Help me choose - Intel vs AMD

amig · Dec 11, 2019

Attempting a custom build after a decade of being out of the loop - please help me choose! I'm quite familiar with the Intel processors but not AMD Ryzen. I'm looking for a mid-range build for office work, occasional gaming but something that can be usable for many years.

I haven't picked out a monitor yet but will not go for anything bigger than a 24" (suggestions welcome)

steaky360 · Dec 13, 2019

I think the general consensus is that AMD are smashing Intel at the moment with the latest generation of processors.

SpyderTracks · Dec 13, 2019

AMD all the way for almost every use case.

Oussebon · Dec 14, 2019

AMD vs Intel is the wrong question tbh.

The question is what fits best for your budget and uses.

I don't think either of those specs is a good fit?

Why are you buying an R9 for office work and light gaming? That's not futureproof for those, it's just overkill to the point of being a waste as you'll never reap the benefits. Same with 32gb RAM.

Why the X470 mobo?
Get a better case, it will help with airflow and cooling
The 860 QVo isn't worth it. A cheap M.2 SSD will generally be faster and can also be cheaper. And most of those games you can get cheap on sale too.

Instead of either spec:

Case
CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ 275Q QUIET CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)

Get 3 Months of XBOX Game Pass for PC w/ select AMD Ryzen CPUs
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
NOT REQUIRED
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
External DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x Slim USB 2.0 External DVD-RW
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
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 240 High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
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
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
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: £1,030.00 including VAT and Delivery

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

As for monitors, something 1080p 144hz maybe:

Gaming Monitors Guide

The monitor is probably the most important component in any gaming build – it defines how you experience games and the hardware the PC should have. Overlooking the monitor can be the single biggest bottleneck to your gaming experience. With recent monitor and graphics card launches, and wider...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

e.g. AOC G2590PX

amig · Dec 20, 2019

@Oussebon Thanks for your detailed reply. I'm not up to date on the specifics of each item so just picked what looked appropriate and close to my budget of around £1300. I should've mentioned but I also intend to do coding/development on this PC which was the reason for choosing 32GB (I mainly use Visual Studio) Also, given that extra detail, would you still recommend Ryzen 5? Rest of your build looks perfect for my needs.

VenatoS · Dec 20, 2019

Intel for Gaming if you have a big budget.
AMD for Gaming if you are on a limited budget.
AMD for everything else atm.

Oussebon · Dec 20, 2019

Inlte is not necessarily a smart buy if you have a "big budget"... you might have a big budget but be playing at 4k. If buying an i9 9900K means you're stuck with an RTX 2080 Super instead of a 2080 ti, an R5 or R7 would still be the sensible buy. Even if it didn't, you'd see about 0 performance difference between them at 4k...

Move on,

amig said:
@Oussebon Thanks for your detailed reply. I'm not up to date on the specifics of each item so just picked what looked appropriate and close to my budget of around £1300. I should've mentioned but I also intend to do coding/development on this PC which was the reason for choosing 32GB (I mainly use Visual Studio) Also, given that extra detail, would you still recommend Ryzen 5? Rest of your build looks perfect for my needs.

The R5 3600 should be great in visual studio. If you're confident you'll need 32gb RAM, then by all means

amig · Dec 26, 2019

Hi @Oussebon , nearly there with the purchase

. When I try to proceed with your config I get the following message :

You have selected a 550W power supply, but based on our calculations you actually only need a 350W power supply. We have calculated your specification to require around of 317W power including a 20% allowance. Although it is not a mandatory requirement to select a lower wattage power supply, doing so will save you money and the last thing we'd like to do is over charge you!

Wondering if you selected the Corsair 550W because it's supposedly quieter ? Or some other reason? Thanks

SpyderTracks · Dec 27, 2019

amig said:
Hi @Oussebon , nearly there with the purchase . When I try to proceed with your config I get the following message :

Wondering if you selected the Corsair 550W because it's supposedly quieter ? Or some other reason? Thanks

The reason the 550W has been chosen is because it's the Txm range which is vastly superior to the VS range, it's overpowered but leaves headroom for future upgrades. It won't do any damage by being overpowered.

VenatoS · Dec 27, 2019

PSU's work most efficiently on 50-60% usage.
So a higher Wattage PSU Isn't a bad idea at all & as mentioned above leaves room for upgrades if needed.

Oussebon · Dec 27, 2019

As above, better quality, more efficient, modular. And 550W as that gives you decent freedom for upgrades.

It's true that PSUs tend to be more efficient at around 50% load, though in reality with something like the TXm that's the difference is about 2% which is a few Watts. That said, while gaming isn't the most environmentally friendly passtime, every little helps I guess

amig · Dec 28, 2019

Great, thanks all for your helpful input! Placed the order

Help me choose - Intel vs AMD

amig

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steaky360

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SpyderTracks

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Oussebon

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Gaming Monitors Guide

amig

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VenatoS

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Oussebon

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amig

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SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine

VenatoS

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Oussebon

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amig

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