Completely new to PC building, any advice appreciated on these builds

H

hex93

Member
I used the jargon free builder to get two builds that I have my eye set on. My main use for this pc will be working form home (for which I really only need microsoft office) and gaming. I'd like some input on of these builds will suit my purpose.

I am not someone who needs to run the latest games on the highest possible graphics but I'd like to be able to at least run them well enough such that they look nice (for example, borderlands 3 on high graphics settings). I'm not sure what my budget should be here but ideally I'd like to stay at 700-900 and really just want the best bang for my buck in this range.

I used the jargon free PC builder to get three builds that looked nice to me, (by the way, I noticed that several of the components that were suggested by the jargon free builder aren't available in the drop down menu if i try to configure this PC from scratch, does that mean that the jargon free builder just needs updating and these builds aren't actually still available?)


Monitor Res: 1920x1080, FPS just needs to be comfortably playable, I won't be playing anything competitive so just smooth single player gameplay is what I'm looking for (as close to 60 as possible within budget?)

Without further ado, here are my builds (prices include VAT)

Build 1: £818
Case: CORSAIR iCUE 220T RGB AIRFLOW MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU): Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-9400F (2.9GHz) 9MB Cache
Motherboard: ASUS® H310-PLUS R2.0: ATX, DDR4, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs
Memory: (RAM) 8GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card: 6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive: 1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB
CACHE
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: STANDARD 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)
Wireless Network Card: WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD


Build 2: £812
Case: PCS PRISM-X RGB MID TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU): Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-9400F (2.9GHz) 9MB Cache
Motherboard: ASUS® H310-PLUS R2.0: ATX, DDR4, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM): 8GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card: 6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive: 1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB
CACHE
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: STANDARD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste: STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card: ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)


Build 3: £972
Case: CORSAIR iCUE 220T RGB AIRFLOW MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU): Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-10400F (2.9GHz) 12MB Cache
Motherboard: ASUS® TUF GAMING B460-PLUS: ATX, LGA1200, USB 3.2, SATA 6GBs -
RGB Ready
Memory (RAM): 8GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card: 6GB ASUS DUAL GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP, DVI
1st Storage Drive: 512GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 450MB/W)
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 100 V2 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)



Do these builds make sense for the level of performance I'd like? What should I do differently if not?

Thanks in advance
 
Stephen M

Stephen M

Author Level
I suggest you have a look at the threads on AMD v Intel, the former are far better now and will give a better value build with more scope for any future upgrades if needed.
 
H

hex93

Member
Stephen M said:
I suggest you have a look at the threads on AMD v Intel, the former are far better now and will give a better value build with more scope for any future upgrades if needed.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I have looked at this thread but none of the automated builders suggested AMD. I was not sure why as I had also heard that AMD is the better bang for buck but did not have enough know-how to properly decide on a suitable processor.
 
Stephen M

Stephen M

Author Level
Hopefully someone will suggest a build for you soon, there are plenty of helpful people here. I am mainly a laptop user so would be no good on cases, mobos and stuff like that so prefer to leave it to someone with better knowledge.
 
Martinr36

Martinr36

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
check here

PCSPECIALIST - AMD Computers

Manufacturer of performance custom AMD PCs and computers for gaming or home/office systems. Configure your ideal AMD PC or AMD computer using our advanced options available.
www.pcspecialist.co.uk www.pcspecialist.co.uk
 
sck451

sck451

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
An Intel build definitely isn't the way to go. The best bang-for-buck aiming at 1080p60 right now ("budget" doesn't exist in PC gaming at the moment) would be the Ryzen 5 3600 and the Nvidia GTX 1650 Super. Here would be my suggested build, which will be good both in the short term and also has loads of capacity to be upgraded in the future. (E.g. graphics card and storage and even the CPU if it turns out to be useful.)

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 220T RGB AIRFLOW MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB 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
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 SUPER - HDMI
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
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
STANDARD AMD 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)
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: £985.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/JmAXssy8AG/
 
H

hex93

Member
sck451 said:
An Intel build definitely isn't the way to go. The best bang-for-buck aiming at 1080p60 right now ("budget" doesn't exist in PC gaming at the moment) would be the Ryzen 5 3600 and the Nvidia GTX 1650 Super. Here would be my suggested build, which will be good both in the short term and also has loads of capacity to be upgraded in the future. (E.g. graphics card and storage and even the CPU if it turns out to be useful.)

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 220T RGB AIRFLOW MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB 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
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 SUPER - HDMI
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
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
STANDARD AMD 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)
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: £985.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/JmAXssy8AG/
Click to expand...
Thank you! This is perfect and more or less the type of answer I was looking for. Bang for buck is the aim instead of a fixed amount per se.

I noticed that you downgraded the video card from 6GB to 4GB, is there a reason for this beyond budget? Also will 4GB still be able to run games with graphics set to high (but not ultra)?
 
Last edited:
sck451

sck451

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
hex93 said:
Thank you! This is perfect and more or less the type of answer I was looking for. Bang for buck is the aim instead of a fixed per se.

I noticed that you downgraded the video card from 6GB to 4GB, is there a reason for this beyond budget? Also will 4GB still be able to run games with graphics set to high (but not ultra)?
Click to expand...
The memory isn't the only important thing. The 1650 Super is actually the only 16-series card in stock right now, which was (along with budget!) the reason I suggested it. That said, I wouldn't recommend the 1660 at all. If you can afford the 1660 Super, that would be ideal (when it's back in stock). I would avoid the 2060 altogether.

I think you'll be fine, though, with the 1650 Super for 1080p60 on "high", though obviously it will depend on the game.
 
H

hex93

Member
I am not someone who needs to run the latest games on the highest possible graphics but I'd like to be able to at least run them well enough such that they look nice (for example, borderlands 3 on high graphics settings). I'm not sure what my budget should be here but ideally I'd like to stay at 700-900 and really just want the best bang for my buck in this range.

I posted about this on the forum and was given a suggestion for the following build by user sck451, which I am happy with but just wanted to get a second opinion on. Now I am not tech-savvy enough to know what to upgrade if better components become available some years down the line, so upgradability is not a big concern for me, I just want the best gaming performance I can get within at 700-900 quid.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 220T RGB AIRFLOW MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB 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
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 SUPER - HDMI
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
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
STANDARD AMD 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)
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: £985.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/JmAXssy8AG/
 
Scott

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
Build is spot on as it is. Not really a lot you can save without compromising future aspects.

The main structure of the build has you covered for around 10 years. You can upgrade the CPU and the GPU as you wish and you have the PSU to cover all GPU classes.
 
H

hex93

Member
Thanks
Scott said:
Build is spot on as it is. Not really a lot you can save without compromising future aspects.

The main structure of the build has you covered for around 10 years. You can upgrade the CPU and the GPU as you wish and you have the PSU to cover all GPU classes.
Click to expand...
Thanks, looks like I have my PC :)
 
H

hex93

Member
Scott said:
Build is spot on as it is. Not really a lot you can save without compromising future aspects.

The main structure of the build has you covered for around 10 years. You can upgrade the CPU and the GPU as you wish and you have the PSU to cover all GPU classes.
Click to expand...
I was given a suggestion by the website that the power source may not need to be 850W and a lower wattage should suffice. Is this a potential area where I can trim off some of the cost? Or does that have some impact I am not realizing?
 
S

Steveyg

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
hex93 said:
I was given a suggestion by the website that the power source may not need to be 850W and a lower wattage should suffice. Is this a potential area where I can trim off some of the cost? Or does that have some impact I am not realizing?
Click to expand...
The advantage of having a larger than necessary PSU is that it allows the computer room to breathe and extends the life of the PSU. Plsu the added benefit of extra power should you need to add more or upgrade components.

Basically your PSU will be more efficient if it's not running absolutely flat out all the time and will also mean it'll last longer because it's not being stressed
 
sck451

sck451

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Ideally you want your power supply to last the lifetime of the computer. It's a faff to swap it out (not impossible, but a faff). You therefore want one that (a) is more reliable and (b) is going to be capable of whatever upgrades you end up fitting.

Point (a) means you don't want to skimp on getting a lower grade of power supply and it also means you want more power than you need, so that the power supply is not running at its full capacity. This will mean a longer lifespan (and, as a nice bonus, quieter operation).

The cheapest power supply in the PCS configurator that I would recommend would be the TXm 550W one, for £76. This is good, but may at some point be a limiting factor for you. The RMx 850W one is only £35 more and is much higher quality and will support almost anything you're likely to throw at it in the future. For me at that price differential it's a no-brainer.
 
H

hex93

Member
Thanks to all for the helpful comments. I am planning on ordering the suggested build whenever the 1650 graphics cards are back in stock (the website seems to think this will be on the 13th).

By the way, does the suggested case come with the option to install an additional HDD (3.5") if needed? I have an HDD from my current computer that I was hoping to get some use out of.

Thanks
 
AgentCooper

AgentCooper

At Least I Have Chicken
Moderator
hex93 said:
By the way, does the suggested case come with the option to install an additional HDD (3.5") if needed? I have an HDD from my current computer that I was hoping to get some use out of.
Click to expand...
The iCue 220T has room for two 3.5” hard drives. The bay for them is located at the bottom of the case, next door to the PSU.

What I will say about that is due to the case being relatively small form, it’s a tight fit in there. You may find some cable spaghetti obstructing the bay when you remove the side panel so you’ll just have to carefully move that out of the way (use that as an opportunity to tidy the wires up a little 😀) and undo a few small screws to remove the drive cage from the bay. You may also have to unscrew and pull out the PSU partially in order to access and plug in your SATA cables from the drive.
 
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