Feedback Please: New Gaming Build

[mastergeorge]

Hey folks,

I've put together the below spec for a new gaming build. I play a variety of things, but I frequently pick up new releases (e.g. Wolfenstein right now) and want something that can hold the line on performance and graphics for a while to come. (My current machine is chugging at low on Wolfenstein, which is dispiriting). I'm looking to step up to 1440p. Does this build make sense in that regard? It's a hair under 2k, which is about the upper limit of my budget, but I'm not entirely price-sensitive if there is a genuinely better option that fits my requirements better in the long term.

Thanks in advance.
George


Case
FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-7820X (3.6GHz) 11MB Cache
Motherboard
Gigabyte X299 AORUS Gaming 3: ATX, USB 3.1, SATA 6 GB/s
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1080 - DVI, HDMI, 3x DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON UV400 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (550MB/R, 350MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W VS SERIES™ VS-650 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H55 Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc DVD & Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
DVD Recovery Media
Windows 10 (64-bit) DVD with paper sleeve
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

 

[Oussebon]

An i7 8700k would be better for gaming and cheaper:


You could also go for a better PSU and case, and get an overclocked system.

RAM above 3200MHz gets very expensive, very fast. Also PCS don't offer it with the 8700k. 3200MHz should be more than enough to keep you going though.

The UV400 SSD is a pretty poor performance. You can easily get a good NVMe SSD like a PM961

e.g.


Case
FRACTAL DEFINE S BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Overclocked CPU
Overclocked Intel® Core™ i7-8700K Six Core (3.7GHz @ up to 4.8GHz)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING: ATX, LGA1151, USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs - RGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1080 - DVI, HDMI, 3x DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
-Get Destiny 2 with select GTX 10 Series GPUs! ** Limited Codes Available **
1[SUP]st[/SUP] Hard Disk
2TB SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
M.2 SSD Drive
256GB SAMSUNG PM961 M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 2800MB/R, 1100MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
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
Noctua NH-U14S Ultra Quiet Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
EK-TIM ECTOTHERM THERMAL COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc DVD & Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
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 8 to 10 working days
Quantity
1

Price £1,809.00 including VAT and delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z370-overclocked/4CnCNR8Bcn/

The Z370E has built in wifi.

A 1080 is fine at 1440p. What monitor were you going to get?

 

[olekander]

Hey folks,

I've put together the below spec for a new gaming build. I play a variety of things, but I frequently pick up new releases (e.g. Wolfenstein right now) and want something that can hold the line on performance and graphics for a while to come. (My current machine is chugging at low on Wolfenstein, which is dispiriting). I'm looking to step up to 1440p. Does this build make sense in that regard? It's a hair under 2k, which is about the upper limit of my budget, but I'm not entirely price-sensitive if there is a genuinely better option that fits my requirements better in the long term.

Thanks in advance.
George


Case
FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-7820X (3.6GHz) 11MB Cache
Motherboard
Gigabyte X299 AORUS Gaming 3: ATX, USB 3.1, SATA 6 GB/s
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1080 - DVI, HDMI, 3x DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON UV400 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (550MB/R, 350MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W VS SERIES™ VS-650 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H55 Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc DVD & Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
DVD Recovery Media
Windows 10 (64-bit) DVD with paper sleeve
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

You're in the same boat as me buddy, but I managed to get a build for under 2k with the 1080ti, so if you're going to 1440p, I'd highly recommend squeezing the pockets for the 1080ti.

You're not going for the optimum gaming CPU either, I think either the i7-7700k or new (in scarce supply however) i7-8700k with a cheaper mobo. the x CPU require x299 specific mobo's and theyre expensive. you're overpaying by about 200quid for no FPS gain. IF this is purely for gaming I'd get one of the other two CPU's with a cheaper mobo. I also think 3000hz 16gb corsair ram is fine I don't think the extra 600 is gonna make much difference anyway.

Just my opinion definitely not an expert.

one more thing, why not 240SSD for a few extra quid 120 seems a tad low. (get the m.2)

best of luck!!

p.s what screen are you getting?!

Case
CORSAIR CRYSTAL SERIES 570X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Six Core Processor i7-8700k (3.7GHz) 12MB Cache (Pre-Order Only)
Motherboard
Gigabyte Z370 HD3: ATX, LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs - RGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
11GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1080 Ti - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - GTX VR Ready!

Get Destiny 2 with select GTX 10 Series GPUs! ** Limited Codes Available **
1st Hard Disk
250GB Samsung 850 2.5" EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 520MB/sW)

FREE Assassin's Creed: Origins with select SAMSUNG SSDs!
2nd Hard Disk
1TB SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 32MB CACHE
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
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
Corsair H60 Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
2x 50cm RGB LED Strip
Extra Case Fans
2x 120mm Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc DVD & Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Surge Protection
6 Socket 2m Surge Protector
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 8 to 10 working days

 

[mastergeorge]

Thanks, folks. It's good to know I'm off in a few ways that might bring the cost down (and will bring performance up!). I'll check out those specific suggestions later and try out a different build.

I should have added: I've got a 120 SSD and big WD Black drive in my current machine that I can bring over. But might still be worth an SSD size bump if I'm freeing up budget.

Screen: As yet undecided. That's a whole other thing I gotta research

 

[Oussebon]

Screen: As yet undecided. That's a whole other thing I gotta research

I'd recommend you have a sense at least of what your budget is for the screen. If it's £600, that opens up a lot of options, including high refresh rates, for which a 1080 ti could be worth it. If it's £2-300, you're probably looking at 1440p 60hz monitor, for which a GTX 1080 is more than fine.

I should have added: I've got a 120 SSD and big WD Black drive in my current machine that I can bring over. But might still be worth an SSD size bump if I'm freeing up budget.

I figured you might already have storage. Regardless of this, a 120gb UV400 SSD is still a bit of a waste of money as it's small and really is very slow compared to most other SSDs on offer.

Keep us posted

 

[olekander]

Thanks, folks. It's good to know I'm off in a few ways that might bring the cost down (and will bring performance up!). I'll check out those specific suggestions later and try out a different build.

I should have added: I've got a 120 SSD and big WD Black drive in my current machine that I can bring over. But might still be worth an SSD size bump if I'm freeing up budget.

Screen: As yet undecided. That's a whole other thing I gotta research

Screenwise there’s only three to choose from if you want ips. See the discussion below.


https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp....onic_xg2703_vs_acer_predator_xb271hu_vs_asus/

 

[Oussebon]

There are others too

 

[olekander]

There are others too

1440p, 120hz+ ips, gsync, 27 inches. Which ones!? I'd love to check them out

 

[mastergeorge]

I'd recommend you have a sense at least of what your budget is for the screen. If it's £600, that opens up a lot of options, including high refresh rates, for which a 1080 ti could be worth it. If it's £2-300, you're probably looking at 1440p 60hz monitor, for which a GTX 1080 is more than fine.

I figured you might already have storage. Regardless of this, a 120gb UV400 SSD is still a bit of a waste of money as it's small and really is very slow compared to most other SSDs on offer.

Keep us posted

My screen budget is... flexible. I'm honestly not sure at this stage. If we're getting into 1080 Ti (vs 1080), is that edging into 4k vs solid 1440p? Is that a meaningful distinction at this level?

 

[Oussebon]

This one at least: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/aoc-ag271qg-agon-27-inch-g-sync-monitor,review-33773-6.html There may well be others beyond it.

If we're getting into 1080 Ti (vs 1080), is that edging into 4k vs solid 1440p? Is that a meaningful distinction at this level?

4k gsync and 1440p high refresh gsync monitors have fairly similar prices (~£500+).

You can run a 1440p high refresh monitor very happily with a 1080 (non-ti). A 1080 ti would push higher framerates obviously.

For 4k, you really would want a GTX 1080 ti, if possible.

 

[mastergeorge]

Thanks for your excellent help! I don't think I need the bump to the 1080 Ti. I'm not that worried about the difference, and that also means I don't have to spend for a new monitor just yet (my current one is capable of getting the benefits of the 1080. There's room for an upgrade there, but I can comfortably defer that until I move place in a few months, which I prefer.)

Here's where I've landed. Does this make sense, resolve the issues/lack of optimisations of the previous one, and is there anything else I've missed?

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE S BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Overclocked CPU
Overclocked Intel® Core™ i7-8700K Six Core (3.7GHz @ up to 4.8GHz)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING: ATX, LGA1151, USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs - RGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1080 - DVI, HDMI, 3x DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Hard Disk
250GB Samsung 850 2.5" EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
2TB SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
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
Corsair H55 Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
EK-TIM ECTOTHERM THERMAL COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc DVD & Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
DVD Recovery Media
Windows 10 (64-bit) DVD with paper sleeve
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

 

[Oussebon]

I'd suggest the PM961 SSD from the M.2 SSD Drive menu instead as it's barely any more £ but a lot faster.

I'd avoid the H55 cooler. The Noctua air cooler is better, and much quieter (the H55's fan always runs at 100%, for one thing).

 

[mastergeorge]

Thank you! Think I should be set with that. I'll give it a further think overnight, but will probably be set for an order tomorrow.

 

[olekander]

Thank you! Think I should be set with that. I'll give it a further think overnight, but will probably be set for an order tomorrow.

can't remember if it's available here but the ID Cooling Aura flow RGB 240mm is a good cheap cpu water cooler and added bonus of RGB ))