Computer Systems

9/27/2025

Noctua NH-D15, Premium CPU Cooler with 2x NF-A15 PWM 140mm Fans (Brown)
be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4, BK022, 250W TDP, CPU Cooler
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler, CW-9060048-WW LGA 1700 Compatible
NZXT Kraken Z Series Z73 360mm - RL-KRZ73-01 - AIO RGB CPU Liquid Cooler - Customizable LCD Display - Improved Pump - Powered by CAM V4 - RGB Connector - Aer P 120mm Radiator Fans LGA 1700 Compatible
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Hey, nice first build! Everything looks compatible. Your i5-13600K and MSI Z690-A DDR5 combo is solid, but the motherboard might need a BIOS update for the 13th Gen CPU.

32GB RAM is more than enough for gaming and great for future-proofing. The Peerless Assassin cooler is decent, but if you push the CPU hard, I might consider a stronger cooler like the Noctua NH-D15 or be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4. If you are more into aesthetics and efficient cooling in a compact form factor, the Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix or NZXT Kraken Z73 RGB. I added some links to possible coolers below. Your RX 7800 XT is perfect for 1440p gaming, and the Lian Li Lancool 216 has great airflow. PSU and storage are both solid choices.

It looks like you are almost good to go!

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Item Price
Noctua NH-D15, Premium CPU Cooler with 2x NF-A15 PWM 140mm Fans (Brown) $108.78
be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4, BK022, 250W TDP, CPU Cooler View price
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler, CW-9060048-WW LGA 1700 Compatible View price
NZXT Kraken Z Series Z73 360mm - RL-KRZ73-01 - AIO RGB CPU Liquid Cooler - Customizable LCD Display - Improved Pump - Powered by CAM V4 - RGB Connector - Aer P 120mm Radiator Fans LGA 1700 Compatible $284.99
TOTAL $393.77
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9/27/2025

EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti XC GAMING Video Card, 08G-P5-3663-KL, 8GB GDDR6, Metal Backplate, LHR
GIGABYTE Radeon RX 7600 XT GAMING OC 16G Graphics Card, 3x WINDFORCE Fans 16GB 128-bit GDDR6, GV-R76XTGAMING OC-16GD Video Card
XFX SPEEDSTER SWFT210 RADEON RX 7600 CORE Gaming Graphics Card RX-76PSWFTFY
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If you're aiming for strong 1440p gaming performance without breaking the bank, here are some excellent GPU alternatives that fit your budget:

  1. EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti XC 8GB GDDR6 Graphics Card
    1. Price: $239.99
    2. Offers excellent 1440p gaming performance with ray tracing capabilities. It's a well-rounded card suitable for most modern titles.
  2. Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 XT Gaming OC 16GB GDDR6 Graphics Card
    1. Price: $435.99
    2. Comes with 16GB of VRAM, providing better future-proofing for upcoming games. Its triple-fan cooling ensures efficient heat dissipation.
  3. XFX Speedster SWFT210 Radeon RX 7600 8GB GDDR6 Graphics Card
    1. Price: $249.99
    2. Budget-friendly option that still delivers solid 1440p performance. Ideal for gamers looking to save without compromising too much on quality.

For the best value, I think the EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti XC offers a balance of performance and price. 

I hope this helps!!

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Item Price
EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti XC GAMING Video Card, 08G-P5-3663-KL, 8GB GDDR6, Metal Backplate, LHR $239.99
GIGABYTE Radeon RX 7600 XT GAMING OC 16G Graphics Card, 3x WINDFORCE Fans 16GB 128-bit GDDR6, GV-R76XTGAMING OC-16GD Video Card $359.99
XFX SPEEDSTER SWFT210 RADEON RX 7600 CORE Gaming Graphics Card RX-76PSWFTFY $319.99
TOTAL $919.97
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9/27/2025

SAPPHIRE PULSE Radeon RX 7700 XT Graphics Card 11335-04-20G
ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super OG OC Edition Gaming Graphics Card (PCIe 4.0 16GB GDDR6X DLSS 3 HDMI 2.1a DisplayPort 1.4a) TUF-RTX4070TIS-O16G-OG-GAMING
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To achieve smoother 1440p gaming, upgrading your GPU is the most impactful change. Your Ryzen 5 2600 will still handle newer titles well, especially with a more powerful GPU.

The recommended GPUs are linked below.  Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 7700 XT 12GB GDDR6 is a solid choice for 1440p gaming, offering excellent performance at a competitive price OR ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER TUF Gaming OC Graphics Card provides top-tier performance with features like ray tracing and DLSS 3, ideal for high-quality gaming experiences.

After upgrading the GPU, monitor your system's performance. If you notice any bottlenecks or performance dips, consider upgrading your CPU or adding more RAM.

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Item Price
SAPPHIRE PULSE Radeon RX 7700 XT Graphics Card 11335-04-20G $416.99
ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super OG OC Edition Gaming Graphics Card (PCIe 4.0 16GB GDDR6X DLSS 3 HDMI 2.1a DisplayPort 1.4a) TUF-RTX4070TIS-O16G-OG-GAMING View price
TOTAL $416.99
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9/27/2025

AMD Ryzen 5 5600 - Ryzen 5 5000 Series Vermeer (Zen 3) 6-Core 3.5 GHz Socket AM4 65W None Integrated Graphics Desktop CPU Processor - 100-100000927BOX
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X - Zen 4 6-Core 4.7 GHz - Socket AM5 - 105W Desktop Processor (100-100000593WOF)
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Upgrading your CPU first is a smart move, especially for 1440p gaming. Your Ryzen 5 2600 is a solid processor, but newer CPUs offer significant performance improvements that can enhance your gaming experience.

Recommended CPUs:

  • AMD Ryzen 5 5600
    • Price: $121.99
    • Description: A cost-effective upgrade that offers excellent performance for gaming and multitasking. It supports PCIe 4.0, ensuring compatibility with modern GPUs.
  • AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
    • Price: $179.99
    • Description: A higher-end option that provides top-tier gaming performance with support for PCIe 5.0. Ideal if you're aiming for future-proofing and maximum performance.
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AMD Ryzen 5 5600 - Ryzen 5 5000 Series Vermeer (Zen 3) 6-Core 3.5 GHz Socket AM4 65W None Integrated Graphics Desktop CPU Processor - 100-100000927BOX View price
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X - Zen 4 6-Core 4.7 GHz - Socket AM5 - 105W Desktop Processor (100-100000593WOF) View price
TOTAL $0.00
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9/27/2025

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Perfect! Since you want a discrete GPU but still prioritize quiet operation, I’d focus on a GPU with a good cooler and fan curve, like a blower-style or dual-fan card with quiet fans. For the case, a mid-tower with sound-dampening panels or well-ventilated airflow like the Fractal Define series could work nicely.

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9/27/2025

Quick questions - do you want a discrete quiet GPU (better for gaming) or would you prefer to rely on integrated graphics to keep noise and cost down, and are there any firm size constraints (mATX/mini-ITX) or a specific noise target you’re aiming for?

Thanks for asking!! I’d prefer a discrete GPU since I want decent 1080p gaming performance, but I also want to keep the build quiet. I’m flexible on case size as long as it’s not huge, and ideally I’d like the fans to be barely noticeable under normal use. Low noise is more important than squeezing every dollar of performance.

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9/27/2025

NZXT H5 Flow - All White CC-H51FW-01 White Computer Cases
ASUS RTX 4070 Super OC 12GB GDDR6X TUF-RTX4070S-O12G-GAMING Video Graphics Card
CORSAIR RMx Series RM750x ATX Power Supply - Fully Modular - ATX 3.1 - PCIe 5.1 - Cybenetics Gold - Low-Noise - Japanese Capacitors - 750 Watts
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Looks like a really solid $1200 build . The i5-13400F + 32GB DDR5 and 1TB Gen4 NVMe are right on point, and the NZXT H5 Flow
gives you great airflow. The RX 7700 XT is a sweet spot for 1440p, but if you care about ray tracing/DLSS, stretching to something like the ASUS TUF RTX 4070 SUPER
could be worth it.

Between B660 and B760, both work fine, just grab the board with better VRMs/features for the price. Only other tweak I’d suggest is bumping PSU to a 750W Gold (Corsair RM750e) for extra upgrade headroom. Otherwise, you’re in great shape. I added some links below!! 

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Item Price
NZXT H5 Flow - All White CC-H51FW-01 White Computer Cases View price
ASUS RTX 4070 Super OC 12GB GDDR6X TUF-RTX4070S-O12G-GAMING Video Graphics Card $499.99
CORSAIR RMx Series RM750x ATX Power Supply - Fully Modular - ATX 3.1 - PCIe 5.1 - Cybenetics Gold - Low-Noise - Japanese Capacitors - 750 Watts $134.99
TOTAL $634.98
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9/19/2025

How long do you plan to keep this build before upgrading again? That could make a big difference in whether Option A or B is smarter long-term.

Good question! I’m hoping to keep this build for at least 4–5 years without major upgrades. Gaming is my main focus, but I do want to stream occasionally, so I don’t want it to struggle there either. That’s why I’m torn.. 

Thanks for clarifying! I’d lean toward Option A. The extra CPU cores and 32GB of RAM will give you more longevity and smoother multitasking when streaming or running background apps while gaming. Option B is solid for now, but you might find yourself needing upgrades sooner, especially if games keep getting more and more demanding.

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9/24/2025

Can I ask why you chose that PSU? You're going to have issues with that card and CPU with that PSU. Minimum wattage should be 700.