1st PC Spec! What do you think?

[CJTV]

Wanted a PC for years, after a breakup decided to finally treat myself to one, what do folks think?

Case
CORSAIR CRYSTAL SERIES 680X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i9 10 Core Processor i9-10900 (2.8GHz) 20MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF Z490-PLUS GAMING (LGA1200, USB 3.2, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
512GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 450MB/W)
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W CV SERIES™ CV-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 100 RGB V3 Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
50cm ARGB LED Strip
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
ASUS PCE-AC88 AC3100 2100Mbps/5GHz, 1000Mbps/2.4GHz
USB/Thunderbolt Options
2 PORT (2 x TYPE A) USB 3.0 PCI-E CARD + STANDARD USB PORTS
Capture/Streaming Cards
Elgato Game Capture HD60 PRO - PCIe Card
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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Google Chrome™
Monitor
IIYAMA G2440HSU-B1 24'' Monitor
Monitor
IIYAMA G2440HSU-B1 24'' Monitor
Monitor Cables
2 x 2 METRE GOLD PLATED V1.4 HDMI CABLE
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 14 to 16 working days
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Logo Branding
PCSpecialist Logo

 

[Tom_P]

There's a few things here that could be improved - can you give us some extra information to work with? In particular:

• What's your budget?
• What do you want to do with it (just gaming, gaming and streaming, what kind of games etc.?)
• Do you have a monitor or will you be buying one? And how does that fit in with your budget? Same for peripherals etc.
• Can you also include the reconfigurable link?

If you have a look on the forum front page there are a few pinned threads which help on this (I don't have the links to hand, sorry).

The main one that jumps out is the Intel processor - AMD are currently preferred for almost all use cases, so I'd go with an AMD Ryzen-based build rather than Intel as a starting point. There's a few other areas that would benefit from some tweaking as well.

 

[CJTV]

There's a few things here that could be improved - can you give us some extra information to work with? In particular:

• What's your budget?
• What do you want to do with it (just gaming, gaming and streaming, what kind of games etc.?)
• Do you have a monitor or will you be buying one? And how does that fit in with your budget? Same for peripherals etc.
• Can you also include the reconfigurable link?

If you have a look on the forum front page there are a few pinned threads which help on this (I don't have the links to hand, sorry).

The main one that jumps out is the Intel processor - AMD are currently preferred for almost all use cases, so I'd go with an AMD Ryzen-based build rather than Intel as a starting point. There's a few other areas that would benefit from some tweaking as well.

Ahh Ive already bought it all just as a base area, got it on finance at £68 a month which is probably around the max for me as it stands, but upgrading after a bit is going to be ok I reckon

 

[Tom_P]

Depending on where you are in the build / order process there might be scope to cancel or modify various parts if you did want to, although I understand if you've gone for finance then extra credit checks etc. could be a problem if it needs a full cancel and re-order.

As a rule you can currently get more for your money with a better forward upgrade path using Ryzen rather than Intel, but if they've already started building then swapping the MoBo could be an issue... Other parts can be changed quite easily though I think.

 

[Scott]

I would strongly recommend cancelling the order. Always best to seek advice before purchasing, especially when it comes to finance where options are more limiting.

 

[CJTV]

Depending on where you are in the build / order process there might be scope to cancel or modify various parts if you did want to, although I understand if you've gone for finance then extra credit checks etc. could be a problem if it needs a full cancel and re-order.

As a rule you can currently get more for your money with a better forward upgrade path using Ryzen rather than Intel, but if they've already started building then swapping the MoBo could be an issue... Other parts can be changed quite easily though I think.

thanks for the advice, I did go through with it with a mate whos an IT guy and he said it'd be fine (its similar to what he has) so I should be happy with it I feel

 

[Scott]

thanks for the advice, I did go through with it with a mate whos an IT guy and he said it'd be fine (its similar to what he has) so I should be happy with it I feel

It'll work, and do what you wish, but it's not the best use of the money. It has areas that are compromised also.

I would question his judgement too in all honesty. It may be that his understanding is outdated, rather than just being pro Intel.

 

[Tom_P]

thanks for the advice, I did go through with it with a mate whos an IT guy and he said it'd be fine (its similar to what he has) so I should be happy with it I feel

Yeap I'm sure it'll be fine, it's more that it could be better for the same (or less) money - e.g. if you're using it for gaming, the CPU is overkill, especially compared to the GPU you've gone for - and there are various other reasons why AMD are currently preferred over Intel There's also a few other areas which would be quick wins - e.g. the wireless card you've picked, and getting rid of BullGuard.

 

[A L-pc]

If you have only recently ordered it, get in touch with PC Specialist soonest and see if you can get it put on hold. There is a bit of a wait on GPUs at the moment so may not have started to build it yet and could be modified. Get some excellent advice on here . At least increase the warranty to Silver at £5.