1080p gaming PC spec

[brick60000]

Hi everyone,

I've been reading through the forums for the past few days and trying to absorb as much advice as I can before putting together the below specification. I wondered if people could offer their opinions?

It's to be a 1080p gaming machine used primarily for simulation-type games, though I'm also an amateur photographer and have a large library of photos in Lightroom. I'll be pairing it with 2x1080p monitors that are 23", one 59Hz the other 60Hz.

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X Eight Core CPU (3.9GHz-4.5GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
6TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 5400RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 14 working days
Price: £1,389.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/CewpPRnfmA/


The main areas I've got questions are as follows:
- I dont know much about cases. What are people's thoughts on the Fractal Define 7 and indeed on any others that are similar alternatives. Anything that's cheaper is a bonus. I'd like something that is as quiet as possible, but I dont mind a level of noise.
- Do I need an after-market cooler ? I think I've seen differing suggestions across different threads, so not sure what the consensus is on that? Would liquid cooling be a good option, or does the stock cooler suffice?
- In terms of motherboards, is it worth the extra for the asus gaming one, or would it make little difference for my needs?

Budget is in the ballpark of the above

I'm grateful in advance for any guidance people can give, and any other tips / suggestions offered.

 

[Dan79]

Generally, for this chip a cooler is recommended if its using all cores for extended periods, however the stock cooler is good for general use. The coolermaster 240 is a reasonable middleground.

Take the AX200 wifi card its better. With regards to the motherboard, the x570 has pcie 4 which gives faster m.2 drives, better VRMs and will support newer chips. The b450 good but may only take the next set of chips with some tinkering.

Casewise I believe that is one of the better ones, orthe focus G for a cheaper alternative.

 

[Grumpywurzel]

The following system is slightly pricer than the one you have listed, however if you can get it, is an absolute steal. Lots of the adults on here have been raving about it. £1800 quids worth of top end gear for £1500 quid. I'd argue that it's slightly over spec for your needs but for peace of mind it has a little future proofing in mind (much better motherboard just for starters). https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/configure-review/348/

 

[brick60000]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all the replies.

Generally, for this chip a cooler is recommended if its using all cores for extended periods, however the stock cooler is good for general use. The coolermaster 240 is a reasonable middleground.

Take the AX200 wifi card its better. With regards to the motherboard, the x570 has pcie 4 which gives faster m.2 drives, better VRMs and will support newer chips. The b450 good but may only take the next set of chips with some tinkering.

Casewise I believe that is one of the better ones, orthe focus G for a cheaper alternative.

Is there any cooler that goes particularly reccommended? Again, I'm keen for something to be as quiet as it could be, but not at a huge cost or at the expense of performance. From what I've read, I think the case I've selected somewhat helps with that?

I hadnt realised I'd got a wifi card to be honest - I currently use ethernet and will be doing so for the forseeable, but it's something worth having I guess for future use elsewhere.

What is your maximum budget for the buid? Helps to know what headroom there is to make changes if needed.

The Fractal case you chose is a very good case

I will leave the rest of the advice to others as I have no knowledge of sim games and their needs

Thanks for the feedback re case. Max budget I'd say is £1500, though I'd prefer something around the £1300 mark.

The following system is slightly pricer than the one you have listed, however if you can get it, is an absolute steal. Lots of the adults on here have been raving about it. £1800 quids worth of top end gear for £1500 quid. I'd argue that it's slightly over spec for your needs but for peace of mind it has a little future proofing in mind (much better motherboard just for starters). https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/configure-review/348/

Thank you for the suggestion!

I think that's possibly a bit overkill for what I'd need, and pushes me too far over my budget I think. I'm already uncomfortable with £1300 as an amount to spend on one thing, but I've convinced myself that its a worthy investment for the future.

I don't have any particular desire to upgrade to 1440p in the near future, so think I might be better going down the route of upgrading the graphics card in future if this is something I need.

Are there any components from that build you think are particularly worth me considering though?

 

[Grumpywurzel]

Although AMD have changed their minds ref Zen 3 (next gen) chips not being able to use the B450 motherboards, word is that this will deffo be the last chance saloon for the 450. I was just thinking about future proofing.

The LIAN LI LANCOOL II GAMING CASE is 50 quid cheaper and is v good if you are concerned ref temperatures within the case. If you already have Windows 10 (maybe even Windows 7 as well but i cant verify that) you can transfer the license onto the new machine, again saving you £100 (again you can do that with the system i posted about). Do you need the DVD drive?

 

[brick60000]

Ah okay, I’ll have a look into the motherboard options then. To be honest, I’ve had my current PC for 6 years and have never upgraded it in the slightest, but I can see your point about having the potential to do so.

Re the case, does anyone have any feedback on how that fares compared to the Define 7 re noise?

I’ve re some reviews that suggest the Coolermaster 240 lite is quite a noisy pump. Is this the case / would it be something that’s noticeable in such well sound proofed cases?

For liquid coolers - is there a requirement to refill them? I’ve never had experience with one before, so sorry if that’s a daft question.

 

[brick60000]

Hi everyone.
I’ve been doing some more research. Is there a substantial difference between the 3300x and the 3800x for my uses? I do use Lightroom and Photoshop, but is it worth shelling out the extra do people think?

would I be better off saving there and going for an x570 motherboard? Or perhaps go for the 3600x as a middle ground?

 

[brick60000]

Thanks again for the reply NurseMorph.

Another question that’s cropped up from various reading around online - what do people thing of the CM 240L cooler? I’ve read some reviews (on Amazon....probably not the best source but I struggled to find much that wasn’t for the pro version elsewhere) that suggest it is prone to leaking.


Does anyone have any experience with it, or is anyone able to offer reassurances / alternative suggestions?

 

[Scott]

I'm in 2 minds with this one and you can go either way. They are basically at both ends of the budget but I've tried to maximise both options as best I can.

The key thing to note here is that I have removed the Operating System. It's VERY easy to transfer over your current windows license to the new build and this would save £100 that's very useful for the rest of the system.

So.... build 1:

3600 over the 3800X. High end motherboard for future proofing, additional storage for games, etc. No cooling required for the 3600, you would need to seriously push it hard to have the temps getting even remotely unruley.

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 SUPER - HDMI
1st Storage Drive
6TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 5400RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 15 to 18 working days
Price: £1,240.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/968jcRK2Qa/

 

[Scott]

Build 2...

Pretty much the same as the first build. The main exception is the addition of the 3800X. Slight sacrifice with the storage for this build. This will make a difference with photoshop and some gaming. With the addition of this chip comes an additional cooler. For quiet, you want the Corsair RGB series. Everything is going out of stock so the only option is the H115i RGB. It's the best of the best and almost silent in operation. Paired with the Define 7 is as good as it gets for performance AND silence (it's what I have, although the define 6).

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X Eight Core CPU (3.9GHz-4.5GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 SUPER - HDMI
1st Storage Drive
6TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 5400RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 15 to 18 working days
Price: £1,445.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/9sYYXUZwvB/

 

[Scott]

@Scott @SpyderTracks Is the H80i Hydro V2 a decent cooler? I would've recommended the Coolermaster 240 but there's a question mark over leakages...do they still suffer from them or are they sorted?

The H80i is a decent cooler, but it's not that much better than the stock one. It's pretty much comparable with a high end air solution so tends only to be selected when space is a limitation. I don't think Corsair have developed this range of coolers over the past few years, they have been more focused on the high end H100 and up.... which you can tell with the 3 variations of H100 in as many years.

With regards to the Coolermaster 240. I don't know the cooler at all, I only know it from reviews, which are all overwhelmingly positive. It's almost as good at cooling as the H100 (close enough that it's my budget alternative) but it obviously bows when it comes to quality and noise.

It's not something I would, still, have any qualms suggesting in a build. PCS will fully test and back whichever components are put in the build. Save for a bit of inconvenience if it does go wrong.... there's nothing to worry about.

 

[Scott]

With the GPU there is a fairly simple rule of thumb. It's not hard and fast, but when it comes to finger in the air it's a reasonable starting point.

1650 Super - 1080p up to 75hz
1660 Super - 1080p 75hz +
2060 Super - 1440p up to 75hz or 1080p 144hz+, Beginning VR
2070 Super - 1440p up to 144hz, 1080p extreme gaming, 4k low settings up to 60fps, Good level VR
2080 Super - Superwide, extreme 1080p (240hz+), 4k 60fps depending on game/settings, high end VR
2080Ti - As good as it gets.

 

[Scott]

Fair enough..it's just I did a quick search about the 240 when the OP mentioned it and I read several threads on the Corsair forum and others where people have had them leak and it damage components...to be fair, most of it was from last year so they may have fixed any issues since then

I could be wrong but I believe that's a different model. I think CM addressed that with the addition of the "Lite" version. I remember reading about leaks a while back but I'm fairly certain it related to the different design.

 

[brick60000]

Thanks everyone for the replies this morning/afternoon. Can't express how grateful I am for all of the input.

@Scott I've had a look at both those builds - thanks for the suggestions.

Is there any indication of how long the X570 boards will likely remain "upgradeable" for? My reason for asking is that having had my current computer for 5 years, I've never had a desire to upgrade the CPU. If I were to opt for the 3800X, which is arguably better than I need, I can't see me wanting to upgrade this in at least the coming few years. I wonder therefore if I'd be better saving the money on the motherboard, and going instead for the B450, spending the money saved on keeping the 1660 Super.

The logic behind this would be that I'm far more likely to upgrade one of my monitors in the coming year or so, having had the older one for 5 years now as well. I'm not planning to do this when I purchase, but may do later.

Could I also seek people's opinion on some cooler options? Thanks for the suggestion of the Corsair H115i RGB Platinum. How do both the H115i PRO w/ PCS UQ fans and the H100x w/ PCS UQ fans stack up against this? I don't particularly intend on overclocking - the clock speed of the 3800X is greater than that which I have now (3.4GHz), and I've never felt the need to up until this point.

Alternatively, would I be better sticking with a lower priced cooler? Perhaps the 240 Lite as discussed above, with a view to potentially upgrading this in years to come if necessary?

Storage wise, I think 1TB on the one M.2 SSD would suffice. At the moment, I've got two smaller SSDs (a 128GB and a 240GB, the former is used for OS and the latter for games). They're only just filling up, so 1TB would give me room for growth as well as keeping costs down. I could always look to add a normal SSD later on for less speed-critical games, if I needed to (I think?).

As my current monitors don't have a display port slot, am I right in thinking I could just use a DP to HDMI adapter to connect them up ?

My last question for this post relates to the power supply - is having a power supply way over and above what you need an issue in any sense at all? Is it more likely to cause any problems,or does it just mean that its capable of supplying that much power were it ever needed to - but if you never used it to its full potential, it wouldnt matter. I notice the 550W one says its ETA is tomorrow (7-06), so I can wait and see if that comes back in to stock tomorrow (though seems odd being a Sunday!).

R.e. Windows 10 - I may look to include that in the final build anyway, as there's the potential I'd want to pass on the current PC to somebody else in the family for much lighter usage, though its something I'll consider a bit more!

 

[Scott]

The X570 should be good for another 2 generations, if the rumours are true. The next gen is all but guaranteed by AMD themselves. The generation after that is rumoured.

Regarding your current system, 5 years old is not old. The likely issue with it is that there isn't any upgrade options. In 3 years you could pop a new CPU and GPU and have a complete next gen PC with nothing else added. The 1660 Super would be wasted on your current monitors, If you were to purchase a new monitor a 1440p 144hz one would be recommended to get your next level of gaming. Anything in between is pointless IMO. At this stage you're a couple of levels up in GPU though so that would need to be figured out at the time. It's pointless spending any extra on the GPU just now as they change every 6-9 months, better to pocket the difference now and put it towards the next GPU splurge.

With the Cooler, the H100i/H115i RGB platinums are another level again. Better cooling plate, better pump, better fans, etc, etc, etc. They are not comparable. The cooler isn't just about overclocking, which isn't recommended in AMD anyway. The better the cooler, the higher your automatic boost clocks and the faster the CPU will run for extended periods. Being such a good cooler means that it's near silent most of the time, only gaining some noise when at absolute full chat. The 240 is a decent enough cooler for the chip, but it will be noticeably louder and not quite as efficient. Not to mention the H115i RGB platinum is STUNNING, and uses simple iCue software to control etc.

The storage recommendation with the first build is luxury to have the OS/Programs and a couple of games on the first, with everything else on the second. This means that if you find the system slowing down and fancy a reformat.... you don't need to re-install or copy all your games across drives. It's a very good way of operating in the long run. Obviously it has costs associated with it though.

The GPU should have at least one HDMI out, but for the other you can use an adapter.... yes.

For the Power Supply, I would normally recommend the 650w TXm when on a budget, or the 750Rmx when it's available. There is a gulf in class between all the PSUs. They will all work very well but the TXm is semi modular and has better components, the RMx is fully modular, runs silent and has even better components again. They are very much worth the initial outlay.


Unlike your current build, I would consider this build an ecosystem. Done right, this system will see you through 10 years plus with nothing but CPU/GPU upgrades and potentially a RAM upgrade. Having the best foundation allows for all manner of movement. My last system I had for 10 years, this current one I'm expecting to only get around 5 out of it (as I went with Intel and it's dead in the water).

Out of curiosity, what is the spec of your current system?

 

[brick60000]

Thanks again for the reply @Scott !

My current system is Intel i5 4670K, 8GB DDR3 (Speccy says 798MHz), Gigabyte Z87-HD3 Motherboard, GTX 660 Graphics Card, along with a Toshiba 2TB HDD, and the 240GB/120GB Kingston SSDs I mentioned earlier. It seems that whatever I choose out of all the options suggested, I'm definitely going to get a step up from this.

I wasn't aware of the situation with GTX 1650 Super vs 1660 Super that you've highlighted in this thread, so I'm grateful for that. At risk of getting you to duplicate advice, so I'm sorry if this is the case, is running both monitors through the graphics card something that would warrant the increased memory of the 1660S, or is this again something that the 1650S would handle perfectly well?

I think I've said at the start of the thread / implied, but I'd like to ideally be able to run my games at a high FPS (definitely over 30, towards 60 to max out the monitors).

On to the coolers, thank you for the explanation of these. I'm in two minds with the RGB - on the one hand I couldn't care less, but on the other hand it's something that's definitely a nice to have. Are there any cases you'd recommend for consideration that match looks in this area with quietness? Obviously the Define 7 achieves the latter but does nothing for looks in regard to the lack of window on the PCS version. I know I could send in a case, but would probably rather choose one from the online builder.

 

[Scott]

Your current system is a prime example of the difference in forward thinking with the build. Now, don't take this the wrong way but...

5 Years ago DDR4 was out, DDR3 wasn't a great choice. 1150 socket motherboard was also at the end of life, with the 1151 coming out in 2015. GPUs are out of date 2 days after they release so no point in over-thinking there at any point.

Basically, if you had gone for a DDR4 system and a 1151 socket motherboard, you would be upgrading with a CPU & GPU, with no need for a new system. As it stands, there's nowhere left to go.

With the suggested spec above, you are at polar opposites as the choices being recommended are suggested purely because of the ability to upgrade the CPU without having to touch the Motherboard, and hopefully the RAM.

Now..... with regards to the GPU (1650 vs 1660). Either will run 2 monitors with ease, in non-gaming scenarios. Neither will run particularly well if you are split screening a game, this is not a normal practice so I'm not sure if this is what you mean. Normally gaming will happen on one monitor, with regular desktop/browsing/netflix on the other. With your targeted framerate, 60FPS, the 1650 Super is ideally suited. The 1650 itself would likely do OK at reasonable settings but the Super just gives you that bit of cushion.

The RGB element is a secondary bonus if you like. It's real qualities are in the cooling ability and how quiet it is. For the case, you are really struggling as not many can take the H115i RGB platinum in PCSs hands (I have my doubts about their limited utilisation, I'm almost positive that the H115i would fit most of the cases when using the appropriate configuration. For whatever reason they seem insistent on only using the rear of the cases. That's another discussion though. The H100i RGB is less problematic for their fitting but it's out of stock for now (no surprise really).

For cases with 240mm coolers look at the following:

iCue 220T (out of stock)
Lian Li
H500
465x (out of stock)
570x
680x

 

[brick60000]

Your current system is a prime example of the difference in forward thinking with the build. Now, don't take this the wrong way but...

5 Years ago DDR4 was out, DDR3 wasn't a great choice. 1150 socket motherboard was also at the end of life, with the 1151 coming out in 2015. GPUs are out of date 2 days after they release so no point in over-thinking there at any point.

Basically, if you had gone for a DDR4 system and a 1151 socket motherboard, you would be upgrading with a CPU & GPU, with no need for a new system. As it stands, there's nowhere left to go.

With the suggested spec above, you are at polar opposites as the choices being recommended are suggested purely because of the ability to upgrade the CPU without having to touch the Motherboard, and hopefully the RAM.

Now..... with regards to the GPU (1650 vs 1660). Either will run 2 monitors with ease, in non-gaming scenarios. Neither will run particularly well if you are split screening a game, this is not a normal practice so I'm not sure if this is what you mean. Normally gaming will happen on one monitor, with regular desktop/browsing/netflix on the other. With your targeted framerate, 60FPS, the 1650 Super is ideally suited. The 1650 itself would likely do OK at reasonable settings but the Super just gives you that bit of cushion.

The RGB element is a secondary bonus if you like. It's real qualities are in the cooling ability and how quiet it is. For the case, you are really struggling as not many can take the H115i RGB platinum in PCSs hands (I have my doubts about their limited utilisation, I'm almost positive that the H115i would fit most of the cases when using the appropriate configuration. For whatever reason they seem insistent on only using the rear of the cases. That's another discussion though. The H100i RGB is less problematic for their fitting but it's out of stock for now (no surprise really).

For cases with 240mm coolers look at the following:

iCue 220T (out of stock)
Lian Li
H500
465x (out of stock)
570x
680x

Definitely not taken the wrong way at all. I’ll happily admit I was completely non-clued up 5 years ago and was less able to see the value in future proofing!

My biggest area of contention now is whether I should fork out for the 3800x, or go with a 3600. I also had a re-read of your pc building guide thread and wonder if the money saved here would be better off spent elsewhere, given I also do a fair amount of photo editing.

Which do people think I’d be best going with?

 

[SpyderTracks]

Definitely not taken the wrong way at all. I’ll happily admit I was completely non-clued up 5 years ago and was less able to see the value in future proofing!

My biggest area of contention now is whether I should fork out for the 3800x, or go with a 3600. I also had a re-read of your pc building guide thread and wonder if the money saved here would be better off spent elsewhere, given I also do a fair amount of photo editing.

Which do people think I’d be best going with?

If you're doing photo editing, you'll appreciate the extra power of the 3800x, does make a big difference.

 

[Scott]

As above. Also, I think you'll get longer out of the 3800X without having that upgrade itch