New build - need advice on some parts

[Vic25]

Hey all,

So I am in need of a new build, I think I have decided on the main parts but I do have some thought processes that I would like to share and get some help on.

I have pasted the setup below and any comments I have are written in the left box bellow the part “type”, hopefully some of you guys can help out.

I’d like to apologise in advance if formatting is a bit off I am currently on mobile.

Case what is a good case to go for? Selected this one for now as it had quite a few fans, all cases will come with the maximum number of normal fans it can take right? Priority is cost effectiveness/airflow not looks and lights	COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX K500 ARGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)	Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-10700K (3.8GHz) 16MB Cache
Motherboard What’s the minimum mobo I can go for? Just need whatever will work fine for my build, not looking to do any major hardware upgrades in the future	ASUS® ROG STRIX Z490-F GAMING (LGA1200, USB 3.2, CrossFireX/SLI) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM) Is there any practical difference between this and the Rgb Pro or is just extra money for lights?	16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card This will be the Rtx 3080	NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD
1st Storage Drive For storage I am thinking to have windows + things like steam, discord on this drive and trying to keep it relatively empty and then all games etc can go on the big one. Is that an ok way of doing things? Also is there a reason I can’t choose a m.2 drive for this slot	250GB Samsung 860 EVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (up to 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive So the Samsung evo plus 970 m.2 has higher read/write numbers but is still cheaper than this drive (although only by a bit) which one is better overall	1TB Intel® H10 NVMe SSD + 32GB Intel® Optane™ (up to 2400MB/sR | 1800MB/sW)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive	NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply Should this be enough? Any comments	CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable	1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling Cooling - what is a good cooler for me? Looking for best performance of course but while being conscious of price	Corsair H100x Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste	ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card I don’t need anything more than this right? Gaming headsets will have their own sound cards right?	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	2 PORT (2 x TYPE A) USB 3.0 PCI-E CARD + STANDARD USB 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)
Warranty	3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Home Installation	NONE
Delivery	STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time	Standard Build - Approximately 11 to 13 working days
Welcome Book	PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland

 

[AgentCooper]

In order to offer assistance, some information would be helpful... maximum budget? What monitor will be paired with build? And what will you be using it for, gaming, streaming, editing etc?

 

[Vic25]

In order to offer assistance, some information would be helpful... maximum budget? What monitor will be paired with build? And what will you be using it for, gaming, streaming, editing etc?

Don’t have a “hard” budget, I believe the build currently sits around 2k, which I’m happy with, not looking to spend huge amounts to get the top best of something but if there is a pricier piece of something that is good value then I could accommodate.

Currently have 60hz monitor, will be looking to go 144 with the purchase of this build or shortly after with possible further upgrades in the future. Not looking at 4K right now as it’s expensive.

Build will be used for gaming and streaming.

The GPU is decided upon so any advice stating “its overkill” get something else is unnecessary

 

[Bonja]

In before they tell you not to buy a 3080.....

 

[AgentCooper]

The above post is 100% correct! The 3080 will wipe the floor with 4K so you'll be wasting money by getting one. A 3070 will probably be overpowered even for a 1440p 144Hz ultrawide so you should really pick out a monitor before making a choice on the GPU in order to know that you're not bottlenecking your system.

 

[AgentCooper]

You'd also be urged to go for an AMD chipset build, they're superior to Intel in almost every way these days. Built in frequency boost that acts as overclocking, better multithreading and not plagued with the security issues that are present in the Intel CPUs. Here's a luxury gaming build that would be ready to pop a 3070 into, I believe they'll be around £469...

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 465X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT Eight Core CPU (4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/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 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
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
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Home Installation
NONE
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 11 to 13 working days
Price: £1,532.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/86QeEF!K9F/

 

[Vic25]

I have no pc right now so I need one sooner than later. Considering the cost and performance compared to current high end cards I see no point in not getting the 3080. I would rather use a monitor right now that isn’t able to make full use of the 3080 and then upgrade monitor instead of getting a cheaper card and then having to upgrade both in the future.

 

[SpyderTracks]

I’m afraid I have to interject on the matter that

The GPU is decided upon so any advice stating “its overkill” get something else is unnecessary

These cards are going to be in very short supply and need to go to those that will actually use them.

You don’t mention resolution at all which is the main consideration of a monitor so I’m assuming 1080p? If so, it’s not just that the 3080 is completely pointless for your usage, it’s more so that you’ll be taking it away from someone that actually needs it.

Plugging a 3080 into a 1080p monitor isn’t going to magically improve your experience in any way, it will be EXACTLY the same as a 3060 (which would still be overpowered).

The monitor is the bottleneck, please don’t rob one from someone who could actually use it and wait for a 3060 or significantly upgrade the monitor to suit it (you would need over £1k to compliment the 3070

 

[AgentCooper]

But you say you're not looking at 4K because it's expensive? So by the time you can afford a 4K monitor that will make use of it, there'll be a new card out that outstrips it.... and it'll be cheaper at that point. That's a very funny logic that I just don't get.

 

[Vic25]

You'd also be urged to go for an AMD chipset build, they're superior to Intel in almost every way these days. Built in frequency boost that acts as overclocking, better multithreading and not plagued with the security issues that are present in the Intel CPUs. Here's a luxury gaming build that would be ready to pop a 3070 into, I believe they'll be around £469...

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 465X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT Eight Core CPU (4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/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 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
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
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Home Installation
NONE
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 11 to 13 working days
Price: £1,532.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/86QeEF!K9F/

A quick google search shows the i7 10700k as providing better FPS in games compared to the 3800x and considering they cost about the same, I don’t see why AMD is the better option.
Also isn’t it that when it comes to gaming, especially say early access titles they aren’t always well optimised for AMD and often struggle even in high end build because of that?

 

[SpyderTracks]

A quick google search shows the i7 10700k as providing better FPS in games compared to the 3800x and considering they cost about the same, I don’t see why AMD is the better option.
Also isn’t it that when it comes to gaming, especially say early access titles they aren’t always well optimised for AMD and often struggle even in high end build because of that?

At 1080p intel is better for the like 2% improved FPS which is completely meaningless outside of competitive gaming anyway. At any normal resolution, they’re exactly the same. If you’re looking at sites like userbenchmark or cpubenchmark they’re garbage numbers that have no relation to real world performance.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Also isn’t it that when it comes to gaming, especially say early access titles they aren’t always well optimised for AMD and often struggle even in high end build because of that?

AMD are noW top dog, all games are heavily optimised for AMD because 1, more people have them for gaming 2, both consoles are AMD.

Unless you’re getting confused with GPU’s in which case we would always recommend nVidia.

 

[Vic25]

I’m afraid I have to interject on the matter that
These cards are going to be in very short supply and need to go to those that will actually use them.

You don’t mention resolution at all which is the main consideration of a monitor so I’m assuming 1080p? If so, it’s not just that the 3080 is completely pointless for your usage, it’s more so that you’ll be taking it away from someone that actually needs it.

Plugging a 3080 into a 1080p monitor isn’t going to magically improve your experience in any way, it will be EXACTLY the same as a 3060 (which would still be overpowered).

The monitor is the bottleneck, please don’t rob one from someone who could actually use it and wait for a 3060 or significantly upgrade the monitor to suit it (you would need over £1k to compliment the 3070

I get your point, here is what is going through my mind now. The 3080 is around similar price to 2080 super, the next significant price drop is when you get to the 2060 super.

A quick search ( https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/nvidia-geforce-rtx-2060-super-review/ ) shows that the 2060 super doesn’t even reach 140fps in some games on medium settings at 1080p. So if I am using a 144hz 1080p monitor then it at times barely does what it needs to plus the fact that I will be streaming as well. So that leaves me to believe that some extra performance wont go a miss and that means a better card, and if I am going up in price then the 3080 just sounds perfect.

 

[SpyderTracks]

I get your point, here is what is going through my mind now. The 3080 is around similar price to 2080 super, the next significant price drop is when you get to the 2060 super.

A quick search ( https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/nvidia-geforce-rtx-2060-super-review/ ) shows that the 2060 super doesn’t even reach 140fps in some games on medium settings at 1080p. So if I am using a 144hz 1080p monitor then it at times barely does what it needs to plus the fact that I will be streaming as well. So that leaves me to believe that some extra performance wont go a miss and that means a better card, and if I am going up in price then the 3080 just sounds perfect.

I don't understand what relevance the 2060 has, no one is recommending that card, we're recommending the 3060 which would be on par with the 2070 Super.

YOU WOULD NOT USE THE 3080 FOR YOUR NEEDS, IT WOULD BE A COMPLETE WASTE IN YOUR SYSTEM AND IS ROBBING THOSE THAT WOULD ACTUALLY UTILISE IT.

 

[Bonja]

I don't understand what relevance the 2060 has, no one is recommending that card, we're recommending the 3060 which would be on par with the 2070 Super.

YOU WOULD NOT USE THE 3080 FOR YOUR NEEDS, IT WOULD BE A COMPLETE WASTE IN YOUR SYSTEM AND IS ROBBING THOSE THAT WOULD ACTUALLY UTILISE IT.

Every post I see SpyderTracks you seem to be telling people not to buy a 3080 card and to leave them to people “need” them. Although I am sure you are very knowledgeable on PC tech you shouldn’t be telling people not to buy something purely so someone else can buy it.

The way I see it is if he wants to buy the 3080 then let him. It’s £200 more expensive than a 3070. Makes no sense to buy a 3070.

 

[Vic25]

I don't understand what relevance the 2060 has, no one is recommending that card, we're recommending the 3060 which would be on par with the 2070 Super.

YOU WOULD NOT USE THE 3080 FOR YOUR NEEDS, IT WOULD BE A COMPLETE WASTE IN YOUR SYSTEM AND IS ROBBING THOSE THAT WOULD ACTUALLY UTILISE IT.

It’s a longer wait for the 3070 but I could consider it as it’s still a great card and even a bit cheaper which is appreciated. Would be great if we knew the exact date in October

I will have a think about the cards.

 

[Vic25]

AMD are noW top dog, all games are heavily optimised for AMD because 1, more people have them for gaming 2, both consoles are AMD.

Unless you’re getting confused with GPU’s in which case we would always recommend nVidia.

Oh I see. Maybe I was getting confused not sure, I always hear of amd as more cost effective but always lacking a little bit when it comes to the top top performance.
The internet however seems to say that the i7 10700k is the best option for gaming cpus unless you want to splash out on the i9 one, with the amd ones coming close behind. I think I need to get more information on why the amd cpu is better than the 10700k.

 

[SpyderTracks]

It’s a longer wait for the 3070 but I could consider it as it’s still a great card and even a bit cheaper which is appreciated. Would be great if we knew the exact date in October

I will have a think about the cards.

You wouldn't make use of a 3070, that's a 4k 144Hz card, you'd need a monitor costing over £1000 to make any use of it.

A 3060 or 3060ti (which is set to be released around the same time as the 3070) would suit your needs. It's a 1440p 144Hz card.

 

[SpyderTracks]

i7 10700k is the best option for gaming cpus unless you want to splash out on the i9 one

Yes, if you read those reviews properly you'll see that's only relating to high FPS on 1080p. But that's not relevant to you because you only have a 60Hz monitor so you'll only ever see 60fps anyway.

The only time that's going to be relevant is if you've got a 1080p 360Hz monitor.

 

[Vic25]

Yes, if you read those reviews properly you'll see that's only relating to high FPS on 1080p. But that's not relevant to you because you only have a 60Hz monitor so you'll only ever see 60fps anyway.

The only time that's going to be relevant is if you've got a 1080p 360Hz monitor.

I did say I will be getting a 144hz monitor. Might be 1080p might be 1440p depending on cost.