Gaming PC

[Nirvanachaser]

Hi all,

Just bought my first house with my partner so funds are a little tighter than would ordinarily like. However, the good news is that I now have a room for an "office" which means I can get a desktop for the first time in circa 17 years! When I say office, I obviously mean I will be playing games on it while pretending to work as, when I work from home, I need to log into a virtual desktop anyway.

I am finding all the various specs and components slightly overwhelming at the moment though so thought I would ask for some help. I currently have no equipment so would need everything from a mouse up to the monitor. The below really represents my upper budget (little bit of wiggle room, but not much). I've set out below what I would ideally like out of the computer but not sure if that is unrealistic on this budget - please help me manage expectations!

As a side note, I would not feel confident modding or upgrading the desktop myself. I've seen lots of advice along the lines of "pop in an upgrade" on here which I am sure works for most people but I'm basically a gremlin who will no doubt blow the thing up.

Given the above, I have no brand loyalty for any manufacturer (e.g. AMD vs Intel) so am willing to be guided. Also, I see that cables and things are options, do I need these to connect the monitor or are they additional/upgrades?

Needs/wants:

-

• Internet browsing
  
• Gaming* (not sure what the difference between "extreme gaming" and "mid-tier gaming" is) - please note I am extremely unlikely to stream things but will play games online
  
• Some file storage for pdfs and videos/photos
  
• Quick and smooth with few crashes
  
• Good graphics
  
• Able to handle latest games for at least 2 years before needing to update
  
• Wi-Fi as no cable access to office
  
• Preferably quiet and not acting as an extra radiator in the room

Case
NZXT S340 MID TOWER GAMING CASE (BLACK/BLUE)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-7600K (3.8GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z270E GAMING: LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GB, Wi-Fi - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1050 Ti - DVI, HDMI, DP
1st Hard Disk
2TB SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
M.2 SSD Drive
256GB SAMSUNG PM961 M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 2800MB/R, 1100MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W VS SERIES™ VS-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H55 Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Extra Case Fans
2x 120mm Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
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 Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc DVD & Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
DVD Recovery Media
Windows 10 (64-bit) Home DVD with paper sleeve
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security 2017 - 3 User, 1 Year
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Monitor
IIYAMA GE2788HS-B2 27" Gaming Monitor
Keyboard & Mouse
Corsair Gaming Bundle - Keyboard, Mouse, Headset & Mouse Mat
Speakers
LOGITECH Z200 2.0 SPEAKERS - 10W
Surge Protection
6 Socket 2m Surge Protector
Cable Management
PCS 1.5M Zip Cable Tidy - Professional Cable Management
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Home Installation
Technician Assisted Installation & Set-Up
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 11 working days
Promotional Item
FREE Rocket League with select GTX 10 Series GPUs!
Quantity
1

Price £1,637.00 including VAT and delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z270-pc/xGPgzarFQ7/

Thanks in advance!

* Immediate future would be Overwatch, the Total War Warhammer games, modded Skyrim (and the next Elder Scrolls game when released), Fallout 4 and Civ 6

 

[keynes]

The spec you posted will struggle with gaming at high settings. For your budget you could consider making some adjustements and getting cheaper peripherals depending on your budget. There is also no need for a technician as it is plug and play.

 

[Nirvanachaser]

The spec you posted will struggle with gaming at high settings. For your budget you could consider making some adjustements and getting cheaper peripherals depending on your budget. There is also no need for a technician as it is plug and play.

So that's £79 saved on the installation right there - thanks!

How much difference will I notice by not having games at "high" settings? Dawn of War was the last game I had on my laptop so imagine I will see an improvement from that regardless!

What components would you suggest get upgraded per your above suggestion? As mentioned, I would be keen to future proof (to the extent possible) for at least two years.

 

[Oussebon]

As above. Trimming some of the fat off will take the price down while letting you get an i7 7700k (which some titles including Total War can benefit from a good deal) and a better GPU.

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE S BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Overclocked CPU
Overclocked Intel® Core™i7-7700k Quad Core (4.20GHz @ up to 4.8GHz)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z270E GAMING: LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GB, Wi-Fi - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
3GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1060 - DVI, HDMI, 3 x DP

FREE Rocket League with select GTX 10 Series GPUs!
1[SUP]st[/SUP] Hard Disk
2TB SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
M.2 SSD Drive
256GB SAMSUNG PM961 M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 2800MB/R, 1100MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Noctua NH-U14S Ultra Quiet 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 Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc DVD & Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Monitor
BENQ GL2450HM 24" LED MONITOR
Surge Protection
6 Socket 2m Surge Protector
Cable Management
PCS 1.5M Zip Cable Tidy - Professional Cable Management
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 9 to 11 working days
Quantity
1

Price £1,540.00 including VAT and delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z270-overclocked/ECHHUe!Bd6/

The technician assisted delivery consists of:

Technician Assisted Installation


We offer a home installation service allowing those in need of a little extra help in setting up their order the peace of mind that is often lacked when ordering a new computer. This ranges from a basic installation right through to family surf control and that all important data transfer. Below is a breakdown of each service and what it covers:

Technician Assisted Installation & Set-Up

• Unpack PC, connect plugs and power supply.
• Establish internet connection (must already be up and running).
• Set up e-mail account (must already be purchased).
• Set up security updates and demonstrate key security features.
• Connect 2-3 peripherals (printer/fax/camera etc.). This includes a maximum of one printer.

Which is basically just plugging it in. If you're going to be gaming on a PC, you are capable of all the above yourself

You can also get cheaper peripherals.

Some people find that 1080p resolution looks a bit too stretched over a 27" screen and 24" seems to be considered a sweet spot for the resolution. Obviously not everyone does or else they wouldn't make 27" monitors but it's something to be aware of. Almost £200 for a 1080p 60hz (75hz with freesync?) screen is not great value imo. You can buy 1080p 144hz screens for ~£210.

not acting as an extra radiator in the room

Bear in mind you don't have much control over this. The components will generate a certain amount of heat depending on what they're doing. Better airflow and cooling helps dissipate the heat faster so keeps the components themselves cooler, but you're still dissipating the same amount of heat into the surrounding area, as far as my limited understand of these things goes. Some components generate more heat than others (an RX 580 might generate more heat than a GTX 1060? I'm not sure..) but not such that it would really affect your surroundings in my experience.

No gaming PC is going to be silent either, however you can mitigate noise through components such as the Fractal Define S case, the Noctua cooler, and a better PSU (which all have their own merits anyway quite apart from mitigating noise).

If buying all of that you could get a pre-overclocked system (which again can be a particular asset for Total war and other titles).

You can also use a free AV like Avast.

 

[keynes]

No gaming PC is going to be silent either,

Liquid series :turned:

 

[Rakk]

Liquid series :turned:

Maybe that should be 'no reasonably priced PC'

 

[Nirvanachaser]

Thanks! I might take a look around for monitors in that case. Would you recommend 144hz?

3gb on the graphics does not sound like a lot when they go up to 11gb but maybe I am not understanding how they scale?

Do I need extra wires for monitors and things or do they tend to come with the required connections? Not sure what the option to purchase extra or different ones on the configuration page is for.

Lastly, do I need extra case fans or are they only for super-high spec systems?

(Much obliged!)

As above. Trimming some of the fat off will take the price down while letting you get an i7 7700k (which some titles including Total War can benefit from a good deal) and a better GPU.

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE S BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Overclocked CPU
Overclocked Intel® Core™i7-7700k Quad Core (4.20GHz @ up to 4.8GHz)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z270E GAMING: LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GB, Wi-Fi - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
3GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1060 - DVI, HDMI, 3 x DP

FREE Rocket League with select GTX 10 Series GPUs!
1[SUP]st[/SUP] Hard Disk
2TB SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
M.2 SSD Drive
256GB SAMSUNG PM961 M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 2800MB/R, 1100MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Noctua NH-U14S Ultra Quiet 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 Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc DVD & Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Monitor
BENQ GL2450HM 24" LED MONITOR
Surge Protection
6 Socket 2m Surge Protector
Cable Management
PCS 1.5M Zip Cable Tidy - Professional Cable Management
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 9 to 11 working days
Quantity
1

Price £1,540.00 including VAT and delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z270-overclocked/ECHHUe!Bd6/

The technician assisted delivery consists of:



Which is basically just plugging it in. If you're going to be gaming on a PC, you are capable of all the above yourself

You can also get cheaper peripherals.

Some people find that 1080p resolution looks a bit too stretched over a 27" screen and 24" seems to be considered a sweet spot for the resolution. Obviously not everyone does or else they wouldn't make 27" monitors but it's something to be aware of. Almost £200 for a 1080p 60hz (75hz with freesync?) screen is not great value imo. You can buy 1080p 144hz screens for ~£210.

Bear in mind you don't have much control over this. The components will generate a certain amount of heat depending on what they're doing. Better airflow and cooling helps dissipate the heat faster so keeps the components themselves cooler, but you're still dissipating the same amount of heat into the surrounding area, as far as my limited understand of these things goes. Some components generate more heat than others (an RX 580 might generate more heat than a GTX 1060? I'm not sure..) but not such that it would really affect your surroundings in my experience.

No gaming PC is going to be silent either, however you can mitigate noise through components such as the Fractal Define S case, the Noctua cooler, and a better PSU (which all have their own merits anyway quite apart from mitigating noise).

If buying all of that you could get a pre-overclocked system (which again can be a particular asset for Total war and other titles).

You can also use a free AV like Avast.

 

[Nirvanachaser]

Thanks! Just tried replying and not sure where that reply went...

I will look at monitors more broadly in that case. Just for my education, is the 1ms response a must have for gaming? It doesn't seem like it'd be significant. Also, is 144hz significantly better without being over the top expensive?

One thing I do not understand is how the graphics cards scale - 3gb does not seem like a lot given 11gb are available.

 

[Rakk]

Thanks! Just tried replying and not sure where that reply went...

When you are new to the forums your posts will often get auto-moderated (especially if they have links in them), so it was just waiting approval by a mod - it should be visible now

 

[Oussebon]

Just for my education, is the 1ms response a must have for gaming? It doesn't seem like it'd be significant.

In real terms, it's not significant. Many modern monitors will be fine for relatively casual gaming. The response times stated by the manufacturer also doesn't paint a full picture of performance. It's not a huge deal - my "5ms" budget IPS panel from 2012 is still fine for casual PvP gaming.

Many monitors have reviews online so you can just google AOC G2460PF review for example and see what you're buying. Some reviews will be more in depth than others. If a monitor is particularly slow in practice with its response time the review might mention ghosting or something along those lines. Obviously not all reviewers are as rigorous or use the same testing methods as others.

Also, is 144hz significantly better without being over the top expensive?

It's a matter of taste/ personal choice. Some people swear by it and say even using the desktop feels so much smoother and more pleasant. Others say they didn't really care. If you buy a ~£130 basic-but-decent monitor now you can always buy a more expensive monitor in the future (maybe if you buy a nice fat GPU upgrade in a couple of years) and use the cheap monitor for web pages etc. What I would say is that if I were buying a 1080p monitor for about £200, I'd expect a 144hz refresh rate or a very nice IPS panel.

One thing I do not understand is how the graphics cards scale - 3gb does not seem like a lot given 11gb are available.

The short answer is that how many GB of VRAM has virtually nothing to do with performance and that a GTX 1060 is a good match for modern 1080p gaming.

A GTX 1060 3gb is vastly more powerful than a GTX 1050 ti with 4gb. A GTX 1060 with 6gb VRAM is more powerful than a GTX 1060 3gb, but this is more due to the different number of cores the GPU has rather than VRAM. Plus it's only a little bit better, not twice as good.

An RX 480 with 4gb VRAM performs almost identically to one with 8gb. Also a GTX 1080 is a lot more powerful than an RX 480 despite them both having 8gb VRAM. Its performance in games is similar to two RX 480s being run in "Crossfire".



Then there's the question of £ - a GTX 1060 3gb is £179. A GTX 1060 6gb is £239. The 1060 6gb is arguably not worth an extra 33% cost.

 

[Nirvanachaser]

@Rakk - thanks, noted! I was worried I'd accidentally become one of those people that start sending unnecessary private replies to strangers!

@Oussebon - thanks so much for your help, I feel much more confident buying now!