The i9-12900KS is now among us, and it computes its way across the land like a fearsome giant. Until the next generation of chips releases in the (not-too-distant) future, this is the best CPU for gaming that is available.

It is also a CPU with a massive power draw and large thermal requirements . . . but fear not! If you are considering the route offered by this beefy component, you don’t have to walk the path alone. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at how to build an absurdly powerful top-tier gaming system with the 12900KS—all while maintaining system balance and even room for upgrades (many years down the line, when an “upgrade” might once again become possible for this system in a really noteworthy way).
 

CPU: i9-12900KS

The star of the show, the i9-12900KS manages to have the same 16 cores and 24 threads as its sibling the i9-12900K . . . while also providing a whopping 5.5 GHz native max speed. The high core count means this PC would be equally well-suited to workstation or battlestation tasks; but that insanely high top speed is what will make it an extremely capable companion for gaming.

The only concession here toward keeping temps and power bills under control is that half of the cores are Intel’s new variety of ‘efficient’ cores, with lower clock speeds and no multithreading. That should be no issue for this system whatsoever, though, as even the 8 performance cores (and their 16 threads) would be more than enough for any and all available games. With a 150 Watt TDP and a mountain of potential, now it’s just a matter of picking out parts that can support the 12900KS in all you might want to do with it.

 

GPU: EVGA RTX 3090 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming

If we’re putting together a system with the best currently available CPU for gaming, it goes without saying that we should pair it with the best currently available GPU for gaming. That’s exactly what the 3090 Ti is, and this big ol’ triple-fan configuration will do its best to keep the temperatures under control while pumping out the frames. A graphics card befitting of the right hand of the 12900KS.

 

Motherboard: MSI MAG Z690 Tomahawk Wifi

Sporting native wifi compatibility and all the ports you’ll need, this board will be the canvas on which you’ll create this amazing machine. Technically, this mobo supports overclocking of the CPU . . . but with the out-of-the-box temperatures and power levels involved with using the i9-12900KS as a processor, that may be a slightly worrisome (and likely also unnecessary) prospect.

Note: this motherboard will require a relatively up-to-date BIOS version in order to be compatible with the 12900KS; if it doesn’t work out-of-the-box, contact the manufacturer and/or retailer for assistance.

 

RAM: Corsair Vengeance 32GB (2 X 16GB) DDR5-5600

As before, our decision has been guided primarily by what is going to give us the best possible performance for gaming. And when applying that logic to memory, 32GB of DDR5 in dual channel is a natural choice. Overkill? For now, maybe. But software also catches up to hardware before too long, and regardless: pairing faster memory with fast storage (as we’ll be doing below) should keep your loading times to an absolute minimum.

 

CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X73 360mm

Did I mention that the i9-12900KS can produce a lot of heat? I did? And frankly you’re getting tired of hearing about it? Well, I apologize for the bother; let this be the last time I mention it, as this enormous radiator swoops in to address that potential pitfall.

 

Power Supply: Corsair HX1000 Platinum

Did I, uh, did I mention how the i9-12900KS requires a lot of electricity? Okay, okay, well let’s dispense with that concern too. This 1000-Watt supply should not only be enough to handle the 12900KS and the 3090 Ti, it should have a bit of headroom left over for any small additions or upgrades you may want to make to the build in the future.

 

Storage 1: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB

A spacious pair of terabytes in an ultra-high-speed format should mean that your entire library of games can be housed entirely on this drive, even several years into the future. Samsung’s SSD’s are renowned for the quality, and this one should also be where your Operating System for the build lives.

 

Storage 2: Seagate IronWolf 4TB

For absolutely all other storage needs, including video files and recordings, music, documents, random programs, and any games that don’t fit on the main drive years and years down the line, here come the incomparable price per gigabyte of high-capacity HDD storage space.

 

Case: Corsair 7000D Airflow

 

The two main things to know about the 7000D is that it has a sleek look, and that it is enormous. Yes, yes, it also has a nicely designed mesh exterior to help with, as its name strongly hints, airflow. But its hugeness and its beauty are its more interesting details. This absolute unit of a case will comfortably house all the bulky top-tier parts in this list, while declaring its elegance and its power for all the world to see.

 

Total Cost: $3200

In conclusion, this premium i9-12900KS machine should be able to shrug off the workload of 4K gaming at a smooth frame rate, while also capturing footage and/or streaming, while also playing music or videos on a second display. Its fans may whir to a significant degree to keep everything operating safe and smooth, but that comes with the territory when taming a beast like this.

Yes, it is a machine with a high price tag, but purchasers can take some solace in the fact that building a PC even nearly this powerful about a year ago could have cost about twice as much. That said, it’s still not a PC build for the faint of heart (nor, naturally, for the lean of wallet) . . . but if that doesn’t describe you, and you simply must have the very best gaming rig right this very moment—here it is.

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Daniel Podgorski
is the Managing Editor for Logical Increments. He is also the writer, graphic designer, and video/audio editor behind The Gemsbok blog website and The Gemsbok YouTube channel.