Building a new Desktop PC Computer in 2024

We are building own new Desktop PC Computer in 2024. Creating our perfect computer setup with Intel CPU, Gigabyte motherboard, GPU and water cooling

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, building your own new desktop computer in 2024 is an exciting endeavor. With significant advancements in hardware and software, enthusiasts and professionals alike have a wide range of options to tailor their new computers to their exact needs.  Whether you're a gamer seeking peak performance, a content creator demanding processing power, or a casual user looking for a reliable machine, the possibilities are endless when building your own PC. This is why we prefer to built our own computer, so we can get it exactly how we want it, and select and install quality parts.

Building a new Desktop PC Computer in 2024 Unboxing components for building new desktop pc computer in 2024
We decided that we wanted to build our New Desktop Computer around the Latest Generation Intel i7 14700K processor. This chip does run hot, so we are using a NZXT Kraken AIO Water Cooler to try and cool it. We have also installed a ThermalRight Contact Frame to secure the CPU to the motherboard. This is an alternative to using the standard spring loaded frame that comes with the motherboard. The  ThermalRight Contact Frame apparently helps to prevent the Intel CPU chip from bending and keeps the NZXT Kraken 280 AIO pump in better contact with the chip. We don't know how well this works, but it seems to get good reviews. 


Motherboard inside the case

Thermalright anti bending frame installed

One of the added advantages of using the NZXT Kraken 280 AIO Water Cooler is that it has an LCD  display on the pump unit. The LCD display can be viewed through the glass side of the NZXT H5 Flow Case that we are using for this computer build. The  NZXT Kraken 280 LCD screen cycles through a range of different screens, showing stats like the liquid temperature, load of both the CPU and GPU, and even the current time. Special NZXT software needs to be downloaded to get this to work. 

NZXT Kraken AIO and RGB fans installed

The case we installed was a NZXT H5 Black Flow RGB Mid Tower Case. This is a nice simple black case with a tinted black glass window in the side so you can see inside the computer. The case has  basic RGB functionality and comes with two large 140mm fans at the front, and two smaller 120mm black non RGB fans. These two smaller fans are located at the bottom front (intake fan), and at the top rear of the case (exhaust fan). Unfortunately none of  NZXT case fans are PWM fans, so they lack the control of PWM fans. 

Due to the  NZXT Kraken 280 radiator being 280mm long, the only place the radiator can be installed is at the front of the case. The Kraken fans also acts as an air intake fans for the case. So  the front RGB case fans that came with the case had to be moved to the top of the case, and they now act as exhaust fans.  We did also replace the two smaller 120mm NZXT fans with some RGB PWM fans that we already had. These add additional RGB lighting into the case. We wouldn't buy this case again as it doesn't allow a 360mm or larger AIO water cooler to be installed, which we think would be the better choice for cooling the i7 14700k CPU. That is why we were restricted to using a 280mm AIO cooler for this computer build. The NZXT website did say it could accommodate a 360 radiator, but it was a website error which was very annoying.

We decided to use a Gigabyte Z790 Motherboard because it offered a good range of features for the price. We have also had good experiences previously with the Gigabyte brand. So hopefully this new motherboard will be as reliable. The BIOS of the motherboard needed to be updated to run the  latest 14th generation Intel CPUs. So we did this update prior to installing  the CPU onto the motherboard, and prior to installing the motherboard in the case. We followed the instructions on the Gigabyte website for the BIOS update and the update process ran smoothly without any errors or problems. 

The Graphics Card (GPU) we chose is a Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060. This is not a high spec gaming graphics card as we don't plan to use this as a hard core gaming PC. But it should be adequate for content creation, and has the outputs to run three monitors, including our existing 4K monitor. It should also be adequate for some gaming if needed. The Intel i7 14700K processor does have integrated graphics, so along with the motherboard it is possible to run the PC without a separate graphics card. This could be handy if the Graphics Card ever fails.

For memory we selected the Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 Desktop RAM Kit . This filled two of the four slots on the motherboard. So we can upgrade the RAM in the future. We chose this RAM based on it being a brand we have used before, and it being relatively affordable for DDR5 RAM.

The computer build process was relatively straight forward and it powered on first time without any issues. We decided to install Windows 11 Pro on the new computer,  and this installed perfectly without any issues. Next we did all the Windows 11 updates. We then downloaded all of the drivers for the motherboard and graphics card from the Gigabyte website. The Gigabyte Control Centre software also allows us to control the RGB fans inside the case.

Completed 2024 Desktop Computer build with purple RGB Lighting

Cost of our new 2024 Desktop PC Computer build

The total cost of all the parts for this 2024  new computer build was less than $NZ 3000, excluding the extra SSD storage. This is around $US 1800. We ended up buying most of the parts from one retailer. Mainly because they seemed to have the best prices, but also because it allowed for a single shipping fee for the lot. The cost of labour to put together a computer with good cable management would have likely been in the multiple hundreds of dollars. But building the PC ourselves meant that installation was free. Doing it ourselves allowed us to spend more time and care doing it properly, where a computer shop can only budget a certain amount of time for the job. It also means that we know exactly how it it assembled, and makes it easier to swap out components in the future, as we have built it to enable this. This is one of the benefits of Desktop PCs over Laptops, you can easily switch out components.

Conclusion about our 2024 Desktop PC Computer build

We think the end result looks fantastic with the purple glow and the LCD display of the NZXT Kraken 280 AIO Water Cooler through the tinted black side window of the case. It is a relatively subtle effect, without all the bright and colourful RGB computers you see these days. Hopefully the computer will last for many years. Read below for the full list of components we have used, and links to those products.


NZXT Kraken AIO installed

List of components used in our 2024 Desktop PC Computer Build

Below is the full list of components that used for building our new 2024 Desktop Computer. We have also included the links where you can buy or read the specs of each of these components on the Amazon USA website. These are affiliate links, so we may earn small commission if you click and purchase from Amazon using the links, however it won't cost you as the buyer any extra by using our links. 

PC Case

NZXT H5 Black Flow RGB Mid Tower Case
Buy at https://amzn.to/3TnYwlb  

CPU

Intel Core i7 14700K CPU
Buy at https://amzn.to/48CZe29

CPU Cooler 

NZXT Kraken 280 AIO with 1.54 inch square LCD Display, for Intel Socket LGA 1700
Buy at https://amzn.to/4c5R0Ta

Contact Frame

ThermalRight Contact Frame
Buy at https://amzn.to/4cqi9kb

Motherboard

Gigabyte Z790 GAMING X AX ATX Motherboard Socket LGA1700
Buy at https://amzn.to/3uPb1gd

Memory  

Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 Desktop RAM Kit - 2x 16GB - 5600Mhz - CL40 - Intel XMP
Buy at https://amzn.to/48EI04x

Graphics Card

Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 WINDFORCE OC 8GB GDDR6 Graphics Card
Buy at https://amzn.to/3wGO1k1

SSD for Operating System

Samsung 980 Pro 1TB NVMe Internal SSD
Buy at https://amzn.to/3uX2dF2

SSDs for Storage

Lexar NM790 2TB M.2 NVMe Internal SSD
Buy at https://amzn.to/3TlXO80

Power Supply

Cooler Master MWE Bronze V2 750W Power Supply
Buy at https://amzn.to/3wFwBnZ

Operating System

Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 64-bit OEM
Buy at https://amzn.to/4c4SuwS


We don't guarantee that all these parts listed above will be compatible with each other for your application.  This article is for entertainment purposes only. . We would suggest visiting the various manufacturers websites to make sure all parts you are ordering are compatible with one another. Also that the case is large enough for the parts you select.  You can use tools such as pcpartpicker.com which will allow you to pick components and check compatibility, and build your new PC online. 


Please note that this page does include links to Amazon products. We may earn a small percentage commission if you purchase products using these Amazon links. Please note that we take no responsibility for the accuracy of information or availability of products on this page, as Amazon products are regularly updated on the Amazon website. Any purchase contracts you enter into from links on this page, are between you and Amazon, as are any warranty issues , deliveries or returns. This site solely provides website links to the products for your convenience. We have no connection with Amazon, nor are we selling any of these products ourselves or on behalf of Amazon. Our links simply redirect you to the relevant product page on the Amazon website. Prices on the Amazon website are usually in US Dollars. We don't guarantee that Amazons prices will be the lowest that you may find these products sold for. Things like exchange rate and pricing changes can affect the price Amazon may charge you. We also don't provide any guarantees over purchases and delivery via NZ Post YouShop, and we have no affiliation with NZ Post YouShop. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Any purchases you make from Amazon maybe subject to additional import duties, GST and other fees. You can find out by contacting NZ Customs.








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