Any changes before I order?

[Ericburnard]

Hi there.

I am looking at buying a Liquid series next month and just wanted to run through my order with someone who knows a little more than I do before I place the order! I know that it is a little bit of overkill but I really am wanting to have a pc that is going to last me a while.

I use my computer mainly as a workstation with a good chunk of Adobe products (Lightroom, illustrator, after effects, etc) and I would like to start getting into using blender in the future as my current PC struggles to render a cube! I do enjoy gaming but it is secondary to the other uses, although I would like a great gaming experience when I do game. I have ummed and ahhed about building it myself but in all honesty, I just really cannot be bothered

I haven't picked a monitor yet but I am looking for at least one Ultrawide monitor and a vertical monitor for coding. (Just in case you have any recommendations for this setup.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Eric

Case
CORSAIR OBSIDIAN SERIES™ 1000D FULL TOWER CASE

Custom Liquid Cooling Kit
Liquid Series Extreme Kit - EK

Tubing
Clear Hardline PETG Tubing (Bent/Black Fittings)

Graphics Card Cooling
GPU Water Block - For One Graphics Card!


Overclocked CPU
Overclocked AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16 Core (3.5GHz @ up to 4.3GHz)

Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - RGB Ready!

Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)

Graphics Card
11GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!


1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA 120 2.5" SSD, (up to 560MB/sR | 540MB/sW)

2nd Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE

1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)

Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET


Extra Case Fans
8 x Corsair LL120 RGB LED Fan + 2 x Controller Kit (1000D ONLY)

Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster® Audigy Rx

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

 

[Ericburnard]

This gaming monitor guide may give you some ideas on Ultrawides while you wait for opinions (you may need to scroll down to get to the Ultrawides or click on the relevant link in the first post):

Gaming monitor guide

Thank you. I'll give it a good read through in the morning

 

[Scott]

I wouldn't recommend a liquid series build at all to be honest. They are very nice to look at but they are an absolute PITA to live with.

The budget is there to build a monster rig of course but I definitely think you would be better with a high end conventional build with some nice treats thrown in to compliment it.

If you're insistent on that build then I would consider changing the storage so that you had a second M2 drive for the scratch/cache drive, rather than a standard SSD. They're just miles faster.

 

[Ericburnard]

Thank you for your help, Scott. To be honest, I thought that the water cooling was a bit overkill considering I wasn't planning on overclocking anything, the only reason that I went with water cooling is that I've always wanted a system with it

If it was you, where would you spend the saved money from the water cooling? Upgrade to a Threadripper, or do you think that I would still be better off with the 3950x?

Thanks again

 

[Scott]

Personally I would probably stick with the 3950X. It's such a powerful processing monster that there's no reason you can't have it all with frequency and output. The Threadrippers get silly but they aren't the best for gaming. The 3950X is such a sweet spot it's hard to argue. With the money saved I think you can get to a dream spec to be honest.

I've gone a little silly with the storage here, but I think the budget is there? My thinking is 500GB OS/Programs drive with the 2TB Stupidly fast firecuda lined up for Cache/Scratch & games.

Absolutely every angle of this build is premium.

Case
CORSAIR OBSIDIAN SERIES™ 500D SE CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16 Core CPU (3.5GHz-4.7GHz/73MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 32GB)
Graphics Card
8GB ASUS ROG STRIX GEFORCE RTX 2080 SUPER - 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 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ 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
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
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 18 to 20 working days
Price: £3,347.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/by!!p8fyma/

 

[Scott]

Oh, just to add.

Me personally, I would be looking at a Super Ultrawide for such a monster.

Samsung LC49RG90SSUXEN 49" Curved LED Gaming Monitor - Super Ultra Wide Dual WQHD 5120 x 1440, 120Hz, Freesync, Gsync Compatible, HDMI, 2 x Displayport, USB: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Buy

www.amazon.co.uk

 

[Ericburnard]

Thank you for that Scott. From the research I did, it seemed like going into the Treadripper series would only be beneficial if I was doing some hardcore workstation computing and the 3950x was rated as such an amazing all-rounder.

A few more questions though. With the memory, I read that the 3950x works best alongside 3400/3600mhz RAM, is this true or will I there be a minimal difference with that much RAM in the system?

Is it worth upgrading to the Crosshair VIII motherboard or again will the benefits be minimal?

Also looking through the monitors, you almost read my mind with the super ultrawide. Just a little concerned that it might be a bit too much with a vertical coding monitor alongside it

 

[Scott]

Faster RAM will definitely make a difference. Anything 3000Mhz and over is fine though. I would normally choose 3200Mhz but it's not available. If you contact PCS they may be able to fit 2x32GB 3200Mhz RAM for you as they do stock it. It's just whether it's been tested with the chipset or not. I wouldn't be too concerned with it though so don't over-think it. With Premiere & After Affects you will chew through RAM quite quickly if you're on big projects. Renders too, those eat RAM as well.

Crosshair isn't worth it IMO. even if I was buying with an unlimited budget I would be more than happy with the STRIX. It has every single aspect covered.

Coding monitor should go above it

 

[Ericburnard]

Massive thank you for your help tonight Scott. It's strange looking at the price now almost £800 cheaper and I'm wondering what I might have missed in the new iteration 😂 Also what would be your reasoning between changing for the 11GB RTX Ti to the Super?

How about two of the super ultrawide monitors but one vertically for coding! 😂

 

[Scott]

Sorry, that was a slip on my part. 2080Ti all the way for this level....

The change was actually to the STRIX as it is a known card and runs optimum without any compromises. It's helluva expensive, but as stated earlier.... the budget is there.

The crazy money is in the case, fans and cooling setup. A good custom cooling setup is £500+, it's bonkers.

Case
CORSAIR OBSIDIAN SERIES™ 500D SE CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16 Core CPU (3.5GHz-4.7GHz/73MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 32GB)
Graphics Card
11GB ASUS ROG STRIX GEFORCE RTX 2080 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 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ 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
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
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 18 to 20 working days
Price: £3,719.00 including VAT and Delivery

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

 

[Scott]

How about two of the super ultrawide monitors but one vertically for coding! 😂

It's funny, I was just thinking about VBA there (use it constantly in work) and how handy it would be having that crazy widescreen. I could just keep coding my crazy long If/Match/Array statements to the left without having to _
new line them haha.

Would be a right laugh if anyone with a convention screen tried to amend it.

 

[Ericburnard]

I hate it when I have to go into someone's code and there are no line breaks! I think this reason alone has now sold me on the super ultra-wide!

I have another few weeks before the last bit of my money is saved up but I cannot wait already to get this thing! I'm really hoping that by mid-July the build times have returned to somewhat normal. It'll be a long 5-week wait knowing that it's on its way 😂

I have changed a few bits, Mainly the case, as this was my second choice. I just love the size of it even if it might look a little empty inside. Also, it gives me the opportunity in years to come to water-cool it if ever wanter to go down that route. As well I have grabbed another HDD to set up in RAID 1. I have a. business so it would be nice to know that there is a permanent backup sitting there just in case!

Have a missed an option to have braided cables anywhere?


Case
COOLERMASTER COSMOS C700M TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16 Core CPU (3.5GHz-4.7GHz/73MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 32GB)
Graphics Card
11GB ASUS ROG STRIX GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
2nd Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
RAID
RAID 1 (MIRRORED VOLUME - 2 x same size & model HDD / SSD)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ 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
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
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

 

[Ericburnard]

Regarding braided cables, I meant something like this. I know that some PC Manufacturers offer then on custom builds and I wasn't sure if I'd missed it somewhere.

It's no issue though as its something I can always change over at some other point in the future

www.cablemod.com

 

[Scott]

The braid is only available on the overclocking configurators. You don't want OC but you could contact them to see if they will add the braid.

I wouldn't recommend that case to be honest. It's not the best for temps and it's VERY expensive. I would honestly stick with the 500D SE. It's the most stunning case you will ever see in the flesh (honestly, it's soooo pretty). The money saved just going down this route would allow you to buy a more suitable liquid cooling case in the future if you wanted to (just with the money saved).

I wouldn't recommend RAID to be honest. Literally the only thing it saves you from is hardware failure in one of the drives. By purchasing 2..... you are doubling your chance of failure. It's always more relevant nowadays to backup to external, or even better the cloud. With the cloud you can often have mutliple backups of the same file, should the worst happen and you get infected with ransomware.

 

[Ericburnard]

That's a shame as the case does look beautiful, but, that does mean an extra saving of £200!

I haven't looked into cloud backups before but I'd prefer not to be reliant on a subscription service to back things up. I think that id prefer to purchase an external HardDrive to back up my files. It feels more secure to me knowing that it is all "just there".

I will defiantly drop them a message about the braided cables. I think its a must when I'm splashing out this much on everything else

Also now that it's not a liquid series PC I think this thread might be better moved to the PC Parts forum!

 

[Scott]

That's a shame as the case does look beautiful, but, that does mean an extra saving of £200!

I haven't looked into cloud backups before but I'd prefer not to be reliant on a subscription service to back things up. I think that id prefer to purchase an external HardDrive to back up my files. It feels more secure to me knowing that it is all "just there".

I will defiantly drop them a message about the braided cables. I think its a must when I'm splashing out this much on everything else

Also now that it's not a liquid series PC I think this thread might be better moved to the PC Parts forum!

Done

 

[Ericburnard]

Hey there world. It's almost time to order, the last of the money is saved and I can finally order on Monday.

I just wanted to do one final check for your opinions on the build. Anything I should upgrade, more fans needed? Also we have just upgraded our internet at home to 400mb and I am wanting to try and utilized it as much as possible. Would the network connection in the motherboard be sufficient or would it be best to add the separate network card?

Eric

Case
CORSAIR OBSIDIAN SERIES™ 500D SE CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16 Core CPU (3.5GHz-4.7GHz/73MB CACHE/AM4)

Get Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla with select AMD Ryzen CPUs
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 32GB)
Graphics Card
11GB ASUS ROG STRIX GEFORCE RTX 2080 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 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB 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 850W RMx SERIES™ 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
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
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

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 21 to 23 working days


Price: £3,702.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/vtV8WJJnXC/

 

[Scott]

A few changes that I would recommend.....

I would give a call about the RAM and ask if they can do 2x32GB 3200Mhz over 3000. Other than that though, all good.

Case
CORSAIR OBSIDIAN SERIES™ 500D SE CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16 Core CPU (3.5GHz-4.7GHz/73MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® CROSSHAIR VIII HERO (DDR4, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX/SLI) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 32GB)
Graphics Card
11GB ASUS ROG STRIX GEFORCE RTX 2080 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 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB 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 850W RMx SERIES™ 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
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
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 21 to 23 working days
Price: £3,800.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/cSYzEYcYF3/

 

[Ericburnard]

Thanks, Scott. That is defiantly on my list to do before I order. I have an extra hundred in my budget so it might cover it! Also When we went over the specs previously you said that there wasn't much difference between the 570 and the CROSSHAIR VIII HERO MB so to stick with the 570. Would you still recommend this or should i go with the Crosshair?

 

[Scott]

The ROG STRIX would likely be more than fine for your uses but given the minimal difference and the known VRM capability of the HERO it's worthwhile in this instance given the relatively small increase in budget.

I wouldn't be concerned over either to be honest, it's just £3.7k vs £3.8k and not having to second guess anything makes sense