Advice for new PC build

[ownedbywuigi]

Lately, I've been eyeing on Intel's 11th/12th gen CPUs for my new PC build since they are going down in price + I have some DDR4 RAM on hand so the RAM won't be an issue.
Most of the specs will be the same (same GPU, OS, SSD), only changes are mobo, cooler, CPU and case (potentially PSU too)
I mainly want a computer that I can comfortably do a clean-build of UXP in like the 15 min range, and do multitasking without worries.

Do I change anything else in my (potential) new build?

[THX-1139]

Here's a site where you can build your new PC virtually, for compatibility and your choice of components.
It might make it easier for you (I used them for my last 2 builds)
https://pcpartpicker.com/

[Moonchild]

I think if you're getting a higher end 12th gen, you'd be well-set to clobber build any UXP application in about that time. No real need to change anything else, I think.

Doing that and combining it with giving it many (but not all) threads, you should be able to build and multitask without issue.
I don't know what e.g. a 12700 has in terms of exact cores/threads, but I'm currently using:

Code: Select all

mk_add_options MOZ_MAKE_FLAGS="-j14" 

on my 8 core, 16 thread AMD CPU, and it does perfectly fine.

[ownedbywuigi]

I think if you're getting a higher end 12th gen, you'd be well-set to clobber build any UXP application in about that time. No real need to change anything else, I think.

Doing that and combining it with giving it many (but not all) threads, you should be able to build and multitask without issue.
I don't know what e.g. a 12700 has in terms of exact cores/threads, but I'm currently using:

Code: Select all

mk_add_options MOZ_MAKE_FLAGS="-j14" 

on my 8 core, 16 thread AMD CPU, and it does perfectly fine.

Back when I still used a 7900X for building Dactyloidae (16c vm) I just removed every process that wasn't essential to mozbuild and/or windows and using -j16 I comfortably was able to compile UXP in ~8m (sometimes linking xul.dll took a while)

Code: Select all

# 16 jobs for 16 cores
mk_add_options MOZ_MAKE_FLAGS="-j16"

Those times are long over, and I'm considering a 10900K considering all the cores there are performance cores and not "efficiency cores" on the 12900K and up, and the 11900K removed some cores (10c20t down to 8c16t)

[Moonchild]

With my setup (5700X, 32 GB DDR4) and 14 parallel tasks (keeping 2 free for doing whatever else I want without feeling the compile), it only takes about 11'30 to do a clobber build, so I'm really not seeing why you'd need an i9, but eh, what do I know XD

[ownedbywuigi]

I'm really not seeing why you'd need an i9, but eh, what do I know XD

These are like 4yo processors, the price gap between a i7 and i9 of this generation is not that high (like £50 on the used market) esp compared to 13/14th gen

10700k - £149 (avg eBay UK)
10900k - £209 (avg eBay UK)

[Night Wing]

I'm not that tech savvy. But my needs, likes and wants are a lot different from a power user's point of view. For me, I wanted a mid tower computer case which had a lot of space to work in without skinning, scraping my fingers or getting bruised when I work on the inside. I also wanted a case which gave me maximum cooling with a very quiet rig. And I achieved everthing I was looking for.

The run of the mill business mid tower computer cases which come with HP, Dell and other computer manufacturers are just too small for my tastes to work inside of. So I took a page from the gaming computer users when it came to a mid tower gaming case.

I looked at a lot of mid tower gaming cases. To make this short, I settled on a Montech Air 903 Max since it came with four, 140 mm adjustable in speed system fans for cooling and a fan hub. Since I would do no gaming, I did not need a water cooled radiator. Just a good AMD graphics card.

Why did I choose a Montech. I looked all over YouTube and saw many builds for mid tower gaming towers. The one below caught my eye. It was for a Montech Air 902 Base. It comes with three, 140 mm adjustable in speed system fans, but no fan hub.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGmr4GrpKtY

But I found the Max version came with a "little more bang for the buck". So I searched for a YT video for a Max version and it is below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTUa0lhoJLQ

Again, to make this short my system's specifications are below where you can see a more detailed view of my specifications.

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 6.12.74+deb13+1-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 14.2.0 clocksource: tsc
    avail: hpet,acpi_pm parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.12.74+deb13+1-amd64
    root=UUID=<filter> ro quiet splash
  Desktop: Xfce v: 4.20.1 tk: Gtk v: 3.24.48 wm: xfwm4 v: 4.20.0 with: xfce4-panel tools:
    avail: xfce4-screensaver vt: 7 dm: LightDM v: 1.32.0 Distro: MX-25.1_x64 Infinity Nov 9 2025
    base: Debian GNU/Linux 13 (trixie)
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: Micro-Star model: MAG B660M MORTAR WIFI DDR4 (MS-7D42) v: 1.0
    serial: <superuser required> uuid: <superuser required> UEFI: American Megatrends LLC. v: 1.M0
    date: 04/17/2025
CPU:
  Info: model: 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700K bits: 64 type: MST AMCP arch: Alder Lake gen: core 12
    level: v3 note: check built: 2021+ process: Intel 7 (10nm ESF) family: 6 model-id: 0x97 (151)
    stepping: 2 microcode: 0x3D
  Topology: cpus: 1x dies: 1 clusters: 9 cores: 12 threads: 20 mt: 8 tpc: 2 st: 4 smt: enabled
    cache: L1: 1024 KiB desc: d-4x32 KiB, 8x48 KiB; i-8x32 KiB, 4x64 KiB L2: 12 MiB
    desc: 8x1.2 MiB, 1x2 MiB L3: 25 MiB desc: 1x25 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 800 min/max: 800/4900:5000:3800 scaling: driver: intel_pstate
    governor: powersave cores: 1: 800 2: 800 3: 800 4: 800 5: 800 6: 800 7: 800 8: 800 9: 800 10: 800
    11: 800 12: 800 13: 800 14: 800 15: 800 16: 800 17: 800 18: 800 19: 800 20: 800
    bogomips: 144383
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: indirect_target_selection status: Not affected
  Type: itlb_multihit status: Not affected
  Type: l1tf status: Not affected
  Type: mds status: Not affected
  Type: meltdown status: Not affected
  Type: mmio_stale_data status: Not affected
  Type: reg_file_data_sampling mitigation: Clear Register File
  Type: retbleed status: Not affected
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Enhanced / Automatic IBRS; IBPB: conditional; PBRSB-eIBRS: SW
    sequence; BHI: BHI_DIS_S
  Type: srbds status: Not affected
  Type: tsa status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
  Type: vmscape mitigation: IBPB before exit to userspace
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel AlderLake-S GT1 vendor: Micro-Star MSI driver: i915 v: kernel alternate: xe
    arch: Xe process: Intel 10nm built: 2020-21 ports: active: none empty: DP-1, DP-2, HDMI-A-1,
    HDMI-A-2, HDMI-A-3, HDMI-A-4 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:4680 class-ID: 0380
  Device-2: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Ellesmere [Radeon RX 470/480/570/570X/580/580X/590]
    vendor: XFX Pine driver: amdgpu v: kernel arch: GCN-4 code: Arctic Islands process: GF 14nm
    built: 2016-20 pcie: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 ports: active: HDMI-A-5 empty: DP-3, DP-4,
    DP-5, DVI-D-1 bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 1002:67df class-ID: 0300 temp: 44.0 C
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.16 compositor: xfwm4 v: 4.20.0 driver: X:
    loaded: amdgpu,modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: radeonsi gpu: amdgpu display-ID: :0.0
    screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 509x286mm (20.04x11.26") s-diag: 584mm (22.99")
  Monitor-1: HDMI-A-5 mapped: HDMI-A-4 model: ViewSonic VX3276-FHD serial: <filter> built: 2022
    res: mode: 1920x1080 hz: 60 scale: 100% (1) dpi: 70 gamma: 1.2 size: 698x393mm (27.48x15.47")
    diag: 801mm (31.5") ratio: 16:9 modes: max: 1920x1080 min: 720x400
  API: EGL v: 1.5 hw: drv: intel iris drv: amd radeonsi platforms: device: 0 drv: radeonsi
    device: 1 drv: iris device: 2 drv: swrast gbm: drv: kms_swrast surfaceless: drv: radeonsi x11:
    drv: radeonsi inactive: wayland
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 compat-v: 4.5 vendor: amd mesa v: 25.0.7-2 glx-v: 1.4 direct-render: yes
    renderer: AMD Radeon RX 580 Series (radeonsi polaris10 ACO DRM 3.61 6.12.74+deb13+1-amd64)
    device-ID: 1002:67df memory: 7.81 GiB unified: no
  API: Vulkan v: 1.4.309 layers: 3 device: 0 type: discrete-gpu name: AMD Radeon RX 580 Series
    (RADV POLARIS10) driver: mesa radv v: 25.0.7-2 device-ID: 1002:67df surfaces: xcb,xlib
    device: 1 type: integrated-gpu name: Intel UHD Graphics 770 (ADL-S GT1) driver: mesa intel
    v: 25.0.7-2 device-ID: 8086:4680 surfaces: xcb,xlib device: 2 type: cpu name: llvmpipe (LLVM
    19.1.7 256 bits) driver: mesa llvmpipe v: 25.0.7-2 (LLVM 19.1.7) device-ID: 10005:0000
    surfaces: xcb,xlib
  Info: Tools: api: eglinfo, glxinfo, vulkaninfo de: xfce4-display-settings x11: xdriinfo,
    xdpyinfo, xprop, xrandr
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Alder Lake-S HD Audio vendor: Micro-Star MSI driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
    alternate: snd_soc_avs,snd_sof_pci_intel_tgl bus-ID: 00:1f.3 chip-ID: 8086:7ad0 class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Ellesmere HDMI Audio [Radeon RX 470/480 /
    570/580/590] vendor: XFX Pine driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s
    lanes: 16 bus-ID: 01:00.1 chip-ID: 1002:aaf0 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.12.74+deb13+1-amd64 status: kernel-api tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.4.5 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse status: active
    2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin 4: pw-jack type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Alder Lake-S PCH CNVi WiFi driver: iwlwifi v: kernel modules: wl bus-ID: 00:14.3
    chip-ID: 8086:7af0 class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8125 2.5GbE vendor: Micro-Star MSI driver: r8169 v: kernel pcie: gen: 2
    speed: 5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: 4000 bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8125 class-ID: 0200
  IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
  Info: services: NetworkManager, nfsd, systemd-networkd, wpa_supplicant
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel AX201 Bluetooth driver: btusb v: 0.8 type: USB rev: 2.0 speed: 12 Mb/s lanes: 1
    mode: 1.1 bus-ID: 1-14:7 chip-ID: 8087:0026 class-ID: e001
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 1 state: up address: <filter> bt-v: 5.2 lmp-v: 11
    sub-v: 37c8 hci-v: 11 rev: 37c8 class-ID: 6c0104
  Info: acl-mtu: 1021:4 sco-mtu: 96:6 link-policy: rswitch sniff link-mode: peripheral accept
    service-classes: rendering, capturing, audio, telephony
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 912.89 GiB used: 21.43 GiB (2.3%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Samsung model: SSD 870 EVO 500GB size: 465.76 GiB
    block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s tech: SSD serial: <filter>
    fw-rev: 2B6Q scheme: GPT
  ID-2: /dev/sdb maj-min: 8:16 vendor: SanDisk model: SSD PLUS 480GB size: 447.13 GiB block-size:
    physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s tech: SSD serial: <filter> fw-rev: 04RL
    scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 446.88 GiB size: 438.79 GiB (98.19%) used: 21.42 GiB (4.9%) fs: ext4
    dev: /dev/sdb2 maj-min: 8:18
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 256 MiB size: 252 MiB (98.46%) used: 8.7 MiB (3.5%) fs: vfat
    dev: /dev/sdb1 maj-min: 8:17
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 15 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default) zswap: no
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 8 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2 file: /swap/swap
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 32.8 C mobo: N/A gpu: amdgpu temp: 43.0 C
  Fan Speeds (rpm): N/A gpu: amdgpu fan: 792
Repos:
  Packages: pm: dpkg pkgs: 2463 libs: 1310 tools: apt, apt-get, aptitude, nala, synaptic pm: rpm
    pkgs: 0 pm: flatpak pkgs: 0
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.sources
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ trixie main  contrib non-free non-free-firmware
    2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security/ trixie-security main  contrib non-free non-free-firmware
    3: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ trixie-updates  main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.sources
    1: deb https://mxrepo.com/mx/repo/ trixie main non-free
Info:
  Memory: total: 64 GiB available: 62.53 GiB used: 2.86 GiB (4.6%)
  Processes: 432 Power: uptime: 7h 2m states: freeze,mem,disk suspend: deep avail: s2idle
    wakeups: 2 hibernate: platform avail: shutdown, reboot, suspend, test_resume image: 24.96 GiB
    services: upowerd,xfce4-power-manager Init: systemd v: 257 default: graphical tool: systemctl
  Compilers: gcc: 14.2.0 Client: shell wrapper v: 5.2.37-release inxi: 3.3.38
Boot Mode: UEFI

I've been happy since this rig has met my needs, likes and wants. And below is a snapshot of my System Monitor.

[Mæstro]

Here would be an appropriate place to ask a question I have wondered about for years. How would one go about ‘building one’s own PC’ if, due to disability, one lacks (and is unable to gain) the fine motor control which would be necessary to assemble parts for oneself, and no friend lives geographically near enough to do it on one’s behalf?

[UCyborg]

I'm not sure what's going on with my computer, I'll see next week when I get a new power supply what still works or not, but I figured I'll keep usable working components.

I got from fails to resume from sleep to doesn't POST or it does (after unplugging one of the disks), but screen goes garbled few seconds after entering BIOS settings. So it's been powered off since. Could be that some core component is already toast at this point...

I'm quite behind on computer hardware. Presumably ATX is still ATX when it comes to fitting new motherboard in existing case? Unless I missed something, old case may only be problematic for newer more performant graphics cards that have grown in length. In old case, the full length is obstructed by HDD cage.

Though if it really comes to failure that may necessitate new motherboard, CPU, RAM, I may just use Raspberry Pi 5 for a while and worry about getting desktop working at some later point. Though it's Linux, which is not my favorite, it is what it is...

Here would be an appropriate place to ask a question I have wondered about for years. How would one go about ‘building one’s own PC’ if, due to disability, one lacks (and is unable to gain) the fine motor control which would be necessary to assemble parts for oneself, and no friend lives geographically near enough to do it on one’s behalf?

There should be some shops out there that let you select components and they assemble it. It's how I got my old desktop 17 years ago.

Though for my own know-how, I took it apart and ran it outside the case for a while, then put it back. Also replaced the CPU cooler at some point. The only step I didn't do on my own was putting CPU in its socket, I left it as it was, but that part isn't more complicated than other steps.

[ownedbywuigi]

Here would be an appropriate place to ask a question I have wondered about for years. How would one go about ‘building one’s own PC’ if, due to disability, one lacks (and is unable to gain) the fine motor control which would be necessary to assemble parts for oneself, and no friend lives geographically near enough to do it on one’s behalf?

If they’ve got some extra cash, maybe they can hire someone to build it for them? (person with disability picks the parts n shit, other guy builds it)