Check my mid-range gaming build

[Auctorion]

I'm finally making the switch from mainlining a Mac as my all-purpose home computer to a Windows build. I'll still be using a Mac laptop since my workplace provides me with one, so I won't have to miss macOS for some of the apps I use. A win-win-win overall.

Anyway, life story over.

Key points

• My budget is £1,500, +/- 10% based on any needs I've missed or areas where I could save.
• Main use is gaming. My gaming is currently split between my Macbook Pro (4gb graphics verison) and a PS5. The latter is good for exclusives and AAA, and I also use my Mac things like Cities Skylines, Pillars of Eternity 2. But, I want the option to play more games on PC, and I'm tired of coping with min-spec settings. I'm not looking for a max-spec Cyberpunk 2077 system. I can make do with a PS5 for that, since I already have one (I got lucky).
• My current monitor is an LG 29WK600 superwide. It's hard to go back from 21:9 to 16:9, and I'm probably going to upgrade in the next 3-6 months to get more screen real estate for work, go up to 1440p (or whatever the superwide equivalent is), and maybe increase the refresh rate to 100-120hz if I can take advantage of that (anything >60fps is a nice-to-have for me).

Notes

• I've chosen the CPU to account for more CPU-intensive games like Cities Skylines, but from my research a Ryzen 7+ seems like overkill.
• Graphics-wise I've gone a bit over what's required as an effort in 2-3 year future-proofing, with an expectation that I'll probably move to a 3070 or better by that point.
• The areas where I'm really not sure whether what I've got is overkill or "underkill" are the Power Supply and the Processor Cooling.
• I like the rainbow stripe on the case, but I'm not wedded to the design. Need the case to be <220mm wide due to desk.
• Anything else advised for quiet running?

SPEC

Case
PCS P209 ARGB MID TOWER 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)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2500MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W CV SERIES™ CV-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 240 Series RGB High Performance Liquid Cooler (AMD)
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
2 PORT (1 x TYPE A, 1 x TYPE C) USB 3.1 PCI-E CARD + STANDARD USB PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
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
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

Price
£1,499.00 including VAT and Delivery

 

[JUNI0R]

I'm finally making the switch from mainlining a Mac as my all-purpose home computer to a Windows build. I'll still be using a Mac laptop since my workplace provides me with one, so I won't have to miss macOS for some of the apps I use. A win-win-win overall.

Anyway, life story over.

Key points

• My budget is £1,500, +/- 10% based on any needs I've missed or areas where I could save.
• Main use is gaming. My gaming is currently split between my Macbook Pro (4gb graphics verison) and a PS5. The latter is good for exclusives and AAA, and I also use my Mac things like Cities Skylines, Pillars of Eternity 2. But, I want the option to play more games on PC, and I'm tired of coping with min-spec settings. I'm not looking for a max-spec Cyberpunk 2077 system. I can make do with a PS5 for that, since I already have one (I got lucky).
• My current monitor is an LG 29WK600 superwide. It's hard to go back from 21:9 to 16:9, and I'm probably going to upgrade in the next 3-6 months to get more screen real estate for work, go up to 1440p (or whatever the superwide equivalent is), and maybe increase the refresh rate to 100-120hz if I can take advantage of that (anything >60fps is a nice-to-have for me).

Notes

• I've chosen the CPU to account for more CPU-intensive games like Cities Skylines, but from my research a Ryzen 7+ seems like overkill.
• Graphics-wise I've gone a bit over what's required as an effort in 2-3 year future-proofing, with an expectation that I'll probably move to a 3070 or better by that point.
• The areas where I'm really not sure whether what I've got is overkill or "underkill" are the Power Supply and the Processor Cooling.
• I like the rainbow stripe on the case, but I'm not wedded to the design. Need the case to be <210mm wide due to desk.
• Anything else advised for quiet running?

SPEC

Case
PCS P209 ARGB MID TOWER 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)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2500MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W CV SERIES™ CV-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 240 Series RGB High Performance Liquid Cooler (AMD)
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
2 PORT (1 x TYPE A, 1 x TYPE C) USB 3.1 PCI-E CARD + STANDARD USB PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
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
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

Price
£1,499.00 including VAT and Delivery

Hi there! We could definetly get this optimised for you. Would you be able to provide us with a configurable link first? It'd make suggesting changes a lot easier! It'll just be the green link at the bottom of the page where you copied and pasted the spec to post in the forum.

Thanks!

 

[Auctorion]

Hi there! We could definetly get this optimised for you. Would you be able to provide us with a configurable link first? It'd make suggesting changes a lot easier! It'll just be the green link at the bottom of the page where you copied and pasted the spec to post in the forum.

Thanks!

Thank you!

Link: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/VpXgKp6xWA/

 

[Auctorion]

I also put together a roughly comparable Intel CPU build, which afforded a better GPU. To my mind this one looks generally better, as the RAM is going to take a marginal hit in clock speed, but the trade-off there allows a trade-up in GPU, and I'm still not clear about the clock speed throttling that happens with AMD CPUs.

PCSPECIALIST - Top Spec Custom PCs & Laptops Built to Order

Manufacturer of performance custom computers and laptops. Customise your ideal gaming PC or laptop using our advanced configurator.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

 

[Bigfoot]

If you are considering Intel, you need to read this https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/forums/threads/amd-vs-intel.72675/

 

[Bigfoot]

In both your proposed builds you have chosen a cheap case and a cheap PSU, which is a bad idea. A poor case means overheating with throttling of performance and shorter component life. A low spec PSU will be noisy and over stressed. You will also be restricted for future upgrades.

 

[Bigfoot]

I would start with something like this. Edit: you can downgrade the motherboard to the TUF B550 for the 5600x and save a few pounds.

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS 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 RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3000MB/sR | 1600MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2500MB/sW)
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
PCS FrostFlow 240 Series RGB High Performance Liquid Cooler (AMD)
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
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™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 16 to 19 working days
Price: £1,520.00 including VAT and Delivery

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

 

[Auctorion]

I would start with something like this. Edit: you can downgrade the motherboard to the TUF B550 for the 5600x and save a few pounds.

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS 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 RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3000MB/sR | 1600MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2500MB/sW)
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
PCS FrostFlow 240 Series RGB High Performance Liquid Cooler (AMD)
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
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™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 16 to 19 working days
Price: £1,520.00 including VAT and Delivery

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

Questions (still learning):

1. Any good cases that have a width of <220mm? That one is slightly too large for the ideal space in my workstation, by literally by a few mm. Very frustrating, but I don't want to have to buy a whole new desk as well or have cables draped everywhere.
2. Will downgrading the motherboard have any impact on longevity? CPU upgrade compatibility, etc.
3. Why the 850W RMX over the 750W RMX on the PSU? Site calculator says system requires 359W. I get the quiet aspect, but am I missing something with the wattage? Longevity?

 

[Bigfoot]

The Corsair ICue 220T should fit. You mentioned a future upgrade to a 3070 which will be more power hungry. The 850 will give you more headroom and still run at a reasonable load.

 

[Auctorion]

The Corsair ICue 220T should fit. You mentioned a future upgrade to a 3070 which will be more power hungry. The 850 will give you more headroom and still run at a reasonable load.

Brilliant. Thank you for your help. 🙂