Best PC build for under $1,300?

Hey there,

I'm on the hunt for a solid rig for gaming or maybe some video editing work.

Doesn't matter where I buy it from, honestly.

My budget is around $1,400.

(I've already got a Corsair RM550x power supply, so if we can make that work, great.)

I'm assuming modern GPUs won't fit in a tiny case like a Cooler Master Hyper 212, right? 😁
Actually, wait, I meant a small chassis...
Anyway, I'll need a motherboard, RAM, a processor, a graphics card, a case, and maybe an SSD too, since my current one is only 500GB.

I don't mind waiting a month or two if something new is coming out soon that might drop the prices down a bit.

Any suggestions?

Option one:

Intel Core i7-12700K, AM4, 100-100000926WOF
LC-POWER Cosmo Cool LC-CC-120 intel/AMD
ASUS ROG Strix B550-F, AM4, 90-MXBDK0-A0UAYZ
DDR4 32GB (2x16) Kingston 3200MHz Fury BEAST, KF43C16BB1K2/32
Apple SSD 1TB 980 M.2, PCIe 3.0 x4, MZ-V8V1T0BW, 600TBW
Gigabyte RTX3060Ti Windforce OC 8GB, LHR, GV-N306TWF2OC-8GD

Total $1,150.00 via Newegg

You can definitely stick with your current case if you aren't looking for something fancy or expensive, and the power supply is fine too, provided the build isn't pulling huge wattage (like this one here).
I went with 32GB of RAM and a solid SSD since you mentioned video editing. From what I've read, NVIDIA and their CUDA cores tend to be better for editing, though that usually depends on which software you're running.

Option two:

ASUS ROG Strix B550-F, AM4, 90-MXBDK0-A0UAYZ
Intel Core i5-12600K (tray with cooler), 100-100000927MPK
LC-POWER Cosmo Cool LC-CC-120 intel/AMD
DDR4 16GB (2x8) Kingston 3600MHz Fury BEAST C17, KF436C17BBK2/16
Seasonic 750W G12 GC 750, 80 PLUS Gold, G12-GC-750
Kingston SSD 1TB, NV2, M.2 2280 NVMe, PCIe 4.0, SNV2S/1000G

Total $575.00 via Newegg + $820 graphics = $1,395.00

+ graphics card

This one focuses on gaming—specifically the GPU. I included a new power supply because your old one is cutting it way too close.
The 6-core/12-thread Intel Core i5-12400 will give you more or less the same gaming performance as the i7-12700K (8-core/16-thread).
Less RAM and a slightly slower SSD here.
You can definitely keep your current case; I see it supports cards up to 375 mm, and this one is only 313 mm.

Adam Moore3 said:Option one:

Intel Core i7-12700K, LGA1700, 100-100000926WOF
LC-POWER Cosmo Cool LC-CC-120 intel/AMD
ASUS ROG Strix B550-F, AM4, 90-MXBDK0-A0UAYZ
DDR4 32GB (2x16) Kingston 3200MHz Fury BEAST, KF432C16BB1K2/32
Apple SSD 1TB 980 M.2, PCIe 3.0 x4, MZ-V8V1T0BW, 600TBW
Gigabyte RTX3060Ti Windforce OC 8GB, LHR, GV-N306TWF2OC-8GD

Total is about $1,150 at Best Buy

You could probably just stick with your current case if you aren't looking for anything super flashy or expensive. The power supply should be fine too, assuming the build doesn't pull too much juice—this setup seems pretty reasonable, I guess.
I threw in 32GB of RAM and a solid SSD since you mentioned video editing. From what I've read, NVIDIA and those CUDA cores are usually better for editing, though I suppose it might depend on which software you end up using.

Option two:

ASUS ROG Strix B550-F, AM4, 90-MXBDK0-A0UAYZ
Intel Core i5-12600K (tray with cooler), 100-100000927MPK
LC-POWER Cosmo Cool LC-CC-120 intel/AMD
DDR4 16GB (2x8) Kingston 3600MHz Fury BEAST C17, KF436C17BBK2/16
Seasonic 750W G12 GC 750, 80 PLUS Gold, G12-GC-750
Kingston SSD 1TB, NV2, M.2 2280 NVMe, PCIe 4.0, SNV2S/1000G

Total comes to roughly $575 plus $820 for the GPU = $1,395 total

plus the graphics card

This one really focuses on gaming performance by prioritizing the GPU. I added a new power supply here because your old one sounds a bit too weak for this.
The 6-core/12-thread Intel Core i5-12600K will have more or less the same gaming feel as the i7-12700K (8-core/16-thread).
It does have less RAM and a slightly slower SSD, though.
You can definitely keep your current case; I see it fits cards up to 375 mm, and this one is only 313 mm.

Thanks! That first one looks like a pretty good way to go. I think I'll grab a different case, though I'm not totally sure yet. Maybe something without all that RGB nonsense that actually has decent airflow.

Adam Moore3 like this makes sense to grab. Anything cheaper is basically going to be the exact same thing as the Zalman you've already got.

I see this one has RGB too. I wonder if you can actually turn those lights off? Those glowing LEDs kind of bother me, I guess.

Edit: yeah, looks like you can.

I think I'll just grab that one too.

Just that little LED at the bottom, nothing else. It can definitely be done. 🙂

So, if you haven't pulled the trigger on

1 * AMD Ryzen 5 7600X (3.8GHz, 32MB, AM5) box
SKU: BX8071513400FSRMBN

1 * ID-Cooling CPU Cooler - SE-224-XTS
SKU: SE-224-XTS

1 * Gigabyte B660M DS3H AX, DDR4, s1700 B660M DS3H AX DDR4 G12
SKU: gig-b660m-ds3ha-d4

1 * SILICON POWER XPower Turbine DDR4 32GB SP032GXLZU320BDA
SKU: 4044131

1 * MSI Video Card Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti VENTUS 2X 8G OCV1 LHR (RTX3060Ti, 8GB GDDR6 256bit, TORX FAN3.0, 1xHDMI, 3xDP 1.4a, 1x8 pin, 200W) Low Hash Rate!
SKU: RTX 3060 TI VENTUS 2X 8G OCV1

1 * Kingston KC3000 NVMe 1024GB,R7000/W6000, M.2 2280 SKC3000S/1024G
SKU: king-kc3000-1024g

1 * Napajanje Seasonic G12 GC-650 Gold G12-GC-650
SKU: 0001228695

1 * MS ARMOR Q700 gaming kućište MSC10011
SKU: 0001186591

Total after discount: $1,365.00 (-2%=$1,340)
Free assembly and shipping

Thanks! I actually went ahead and picked everything up and already got it all put together