Suggestions for Gaming PC ~ £1200

[chrroc308]

Hi guys,

I'm looking for a decent gaming PC with screen in the £1200 - £1400 range, up to now I've come up with the following config for ~ £1250, what do you guys think? Any advice of what could preferably be upgraded first?

Case
COOLERMASTER SILENCIO S600 QUIET MID TOWER CASE

Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT Six Core CPU (3.8GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)

Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!

Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)

Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!

1st Storage Drive
1TB Samsung 870 QVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (up to 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)

1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)

Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W CV SERIES™ CV-450 POWER SUPPLY

Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 100 V3 Series High Performance CPU Cooler (AMD)

Monitor
IIYAMA ProLite XB2783HSU-B3 27" AMVA+

Besides I would have a couple questions if you don't mind:

- Is a 27" screen worth the extra price for gaming, or would a 24" be good enough? Does it make a noticeable difference when sitting on a desk?

- I've heard there's a serious shortage for graphic cards at the moment, how bad is it actually? I would need the PC for end of April as a gift, would this limit the available choice in that respect?

- Could you advise for a sound card that would also be used with an external MIDI keyboard, possibly wuth a home music studio app?


Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Chris

 

[Scott]

I've moved your thread to the "Check this spec" area.

Can you provide the configurable link that was given from the spec list? It makes it much easier to offer advice and play around with the config to find optimal spending.

Some great information over here too...

Please read before posting:- Collaboration of Helpful Hints

NB: These forums are not an official support channel. None of us work for PCS, we're all either customers or techies who just like to help out where possible. For any official support, you need to contact PCS directly either through your PCS account, or via the contact details on the main...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

Grab a cuppa and have a read

 

[chrroc308]

Hi Scott,

thanks a lot for that. Here is the (slightly modified, added sound card) config with direct link:

Case
PCS SR-620C MID TOWER CASE

Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600X Six Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.4GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)

Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!

Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)

Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!

1st Storage Drive
1TB Samsung 870 QVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (up to 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)

1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)

Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W CV SERIES™ CV-450 POWER SUPPLY

Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 100 V3 Series High Performance CPU Cooler (AMD)

Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster® Audigy Rx

Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)

Monitor
IIYAMA X2783HSU-B3 27" AMVA+ LED WIDESCREEN, 1920x1080

Price: £1,390.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/pXsS8FzJje/


Thanks for your help!
Chris

 

[JUNI0R]

Hi Scott,

thanks a lot for that. Here is the (slightly modified, added sound card) config with direct link:



Price: £1,390.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/pXsS8FzJje/


Thanks for your help!
Chris

Hi there Chris,

To answer your questions, for the budget you're looking at you'd be getting a 1080p monitor. For that we'd recommend a 24 inch monitor as a 27 inch or larger monitor could produce a slightly blurry looking picture due to the lower pixel density. Plus, there are some great 1080p 144hz monitors we can recommend that are 24 inches in size.

The graphics card shortage is affecting the 30XX series of NVIDIA GPU's and the AMD 6000 Series GPU's. The limited number of these means that the prices of the more budget cards have increased. On your spec, you have a 1660 Super, which isn't affected by shortages, but will be more expensive than it is normally. Due to the new NVIDIA cards, they have stopped producing these meaning stock has dried up. PCS has managed to get another batch of them in, but how long these will last is anyone's guess. It doesn't seem you have any pre-order products so you shouldn't be affected by them and will hopefully get it by the end of April, although I wouldn't want to guarentee that.

I'm not too clued up on the music side of stuff so this is where someone elses expertise will come in, but do you know the output of the keyboard? If it's USB it could be plugged straight into the motherboard which makes things easy, if not, we might need a soundcard. I'm sure someone else would be able to suggest one if that's the case.

 

[JUNI0R]

For a build that wouldn’t need a sound card. This is what I’d suggest. It’s slightly over the budget when you include a monitor but I feel it’s worth it. If you have to get it back down to 1400 with a monitor. There are ways to reduce it down.

For case I’ve picked the Lian Li 215 which comes with 2 large front RGB fans and a rear fan, meaning it’s got all the airflow you’ll need at a great price. Adjusting the build I’ve managed to get the new generation of Ryzen CPU. I’ve stepped down to 3200mhz as that’s the sweet spot for Ryzen right now and upgrading to 3600 would only gain a couple of frames. For storage, I’ve change to a 512GB M.2 SSD For Windows, programs and a few games for speedy loading. Then a 2TB HDD for general files and maybe some larger file games that won’t fit on the 512GB SSD. I’ve upgraded to the RM850 PSU which will comfortably power this system and allow for upgrades over the years- it’s worth investing in a PSU now. The 5600X CPU will benefit from an updated cooler so I’ve added in a Cooler Master 240 AIO. The antivirus has been known to cause issues so I’ve removed it and the silver warranty is well worth it for £5.

For monitors. £200 will get you a solid 1080p 144hz monitor. 2 great options that we often suggest are the MSI G241 and the AOC 24G2U. They’re both IPS panels so offer great viewing angles and bright colours. With the build and the monitor, the total should be £1437, slightly over your original budget if a sound card isn’t needed!

Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL 215 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
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
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 240 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
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)
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: £1,237.00 including VAT and Delivery

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

 

[chrroc308]

Hi Junior.

thanks a lot for the invaluable feedback! Eventually I've been thinking on forking a bit more money and upgraded the motherboard. I also reverted the main disk to a 1TB SSD as I really appreciate the comfort of an SSD. Attached the current configuration. I would very much appreciate if you could give it a look and see if something badly needs a bump, as I wouldn't want to get annoying limitations from one component. I'm hoping to be able to play MS Flight Simulator comfortably with the setup if that makes sense.

Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL 215 GAMING CASE

Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)

Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!

Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)

Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!

1st Storage Drive
1TB Samsung 870 QVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (up to 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)

1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)

Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET

Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 240 High Performance Liquid Cooler

Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND

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]

Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

Price: £1,368.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/VMF8fjSCNV/

 

[Martinr36]

For general storage I'd go with an HDD rather than SSD, as its likely to last longer and general storage doesn't benefit from SSD type speeds, in fact in my opinion standard SSD (non M.2) are a bit of a piggy in the middle drive as if its fast loading times etc you're looking for you go M.2 which is a minimum of 4 times faster and not a lot more expensive

 

[Scott]

As above, if you want the luxury of a fast game drive, just opt for a second PCS M2 drive. I would personally remove the paste too. Actually works out cheaper.

Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL 215 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
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
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 240 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
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
Firefox™
Cable Management
3 x 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: £1,353.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/5BuEJpET4t/

 

[JUNI0R]

Looks like a good build from @Scott there! Although, the X570 motherboard isn't necessary with the 5600X CPU. So, stepping down to the TUF B550, gives you some cash to upgrade to the 2060 graphics card, which out performs the 1660 Super in every game in this 9 Game Test. It comes out at only £6 more than your build.

Also, it's correct there's no WiFi on this build, right?

Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL 215 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
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
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 240 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
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
Firefox™
Cable Management
3 x 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: £1,374.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/te5Es3a7Px/

 

[chrroc308]

Thanks everybody for the nice feedback, that's really useful.

I think I will settle on the last config, it looks like a solid build with nice features. Indeed I didn't include Wifi as the PC is using powerline networking, Wifi reception upstairs isn't best.

Thanks again for the help,
Chris

 

[JUNI0R]

Thanks everybody for the nice feedback, that's really useful.

I think I will settle on the last config, it looks like a solid build with nice features. Indeed I didn't include Wifi as the PC is using powerline networking, Wifi reception upstairs isn't best.

Thanks again for the help,
Chris

Fantastic, we’re happy to help! Make sure you show it off on “Show Off Your New PC” when it arrives!