Looking at a better 4k gaming PC

[robin h 25]

Getting 4K to work at 144hz on that monitor ( which is the one am wanting ) is looking a real pain to do and not worth it, However having already looked into this monitor i'm fine with it running at 120hz which is the best outcome for this monitor,
HDR, i'm not bothered about because its not that great on it anyway and it won't do 120hz if its on, SDR allows for the 120hz and freesync / adaptive sync,

With 4K 144hz being quite new and still only a hand full available as of yet, Those one at £2000, like the Asus PG27UQ are very nice but they cost way too much to even think of,

I'm still wondering if its worth the jump from 4K 60hz to 4K 120/144hz, or to wait for more 4K 144hz monitor's to hit the market, Having watched many game's and game benchmarks with all settings turned up at 4K to as far as possible ( maxed out ), on 2080ti's, the average FPS i'm seeing is around the 70-80's, I know playing around with the game setting can get those numbers higher if needs be.

4K gaming is where i'm at and want to be and stay at, but would also like to break away from gaming at 60hz. I know 1440p is the ideal choice for this but having experienced and played at 4K for a number of years, i just can't go back, i went from 1080p gaming straight to 4K.

As of the GPU, the EVGA Black is the one i'm more likely to get, but like this PC build i yet may change my mind depending on what Black Friday discounts are on offer,if any, so i'm going to be watching all the stores every day until then, the one with the best offer's, takes my money.

 

[robin h 25]

I just had a thought about the 4K 144hz monitor's, That if needs be, you can drop it from 4K to 1440p and still keep it at 144hz, if i or anyone want to have high refresh rates,
I just tried it ( for the first time ) on my 4K 60hz monitor using Nvidia control panel and my monitor resolution automatically adjusted down to 1440p, but being a 60hz monitor, that all its capable of out putting,
I now just see that you get best of both worlds with 4K 144hz monitor's ( 4K at 120hz or 1440p at 144hz i'm guessing ),
I will still get to game at 4K that i want, but if i ever need or want more FPS and higher refresh rate, i can drop the resolution to 1440p as an option.

 

[Oussebon]

It's an option but playing below native res tends to look worse (i.e. 1440p on a 4k monitor looks worse than 1440p on 1440p monitor).

And even the cheapest 4k 144hz monitor will set you back as much as buying a 4k gsync monitor and a 1440p 144hz gsync compatible monitor. And you apparently already have the 4k monitor.

So perhaps the better plan is to game on what you have and just buy a 1440p 144hz monitor as well? Certainly the more economical plan.

 

[robin h 25]

It's an option but playing below native res tends to look worse (i.e. 1440p on a 4k monitor looks worse than 1440p on 1440p monitor).

I wasn't sure if this would have been a thing, but does make sense now i think about it.

And even the cheapest 4k 144hz monitor will set you back as much as buying a 4k gsync monitor and a 1440p 144hz gsync compatible monitor. And you apparently already have the 4k monitor.

I've had my 4K 60hz monitor coming up to almost 3 years now.

So perhaps the better plan is to game on what you have and just buy a 1440p 144hz monitor as well? Certainly the more economical plan.

I would if i could, but i just don't have the space, barely have the room for my current monitor, and i need a monitor that can do it all, as in PC gaming, Console gaming ( especially for next gen console's, claiming 4K at 120hz ), 4K gaming and at some point getting beyond 60hz gaming, and that Acer Nitro 4K 144hz , ticks all the boxes.

 

[Oussebon]

especially for next gen console's, claiming 4K at 120hz

That's one to be careful of. If they do that it may be via HDMI 2.1, and the monitor has HDMI 2.0.

Also HDMI and DP have different adaptive sync standards, so if it's even possible to use some kind of adaptor cable to run an HDMI 2.1 output to DP 1.4 input and get 4k 120hz, you won't get adaptive sync. Just like you can't use a DP to HDMI 2.0 adapter to get gsync/freesync working from an Nvidia GPU (gsync via DP only) on a monitor that only does freesync via HDMI, as far as I understand it anyway.

So it's not futureproof in that regard.

 

[robin h 25]

That's one to be careful of. If they do that it may be via HDMI 2.1, and the monitor has HDMI 2.0.

Also HDMI and DP have different adaptive sync standards, so if it's even possible to use some kind of adaptor cable to run an HDMI 2.1 output to DP 1.4 input and get 4k 120hz, you won't get adaptive sync. Just like you can't use a DP to HDMI 2.0 adapter to get gsync/freesync working from an Nvidia GPU (gsync via DP only) on a monitor that only does freesync via HDMI, as far as I understand it anyway.

So it's not futureproof in that regard.

That does have me worried a little in that aspect, That's one of the reason i'm questioning myself if i should wait for a 4K 144hz monitor that will have HDMI 2.1 ( when ever that will be?? ), it's also why i stated that i may wait until around next year for a monitor upgrade, to see if any more or better 4K 144hz hit the market, in my 1st post, and just to stick with my 4K 60hz for the time being,

With the PC build, I do plan to game on the 2080ti with the highest setting i can and keeping above 60fps, and the way I've always seen it is, 60fps is ideal for 60hz, 120fps is ideal for 120hz and so on,

I'm sure the easy solve for the next gen consoles would be for them to add a Displayport 1.4 port as well as HDMI 2.1, but we wont/don't know if they can or will do this, or have done this, until more info is released about them.

 

[robin h 25]

I've now made the choice to leave the monitor upgrade for now, until either i can find out more info on the next gen consoles on how they are going to do 4K at 120hz or until 4K 144hz monitors supports HDMI 2.1,

I'm happy to stay at 4K 60hz, the upgrade was just to stay at 4K but go beyond 60hz,

I have decided to buy the RTX card today than wait, due to the Call of Duty offer ending in 2-3 days, and thinking its worth it now, than waiting for a Black Friday discount which could be worth less than the offer with the game right now, as in the game is worth £49.99, but a Black Friday discount may only knock off at most or if that, £10-20 off the RTX card, i see some value in getting the card now with the game.

 

[Oussebon]

Buying the RTX GPU as an upgrade for the existing system or as part of a new system?

 

[robin h 25]

Its going into the new system and i'll have it ready waiting, until i order the AMD build, which wont be long now, should be on the 29th, then have the 10 - 12 day wait on build time, then however long before delivery time, so i should be able enjoy and play with this new build mid December.

 

[Oussebon]

Needless to say (but I shall say it anyway) test out the new GPU before your new system arrives so that if there are any faults you can establish that and return for a refund before the returns window closes.

ofc there's the warranty to cover you, but you usually pay shipping with the warranty, whereas returning a fault component you'd often get that covered (may depend on the store)

 

[robin h 25]

I got my RTX 2080 ti today, I went with the EVGA XC, I was going to buy the Black Edition but the day i went to buy it online, the Black Edition had shot up in price from £1041 to £1166, at that point the XC was only £10 more and having looked at a lot of reviews of the Black and XC, the XC seems to be a slightly better card, higher boost clock and runs cooler than the Black, from the reviews,

I've put into my current system, to test it and make sure it's working ok, which it is, so far, ( with the exception of possible bottlenecking ) and I've registered it on EVGA and have 4 years warranty,

Example of just one game:
Forza Horizon 4, played / tested / benchmarked at 4K, maxed out every in game setting on both 980 ti and 2080 ti for a comparison,

980 ti - min FPS: 31, avg FPS: 34, max FPS:38,
2080 ti - min FPS: 69, avg FPS: 75, max FPS: 79,
Temperature on both cards are about the same, no higher than 70-71c,

After leaving the monitor upgrade for now, it does give me a little more to spend on the PC build if needs be,

I could be looking at this...
Case
CORSAIR CRYSTAL SERIES 680X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X Eight Core CPU (3.9GHz-4.5GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4) - 3800x over the 3700x as it still has 2 games on offer

The Outer Worlds -AND- Borderlands 3 w/ select AMD Ryzen CPUs
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD - EVGA XC RTX 2080 ti
1st Storage Drive
NOT REQUIRED
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB CORSAIR MP600 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 4950MB/R, 4250MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
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 H100i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans
3x Corsair LL120 RGB LED Fan + Controller Kit - I know its overkill, but the RGB bling
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/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® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
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 6 to 8 working days
Price: £1,494.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/zpGhzFU7av/

I've opted for the 3 extra ll120 RGB fans due to, with this case already coming with 3 and it looks so much better with a rear exhaust and two bottom intakes as RGB to go along with the rest of the RGB in this build, ( may as well RGB bling it out ) also it cheaper here at £57, over buying them myself on a retail site at £89, trying to fit them myself as i don't have a clue how to do it and may end up bricking the RGB Led's ( as to why i'm opting to have this built than trying to self build - no real clue and no self confidence in PC building ),

I'll also be getting Corsair Vengeance "fake ram" RGB lighting sticks to fill the empty ram slots and a new mouse, The mouse is in the peripherals to pick ( Corsair Ironclaw ) but at £77, i can get it elsewhere for £40.

 

[Scott]

8 RGB fans is a LOT 😆
Are ML fans not an option?

It's a stonking build

 

[robin h 25]

8 RGB fans is a LOT 😆
Are ML fans not an option?

It's a stonking build

I'm quite OCD, with the case being windowed and already come's with 3 LL120's, for me it just feels wrong to have a plain exhaust fan and how cheap buying another 3 LL120's is here, compared to everywhere else,
I would want to replace that rear fan with the same LL120 RGB as to match to front one's,
Looking elsewhere, a single LL120 fan is about £25, or x3 £89, Here x3 is £57, may as well get them here, and have them add 1 to rear of case and 2 on the bottom/ floor of case, or my OCD will drive me crazy, if the fans aren't matching,

with 8 RGB fans i don't think there's any need for RGB lighting strips.

I've also just noticed that there a 750w RMx PSU is the options, which i can drop down to,

I still get the...

"You have selected a 750W power supply, but based on our calculations you actually only need a 650W power supply. We have calculated your specification to require around of 568W 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!".

 

[Scott]

As much as it's OCD if you have too much extraction you will have a negative pressure case which will draw in LOADS of dust. be interesting to see your OCD at play there haha.

You want a very slightly positive pressure case which involves having more intake fans than exhaust. The exhaust fans on the cooler are VERY good so they will take away a fair whack of the air. You would normally offset this with 4 standard intake fans. With 3 intake and 3 exhaust this won't balance well.

I'm sure it'll look great though

You will almost always get that message. The 750W RMX is about quality, not power. It also gives better headroom.

 

[Oussebon]

It depends how PCS set up the fans I guess. I'd expect PCS to use the AIO cooler as intake, as I think PCS tend to prioritise CPU temps over other considerations. In which case, it's still positive pressure. And you'd think the extra fans going at the bottom of the case would also be intakes to feed the GPU fresh air directly? It would be interesting to know PCS's usual setups for intake/extraction - I assume they have one rather than it being left down to individual decisions each time.

I suppose the OP can just flip the bottom fans around when the PC arrives if they are exhausts and restore balance to the force

 

[Scott]

Totally agree, I don't think PCS do this with pre-configured cases though. I could be wrong, but I don't think they go to the hassle of removing all the fans that are already fitted.

I've got the cooler pulling air in from the front and extracting from the rear. I have 3 fans already in the case. One is set to pull into the case from the top and the other 2 are set to extract at the rear. My reasoning behind this is that the AIO will fluctuate in speed so the 3rd fan will keep it as close to positive even when idling.

I watched a video a while back that was really interesting. I can't find it in work but it was called "Does radiator placement matter" on youtube. Great watch.

 

[Oussebon]

I mean they will:
- leave the stock case fans alone (3 intake, 1 exhaust)
- probably have the 240mm AIO up top as intake? (though they usually put extra case fans as exhaust there, I think they prioritise fresh air for the AIO over that - I feel like I read this mentioned once on the forums...)
- possibly put the extra bottom fans as intake to feed the GPU (though the OP can flip them as desired)

I was wondering what their set process for installing AIO / extra fans / AIO + extra fans etc was - assuming there is one.

 

[Scott]

Roof down isn't a good option due to blowing on top of the GPU fans. If you think of it, you have airflow going down towards the GPU fans and the GPU fans pushing up towards them. Opposing forces and all that. The optimum is to have the AIO in from the front and the stock fans out from the rear. All balanced in such a way that you get a slightly positive pressure in the case.

A fan or 2 on the bottom would be fine but any on the top should always be extraction to compliment the GPU. I was limited with options so mine is a pull but I have it in such a location that it isn't fighting the GPU cooler.

Of course, that's presuming it's not a blower

 

[Oussebon]

I didn't say it was a good option, I said I think they do it because they prioritise CPU temps over GPU

 

[Scott]

I didn't say it was a good option, I said I think they do it because they prioritise CPU temps over GPU

Possibly, it will have a negative impact on the CPU as well though as the GPU will resist the CPU fans allowing heat soak in the radiator, unless it's a blower of course.

I think you're right regarding the push vs pull though. I think they will always set it to pull to consider the CPU over the GPU. It's the right call as well, as long as the internals are configured correctly. I just don't think that much thought goes into it, more of a put it where it fits process, but maybe I'm a cynic