At last, the dream is within reach... but a few questions remain...

[CMP01]

So folks, here at great length, the kind of build I envisioned 5 years ago (when I built and had to settle for 6700K/1070/2560x1080, which is now ailing and needs upgrading) for 3440x1440/4K. This one is for 3440x1440 and 4K gaming and little else. I'm unlikely to ever stream or edit, and any tasks I may do outside gaming are such that a potato could do. As for longevity, I'm not very well monied (such is the disabled lot) and this price took a lot of saving for. I'm hoping it'll hold up at the above resolutions, high/ultra settings 60 fps and up in AAA games until at least two GPU gens from now.
This one fits in just under my £2500 budget, leaving me some money for a monitor/new kb etc, but I do have confusions and questions I'll note below the build details.

As for the monitor, there's two. A 4K gaming worthy TV (Samsung Q80T 55") for playing in the lounge that I already have and bought to upgrade the old desktop (since cancelled due to the current price/availability madness) and a 3440x1440 I'll buy once this one is settled and confirmed, which is:

Gigabyte G34WQC 34.0" 3440 x 1440 144 Hz Curved Monitor (G34WQC) - PCPartPicker

Gigabyte G34WQC 34.0" 3440 x 1440 144 Hz Curved Monitor (G34WQC)

uk.pcpartpicker.com

Anyway, here goes...

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
16GB SPEEDSTER MERC319 AMD RADEON™ RX 6800 XT - HDMI, DP - DX® 12
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
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 H100i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Extra Case Fans
5x Corsair LL120 RGB LED Fan + Controller Kit
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
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 [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
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
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 12 to 15 working days
Price: £2,324.00 including VAT and Delivery

So, my notes and questions...

1. Getting this configured was hard. I had to switch back and forth cases a lot to get an acceptable number of fans. I wanted the LL120 fan kit but enough to fill all the slots in the case I really wanted (Corsair 4000D airflow, for performance, aesthetics and size/space for it in/on my desk... the 5000X would be a tad big) but every time I tried to proceed it was no go. My confusion is from two things... one, that I wasn't aware the 4000D had case fans already, and even if it did why not throw 'em and let me have all LL120's (which I would be willing to accept even if it cost me a little more/wasted fans and/or replaced the fans on the CPU cooler as well... I'd prefer uniformity) I suppose I could always go with the flow and swap things around after I get the PC but fans and wiring are really, really not my strong suit, best not to give me need to touch those.

2. The mobo doesn't have wifi. The one I wanted (Asus Crosshair VIII Hero) is out of stock until mid May. I'm kind of time limited on getting a PC built and if not having that means a quicker turnover, fine. I have some... can't recall the name... devolo type thingies I can use for the internet.
As an aside to this, I envision using this with the above monitor at my desk but also want the option of steaming/playing to/from my TV in the room directly below. If anybody can give me suggestions/advice/help on how to do this, you rock.

3. The CPU. As mentioned above, this is about the gaming. I've trawled reviews and benchmarks for many aspects of this build and see that the 5600X is well up there for gaming (being almost equal to the 5800X and shaming the pants off higher clock and core count Intels too) Would I benefit from taking the 5800X over this at all given that it's just for gaming? (also, could be upgraded later if need be, that's a pro for AMD)

4. The RAM. I'd have preferred the option to have 32Gb of the Corsair RGB I chose but in 4x8Gb to fill out those slots. Again, I could always buy another 2x8 kit and install it after np, that I can do.

5. The GPU. Well, I actually want to go AMD for this. Many games/series/genres I favour are unlikely to feature RT and/or DLSS any time soon, if ever, and the VRAM for the 3070/3080 I think is anaemic for higher resolutions in the long run imo even if the latter is GDDR6X. The16Gb offered by AMD will brute force it for longer if necessary.

And that's about it. Sorry if this was a long post/lots of questions but thanks for reading. I just want to get this one right after the experience of my build (which was never finished and I never got to use after the first months due to illness and by the time I could late last year it was dying)

Thanks in advance for any help/advice etc and have a good 'un.

PS: Ooops, forgot to mention the storage. It looks a bit light but I have a couple of spares already (1Tb Samsung SM961 m.2 and 1TB Samsung QVO 860) that I'll throw in there later (so including a spare SATA cable and leaving the 2.5" cages in for the latter would be cool)

 

[AleTax]

So folks, here at great length, the kind of build I envisioned 5 years ago (when I built and had to settle for 6700K/1070/2560x1080, which is now ailing and needs upgrading) for 3440x1440/4K. This one is for 3440x1440 and 4K gaming and little else. I'm unlikely to ever stream or edit, and any tasks I may do outside gaming are such that a potato could do. As for longevity, I'm not very well monied (such is the disabled lot) and this price took a lot of saving for. I'm hoping it'll hold up at the above resolutions, high/ultra settings 60 fps and up in AAA games until at least two GPU gens from now.
This one fits in just under my £2500 budget, leaving me some money for a monitor/new kb etc, but I do have confusions and questions I'll note below the build details.

As for the monitor, there's two. A 4K gaming worthy TV (Samsung Q80T 55") for playing in the lounge that I already have and bought to upgrade the old desktop (since cancelled due to the current price/availability madness) and a 3440x1440 I'll buy once this one is settled and confirmed, which is:

Gigabyte G34WQC 34.0" 3440 x 1440 144 Hz Curved Monitor (G34WQC) - PCPartPicker

Gigabyte G34WQC 34.0" 3440 x 1440 144 Hz Curved Monitor (G34WQC)

uk.pcpartpicker.com

Anyway, here goes...

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
16GB SPEEDSTER MERC319 AMD RADEON™ RX 6800 XT - HDMI, DP - DX® 12
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
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 H100i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Extra Case Fans
5x Corsair LL120 RGB LED Fan + Controller Kit
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
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 [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
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
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 12 to 15 working days
Price: £2,324.00 including VAT and Delivery

So, my notes and questions...

1. Getting this configured was hard. I had to switch back and forth cases a lot to get an acceptable number of fans. I wanted the LL120 fan kit but enough to fill all the slots in the case I really wanted (Corsair 4000D airflow, for performance, aesthetics and size/space for it in/on my desk... the 5000X would be a tad big) but every time I tried to proceed it was no go. My confusion is from two things... one, that I wasn't aware the 4000D had case fans already, and even if it did why not throw 'em and let me have all LL120's (which I would be willing to accept even if it cost me a little more/wasted fans and/or replaced the fans on the CPU cooler as well... I'd prefer uniformity) I suppose I could always go with the flow and swap things around after I get the PC but fans and wiring are really, really not my strong suit, best not to give me need to touch those.

2. The mobo doesn't have wifi. The one I wanted (Asus Crosshair VIII Hero) is out of stock until mid May. I'm kind of time limited on getting a PC built and if not having that means a quicker turnover, fine. I have some... can't recall the name... devolo type thingies I can use for the internet.
As an aside to this, I envision using this with the above monitor at my desk but also want the option of steaming/playing to/from my TV in the room directly below. If anybody can give me suggestions/advice/help on how to do this, you rock.

3. The CPU. As mentioned above, this is about the gaming. I've trawled reviews and benchmarks for many aspects of this build and see that the 5600X is well up there for gaming (being almost equal to the 5800X and shaming the pants off higher clock and core count Intels too) Would I benefit from taking the 5800X over this at all given that it's just for gaming? (also, could be upgraded later if need be, that's a pro for AMD)

4. The RAM. I'd have preferred the option to have 32Gb of the Corsair RGB I chose but in 4x8Gb to fill out those slots. Again, I could always buy another 2x8 kit and install it after np, that I can do.

5. The GPU. Well, I actually want to go AMD for this. Many games/series/genres I favour are unlikely to feature RT and/or DLSS any time soon, if ever, and the VRAM for the 3070/3080 I think is anaemic for higher resolutions in the long run imo even if the latter is GDDR6X. The16Gb offered by AMD will brute force it for longer if necessary.

And that's about it. Sorry if this was a long post/lots of questions but thanks for reading. I just want to get this one right after the experience of my build (which was never finished and I never got to use after the first months due to illness and by the time I could late last year it was dying)

Thanks in advance for any help/advice etc and have a good 'un.

PS: Ooops, forgot to mention the storage. It looks a bit light but I have a couple of spares already (1Tb Samsung SM961 m.2 and 1TB Samsung QVO 860) that I'll throw in there later (so including a spare SATA cable and leaving the 2.5" cages in for the latter would be cool)

Hey, could you post the link to reconfigurate your build?

I'd swap out the motherboard with the TUF B550 since it will perform great on the 5600X and since you want Wi-Fi you can add the Intel Wi-Fi 6 card which gives you also Bluetooth. You definitely want to go with the RMx 850 PSU here and you should as well remove Bullguard

 

[Ash_]

Okay i’ll answer your questions for you:

1. 4000D comes with 2 fans already, that are not RGB. Leaving 4 spaces. Your cooler will take up 2 - meaning in theory, you have 2 spaces - but, you can phone up and ask for them to change the plain ones to the LL’s, but they would then have to send you 2 non-rgb fans and an LL as spare fans. Or, you can go for the 5000D?

2. That motherboard is designed more for the 5950X and would be a complete waste on the 5600X.

3. 5800X is an absolute monster and i believe has higher single thread than 5600X and is more futureproof - as at the moment 6 cores is enough, but, 5 years ago... 4 threads was all you’d ever need 🤪. It is also beneficial for cpu heavy games, that can utilise as many cores as you have.

4. I’d go 2x8gb 3600mhz, as there are ram instability issues with 4 sticks at the moment. plus, not many games use more than 16gb.

5. If you don’t use RTX, i’d recommend AMD definitely.

On top of these points... you want a 980 pro (gen 4) as your primary ssd and remove the thermal paste

 

[sck451]

I'd suggest the biggest problem in your build is the 6800XT. It's not necessary for WQHD (1440 ultrawide) nor for that TV, which is, I think, only 50Hz. The 3070 would be a better bet for you and is hundreds of pounds cheaper. (It may be a wait, but it seems it's not a terribly long one.) The quantity of VRAM is not the only consideration: the 3070 doesn't seem bottlenecked to any significant degree by it.

With that we can make a build along similar but upgraded lines to your original one and come out signficantly cheaper. I'm going to presume you'll call up and ask them to replace the standard 4000D fans with the LL120 ones.

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB CORSAIR MP400 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 3480 MB/R, 1880 MB/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 H100i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB 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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
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 - Subject to stock availability on pre-order products
Price: £2,124.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/bPGFT0HeCj/

 

[CMP01]

Hi folks, I'll collate everything here for ease...

Firstly, here's the reconfigurate link... fire away lol.

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

Ok, what's next... firstly my PC budget is £2500 though I have £3000 to go but I'll need £500 or so for that Gigabyte monitor. How good is that btw? Anything as good as the above specs for less is great though.

I had heard something about the 4 RAM slots filled being troublesome but thought it was a while back and might have been sorted out but it's not the worst thing. I guess I just like all those pics you see of amazing looking builds with all the slots filled but on the over hand I hate unnecessary troubleshooting so fair enough (who doesn't though?) I could go with 16Gb or 32Gb tbh, whichever future proofs best (though I know well that term and PC's don't mesh well for long) Same goes for the idea of 5800X over 5600X. But yes, I recall 4 cores being all you'd need not so long ago as well as 4Gb VRAM being all you'd need for 1080p...

As for the B550 mobo, I guess maybe I'm thinking of them as lower budget options with a lack of features to boot... but isn't overclocking (such as it is with Ryzen) more an X570 thing nm that I may not need the option?

The idea of a 980 pro makes some sense, for the OS anyway. I mentioned a 1Tb SM961 I have spare, and I had the same in 256Gb for the OS on my oldie and it was crazy fast (the PC was ready to go way before monitor aso were) I've also had first hand experience of 970 EVO m.2's (there's one in my current 'to tide me over' Asus laptop (8750H/1070 that my gf is going to use soon) and it's also damn fast. I'll think on that one but SM961/970 EVO are good enough for game installs and load times with the QVO 860 I have for other stuff.

Yes, a wifi card, good idea... must've missed that. My only concern there is case clutter, which is one reason my oldie had all m.2's and no HDD's or anything else 'in the way'.

I'll definitely be calling before finalising anything (probably tomorrow) and will ask about the fan situation then. I still prefer the 4000D airflow, probably as I had it good with cooling on the oldie (was a Corsair 460X RGB btw) never exceeding 65C with all 6 fans and H100i on quiet. The 4000D will fit the available space I have, with room for airflow outside the case, better than the 5000X will and looks nicer too imo. Any extra case noise from such a... flowy case won't be an issue as I'm half deaf anyway (no, really) and nothing will fix that lol (that's why headsets are always a bother, I can't hear half of things)

Finally, the TV in question is actually 120Hz and has Freesync. I got it specifically cos it scores highly in many things but especially gaming (Rtings, among others, had it and that whole line from 55" up close to the top of the 2020 TV rankings) I want to max that and the monitor as much as I can for as long as I can (3-5 years at least) even if I don't use all those Hz. I just don't trust 8-10Gb to do it in the long term nm that RT and DLSS aren't yet game changers for me. My 1070 runs close to 7Gb in certain games, especially Total Wars: Warhammer 2, Three Kingdoms and Troy at high settings (not ultra) at 1080p rn and I can't trust everything in future will be better optimised either. 6800 is probably the lowest I'd go for that margin long term tbh.

Anyway, forgive me if I waffle but such is ruminating on the important.
Guys, thanks so, so much for taking the time and effort to comment. It's really appreciated and after this build there will be another in a few months (gf wants an ITX/small ATX in pink and white for art and light/retro/emulated gaming) Please, feel free to reconfigurate, advise and school me on things and if anybody has ideas about figuring out managing PC, monitor and desk upstairs but playing on TV downstairs give me a shout.

Have a good 'un, you awesome ppl, you.

 

[sck451]

Ah, sorry for misunderstanding re the TV. The 6800XT would indeed be a good bet for you in that case, and the Merc319 is the only one in stock, so if you're willing to pay for it, go for it. I'd caution against thinking "long term" for graphics cards, though: no graphics card is future proof. Buy a graphics card for your current needs, not the needs you might have.

No idea about how you would manage that setup, though: sounds like a bit of a nightmare. More recent standards of DP and HDMI don't allow long cable runs, so you may find this difficult.

The 4 RAM slots thing seems to be fixed now. 32GB wouldn't be a bad thing, even if it's not strictly necessary. (If you want the aesthetics for cheap, you can actually get dummy RAM sticks that do nothing but RGB.)

If I were you I'd go for the 5800X and X570 combination. You don't need the Strix board with that chip. If you take out the HDD and second SSD (just leaving the 980 Pro), you make up a fair chunk of the added cost of the 6800XT.

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
16GB SPEEDSTER MERC319 AMD RADEON™ RX 6800 XT - HDMI, DP - DX® 12
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/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 H100i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB 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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
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 12 to 14 working days
Price: £2,283.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/ZNwJbf0zzg/

 

[CMP01]

Ah, sorry for misunderstanding re the TV. The 6800XT would indeed be a good bet for you in that case, and the Merc319 is the only one in stock, so if you're willing to pay for it, go for it. I'd caution against thinking "long term" for graphics cards, though: no graphics card is future proof. Buy a graphics card for your current needs, not the needs you might have.

No idea about how you would manage that setup, though: sounds like a bit of a nightmare. More recent standards of DP and HDMI don't allow long cable runs, so you may find this difficult.

The 4 RAM slots thing seems to be fixed now. 32GB wouldn't be a bad thing, even if it's not strictly necessary. (If you want the aesthetics for cheap, you can actually get dummy RAM sticks that do nothing but RGB.)

If I were you I'd go for the 5800X and X570 combination. You don't need the Strix board with that chip. If you take out the HDD and second SSD (just leaving the 980 Pro), you make up a fair chunk of the added cost of the 6800XT.

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
16GB SPEEDSTER MERC319 AMD RADEON™ RX 6800 XT - HDMI, DP - DX® 12
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/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 H100i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB 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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
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 12 to 14 working days
Price: £2,283.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/ZNwJbf0zzg/

Hi again,

So I had a thought about the pointers you guys gave me before. Also called PCS directly earlier today re the case/fan config. The agent said to go ahead with the config and purchase without the case fan set up I had in mind then email my concern and ideas and they'll figure it out and bill me for whatever gets changed. Fair enough. All good and just waiting for a confirmation of all that by email.

I made some changes, maybe not the most ideal (as ppl tend to want things as big and best as they can, right? and I'm no different) but it'll kick ass enough while fitting under the £2500 and give me enough left out of my £3000 total for the monitor, kb and accessories.
As for the RAM, good to hear the four RAM slot issue is resolved. I had the idea to get dummy RAM earlier and found some but I can go for those or another 2x8 kit later.

Here's the build now:

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B550-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
16GB SPEEDSTER MERC319 AMD RADEON™ RX 6800 XT - HDMI, DP - DX® 12
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/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 H100i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB 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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
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 12 to 14 working days
Promotional Item
Choose from 3 incredible Ubisoft PC titles - Free with select Samsung SSDs
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Logo Branding
PCSpecialist Logo

That's £2259 btw, dunno why it didn't show that.

Anyway, now I wait and see what PCS have to say about my case/RAM request.

Cheers!

 

[CMP01]

Hi all, it's me... back again to update. Has it really been a month?!?!

Well, you'll see what my build ended up being in my signature below, plus bits I had/have yet to add when it arrives on Monday.

Took some doing and I had to amend the order a few times due to malarkey with the configurator.
Firstly accepting orders, okaying certain parts, then the algorithm or whatever manages stock catching up and realising that no, there are no such parts and I can wait for preorders. I went through every iteration of 6800XT and 6900XT, a couple of cases, a mobo and a PSU doing this.
Secondly, flagging up non such issues like things not fitting in the case (research I'd already done said they would) and etc.

Anyway, it got built at last without any extra fan kits as PCS said no to a specific setup. I got some SP120 Elite RGB's (the closest to those on the AiO, which you can't buy separately) that I'll throw in next week, dummy RAM to fill the gaps and a GPU (just so happened to pop up one night while struggling with the configurator here) that is the exact model I would've bought had current conditions not been so. The monitor is the best all rounder for it's res and price range. The mouse I've had for 5 years, it's good and still going strong. The kb is a little treat, I've never had an RGB mechanical kb before and this one is wifi and handy enough to take downstairs to the TV. Next up I think a half decent wifi headset and maybe some 2.1 speakers, and then done for a few years.

So anyway, there you are. All's well that ends well. I already treated myself to Days Gone as first 'breaking it in' game (despite already having a ridiculous backlog)

 

[AleTax]

Hi all, it's me... back again to update. Has it really been a month?!?!

Well, you'll see what my build ended up being in my signature below, plus bits I had/have yet to add when it arrives on Monday.

Took some doing and I had to amend the order a few times due to malarkey with the configurator.
Firstly accepting orders, okaying certain parts, then the algorithm or whatever manages stock catching up and realising that no, there are no such parts and I can wait for preorders. I went through every iteration of 6800XT and 6900XT, a couple of cases, a mobo and a PSU doing this.
Secondly, flagging up non such issues like things not fitting in the case (research I'd already done said they would) and etc.

Anyway, it got built at last without any extra fan kits as PCS said no to a specific setup. I got some SP120 Elite RGB's (the closest to those on the AiO, which you can't buy separately) that I'll throw in next week, dummy RAM to fill the gaps and a GPU (just so happened to pop up one night while struggling with the configurator here) that is the exact model I would've bought had current conditions not been so. The monitor is the best all rounder for it's res and price range. The mouse I've had for 5 years, it's good and still going strong. The kb is a little treat, I've never had an RGB mechanical kb before and this one is wifi and handy enough to take downstairs to the TV. Next up I think a half decent wifi headset and maybe some 2.1 speakers, and then done for a few years.

So anyway, there you are. All's well that ends well. I already treated myself to Days Gone as first 'breaking it in' game (despite already having a ridiculous backlog)

Amazing man, remember to post pictures once you receive it!

Also, the fans mounted on the radiator of the AIO are these ones: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-12...ords=corsair+ML+RGB+120&qid=1622328008&sr=8-2

 

[CMP01]

Amazing man, remember to post pictures once you receive it!

Also, the fans mounted on the radiator of the AIO are these ones: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-12...ords=corsair+ML+RGB+120&qid=1622328008&sr=8-2

I actually thought the same thing but those in the link are ML RGB Pro. Over in Corsairs support forum they detail the Elite Capellix coolers as packaged with ML Elite RGB fans (which you can't currently buy outside of with those coolers)
The difference is the ML Elite have 8 LED's (like the SP Elite) as opposed to 4 on the ML Pro and 75 CFM against 47.3..
I get uniformity of effects this way while keeping use of those ML Elites amazing airflow. Works out as good or better and definitely cheaper than my other option of replacing the lot with 6 QL120's.

 

[Ash_]

Looks a monster of a build

 

[CMP01]

Looks a monster of a build

Lol thanks. Yours is no slouch either.

I saved up and waited a long time for this after my last build 5 years ago being more of a compromise.

 

[Ash_]

Lol thanks. Yours is no slouch either.

I saved up and waited a long time for this after my last build 5 years ago being more of a compromise.

6800XT is actually potentially my next upgrade - dependant on AMD’s attempt at DLSS and assuming i get a 4k 120hz TV. And yeah i get what you mean with the fans, Corsair need to release the ML elite fans separate, but i have my light white or green normally anyway.

 

[CMP01]

6800XT is actually potentially my next upgrade - dependant on AMD’s attempt at DLSS and assuming i get a 4k 120hz TV. And yeah i get what you mean with the fans, Corsair need to release the ML elite fans separate, but i have my light white or green normally anyway.

Well, I can recommend the Samsung series of gaming worthy UHD TV's. I have the 55" Q80T. Haven't gamed too much on it admittedly though good so far and reviews for it's price and range were very good, but it's also just a great TV for TV stuff too. Apparently it's implementation of Freesync (also Gsync capable) and HDR is strong even against TV's twice the price and it's response times are certainly better than what I've been used to. I got it a few months ago as a very good all rounder (as usual I spent literally days trawling reviews and comparisons as I do for anything costing more than a few quid) so me and gf can have big movie and show binge nights and for gaming from the couch when I don't want to be in the home office/art and crafts room.

Also, I have the first 3 of 4 of the aforementioned fans installed now (the last got delayed) and all good. After marvelling at the unicorn poop/vomit (as folks call it) of the preset rainbow cycles, I decided on a uniform blue tinged white on AiO, fans, mobo, GPU and kb for now, at least until all the customising and fiddling is done. Looks great though.

And performs equally so far. After installing fans and GPU last night I did a couple of quick benchmark runs (mainly to test under load temps for the fan curves) Fire Strike scored a tad under 40000 (against my last PC's 14000) and Time Spy got a tad over 16000. Both are under the top scores by a few points, sure, but within the top percent. Temps weren't too bad either. The 5800X is known to run hotter than it's Zen peers, mine idles at 45-55C but only maxed 77C in testing, while hitting 4.84GHz, all fans and pump on balanced, better than I initially thought tbh (as opposed to my old 6700K/1070 idling in the teens and maxing almost the same but for that 14000 score and fans on quiet) The 6800XT hit 99% use and clocked 2410MHz for only 72C. Not bad at all.
I know I can tweak for more and might in time but for now a few more benches and a stress test soon, and more importantly, actual gaming.

Only downsides are that the 8 pin power cables (from the RMx 1000 kit) are cumbersome, I need a GPU bracket for sure, and where I set up and tested was on my gf's desk across the room from mine. DL's from Steam were 16+ MB/s there but dropped to 4 only 8 feet away at my desk. I'm going to either move the router upstairs or get a plug in to fix that.