Custom Build PC Or Laptop for gaming & softwares?

[Kaiser]

Hi,

I really don't know much about custom built laptops & PC's, so I need some advice and help.
I am going back to University in the middle of September 2018 and I require a really good PC built or Laptop around £1,000.
I just need the custom built to run all of Adobe Creative Cloud software's, such as After Effects, Photoshop, Premier In, Dreamweaver, Flash, Audition, Muse, Character Animator ETC and most importantly AutoCAD.
Also, I need this custom built pc or laptop to run games on steam, as I have got a steam link and controller years ago which I've never used. I need a pc or laptop for both studies and gaming. Someone please advise me or help me, I'll appreciate the help. I definitely need a PC to run all adobe programs smoothly and quickly btw Also play really high spec games if its possible, I don't know what type of games though.

Thanks.

 

[Frank100]

Hi,

I can't imagine too many degree courses where you aren't going to take your computer into a lecture, lab or some other location at some point during a 3 year degree. A laptop is probably going to suit you better because it is so portable. It also makes it easier to meet with classmates in a library or at each other's houses and set up and collaborate and help each other.

In terms of your needs, most of the programs you list will benefit from a decent CPU and to a lesser extent, a reasonable GPU. Both of these things are important for games but graphically intensive games at high settings are going to need a better GPU than your budget is likely to afford.

Going back to the portability point, you probably don't want to cart a 17.3" laptop about, but having a bigger screen will be helpful with graphic based projects. The solution to that might be to get a 15.6" laptop and then ask relatives to club together to buy you a good sized monitor for Christmas or your next birthday to keep in your room.

Another portability consideration is battery life. If you don't need a lot of storage space in the laptop you could have just a SSD or M.2 SATA chip which will use a lot less power than a spinning disk. This means you can work for longer on battery power alone. A 1TB USB disk to keep extra work on can be plugged in only when required. Disks like these are around the £40-50 mark, or you may already have one you can use.

Having faster storage than a spinning hard disk is also good when editing large graphic files as read/write speeds will come into play.

Going back to the gaming point, I think the right thing to do is spec the laptop for your course and adjust your video performance levels in the games to suit the laptop you have. If you try to go somewhere down the middle you'll be sat there waiting far longer for work tasks to complete, you'll get frustrated and then want to game instead. The end goal is a 1st class honours degree and being at the head of the queue for the best jobs I presume?

The following build is under £1000: -

Chassis & Display
Vyper Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 45% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Six Core Processor 8750H (2.2GHz, 4.1GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair 2400MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050 Ti - 4.0GB GDDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st Hard Disk
500GB Samsung 860 2.5" EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
The Crew 2 FREE with select SAMSUNG SSDs!
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 2 in 1 Memory Card Reader (SD, MMC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 150W AC Adaptor
Battery
Vyper Series 46WH Lithium Ion Battery
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® AC-9560 M.2 (1.73Gbps, 802.11AC) +BT 5.0
USB Options
1 x USB 3.1 PORT (Type C) + 2 x USB 3.1 PORTS + 4 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
PER-KEY RGB BACKLIT UK MECHANICAL KEYBOARD
Operating System
Genuine 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)
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
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 5 to 7 working days
Quantity
1

Price £964.00 including VAT and delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/vyper-15/j8rCpzbsJu/

If you spent a little more you could get faster storage, like the M.2 SATA NVMe stuff but that adds £100 to the build and that's presumably £100 you could spend on a monitor or £100 you don't have to add to your student loans.

I think the above gives you a lot of what you've asked for but makes work tasks the priority.

Frank100

 

[Oussebon]

The above spec is a very good laptop spec for your uses and budget.

You could change the SSD for the 860 Evo under the 1st Hard Drive section to a WD Blue M.2 SSD from the M.2 SSD Drive. The WD Blue with 3D NAND are fairly decent, and this would leave the 2,5" bay free for a choice of either an HDD or SSD future upgrade. Whereas keeping the M.2 slot free means you can only add an SSD.

 

[Stephen M]

Agree with both of above but if you are spending a grand on your machine you may want to consider the Silver warranty for a fiver.

 

[Kaiser]

Hi,

I can't imagine too many degree courses where you aren't going to take your computer into a lecture, lab or some other location at some point during a 3 year degree. A laptop is probably going to suit you better because it is so portable. It also makes it easier to meet with classmates in a library or at each other's houses and set up and collaborate and help each other.

In terms of your needs, most of the programs you list will benefit from a decent CPU and to a lesser extent, a reasonable GPU. Both of these things are important for games but graphically intensive games at high settings are going to need a better GPU than your budget is likely to afford.

Going back to the portability point, you probably don't want to cart a 17.3" laptop about, but having a bigger screen will be helpful with graphic based projects. The solution to that might be to get a 15.6" laptop and then ask relatives to club together to buy you a good sized monitor for Christmas or your next birthday to keep in your room.

Another portability consideration is battery life. If you don't need a lot of storage space in the laptop you could have just a SSD or M.2 SATA chip which will use a lot less power than a spinning disk. This means you can work for longer on battery power alone. A 1TB USB disk to keep extra work on can be plugged in only when required. Disks like these are around the £40-50 mark, or you may already have one you can use.

Having faster storage than a spinning hard disk is also good when editing large graphic files as read/write speeds will come into play.

Going back to the gaming point, I think the right thing to do is spec the laptop for your course and adjust your video performance levels in the games to suit the laptop you have. If you try to go somewhere down the middle you'll be sat there waiting far longer for work tasks to complete, you'll get frustrated and then want to game instead. The end goal is a 1st class honours degree and being at the head of the queue for the best jobs I presume?

The following build is under £1000: -

Chassis & Display
Vyper Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 45% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Six Core Processor 8750H (2.2GHz, 4.1GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair 2400MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050 Ti - 4.0GB GDDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st Hard Disk
500GB Samsung 860 2.5" EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
The Crew 2 FREE with select SAMSUNG SSDs!
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 2 in 1 Memory Card Reader (SD, MMC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 150W AC Adaptor
Battery
Vyper Series 46WH Lithium Ion Battery
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® AC-9560 M.2 (1.73Gbps, 802.11AC) +BT 5.0
USB Options
1 x USB 3.1 PORT (Type C) + 2 x USB 3.1 PORTS + 4 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
PER-KEY RGB BACKLIT UK MECHANICAL KEYBOARD
Operating System
Genuine 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)
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
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 5 to 7 working days
Quantity
1

Price £964.00 including VAT and delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/vyper-15/j8rCpzbsJu/

If you spent a little more you could get faster storage, like the M.2 SATA NVMe stuff but that adds £100 to the build and that's presumably £100 you could spend on a monitor or £100 you don't have to add to your student loans.

I think the above gives you a lot of what you've asked for but makes work tasks the priority.

Frank100

This is perfect! Just seen your message now, and you've given me enough information, I really appreciate it bro! Just a question about the battery life and storage space you was talking about, is it possible to have both great battery life and a lot of space on the laptop? I've got a computer which has got about 5 years+ important work which comes around 1tb but I'd like the most storage for the laptop, also a really good battery life, I wouldn't mind pushing the budget up if it makes the battery life last longer and more storage, and I really need it to be quick so I can render files on After Effects really quick too, is it possible to send me a unique URL again please?

I would definitely purchase this, as I would need it overtime. I appreciate your help, as I don't really know a lot about computers/laptops etc. If I didn't get your help, I would've ended up going and buying a Laptop or PC from Currys/PCWorld for the same price or more but it wouldn't be as good as a custom Laptop/PC you just sent me, so I would basically be ripped off and not get what I really wanted if I went ahead with PCworld/Currys. Once again, I appreciate your help! 😃

 

[Kaiser]

Agree with both of above but if you are spending a grand on your machine you may want to consider the Silver warranty for a fiver.

What does the Silver warranty do? And how long is it valid for? It's my first time trying to get a custom pc, just trying to get round this website

 

[Rakk]

What does the Silver warranty do? And how long is it valid for? It's my first time trying to get a custom pc, just trying to get round this website

Upgrading to the silver warranty ups the cover on the courier charges to a year (from the 3 months of the standard warranty) - to me it's always worth if even if just for peace of mind given it's only a fiver.

 

[Kaiser]

The above spec is a very good laptop spec for your uses and budget.

You could change the SSD for the 860 Evo under the 1st Hard Drive section to a WD Blue M.2 SSD from the M.2 SSD Drive. The WD Blue with 3D NAND are fairly decent, and this would leave the 2,5" bay free for a choice of either an HDD or SSD future upgrade. Whereas keeping the M.2 slot free means you can only add an SSD.

I don't really know much about PC's this really confused me lol, but I think I'll add on what you said, I don't mind pushing my budget, also can you help me with having a large storage space and great battery life together? I tried to reply to Frank but my messages doesn't go through, so I don't think he will see the messages I sent. If possible I'll appreciate it if you can send me a updated Unique URL with the new specs you just mentioned so I can order it tonight or sometime this week. Thanks a lot, I really appreciate your help and the others on this forum! 😃

 

[Kaiser]

Upgrading to the silver warranty ups the cover on the courier charges to a year (from the 3 months of the standard warranty) - to me it's always worth if even if just for peace of mind given it's only a fiver.

Yes definitely will go ahead with this, does this mean that I'm covered if something happens to my laptop/pc for the duration of the warranty?

 

[Rakk]

I tried to reply to Frank but my messages doesn't go through, so I don't think he will see the messages I sent.

When you are new to the forums your posts will often get auto-moderated (especially if there are links in it), and this means they aren't visible until a mod approves them - so you just need to wait til one of us approves it Your replies should be visible now

 

[SaimDeals]

Use CPU: Intel Core i7-8700K, The Core i7-8700K has the highest stock clockspeeds Intel has ever offered, and with six cores we get a huge boost to overall processing power compared to the earlier Kaby Lake processors. Compared to the previous generation i7-7700K, i7-8700K is a huge upgrade. You get 50 percent more cores, running at higher clockspeeds. Few games actually use more than four cores, but that's starting to change, and outside of games the additional computational power can be very useful. Videos encode substantially faster, for example, and streaming while gaming is less likely to cause stuttering.

 

[Kaiser]

When you are new to the forums your posts will often get auto-moderated (especially if there are links in it), and this means they aren't visible until a mod approves them - so you just need to wait til one of us approves it Your replies should be visible now

Thanks a lot for the approval, I thought it was my account just messing about lol, I appreciate all the help you've provided

 

[Kaiser]

Use CPU: Intel Core i7-8700K, The Core i7-8700K has the highest stock clockspeeds Intel has ever offered, and with six cores we get a huge boost to overall processing power compared to the earlier Kaby Lake processors. Compared to the previous generation i7-7700K, i7-8700K is a huge upgrade. You get 50 percent more cores, running at higher clockspeeds. Few games actually use more than four cores, but that's starting to change, and outside of games the additional computational power can be very useful. Videos encode substantially faster, for example, and streaming while gaming is less likely to cause stuttering.

Hi, I tried check for the CPU you just mentioned but there isn't any options for that CPU, is there anyway I can contact them and ask them if they can add this CPU?

 

[Rakk]

Hi, I tried check for the CPU you just mentioned but there isn't any options for that CPU, is there anyway I can contact them and ask them if they can add this CPU?

No they can't because the CPU's that SaimDeals mentioned are desktop CPUs and so cannot be used in the laptops available.
Edit: Franks spec has got the most powerful CPU that can be used in that chassis already selected

 

[Oussebon]

Use CPU: Intel Core i7-8700K, The Core i7-8700K has the highest stock clockspeeds Intel has ever offered, and with six cores we get a huge boost to overall processing power compared to the earlier Kaby Lake processors. Compared to the previous generation i7-7700K, i7-8700K is a huge upgrade. You get 50 percent more cores, running at higher clockspeeds. Few games actually use more than four cores, but that's starting to change, and outside of games the additional computational power can be very useful. Videos encode substantially faster, for example, and streaming while gaming is less likely to cause stuttering.

Great copy/paste from PCGamer: https://www.pcgamer.com/pc-build-guide-high-end-gaming-pc/

12/10 would plagiarise again.

@Kaiser - the i7 8700k is a desktop CPU. There are some very high end laptop chassis that can support these, but not sub £1500, probably a lot more for a balanced system. The i7 8750H is the best you can expect for anywhere close to your budget.

I don't really know much about PC's this really confused me lol, but I think I'll add on what you said,

Sorry What I meant is:
-drop the 500gb Samsung 860 Evo SSD from the 1st Hard Disk Menu
- add in a 500gb WD Blue SSD from the M.2 SSD Menu

As this gives you more choice for what you can upgrade in your laptop for storage in the future

 

[Kaiser]

Oh ok thanks,
I've done this but changed the "1st Hard Disk" to "2TB Samsung Evo" and "1st M.2 SSD Drive" to "500GB WD Blue SSD". Let me know if this is correct, the specifications is below. If there is anything I need to change to make it better or if I've chosen the incorrect Hard Disk or SSD Drive and if there is a better option, please let me know I'd like to make this perfect and get it confirmed that its great for its value before purchasing


The specification below has been formatted so you can easily copy and paste this to our forums when discussing your specification. Once you've copied the specification, please click here to continue.


Chassis & Display
Vyper Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 45% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Six Core Processor 8750H (2.2GHz, 4.1GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair 2400MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050 Ti - 4.0GB GDDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st Hard Disk
2TB Samsung 860 EVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
The Crew 2 FREE with select SAMSUNG SSDs!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB WD Blue™ 3D NAND M.2 SSD (up to 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 2 in 1 Memory Card Reader (SD, MMC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 150W AC Adaptor
Battery
Vyper Series 46WH Lithium Ion Battery
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® AC-9560 M.2 (1.73Gbps, 802.11AC) +BT 5.0
USB Options
1 x USB 3.1 PORT (Type C) + 2 x USB 3.1 PORTS + 4 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
PER-KEY RGB BACKLIT UK MECHANICAL KEYBOARD
Operating System
Genuine 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)
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
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 5 to 7 working days
Quantity
1

Price £1,417.00 including VAT and delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/vyper-15/dEbCEjDnea/

 

[Kaiser]

Great copy/paste from PCGamer: https://www.pcgamer.com/pc-build-guide-high-end-gaming-pc/

12/10 would plagiarise again.

@Kaiser - the i7 8700k is a desktop CPU. There are some very high end laptop chassis that can support these, but not sub £1500, probably a lot more for a balanced system. The i7 8750H is the best you can expect for anywhere close to your budget.

Sorry What I meant is:
-drop the 500gb Samsung 860 Evo SSD from the 1st Hard Disk Menu
- add in a 500gb WD Blue SSD from the M.2 SSD Menu

As this gives you more choice for what you can upgrade in your laptop for storage in the future

Oh ok thanks,
I've done this but changed the "1st Hard Disk" to "2TB Samsung Evo" and "1st M.2 SSD Drive" to "500GB WD Blue SSD". Let me know if this is correct, the specifications is below. If there is anything I need to change to make it better or if I've chosen the incorrect Hard Disk or SSD Drive and if there is a better option, please let me know I'd like to make this perfect and get it confirmed that its great for its value before purchasing


The specification below has been formatted so you can easily copy and paste this to our forums when discussing your specification. Once you've copied the specification, please click here to continue.


Chassis & Display
Vyper Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 45% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Six Core Processor 8750H (2.2GHz, 4.1GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair 2400MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050 Ti - 4.0GB GDDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st Hard Disk
2TB Samsung 860 EVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
The Crew 2 FREE with select SAMSUNG SSDs!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB WD Blue™ 3D NAND M.2 SSD (up to 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated 2 in 1 Memory Card Reader (SD, MMC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 150W AC Adaptor
Battery
Vyper Series 46WH Lithium Ion Battery
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® AC-9560 M.2 (1.73Gbps, 802.11AC) +BT 5.0
USB Options
1 x USB 3.1 PORT (Type C) + 2 x USB 3.1 PORTS + 4 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
PER-KEY RGB BACKLIT UK MECHANICAL KEYBOARD
Operating System
Genuine 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)
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
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 5 to 7 working days
Quantity
1

Price £1,417.00 including VAT and delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved...15/dEbCEjDnea/

 

[Kaiser]

No they can't because the CPU's that SaimDeals mentioned are desktop CPUs and so cannot be used in the laptops available.
Edit: Franks spec has got the most powerful CPU that can be used in that chassis already selected

Oh ok I see where you're coming from, thanks for the information

 

[Oussebon]

There's no point spending £400 on a 2Tb SSD for general storage. It would be much better to invest that instead into a better GPU, etc.

e.g. with this spec: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/configure-review/264/

It's a fixed spec, so you can't change it, but has a large discount.

 

[Kaiser]

There's no point spending £400 on a 2Tb SSD for general storage. It would be much better to invest that instead into a better GPU, etc.

e.g. with this spec: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/configure-review/264/

It's a fixed spec, so you can't change it, but has a large discount.

Is this better than the custom built PC that I was given at the start of the forum? If it is, then I'll purchase this one asap