The deep valley of tears for gamblers seems to be over. Since the summer of 2022, the prices of processors and graphics cards have been moving back into regions that normal earners can at least get a taste of. Reason enough to take a closer look at the hardware market.
If you still have enough money for your favorite hobby despite inflation and rising energy costs, you should look around for an upgrade in winter 2022/23. But with a little care, because AMD, Intel and Nvidia have announced new processors and graphics cards for the fourth quarter. Accordingly, the previous generations of hardware – if available – should fall in price.
Dreaming is of course always allowed, but because it would be too easy to just pick out the fillet pieces, the subsequent gaming setup should be subject to certain restrictions. The computer should support 4K gaming, be able to display all titles smoothly for at least the next three years and cost no more than 3500 euros (without peripherals). Sounds like a lot and it is. Still, it’s a realistic price for the hardware on October 10, 2022.
For the processor, we rely on the Intel Core i9 12900KF. The gaming crown was taken away from it by the Ryzen 9 7950X, but both processors are priced a sporty 220 euros apart. The Intel processor thus offers a significantly better price-performance ratio. With the architecture of performance and efficiency cores, Intel has achieved a magnificent feat with its processors. The hybrid structure of the processor ensures strong gaming performance, even though everyday tasks are carried out in an energy-efficient manner. Eight of the P and E cores each do their job in the Intel Core i9 12900K. However, not all cores offer hyperthreading, which is why the somewhat crooked number of 24 threads comes about.
The Intel Core i9 12900K generates a lot of heat during its work, which a cooler has to dissipate. If you want to overclock the processor, you should think about a water cooler. For normal users, however, a powerful air cooler is sufficient. The Noctua NH-D15 is one of the best of its kind. A weaker air cooler is not recommended for the processor.
For the mainboard we choose the Asus ROG STRIX Z690-E Gaming-WIFI. It offers everything gamers need. These include two slots for M.2 SSDs, Wifi 6, four DDR-5 RAM slots, PCIe 5.0 and a 2.5 Gb Ethernet socket.
In addition to the processor, the heart of every gaming computer is the graphics card. After a deep vale of tears caused by scrapers and miners and Corona supply bottlenecks, prices are slowly returning to normal in autumn 2022. Accordingly, it may well be an Nvidia RTX 3090. It costs around 1200 euros and currently only one RTX 3090 Ti is faster. Attention is required because Nvidia will present its new generation of graphics cards on October 12th. Accordingly, the “old” should fall in price.
32 gigabytes of RAM are easily enough for gamers. Gamers can’t go wrong with the Corsair DIMM 32 GB DDR5-5600 kit.
Because the mainboard uses two M.2 SSDs and PCIe 5.0, we naturally rely on the fast bolts for the internal storage. 1 terabyte of storage space will still be enough for most gamers in 2022. The Samsung 980 PRO SSD offers a read speed of 7000 megabytes per second and a write speed of 5000 megabytes per second. Long loading times are a thing of the past.
Such a powerful computer consumes a lot of electricity under full load. The power supply should be correspondingly strong. But that’s not all: A modular power supply unit makes installation much easier and is now the standard for premium models. The beQuit! DarkPower Pro 12 with 1200 watts of power offers all this and is therefore ideal for the gaming PC setup.
The question still arises as to which case the computer can be wrapped in. Theoretically, this is up to your taste. If you insist on RGB fans, you should say goodbye to the Fractal Design Torrent Black TG Light Tint. This impresses more with sobriety and a reasonable draft in the housing. This is also badly needed, because the graphics card and processor generate a lot of waste heat that needs to be carried out of the case. The case contains two fans in the front that suck in fresh air. It is advisable to install a fan in the back of the case to blow the air out.
The best calculator in the world is useless if the mouse on it is for the cat. That’s why every gaming PC setup naturally includes the right peripherals. Which that is, however, all too often depends on the sensitivities of the gamers and which games they play. A shooter player has different needs from a mouse than a strategist or MMO player. If you are still looking for some inspiration, read on.
A reasonable all-rounder among gaming mice is undoubtedly the Logitech G502 Hero. The resistance of your mouse wheel can be adjusted, the eleven buttons are freely configurable and there are enough for MMO and strategy players. Shooter gamers are happy about the five weights and a fast sensor. The speed of the mouse can be adjusted between 100 and 16,000 DPI. Unfortunately, the mouse is only intended for right-handers.
Few things are more annoying than moving or getting stuck on the mouse pad while gaming. An XXL mouse pad prevents that. The Logitech G840 XL is big enough to accommodate a keyboard and mouse.
It’s almost as annoying when the mouse cable gets tangled and restricts the range of motion. Exactly for this there are so-called mouse bungees, in which the cable can be clamped.
As far as the keyboard is concerned, gamers naturally rely on mechanical models. They are significantly more durable than keyboards that work with silicone pads. In addition, mechanical keyboards avoid double keystrokes. Manufacturer Cherry has always equipped mechanical keyboards with its switches. Gamers can therefore safely reach for the Cherry MX board.
A decent headset is essential, especially in shooters. One treacherous step too far from the opponent reveals their position. And that’s exactly what the beyerdynamic mmx 300 does particularly well with its surround sound, according to the manufacturer.
The same applies to the screen as to the mouse. There is no right or wrong. Shooter players rely on brisk TN panels with the highest possible refresh rate. 144 hertz is enough for normal gamers. Many of them now appreciate ultrawide monitors with an aspect ratio of 32 to 9. A real premium monitor among them is the Samsung Odyssey G9 C49G94TSSR. Its screen extends over 49 inches (128 centimetres). Its refresh rate is a maximum of 240 Hertz with a brisk response time of 1 millisecond according to the manufacturer. More is not possible.
Let’s be honest: a normal desk will do. What distinguishes it from the gaming table? Well, the Acer Predator offers conveniences like an integrated cup holder. And that is quite practical when gamers get a little more upset and the table gets heated up. The model also offers a headset holder.
The same applies to the chair as to the table: A proven gaming chair is by no means necessary. A reasonable office chair (office chairs Stiftung Warentest 2022) will do the trick. Designated gaming chairs usually offer a high level of seating comfort and lumbar support. Not bad for older gamers, but it should scare off the gaming design a bit.
As of October 11, 2022 (date of publication of the article), gamers should be patient before they strike. The deadline for AMD enthusiasts is November 3, when the Radeon 7000 graphics cards are expected to hit the market. In cooperation with the Ryzen 7000 processors, they squeeze the last bit of performance out of the computer thanks to the “Smart Access Memory” symbiosis technology.
Intel and Nvidia fans need less patience. The 13th generation Intel processors (codename Raptor Lake) are expected to be commercially available from October 20th. Saving foxes then squint at the previous generation called Alder Lake, with which Intel achieved a real feat. Thanks to efficiency and performance cores, the processors offer impressive gaming performance, but handle everyday tasks in an energy-efficient manner.
Of course, the new Raptor Lake processors (13th generation) retain this hybrid architecture. The question of which top processor is allowed to put on the gaming crown will be exciting. Until the release of the AMD Ryzen 7950X, the Intel Core 19 12900K reigned supreme with the most frames per second. And the Ryzen 7950X couldn’t really crush the Intel processor either. Even a year after its release, the Core i9 12900K is a veritable gaming CPU for the next four to five years. With a little patience, you can get hold of it a little cheaper when its successor comes onto the market.
It also gets exciting with the graphics cards, although experience has shown that Nvidia usually offers the best performance and AMD offers a more solid price-performance ratio. However, it is doubtful whether the tickets will sell out as quickly as their predecessors. Crypto miners and scrapers in particular bought the market empty.
With energy costs rising worldwide, the business of crypto mining should no longer be so lucrative, mainly because one of the most popular coins (Ethereum) has switched its system from Proof of Work (graphics card calculates) to Proof of Stake (majority decides). With the high inflation, the business of scrapers can also be doubted.
As a reminder: They bought graphics cards with the help of bots (software programs) and then resold them themselves at exorbitant prices. It is doubtful that many people are very keen to spend their money on new and overpriced luxury goods. Especially when the “old” luxury goods still display the old favorite games wonderfully on the screen. So the chances are (from the author’s point of view) not so bad to get a new graphics card at the RRP or one of the previous generation at a reduced price.
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