First I would like to apologize for wall of text. I like to know what I'm buying before I will buy it . I tried to educate myself on the subject, but I still have a lot of questions. I understand that you might not have answer to all my questions. I will contact PCS with whatever remains.
I want to buy PC purely for gaming which will last for 3+ years. I'm not doing any video editing, streaming etc. My budget is 2500£ for pc and 500£ for monitor. I can spend 100-200£ more if difference in performance will be worth it, but I need to draw some line so that's it.
Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500M GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-9700K (3.6GHz) 12MB Cache
FREE Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 & More w/ select Intel CPUs!
Motherboard
Gigabyte Z390 AORUS Master: ATX, LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs - RGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st Hard Disk
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 32MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3400MB/R, 2300MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100x Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste
COOLER MASTER MASTERGEL MAKER THERMAL COMPOUND
LED Lighting
2x 50cm RGB LED Strip
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/Thunderbolt 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. 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
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 Year Parts, 3 Year labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days
Quantity
1
Price £2,465.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z370-pc/4WPQT8qa93/
Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500M - my ideal case especially now when price dropped 30£.
1. My main concern are air filters. On reviews people saying that behind front panel mesh there is a smaller mesh or something, which is air filter or suppose to work as one, but is it a proper air filter?. There is one under PSU but what about roof panel? Is it the same as front panel?
2. Case come with Addressable RGB Fans & Controller. Is it possible to connect all RGB hardware to work as one using this controller or it's just for fans?
CORSAIR OBSIDIAN SERIES™ 500D SE - my other choice but a bit less preferable than H500M
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-9700K (3.6GHz) 12MB Cache - I did consider AMD Ryzen 7 2700X but looks like for gaming intel i7 is better so I dropped the idea. I'm getting more and more confused when comes to choose between 9700k and 8700k. I'm not gonna pretend I know what I'm talking about but reviews for 9700k are very bad. Apparently difference in performance is minimal but because 9700k have only 8 threads CPU usage and temperatures are higher than 8700k with 12 threads. 9700k have 8 cores vs 6 in 8700k but no game is using 8 cores?
I'm thinking about overclocking but I don't know. 8700k OC gives me +20fps, +10-20% on GPU load and +10°C on CPU temp. Can't find any good info about 9700k stock vs OC but I will assume it's similar to 8700k. Is it a good idea to OC 9700k considering already higher temperatures on CPU?
What about I7-7820X OC. Is it better than 8700k and 9700k?
Motherboard
Gigabyte Z390 AORUS Master: ATX, LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs - RGB Ready - after some research I choose this one as it comes with WI-FI which I will need and overall it's best from Z390 available. My only question is about WI-FI : "Intel® CNVi 802.11ac 2x2 Wave 2 Wi-Fi". I have no idea what does it mean. I have 200Mbps/25Mb internet connection. On the website : https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/Z390-AORUS-MASTER-rev-10#kf says that speed is up to 1.73Gbps so I presume is OK. There is also a picture of antenna? do I need one to use WI-FI or it's going to work like with laptops?
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB) - is there a big difference in performance between 3200MHz and 3000MHz ? I thinking about RGB ones.
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100x Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans - after reading other topics I think this one will do? What about if I choose OC 8700k or OC 9700k? will it still be ok?
LED Lighting
2x 50cm RGB LED Strip - are they gonna be installed and connected by PCS or I will receive them separately and I will have to do it myself?
Extra Case Fans
After watching some videos about positive and negative air flow I gave up on idea having 3 RGB fans on the roof. Still it seems like best fan configuration for cooling is to have 2/3 front for intake and 1 rear + 1 rear roof for exhaust. When I'm trying to proceed with CM H500M case and 1 extra fan I get this : "Please note that the radiator from the Corsair Hydro H100x cooler will occupy 2 x 120mm internal fan slots on the roof of your case". I gave up on 3 fans on the roof to prevent negative air flow but instead I'm getting 2 anyway? I'm not really sure what to think here.
Monitor
Didn't do much research on monitors yet but Dell S2716DG 27 Inch or ASUS 27" ROG Swift PG278QR looks good. I'm looking for 27 Inch, 144Hz/165Hz, 1ms Response Time, Nvidia G-Sync monitor for around 500£. Any suggestions?
Thank you very much
I want to buy PC purely for gaming which will last for 3+ years. I'm not doing any video editing, streaming etc. My budget is 2500£ for pc and 500£ for monitor. I can spend 100-200£ more if difference in performance will be worth it, but I need to draw some line so that's it.
Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500M GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-9700K (3.6GHz) 12MB Cache
FREE Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 & More w/ select Intel CPUs!
Motherboard
Gigabyte Z390 AORUS Master: ATX, LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs - RGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st Hard Disk
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 32MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3400MB/R, 2300MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100x Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste
COOLER MASTER MASTERGEL MAKER THERMAL COMPOUND
LED Lighting
2x 50cm RGB LED Strip
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/Thunderbolt 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. 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
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 Year Parts, 3 Year labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days
Quantity
1
Price £2,465.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z370-pc/4WPQT8qa93/
Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500M - my ideal case especially now when price dropped 30£.
1. My main concern are air filters. On reviews people saying that behind front panel mesh there is a smaller mesh or something, which is air filter or suppose to work as one, but is it a proper air filter?. There is one under PSU but what about roof panel? Is it the same as front panel?
2. Case come with Addressable RGB Fans & Controller. Is it possible to connect all RGB hardware to work as one using this controller or it's just for fans?
CORSAIR OBSIDIAN SERIES™ 500D SE - my other choice but a bit less preferable than H500M
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-9700K (3.6GHz) 12MB Cache - I did consider AMD Ryzen 7 2700X but looks like for gaming intel i7 is better so I dropped the idea. I'm getting more and more confused when comes to choose between 9700k and 8700k. I'm not gonna pretend I know what I'm talking about but reviews for 9700k are very bad. Apparently difference in performance is minimal but because 9700k have only 8 threads CPU usage and temperatures are higher than 8700k with 12 threads. 9700k have 8 cores vs 6 in 8700k but no game is using 8 cores?
I'm thinking about overclocking but I don't know. 8700k OC gives me +20fps, +10-20% on GPU load and +10°C on CPU temp. Can't find any good info about 9700k stock vs OC but I will assume it's similar to 8700k. Is it a good idea to OC 9700k considering already higher temperatures on CPU?
What about I7-7820X OC. Is it better than 8700k and 9700k?
Motherboard
Gigabyte Z390 AORUS Master: ATX, LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs - RGB Ready - after some research I choose this one as it comes with WI-FI which I will need and overall it's best from Z390 available. My only question is about WI-FI : "Intel® CNVi 802.11ac 2x2 Wave 2 Wi-Fi". I have no idea what does it mean. I have 200Mbps/25Mb internet connection. On the website : https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/Z390-AORUS-MASTER-rev-10#kf says that speed is up to 1.73Gbps so I presume is OK. There is also a picture of antenna? do I need one to use WI-FI or it's going to work like with laptops?
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB) - is there a big difference in performance between 3200MHz and 3000MHz ? I thinking about RGB ones.
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100x Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans - after reading other topics I think this one will do? What about if I choose OC 8700k or OC 9700k? will it still be ok?
LED Lighting
2x 50cm RGB LED Strip - are they gonna be installed and connected by PCS or I will receive them separately and I will have to do it myself?
Extra Case Fans
After watching some videos about positive and negative air flow I gave up on idea having 3 RGB fans on the roof. Still it seems like best fan configuration for cooling is to have 2/3 front for intake and 1 rear + 1 rear roof for exhaust. When I'm trying to proceed with CM H500M case and 1 extra fan I get this : "Please note that the radiator from the Corsair Hydro H100x cooler will occupy 2 x 120mm internal fan slots on the roof of your case". I gave up on 3 fans on the roof to prevent negative air flow but instead I'm getting 2 anyway? I'm not really sure what to think here.
Monitor
Didn't do much research on monitors yet but Dell S2716DG 27 Inch or ASUS 27" ROG Swift PG278QR looks good. I'm looking for 27 Inch, 144Hz/165Hz, 1ms Response Time, Nvidia G-Sync monitor for around 500£. Any suggestions?
Thank you very much
Last edited: