Maximum PC - USA (2022-04)

CPU

INTEL

CORE

I5-

RRP: $

GPU

GIGABYTE GEFORCE RTX 3050 GAMING OC 8GB

RRP: $379.99 / STREET PRICE: $559.

CPU COOLER

NOCTUA NH-U12S REDUX

RRP: $

This six-core chip is

an interesting pickup

for around $200. Unlike

the beastly i9-12900k

we featured in a recent

rig, this chip doesn’t follow

the same hybrid efficient

architecture and all of its

cores are performance-focused.

However it does have 12 threads and a max

turbo frequency of 4.40 GHz, but where this

shines is in its overclocking performance.

Unfortunately, we won’t be benching this with

the added benefit of overclocking, but it’s some

peace of mind. Right now, it is one of the best

budget CPUs out there and, considering it’s the

12th generation in Intel’s lineup, it should be

pretty good for future-proofing and a great brain

for our setup. intel.com

The RTX 3050 is the entry point for

the 30 series but that shouldn’t be

seen in a negative light. This Gigabyte

Gaming OC model packs slightly

higher clock speeds than non-OC

variants and with 8GB of GDDR6, it

should be more than enough to

play 1080p titles at high frame rates.

It should even be able to sneak into

QHD territory.

As one of the easiest 30 series

cards to get hold of, it’s a popular

card and we are excited to test it out

with our budget-end 12th-gen chip

behind the wheel. gigabyte.com

To keep things cool, we chose Noctua’s NH-U12S

Redux. This budget-friendly variant of the popular

NH-U12S has almost been around for a year and

at $50, it’s still a great option. Compared with the

standard NH-U12S, it has a different fan and one

fewer heat pipe than its bigger sibling. With LGA

compatibility for our

12th-gen processor

and enough

clearance for the

RAM, this was a

logical cooler.

We prefer the

gray-colored fan

to the standard

NH-U12S, so that’s

a bonus. noctua.at

$1300 12th-gen delight

18 MAXIMU MPCAPR 2022