Finally getting back to this after having
to take a few weeks off to deal with all
the yearend paperwork.

Anyway, based on the comments from the
previous two rounds and some more recent
research, I think I've boiled it down to:

CPU: Intel Core i5 12600K
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 (maybe NH-D15S?)
Motherboard: Asus Prime P-790Z WiFi D4
RAM: Crucial 2x16Gb DDR4-3200 CT2K16G4DFRA32A
Storage: WD SN850X nvME M.2 PCIe4.0 1TB SSD
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-S182D DVD/CD writer
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling FireStorm 750

I'm still slogging through the Noctua case
compatibility chart to try to find a case
that fits the NH-D15 (which is eliminating
several cases I otherwise like) and has an
open 5.25 front bay for the optical drive
(most don't). Cooler Master HAF XB EVO is
intriguing but I'm not sure I want or can
have that big a footprint unless it's
holding the monitor (which this doesn't).

The optical drive is being brought over
from my still-functional 2006 XP machine
which I'm keeping for media content usage
where it would be replaced with an Asus
BW-16D1HT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD writer (unless
anyone has a better recommendation) so I
can read Blu-Ray audio discs for which I
don't have other playback equipment as
well as CDs and DVDs as needed. (Probably
will also have to finally bite the bullet
and move that system up to Windows 7.)

I'll start out using the onboard MB sound
and CPU video chips instead of dedicated
cards at this point; will move to the
latter if ever deemed necessary. Still
might toss in the US Robotics USR5638
since no expansion slots are being used
for other cards (yet), just to have.

So, anyone see any problems with this as a
Windows 10* machine focused on productivity
(WordPerfect Office 2021 and MS Office 2003)
and related internet use (e-mail and web
searching), not a home theatre video
streamer or gaming machine)? (*The more I
read about Win11 the less I want to use it
if Win10 can do the job.) Thanks.

On 1/5/2023 12:18 PM, David Samuel Barr wrote:
> Finally getting back to this after having
> to take a few weeks off to deal with all
> the yearend paperwork.
>
> Anyway, based on the comments from the
> previous two rounds and some more recent
> research, I think I've boiled it down to:
>
> CPU: Intel Core i5 12600K
> CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 (maybe NH-D15S?)
> Motherboard: Asus Prime P-790Z WiFi D4
> RAM: Crucial 2x16Gb DDR4-3200 CT2K16G4DFRA32A
> Storage: WD SN850X nvME M.2 PCIe4.0 1TB SSD
> Optical Drive: Samsung SH-S182D DVD/CD writer
> Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling FireStorm 750
>
> I'm still slogging through the Noctua case
> compatibility chart to try to find a case
> that fits the NH-D15 (which is eliminating
> several cases I otherwise like) and has an
> open 5.25 front bay for the optical drive
> (most don't).  Cooler Master HAF XB EVO is
> intriguing but I'm not sure I want or can
> have that big a footprint unless it's
> holding the monitor (which this doesn't).
>
> The optical drive is being brought over
> from my still-functional 2006 XP machine
> which I'm keeping for media content usage
> where it would be replaced with an Asus
> BW-16D1HT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD writer (unless
> anyone has a better recommendation) so I
> can read Blu-Ray audio discs for which I
> don't have other playback equipment as
> well as CDs and DVDs as needed.  (Probably
> will also have to finally bite the bullet
> and move that system up to Windows 7.)
>
> I'll start out using the onboard MB sound
> and CPU video chips instead of dedicated
> cards at this point; will move to the
> latter if ever deemed necessary.  Still
> might toss in the US Robotics USR5638
> since no expansion slots are being used
> for other cards (yet), just to have.
>
> So, anyone see any problems with this as a
> Windows 10* machine focused on productivity
> (WordPerfect Office 2021 and MS Office 2003)
> and related internet use (e-mail and web
> searching), not a home theatre video
> streamer or gaming machine)?  (*The more I
> read about Win11 the less I want to use it
> if Win10 can do the job.)  Thanks.

https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus

12600K 125W base, 150W turbo (from ark.intel.com)

https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/Intel-Core-i5-12600K-1581

The ones with three green panes are "full turbo".
(Click the icon, for the title string of the icon)

In any case, you might look through the results, for
something that better fits your favorite computer case.
I'm having just a bit of a problem, understanding the
Noctua rating system.

For Noctua fans which are "underneath" the fin area, those
are pull fans, and pull cooling isn't quite as good as
push cooling. Yet, with push cooling, the assembly can be
taller (bump into the door).

The horizontal fans, the push fan may be doing more of the
work than the middle fan (which is both pushing and pulling).
But given the arrestance and long air path of two fin assemblies,
I suppose both have a purpose. You may find a D15 runs just
fine with just the middle fan. I run a 156W processor with
just the middle fan.

But some of the Noctua fans are at the weight limit for
side torque, and when a desktop is upright and the
cooler is pulling down, that isn't really all that
good for the motherboard. (The same applies to some
of those ridiculous video cards, which has caused
motherboard companies to reinforce the PCI slot with metal.)

Personally, I like coolers that list a theta_R value
(thermal resistance in degreesC per watt), as that makes
it a bit easier to work out the prospective temperature
rise at a given power input.

As for expansion slots, they are various flavors of PCI Express,
and I doubt really old kit will fit in those.

And you don't have a lot of USB on the I/O plate, so you may
end up connecting to some of the USB headers on the motherboard.

Paul

On 1/5/2023 1:17 PM, Paul wrote:
> On 1/5/2023 12:18 PM, David Samuel Barr wrote:
>> Finally getting back to this after having
>> to take a few weeks off to deal with all
>> the yearend paperwork.
>>
>> Anyway, based on the comments from the
>> previous two rounds and some more recent
>> research, I think I've boiled it down to:
>>
>> CPU: Intel Core i5 12600K
>> CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 (maybe NH-D15S?)
>> Motherboard: Asus Prime P-790Z WiFi D4
>> RAM: Crucial 2x16Gb DDR4-3200 CT2K16G4DFRA32A
>> Storage: WD SN850X nvME M.2 PCIe4.0 1TB SSD
>> Optical Drive: Samsung SH-S182D DVD/CD writer
>> Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling FireStorm 750
>>
>> I'm still slogging through the Noctua case
>> compatibility chart to try to find a case
>> that fits the NH-D15 (which is eliminating
>> several cases I otherwise like) and has an
>> open 5.25 front bay for the optical drive
>> (most don't).  Cooler Master HAF XB EVO is
>> intriguing but I'm not sure I want or can
>> have that big a footprint unless it's
>> holding the monitor (which this doesn't).
>>
>> The optical drive is being brought over
>> from my still-functional 2006 XP machine
>> which I'm keeping for media content usage
>> where it would be replaced with an Asus
>> BW-16D1HT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD writer (unless
>> anyone has a better recommendation) so I
>> can read Blu-Ray audio discs for which I
>> don't have other playback equipment as
>> well as CDs and DVDs as needed.  (Probably
>> will also have to finally bite the bullet
>> and move that system up to Windows 7.)
>>
>> I'll start out using the onboard MB sound
>> and CPU video chips instead of dedicated
>> cards at this point; will move to the
>> latter if ever deemed necessary.  Still
>> might toss in the US Robotics USR5638
>> since no expansion slots are being used
>> for other cards (yet), just to have.
>>
>> So, anyone see any problems with this as a
>> Windows 10* machine focused on productivity
>> (WordPerfect Office 2021 and MS Office 2003)
>> and related internet use (e-mail and web
>> searching), not a home theatre video
>> streamer or gaming machine)?  (*The more I
>> read about Win11 the less I want to use it
>> if Win10 can do the job.)  Thanks.
>
> https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus
>
> 12600K   125W base, 150W turbo   (from ark.intel.com)
>
> https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/Intel-Core-i5-12600K-1581
>
>    The ones with three green panes are "full turbo".
>    (Click the icon, for the title string of the icon)
>
> In any case, you might look through the results, for
> something that better fits your favorite computer case.
> I'm having just a bit of a problem, understanding the
> Noctua rating system.
>
> For Noctua fans which are "underneath" the fin area, those
> are pull fans, and pull cooling isn't quite as good as
> push cooling. Yet, with push cooling, the assembly can be
> taller (bump into the door).
>
> The horizontal fans, the push fan may be doing more of the
> work than the middle fan (which is both pushing and pulling).
> But given the arrestance and long air path of two fin assemblies,
> I suppose both have a purpose. You may find a D15 runs just
> fine with just the middle fan. I run a 156W processor with
> just the middle fan.
>
> But some of the Noctua fans are at the weight limit for
> side torque, and when a desktop is upright and the
> cooler is pulling down, that isn't really all that
> good for the motherboard. (The same applies to some
> of those ridiculous video cards, which has caused
> motherboard companies to reinforce the PCI slot with metal.)
>
> Personally, I like coolers that list a theta_R value
> (thermal resistance in degreesC per watt), as that makes
> it a bit easier to work out the prospective temperature
> rise at a given power input.

Since this is the first time I've had to look into an
aftermarket cooler (up until now I've always just used
whatever came with the CPU, figuring that Intel knew
what was needed to keep it cool and so supplied same)
I started out by checking the many "best cooler for
i5 12600K" online articles, forum threads and YouTubes
and that's what pointed me to the Noctua NH-15D, which
was at or near the top of every list I found. From
there I went to the Noctua website and found their
various compatibility charts, checking the ones for
each category to see how the 15D worked with the rest
of my planned system. It passed the motherboard check
and it was at the top of the CPU list, based on Noctua's
own NSRP rating of effectiveness, though according to
that same list most of their coolers are compatible with
this CPU to some degree. The problem came with finding
a case that would hold the 15D, and plowing through the
list of dozens of case manufacturers and checking out
the few which were said to fit the 15D, though upon
going to each one finding most didn't suit my needs (e.g.
no external 5.25 bay opening). Even though I didn't
address it in my post above, one thing that already
concerned me before you mentioned it here is that the
15D's weight and torque put a lot of stress on an MB
that's mounted vertically, one reason the horizontal
HAF XB EVO was intriguing, though footprint limitations
make it and other horizontal cases I found impractical.

But taking another look at the CPU compatibility chart
per your suggestion I found that the NH-U12A is in
second place, only a few NSRP points lower than the D15
(and higher than the D15S), and, again hitting the web
for reviews, forums and YouTubes of that model itself
and in comparison to the D15, it mostly stacks up well,
with many users saying it's the better choice. Another
advantage is that it's not quite as big as the D15, and
as a result it fits in a lot more cases, including, I
happily discovered, the Cooler Master N400 which had
been my original choice until I found that despite the
stated specs a YouTube review demonstrated that it
wouldn't in fact hold the radiator for the AIO liquid
cooler I was first thinking about before you and others
said I'd be better off with a good air cooler (nor does
it hold the D15). The N400 comes with two case fans
and supposedly I can add up to another six although I
see only three fan power headers on the MB so it looks
like I'll have to figure out where best to locate the
only one I actually can add.

> As for expansion slots, they are various flavors of PCI Express,
> and I doubt really old kit will fit in those.

We figured out in the 3.0 comments round that I wouldn't
be able to bring any cards over from my current MB except
the PCIe video card and so it made more sense to leave
that computer intact for my music & media uses and build
this one as a separate productivity one which shouldn't
need separate video or sound cards beyond the onboard CPU
and MB chips respectively for each function (and if it
does at a future point I'd buy suitable new ones). As it
is I think I'm going to need an IDE/SATA adaptor to bring
over the CD/DVD drive since there's no EIDE connection on
the new MB.

> And you don't have a lot of USB on the I/O plate, so you may
> end up connecting to some of the USB headers on the motherboard.
>
>    Paul

There are seven USB-A connectors on the back I/O panel
and I think I would need at most three or four of those
for peripherals, and four connectors on the N400 case
front will handle the one or two USB drives I'd need at
any one time.

So unless there's anything I've missed that needs fixing,
I think we've finally nailed this down to what's shown
below. Once again, thanks for all your invaluable help.

CPU: Intel Core i5 12600K
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12A
Motherboard: Asus Prime P-790Z WiFi D4
RAM: Crucial 2x16Gb Kit DDR4-3200 CT2K16G4DFRA32A
Storage: WD SN850X nvME M.2 PCIe4.0 1TB SSD
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-S182D DVD/CD writer
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling FireStorm 750
Case: Cooler Master N400