NEW PC :)

[Stephen_UK]

So I’ve had many issues with an old PC through PCS (3.5 years old now) and although i sent this one back to PCS as i had many logged issues prior to warranty expiring which they have agreed to look into - i went and impulse purchased a new PC which although i first regretted doing so, i now am i glad i did ! Specs are below - I will be purchasing new Monitor(s) early next year to go with my 4k system!

Case


CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE


Promotional Item


Get a discount code for 20% off select peripherals at Corsair.com


Processor (CPU)


AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core CPU (Up to 5.2GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)


Motherboard


ASUS® ROG STRIX X870-F GAMING WIFI (AM5, DDR5, M.2 PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7)


Memory (RAM)


32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5200MHz (2 x 16GB)


Graphics Card


24GB ASUS TUF GAMING RADEON™ RX 7900 XTX OC - HDMI, 3 x DP


1st M.2 SSD Drive


2TB CORSAIR CORE XT MP600 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 5000 MB/R, 4400 MB/W)


1st M.2 SSD Drive


2TB CORSAIR CORE XT MP600 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 5000 MB/R, 4400 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


PCS FrostFlow 360 Series ARGB High Performance Liquid 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


Wireless Network Card


NONE OR ONBOARD Wi-Fi (MOTHERBOARD DEPENDENT)


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 Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 Year Parts, 3 Year labour)


Delivery


STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)


Build Time


Standard Build - Approximately 4 to 6 working days


Welcome Book


PCSpecialist Welcome Book


Logo Branding


PCSpecialist Logo


Packaging


PCS Corsair Carton Upright


Price: (hidden)


It’s a massive upgrade from my current PC that’s broke (and with PCS) and it’s on the “awaiting dispatch” section now so should receive this in the next few days woot woot

 

[Ekans2011]

So I’ve had many issues with an old PC through PCS (3.5 years old now) and although i sent this one back to PCS as i had many logged issues prior to warranty expiring which they have agreed to look into - i went and impulse purchased a new PC which although i first regretted doing so, i now am i glad i did ! Specs are below - I will be purchasing new Monitor(s) early next year to go with my 4k system!

Case


CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE


Promotional Item


Get a discount code for 20% off select peripherals at Corsair.com


Processor (CPU)


AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core CPU (Up to 5.2GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)


Motherboard


ASUS® ROG STRIX X870-F GAMING WIFI (AM5, DDR5, M.2 PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7)


Memory (RAM)


32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5200MHz (2 x 16GB)


Graphics Card


24GB ASUS TUF GAMING RADEON™ RX 7900 XTX OC - HDMI, 3 x DP


1st M.2 SSD Drive


2TB CORSAIR CORE XT MP600 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 5000 MB/R, 4400 MB/W)


1st M.2 SSD Drive


2TB CORSAIR CORE XT MP600 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 5000 MB/R, 4400 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


PCS FrostFlow 360 Series ARGB High Performance Liquid 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


Wireless Network Card


NONE OR ONBOARD Wi-Fi (MOTHERBOARD DEPENDENT)


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 Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 Year Parts, 3 Year labour)


Delivery


STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)


Build Time


Standard Build - Approximately 4 to 6 working days


Welcome Book


PCSpecialist Welcome Book


Logo Branding


PCSpecialist Logo


Packaging


PCS Corsair Carton Upright


Price: (hidden)


It’s a massive upgrade from my current PC that’s broke (and with PCS) and it’s on the “awaiting dispatch” section now so should receive this in the next few days woot woot

It's really a shame you didn't take the advice and purchased a highly pricey (poor) design with virtually no room for upgrades without having to replace one of the most important components of any system, the PSU. Other areas that are far from optimal are RAM frequencies (6000Mhz is the sweetspot for AM5), CPU cooler (low-quality, prone to failure), 2TB ''slower'' OS drive , and GPU (which is way too much for your 1080p monitor and not worth the money at the end of the current generation).

 

[Stephen_UK]

It's really a shame you didn't take the advice and purchased a highly pricey (poor) design with virtually no room for upgrades without having to replace one of the most important components of any system, the PSU. Other areas that are far from optimal are RAM frequencies (6000Mhz is the sweetspot for AM5), CPU cooler (low-quality, prone to failure), 2TB ''slower'' OS drive , and GPU (which is way too much for your 1080p monitor and not worth the money at the end of the current generation).

Hi Ekans, thanks for your response. I took advice from some friends who recently built their own pcs, but when i have just shown them your comment, they are now like “Oh your right” , so it seems the PC i purchased i had such conflicting advice ! I’ve set my dispatch to not be before Monday next week so i can and get this amended properly !

I have noted down about the PSU, the cooler, the ram and the SSD card and can amend all of this through PCS still for £12 fee (which i don’t mind paying if i will be future proofing my pc) but i’m currently stuck on the graphics, and what to do i respect of the GPU. I’ve read a lot that the 5k series will be about in Q1 of 2025, and i don’t have any preferences, but which GPU would ensure i still have smooth gameplay in my PC comfortably (as a streamer) whilst saving the extra pennies for 5k series?

I’ve changed to a 8GB GPU which i would get a refund of about £440 after adding all of the additional recommendations on above, would you recommend this or going with a 4070 and then saving the refundable £300 from the change to get a 5k series next year.

 

[Ekans2011]

Hi Ekans, thanks for your response. I took advice from some friends who recently built their own pcs, but when i have just shown them your comment, they are now like “Oh your right” , so it seems the PC i purchased i had such conflicting advice ! I’ve set my dispatch to not be before Monday next week so i can and get this amended properly !

I have noted down about the PSU, the cooler, the ram and the SSD card and can amend all of this through PCS still for £12 fee (which i don’t mind paying if i will be future proofing my pc) but i’m currently stuck on the graphics, and what to do i respect of the GPU. I’ve read a lot that the 5k series will be about in Q1 of 2025, and i don’t have any preferences, but which GPU would ensure i still have smooth gameplay in my PC comfortably (as a streamer) whilst saving the extra pennies for 5k series?

I’ve changed to a 8GB GPU which i would get a refund of about £440 after adding all of the additional recommendations on above, would you recommend this or going with a 4070 and then saving the refundable £300 from the change to get a 5k series next year.

It would be useful to know exactly what specifications are currently selected for that system.
Can you post them so we can see the whole situation?

 

[Stephen_UK]

It would be useful to know exactly what specifications are currently selected for that system.
Can you post them so we can see the whole situation?

Hi Ekans,

See below I choose a white tower instead of dark as the dark was not available at time of build - the only thing i need to know is the GPU i believe?

Case


CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER ATX CASE - WHITE


Processor (CPU)


AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core CPU (Up to 5.2GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)


Motherboard


ASUS® TUF GAMING X870-PLUS WIFI (AM5, DDR5, M.2 PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7)


Memory (RAM)


32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)


Graphics Card


8GB GIGABYTE GEFORCE RTX 4060 D6 - 2 x HDMI, 2 x DP


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


4TB CORSAIR MP600 PRO NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 7000 MB/R, 6850 MB/W)


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 H115i ELITE CAPELLIX XT RGB High Performance 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


Wireless Network Card


NONE OR ONBOARD Wi-Fi (MOTHERBOARD DEPENDENT)


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 Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 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: £2,347.00 including VAT and Delivery


Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/2duvNNSeSc/

 

[Ekans2011]

Hi Ekans,

See below I choose a white tower instead of dark as the dark was not available at time of build - the only thing i need to know is the GPU i believe?

Case


CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER ATX CASE - WHITE


Processor (CPU)


AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core CPU (Up to 5.2GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)


Motherboard


ASUS® TUF GAMING X870-PLUS WIFI (AM5, DDR5, M.2 PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7)


Memory (RAM)


32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)


Graphics Card


8GB GIGABYTE GEFORCE RTX 4060 D6 - 2 x HDMI, 2 x DP


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


4TB CORSAIR MP600 PRO NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 7000 MB/R, 6850 MB/W)


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 H115i ELITE CAPELLIX XT RGB High Performance 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


Wireless Network Card


NONE OR ONBOARD Wi-Fi (MOTHERBOARD DEPENDENT)


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 Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 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: £2,347.00 including VAT and Delivery


Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/2duvNNSeSc/

Here's what I would tweak about your build: when you'll upgrade your monitor to a higher resolution (I'd go for a 1440p rather than 4K), you can also upgrade the GPU.

N.B. I saw you have an old PC, so you could simply skip purchasing another OS license and transferring it to the new system (saving £110).
If you desire an alternative black case, the 3500X or 6500X are excellent options.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER ATX CASE - WHITE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core CPU (Up to 5.2GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
GIGABYTE X870E AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (AM5, DDR5, M.2 PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
12GB XFX RADEON™ RX 7700 XT SWFT - HDMI, 3 x DP
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
4TB CORSAIR CORE XT MP600 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 5000 MB/R, 4400 MB/W)
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 LINK TITAN 360 RX RGB HIGH PERFORMANCE 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
Wireless Network Card
NONE OR ONBOARD Wi-Fi (MOTHERBOARD DEPENDENT)
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
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 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: £2,387.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/bPA44YYUuT/

 

[Stephen_UK]

i was told that because the windows install is set in bios it’s set to that PC, and i cannot use it elsewhere, so that’s good information ! How would i get this from one bios to another easily? (i am definitely not very tech savvy) - also my old GPU if when PCS return it, i could just put in the new PC? it’s a 16GB AMD RADEON™ RX 6800 XT - HDMI, DP - DX® 12 which when i purchased my old pc was working absolute wonders ! The reason i did not want to do this, as i wanted a “backup” Pc should one be faulty again, atleast i have a spare i can use atleast so could this be an option? and if any faults with the new PC, i could just resit the old GPU into my old pc again? could this be a option? (i know it was part of an DD4 motherboard so not sure if this matters?

 

[Ekans2011]

i was told that because the windows install is set in bios it’s set to that PC, and i cannot use it elsewhere, so that’s good information ! How would i get this from one bios to another easily?

Still possible to transfer Windows 10 from old defunct PC to new build?

I'm about to order my dad a PC from here and saving the windows cost would mean I could get him a better PSU and SSD. He's got an old ancient PC which can just about run windows 10. But it has Windows 10 nonetheless. OEM I'm sure. But the PC will get skipped. But does that method still work...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

However, if you wish to keep the old PC, you will need another license.

(i am definitely not very tech savvy) - also my old GPU if when PCS return it, i could just put in the new PC? it’s a 16GB AMD RADEON™ RX 6800 XT - HDMI, DP - DX® 12 which when i purchased my old pc was working absolute wonders ! The reason i did not want to do this, as i wanted a “backup” Pc should one be faulty again, atleast i have a spare i can use atleast so could this be an option? and if any faults with the new PC, i could just resit the old GPU into my old pc again? could this be a option? (i know it was part of an DD4 motherboard so not sure if this matters?

Easily, the 6800XT is still really capable at 1080p

 

[Stephen_UK]

Ekans I really appreciate the assistance. I’ve Managed to do some changes with your recommendations, and it seems I’ll be able to claim a refund of approx £330 from my original price - This includes your recommended 12GB GPU, if i take off all GPU altogether and use my old one, this increases the refund to around £600, but PCS have my old desktop as well, so do i bite the bullet and spend £300 for potentially 2 working PCs, and then upgrade in Q1? (i didn’t realise how good my old GPU was compared to other components in the pc!)

I’m assuming new GPU prices to be around £800-£1000 when 5k series comes out? What would be your recommendations?

 

[Ekans2011]

I’m assuming new GPU prices to be around £800-£1000 when 5k series comes out? What would be your recommendations?

I'm not a fortune teller, and predicting prices with NVIDIA is like taking a wild guess.
We'll know more in January during the formal CES presentation.

 

[Stephen_UK]

Thank you. Sorry last question (no promises) what’s the difference in the motherboards? the GIGABYTE one would be out of stock until atleast 29/11/2024 but the ASUS TUF GAMING 870 is in stock, is there a huge difference ? apologises went to go and authorise amendments and it’s saying there would be a further delay due to this part, and the prices are very similar?

 

[Stephen_UK]

Okay so I’ve gone through with your amendments Ekans, these are what i’ve done!

Motherboard
Change to [GIGABYTE X870E AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (AM5, DDR5, M.2 PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7)] from [ASUS® ROG STRIX X870-F GAMING WIFI (AM5, DDR5, M.2 PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7)]
Memory (RAM)
Change to [32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)] from [32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5200MHz (2 x 16GB)]
Graphics Card
Change to [12GB XFX RADEON™ RX 7700 XT SWFT - HDMI, 3 x DP] from [24GB ASUS TUF GAMING RADEON™ RX 7900 XTX OC - HDMI, 3 x DP]
1st M.2 SSD Drive
Change to [1TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)] from [2TB CORSAIR CORE XT MP600 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 5000 MB/R, 4400 MB/W)]
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
Change to [4TB CORSAIR MP600 PRO NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 7000 MB/R, 6850 MB/W)] from [2TB CORSAIR CORE XT MP600 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 5000 MB/R, 4400 MB/W)]
Power Supply
Change to [CORSAIR 1200W RMx SHIFT SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET] from [CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET]
Processor Cooling
Change to [CORSAIR iCUE H115i ELITE CAPELLIX XT RGB High Performance CPU Cooler] from [PCS FrostFlow 360 Series ARGB High Performance Liquid Cooler]

Amendments Charge: £12.00

I changed the 512GB SSD to 1TB just for further ease of my own OCD, but everything else is as what you recommended. Assuming the Q1 upgrades for GPU will be out by March, So i will be putting in an order than for a new monitor, and GPU (budgeted around £1500 extra for these 2 things! - if cheaper then super!)

 

[Ekans2011]

Thank you. Sorry last question (no promises) what’s the difference in the motherboards? the GIGABYTE one would be out of stock until atleast 29/11/2024 but the ASUS TUF GAMING 870 is in stock, is there a huge difference ? apologises went to go and authorise amendments and it’s saying there would be a further delay due to this part, and the prices are very similar?

Personal preference; ASUS has recently disappointed me, even with their high-end motherboards; however, there are additional reasons relating to the better chipset (X870E > X870) and a post code (which is really useful for troubleshooting).

 

[SpyderTracks]

Personal preference; ASUS has recently disappointed me, even with their high-end motherboards; however, there are additional reasons relating to the better chipset (X870E > X870) and a post code (which is really useful for troubleshooting).

I would agree about the motherboard. A lot of the overvoltage issues on both recent AMD and Intel were massively botched by Asus, and theyve never really been very good at getting stable RAM over clocks relying on huge voltage where others don’t need it, and I think that’s related to the board components they’re using.

After having had their motherboard in my last 2014 build, I’ve now entirely avoided them in my new build based on the quality and customer service issues they’ve had in previous years.

 

[Stephen_UK]

Quick question - PCS have just made contact as per my Amendment on my order and said the Gigabyte motherboard that i chose is currently out of stock until atleast 29th november and they cannot gaurentee the motherboard will even be available then. They have asked me to see if i wanted to revert back to my original Asus 870x Strix rog motherboard - but also advised that the GIGABYTE X870E AORUS MASTER (AM5, DDR5, M.2 PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7) is also available but is limited stock as well. (at a increase of £180)

Would any of you be able to give me some advice if i should return to ASUS board (looking at the above possibly not, due to recommendations) or if i should pay the additional fee of £180 and get the AORUS master, or if i should simply wait for the GIGABYTE 870E motherboard to just be back in stock?

I don’t really know the difference in the motherboards so some assistance would be appreciated

Thanks

 

[TonyCarter]

Well, the X870E (unbranded X670E) is a tier above the X870 motherboard (upbranded B650), so you'd be going down a level with the ASUS Strix MB.

If you're not in a hurry, then I'd definitely wait a few days, and then decide if it's still not in stock. If it isn't then you could go to the X870 Gigabyte Eagle or Asus TUF which are the same spec as the Asus Strix model, but cheaper. I don't see any point paying a premium for the X870 (non-E) Strix over the TUF.

Compared to the X870E, and as per the minimum specs, the X870 has fewer high-speed PCIe slots, and about half the USB headers. But as always, the devil is in the detail, as manufacturers can choose to add items above the minimum spec.

X870 vs X870E motherboard - how are they different?

With a new AM5 selection of motherboard chipsets, you may be wondering what is the difference between X870 and X870E, we answer that question

www.pcguide.com

 

[Stephen_UK]

Hi Tony,

Thanks for your feedback. Apologises not sure if my previous post was clear or not.

The motherboard before i amended the order to a GIGABYTE motherboard is

ASUS® ROG STRIX X870-F GAMING WIFI (AM5, DDR5, M.2 PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7)

I changed the motherboard in my amendments to:

GIGABYTE X870E AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (AM5, DDR5, M.2 PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7)

not sure if the above still applies (i did read through your post, but i think i got confused with the model of motherboard from ASUS hence your post.

Would the same still apply from your above post?

Thanks,

Stephen

 

[TonyCarter]

Yes.

The Asus ROG Strix motherboard is the lower tier platform (the X870).
The Gigabyte Aorus Elite is the higher tier platform (the X870E).

The other Gigabyte Master option you have been offered is still an X870E motherboard, but intended for higher-tier enthusiast builds where they need better overclocking support, more USB-C ports, more high-speed m.2 slots, etc. and is similar to the similarly expensive Asus Crosshair motherboards.

The confusion isn't helped because within each motherboard spec, there are tiers of component quality and quality of life extras for the extra money (and PCS won't offer each & every variation), from lowest to highest (and from memory, so I might have some of it wrong):

• Asus = Prime > Tuf > ROG (Strix > Crosshair Hero > Crosshair Extreme), and there's a special one called ProArt which is aimed at content production
• Gigabyte = Eagle > Gaming > Aorus (Elite > Master > Extreme)

There's also sub-levels within those above, denoting whether it's white, grey, black or whether it is gaming-focused or has more RGB, etc.

There's also a tier list for the AM5 chipsets, so (lowest) A620 > B840 > B650 > B850 > B850E > X870 > X670 > X670E > X870E (highest).

 

[Stephen_UK]

Okay thank you, apologises i’m very simple in respect of this, but from your statement above i’m better off sticking with the 870E, as opposed to 870-F which is a lower tier. If i wanted to go Max then i could pay the additional £180ish and go for the AORUS , which in reality does not do me much for my system as i’m not a overclocker so best to stick with GIGABYTE 870E and if not then slightly downgrade to the 670E ?

Thanks i will let PCS know for now i’m happy to wait an extra few days to see if the current MB comes back into stock (when i amended it did state 29th november!)

 

[TonyCarter]

If there's an X670E version then you may lose wifi7 and USB4 - but I don't think there are any mid-range TUF/Strix X670E on the config tool, and they weren't significantly cheaper than the X870E versions.

Only you know whether you need the extra external USBs, extra SATA connections, and more PCIe channels of the X870E vs non-E version motherboard.