Advice on my gaming / photoshop desktop spec, please

tk13047

tk13047

Member
Hi all, I posted a few months ago about buying a new pc, but time goes on and some things change so I thought I'd post again.

Basically I'm after a new PC. It's primary uses are games and photoshop. I've come up with this:

Case
CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ 275Q QUIET CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-10700KF (3.8GHz) 16MB Cache
Motherboard
Gigabyte Z490 UD (LGA1200, USB 3.2, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2666MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB AMD RADEON™ RX 5700 XT - HDMI, DP - DX® 12
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB Intel® H10 NVMe SSD + 32GB Intel® Optane™ (up to 2400MB/sR | 1800MB/sW)
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W CV SERIES™ CV-650 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 100 V2 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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
2 PORT (1 x TYPE A, 1 x TYPE C) USB 3.1 PCI-E CARD + STANDARD USB 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 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 23 to 25 working days
Price: £1,600.00 including VAT and Delivery


I will be using a Razer Raptor 27inch monitor.

Gaming wise, my main games are Destiny 2, Warframe, Borderlands 3 and currently CP2077. I'm currently running:

Processor (CPU)Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-6700k (4.0GHz) 8MB Cache
MotherboardASUS® Z170 PRO GAMING/AURA: ATX, LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs, RGB Lighting
Memory (RAM)16GB HyperX SAVAGE DDR4 2666MHz (2 x 8GB Kit)
Graphics Card3GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1060 - DVI, HDMI, 3 x DP

Which is 4 years old and, I have to say, performs really well in games still. Except for cp2077 which I'm running on medium settings.

I'm sure any new pc is going to blow me away, but I'd like to get one that isnt reliant on pre-orders but can go to the new gfx cards in a year or two when they hopefully exist hah.

I've added in extra USB options purely because my monitor would like a USB c connection. I'm not entirely sure why this is and I don't currently use it but, hey, new pc right! I've added the card reader because cards are a major thing but I'm not sure as to the actual specs of this one, might be better getting a nice external one?

I think I've covered everything. My budget is plus or minus a couple hundred I guess if you have any big changes, and I forgot to remove the office / AV stuff, so ignore all those extras.

Thanks for your advice!
 
Last edited:
Martinr36

Martinr36

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Ok, you'll be advised to change it to an AMD,read the info in the link below as to why, you say your monitor needs a USB C why.........and what monitor is it make and model or resolution & refresh rate.

AMD Vs Intel

So some of you aren't aware of the reasons why so many people are heading away from Intel to AMD, so thought it would be important to lay that out for people to refer back to. A lot of you will go to cpubenchmark or userbenchmark to find performance metrics for CPU's. These sites are complete...
www.pcspecialist.co.uk www.pcspecialist.co.uk
 
tk13047

tk13047

Member
Ok interesting, what would be a good AMD replacement? Looking at the AMD section I realise I genuinely don't know enough.

The monitor, as said, is: Razer Raptor 27inch. I believe hte C is needed to control teh lights, nothing more. But I may as well use it.
 
Last edited:
tk13047

tk13047

Member
Extra specs for the monitor:

Razer Raptor 27 Specifications​


Panel Type / BacklightIPS / W-LED, edge array
Screen Size / Aspect Ratio27 inches / 16:9
Max Resolution & Refresh Rate2560 x 1440 @ 144Hz
Native Color Depth / Gamut10-bit (8-bit+FRC) / DCI-P3, HDR10, DisplayHDR 400
Response Time (GTG)4ms
Brightness350 nits SDR, 420 nits HDR
Contrast1,000:1
SpeakersNone
Video Inputs1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x USB-C
Audio3.5mm headphone output
USB 3.02x down
Power Consumption46w, brightness @ 200 nits
 
tk13047

tk13047

Member
Ok price wise this seems at first glance comparable:

Case
CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ 275Q QUIET CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT Eight Core CPU (4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B550-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB AMD RADEON™ RX 5700 XT - HDMI, DP - DX® 12
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
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
PCS FrostFlow 240 Series RGB High Performance Liquid Cooler (AMD)
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
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
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
2 PORT (1 x TYPE A, 1 x TYPE C) USB 3.1 PCI-E CARD + STANDARD USB 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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
 
tk13047

tk13047

Member
I've been told that the 2 processors below the AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT are "just as good for the price". Thought on the cheaper ones? They seem to be about 50 quid less.
 
B

Bigfoot

Grand Master
If you post the unique URL as described below, it makes it easier for others to suggest modifications to your spec without recreating it from scratch.

How to Post Your Specification to the Forum - Check this Spec

Just a first note, if you've been provided this link, don't amend your first post as it won't update the queue, please add an additional comment to the thread, that way it will go back to the front of the queue. Otherwise we don't know it's been updated. When creating a forum post looking to...
www.pcspecialist.co.uk www.pcspecialist.co.uk
 
Last edited:
G

Gavras

Master Poster
tk13047 said:
I've been told that the 2 processors below the AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT are "just as good for the price". Thought on the cheaper ones? They seem to be about 50 quid less.
Click to expand...
As above make a link to build.

The Ryzen 5 5800x will likely be best options.

A lot also comes down to how long you are prepared to wait

I would also go for a different motherboard to the above

put up the link, mainly as I am lazy and having a coffee.
 
tk13047

tk13047

Member
Well, of course, I'm not going to put odds like those over time :) start of feb is "nice" but my existing pc will last just fine. If someone recommends me something that is sensible, in budget and decent then yes, timelines can slip.
 
G

Gavras

Master Poster
Okay a couple builds, the first one is personally the better one and allows greater flexibility in future, however you will not get it by February (yes could be slim chance but more likely March).

always get a decent case as it really helps with cooling.

The mix of new Ryzen, and 3080 with a new M.2 Gen 4 is a good combo.



Case
NZXT H511 MID-TOWER GAMING CASE (BLACK)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100x Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans
1x 120mm Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
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
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
2 PORT (1 x TYPE A, 1 x TYPE C) USB 3.1 PCI-E CARD + STANDARD USB PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
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
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 24 to 26 working days
Price: £1,691.00 including VAT and Delivery

PCSPECIALIST - Top Spec Custom PCs & Laptops Built to Order

Manufacturer of performance custom computers and laptops. Customise your ideal gaming PC or laptop using our advanced configurator.
www.pcspecialist.co.uk www.pcspecialist.co.uk
 
G

Gavras

Master Poster
tk13047 said:
Well, of course, I'm not going to put odds like those over time :) start of feb is "nice" but my existing pc will last just fine. If someone recommends me something that is sensible, in budget and decent then yes, timelines can slip.
Click to expand...
Okay will hold off on Second build.

the rest is really down to your budget.

increase by £200 gets you in to next level, it really comes down to your budget Flexibility and use

The memory can drop to 16gb, depends on your expected Photoshop usage.

Games mainly use 16GB apart from Flight sims such as MSFS 2020.
 
tk13047

tk13047

Member
I can go up to around 1900 I'd say.

My thoughts on 32gb are just based on decades of photoshop. Basically with evcery new PC I've increased the ram. 4 years ago I built with 16gb and it's still ok but will it be in 3 years?
 
G

Gavras

Master Poster
tk13047 said:
I can go up to around 1800 I'd say.

My thoughts on 32gb are just based on decades of photoshop. Basically with evcery new PC I've increased the ram. 4 years ago I built with 16gb and it's still ok but will it be in 3 years?
Click to expand...
Yep ram is a personal thing depending what you use it for.

Its handy to advise, as some people just throw cash at a system and assume it’s amazing, usually they have wasted £1k and have a cheap case.

@Nursemorph any suggested tweaks?

moving to next Gen 3 CPU really means Motherboard and cooling upgrade to 115i.

which is bouncing close to £2k lol.
 
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