Spec Check and Questions

pjb729

pjb729

Member
I am ordering a new PC, see the spec below, I am 70 and have never really used a SSD drive in my main PC other than for backup. As you can see I have selected a 2TB INTEL SSD as my first drive and intend to put a Seasgate HDD, which I already have, in as my second drive.

My questions are, for those people who understand these things

1. Is there anything I should be aware of about using a SSD as my 1st drive, the 1st drive will have my OS on it?
2. Can I mix Sata HDD and SSD drives, I assume I can, the 2nd Sata 1TB HDD drive will simply be for storage.

The PC is not for gaming, just for my research and general use, some of the files I send and receive can be very large which is why I have selected the configuration I have.

I did consider building my own PC using my exisisting case but decided if I wanted a SSD main drive it would be best left to PCSpecalists. I had already purchased Win 11 Pro OS I'm hoping that PCSpecalist will load Win 11 Pro onto the SSD when they test the configeration and then I can enter my Key into it when I receive the PC.

Any advice or pointers will be gratefully received, I remember when I had a 50mb Winchester HDD, 50mb of storage how would I ever use all of that :) time and technology certinly do move forward.

Case PCS P209 ARGB MID TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-11400 (2.6GHz) 12MB Cache
MotherboardASUS® PRIME B560-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics CardINTEGRATED GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR (GPU)
1st M.2 SSD Drive2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
DVD/BLU-RAY DriveNOT REQUIRED
Memory Card ReaderUSB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power SupplyCORSAIR 450W CV SERIES™ CV-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor CoolingPCS FrostFlow 120 Series RGB High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal PasteSTANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans1x 120mm Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound CardONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network CardWIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt OptionsMIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating SystemNO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
 
AgentCooper

AgentCooper

At Least I Have Chicken
Moderator
Hi there and welcome. There’s nothing you really need to know about SSDs as such. The only thing that springs to mind is that you shouldn’t use the defragment tool to tidy them up, that’s a big no no. A mixture of drives also isn’t an issue, systems are fully happy to have different types on board.

As for the OS, PCS will install a test version of Windows onto the system in order that they can check it’s working and run the various stress tests. You can input your own key onto that but we’d generally recommend a full clean installation of the OS so that you’ve got a clean slate to work from. The extra ten minutes spent doing that can save a lot of heartache when it comes to any troubleshooting.

Would you like any advice on the spec itself as there’s a few areas we could optimise? The 11th gen Intel chips are not something we recommend, they’re a very poor choice. If you let us what budget you’re working with I’m sure we can get the build improved 🙂👍
 
pjb729

pjb729

Member
Thank you for the reply.

I chose the Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-11400 as it has a built in GPU, is resonably priced and has good performance for the type of use I intend for the PC, I am open to susggestions for a spec up to £1,000 but remember I'm not a gamer :). Most of my big files are XL files containing DNA data.

Thank you for the tip about SSD and defragmentation, what stops the files on the SSD becoming fragmented???
 
AgentCooper

AgentCooper

At Least I Have Chicken
Moderator
pjb729 said:
Thank you for the tip about SSD and defragmentation, what stops the files on the SSD becoming fragmented???
Click to expand...
The way SSDs work, it doesn’t really matter where the data is as there’s no moving parts. It doesn’t have to be laid out in a nice neat track like with a HDD. If you defragged an SSD, all you be doing is using up write cycles and shortening it’s lifespan.

I’ve knocked up an alternative spec for you to have a look at. It’s the AMD 5600G, which performs better than that Intel offering and is way more power efficient. I’ve also added in an extra, smaller M.2 drive. The logic is that if you just keep the OS and programs on that disc it keeps things running snappily and you wouldn’t lose your current projects/data if you need to reinstall Windows at any point. That’d allow the second M.2 SSD to hold your current data before archiving it onto the HDD. Other changes are the case, which is better for airflow and keeping those components cool, and the power supply, which is a better model, the fan only kicks in when it needs to and it’s a much quieter proposition than the CV range.

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Six Core CPU with Radeon™ Graphics (3.9GHz-4.4GHz/19MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
INTEGRATED GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR (GPU)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 530 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 3000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
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
Wireless Network Card
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
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
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)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 4 to 7 working days
Price: £934.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/VPgfgrvQ8a/
 
pjb729

pjb729

Member
I like the idea of a seperate location for the OS and Progammes, reinstalling windows is a pain I could do with out

"The SSD doesn’t have to be laid out in a nice neat track like with a HDD" this makes sense (y)

I will have a look at the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Six Core CPU

Thank you for the reply
 
sck451

sck451

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
AgentCooper said:
The way SSDs work, it doesn’t really matter where the data is as there’s no moving parts. It doesn’t have to be laid out in a nice neat track like with a HDD. If you defragged an SSD, all you be doing is using up write cycles and shortening it’s lifespan.

I’ve knocked up an alternative spec for you to have a look at. It’s the AMD 5600G, which performs better than that Intel offering and is way more power efficient. I’ve also added in an extra, smaller M.2 drive. The logic is that if you just keep the OS and programs on that disc it keeps things running snappily and you wouldn’t lose your current projects/data if you need to reinstall Windows at any point. That’d allow the second M.2 SSD to hold your current data before archiving it onto the HDD. Other changes are the case, which is better for airflow and keeping those components cool, and the power supply, which is a better model, the fan only kicks in when it needs to and it’s a much quieter proposition than the CV range.

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Six Core CPU with Radeon™ Graphics (3.9GHz-4.4GHz/19MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
INTEGRATED GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR (GPU)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 530 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 3000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
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
Wireless Network Card
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
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
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)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 4 to 7 working days
Price: £934.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/VPgfgrvQ8a/
Click to expand...
Yes to this build, but there's no point combining a 5600G with a PCIe 4.0 SSD: the 5600G only supports PCIe gen 3.
 
pjb729

pjb729

Member
Question

Is the

500GB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 530 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 3000MB/W) in the 1st M.2 SSD Drive Position

And the

2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW) in the 1st Storage Drive Position

or doesn't it matter ?????
 
pjb729

pjb729

Member
I think the Amd Ryzen 5 5600G processor is a better option.

Below is the Revised spec just a couple of questions

1. Is the

500GB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 530 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 3000MB/W) in the 1st M.2 SSD Drive Position

And the

2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW) in the 1st Storage Drive Position

or doesn't it matter ?????

2. If the 5600G only supports PCIe gen 3 what is the best selection for the 1st M.2 SSD Drive Position ?

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Six Core CPU with Radeon™ Graphics (3.9GHz-4.4GHz/19MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
INTEGRATED GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR (GPU)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 530 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 3000MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW) (Special Offer)
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
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
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
 
AgentCooper

AgentCooper

At Least I Have Chicken
Moderator
You’d want the primary OS drive in the first M.2 slot. As @sck451 has rightly pointed out, the 5600G is limited to PCIe Gen 3 so wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the Firecuda’s amazing speed. So you could substitute said Firecuda with something like the 500GB Samsung 970 or the 512GB Intel 670. There’s not much between them but I have the Samsung and it’s been hella reliable, that’d be my own preference.

I would recommend going for a minimum of 3200MHz frequency on the RAM. Ryzen benefits hugely from having fast memory on board.

The WiFi card should really be bumped up to the AX200 for the extra few pounds it’ll cost. It’s much better than the default one, which I don’t think is even officially supported anymore.
 
pjb729

pjb729

Member
AgentCooper said:
You’d want the primary OS drive in the first M.2 slot. As @sck451 has rightly pointed out, the 5600G is limited to PCIe Gen 3 so wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the Firecuda’s amazing speed. So you could substitute said Firecuda with something like the 500GB Samsung 970 or the 512GB Intel 670. There’s not much between them but I have the Samsung and it’s been hella reliable, that’d be my own preference.

I would recommend going for a minimum of 3200MHz frequency on the RAM. Ryzen benefits hugely from having fast memory on board.

The WiFi card should really be bumped up to the AX200 for the extra few pounds it’ll cost. It’s much better than the default one, which I don’t think is even officially supported anymore.
Click to expand...
I have dropped the Wi Fi card, I can't remember why I put it in the first place.
I have selected the 500GB Samsung 970 Evo plus
I have selected the 3200MHz Ram
 
pjb729

pjb729

Member
This is the spec, please let me know if there are any errors or omissions as I intend to order this tomorrow

Thank you very much for all your help
CaseCORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Six Core CPU with Radeon™ Graphics (3.9GHz-4.4GHz/19MB CACHE/AM4)
MotherboardASUS® PRIME B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics CardINTEGRATED GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR (GPU)
1st M.2 SSD Drive500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
DVD/BLU-RAY DriveNOT REQUIRED
Memory Card ReaderUSB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power SupplyCORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
 
AgentCooper

AgentCooper

At Least I Have Chicken
Moderator
pjb729 said:
This is the spec, please let me know if there are any errors or omissions as I intend to order this tomorrow

Thank you very much for all your help
CaseCORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Six Core CPU with Radeon™ Graphics (3.9GHz-4.4GHz/19MB CACHE/AM4)
MotherboardASUS® PRIME B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics CardINTEGRATED GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR (GPU)
1st M.2 SSD Drive500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
DVD/BLU-RAY DriveNOT REQUIRED
Memory Card ReaderUSB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power SupplyCORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Click to expand...
You’re welcome!

Looks good. I notice you picked the RGB RAM, was that intentional? It’s no different than the standard Vengeance other than having pretty lights.

7E07D7E4-8D8E-455B-8344-130657807BD4.gif
 
pjb729

pjb729

Member
That wasn’t intentional I will alter it 😂

There’s an example of the benefit of having a second pair of eyes review the spec 👀
 
pjb729

pjb729

Member
Case CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Six Core CPU with Radeon™ Graphics (3.9GHz-4.4GHz/19MB CACHE/AM4)
MotherboardASUS® PRIME B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics CardINTEGRATED GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR (GPU)
1st M.2 SSD Drive500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
DVD/BLU-RAY DriveNOT REQUIRED
Memory Card ReaderUSB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power SupplyCORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
 
pjb729

pjb729

Member
Not having seen the RGB Memory before the question "Why would anyone want such a thing" did cross my mind when AgentCooper pointed it out!!!!! The question wasnt in my mind that long before I decided to dismiss it and file it in the "Odd" section
 
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