Welcome to our biggest round of updates for the main chart in several months!

There are some major CPU (and accompanying motherboard) updates that are coming to the guide, but in this changelog we’ll also list off some smaller changes that are on their way as well. All of these listed changes are either implemented or coming soon to all country versions of the chart.

Non-CPU Updates

• Changed 8GB RAM options to be 2x 4GB intead of 1x 8GB
• Added the reasonably priced EVGA CLC 280 and 360 water-cooling kits to replace the older options which have gone up to $250+
• Added 12TB HDD options in ‘Extremist’ and ‘Monstrous’ to replace the expensive/overpriced 8TB options
• Rechecked SSD performance numbers (gone up a bit vs. HDDs)
• Replaced 2TB 660p SSD with 2TB 8200 SSD. ~10% better performance, cheaper, and more available.
• Added multiple PSU alternatives to all tiers. These are not our best choices, but there is not much we can do about that when the usual choices are above $100. The newly listed options (with their possible issues in bold) include:

– Thermaltake Smart Series 430W (PS-SPD-0430NPCWUS-W) (white efficiency)
– SeaSonic S12G 550W (SSR-550RT) (old model)
– Corsair RM750x White 750W (CP-9020187) (new model with less reviews)
– EVGA 750 GA (220-GA-0750-X1) (new model with less reviews)
– EVGA 850G5 (220-G5-0850)  (new model with less reviews)
– Corsair RM850 (CP-9020196) (new model with less reviews)

CPU Updates

• Added the R3 3100 to ‘Entry’ and ‘Modest’
• Added the R3 3300x to ‘Modest’ and ‘Fair’
• Did not yet add B550 motherboards for the 3100/3300x. Prices for these mobos are too high, or they are completely out-of-stock. Once prices settle, we will add them. For now, we recommend B450 mobos with explicit support for 3100/3300x. It limits our choices, but out-of-box compatibility is precious to us.
• For the ‘Good’ tier, we say goodbye to the R5 2600X, and replace it with the R5 3600. With proper motherboards, of course. The 2600/X prices have gone up (or it is out-of-stock) and the 3600 prices are down.
• The ‘Great’ CPU gets upgraded from R5 3600 to R5 3600X.
• Added i5-10600K to ‘Excellent’ tier. This CPU has great gaming performance for its price.
• Added i7-10700K and i9-10900K to ‘Exceptional’ tier. The i7-10700K is the more logical choice, due to its price. The i9-10900K is only an alternative, due to its power consumption and price.
• Added new 1200-socket mobos for the new Intel CPUs in ‘Excellent’ and ‘Exceptional’
• For the ‘Excellent’ tier, changed the NH-U12S cooler from the U12S-AM4 version to the standard U12S version.

New CPUs Not Being Added

• i3 models (i3-10100 and i3-10300). These are not logically priced.
• i5-10500. May or may not add this one; we are still digesting reviews.

Now Working On

• GPUs and cases. Brace for another update sometime soon…