PC of the month (June 2024)

Taiwan’s Computex exhibition is traditionally generous with high-profile presentations of upcoming PC components. However, this year, in the context of components, the event has become a platform for announcements of future products. However, even such clarifications already allow us to plan the assembly of a new system or the modernization of an existing one. In what cases does it make sense to wait for new solutions, and when is it unreasonable to delay? Let’s analyze certain situations through the prism of the traditional “PC of the Month“, considering rational options for gaming platforms in three price categories.

Basic gaming PC of the month ($600-750)

Gaming monitor for the “Basic Gaming PC” from our partner MSI

 

The MSI G2412F, based on a high-speed IPS panel with a resolution of 1920×1080 and a response time of only 1 ms, will provide a great gaming experience for entry-level systems. Despite its low price, the 24-inch monitor has a refresh rate of 180 Hz and color gamut of 107% sRGB and 83% DCI-P3. The model has thin screen bezels and Night Vision mode to illuminate dark gaming scenes.

MSI G2412F gaming monitor

The current announcements will affect entry-level gaming systems only in the very distant future, so if you are planning to build a PC worth $600-700, now is the time to get the most out of your money.

Intel processors. For such a PC on the Intel platform, there are virtually no alternatives to the Core i5-12400F processor (6/12; 2.5/4.4 GHz). Usually strict in terms of pricing policy for chips of previous generations, Intel seems to have “moved” this time and taken into account numerous user requests. Of course, its implacable competitor, AMD, probably helped it come to this decision. One way or another, but in fact we have a great offer for basic gaming configurations. And since last month, it has become even more attractive. Core i5-12400F in Ukraine can already be purchased for the equivalent of ~$125. It seems that not so long ago you could only count on Core i3 for this amount. But with this price level for 6-core models, we don’t take into account chips with fewer computing cores at all.

The tray version of the Core i5-12400F processor is offered for almost the same price, so there is no point in considering such versions either. The standard cooler will probably not surprise you with its efficiency, but it is still enough for work. Therefore, you can first check whether it will satisfy you in terms of noise/heat. If your requirements are low, then you can choose this option to save money. An additional bonus of the box version is the bright blue box, which can be placed on a bookshelf, as well as the 3-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Intel’s really generous offer for budget 6-core processors applies only to the “F” version, i.e. the version without integrated graphics. The Core i5-12400 model with an active video core already costs about $160+. Of course, during power outages, the ability to use a PC without a video card is a useful way to increase the battery life of the system. But here you need to determine your own priorities. A discrete graphics adapter will increase the power consumption of a PC by 10-15 watts even in minimum load mode.

AMD processors. For a basic AMD gaming platform, we once again recommend using the Ryzen 5 5600 (6/12; 3.5/4.4 GHz), which, by the way, has also fallen in price by $10 over the past month – down to $125. A very worthy opponent for the Core i5-12400F. It’s a rare case when AMD and Intel chips offer similar features for the same price, so the choice comes down to personal preference. In the case of Ryzen 5 5600, you can be tempted to go for the OEM version of the chip, especially if you already have an AM4 cooler. This version of the processor can already be purchased for ~$110. And we frankly like this irreconcilable “downward game” between manufacturers.

If you are considering an option with integrated graphics, there are certain nuances. The fact is that Vermeer processors with chiplet architecture do not have a built-in iGPU at all. Therefore, if the ability to work without a video card is essential, you will have to look towards the Ryzen 5 5600G (6/12; 3.9/4.4 GHz). Despite the similarity of names, this model already belongs to the Cezanne family of “hybrids” with a monolithic crystal on Zen 3, but with a 16 MB L3 cache capacity, instead of Vermeer’s 32 MB. This will slightly weaken the APU in games, but when using graphics cards that are relevant to the basic category, the difference will not be fundamental.

Unfortunately, the Ryzen 5 5600G is also limited to PCI-E 3.0 support, which is important when using PCI-E x8 graphics cards in a system. Therefore, in the classic gaming configuration, we rely on Ryzen 5 5600. But the option with Ryzen 5 5600G should be taken into account, especially since the current retail price of this model is very close to that of Ryzen 5 5600 – ~$130.

In the case of the AMD platform, the option with Ryzen 5 3600 (6/12; 3.6/4.2 GHz) is also relevant. This is the best chip you can buy for $80. But we leave it in case of a maximum price limit for the build, initially focusing on a more modern chip with slightly higher performance.

AMD does not forget about Socket AM4. Even at the current Computex, among a number of announcements, there was a place for new chips for this platform. The company offered an 8-core Ryzen 7 5800XT (8/16; 3.8/4.8 GHz), as well as a 16-core Ryzen 9 5900XT (16/32; 3.3/4.8 GHz). The active appearance of turbocharged GT/XT modifications seems to be a somewhat artificial attempt to keep AM4 relevant. The company is actually filling in conditional “gaps”, operating exclusively with operating clock speeds to “create” new models. Moreover, AMD is quite confusing with CPU names. Recall that the classic Ryzen 9 5900X is a 12-core chip, while the Ryzen 9 5900XT will be a 16-core model. An additional test of attentiveness, which the manufacturer resorts to quite often.

There is no doubt that Socket AM4 remains competitive in its niche, but the emergence of new models with +-100-200 MHz with unlocked multipliers is unlikely to influence the choice of a potential buyer. What would be really interesting to see here is the availability of 6-core models with a 3D V-Cache buffer for a reasonable price. In general, the cost factor continues to play an important role, so AMD still has room for further optimization.

As for motherboards, we recommend using not the cheapest, but affordable models based on AMD B550 and Intel B760/B660 chipsets costing ~$90. A detailed argumentation for these platforms was given in the last issue of PC of the Month.

Video cards. There are no surprises with video cards either. A very interesting option here is the GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB with price tags starting at $290. This model continues to be the most popular among users of the Steam gaming service. Of course, this fact alone is not decisive. However, this time, the coincidence is really not accidental.

Overall, a good balance of features and increased memory capacity provide decent performance in current projects and give you additional confidence that the card will remain relevant for quite some time. We keep reminding you of the importance of choosing a version with 12 GB of local memory on board. Simplified versions with 8 GB are significantly slower and only minimally cheaper. However, given the radical reduction in the range of such models, it seems that users have made their choice.

Unfortunately, the use of energy-efficient solutions has recently become a matter of more than just minimizing the monthly electricity bill. The GeForce RTX 4060 8GB with a TDP of 120W (RTX 3060 – 170W) will help improve the efficiency of the gaming platform. It is also a good option for the basic configuration. In most cases, eight gigabytes of memory is enough for Full HD projects. If not, it’s easy to “cure” this in the settings by switching to the maximum dice mode without significant visual loss. DLSS will also come in handy here, and the support for DLSS 3 with Frame Generation is an additional argument in favor of GeForce RTX 4060, which is already available from $310.

The 8GB Radeon RX 7600 remains a worthy alternative from AMD. For $300 we get a video card that demonstrates very close performance to that of the GeForce RTX 4060. Well, except for the ray tracing mode. However, the proximity of prices and performance in this case plays against AMD’s video card. To increase its attractiveness, a more aggressive pricing policy on the part of developers is obviously needed here.

According to analysts at Jon Peddie Research (JPR), in the first quarter of 2024, the share of NVIDIA discrete graphics cards increased from 80% to 88%, while AMD’s share decreased to 12% during this period. The obvious dominance of one market participant slows down the progress in the segment, so we hope that all players in this niche will become more active. Including Intel, whose share, according to the study, did not exceed 1%. It’s a shame, because a third powerful player would probably not be superfluous here. Moreover, the graphics start was relatively successful, and in Q1 2023, the company even held up to 4% of the market. The regular improvement of drivers is certainly worthy of respect, but the existing range of graphics cards is obviously not enough to gain a foothold in the custom segment.

Optimal PC of the month ($1200–1400)

 

Gaming monitor for the “Optimal Gaming PC” from our partner MSI

27-inch MSI MAG 274QRF-QD E2 gaming monitor with a fast 2560×1440 IPS matrix with quantum dot technology. The 180 Hz refresh rate and 1 ms response time provide an optimal gaming experience, while the extended color gamut (150% sRGB) provides a bright, vivid picture.

MSI MAG 274QRF-QD E2 gaming monitor

Intel processors. As part of the optimal gaming configuration on Intel, we are counting on the Core i5-12600KF (6/12+4; 3.7/4.9 GHz + 2.8/3.6 GHz). Although its price has remained virtually unchanged over the past month (~$185), it has already dropped to the point where you can’t find offers with an even better price/performance ratio in this category. But the significant decrease in the number of offers of this model is worth paying attention to. We hope that this is just a situational supply cycle.

In case of problems with the availability of Core i5-12600KF, we keep in mind the Core i5-13400F (6/12+4; 2.5/4.6 GHz + 1.8/3.3 GHz) with an identical functional formula but slightly lower operating frequencies. The cost of this model has already dropped to $200. Therefore, the extra charge for belonging to the next generation should not be so confusing here. Although paying more for lower performance is a necessary measure. However, let’s not forget about the availability of the Core i5-12600K model with active integrated graphics. In the context of energy saving, this modification is probably even more of a priority, and the price is moderate – $205.

As for Intel’s upcoming desktop platform, despite certain expectations, the company did not disclose any additional details about the LGA1851 at Computex. Previously, the new Arrow Lake-S chips will be presented at the Intel Innovation 2024 event, which will be held this year on September 24-25. The first Core Ultra 200 will go on sale in October. In addition, the CPU models that are interesting for optimal configurations will obviously appear only next year. For this reason, if you need to get a suitable system right now, it makes no sense to take a wait-and-see attitude – the transition to LGA1851 is only a medium-term prospect.

AMD processors. For AMD PCs, the current selection of suitable processor models is reduced to Ryzen 5 7500F (6/12; 3.7/5.0 GHz) and Ryzen 5 7600 (6/12; 3.8/5.1 GHz). The more affordable 6-core chip for the AM5 can already be purchased for $185 (tray-variant – $170!), while the older model is offered for ~$210. The difference in clock speeds can actually be ignored – the performance of the chips is very close, but the presence of integrated graphics in Ryzen 5 7600 can be much more important when choosing a specific model.

It should be noted that several other processor models will compete for your money in this price category. This is the 6-core Ryzen 5 8500G (6/12; 4.1/5.0 GHz + 3.2/3.5 GHz), which has already fallen in price to $175. Due to its layout, it is probably the least attractive model for a gaming platform. The fact is that Ryzen 5 8500G has only two cores with Zen 4 architecture, while the four additional cores are Zen 4c. Despite the fact that they are functionally identical, the operating frequencies of the more compact Zen 4c computers are significantly lower. This will have a corresponding effect on the number of fps in games. Of course, the strength of the Ryzen 5 8500G is the relatively powerful integrated Radeon 740M graphics, but if the priority is the computing capabilities of the CPU, then other options are in priority.

One of them is the Ryzen 5 8600G (6/12; 4.3/5.0 GHz; ~$210). The older model in the lineup has a 6-core configuration with Zen 4 computers operating at 4.3/5.0 GHz. But, of course, the main component of such APUs is an integrated video core. The Radeon 760M graphics already allow you to watch even heavy gaming projects at minimum settings. However, for a gaming system, this is still only a possible option if the PC is running on a charging station. In any case, the optimal configuration involves the use of a powerful discrete graphics card that requires uninterrupted power supply for long-term operation.

In general, it should be noted that the retail price of Ryzen 8000G chips has gradually crossed the initially planned marks. Even in Ukraine, the actual prices are already lower than the recommended prices for the US market at the time of the announcement (January 2024). Obviously, AMD has to balance here, taking into account the existing assortment and the real demand for chips of a particular configuration.

Another potential contender for the optimal system is the Ryzen 5 8400F (6/12; 4.2/4.7 GHz). This is a variation of Phoenix chips, but with graphics turned off. The chip is derived from Ryzen 5 8600G, so it has 6 Zen 4 computing cores. Despite the relatively recent announcement of the “F” modifications of the Ryzen 8000 line, the Ryzen 5 8400F model is already offered in Ukraine and has even managed to drop in price. The MPK version, which is a tray variant with an additional cooler, can be purchased for $170. So, in fact, as of now, this is the most affordable chip for AM5. However, is it worth rushing to buy it?

The Ryzen 5 8400F lacks integrated graphics, so it competes with other models without an iGPU. Considering that the Ryzen 5 7500F is only slightly more expensive, the seemingly tempting price tag of the Ryzen 5 8400F no longer looks so attractive. In games, it is the Ryzen 5 7500F that will be more productive due to its twice the L3 cache capacity – 32 MB versus 16 MB, as well as nominally higher operating frequencies. Therefore, the only way to increase interest in Ryzen 5 8400F is to reduce the price. Let’s say, to the equivalent of ~$150. We assume that this is a very realistic scenario for the next few months.

But what we can say for sure is the official announcement of the Ryzen 9000 series processors. AMD has decided that it is time to significantly update the Socket AM5 platform, as the Ryzen 8000 chips presented at the beginning of the year have become more of a branch with an emphasis on integrated graphics than the next generation of CPUs.

In turn, the Ryzen 9000 line is a truly new generation of high-performance CPUs. The chips in the new series use the Zen 5 computing architecture, which promises increased performance per clock cycle.

For optimal configurations, among the initially announced models, the Ryzen 5 9600X (6/12; 3.9/5.4 GHz) is potentially interesting. It is a six-core chip with an increased operating frequency and TDP of 65 W. For the new CPUs, developers promise to increase performance per clock cycle (IPC) by an average of 16%. Among the measures that will help to achieve this performance is the improvement of cache memory. The first tests of engineering samples actually confirm the doubling of the L1/L2 buffer bandwidth. Other improvements include the ability to work with faster DDR5 memory kits.

Sales of the new Ryzen 9000 are expected to start on July 31. The manufacturer has not yet announced the recommended price tags. There is an assumption that the values will be close to those determined for the corresponding Ryzen 7000 models at launch, or even 10-15% lower than the previous figures. It should be reminded that the recommended price of the Ryzen 5 7600X predecessor was $299 at the time of the announcement. But almost two years have passed since then. During this time, processor prices have changed significantly. In Ukraine, the Ryzen 5 7600X chip can be purchased for the equivalent of $210. In this case, the appearance of Ryzen 5 9600X even for the conditional “$269 MSRP” will raise many questions about the feasibility of such a purchase. And this is even without mentioning the availability of the same Ryzen 5 7500F for $185.

We are sure that AMD will take into account the current market circumstances, but it will not be easy to squeeze in with the current range. Here, perhaps, it is also worth noting that now for the equivalent of $250 you can get an 8-core Ryzen 7 7700 (8/16; 3.8/5.3 GHz) in MPK version. And here a very interesting confrontation with the Ryzen 5 9600X is already outlined.

It is certainly interesting to wait for the first results of independent tests that will show the real capabilities of the new chips in different conditions, frequency potential and power consumption. We hope that Granite Ridge will pleasantly surprise us in these matters. Nevertheless, the new crystals with computing cores are already being manufactured using TSMC’s new 4-nanometer process.

The Ryzen 9000 chips will work with current AMD 6xx chipset motherboards, with only a firmware update required.

Video cards. The recommendations for video cards for optimal gaming configurations remain unchanged. The most attractive options for this category of PCs are GeForce RTX 4070 12GB and Radeon RX 7800 XT 16GB. Over the past month, the prices of these series have not changed significantly. A graphics adapter from NVIDIA can be purchased for $620+, while the most affordable graphics cards with GPUs from AMD are slightly cheaper – from $580. Both of them will be ultimately suitable for Full HD mode and will cope with the 1440p gaming load quite well.

Progressive gaming PC of the month ($2000+)

 

Gaming monitor for the “Progressive Gaming PC” from our partner MSI

The MSI MPG 274URF QD is a top-of-the-line 27-inch gaming screen with an ultra-fast IPS matrix (0.5 ms) on quantum dots. The panel has a resolution of 3840×2160, a refresh rate of 160 Hz, and an extended color gamut (145% sRGB). The monitor is equipped with a Type-C port (65W PD) with the ability to transfer images, power and recharge portable devices. The display has HDMI 2.1 and offers a “console mode” (4K, 120 Hz) with VRR and ALMM support.

MSI MPG 274URF QD gaming monitor

Intel processors. Since the presentation of Intel’s new desktop platform is still at least three months away, the Core i5-14600K (6/12+8; 3.5/5.3 GHz + 2.6/4.0 GHz; ~$340) will take the appropriate position in advanced configurations during this time. By all criteria, the chip is quite satisfactory, except that the level of power consumption is higher than desired. Even more powerful CPUs in this category are an optional choice if multi-threaded performance is essential. It is for such cases that we can consider the Core i7-14700K (8/16+12; 3.4/5.6 GHz + 2.5/4.3 GHz), for the purchase of which you will need to increase your budget by ~$100.

Even more powerful Core i9 for a gaming system will be frankly superfluous. In addition, Intel is still trying to curb the situation with the possible instability of top-end chips under high load. Nevertheless, in conditions where the CPU consumes more than 350 watts, minimal discrepancies between system indicators and the recommended values can affect stability. While looking for the root cause of possible failures, Intel specialists also found an error in the algorithm of the Enhanced Thermal Velocity Boost (eTVB) technology. Its correction will be offered in the new BIOS versions, which should be available by July 19 this year.

As for the future Intel platform, it is the progressive configurations that will be the first to receive LGA1851. However, this will happen no earlier than mid-autumn. The manufacturer will traditionally offer top-end processors with unlocked multipliers first, adding massive CPUs at the beginning of the new year. It will certainly be very interesting to evaluate the performance of the upcoming Arrow Lake-S, but this is something that current Intel chips have no particular problems with. But perhaps the biggest expectation from the new desktop processors is a significant reduction in power consumption.

AMD processors. AMD’s advanced gaming platform is based on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D (8/16; 4.2/5.0 GHz, 96 MB L3). Moreover, it seems that the position of this model is not threatened even by the appearance of Ryzen 9000. From the recent revelations of the “red team” it became clear that the previous generation 8-core chip with 3D V-Cache may remain the fastest gaming CPU, and its fps will not be surpassed by the new Ryzen 7 9700X (8/16; 3.8/5.5 GHz). Given that even in Ukraine, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D chip can already be purchased for ~$380, this may be a problem when positioning future Granite Ridge CPUs as the best CPUs for gaming platforms.

This situation seems to have come as a bit of a surprise to the developers themselves, who are even considering changing the original Ryzen 7 9700X specification, which includes an increase in TDP from 65W to 120W and possibly a change in the frequency formula. Such adjustments should allow the new 8-core to minimally outperform the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. We’ll see if AMD takes a similar step, or if such transformations will remain at the level of speculation.

Of course, it’s very interesting to wait for the chips to appear on Zen 5, but if building a powerful gaming system is an urgent matter, you probably won’t lose any fps when choosing an existing Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Of course, the new CPUs with architectural optimizations will be faster in applied tasks, but it is in games that the radically increased L3 cache will compensate for this advantage.

AMD is also preparing Ryzen 9000 with 3D V-Cache, and this time, versions with increased L3 may appear even earlier than in the case of Ryzen 7000. According to optimistic forecasts, such chips may be presented as early as September/October to divert attention from the presentation of Intel’s new platform.

Simultaneously with the announcement of Grainte Ringe processors, AMD also offered updated chipsets AMD X870/X870E. Top-end boards based on them will obviously initially support Ryzen 9000, while models based on previous logic sets will require a BIOS update. Among the options that will be mandatory for AMD X870/X870E motherboards are maximum overclocking capabilities, USB 4 support, PCI-E 5.0 bus for graphics adapters and drives, and the ability to use the fastest AMD EXPO profiles for RAM modules. However, there is a possibility that motherboard manufacturers will not have time to prepare their AMD X870/X870E models before the launch of Ryzen 9000, or the range of such devices will be minimal at first. However, this will not be a problem if the new CPUs can run on any AM5 board.

As for the prospects of Socket AM5, AMD assures support for this platform at least until 2027, so the next generation of chips with Zen 6 architecture will probably be presented as part of AM5.

Video cards. As you can see, strong competition even between two players in the CPU segment generally yields excellent results and the ability to choose the right products at reasonable prices. This is frankly lacking in the discrete graphics card category. The dominance of NVIDIA, which recently became the world’s largest company by market capitalization, allows it to dictate its terms. However, the rapid rise in price was driven by the boom in demand for AI computers and the potential for growth in this segment. It is not surprising that these products will receive maximum attention, while the amount of resources for the development of gaming user adapters may be allocated on a residual basis.

Of course, we still hope to see GeForce RTX 50 with Blackwell architecture by the end of the year, but even at best, these will be only top-of-the-line models. And this is not the worst option. It seems that we can’t expect a new generation of graphics cards from AMD and Intel by the end of this year. Thus, the graphics race will slow down a bit, so you can safely consider the available options without any expectations.

For advanced configurations, these are the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER 16 GB and Radeon RX 7900 XT 20 GB. There are no major price changes here either. The most affordable models of the NVIDIA line can be purchased for ~$900, and AMD graphics cards of this series start at $850. Both of them perfectly cope with heavy games in 1440p and allow you to play comfortably in 4K without fundamental limitations on picture quality.

There are still a lot of GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12GB offers on sale, which can potentially be considered as a way to reduce the cost of the system. Although the basic versions of the line still cost $800+, so the overall savings will be relatively small in terms of advanced PCs, but regrets about choosing a model with 12 GB of memory are not excluded in the future.

The option of possible savings with the Radeon RX 7900 GRE 16 GB looks more justified, given the cost of these models from $650. A 15% performance drop for -30% of the RX 7900 XT price. Looks like a fair deal.