Spec feedback welcome

M

mr_dog25

Member
Hi folks,

So, I stumbled across these forums after I'd placed my order (doh). Day 19 in pre-production at the moment but, as I've selected an RTX 3080, I'm expecting a very lengthy wait (meaning ample time to make any worthwhile amends!).

I'm not especially PC-tech savvy, but I understand the basics. I did a lot of research online beforehand and had a couple of PC enthusiasts at work look my spec over and their feedback was very positive. But, then I found this forum and the current opinion on the Intel i9 contrasts theirs (and websites I looked at re: CPU choice).
  • I'll mainly be using the PC for games and want to venture into high-end content (currently play WoW; but mostly because my current PC can't handle games developed post c. 2017 *sob*)
  • I want longevity with a spec that'll last me a long time before needing to be upgraded.
  • Budget is £3k (inclusive of a new monitor).

I'm now anxious about my CPU choice after reading the forums - 'amend my order' doesn't show AMD options, so I suspect switching would mean cancelling the order (and losing my 3080 queue position). Unless Intel is now a major transgression, I'd be keen to avoid that (new finance application = another credit search).

Note; I've the following amends already made which aren't showing in the spec it posts here for some reason:
  • Case is now the PCS PRISM-X RGB MID TOWER CASE
  • Monitor is now the MSI 27'' Optix MAG272CQR - 2560 x 1440, 1MS, 165Hz (PCS called me to change it as my original ASUS choice is unavailable).

Storage plan is SSD for OS, M.2 for frequently accessed/intense games, HDD for general storage.

Thanks for taking the time to read this - and for any feedback you lovely, lovely people you! :)


Case
PCS P209 RGB MID TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i9 Ten-Core Processor i9-10900K (3.7GHz) 20MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG MAXIMUS XII HERO Wi-Fi (LGA1200, USB 3.2, CrossFireX/SLI) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
250GB SEAGATE BARRACUDA 120 2.5" SSD, (up to 560MB/sR | 540MB/sW)
1st Storage Drive
4TB SEAGATE IRONWOLF PRO 3.5", 7200 RPM 128MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
External Hard Drive
1TB Seagate One Touch External HDD, USB 3.0, Black
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100x Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Extra Case Fans
1x 120mm Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
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
Microsoft® 365 Personal (12 Month Subscription - Digital Key)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Firefox™
Monitor
ASUS TUF GAMING VG27BQ 27"
Monitor Cables
1 x 2 METRE HDMI (M) to DVI (M)
Surge Protection
6 Socket 2m Surge Protector
Cable Management
PCS 1.5M Zip Cable Tidy - Professional Cable Management
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days


Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z490-pc/C9sBbVVQec/
 
Last edited:
MrWilson

MrWilson

Godlike
If you’re only targeting 1440p gaming I think that a 3070 build will be a more appropriate fit. The 3080 needs upwards of £750 on a 4K 144hz or 1440p Superwide to fully utilise its power.

Going for an AMD build with a 3070 is what I would recommend. You’ll get better bang for your buck and you will be waiting a shorter time for your build, as the 3070 stock situation is nowhere near as bad as the 3080.

Monitor wise, my personal recommendation would be to look elsewhere for it; PCS don’t have the best monitor selection and availability. My pick would be the IPS equivalent of the Asus monitor you originally picked, the VG27AQ.
www.asus.com

TUF Gaming VG27AQ｜Monitors｜ASUS Global

TUF Gaming monitors are ideal for competitive gamers on a budget, delivering a carefully selected set of high-end gaming features at palatable prices. Immaculate visuals are now within reach.
www.asus.com www.asus.com
 
MrWilson

MrWilson

Godlike
This is the rationale behind us recommending AMD over Intel in almost every use case:

AMD Vs Intel

So some of you aren't aware of the reasons why so many people are heading away from Intel to AMD, so thought it would be important to lay that out for people to refer back to. A lot of you will go to cpubenchmark or userbenchmark to find performance metrics for CPU's. These sites are complete...
www.pcspecialist.co.uk www.pcspecialist.co.uk
 
M

mr_dog25

Member
Thank you so much for looking it over and providing some feedback - much appreciated :D

The monitor vs. GPU was something I'd read up on, but as I'm looking for longevity I didn't want to close the door to that - I can't stretch the budget to a monitor of that price yet, but down the road I'll be hopefully upgrading.

But, certainly food for thought to down grade to the 3070 (prices of a 3080 will be lower by the time I upgrade the monitor I imagine, so definitely valid - thank you).

I'm leaning more towards AMD now having read that, regrettable as I expect it'll mean a cancel and reorder. Meh ;)

Thanks again for taking the time to read and provide feedback, much obliged!
 
AgentCooper

AgentCooper

At Least I Have Chicken
Moderator
mr_dog25 said:
The monitor vs. GPU was something I'd read up on, but as I'm looking for longevity I didn't want to close the door to that - I can't stretch the budget to a monitor of that price yet, but down the road I'll be hopefully upgrading.
Click to expand...
I'd suggest that by the time you're ready to get a new monitor, there will likely be a new GPU out there that will trounce the 3080 for performance and that you'd have to upgrade the card anyway. With the thinking of @MrWilson you won't be spending an extra few hundred quid now on something that you're not going to see any actual benefit from.
 
MrWilson

MrWilson

Godlike
Completely agree about the monitor, we normally recommend upgrading monitor and GPU together. Upgrading to a 3080 pre-emptively won't give a whole lot in the short term, and by the time you come round to upgrading the monitor the 3080 might be a lot cheaper, or a cheaper alternative will come out to replace it. For example, the 3070 offers similar performance to the 2080ti which costs twice as much!

This is the AMD equivalent I would recommend. Tried to keep the storage the same, switched your OS drive to the Firecuda as you want as fast as storage as possible for Windows. Also Silver Warranty for a fiver is well worth it.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 220T RGB AIRFLOW MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
4TB SEAGATE IRONWOLF PRO 3.5", 7200 RPM 128MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 2500MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
External Hard Drive
1TB Seagate One Touch External HDD, USB 3.0, Black
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W 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)
Network Card
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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Surge Protection
6 Socket 2m Surge Protector
Cable Management
PCS 1.5M Zip Cable Tidy - Professional Cable Management
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 10 to 12 working days
Price: £2,357.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/r!U40GGRGZ/
4-gen3-pc/tfhvuRA4NV/
 
M

mr_dog25

Member
Ash_ said:
Plus with a 3080, you’ll do well to get your build within the next 3 months.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'd resigned myself to June at the very (optimistic) earliest - my current old timer PC is an i7 2nd gen with a GT 540 (the best my ancient mobo can take), so anything is going to look awesome in comparison!
 
M

mr_dog25

Member
MrWilson said:
This is the AMD equivalent I would recommend. Tried to keep the storage the same, switched your OS drive to the Firecuda as you want as fast as storage as possible for Windows. Also Silver Warranty for a fiver is well worth it.
Click to expand...
That's amazing - thank you so much for pulling that together, I'll take a look now. Many thanks :)
 
MrWilson

MrWilson

Godlike
Ash_ said:
Only thing id change is the case. I’d go either 5000X or 500D SE personally, but that is personal preference
Click to expand...
Absolutely, I went with the 220t because OP went for the PCS prism case in his original build, so I replaced with an appropriate entry level RGB case. There is definitely budget for a top end case though, and those two cases are fantastic options, I just wouldn't go any lower than the 220t.
 
A

Ash_

Master Poster
MrWilson said:
Absolutely, I went with the 220t because OP went for the PCS prism case in his original build, so I replaced with an appropriate entry level RGB case. There is definitely budget for a top end case though, and those two cases are fantastic options, I just wouldn't go any lower than the 220t.
Click to expand...
Agreed
 
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