Looking for advice on a PCS pre-built option

[number45_]

After 7 years I think it might be time for a new PC and I've been looking at the pre-built options offered by PCS, specifically this one https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/computers-for-next-day-delivery/1428/ I'm reluctant to spend too much on a new PC as I feel the latest / greatest spec would be a waste for what I'd be using the PC for, yet I as I will likely have this for several years at least I don't want it to be completely outdated and incapable within a year or 2.

Uses at the moment will be web development, some photoshop / sketch and general office and home tasks and occasional gaming of mainly older games. Although it would be nice to be able to check out newer game releases, even at lower settings or FPS should I start getting more into PC gaming.

Monitor is a Dell S2721DGFA 27" (resolution 2560 x 1440).

Is this model a good spec for what I'd need it for. And would it be easy to upgrade with a new graphics card or more memory should I need to in future.

 

[sck451]

Frankly, no, it is not.

The 3050 is not capable of driving a 1440p display at an acceptable framerate. (Honestly, it's barely capable at 1080p: it's not a good card.) And it's not terribly upgradable because the power supply isn't very good.

For £1275 you can get something much better. This isn't greatest and latest: in fact, both CPU and GPU are last gen. But they're still really good and will do you well with that setup. This also gets rid of the traditional hard drive: there's no need for one in a modern gaming system. If you need lots of space for the development work (I doubt it?) then it might make sense to add the hard drive back in.

Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL 215 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600 Six Core CPU (3.5GHz-4.4GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
GIGABYTE B550 GAMING X V2 : DDR4, USB 3.2 - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR, 1625MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (3300 MB/R, 2900 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster Hyper 212 (120mm) Fan CPU Cooler Black Edition
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 [KUK-00003]
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
Microsoft® Edge
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 15 to 17 working days
Price: £1,274.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/BDspjZqx3n/

 

[number45_]

Oh OK, I'd read a couple of things that said it wasn't the best card but nothing quite that brutally honest. Guess that explains why there seems to be so many of those PCs in stock compared to other pre-builts.

Thanks for the build suggestion. It's a little more than I was thinking of spending but I might just up my budget if it means I can get something that will perform better.

 

[sck451]

Oh OK, I'd read a couple of things that said it wasn't the best card but nothing quite that brutally honest. Guess that explains why there seems to be so many of those PCs in stock compared to other pre-builts.

Thanks for the build suggestion. It's a little more than I was thinking of spending but I might just up my budget if it means I can get something that will perform better.

I think that's a good call. Honestly you're limited by your monitor: it's quite demanding in terms of what graphics card you need to run it at an acceptable frame rate and quality settings.