New computer build spec (Gaming)

[Deleted member 17413]

Ive been a bit of a nuisance (sorry PCS) and I rushed it at first and ive ended up making several alterations while the order was in processing/pre-production, but I think ive settled on a final setup.

The idea is to build a system that will very comfortably deal with anything in terms of gaming, some occational amateur video editing and also internet/office use.
I use my laptop a LOT (previous purchase from PCS) but its on the way out and im going back to desktops to give more options and control over changing parts etc.

I want a quick system, and given the spec, nothing that will create any bottlenecks in performance, originally i had 32Gb ram but i dropped it to 16Gb, but can always add two more sticks in if needed. I dont want to be looking at any need to upgrade existing components in the next couple of years, and only really be looking at maybe the graphics card even then.
I am adding in 2 SSD's that are currently in the laptop as additional storage space and I also want the option of adding in a soundcard, im going to check out the built in sound first, the motherboard comes with "ROG SupremeFX 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC S1220A" which has some good reviews, if i do get a card im looking at the Creative Soundblaster Zx.

With the two extra SSD's I think its close to needing a 600w PSU, i have gone with the 750w so I can add the soundcard if i want, and also leave some breathing room should I upgrade the graphics card after a few years. The RMx models also have very good reviews and are recommended over the RM.

Case
CORSAIR 275R AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-10700K (3.8GHz) 16MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z490-F GAMING (LGA1200, USB 3.2, CrossFireX/SLI) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 SUPER - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
None
Have a Kingston 480GB HyperX SAVAGE SSD (upto 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW) &
SanDisk 480GB Ultra II SSD (upto 550MB/sR | 500MB/sW) from existing system to add.
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
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
ASUS PCE-AX58BT Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) 2400Mbps/5GHz, 600Mbps/2.4GHz
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 Professional 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Monitor
AOC I2490VXQ/BT 23.8" IPS Monitor - 1920 x 1080
Keyboard & Mouse
None

Currently have a Razer Mamba mouse (3 years old) thats in good shape (rubber sidegrips move though, glue degraded) and i have a K70 RGB Mk.2 (Cherry MX Speed) on order, I may well be switching the mouse to a Dark Core RGB Pro if i have issues with the razer mouse (I have a Corsair Void headset, the iCue software didnt get on well with Razer Synapse (Mamba runs on Synapse 2.0) so i uninstalled iCue, but this system uses it a lot)

Ive made about 4 or 5 changes over the past few days as I fine tuned what I wanted, really didnt do it the right way round (for which I am very sorry PCS!) but I think this should be a very powerful system, and future-proof for a good few years.

I also have a 4K TV which i can connect to it, would of really liked to get a monitor that was either UHD or 4K but i think the AOC one i have is gonna do a good job for general use and gaming, and i can connect out to the TV for anything like movies etc.

 

[Scott]

I wrote a guide on speccing up systems etc. I would recommend actually cancelling as Intel is not a good option right now. Always best to ask for advice before hitting the ole submit button

Desktop Building Guide - April 2023

A "quick" reference guide to building the perfect system. This is the sort of logic I go through when suggesting systems, so thought I would jot it down on the page. Clearly this is an ever changing suite of options but I'll update periodically as my default go-to's change... I'm noticing the...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

 

[Deleted member 17413]

Cancelling isnt really an option.... is Intel really that bad?
Currently on a laptop that barely works, graphics card completely gone and its running off the onboard cpu. Even if i get it replaced the card struggles with high settings on a fair amount of things i play, its a good 3 years old. there are signs other bits are on their last legs too.
Part of the reason of going back to desktops was to avoid being in the same situation again, easier to upgrade and repair.

 

[Deleted member 17413]

I can still submit amendments, so in theory i can swap the cpu?
the reviews on the i7 10700K seemed good?

 

[Stephen M]

Intel are an an old architecture, have thermal issues and a lot of security vulnerabilities. Currently AMD are way ahead of them, speed, better thermals and security.

 

[Scott]

Cancelling isnt really an option.... is Intel really that bad?
Currently on a laptop that barely works, graphics card completely gone and its running off the onboard cpu. Even if i get it replaced the card struggles with high settings on a fair amount of things i play, its a good 3 years old. there are signs other bits are on their last legs too.
Part of the reason of going back to desktops was to avoid being in the same situation again, easier to upgrade and repair.

It'll be way better than what you currently have... absolutely no doubt.

As per the link though, AMD is a far more sensible option and far better value for money.

 

[Deleted member 17413]

If i spoke to PCS would they be able to do this? I set it up as finance agreement, so im not sure how that would work?
If i changed it to:

Case
CORSAIR 275R AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12 Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.6GHz/70MB 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 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 SUPER - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
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
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
ASUS PCE-AX58BT Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) 2400Mbps/5GHz, 600Mbps/2.4GHz
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

Would that be better? Having it on a finance arrangement and also having suborder paid by debit card is gonna confuse things though.
Would they be able to refund the sub orders and then cancel the order, put through new one using the same finance agreement? and then i pay whatever difference by card?

 

[Scott]

You would need to call them I imagine. I wouldn't go as high as the 3900X and the X570 Strix. The 3800X with the B550 would be more than enough for your uses.

I would drop the Arctic MX-4 and change the Wifi to the AX200 (it's a better card despite the costs)

With the monitor in mind the 2080 Super is WAY over what you want. I would drop it to the 2070 Super.

Take all the spare change you've saved and get yourself a nice 27" 1440p 144hz monitor with Freesync, job done

 

[Deleted member 17413]

I actually went with the Strix model because of the design as well, given its a glass sided case and RBG bits, but dropping to the 3800X.
Why no need for the better thermal paste? And thanks for the tip on the wifi card i shall see what PCS can do.

What im worried about is cancelling it and then having to reapply for finance, having just done it... my own fault for rushing i guess.

 

[SpyderTracks]

I actually went with the Strix model because of the design as well, given its a glass sided case and RBG bits, but dropping to the 3800X.
Why no need for the better thermal paste? And thanks for the tip on the wifi card i shall see what PCS can do.

What im worried about is cancelling it and then having to reapply for finance, having just done it... my own fault for rushing i guess.

Finance is like any online agreement, you have a cooling off period whereby it shouldn't affect your credit rating in any way.

 

[Scott]

I actually went with the Strix model because of the design as well, given its a glass sided case and RBG bits, but dropping to the 3800X.
Why no need for the better thermal paste? And thanks for the tip on the wifi card i shall see what PCS can do.

What im worried about is cancelling it and then having to reapply for finance, having just done it... my own fault for rushing i guess.

It certainly won't do any harm but it's quite a large premium for a look.

The cooling paste on Corsair units is fantastic, no need to worry about upgrading.

As above, it's not really a big deal

 

[Deleted member 17413]

Ill phone them in the morning....they are going to hate me!
Ive got several sub orders and an agreement....i guess I just have to cross my fingers and hope i can redo the spec without losing the finance agreement.

 

[Deleted member 17413]

Is there anyway to get the sales team to see this thread, so they can see what i want to do?
Explaining it on the phone is going to take a while

 

[SpyderTracks]

Is there anyway to get the sales team to see this thread, so they can see what i want to do?
Explaining it on the phone is going to take a while

If you just ask for their email and send them a link to the thread that should be ok.

 

[Deleted member 17413]

Thank you for the assist, I shall try and hopefully it will all be ok.

 

[robin h 25]

If your adamant on keeping that monitor, you may want to drop the graphics card down to a GTX 1660 Super at most, but even then it may still be overkill for that 1080p 60hz monitor,

Or take Scott's advice of an RTX 2070 Super and getting a 1440p 144hz monitor which will be the best choice and gives a better gaming experience,

An RTX 2080 Super being paired with that 1080p 60hz monitor is not really a good choice to be making.

 

[Deleted member 17413]

I chose the monitor mainly because its a IPS panel, VESA was also a bonus and it was a reasonable size, I was also already looking at around £2250 and didnt really want to spend more. I also have a 4K TV that i can connect to.

Strongly considering dropping to the 2070 Super, which does give me more choice with the monitor, but i'm a little lost. I could go to a 27" monitor and would really like 1440p but its very limited on IPS. Im also not a fan of curved screens.
There is the AOC Q3279VWFD8 31.5" QHD Monitor but at 31.5" im thinking its too big for the space, it will be on a 4ft desk with the machine on the righthand (case is about 9" wide). I think it will look squeezed into the space and kinda overshadow it.

So if I forget about IPS, I still would want a screen that favours good colour quality, doesnt need to have speakers and i'm ok with not having a 1ms response time, what would be a good choice?

I need to see what they say when I call them, ive sent a message linking the thread.

 

[Deleted member 17413]

So I had a good look at monitors, and thought about spending more of the budget on the monitor rather than the build, the AOC Agon monitor is expensive but its also got some excellent reviews and a premium spec that seems to be good value for its price too.
I re-tweeked the spec, it would cost roughly £50 extra compared to what i'm currently spending with the intel build.

Case
CORSAIR 275R AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X Eight Core CPU (3.9GHz-4.5GHz/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 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2070 SUPER - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 2500MB/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 Professional 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
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™
Monitor
AOC AGON AG271QG 27" Gsync Gaming Monitor
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 18 to 20 working days

I actually get a much better feeling looking at that spec, and i think it would pair well with the monitor.
Just gotta hope PCS can do it, building hasnt started yet and I also know theres a wait until the 7th for the RMx PSU, but I also know theres a queue on builds ATM...fingers crossed.

 

[stesco]

I was in the same position as you changing from Intel to AMD. PCS will need to cancel your order and finance agreement. You will then need to complete a new order and re-apply for finance. This will mean another credit check. Credit searches do have an impact on your credit score and will remain on your credit file for 12 months with Experian and 24 months with Transunion. Hitachi do not credit search Equifax. I was accepted again so worth a try. The initial debit card payment was refunded within 3 days which was pretty quick. Good luck with whatever you decide to do🙂

 

[Daty]

I was also in the same position as you. on finance, had 4 amendments I called them up and explained i wanted to change the CPU so would need to cancel the order. They were very understanding and just had to reply to a conformation email for the cancelation. A few hours later Hitachi sent me and email confirming it and I just went and placed a finance order straight away. The second time the finance payment did go into review for around 12 hours but after being approved im back at the same spot where I was a few weeks ago !