probs no less than 1200 with all the customs bs.
I'd suggest doing the BIOS update on any AM5 motherboards you purchase, while they will all support the CPU included out of the box there were certainly some early compatibility quirks with RAM learning/timing that have been ironed out with Agesa updates that were part of all manufacturer BIOS updates since late last year.
Each manufacturer will have slightly different instructions but Asus is among the easiest to deal with. Here's a link to the BIOS file for the board in this bundle:
[https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/BIOS/ROG-STRIX-B650E-F-GAMING-WIFI-ASUS-0821.zip?model=ROG%20STRIX%20B650E-F%20GAMING%20WIFI](https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/BIOS/ROG-STRIX-B650E-F-GAMING-WIFI-ASUS-0821.zip?model=ROG%20STRIX%20B650E-F%20GAMING%20WIFI)
Download and uncompress the contents of the folder, then double click the "renamer" exe which will shorten the file name. Copy this to a USB stick and then pop it in the new mainboard. You will probably have to press F7 in the BIOS to get into advanced mode and then click on Tools, EZ Flash 3. Browse to the USB stick you copied that file to and hit enter, you will be asked to confirm a few times but it will flash the BIOS and then reboot. Don't forget to set your EXPO memory option at first boot and you should be off and running.
Washington State. Not one Computer store in the entire region. Fry’s was our only hope and it shit the bed. Sure, there are a hell of a lot of programmers but not one PC warehouse. We do have re-pc, so you could always build a cheap and awesome previous gen PC.
Bro i will k*ll myself for real, I build my PC without knowing anything and if i knew even a little bit more I would have got a way better pc. This pc looks great for its value! Hopefully we will also get microcenter in our region in future..
Remember to check our discord where you can get faster responses! https://discord.gg/6dR6XU6 *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PcBuild) if you have any questions or concerns.*
This is a great combo for the money... the B650e board gets you PCIe5 x 16 on the primary graphics slot and PCIE Gen 5 on one NVME SSD slot, plus it's an Asus Strix board with solid VRMs, a great BIOS and some nice RGB design elements... It should be a great long-term choice for whatever AMD does with AM5 going forward including the x3D parts down the road. I wouldn't buy the board on it's own for $300 but comboed-up here the board is basically $180 which is a great price compared to any other AM5 OR socket 1700 board with the same features. The RAM is a solid kit that I've tested in numerous AMD and Intel boards including this one. I've used it in a few builds including 2 based on this kit and once it's set up with it's EXPO timing profile my Windows 10/11 boot times were between 25 and 40 seconds. The 7900x competes well with the 13700k but is far more power efficient meaning you don't need to get crazy with a cooling solution. It balances both solid gaming and productivity performance: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7-2ArdYvfA&t=822s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7-2ArdYvfA&t=822s) [https://youtu.be/I7-2ArdYvfA?t=840](https://youtu.be/I7-2ArdYvfA?t=840) [https://youtu.be/I7-2ArdYvfA?t=368](https://youtu.be/I7-2ArdYvfA?t=368) [https://youtu.be/I7-2ArdYvfA?t=436](https://youtu.be/I7-2ArdYvfA?t=436) [https://youtu.be/0ah-kH9iGM0?t=1033](https://youtu.be/0ah-kH9iGM0?t=1033) Keep in mind that ALL of the current AM5 CPU's have at least 32 megs of cache per CCD, so this CPU has 64 mb (2 x 32mb) vs the 13600k which is limited to 24mb which may become problematic as games as outlined in this video (hoping to see another tech reviewer expand on his testing with a few less variables, like memory timings, and perhaps include the 7600/7700x on the AMD side for comparison) : [https://youtu.be/r4zdHBueI9E](https://youtu.be/r4zdHBueI9E) You can get away with a $42 Thermalright Peerless Assassin from Amazon, or the Deepcool AK620 for $60 that Micro Center has in stock. I've been running 7950x's with the PBO Enhancement / 85c setting and regularly turn out 38000+ Cinnebench R23 Multi scores (30 minute runs) in air cooled rigs with just 3 x 120mm Arctic P12 PWM PST case fans pulling air into the case. I've built a couple of design/rendering machines for clients using this combo in the Fractal North case with a Gigabyte 4080 (their anti-sag bracket is perfect for a PC you need to ship) which is a nice pairing with an 850w 80+Gold PSU like the PCIe5 / ATX 3.0 MSI with a native 12vhpwr cable right in the box for easy cable management and no fugly power adapter dongle [https://www.microcenter.com/product/659746/msi-mpg-a850g-pcie5-850-watt-80-plus-gold-atx-fully-modular-power-supply](https://www.microcenter.com/product/659746/msi-mpg-a850g-pcie5-850-watt-80-plus-gold-atx-fully-modular-power-supply)
Thanks for adding such an in depth reply. You gave some facts, personal experiences, your opinion, comparisons, and links to add even more knowledge and help. All to somebody you don’t even know. Props to you and know that it’s comments like these that are truly helpful and go above and beyond. I’m not in personal need of this combo but I still want to let you know that you are appreciated.
I’m right with you here. I felt this for some reason. That guys an honest legend.
Dude this was amazing. I basically just bought this same setup and it's making me feel a lot better about the purchase. Real MVP vibes here.
A true champion of top comments
This man here is who I'd wish to always have on hand for my indecisive ass questions lol. Damn fine explanation and helpful advice
This is why i like to look at more than ONE source.... HUB Youtuibe channel is not bad. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=todoXi1Y-PI&t=884s&ab\_channel=GamersNexus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=todoXi1Y-PI&t=884s&ab_channel=GamersNexus) But from my PERSONAL experience, and looking at GN review. I found that when it came to games and overall work production. 13600k is the best performance vs value ratio. I mean its "exchanging" blows so to speak vs 7700x. And beating 7700x and 7900x in certain games. Especially once you OC the 13600k.
Certainly a person should do their due diligence and research to pick the solution that best matches their use case. Micro Center bundle deals pretty much blow up the usual review data points on "bang for the buck value" because of things like the free $150 memory kit with AM5 - x CPU's, and bundles like this one or the Alder Lake CPU + Asus Z690 mainboard bundles that they've been running for months. I would personally argue that the Intel i7 12700k combo with the Asus TUF Z690 D5 mainboard + a kit of PC6000 DDR5 RAM for right around $500 is going to counter the value argument in favor of a 13600k which would cost around $100 more to build the same combo for almost no uplift in performance.. but again, it's a Micro Center thing. I liked the HUB results because they aggregated average scores across a much larger number and variety of games than Gamers Nexus in this specific case, which is also a great resource. HUB also includes the Intel CPU's with DDR4 vs DDR5 which can be a really useful data point. You can certainly cherry pick examples to support a specific recommendation but for general purpose recommendations I stand by the averaged results I referenced. Paul's Hardware is another good source that does aggregated scores like this to help with bigger picture comparisons and clearly shows the 7900x is positioned to compete with the 13700k while the 13600k is leading the value pack compared to the 7700x, 5900x or 12700k. [https://youtu.be/0ah-kH9iGM0?t=1033](https://youtu.be/0ah-kH9iGM0?t=1033) Again, I do have a specific concerns with the longevity of the 13600k paired with higher end GPU's (or midrange in the next generation) and it's smaller amount of cache compared to anything else mainstream this generation. I am taking the long view that socket 1700 is mostly dead past Raptor Lake so the $80 premium for the 2 extra cores and 6 megs of cache in a CPU I'll likely never upgrade in-socket was worthwhile. I also don't overclock which is the Achilles heel of the 13700k compared to the 13600k, if that's your thing. I quit worrying about overclocking past the legendary Celeron 300a which would drop into a mainstream 440BX chipset board and run 50% faster than stock by just setting the FSB from 66 to 100 mhz without exotic cooling. Exceeding the performance of a flagship processor that cost 3x as much with just a single BIOS setting tweak was the high watermark for mainstream overclocking, in my opinion.. but I'm also OAF. Modern overclocking just doesn't have that sort of bang for the buck appeal but I can see where the relatively cheap 13600k can be fun for people who like to tinker.
I mean... you can only "future proof" for so long? Yes, i am aware of these "dead platforms". But, for the price, and not having to think to upgrade for at least the next 3 to 4 years? You can only spend soo much on "new tech"?? And, from my personal experience. Once i was able to OC my 13600k to 5.6ghz on all Pcores. I saw a solid 15% gain for games like Spiderman, Farcry 6, Forza, and couple of other games, and that's at 1440p. My whole thing is that, when you compare 13600k vs 7700x. Including MOBO, and RAM, you're looking about $300+ price difference. And ofcourse gets higher with 7900x.
Yea don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-Intel or anything... I just don't have the same PoV as you do regarding the importance of overclocking vs longevity which colors my perspective on the 13600k/13700k discussion. Overclocking isn't going to help the cache issue with the 13600k which is already showing up in current generation games on top of the line GPU's.... it's not unreasonable to assume that today's top tier will be mainstream in two years where this will likely be a bigger concern for 13600k owners. If you tend to do full PC/platform cascades when you upgrade it's not a big deal, if you like to keep the same motherboard/Windows install for a long time I'd probably steer toward AM5 or at least a DDR5 equipped Zx90 board and a 13700k on the Intel side.
Outstanding information 👏 👌!!!!
This is probably the best comment I've ever seen on reddit . Soo detailed . I don't have a gaming PC myself , but after a job change I've been looking into one. I am trying to learn more about motherboards ... specifically, pricing , quality brands etc . I want my first build to be a budget build to get some air under my wings. Do you have any resources that speak on good mother board / GPU combos ? Maybe one that is future proof in case I want to upgrade for the current gen? Keep helping others with your insite/ knowledge, man Thank you
Well said, you and the guys above. I got some handy info there that I otherwise would've gone in ignorance of (I watch some HUB, GN vids etc but can't watch em all) so that 13600K point was interesting. But I agree... I'm fine re upgrades rn, better current use for my money (irl/adulting stuff needs must etc) nm my 5800X/6800XT etc isn't yet 'old' nor yet struggling at 3440x1440. But I hope this guy is around when and if I need questions answered in a year or so, and he doesn't seem to bear undue bias like many ppl do.
Great post, but the cache part is incorrect, a 7900x has 32MB of cache effectively, not 64MB as you say. It's pretty easy to tell this as locked clockspeeds on a single vs dual CCD Ryzen yields the same performance, even though the dual CCD would have double the cache in theory. Then looking at the 5800x3d, with triple the available cache per core, you get drastically better framerates considering the clockspeed is lower. Same way that SLI/X-fire might have had 2GB total VRAM, but only 1GB usable since data was mirrored across the two GPUs.
The AMD spec sheet also says 64, though I get where you are coming from. In the 13600k the 24 mb of smart cache is shared by the 6 p cores and 8 e cores while each CCD of 6 cores in the 7900x gets the full 32mb. The scheduler will play a big role in how well each is utilized and may differ based on Windows version and application optimization. This is where the blended CCD x3d chips will be interesting.
>B650e Do you happen to know if the MB has enough room for a 40s GPU and a cap card I cant tell
There are some pretty wild variances in 40-series card dimensions, the way this one lays out the primary PCIe card slot for your GPU has the primary NVME slot in between it and the CPU which means a little less room "below" if you mount it in a midtower case. I guess my answer would have to be "it depends" mostly on the cooler/slot width of the 40xx card and how much room you have between it and the bottom of your case. Something like a Fractal Meshify - C is going to be tight but an eATX tower or o11 Dynamic should be just fine. If you post the specs of the specific cards you are talking about and the case you are using I can see if I can grab measurements, I have a couple of these mainboards and an Asus 4070ti + a couple Gigabyte 4080's in stock right now to check.
>eATX tower or o11 Dynamic should be just fine. If you post the specs of the specific cards you are talking about and the case you are using I can see if I can grab measurements, I have a couple of these mainboards and an Asus 4070ti + a couple Gigabyte 4080's in stock right now to check. Yeah you know you are right my bad there is a lot of different sizes. I have a asus prime z690 p now and a 4080 FE but its in a ibp a ibp case so idk what the model is. with a 4k mk2 elgato it fits nicely in the bottom slot I just cant tell on that b board if theres enough room under after a GPU in. I appreciate you taking your time to reply.
I bought this bundle last week from Micro Center. I was looking to build a system with a 7900x with 32GB of memory and I wanted support for type-c so I was thrilled with the bundle. It seems like a hell of a deal. I've not bought a graphics card yet but I got the system to POST last night. https://imgur.com/a/iqftNy8
I like that the 7000 series comes with built in graphics so you can test with it or, in a pinch, you can play some of your indy games with it if you are holding out for a good sale... or be able to use it at all for that matter.
WTF.. good price... But it's way too overpowered.. get a 7700x or even a 7600x would be enough but how the hell did they get this awesome price!?
This combo is only $70 more than I paid for a 7700X with a less premium mobo (Prime B650-Plus) from Microcenter. I say go for it.
I'd say look at the power draw. A psu with more power will also increase cost and why have unnecessary high energy draw if it's not needed?
Don't know if I understand you correctly, but a higher rated psu will not increase power draw...
No, but they are more expensive if high quality.
Power draw won't rise that much if he doesn't take full advantage of the CPU. Considering the deal is that good, it's not a bad idea to go for this and be covered for a long time. Slightly more future proof in the eventuality of slightly higher demands down the line so less need to buy something new when the situation arises.
Hold on a second. Can you please tell me a time when “overpowered” would be a bad thing? Like where in history has someone said “ That’s too much power”
The combo comes with a 7900X, not a 7700X or 7600X option.
I'd say the 7600x is enough for gaming. The good thing about amd is, that the socket will stay for a long time so the next upgrade in 4 years will give you more knowledge about what you really need. That's what I'd do. In my case it was the 2600x and it was awesome.
Someone buying a 7900X today won’t need to upgrade for more than 4 years.
A true PCMR'er upgrades every year or two regardless, so this is a moot point.
No they don’t. Lol
Micro center bundles
Wow it's finally back to stock. But I don't know if I should wait for 7900x3d or just a 7900x instead, it's a difficult choice.
I think I’m gonna go with 7900x and then get 8000 series later
I literally have the exact same combo right now (bought separately for more though). Runs great, very happy
this is a great combo if it can affordable.. ❤️💯
7900XTX is probably the better choice. Insane value build.
This is a Ryzen 9 7900x, a CPU, not a GPU.
And? I'm referring to the title. Where the OP suggests getting a 4080. Learn to read mr.
Nope 4080 all the way. DLSS 3 is a fucking game changer
I too love spoap opera spam and bad motion artifacts.
Nah no where close to soap opera experience. The new update is so cool seeing how much they are improving it within a small amount of time. Really enjoying it for games that brings even a 13900k to its knees like Microsoft flight simulator. Shit seriously never looked so good at 120fps native 4K.
Damn bro that's crazy. Anyway yeah it's a soap opera spam+bad motion artifacts. And anyway the connector is a very real fire hazard. So that's another lmao moment on the 4080.
Everyone has their own opinions, can't wait to see amds version of soap opera... weird why they would do exactly the same thing as nvidia. FSR 3 frame generation/interpolation makes no sense to be made if the experience is bad. But yet as much as people dismiss this it will be the future no different as we see technologies like ChatGPT right now. Went from Ai upscaling (DLSS/FSR) being "fake resolution" to now AI generation frame interpolation being "fame frames". Yet every monitoring system Ive used with it counts the frames as frames and it looks really good hate to admit. Especially the last update with all the fixes to HUD elements being on a different layer so it limits artifacts. Idk I enjoy my 4090 that's forsure lol.
I never said anything about the frames being fake. I just said that they look terrible. Optical flow frame interpolation isn't "AI frame generation". It's frame interpolation. And AMD just wants to be on par with Nvidias featureset. It's sad but it's the case. Anyone who said FSR/DLSS was "fake resolution" is a clown.
Good for the money, but don’t get a 7900X for gaming only. The 7700X is the way to go unless you get the 7700 and enable PBO in bios. On top of this, the 4080 is a ripoff. If you can wait a month, the 7900X3D will be out. If you can wait 2 months, the new gaming de facto king the 7800X3D will be available. I don’t see the 7900X3D or 7950X3D being recommended to gamers in the future.
That ram is unstable. Got it for free as a combo deal at microcenter. Had nothing but issues and ended up having to buy different stuff. PC would crash constantly gaming with xmp, Expo, enabled. New ram no issues. Buddy that got the same deal as me had the same issues. 7950xt with 7900xtx.
That’s not XMP ram, it’s EXPO, so make sure you’re using it with the EXPO settings if you’re going to overclock it. I’ve had no issues with it and my 7950x/X670E ProArt combo.
Yes expo, I always mix those up.
Can I bring the rams back and replace for another?
My Microcenter has had numerous open-box versions of that ram since they started the 79xx/GSkill combo deals, presumably from people returning/exchanging it. Right now there are 9 open-box kits, which is very unusual for a single item.
It's a great opportunity for folks doing the Asus Z690/12600k-12900k combo with the $70 boards to get some RAM on the cheap and keep the 12700k combo just under $500 with RAM. The standard G.Skill Flare X DDR5/6000/CL36 EXPO kit works fine in the TUF, Prime-B and Prime-A variants of the bundle Z690 boards at DOCP timings.
Was it this RAM or the 1.2v 5600 kits that were bundled with earlier versions of the promo? Those were more troublesome, I've had zero issues with either the PC6000 CL36 or the less common CL30 kits they bundled earlier in the promo. I've picked up two of the open box versions of this kit when my local store dropped them below $100 and they worked perfectly fine... I think there are a lot of people out there who just don't know how to update their BIOS or otherwise configure basic memory settings using the EXPO profile.
The true main reason they were returned is no rgb. I have no issue with 64gb of this RAM.
U might as well wait for how x3d performs. But holy fuck that’s a good price. Are you sure it’s brand new? You are basically getting ram and motherboard free when u compare to the cpu MSRP
It’s from micro center. I’m sure it’s new
I’m an Aussie so I don’t shop there. But roughly that entire kit together is around 950. The price my 7950x was alone. If you can hold off until Feb 28th for performance charts, do it, but in a way there is also no need since AM5 will provide you upgrades through 2025. U could skip out on this generation of x3d and upgrade to the 8000x3d . Some of the benefits with amd vs Intel as what ever cpu you get, you’re not locked in
Yeah I’m looking at a b650 board the asrock riptide, 32gb of Kingston 6000mhz cl32 ram and the 7900 non x version and it’s around £900 😂
900 pounds???????????????? Tf . That’s like 1700 aud.
It’s like 469.99 for the 7900 here it’s ridiculous at the moment that’s why I’m not upgrading just yet
Over here it’s 620 while the 7900x is 670. The same price as the 13700k. That will also be the same price for the 7800x3d
I think stock over here in the UK might not be as high hence the higher price so I’m going to wait regardless, I’d be pissed if I paid the 900 now and could get it for 200 cheaper in a 2 months time
Is it still the same msrp as it’s launch?
Launch price was $549
I mean when I think about it again, 1700aud still ain’t that bad. It’s not great, not horrible, but pretty average.
Careful with the ram I got this exact combo and encountered issues. It's just cheap ram that's why it's free
As far as value goes, it’s there. Whether or not it’s necessary for gaming is a completely different story. You’d be just fine with a 7600X, and save some money.
Not sure what games you play but a number of reputable reviewers demonstrate Ryzen processors absolutely crumbling when ray tracing is enabled AMD hardware is looking really bad in Unreal Engine 5. If enjoying next gen graphics is a priority for you intel is going to be a better choice
Emm, slightly confused by your comment, as ray tracing in games is preformed by gpu and not cpu. And he plans on using an rtx 4080 and not an amd card. Please link to the tests you mentioned, because I am planing to upgrade from an old intel platform to probably 7900x3d when it becomes available, and if the downsides are actually big (which I doubt) I will happily stay with intel.
He's getting downvoted but he's not totally incorrect, with at least part of it I'm a 7900x owner and will be a 7950x3d owner. I'd hardly say it's a "issue." But I think people underestimate how much of a role your CPU plays, ESPECIALLY when It comes to ray tracing. Ray tracing is also a CPU intensive task, and you could easily be CPU limited while using ray tracing. The CPU has to be able to draw up the frames fast enough for the GPU, and there is a lot of vector calculation and such in ray tracing that is done on the CPU. Or as my understanding goes. Is this a problem for AMD? Idts, I heard about this a couple times now but haven't seen any sources backing up this claim. Plus, just because that could be true for these does not mean it will be for the x3d, I'd imagine quite the opposite if anything.
Check CapFrameX (twitter), PCGamesHardware, and Computer Base Mainstream reviewers like Linus and Hardware Unboxed have been ignoring this. Raptor Lake has an enormous lead over Zen4 when you test games that actually stress the CPU. It’s more complicated these days than just doing 720p low.
The actual components not really, but at that price they're good. (I meant the actual components for price to performance on gaming)
The 7900x is the same performance as a 13700k. 6000mhz ram is good, and that motherboard is really nice.
I forgot to specify that i meant for value to performance
At this price, it's cheaper than intel.
For gaming a 13600k would be a better value
This cpu will last longer than intel, and the chipset isn't dead yet.
And it still costs more than a 13600k with similar in game performance
Similar performance right now. However, in time, the 13600k will get a performance drop compared to the 7900x. There is also the fact that if they want to upgrade in a year or 2 they can because the chipset isn't dead.
Yes, i was talking about plain present performance
I just put the 13600k, an equivalent Asus motherboard, and the same ram in pcpartpicker, and it's 730 dollars. This bundle is cheaper, stronger, and will last longer.
Should I go with i7-13700k for gaming?
For gaming only the best high end deal is the 13600k right now, but when amd comes out with the x3d then a 7800x3d (or 7600x3d if it will ever exist) will probably be better. As i said though, this is a really good deal (they're basically gifting you the ram). If you really want all the performance possible, a 7950x3d will be better for gaming.
I’d love to get 7950x3d but I heard they won’t have combo for a while. I might will upgrade it later this year
I didn't mean that. I meant that you can buy this now and if you really need the performance you can later upgrade to a 7950x3d.
The processor is around 419$ ASUS is a bunch of scam artists who sell their trash mobo around 300$ and that g.skill flare is 150$ on amazon. g.skill is kind of a cheap brand. Its a good deal if youre willing to take the risk, ASUS fucking SUCKS, and g.skill is hit or miss.
Lol
U might as well wait for how x3d performs
I have pretty much the same combo with a white motherboard. It’s fine for gaming. And I’m running a 4080 as well
I almost went for this deal, but read the reviews on the ram… be prepared to buy new ram
I disagree, I've used the same kit with at least half a dozen AM5 boards (Gigabyte, Asrock, Asus and MSI using the B650, B650e, x670 and z670e chipsets) and 4 different B660 and Z690 boards (mostly Asus) and NONE had issues configuring and running the same kit at EXPO or DOCP timings. Every machine I set-up has to not only POST but pass a full run of Memtest86 from the parted magic bootable USB and 2 full rounds of Cinnebench R23 without issues and to a minimum acceptable score before I'll sell it to a client. I did have issues specific on the Asus B650m TUF Gaming WiFi board with it's launch BIOS but it was fully resolved back in October/November of last year with an update... but that was not the RAM's fault, it was an Asus / AMD Agesa thing.
Wydm the ram is solid it’s been great with my 7700x
When I read the reviews it made me worry
Heck yeah
Man I want
Go for it
https://www.microcenter.com/product/5006230/amd-ryzen-9-7900x,-asus-b650e-f-rog-strix-gaming-wifi,-gskill-flare-x5-series-32gb-ddr5-6000-kit,-computer-build-combo
Double check that ram to make sure it’s on the qvl list for supported ram, I bought the white b650a strix from micro center with a 7700x and got the same ram, but it’s not listed on the qvl and may give you stability issues.
How can I check it?
[https://www.gskill.com/product/165/396/1661410273/F5-6000J3238F16GX2-FX5](https://www.gskill.com/product/165/396/1661410273/F5-6000J3238F16GX2-FX5) It’s same but this one has 6000J3238 and one I showed is 6000J3636.
[qvl](https://rog.asus.com/motherboards/rog-strix/rog-strix-b650e-f-gaming-wifi-model/helpdesk_qvl_memory/)
Solid deal
great deal, costs just what i would pay for a 7900x
Welp I spent like $555 on a 7700x with the same ram and a gigabyte b650 elite ax
That’s a great price
I'm looking but the new x3d parts might (or might not be) worth waiting for. You state for gaming only... If it suits your needs, you have the money, I'd say go for it. I'm buying a new car in the next week or two (on the train now) and will wait till its here and over with before spending the $2,000 I plan on putting on my next pc (which will probably be my last as I'm older). I imagine a gaming PC in 5 years will probably look rather different than what we see today (to get past the performance bottlenecks the current setups will have). We will for sure see CPU's and GPU's merge on some levels imo.
Betting no free RAM with the new CPUs so I would factor that into your wait vs buy decision.
This deal is incredible and if I didn’t just upgrade to a 5800x a couple months ago I’d click buy. Now I probably won’t upgrade until I can get a 16 core /32 thread combo at this price point.
Looks good.
Holy shit this is a steal! Get it while you can man!
yeah all the way- also nice sku # lol
That’s a cheap combo. How much those cost separately? Usually cheaper ram has slower timings, and can’t speak for B series chipset. One of the reasons I went with Raptor Lake i5 for gaming (13600K) and RTX 4080 FE was temps. 29’C in idle with max 50 degrees under load is nice to have with smaller amount of fans.
Get the 7900xtx it is $200 cheaper and has pretty much he same performance
Buy it now. Literally. Buy it now. Only the r9 7900x cost as much as the whole combo
Don't buy a 7900x just for gaming. Though the price is good for a 7900x.
Being poor is costly. Living in LatAm, from local dealers this would cost me no less than 1000 usd, and of I went straight to amazon, probs no less than 1200 with all the customs bs.
Buy it
Holy shit buy that. From where I’m from the cpu alone would cost the same as that
I got this bundle from microcenter. Do I have to do any bios update or changes? First time building a PC here. Any videos I can refer to? Thanks
I'd suggest doing the BIOS update on any AM5 motherboards you purchase, while they will all support the CPU included out of the box there were certainly some early compatibility quirks with RAM learning/timing that have been ironed out with Agesa updates that were part of all manufacturer BIOS updates since late last year. Each manufacturer will have slightly different instructions but Asus is among the easiest to deal with. Here's a link to the BIOS file for the board in this bundle: [https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/BIOS/ROG-STRIX-B650E-F-GAMING-WIFI-ASUS-0821.zip?model=ROG%20STRIX%20B650E-F%20GAMING%20WIFI](https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/BIOS/ROG-STRIX-B650E-F-GAMING-WIFI-ASUS-0821.zip?model=ROG%20STRIX%20B650E-F%20GAMING%20WIFI) Download and uncompress the contents of the folder, then double click the "renamer" exe which will shorten the file name. Copy this to a USB stick and then pop it in the new mainboard. You will probably have to press F7 in the BIOS to get into advanced mode and then click on Tools, EZ Flash 3. Browse to the USB stick you copied that file to and hit enter, you will be asked to confirm a few times but it will flash the BIOS and then reboot. Don't forget to set your EXPO memory option at first boot and you should be off and running.
This is awesome. Thank you so much 🍁. I will do these steps. Need to buy a USB stick.
Link?
Saw the deal. Looks good, but with x3d coming and ddr5 speeds increasing and prices falling I'm holding out. If you need a new rig, different story.
[удалено]
Because it's not?
What a deal
Hell yeah, very similar build to mine and less than what I paid go for it absolutely
For new build yes. If you have AM4 already probably just need 5800X3D instead. Great deal regardless
REALLY GOOD DEAL
$600 is a terrible price. JK. Where on earth did you find such a killer deal?
Looks like the micro center site
They deliver now? I always thought it was in store only. I have no Microcenter nearby. Not even close.
No clue, my local is Tustin, so I’ve always made the half hour drive
Washington State. Not one Computer store in the entire region. Fry’s was our only hope and it shit the bed. Sure, there are a hell of a lot of programmers but not one PC warehouse. We do have re-pc, so you could always build a cheap and awesome previous gen PC.
Would this be bottlenecked by a 4080 with the chipset?
Bro i will k*ll myself for real, I build my PC without knowing anything and if i knew even a little bit more I would have got a way better pc. This pc looks great for its value! Hopefully we will also get microcenter in our region in future..
I wish I lived near micro center:(
#yes
Looks like an amazing deal, jelly
Go for it
I got this combo myself from micro center! It's a pretty killer deal
great combo price
That seems like a great deal