Long time gamer - first time PC buyer

C

CNewton33

Member
Been gaming for years and now want to buy a pc instead of getting a ps5 - have a decent budget of around £2000 give or take a couple hundred.

Happy to wait for the 3070 as i will be busy for the next few weeks anyway but just wanted some advice on what ive currently selected and if theres any glaring errors ive made!

Thank you in advance!

https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/NGRcQqczuD/

Case
NZXT H511 MID-TOWER GAMING CASE (WHITE)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12 Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.6GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B550-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2666MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
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 H100x Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
2x 50cm RGB LED Strip
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
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
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
 
sck451

sck451

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
The key questions!
  • What will you be using the PC for? You've mentioned gaming -- anything else? Streaming?
  • What monitor will you be using?
 
JUNI0R

JUNI0R

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
CNewton33 said:
Been gaming for years and now want to buy a pc instead of getting a ps5 - have a decent budget of around £2000 give or take a couple hundred.

Happy to wait for the 3070 as i will be busy for the next few weeks anyway but just wanted some advice on what ive currently selected and if theres any glaring errors ive made!

Thank you in advance!

https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/NGRcQqczuD/

Case
NZXT H511 MID-TOWER GAMING CASE (WHITE)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12 Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.6GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B550-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2666MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
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 H100x Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
2x 50cm RGB LED Strip
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
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
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Click to expand...
Hi there. Before we give advice, we’ll need some more info. What monitor are you using (make and model or resolution and refresh rate)? Will you need anything else in this budget? Will you be doing anything other than gaming on the PC? Streaming, video editing, any design work, or working from home for example? (If you’re working from home do you need to run any specialist programs)

Thanks!

Edit: aghhhhh that green bar, SCK beat me to it!
 
C

CNewton33

Member
sck451 said:
The key questions!
  • What will you be using the PC for? You've mentioned gaming -- anything else? Streaming?
  • What monitor will you be using?
Click to expand...
Apologies, yes I will be streaming too - eventually it’ll just be a gaming pc and I’ll get a second streaming pc but to start it’ll be for both.
Monitor I’m seeing people recommend the aoc 24g2u so was thinking of getting that.
 
sck451

sck451

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
CNewton33 said:
Apologies, yes I will be streaming too - eventually it’ll just be a gaming pc and I’ll get a second streaming pc but to start it’ll be for both.
Monitor I’m seeing people recommend the aoc 24g2u so was thinking of getting that.
Click to expand...

Cool, thanks. Now, that's a 1080p monitor. You can definitely do better than that! (Indeed, your above build would be wasted on a 1080p monitor.) I'm going to add that to your main budget above and come up with a tower-and-monitor budget of £2400 -- does that sound OK?

If we go for a Samsung G5 at £300 (non-curved equivalents exist if you prefer at about the same price), that gives a £2100 budget for the PC itself.

The biggest problem is that the 3060 Ti is the ideal graphics card for you, but it's out of stock. The 3070 isn't a silly choice for you though, and it's just about in your budget, but let's go for the Radeon 6700XT, which fits nicely between them.

In terms of other changes, a current-gen 8-core processor is a better bet for gaming than a last-gen 12-core one; an X570 motherboard is a better choice than the Strix B550 for most purposes; you'd do better with faster RAM and less of it; you can get a larger and faster M.2 SSD configuration; a better power supply; ARGB rather than RGB fans; faster WiFi; no anti-virus (you don't need it); and an upgraded warranty.

Putting it all into a slightly superior case, this comes nicely within our budget at £2075.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER 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 DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
12GB AMD RADEON™ RX 6700 XT - HDMI, DP - DX® 12
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 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100x Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
2x 50cm ARGB LED Strip
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: £2,075.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/bsn8aUYx3W/
 
C

CNewton33

Member
Thank you for your advice I appreciate it massively!

I have zero clue where to start with all these things.
I’m kind of setting my heart on a white case to go with the aesthetics of my room/Setup.

also could you give me a few alternatives to the Samsung g5 just so I know the sort of things I should be looking for? Thank you
 
JUNI0R

JUNI0R

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
CNewton33 said:
Apologies, yes I will be streaming too - eventually it’ll just be a gaming pc and I’ll get a second streaming pc but to start it’ll be for both.
Monitor I’m seeing people recommend the aoc 24g2u so was thinking of getting that.
Click to expand...
The 24G2U is only a 1080p display so wouldn’t require a 3070. A 3060 would comfortably max it out. This is what I’d go for for your budget.

Gone for the new generation of Ryzen 7 as it’ll give a fantastic balance between gaming and streaming, the extra cores will come in handy over the 5600X. For the 5800X, you’ll want the x570 board. For streaming and gaming, 32GB Is ideal and AMD loves fast RAM so I’ve gone for a 3200mhz kit. For storage, I’ve gone for a 500GB SSD for Windows and apps, then a 2TB SSD for your games and a 2TB HDD for general file storage. The RMx 850W is the dogs bits when it comes to PSU’s and will easily outlive the rest of your system, the extra 100W will allow for more upgrades in the future. For the 5800X, the ideal cooler is the H115i capellix which will be a dream. If you need WiFi the AX200 is a must, I’ve removed the anti virus as it’s known to cause issues and the Silver warranty is well worth the £5.

Edit: If you wanted a 1440p experience, I’d swap the 3060 for a 3070 (NVIDIA is still ideal for streaming so it’s worth the extra over the 6700XT), reduce the Corsair 2TB drive to a 1TB PCS SSD and swap the H115i capellix for a H115X. It’s the previous generation but will still do a good job! This increases the price by about £50 to £2,160. Alternatively, don’t do any of the swaps and just upgrade the 3060 to 3070 which takes the price to £2,335 😂


Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX TD500 MESH ARGB 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)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 - HDMI, DP
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
2TB CORSAIR MP400 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 3480 MB/R, 3000 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 H115i 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: £2,104.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/ZVYUFMygB5/
 
Last edited:
sck451

sck451

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
CNewton33 said:
Thank you for your advice I appreciate it massively!

I have zero clue where to start with all these things.
I’m kind of setting my heart on a white case to go with the aesthetics of my room/Setup.

also could you give me a few alternatives to the Samsung g5 just so I know the sort of things I should be looking for? Thank you
Click to expand...
You want to look at 1440p (QHD/WQHD) monitors with a refresh rate above 120Hz.

So, for instance, here's an ASUS one; here's an MSI one; here's a (non-curved) LG one.

Just to be clear, the build I specified is one designed for 1440p gaming; the one @JUNI0R built is designed for 1080p gaming, and has various luxuries that I couldn't fit into the budget (a better cooler, more storage). If you're mainly gaming, I'd definitely want to do the 1440p version.

And, as @Ash_ says, you can send your own case in. The 5000X I suggested is also available in white (though it's quite pricey). The 4000D [edit: specifically the 4000D Airflow] in white is also very pretty.
 
Last edited:
C

CNewton33

Member
Thank you all for your help/suggestions I’ll have a look at them all and post and updated version in here soon and see if I’ve listened well 😂
 
JUNI0R

JUNI0R

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
CNewton33 said:
I’m kind of setting my heart on a white case to go with the aesthetics of my room/Setup.
Click to expand...
PCS sadly doesn't offer the best range of white cases (the NZXT isn't good for airflow) There's always the option to send in your own. I've stolen this list from Sibun of good white cases that you could have a look at to send in.

Lian Li Lancool 205 £75
Lian Li Lancool II Mesh RGB £98
Lian Li Dynamic 011 Mini Midi £92
Corsair 275R Airflow £68
Corsair 4000D £80
Corsair 4000D Airflow £80
Corsair iCue 220T Airflow £90

CNewton33 said:
also could you give me a few alternatives to the Samsung g5 just so I know the sort of things I should be looking for? Thank you
Click to expand...
The main alternative to the G5 is the AOC CQ27G2U, it's also a 1440p 144hz screen that can be found for £260 online. They also do a flat version called the Q27G2U if you'd rather a flat panel. That said, the black and red colour scheme might not be the best for your setup, although I'm sure if you're handy with a bit of electrical tape, you could make it black and white 😂
 
A

Ash_

Master Poster
To add to what Sck is saying, the jump from 1080p to 1440p is absolutely insane and i would 100% recommend it.

Also, with a 5800X, you won’t need a second pc, as it is more than capable.
 
sck451

sck451

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
I've just spent ages trying to find that AOC flat panel monitor, @JUNI0R! That would be my pick (indeed, I'm thinking about buying it for myself...).
 
JUNI0R

JUNI0R

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
sck451 said:
I've just spent ages trying to find that AOC flat panel monitor, @JUNI0R! That would be my pick (indeed, I'm thinking about buying it for myself...).
Click to expand...
I'm pulling the trigger on the curved one as we speak. Going from 1080p 60hz to 1440p 144hz is gonna be an incredible jump, I've very excited. I'll have to report back!
 
JUNI0R

JUNI0R

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
sck451 said:
Just to be clear, the build I specified is one designed for 1440p gaming; the one @JUNI0R built is designed for 1080p gaming, and has various luxuries that I couldn't fit into the budget (a better cooler, more storage). If you're mainly gaming, I'd definitely want to do the 1440p version.
Click to expand...
Just to note, I also added in an edit on how to get it to 1440p by reducing the cooler and storage. Although that build does depend a bit on if OP's budget includes the monitor or not.

Ash_ said:
I feel i am the only person, that has a 32” monitor 🤣
Click to expand...
I had a 32 inch TV for my Xbox that I used as a 1080p monitor for a while. It's not an experience I'd recommend 😂
 
C

CNewton33

Member
Just a quick one, if I was to go for the 1440 144hz and then the build strongest for gaming and streaming - could I stream in 1080 60fps whilst still getting decent frames for the game? I.e WZ, GTA etc
My internet is definitely strong enough but wondering if the pc will be?
 
MrWilson

MrWilson

Godlike
CNewton33 said:
Just a quick one, if I was to go for the 1440 144hz and then the build strongest for gaming and streaming - could I stream in 1080 60fps whilst still getting decent frames for the game? I.e WZ, GTA etc
My internet is definitely strong enough but wondering if the pc will be?
Click to expand...

Absolutely. You have 8 very powerful cores in the 5800x, combined with 32gb of fast RAM, so multitasking the game and your streaming software will be absolutely fine.
The 3070 will nail 1440p gaming, and has specially designed NVENC encoding cores that take the stream encoding work off the CPU's hands.
For 1080p60hz streaming you will be absolutely fine. It'll only be streaming in 1440p or higher where you might see issues, but most sites i.e Twitch don't support above 1080p anyway.
The days of having a dedicated streaming PC are almost gone now. It's only really when you get towards professional esports where this persists, and that is only to eke out every possible frame from their system.
 
C

CNewton33

Member
Is there much difference between the NVIDIA and ASUS RTX 3070 graphics cards? As the ASUS one isn’t out of stock at the minute?
 
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