Multipurpose PC build

[Recundis]

Hi Guys

I'm a network engineer and a gamer (MMOs mainly)

My old machine has packed in to be fair it was old and I've got a budget of £1500

I need a machine that runs games pretty well 1080p (dont have a 4k monitor) but also has plenty of grunt to run VM's and virtual routers (GNS3)

I also want it to be quiet and dont need it to be flashy with RGB or anything, (wife and kids etc)

This is what I've came up with. could do some with guidance however, been a long time since I done a build. I'm much more comfortable with firewalls, routers and load balancers!

PS I don't need wireless I have Cat 6 runs in the house.

Thanks in advance to any knowledgeable soul who does offer good advice.

Case
CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ 275Q QUIET CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X Eight Core CPU (3.9GHz-4.5GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H80i V2 Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
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™
Gaming Mouse Pad
PCS Gaming Mouse Mat - XXL
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS & UK OFFSHORE ISLANDS / N IRELAND
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 13 to 15 working days
QTY
1
£1,270.00
ex VAT
£1,524.00
inc VAT and Delivery
Current estimated lead times: 13 to 15 working days.

 

[SpyderTracks]

I would up the cooler to the H100i pro, and you don’t need the extra thermal paste as the cooler comes pre applied.

mother than that, it’s spot on.

 

[Recundis]

Perfect, thank you very much. I'll update that now

 

[Scott]

If you want quiet quiet, it's worth getting the H100i Platinum and just switching off the RGB. I have the H115i Platinum and it's near silent.

For the case the Define R6 I think would be quieter and better for airflow.

 

[SpyderTracks]

If you want quiet quiet, it's worth getting the H100i Platinum and just switching off the RGB. I have the H115i Platinum and it's near silent.

For the case the Define R6 I think would be quieter and better for airflow.

Sorry, I meant the platinum, my mistake

 

[Recundis]

With the change in case and the cooler I'm a bit over budget now

Case	FRACTAL DEFINE R6 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X Eight Core CPU (3.9GHz-4.5GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard	ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)	32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card	6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive	1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE Partitions: 1000GB
1st M.2 SSD Drive	1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W) Partitions: 1000GB
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive	NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply	CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable	1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling	Corsair H115i PRO Cooler w/ PCS Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste	STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
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™
Gaming Mouse Pad	PCS Gaming Mouse Mat - XXL
Warranty	3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery	SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS & UK OFFSHORE ISLANDS / N IRELAND
Build Time	Standard Build - Approximately 13 to 15 working days

Pricing Information
Price (Ex VAT)	£1,345.83
Price	£1,615.00
Order Quantity	1
Bulk Discount	£0.00
Total Order Price (Ex VAT)	£1,345.83
Total Order Price	£1,615.00
P/O Number	Edit P/O Number
Payment Method
Maximum Required Power	358W

 

[Scott]

For the cooler you want the H100i Platinum.... not the H115i PRO... they are very different coolers (H115i Pro is more expensive, especially with the quiet fans, and not worth it now)

It will be a bit over budget but very much worthwhile. You won't need to worry about anything being out of balance and it'll smash your requirements.

 

[Recundis]

Ah thanks Scott

OK this it then?

Showing Quote Reference 1696703
Case	FRACTAL DEFINE R6 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X Eight Core CPU (3.9GHz-4.5GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard	ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)	32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card	6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive	1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE Partitions: 1000GB
1st M.2 SSD Drive	1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W) Partitions: 1000GB
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive	NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply	CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable	1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling	Corsair H100x Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste	STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
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™
Gaming Mouse Pad	PCS Gaming Mouse Mat - XXL
Warranty	3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery	SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS & UK OFFSHORE ISLANDS / N IRELAND
Build Time	Standard Build - Approximately 13 to 15 working days

Pricing Information
Price (Ex VAT)	£1,314.17
Price	£1,577.00
Order Quantity	1
Bulk Discount	£0.00
Total Order Price (Ex VAT)	£1,314.17
Total Order Price	£1,577.00
P/O Number	Edit P/O Number
Payment Method
Maximum Required Power	358W

 

[Scott]

Hi there,

No, that's still the wrong cooler. Like I said.... it's the H100i Platinum you want to select..... it's not a typo from me

If you click the "Post to forum" button then include the link I can go in and change it for you.

 

[Recundis]

Lmao you would think I could figure this out but here ya go

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE R6 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X Eight Core CPU (3.9GHz-4.5GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100x Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
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™
Gaming Mouse Pad
PCS Gaming Mouse Mat - XXL
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS & UK OFFSHORE ISLANDS / N IRELAND
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 13 to 15 working days
Price: £0.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/06gXBm5WFs/

 

[Scott]

Here we go....

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE R6 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X Eight Core CPU (3.9GHz-4.5GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-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
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™
Gaming Mouse Pad
PCS Gaming Mouse Mat - XXL
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS & UK OFFSHORE ISLANDS / N IRELAND
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 13 to 15 working days
Price: £1,587.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/Ra7zu3cr65/

 

[Scott]

Or if you fancy going for the ultimate no compromise future proofed monster..... this is it sensibly maxed out...

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE R6 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X Eight Core CPU (3.9GHz-4.5GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
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 H100i RGB PLATINUM 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)
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™
Gaming Mouse Pad
PCS Gaming Mouse Mat - XXL
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS & UK OFFSHORE ISLANDS / N IRELAND
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 13 to 15 working days
Price: £1,726.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/ZVS5GvnR4P/

 

[Recundis]

Ooooooooo I was ignoring the RGB section completely.......... Is there a way to give Kudos or anything on this forum?

Thanks you Scott

 

[Scott]

Ooooooooo I was ignoring the RGB section completely.......... Is there a way to give Kudos or anything on this forum?

Thanks you Scott

The like covers it

The RGB element can be switched off, it's not important. The cooling plate and the radiator/fan combo is what makes it so special

 

[Recundis]

Ok gonna ask, whats the improved motherboards main feature? I was trying to avoid spec creep but now I'm kinda considering it lol

 

[Scott]

Ok gonna ask, whats the improved motherboards main feature? I was trying to avoid spec creep but now I'm kinda considering it lol

The big thing with the motherboard is the PCIe 4.0. It allows for the fastest drives available (hence the insane speed Firecuda being selected).
It's also the top level chipset for the CPU with some of the best VRMs going (Voltage management for stability and high frequency)

When the Ryzen4000 chips come out, they will likely plonk right into this build with nothing more than a firmware update on the BIOS.

The maxed out build from me has the following thinking:

The 3800X is a great CPU but with the X570 motherboard you can drop in a 3900X without any changes at all (if you select the H115i Platinum you can drop the 3950X straight in as well). FFWd to next year and you can take the highest level Ryzen4000 and VERY likely do exactly the same, with zero further changes required other than a possible BIOS upgrade.

The H115i Platinum may be worth considering as I think it's £6 more and offers better cooling for the highest end chips, such as the 3950X. You don't need this right now but it covers all future bases.

The Firecuda M2 drive needs no explanation really...... it's the fastest you can get, simple. The X570 makes use of its speed where the B450 is limited.

The 750W RMx PSU has you covered for, not only, every CPU you could ever fit.... but any GPU you could ever wish to fit. Right up to the current monster 2080Ti STRIX. It's also a completely silent PSU at moderate loads as the fan switches off AND it's fully modular so only the necessary cables are plugged in aiding OCD and airflow.

Basically.... if you went for the maxed out options you would VERY likely only need to consider CPU/GPU upgrades for a system to last you a decade.

 

[Recundis]

Hmm do you work in sales at all? (not for PCS but in general)

Cause you sold me on this

Basically.... if you went for the maxed out options you would VERY likely only need to consider CPU/GPU upgrades for a system to last you a decade.

I'll go place my order and try... to hide the cost from the wife

 

[Scott]

Hmm do you work in sales at all? (not for PCS but in general)

Cause you sold me on this

Basically.... if you went for the maxed out options you would VERY likely only need to consider CPU/GPU upgrades for a system to last you a decade.

I'll go place my order and try... to hide the cost from the wife

Haha, not at all.

It's just the way that I think. When I build a system, for myself, I always think long term rather than short term. Like with anything in life a good foundation solidifies a future. Get the base right, and anything can be built on top of it.

Lets put it this way.....

I have the define R6 case, it's phenomenal
I have the younger sibling 750 RM PSU, I've had it for almost 10 years.... still going strong
I have the H115i Platinum Cooler - This will see me through many builds
My storage will also see me through as I went with the best I could afford

My CPU, Motherboard and RAM are dead in the water but they are all powerful enough to see me over the next couple of years without any worry. When DDR5 and the latest chipsets are out, I'll consider an upgrade.... but all of the above will be used while still working.... as they will be completely effective and relevant still.

The GPU is most likely the next thing that I will upgrade, when the next gen comes out. My entire system will support whatever I want to slot in there as it won't be the highest tier (I'm not made of money haha) so very unlikely that PCie3.0 16X won't be enough for it.

 

[Recundis]

Ok Order placed, I did go for the H115i for the extra £6 seemed like a no brainer.

Only £230 over budget...

Thanks again to Scott and Spydertracks

 

[Scott]

Ok Order placed, I did go for the H115i for the extra £6 seemed like a no brainer.

Only £230 over budget...

Thanks again to Scott and Spydertracks

Definitely a good call with the cooler. The H100i is a great cooler but with the difference in price it makes no real sense. The limitation is normally with the H115i fitting in the case, but with the R6 it slots in just fine.

£230 well spent.... believe me. It'll save you a TON in the future