Finally sorted my spec - please check

[roghun]

After some weeks, including changing my mind on even getting a new PC, I've finally got a spec that should easily meet my needs and max budget.

The main use is for photography processing (Lightroom and Photoshop), the rest, just standard Internet stuff, word processing etc. I've not gone for a fancy Graphics Card mainly because many experienced Lightroom users say it's probably best to keep GPU Acceleration turned off and I won't be having a 4K monitor either.

I have finally been convinced (including by some on here) not to go down the AIO route this time around and so this spec is the one I'd like someone to check and to make sure I've not missed anything. The OS and programs will reside on the SSD and my many thousands of images will be stored on the HDD.

Case
PCS GENESIS G1B CASE + SD CARD READER
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Eight Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.4GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GT 1030
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB INTEL® 660p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (upto 1500MB/sR | 1000MB/sW)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 350W VS SERIES™ VS-350 POWER SUPPLY
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)
Wireless/Wired Networking
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
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® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Monitor
IIYAMA ProLite XB2783HSU-B3 27" AMVA+
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 12 to 14 working days
Price: £1,127.00 including VAT and Delivery

 

[Scott]

I would recommend going with a better case than that. For airflow and component longevity/temps, etc. The Focus G would be my minimum recommendation. It's a budget case money wise but it's fantastic value and very feature rich with excellent airflow.

The 3700X is going to be a bit of a stretch to keep inside £1100 but I'll go with it for now and see what can be done.

For the RAM you want to select 3200Mhz. It's both faster AND, strangely, cheaper.

The 1030 is fine if you have no graphical use at all. If you wanted to game at any point the AMD 570 would be a worthwhile upgrade.

For the storage I would go with the SX6000, it's faster for a fiver. Known good drive too.

I would not recommend such a low spec PSU. The 550w VS series would be the minimum with the 550w TXm being the default go-to. It's a much better PSU with semi-modular cabling (can leave most of the cables out), better internals and will run quieter.

With the 3700X you ideally want a cooler on there for professional applications. With lightroom you would probably get away with the stock cooler as it bursts in processing rather than full on rendering etc but it's worthwhile considering a £40 240mm AIO radiator. Even the 3600 is recommended to come with a reasonable upgraded cooler for professional application. Gaming for either would be absolutely fine.

If you need the Wifi the AX200 would be my choice. It's around £10 more than the default option but the default option is, well, rubbish. Either none, and save the £18, or the AX200 would be my selection.

Other than that, all good. To make all the recommendations I think you need to drop to the 3600 CPU to stay in budget. I would prefer a stronger base with a slightly less performing CPU than the other way around.

 

[Scott]

Case
FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Eight Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.4GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GT 1030
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB ADATA SX6000 Pro PCIe M.2 2280 (2100 MB/R, 1500 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W CV SERIES™ CV-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 240 High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
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® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Google Chrome™
Monitor
IIYAMA ProLite XB2783HSU-B3 27" AMVA+
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 12 to 14 working days
Price: £1,155.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/RdzPF0P5pY/

 

[roghun]

Case
FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Eight Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.4GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GT 1030
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB ADATA SX6000 Pro PCIe M.2 2280 (2100 MB/R, 1500 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W CV SERIES™ CV-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 240 High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
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® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Google Chrome™
Monitor
IIYAMA ProLite XB2783HSU-B3 27" AMVA+
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 12 to 14 working days
Price: £1,155.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/RdzPF0P5pY/

Many thanks for taking the time to respond and suggest a different spec.

As far as the case is concerned, I chose what I did because it has an SD Card reader because that's how I currently copy my images on to the PC. I suppose I could just get a separate external SD card reader to connect via USB.
One thing I'm not sure about is how many USB ports would I get with this configuration? I need at least 5.
I can see that you've reduced the RAM to 16Gb, albeit a higher Mhz, but I would definitely prefer to stick with my 32Gb 3000MHz RAM as I tend to run both PS and LR together (along with having other apps open) and these are much hungrier than what Adobe suggests in their min system requirements.
I chose the SSD because it was an NVMe PCle (but only because I was led to believe that NVMe were better, especially for photo and video editing, as they're much faster).
PSU I'm happy to go with your recommendation.
I was told by PCS that the 3700x wouldn't need anything other than the standard cooler, especially if no gaming is involved. Either way, I can't seem to find the AIO Radiator you've mentioned.
WiFi I'm happy to go with your recommendation.

Based on changes I've made (with the exception of the cooler and keeping the 32Gb RAM) it comes out at about £60 more expensive, which I guess I could live with. I welcome your feedback.
Cheers

 

[Scott]

Many thanks for taking the time to respond and suggest a different spec.

As far as the case is concerned, I chose what I did because it has an SD Card reader because that's how I currently copy my images on to the PC. I suppose I could just get a separate external SD card reader to connect via USB.
One thing I'm not sure about is how many USB ports would I get with this configuration? I need at least 5.
I can see that you've reduced the RAM to 16Gb, albeit a higher Mhz, but I would definitely prefer to stick with my 32Gb 3000MHz RAM as I tend to run both PS and LR together (along with having other apps open) and these are much hungrier than what Adobe suggests in their min system requirements.
I chose the SSD because it was an NVMe PCle (but only because I was led to believe that NVMe were better, especially for photo and video editing, as they're much faster).
PSU I'm happy to go with your recommendation.
I was told by PCS that the 3700x wouldn't need anything other than the standard cooler, especially if no gaming is involved. Either way, I can't seem to find the AIO Radiator you've mentioned.
WiFi I'm happy to go with your recommendation.

Based on changes I've made (with the exception of the cooler and keeping the 32Gb RAM) it comes out at about £60 more expensive, which I guess I could live with. I welcome your feedback.
Cheers

Apologies, I meant to keep it at 32GB rather than 16GB. I would definitely go with 3200Mhz though, it'll make a difference for you with photoshop.

The SSD is a NVMe PCIe, the one I suggested (SX6000). If it wasn't, it wouldn't be faster

With the cooler it's up to you. I find that PCS always low-ball their recommended cooling solutions (They offer very minimal cooling on overclocked 9900k as an option for example). The one I was recommending is £47 but there's an RGB one there for £43. Either would handle everything you need... and... as I said, promote good airflow through the case.

I know it pushes the budget past what you were looking to spend but you can be guaranteed that you have covered all bases and ticked all boxes.

 

[Scott]

Oh, and as above. Tonnes of USB ports. The bare minimum nowadays I think is 8. Most have multiple headers to support 12 and upwards.

 

[roghun]

Thanks all for the input and advice!

I did make a few changes as suggested although I stuck with the standard AMD Cooler which should be fine for what I'll be using the PC for. Final spec and order placed . . . . .

Case
FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Eight Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.4GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GT 1030
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB ADATA SX6000 Pro PCIe M.2 2280 (2100 MB/R, 1500 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W CV SERIES™ CV-550 POWER SUPPLY
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)
Wireless/Wired Networking
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® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Monitor
IIYAMA ProLite XB2783HSU-B3 27" AMVA+
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 12 to 14 working days
Price: £1,184.00 including VAT and Delivery

 

[chadav]

Here's my question on this spec:

Would a Corsair H100i liquid cooler (with twin fans) be a better cooling solution for the Ryzen 3700 ??

 

[Scott]

Here's my question on this spec:

Would a Corsair H100i liquid cooler (with twin fans) be a better cooling solution for the Ryzen 3700 ??

Yes.... it's just not necessary. The only reason to consider the H100i is because you want a near silent cooling solution with pretty RGB lighting. The H100i will cool a 9900k at full chat, never mind a 3700X

Any 240mm AIO cooler is going to keep the 3700X at optimum. If you want an air cooling solution, that's an upgrade, you want the Noctua.... as it's the only meaningful one over the stock cooler.

 

[chadav]

Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated. With hindsight your response looks obvious BUt it's reassuring to have it.