Welcome to my September 2022 MSI, Intel, and AMD mid-range gaming system build and parts list. This build is a beauty and leaves a ton of expansion options for future upgrades.
The MSI MPG-z690-EDGE-WIFI-DDR4 motherboard has some impressive specs including support for 3 discreet graphics cards and AMD CrossFire, four blistering fast M.2 slots at PCIe 4.0 ×4 mode (RAID 0/1/5/10 capable), and up to 128GB RAM with a top OC speed of 5200MHz.
Budget for this build is $2600 to $2900.
Contents
- Motherboard: MSI MPG Z690 EDGE WIFI DDR4
- CPU: Intel Core i9-12900K Desktop Processor
- Cooler: MSI MAG CoreLiquid 240R V2
- RAM: Kingston Fury Renegade 32 GB (2 × 16 GB) X2
- GPU: XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT CORE
- System HDD: SAMSUNG 980 PRO SSD 2TB PCIe NVMe Gen 4
- Data HDD: SAMSUNG 870 EVO 4TB 2.5 Inch SATA III
- PSU: ASUS ROG STRIX 1000W Gold+ PSU
- Case: NZXT H510 Flow (Black or White)
- Customize
- Conclusion
- See Also
- Manufacturer Links
Motherboard: MSI MPG Z690 EDGE WIFI DDR4
One of MSI’s flagship gaming motherboards, the MSI MPG-z690-EDGE-WIFI-DDR4 motherboard is very high spec piece of hardware, and ready to handle overclocking to the extreme.
This motherboard uses an Intel LGA1700 CPU mount that supports Intel Core Gen 12 CPUs, has 3x PCIe slots with one supporting gen 5.0, and the other two at gen 3.0, support for 4x M.2 slots at PCIe 4.0 ×4 mode and RAID 0/1/5/10 capable. It has one HDMI port, and one DisplayPort both supporting 4k resolution at 60Hz (we’ll be installing a discreet AMD graphics card for this build though, but it’s handy to have extra displays).
Audio is from a Realtek ALC4080 codec chip with 7.1 High Definition Surround Sound with 3.5mm jacks and Optical S/PDIF output. Intel WIFI 6 supports MU-MIMO and up to 2.4Gbps throughput (Supports 802.11 a/ b/ g/ n/ ac/ ax), while the LAN runs on an Intel I225V 2.5Gbps chip. There is also Bluetooth 5.2 and USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) and USB 2.0 ports (onboard and headers).
Buy on Amazon ($260 approx.): MSI MPG Z690 EDGE WIFI DDR4
CPU: Intel Core i9-12900K Desktop Processor
Matching the incredible specs of the MSI motherboard, the Intel Core i9-12900K CPU (Alder Lake) has 16 physical cores, and up to 24 threads running at 5.2GHz boost, and a base clock of 3.2GHz, pulling 125 watts (up to 241 watts boost). It has Intel UHD Graphics 770 at 1550Mhz, supports DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.5, and OpenCL 3.0. It’s also unlocked, so you can overclock to your hearts content.
Buy on Amazon ($599 approx.): Intel Core i9-12900K Desktop Processor
Cooler: MSI MAG CoreLiquid 240R V2
The MSI MAG CoreLiquid 240R V2 perfectly suits this build as it supports Intel’s LGA1700 format, and the dual radiator can be roof-mounted or front-mounted inside the NZXT case. It has RGB lighting, split-flow radiator with integrated pump, rotatable blockhead, dual ARGB fans, and evaporation-proof tubing.
Buy on Amazon ($95 approx.): MSI MAG CoreLiquid 240R V2
RAM: Kingston Fury Renegade 32 GB (2 × 16 GB) X2
This is a kit of 2× 16GB modules, so you can either buy a single kit for 32GB RAM, or buy two kits for 64GB RAM, which is what I recommend to get the best out of this system. This RAM runs at 4600MHz CL19 with 17-17-17 timings so incredibly fast. Kingston are also an excellent memory manufacturer and offer a lifetime warranty.
Buy on Amazon ($270 approx.): Kingston Fury Renegade 32 GB (2 × 16 GB) X2
GPU: XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT CORE
The XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT CORE graphics card is truly a beast running on the PCIe 4.0 spec, with a base clock speed of 1825MHz, a boost clock at 2250MHz, and 16GB of GDDR6 with a 256bit memory bus, this GPU will handle the most intense gaming you can throw at it. It supports DirectX 12, real time DXR Raytracing, and can handle 4K Gaming with ease.
This GPU has 3x DisplayPort’s (v1.4 with DSC), and 1x HDMI port (2.1 VRR and FRL) for quad-monitor support.
Buy on Amazon ($660 approx.): XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT CORE Gaming Graphics Card
System HDD: SAMSUNG 980 PRO SSD 2TB PCIe NVMe Gen 4
The Samsung 980 Pro 2TB NVMe SSD is the fastest SSD in it’s class and specifically made for gaming, with an incredible 7,000Mbps throughput, and supports PCIe 4.0 ×4 mode. This unit is in the 2280 form factor and comes with a 5-year warranty.
Buy from Amazon ($238 approx.): SAMSUNG 980 PRO SSD 2TB
Data HDD: SAMSUNG 870 EVO 4TB 2.5 Inch SATA III
For the data hard drive, I’ve chosen the Samsung 870 EVO 4TB as it’s an excellent price/performance balance, and provides a fair amount of storage (if you’re wanting more customization options, check out the Customize section below). It has 560/530 MB/s sequential r/w speeds and runs on a SATAIII 6.0Gbps interface.
Buy on Amazon ($379 approx.): SAMSUNG 870 EVO 4TB 2.5 Inch SATA III
PSU: ASUS ROG STRIX 1000W Gold+ PSU
The ASUS ROG STRIX 1000w Gold+ PSU is a fully modular PSU with ball-bearing axial-fan, 0db silent technology, and comes with a full 10-year warranty. It also has 6x PCIe 2×6 pin connectors for multiple GPU’s and other equipment.
Buy on Amazon ($189 approx.): ASUS ROG STRIX 1000W Gold+ PSU
Case: NZXT H510 Flow (Black or White)
The NZXT H510 Flow Gaming case is a real stunner with a matte-black or white finish, tempered glass side panel, cable management system, and is water-cooling ready (for a dual radiator, you can mount on the roof or front panel). It has a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port on the front panel that matches up with the motherboard headers, and supports motherboards up to the full ATX standard. There is also a white version available.
- Buy on Amazon ($100 approx.): NZXT H510 Flow Black
- Buy on Amazon ($100 approx.): NZXT H510 Flow White
Customize
The MSI MPG Z690 Edge motherboard provides many options for customizing your rig, so I will go through some here.
M.2 NVMe RAID
The MSI MPG Z690 Edge motherboard has 4 (four) M.2 PCIe 4.0 ×4 mode slots available, one running directly from the CPU which is your system drive, and 3 running from the Intel Z690 chipset, which you can fill with NVMe drives of the same size, and create a software RAID-5 array, which gives the best data redundancy and speed. For the system drive, stick with the Samsung 980 Pro 2TB, and for the other three slots, I suggest 1TB to 2TB NVMe’s either Samsung 980 Pro, or for the budget minded, the Samsung EVO 970 Plus series.
Conclusion
I recommend installing Windows 11 for this build or alternatively, Windows 10. If you’re a Linux gamer, go for Ubuntu 22.04. If you have chosen to build this PC and need any building advice or alternative parts, let me know in the comments, or contact me on Socials/Email.
See Also
- All about Windows 11
- All About Windows 10
- How to install Ubuntu 20.04 Desktop
- Install Steam on Ubuntu Linux
Manufacturer Links
- MSI MPG Z690 EDGE WIFI DDR4 Motherboard
- Intel Core i9-12900K Desktop Processor
- MSI MAG CoreLiquid 240R V2
- Kingston FURY 32GB DDR4-4600 RAM
- XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT CORE
- SAMSUNG 980 PRO SSD 2TB PCIe NVMe Gen 4
- SAMSUNG 870 EVO 4TB 2.5 Inch SATA III
- ASUS ROG STRIX 1000W Gold+ PSU
- NZXT H510 Flow Case
Comments
Sunil #
Price of this pc
Richie Brereton #
Hi Sunil, so budget for this build is $2600 to $2900 USD. cheers, Rich
Comment