Am I overdoing it?

[MangoMan]

Typical tale, lifetime casual console gamer but finally decided to take the plunge. I'm about as naive as they come, despite doing bits of research I still feel like I'm chasing my tail a bit.

Use case will primarily be Counter-Strike 2 (which from what I understand isn't that demanding), with the occasional venture into the big releases (i.e. GTA 6).

I want something that will ideally future proof me a bit (if thats a thing!) but worried that I'm going to go overkill. Havent changed the spec (apart from taking off anti-virus!) from the default AMD Liquid-Series build. I suppose my question is mainly where could I save a few quid (components to downgrade) or potentially some areas I should probably upgrage. Substance over style ideally but I am a sucker for flashing lights!

And - as a bonus - how much would a minimum viable product set me back, if I lets say only wish to play CS2 and watch the occasional football match? (Just so I know how much luxury tax I'm paying).

Monitor(s) are 'BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K 24.5 inch 240Hz Gaming Monitor' and ideally the case will fit in my SecretLab PC mount things (which currently awkwardly clasps my PS5... collecting dust!).

Any q's, let me know !

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000T RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Custom Liquid Cooling Kit
Liquid Series® RGB Mid Kit - Corsair Hydro X
Tubing
Clear Flexible Tubing (Black Fittings)
Graphics Card Cooling
GPU Water Block - For One Graphics Card!
Coolant Colour
Mayhems X1 UV Purple
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING X670E-PLUS WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 5200MHz (1 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
16GB ASUS ROG STRIX GEFORCE RTX 4080 SUPER OC - HDMI, 3 x DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR, 1625MB/sW)
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)
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
ONBOARD Wi-Fi 6E / 7 (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
Microsoft® Edge
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
48 HOUR INSURED PALLET DELIVERY TO UK (MON-FRI, INC. HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS)
Build Time
Liquid Series® Build - Approximately 4 to 7 working days
Price: £3,300.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-liquid/GNZ3yaq6j6/

 

[Scoped Badger]

Any reason why you’ve gone for the liquid cooling option?

By your own admission you’re “as naive as they come” and liquid cooling requires maintenance once a year. Will you be able to check for leaks, refill the reservoir etc? If the answer is no, steer clear of a liquid cooled system in my opinion.

 

[MangoMan]

Any reason why you’ve gone for the liquid cooling option?

By your own admission you’re “as naive as they come” and liquid cooling requires maintenance once a year. Will you be able to check for leaks, refill the reservoir etc? If the answer is no, steer clear of a liquid cooled system in my opinion.

Thanks for the response. I thought it looked cool and read that it would improve component life. I didn't realise it required the maintanence though !

 

[Scoped Badger]

Thanks for the response. I thought it looked cool and read that it would improve component life. I didn't realise it required the maintanence though !

For me, liquid cooling is for enthusiasts. For the most part, it’s overkill for the vast majority of people. You’re right though, it can look great.

AIO’s are generally the way people go, especially with a budget like yours, and are most than enough for the average user, but especially if you want to play CS2 and GTA 6.

What’s your max budget? We’ll see if we can put together a system for you.

 

[TonyCarter]

Not saying this is where you'll end up, but this is basically the same level of performance, but just built in the 'normal' gaming configurator...

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000T RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING X670E-PLUS WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
16GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4080 SUPER - HDMI, DP, LHR
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
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
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW) - noticed you only had a single SSD on your original config, so added another for the game installs
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 H150i RGB HIGH PERFORMANCE CPU COOLER - liquid cooling, but a 'closed loop system' rather than the 'open loop system' you'd originally configured...this needs no maintenance though
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
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
Microsoft® Edge
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 6 working days
Price: £2,761.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/VuwQHJEkH!/

 

[MangoMan]

For me, liquid cooling is for enthusiasts. For the most part, it’s overkill for the vast majority of people. You’re right though, it can look great.

AIO’s are generally the way people go, especially with a budget like yours, and are most than enough for the average user, but especially if you want to play CS2 and GTA 6.

What’s your max budget? We’ll see if we can put together a system for you.

I think about 3.3k top whack. But if I can get a good rig for under 3 then I'd be chuffed. Appreciate your help !

 

[Scoped Badger]

Worth noting that the monitor you mentioned is a 1080p output so will either need upgrading or the GPU listed above will need downgrading.

 

[MangoMan]

Not saying this is where you'll end up, but this is basically the same level of performance, but just built in the 'normal' gaming configurator...

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000T RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING X670E-PLUS WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
16GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4080 SUPER - HDMI, DP, LHR
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
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
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW) - noticed you only had a single SSD on your original config, so added another for the game installs
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 H150i RGB HIGH PERFORMANCE CPU COOLER - liquid cooling, but a 'closed loop system' rather than the 'open loop system' you'd originally configured...this needs no maintenance though
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
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
Microsoft® Edge
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 6 working days
Price: £2,761.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/VuwQHJEkH!/

Thanks for the taking the time. I'll be looking up this 'closed loop' system now !

 

[MangoMan]

Worth noting that the monitor you mentioned is a 1080p output so will either need upgrading or the GPU listed above will need downgrading.

When you 'needs' downgrading, can I not have the higher GPU 'just in case' and then upgrade the monior if I want to run higher res games? Or is the GPU literally too powerful for the monitor? Apologies if stupid question !

 

[SpyderTracks]

When you 'needs' downgrading, can I not have the higher GPU 'just in case' and then upgrade the monior if I want to run higher res games? Or is the GPU literally too powerful for the monitor? Apologies if stupid question !

That's not the way it works, that way you spend far more for less performance overall.

If you just get a suitable gpu now, and then upgrade when you upgrade the monitor, you'll end up paying far less for equivalent performance, and have up to date technologies, especially where DLSS and Ray Tracing are concerned, as the hardware for that is being upgraded pretty much generation to generation because it's still so new.

So a 4080 now, will likely be outperformed by a 5070 for instance at a little over half the cost. Plus have newer features and stronger ray tracing support.

 

[Ekans2011]

When you 'needs' downgrading, can I not have the higher GPU 'just in case' and then upgrade the monior if I want to run higher res games? Or is the GPU literally too powerful for the monitor? Apologies if stupid question !

I feel QHD/Ultrawide 1440p is the best resolution to play at; reference GPUs usually are 4070/4070ti SUPER or 7800XT/7900GRE.

The same build as @TonyCarter, with a 4070ti SUPER and a 5000X (which is a better value than the 5000T), would leave you with roughly £700-800 for a nice QHD monitor.

 

[MangoMan]

That's not the way it works, that way you spend far more for less performance overall.

If you just get a suitable gpu now, and then upgrade when you upgrade the monitor, you'll end up paying far less for equivalent performance, and have up to date technologies, especially where DLSS and Ray Tracing are concerned, as the hardware for that is being upgraded pretty much generation to generation because it's still so new.

So a 4080 now, will likely be outperformed by a 5070 for instance at a little over half the cost. Plus have newer features and stronger ray tracing support.

Ah ok - so its the opportunity cost. With that in mind then happy to go with the cheaper rig and just play on 1080p max. If I then decided I want to play a game that benefits from higher res I'll do the necessary upgrades.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Ah ok - so its the opportunity cost. With that in mind then happy to go with the cheaper rig and just play on 1080p max. If I then decided I want to play a game that benefits from higher res I'll do the necessary upgrades.

If you post the specs you’re considering just so it’s clear?

 

[MangoMan]

If you post the specs you’re considering just so it’s clear?

With what you said in mind, I would say the spec that TonyCarter posted (with the 4080 graphics card). Although with my monitors staying as they are I'm not sure if there are any other components that would be deemed 'excessive'?

 

[SpyderTracks]

With what you said in mind, I would say the spec that TonyCarter posted (with the 4080 graphics card). Although with my monitors staying as they are I'm not sure if there are any other components that would be deemed 'excessive'?

@TonyCarter build is actually spot on as it is, my apologies, I’d completely forgotten that 4000 series didn’t scale as well at 1080p so 4080 is optimal for 240hz

Just worth saying, 1440p 144hz would be a far far richer experience than 1080p 240hz. The reality is you likely won’t be able to tell a difference over about 120hz