First ever gaming pc - please check my specs :)

[Imzpc]

Hello! Please check my spec
Top end of my budget is £1500 and I like AMD over intel. Currently the below spec is costing me £1,365 so the fact that it’s under budget makes me quite happy lol.
This is my first ever build and I’ll be using this for gaming. All reviews and advice appreciated!

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX TD500 MESH ARGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS WiFi (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W CV SERIES™ CV-650 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster Hyper 212 (120mm) Fan CPU Cooler Black Edition
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS

 

[Imzpc]

Other info:

Using my old monitor for now but will switch to a ASUS TUF one in a few months after I have money again haha

 

[Bigfoot]

What resolution and refresh rate for the monitor? Can you provide the complete specification and configuration link, as there are areas that can be improved?

 

[Imzpc]

What resolution and refresh rate for the monitor? Can you provide the complete specification and configuration link, as there are areas that can be improved?

https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/3MNqBbSpw2/

There you are - it won’t change my quote will it? I’m sure it won’t just double checking.
I’d like to keep the case as is as it’s the only one I really really like and fits my aesthetic perfectly.

My current monitor is a very old 1080p HP monitor. Really sorry I’m not sure what the refresh rate is as I bought it years ago as a kid. I’ll eventually switch to something better - open to recommendations as I haven’t chosen one yet but will be researching and choosing one that will be good for my final build after I purchase the PC (for budget reasons, I have to space it out a bit and that gives me time to research)

 

[Imzpc]

Full spec as requested:

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX TD500 MESH ARGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS WiFi (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W CV SERIES™ CV-650 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster Hyper 212 (120mm) Fan CPU Cooler Black Edition
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT 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
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
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 14 to 17 working days
Promotional Item
Get Guardians of the Galaxy with select GeForce RTX™ 30 Series GPUs

 

[Bigfoot]

This alternative had better storage and PSU and is still within budget. You need to be looking at a 1440p monitor to go with it. Others will be able to advise better.

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX TD500 MESH ARGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS WiFi (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
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)
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
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
CoolerMaster Hyper 212 (120mm) Fan CPU Cooler Black Edition
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
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
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 14 to 17 working days
Price: £1,489.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/kQwdSz7zUT/

 

[Imzpc]

This alternative had better storage and PSU and is still within budget. You need to be looking at a 1440p monitor to go with it. Others will be able to advise better.

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX TD500 MESH ARGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS WiFi (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
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)
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
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
CoolerMaster Hyper 212 (120mm) Fan CPU Cooler Black Edition
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
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
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 14 to 17 working days
Price: £1,489.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/kQwdSz7zUT/

Thank you! Is the 850W not too much? When I last checked the build will use less than 400W. Would be good to know the reason behind that change for my knowledge

 

[Imzpc]

Also any recommendations for the monitor? Appreciate your help!

 

[Bigfoot]

The CV range are really for office PCs, while the RMx are top spec. The configurator shows what you need now with a 20% extra headroom. We specify bigger to allow for future upgrades and so the PzsU is under less load. It will be quieter and last longer.

 

[AgentCooper]

Great build by @Bigfoot, the only thing I’d push is going £24 over budget and getting the Firecuda 520 as the primary drive. Also, where will you be getting your Windows license from? If you’re transferring one you’re all good but if you’re planning on buying one online beware of dodgy offers. If it’s less than £90 it’s not legitimate.

 

[Imzpc]

The CV range are really for office PCs, while the RMx are top spec. The configurator shows what you need now with a 20% extra headroom. We specify bigger to allow for future upgrades and so the PzsU is under less load. It will be quieter and last longer.

Thank you, that makes sense

 

[Imzpc]

Great build by @Bigfoot, the only thing I’d push is going £24 over budget and getting the Firecuda 520 as the primary drive. Also, where will you be getting your Windows license from? If you’re transferring one you’re all good but if you’re planning on buying one online beware of dodgy offers. If it’s less than £90 it’s not legitimate.

If I’m being honest I hadn’t decided. I have an old PC I can transfer from but I was hoping to get a key online for a little cheaper so I could use that money towards my build

 

[Imzpc]

Also should I just switch my HDD to an SSD? Been thinking about that for a while but couldn’t figure it out.
What’s the difference between the PCS M.2 and the intel one (asking as i want to learn more about these nuances)

 

[AgentCooper]

If I’m being honest I hadn’t decided. I have an old PC I can transfer from but I was hoping to get a key online for a little cheaper so I could use that money towards my build

DO NOT GET AN ONLINE KEY FROM ANYWHERE OTHER THAN MICROSOFT (OR LEGITIMATE PARTNERS) THEMSELVES. I hate going all caps but when it’s in this scenario flags need to be waved.

If your old PC was Windows 10 you can transfer the license over to the new system without issue. Let us know if you need tips on how to do it 👍

 

[Martinr36]

If I’m being honest I hadn’t decided. I have an old PC I can transfer from but I was hoping to get a key online for a little cheaper so I could use that money towards my build

Ok if that is windows 7 you can convert it to windows 10 following the instructions in the first link below, then convert that to a digital and legitimately use that as described in the second link

Death of Windows 7, still able to update to Windows 10 / 11 for free (still relevant)

Hi all I hope we're all aware by now, but Windows 7 goes "End Of Life" on 14th January 2020. After this time, it will no longer recieve security updates. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-windows-7-support There will be some of you thinking that so long as you have...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

Transferring digital windows 10 license to new machine

Hi all Quite a few people already have a windows 10 License which they want to transfer over to the new PC. Windows 10 now makes this easy, even if you have an OEM license, you can legitimately turn it into a "digital license" by tying it to your microsoft account, and then transfer it legally...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

 

[Bigfoot]

Also should I just switch my HDD to an SSD? Been thinking about that for a while but couldn’t figure it out.
What’s the difference between the PCS M.2 and the intel one (asking as i want to learn more about these nuances)

Different drive types are for different purposes. HDDs are cheap and come in large sizes, but are slow. They are good for bulk storage that doesn’t need fast access times. SATA SSDs are about 4 times faster than HDDs, but more expensive. M.2 SSDs use a different interface and are 4x to 12x faster than SATA SSDs. There is little difference in price between SATA and M.2, so we prefer M.2. Not all M.2 drives are the same. Read and write speeds are usually shown in brackets in the configurator. Another difference is the write endurance which can be found online. Intel 670p is faster the PCS m.2 and has a good write endurance, while there is little difference in price. I don’t think that anyone has found the write endurance for PCS drives. There are faster drives with better write endurance, but they are more expensive, so budget is a consideration.

 

[Imzpc]

DO NOT GET AN ONLINE KEY FROM ANYWHERE OTHER THAN MICROSOFT (OR LEGITIMATE PARTNERS) THEMSELVES. I hate going all caps but when it’s in this scenario flags need to be waved.

If your old PC was Windows 10 you can transfer the license over to the new system without issue. Let us know if you need tips on how to do it

DO NOT GET AN ONLINE KEY FROM ANYWHERE OTHER THAN MICROSOFT (OR LEGITIMATE PARTNERS) THEMSELVES. I hate going all caps but when it’s in this scenario flags need to be waved.

If your old PC was Windows 10 you can transfer the license over to the new system without issue. Let us know if you need tips on how to do it 👍

The caps worked! I think I’ll just add it to my build so it arrives fully ready

 

[Imzpc]

Different drive types are for different purposes. HDDs are cheap and come in large sizes, but are slow. They are good for bulk storage that doesn’t need fast access times. SATA SSDs are about 4 times faster than HDDs, but more expensive. M.2 SSDs use a different interface and are 4x to 12x faster than SATA SSDs. There is little difference in price between SATA and M.2, so we prefer M.2. Not all M.2 drives are the same. Read and write speeds are usually shown in brackets in the configurator. Another difference is the write endurance which can be found online. Intel 670p is faster the PCS m.2 and has a good write endurance, while there is little difference in price. I don’t think that anyone has found the write endurance for PCS drives. There are faster drives with better write endurance, but they are more expensive, so budget is a consideration.

Thank you! This was so helpful. I’ve gone with the intel as suggested

 

[Imzpc]

Do you have monitor recommendations to go with this build? I’ll buy the monitor 2-3 months after the pc so I can save some money again and ideally the monitor won’t be more than £350. Not sure if that is realistic though.

 

[sck451]

Do you have monitor recommendations to go with this build? I’ll buy the monitor 2-3 months after the pc so I can save some money again and ideally the monitor won’t be more than £350. Not sure if that is realistic though.

Totally realistic: there are various good options under that price. Probably the best value is the Asus VQ27AQ1A for £299.