Advice on power supply and overall build

[ethanbailey614]

Hey everyone,

Firstly, thank you for taking the time to look at my post, I'm really new to this and I appreciate ANY help.

Some key details:

• My budget is £1400. Currently this build is £1,334.00
• This would be just for gaming. I primarily play Total War strategy games but would love to play Star Citizen and the new Warhammer III Total War/have it stand up for a few years
• I know this is unhelpful but I don't have the money for a proper monitor yet, so I will be using a very basic one from work to keep me going. I will be looking for a 4K monitor with a budget of £300 when I can afford it though

My main question is on the power supply.

I received this message when finalising the build: 'You have selected a 650W power supply, but based on our calculations you actually only need a 450W power supply. We have calculated your specification to require around 383W of power including a 20% allowance.'

I read that getting a better power supply will help with future-proofing the device for upgrades down the road, but this makes me assume it's not worth it and I could save some money - which would be great! Should I just get the Corsair 450w CV series, or would you recommend going with the 650w TXm series for future upgrades potential?

Any tweaks/advice massively appreciated!

Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL 215 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700KF (3.6GHz) 25MB Cache
Motherboard
GIGABYTE Z690 GAMING X DDR4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 Ti - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
512GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 450MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 150 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)
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
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
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

Price: £1,334.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z690-pc/!uHNnmJAH6/

Thank you in advance and happy holidays!

Many thanks,

Ethan

 

[JUNI0R]

Hey everyone,

Firstly, thank you for taking the time to look at my post, I'm really new to this and I appreciate ANY help.

Some key details:

• My budget is £1400. Currently this build is £1,334.00
• This would be just for gaming. I primarily play Total War strategy games but would love to play Star Citizen and the new Warhammer III Total War/have it stand up for a few years
• I know this is unhelpful but I don't have the money for a proper monitor yet, so I will be using a very basic one from work to keep me going. I will be looking for a 4K monitor with a budget of £300 when I can afford it though

My main question is on the power supply.

I received this message when finalising the build: 'You have selected a 650W power supply, but based on our calculations you actually only need a 450W power supply. We have calculated your specification to require around 383W of power including a 20% allowance.'

I read that getting a better power supply will help with future-proofing the device for upgrades down the road, but this makes me assume it's not worth it and I could save some money - which would be great! Should I just get the Corsair 450w CV series, or would you recommend going with the 650w TXm series for future upgrades potential?

Any tweaks/advice massively appreciated!

Thank you in advance and happy holidays!

Many thanks,

Ethan

Hey Ethan! Regarding the PSU, I would 100% go for the more expensive one. The TXm units are much higher quality, more efficient and quieter than the CV units- indicated by a 3 year manufacturer warranty on the CV and 7 year on the TXm. Although I'd arguably take it further. For a system these days, with future planning in mind, the minimum I'd personally want to recommend is actually 750W.

Looking at the rest of the build, the 12th gen combo isn't the cheapest (motherboards are pretty expensive and the CPU's are pretty hot requiring more expensive cooling) so not something I'd actively suggest at this budget. I'm unsure how demanding the games you've mentioned are but to give a bit more longevity I'd definetly recommend a better GPU than the 1660TI. SATA SSD's are also not fresh tech anymore and M.2's are significantly faster for not much more money.

Monitors wise, for £300 I'd highly recommend a 1440p 144hz panel over a 4K 60hz panel (having gone from 1080p 60hz to 1440p 144hz I can't recommend it enough!)

Any questions, ask away!

builds posted below

 

[JUNI0R]

If you'd rather stick with Intel, the build below would be what I'd recommend
Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL 215 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 10-Core Processor i5-12600KF (3.7GHz) 20MB Cache The 12600K is still an incredible CPU, will save a bit of cash and lighten up on cooling requirements
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready Better motherboard and cheaper once you factor in a decent WiFi card
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB) Fast RAM is an easy way to get better performance these days, 3200mhz is the minimum I'd recommend
Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 - HDMI, DP, LHR Significantly better than the 1660TI, although would still likely be a 1080p 144hz GPU (which are about £180)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2500MB/sW) Significantly faster and larger SSD, this is the minimum I'd recommend, a 500GB Boot drive and a 1TB games drive would be ideal
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET This is a solid unit, although the ideal choice here would really be the RMx850
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100i RGB PRO XT Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler As said above, 12th gen intel has pretty big cooling requirements so I'd really recommend an AIO for the 12600K
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
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
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
Christmas Delivery No Longer Guaranteed - Assembly From 29/12/2021

Price: £1,449.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z690-pc/Y3taaTbTEn/


Alternatively, the 5600X from AMD is a brilliant option that'll be ample for gaming and has much lower cooling requirements, it's also less expensive and could be argued as better value
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 WiFi (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR Savings made on the CPU, Motherboard and cooling allow a much better 3060TI, this is a proper 1440p 144hz card and really the card I'd recommend for a £300 tier monitor
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2500MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster Hyper 212 (120mm) Fan CPU Cooler Black Edition All the 5600X will require
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
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
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 - Subject to stock availability on pre-order products

Price: £1,440.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/ZCG3HRUjFs/

 

[ethanbailey614]

Hey Ethan! Regarding the PSU, I would 100% go for the more expensive one. The TXm units are much higher quality, more efficient and quieter than the CV units- indicated by a 3 year manufacturer warranty on the CV and 7 year on the TXm. Although I'd arguably take it further. For a system these days, with future planning in mind, the minimum I'd personally want to recommend is actually 750W.

Looking at the rest of the build, the 12th gen combo isn't the cheapest (motherboards are pretty expensive and the CPU's are pretty hot requiring more expensive cooling) so not something I'd actively suggest at this budget. I'm unsure how demanding the games you've mentioned are but to give a bit more longevity I'd definetly recommend a better GPU than the 1660TI. SATA SSD's are also not fresh tech anymore and M.2's are significantly faster for not much more money.

Monitors wise, for £300 I'd highly recommend a 1440p 144hz panel over a 4K 60hz panel (having gone from 1080p 60hz to 1440p 144hz I can't recommend it enough!)

Any questions, ask away!

builds posted below

Hi Junior!

WOW, thank you so much for giving me such a detailed response to my post and for the builds provided, I didn't expect to hear back from anyone so quickly!

Thank you for confirming the PSU question, I didn't know about the warranty either and on your recommendation I will definitely opt for the 750W. I would much rather get the best I possibly can and future proof it as best as possible.

That's really good to know about the 12th gen combo, I will definitely avoid in that case.

I'm super happy with the builds you've suggested because looking at the spec comparisons, both are so much better for a pretty small increase in the overall price - I really appreciate your help with this.

Great shout on the monitor, thank you! I know absolutely nothing about monitors so I assumed 4K would just be the best choice but 1440p 144hz it is!

I was just wondering about the RTX options you've recommended. So the Ti is much better, but it has 8GB vs 12GB. Would the Ti still be significantly better even with the loss of 4GBs? Sorry if this is a really silly question btw, still trying to get to grips with it all!

Again thank you so much for your time and help with this! I think I'm leaning towards your second recommendation, I'm just running through some of my 'I wish I could play' games to see how they would run.

Really appreciate it,

Ethan

 

[JUNI0R]

Hi Junior!

WOW, thank you so much for giving me such a detailed response to my post and for the builds provided, I didn't expect to hear back from anyone so quickly!

No worries! I'm happy to help!

Thank you for confirming the PSU question, I didn't know about the warranty either and on your recommendation I will definitely opt for the 750W. I would much rather get the best I possibly can and future proof it as best as possible.

Just to make sure it's clear, the PCS warranty is always 3 years, the tiers just change how long you're covered for Collection & Delivery, Parts and Labour. The Corsair warranty is the one that extends with the better quality TXm product. Although does show how much faith they put in each product. If you do want the best future planning you can PSU wise I'd 100% recommend going for 850W, GPU's are only getting more and more power hungry so seems like a no brainer if you have the cash

Great shout on the monitor, thank you! I know absolutely nothing about monitors so I assumed 4K would just be the best choice but 1440p 144hz it is!

Indeed, it's just a fantastic balance. When going from 1080p 60hz to 1440 144, I'd say I noticed the refresh (hz) bump more than the resolution bump. 1080p 60hz to 4K 60hz would only be a resolution increase where as 1440p 144hz would be both and what I'd call the real sweetspot for gaming these days, if you haven't experienced it yet, high refresh is fantastic

I was just wondering about the RTX options you've recommended. So the Ti is much better, but it has 8GB vs 12GB. Would the Ti still be significantly better even with the loss of 4GBs? Sorry if this is a really silly question btw, still trying to get to grips with it all!

No such thing as a silly question! The GPU isn't all about VRAM it has, there's other factors that go into its performance (cuda cores, clock speeds for example). The 3060TI performs about 20% better than the 3060 and knocks on the door of the 2080TI in performance. You'll get a decent 1440p experience from the 3060 if you're happy with playing A) less demanding games, B) turning the settings down, but for not much more, the 3060TI really does almost all of it pretty damn happily. It's a real no brainer if you have the budget. Oh and just for formalities sake, 8GB on the 60TI is plenty for gaming currently.

 

[ethanbailey614]

No worries! I'm happy to help!


Just to make sure it's clear, the PCS warranty is always 3 years, the tiers just change how long you're covered for Collection & Delivery, Parts and Labour. The Corsair warranty is the one that extends with the better quality TXm product. Although does show how much faith they put in each product. If you do want the best future planning you can PSU wise I'd 100% recommend going for 850W, GPU's are only getting more and more power hungry so seems like a no brainer if you have the cash


Indeed, it's just a fantastic balance. When going from 1080p 60hz to 1440 144, I'd say I noticed the refresh (hz) bump more than the resolution bump. 1080p 60hz to 4K 60hz would only be a resolution increase where as 1440p 144hz would be both and what I'd call the real sweetspot for gaming these days, if you haven't experienced it yet, high refresh is fantastic


No such thing as a silly question! The GPU isn't all about VRAM it has, there's other factors that go into its performance (cuda cores, clock speeds for example). The 3060TI performs about 20% better than the 3060 and knocks on the door of the 2080TI in performance. You'll get a decent 1440p experience from the 3060 if you're happy with playing A) less demanding games, B) turning the settings down, but for not much more, the 3060TI really does almost all of it pretty damn happily. It's a real no brainer if you have the budget. Oh and just for formalities sake, 8GB on the 60TI is plenty for gaming currently.

Hi Junior, thank you for clarifying and for your advice on the PCS, with your advice I have added the 850w to the second build, I was surprised the price wasn't much of a jump so definitely worth it!

Sounds brilliant! Best of both worlds then. Oh man, I've never experienced a particularly good monitor so I'm pretty damn excited to see how it looks.

Thank you very much for answering that, the 8GB 60Ti it is, I'm definitely sold on that. I'm going to go with your AMD build with the 850w PCS. I've been thinking and I'll have to wait a little bit longer to get this but I'm so glad I submitted on the forum and got your advice, I'm confident that this build is going to stand the test of time and I can't wait to eventually put it through its paces

Thank you so much man, you've been so helpful and informative, I really appreciate it!!

Oh, and Merry Christmas!!

Ethan

 

[JUNI0R]

Hi Junior, thank you for clarifying and for your advice on the PCS, with your advice I have added the 850w to the second build, I was surprised the price wasn't much of a jump so definitely worth it!

Sounds brilliant! Best of both worlds then. Oh man, I've never experienced a particularly good monitor so I'm pretty damn excited to see how it looks.

Thank you very much for answering that, the 8GB 60Ti it is, I'm definitely sold on that. I'm going to go with your AMD build with the 850w PCS. I've been thinking and I'll have to wait a little bit longer to get this but I'm so glad I submitted on the forum and got your advice, I'm confident that this build is going to stand the test of time and I can't wait to eventually put it through its paces

Thank you so much man, you've been so helpful and informative, I really appreciate it!!

Oh, and Merry Christmas!!

Ethan

Awesome! Always happy to help. Would be great to see some pictures when it arrives!