Hi all. It is a long time since I dabbled in the gaming PC world going back 20 years or so as be mainly Xbox series x . So looking for a good pre built that will give me my best gaming pc at around £2k. There are so many on offer and a lot of talk about the best components etc I’m list with it all, but the wet of knowledge you guys have when I read this form is massive so was hoping you could point me in the right direction
Looking for a gaming PC and need advice please.
- Thread starter ClaretAL
- Start date
TonyCarter
VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Whilst PCS do offer pre-built configs, most of us would recommend a custom-built config from PCS instead. This ensures you get components of similar quality level, rather than having one or two 'top-tier' attention-grabbers, with the rest of the system (case, PSU, RAM, SSD) of lower quality to keep the price down.
It would help if you gave us an idea of your requirements in a bit more detail.
There is some advice in the following link to help...
www.pcspecialist.co.uk
But to summarise:
It would help if you gave us an idea of your requirements in a bit more detail.
There is some advice in the following link to help...
Please read before posting:- Collaboration of Helpful Hints
NB: These forums are not an official support channel. None of us work for PCS, we're all either customers or techies who just like to help out where possible. For any official support, you need to contact PCS directly either through your PCS account, or via the contact details on the main...
But to summarise:
- What monitor (make & model, or resolution & refresh rate)?
- What games do you like to play (fast-paced shooters where speed is more important that image quality, or slow-paced high-graphic AAA titles)?
- Any other usage (video editing, photo editing, music production, LLM, modelling, rendering, etc.)?
- Any space constraints for the size of the PC case?
- Are you bothered about aesthetics? So does an all-white build appeal more than an all-black or mixed build?
- Do you want lots of RGB fans/coolers/etc. or prefer it understated?
Thanks for the reply Tony
Reading the forum I think something similar to this. I do want to have amazing graphics visuals which will probably mean getting a better monitor than the attached. Basically I want to be future proof as much as you can be and have better visuals than I currently get from the Xbox series x and lg c3 I currently have. I know the attached is way over my budget but think I may need to stretch this
PCSPECIALIST - Configure the AMD Am5 White to your ideal requirements.
PCSpecialist is an award-winning manufacturer of high quality custom PCs & Laptops. Configure the AMD Am5 White to your ideal requirements.
www.pcspecialist.co.uk
TonyCarter
VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
As you've seen on the config posted, £2000 will not get you a top-end 1440p build with a monitor included...but the white build linked to does look very nice.
The budget is a very important part of the build process - as is the decision on monitor...as that drive the most expensive component of the build (the GPU).
If you're spending that much on a 4080 Super GPU, then you'll want a decent 32" 4K or ultrawide 1440p monitor to get the best out of it (and at ultrawide 1440p a 4070Ti Super will be plenty).
If you're happy to go with 1440p, then I'd stay at around the 27" size for best visuals, and go down a level in GPU to a 4070 Super or 4070Ti Super and spend the £200+ saving on a better monitor.
Once we know your MAX budget, and whether it needs to include the monitor, then we can build from there.
The budget is a very important part of the build process - as is the decision on monitor...as that drive the most expensive component of the build (the GPU).
If you're spending that much on a 4080 Super GPU, then you'll want a decent 32" 4K or ultrawide 1440p monitor to get the best out of it (and at ultrawide 1440p a 4070Ti Super will be plenty).
If you're happy to go with 1440p, then I'd stay at around the 27" size for best visuals, and go down a level in GPU to a 4070 Super or 4070Ti Super and spend the £200+ saving on a better monitor.
Once we know your MAX budget, and whether it needs to include the monitor, then we can build from there.
Last edited:
Thanks Tony. If we say between £2k & £3k. I I have to buy the monitor separately so be it, and would be interested in what monitor I should be going for. Once again thanks for your help, it is much appreciated
TonyCarter
VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
I'll leave the monitor recommendations to others, as I'd just end up recommending an OLED monitor at £1000 plus 
But here's a build I'd be very comfortable with (for a 1440p monitor)...and the only change you'd need to make for a monitor upgrade to ultrawide (3440x1440p) or 4K build is the GPU (4070Ti Super for UWQHD or 4080 Super/7900XTX for 4K).
Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER ATX CASE - WHITE - slightly bigger, better quality brother of the 4000X which give more room for future upgrades or more cooling as you upgrade the machine
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
GIGABYTE X670E AORUS PRO X WHITE (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7) - this or the Strix is fine (but the configurator won't allow the 150i cooler if I choose the Strix???)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB) KIT - WHITE
Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4070 SUPER - WHITE - HDMI, DP, LHR - 1440p GPU (upgrade this if you decide on higher resolution gaming, or play at 1440p for now and upgrade GPU & monitor in 2-3 years)
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW) - very fast m.2 for boot/apps/game launchers ONLY (PCIe 5 ones are faster, but very expensive and hot)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW) - fast m.2 for game installs (could add a HDD if you want separate storage for media/documents)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1200W RMx SHIFT SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET - latest ATX3.1 spec PSU with headroom for GPU/CPU upgrades down the line...and has protections for the transient power spikes we're seeing from current gen GPUs
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX XT RGB High Performance CPU Cooler - WHITE - probably overkill for the 7800X3D, but it means you can keep the fans running slower (and thus quieter) to maintain the same level of cooling
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
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 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
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 4 to 6 working days
Price: £2,370.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-white/DWUgfq!wQP/
But here's a build I'd be very comfortable with (for a 1440p monitor)...and the only change you'd need to make for a monitor upgrade to ultrawide (3440x1440p) or 4K build is the GPU (4070Ti Super for UWQHD or 4080 Super/7900XTX for 4K).
Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER ATX CASE - WHITE - slightly bigger, better quality brother of the 4000X which give more room for future upgrades or more cooling as you upgrade the machine
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
GIGABYTE X670E AORUS PRO X WHITE (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7) - this or the Strix is fine (but the configurator won't allow the 150i cooler if I choose the Strix???)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB) KIT - WHITE
Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4070 SUPER - WHITE - HDMI, DP, LHR - 1440p GPU (upgrade this if you decide on higher resolution gaming, or play at 1440p for now and upgrade GPU & monitor in 2-3 years)
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW) - very fast m.2 for boot/apps/game launchers ONLY (PCIe 5 ones are faster, but very expensive and hot)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW) - fast m.2 for game installs (could add a HDD if you want separate storage for media/documents)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1200W RMx SHIFT SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET - latest ATX3.1 spec PSU with headroom for GPU/CPU upgrades down the line...and has protections for the transient power spikes we're seeing from current gen GPUs
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX XT RGB High Performance CPU Cooler - WHITE - probably overkill for the 7800X3D, but it means you can keep the fans running slower (and thus quieter) to maintain the same level of cooling
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
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 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
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 4 to 6 working days
Price: £2,370.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-white/DWUgfq!wQP/
SpyderTracks
We love you Ukraine
This would be a good option for gaming, full OLED 1440p for £600
www.overclockers.co.uk
Cooler Master Tempest GZ2711 27" 2560x1440 OLED 240Hz 0.03ms Gaming Monitor
Order Cooler Master Tempest GZ2711 27" 2560x1440 OLED 240Hz 0.03ms Gaming Monitor now online and benefit from fast delivery.
www.overclockers.co.uk
TonyCarter
VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
The OLED's certainly seem to have come down in price...just go to read all the blurb/reviews to work out which are the latest gen and/or QD/W-OLED versions.
Although the newer Alienware ones are still relatively expensive...
1440p (but 360hz) QD-OLED £780
Whereas the 175hz WQHD QD-OLED MSI here for £749.
...and this is why I try to stay away from monitor discussions (after having almost buying an Apple XDR display for Microsoft Office and a bit of Adobe CC)
Although the newer Alienware ones are still relatively expensive...
1440p (but 360hz) QD-OLED £780
Alienware 27-inch 360Hz QD-OLED Gaming Monitor - AW2725DF | Dell UK
Shop the Alienware 27-inch Gaming Monitor with 360Hz refresh rate, QHD resolution, NVIDIA G-SYNC, AMD FreeSync, and QD-OLED Panel.
www.dell.com
Whereas the 175hz WQHD QD-OLED MSI here for £749.
...and this is why I try to stay away from monitor discussions (after having almost buying an Apple XDR display for Microsoft Office and a bit of Adobe CC)
Last edited:
TonyCarter
VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
That's the OC version of the Gigabyte Super Aero OC version...the standard (cheaper) version is in stock, but it's not a huge saving over the OC version (£40).
SpyderTracks
We love you Ukraine
Likely RGB RAM? Clearance isn’t enough for the radiator
Sorry for all the questions guys but you are a font if knowledge. How does the below compare to the specs above. Currently today’s deal at scan.
COMPONENTDESCRIPTION
Chassis-ASUS TUF GT302 ARGB
Motherboard-ASUS TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI
Processor-AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 8C/16T, 4.2GHz – 5.0GHz
CPU Cooler-3XS Hydro 240
Memory-32GB (2x16GB) Corsair Vengeance RGB 5600MHz DDR5
Graphics Card-12GB ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER DUAL OC
Power Supply-Corsair RM650 - 80PLUS GOLD
System Drive-2TB Crucial P3 Plus PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD
Operating SystemMicrosoft Windows 11 HomeRecovery MediaRecovery USB drive with system image and diagnostic softwareWarranty & Support3 Year Premium (Parts & Labour) Warranty - 1st Year Onsite, 2nd & 3rd Return to Base, including lifetime support
COMPONENTDESCRIPTION
Chassis-ASUS TUF GT302 ARGB
Motherboard-ASUS TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI
Processor-AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 8C/16T, 4.2GHz – 5.0GHz
CPU Cooler-3XS Hydro 240
Memory-32GB (2x16GB) Corsair Vengeance RGB 5600MHz DDR5
Graphics Card-12GB ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER DUAL OC
Power Supply-Corsair RM650 - 80PLUS GOLD
System Drive-2TB Crucial P3 Plus PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD
Operating SystemMicrosoft Windows 11 HomeRecovery MediaRecovery USB drive with system image and diagnostic softwareWarranty & Support3 Year Premium (Parts & Labour) Warranty - 1st Year Onsite, 2nd & 3rd Return to Base, including lifetime support
SpyderTracks
We love you Ukraine
That’s a throwaway system, it’s not upgradable. Theres no comparison, one is designed properly, the scan one entirely compromises on the platform, so wont last very long
TonyCarter
VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
It’s a limitation because of the white Luna configurator being used…and simply means there’s no 7900 in white offered by PCS. It could be out of stock, or never stocked…you’d have to ask PCS directly to swap in a black one if that’s the route you want to take.
Thanks Tony. What would you advise for 4k gaming? Seen different views on top end GPU
Any advice would be massively welcomed especially if I have gone overboard and can save a bit somewhere
Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
GIGABYTE B650 AORUS ELITE AX V2 (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
24GB ASUS TUF GAMING RADEON™ RX 7900 XTX OC - HDMI, DP - DX® 12
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1200W RMx SHIFT SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD XT RGB CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 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
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 4 to 6 working days
Price: £2,713.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/YVayRV89G8/
Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
GIGABYTE B650 AORUS ELITE AX V2 (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
24GB ASUS TUF GAMING RADEON™ RX 7900 XTX OC - HDMI, DP - DX® 12
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1200W RMx SHIFT SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD XT RGB CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 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
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 4 to 6 working days
Price: £2,713.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/YVayRV89G8/
SpyderTracks
We love you Ukraine
For a 4k system, you'd need a higher budget, if your budget has changed, what's the new one?
The system you've posted wouldn't leave you enough for a monitor, as you go up resolutions so does the price, a decent 4k monitor would be around £1200
The spec I posted is something I could stretch to but ideally slightly lower, the monitor would be separately.