Gaming PC - Spec advice and monitor recommendations?

[Conndor81]

Hi All,

First time buying a desktop from this website and would appreciate some advice - I actually submitted an order yesterday but had another look at the specs today and realised there were a few too many unknowns and potentially a lot of mistakes so I cancelled it and came here. Glad I did now, have gone in a very different direction now.

The build below as taken from the "Desktop Building Guide - Sept 2020" with only a few customisations.

• As stated in the title, the PC is for gaming. I like to have decent performance on new titles but don't need maxed out graphics on everything that comes out. I don't currently use VR but might like to at some point.
• Obviously some time has passed since the guide was written, have there been any developments in the meantime that would result in better combinations being available? I'd be happy enough to spend another £100 if it would provide a noticeable improvement.
• The website advised that I only need a 305w power supply for the build, though the creator of the build recommends higher: "I would always try to fit a 650w PSU as a minimum to any desktop system now". Any thoughts?
• Can you suggest a 24'' monitor for around £200 that will take full advantage of the build below? I can go a little higher if there is a strong case to be made.

Thank you in advance.

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
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)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 2500MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD 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
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 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,417.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/cS38HKrFdz/

 

[JUNI0R]

Hi All,

First time buying a desktop from this website and would appreciate some advice - I actually submitted an order yesterday but had another look at the specs today and realised there were a few too many unknowns and potentially a lot of mistakes so I cancelled it and came here. Glad I did now, have gone in a very different direction now.

The build below as taken from the "Desktop Building Guide - Sept 2020" with only a few customisations.

• As stated in the title, the PC is for gaming. I like to have decent performance on new titles but don't need maxed out graphics on everything that comes out. I don't currently use VR but might like to at some point.
• Obviously some time has passed since the guide was written, have there been any developments in the meantime that would result in better combinations being available? I'd be happy enough to spend another £100 if it would provide a noticeable improvement.
• The website advised that I only need a 305w power supply for the build, though the creator of the build recommends higher: "I would always try to fit a 650w PSU as a minimum to any desktop system now". Any thoughts?
• Can you suggest a 24'' monitor for around £200 that will take full advantage of the build below? I can go a little higher if there is a strong case to be made.

Thank you in advance.

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
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)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 2500MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD 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
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 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,417.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/cS38HKrFdz/

This looks like a very good start! There's a slight over spec on the motherboard and a slight underspec on the storage and PSU but we can get that sorted! Are you looking for a particularly quiet case? The Fractal Define 7 is a very expensive option if you're not. With PSU, I'd personally recommend anywhere from a TXm 750, it'd comfortably power this system and allow for a upgrade to a more beefy GPU down the line. Just a few questions too 1) What's your budget for this build and 2) do you have any existing monitors? or will you just have the monitor with the £200 budget outlined above?

 

[Citrus_9]

@JUNI0R, is there a place you're not hiding around the corner?

Ok, so things are looking good at the start, but later are a bit weird, then good again. Let me say what I think. X570-PLUS is too much for 5600X, 550B is perfectly fine. X570 is more for those who choose 5800X motherboard or do some heavy tasks on 5600X and pushing its limits, overclocking or doing something unusual.

Not sure if you need 3600Mhz RAM as there's very little difference to 3200MHz. Basically, 3600 can give some performance in video editing tasks while 3200 is perfect for gaming. Some people say 3600 is the sweets pot while the others say it's 3000. I say it's 3200

1660 Super vs 2060 GPU price difference now is ONLY 10 Pounds now! Yes, ten - TEN. Grab it quickly and run. Don't tell anyone: it's a no brainer, winning a lottery and a day light robbery all together!

I changed a PC case. The one you've chosen looks nice! That's it. It looks nice. It's very closed and has just a few little holes for an airflow. Also, only 2 front fans and 1 rear (well, that's not the worse thing). I took another one, but there are a few good cases.

Changed Seagate Firecuda to Samsung super fast. Price difference isn't big. Just a faster primary storage for OS. Nice thing to have.

PSU. Long story short: modificator or how it's called (I swear, I forgot), that thingy were you build your specs shows you a recommended PSU power for today's PC. But you will most likely upgrade after 3-5 years to a new 1440p monitor, you'll need a better GPU for that and it will need more power, so more powerful, a bit more expensive, but made off better quality parts is just better. RMx series PSU is also good as it's quieter and cooler.

I think that's it. Edit: monitor. It's below.

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX MB530P ARGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
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)
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
STANDARD AMD 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
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 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,429.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/N9TPNKWXEF/

AOC Q27G2U/BK Quad HD 27" VA Gaming Monitor - Black & Red

Quad HD 2560 x 1440p; Refresh rate: 144 Hz; Response time: 1 ms; Input: HDMI / DisplayPort; USB 3.0 x 4; Can be wall mounted

www.currys.co.uk

ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q, 23.8 InchFHD (1920x1080) Gaming monitor, IPS, up to 144Hz, 1ms MPRT, D-SUB, DP, HDMI, FreeSync, Low Blue Light, ELMB, Shadow Boost - ASUS

Buy ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q, 23.8 InchFHD (1920x1080) Gaming monitor, IPS, up to 144Hz, 1ms MPRT, D-SUB, DP, HDMI, FreeSync, Low Blue Light, ELMB, Shadow Boost at Amazon.

www.amazon.co.uk

ASUS TUF Gaming VG259Q, 25 Inch(24.5 Inch) FHD (1920x1080) Gaming monitor, 1ms(MPRT), up to 144Hz, DP, HDMI, Super Narrow Bezel, FreeSync, Low Blue Light, Flicker Free : Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Buy ASUS TUF Gaming VG259Q, 25 Inch(24.5 Inch) FHD (1920x1080) Gaming monitor, 1ms(MPRT), up to 144Hz, DP, HDMI, Super Narrow Bezel, FreeSync, Low Blue Light, Flicker Free at Amazon UK. Free delivery and return on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

 

[Conndor81]

This looks like a very good start! There's a slight over spec on the motherboard and a slight underspec on the storage and PSU but we can get that sorted! Are you looking for a particularly quiet case? The Fractal Define 7 is a very expensive option if you're not. With PSU, I'd personally recommend anywhere from a TXm 750, it'd comfortably power this system and allow for a upgrade to a more beefy GPU down the line. Just a few questions too 1) What's your budget for this build and 2) do you have any existing monitors? or will you just have the monitor with the £200 budget outlined above?

Thanks for the quick response.

Re: The case - I might be overly influenced by my current experience of a laptop that is dying very noisily, but yes, a quiet rig is pretty important to me as my PC will be in my sitting room. I also figured the case would be something I should spend money on as it will hopefully be with me for a while while other parts will be upgraded as time goes by.

1. I don't really have a budget, but don't want to spend more than I need if that makes sense. I think the GPU in the spec is enough for my gaming needs and I'd like a build that optimises that and leaves room for upgrading in the future.

2. I don't currently have a monitor, I have a gaming laptop from 2017 (it made sense at the time).

 

[sck451]

Ok, so things are looking good at the start, but later are a bit weird, then good again. Let me say what I think. X570-PLUS is too much for 5600X, 550B is perfectly fine. X570 is more for those who choose 5800X motherboard or do some heavy tasks on 5600X and pushing its limits, overclocking or doing something unusual.

Or if you want the features X570 provides (extra PCIe 4.0 lanes, extra SATA ports, extra USB ports and headers, a PS/2 port -- I'm not absolutely sure which of those are part of the chipset specification and which are Asus's choices). I agree X570 is probably not needed here, but it's not only about the quality of components: there are feature differences as well.

 

[JUNI0R]

@JUNI0R, is there a place you're not hiding around the corner?

Ok, so things are looking good at the start, but later are a bit weird, then good again. Let me say what I think. X570-PLUS is too much for 5600X, 550B is perfectly fine. X570 is more for those who choose 5800X motherboard or do some heavy tasks on 5600X and pushing its limits, overclocking or doing something unusual.

Not sure if you need 3600Mhz RAM as there's very little difference to 3200MHz. Basically, 3600 can give some performance in video editing tasks while 3200 is perfect for gaming. Some people say 3600 is the sweets pot while the others say it's 3000. I say it's 3200

1660 Super vs 2060 GPU price difference now is ONLY 10 Pounds now! Yes, ten - TEN. Grab it quickly and run. Don't tell anyone: it's a no brainer, winning a lottery and a day light robbery all together!

I changed a PC case. The one you've chosen looks nice! That's it. It looks nice. It's very closed and has just a few little holes for an airflow. Also, only 2 front fans and 1 rear (well, that's not the worse thing). I took another one, but there are a few good cases.

Changed Seagate Firecuda to Samsung super fast. Price difference isn't big. Just a faster primary storage for OS. Nice thing to have.

PSU. Long story short: modificator or how it's called (I swear, I forgot), that thingy were you build your specs shows you a recommended PSU power for today's PC. But you will most likely upgrade after 3-5 years to a new 1440p monitor, you'll need a better GPU for that and it will need more power, so more powerful, a bit more expensive, but made off better quality parts is just better. RMx series PSU is also good as it's quieter and cooler.

I think that's it. Edit: monitor. It's below.

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX MB530P ARGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
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)
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
STANDARD AMD 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
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 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,429.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/N9TPNKWXEF/

AOC Q27G2U/BK Quad HD 27" VA Gaming Monitor - Black & Red

Quad HD 2560 x 1440p; Refresh rate: 144 Hz; Response time: 1 ms; Input: HDMI / DisplayPort; USB 3.0 x 4; Can be wall mounted

www.currys.co.uk

ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q, 23.8 InchFHD (1920x1080) Gaming monitor, IPS, up to 144Hz, 1ms MPRT, D-SUB, DP, HDMI, FreeSync, Low Blue Light, ELMB, Shadow Boost - ASUS

Buy ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q, 23.8 InchFHD (1920x1080) Gaming monitor, IPS, up to 144Hz, 1ms MPRT, D-SUB, DP, HDMI, FreeSync, Low Blue Light, ELMB, Shadow Boost at Amazon.

www.amazon.co.uk

ASUS TUF Gaming VG259Q, 25 Inch(24.5 Inch) FHD (1920x1080) Gaming monitor, 1ms(MPRT), up to 144Hz, DP, HDMI, Super Narrow Bezel, FreeSync, Low Blue Light, Flicker Free : Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Buy ASUS TUF Gaming VG259Q, 25 Inch(24.5 Inch) FHD (1920x1080) Gaming monitor, 1ms(MPRT), up to 144Hz, DP, HDMI, Super Narrow Bezel, FreeSync, Low Blue Light, Flicker Free at Amazon UK. Free delivery and return on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

Looks like a solid build! I'd be tempted to wait for OP's budget requirements and see if you can sneak a 1TB games drive in somehow. I think you may find the difference between 1660S and 2060 is £21, but never the less still great value in comparison! Also the 3600mhz is still in although the gap is fairly minimal again.

For monitor's, I'd suggest having a look at the AOC 24G2U and MSI Optix G241, two monitors I recommend a lot for around your price point.

For this one, I've swapped to a one with a slightly more open front (the RGB can be turned off if you're not a fan), Stepped back to 3200mhz, added in a 1TB games drive and swapped down to an RMx750, as realistically, that'd still perfectly happily run a 3070 or 6700XT

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX TD500 MESH ARGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
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)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/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
STANDARD AMD 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
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 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,467.00 including VAT and Delivery

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

 

[Citrus_9]

Thanks for the quick response.

Re: The case - I might be overly influenced by my current experience of a laptop that is dying very noisily, but yes, a quiet rig is pretty important to me as my PC will be in my sitting room. I also figured the case would be something I should spend money on as it will hopefully be with me for a while while other parts will be upgraded as time goes by.

1. I don't really have a budget, but don't want to spend more than I need if that makes sense. I think the GPU in the spec is enough for my gaming needs and I'd like a build that optimises that and leaves room for upgrading in the future.

2. I don't currently have a monitor, I have a gaming laptop from 2017 (it made sense at the time).

What upgrades in future we're talking now? Are you going to continue playing or switch to streaming, video/photo editing, data analysis? If continue gaming, you only need a strong PSU (850W RMx is best) and a good PC case.

 

[Citrus_9]

Looks like a solid build! I'd be tempted to wait for OP's budget requirements and see if you can sneak a 1TB games drive in somehow. I think you may find the difference between 1660S and 2060 is £21, but never the less still great value in comparison! Also the 3600mhz is still in although the gap is fairly minimal again.

Oh yes, it's 21 difference, not 10. I think I had too much this evening

 

[AgentCooper]

Some people say 3600 is the sweets pot

I respectfully disagree, this is the sweets pot.

 

[Citrus_9]

I respectfully disagree, this is the sweets pot.

View attachment 26286

N-18

Wow, looks like a jar of insertable diaphragm. These aren't my favourite type - very chewy.

 

[Conndor81]

Looks like a solid build! I'd be tempted to wait for OP's budget requirements and see if you can sneak a 1TB games drive in somehow. I think you may find the difference between 1660S and 2060 is £21, but never the less still great value in comparison! Also the 3600mhz is still in although the gap is fairly minimal again.

For monitor's, I'd suggest having a look at the AOC 24G2U and MSI Optix G241, two monitors I recommend a lot for around your price point.

For this one, I've swapped to a one with a slightly more open front (the RGB can be turned off if you're not a fan), Stepped back to 3200mhz, added in a 1TB games drive and swapped down to an RMx750, as realistically, that'd still perfectly happily run a 3070 or 6700XT

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX TD500 MESH ARGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
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)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/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
STANDARD AMD 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
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 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,467.00 including VAT and Delivery

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

Thanks for this - is there a specific reason for including two SSD drives? Other than, well, more is better? Would they have discrete uses?

 

[Conndor81]

What upgrades in future we're talking now? Are you going to continue playing or switch to streaming, video/photo editing, data analysis? If continue gaming, you only need a strong PSU (850W RMx is best) and a good PC case.

Thanks for your feedback and suggestions. I'm unlikely to do anything more demanding than gaming so that's all that needs to be future-proofed.

 

[JUNI0R]

Thanks for this - is there a specific reason for including two SSD drives? Other than, well, more is better? Would they have discrete uses?

The idea behind having two SSD's is that the 500GB one would be used for Windows and Applications then the 1TB one would be used for games, meaning if you had to re-install windows for whatever reason, you wouldn't also have to re-install all your games.

 

[Conndor81]

The idea behind having two SSD's is that the 500GB one would be used for Windows and Applications then the 1TB one would be used for games, meaning if you had to re-install windows for whatever reason, you wouldn't also have to re-install all your games.

I see. Clever.

Thanks to both of you for your feedback and suggestions. I'll adjust the specs as suggested and add the MSI monitor. Will have a further think about the case and storage. Really glad I took the time to post here, it's been illuminating and I feel like I'm getting a lot more for a lower price than my original order. Keep up the good work!

 

[JUNI0R]

I see. Clever.

Thanks to both of you for your feedback and suggestions. I'll adjust the specs as suggested and add the MSI monitor. Will have a further think about the case and storage. Really glad I took the time to post here, it's been illuminating and I feel like I'm getting a lot more for a lower price than my original order. Keep up the good work!

You’re welcome! It’s what we’re here for. Sounds good, and let us know what spec you end up with!

 

[Citrus_9]

I see. Clever.

Thanks to both of you for your feedback and suggestions. I'll adjust the specs as suggested and add the MSI monitor. Will have a further think about the case and storage. Really glad I took the time to post here, it's been illuminating and I feel like I'm getting a lot more for a lower price than my original order. Keep up the good work!

Sure, we're happy you'll get better PC for your money. It's not just a regular shopping - taking time to learn and decide.

What monitor are you thinking of getting? 24inch 1080p are the only two best options currently (at least known for me) and I've suggested them above.