Help with a build please guys!

[ZuParadox]

Hi all - happy new year!

I have been reading this forum for some inspiration on a new PC i am looking at getting. I want it to be a perfect Gaming PC to run games like GTA etc but also able to handle things like Photoshop, XD for my work. I don't currently have a monitor so will also need advice on that, please, once we have confirmed the perfect build.

Below is what I've put together from reading other threads but I don't know if it has the right combination(s) - is there anything that i should look at changing? Ideally, i want this to be lasting me a while.

Thanks in advance


Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500M GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA 120 2.5" SSD, (up to 560MB/sR | 540MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/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
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro 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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
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 17 to 19 working days
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Price: £2,458.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/jH5ZzmFvqr/

 

[AgentCooper]

Well... you've pretty much nailed the build there.

Only things I'd suggest would be to drop the RAM to 3200MHz as there's been some recent stability issues with the 3600MHz on Asus motherboards. I'd also just tweak the storage slightly to have an extra 1TB M.2 drive in there, it'll be faster and cheaper than the standard SSD. And that leaves you with a few pennies to add in a traditional HDD as a bit of cold storage for photos, music etc.

As for a monitor, a 3070 really deserves an ultrawide 1440p screen, I've included a link at the bottom for a belter with IPS panel (great for your photo editing).

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500M GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB 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
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro 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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
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 17 to 19 working days
Price: £2,466.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/3P438MPknP/

Acer Nitro XV340CKP 34" 3440x1440 IPS 144Hz 1ms FreeSync Ultrawide LED Backlit Gaming Monitor

Acer Nitro XV340CKPbmiipphzx, Display Resolution 3440x1440, Display Size 34", Refresh Rate 144Hz, FreeSync, 1ms Response Time, Contrast Ratio 1000:1, Panel Type IPS, 2xHDMI(2.0) + 2xDP(1.4)

www.overclockers.co.uk

 

[ZuParadox]

Well... you've pretty much nailed the build there.

Only things I'd suggest would be to drop the RAM to 3200MHz as there's been some recent stability issues with the 3600MHz on Asus motherboards. I'd also just tweak the storage slightly to have an extra 1TB M.2 drive in there, it'll be faster and cheaper than the standard SSD. And that leaves you with a few pennies to add in a traditional HDD as a bit of cold storage for photos, music etc.

As for a monitor, a 3070 really deserves an ultrawide 1440p screen, I've included a link at the bottom for a belter with IPS panel (great for your photo editing).

Ah that's great, thank you.

Yeah i wasn't sure about the storage - it confused me as to what a M.2 was? - am i right in thinking i get Windows installed on the 500GB one and then all my games etc i put onto the 1TB one? (and then use the HDD for backup and photos/videos etc?)

The monitor looks great - thank you.

Finally, I'm guessing with the pre-order on some of the items it will be a while before i get this build?

 

[AgentCooper]

You’re welcome! 🙂👍

M.2 is the next generation of SSD, supermegacrazy fast so well worth having those in there. And yep, OS and programs on the smaller one, larger one for fast storage.

Unfortunately, there will be a wait on your order. Brand new CPU/GPU releases and global shortages of components combined with a pandemic have created the perfect storm.

 

[AgentCooper]

The best way to consider hard drives is thus:

SATA HDD = VHS video
SSD = DVD
M.2 SSD = Blu-Ray
Gen 4/Samsung Pro level = 4k UHD Blu-Ray

Not 100% accurate but just gives some idea

Yep, that’s a pretty good analogy 👍

 

[ZuParadox]

As for a monitor, a 3070 really deserves an ultrawide 1440p screen, I've included a link at the bottom for a belter with IPS panel (great for your photo editing).

Acer Nitro XV340CKP 34" 3440x1440 IPS 144Hz 1ms FreeSync Ultrawide LED Backlit Gaming Monitor

Acer Nitro XV340CKPbmiipphzx, Display Resolution 3440x1440, Display Size 34", Refresh Rate 144Hz, FreeSync, 1ms Response Time, Contrast Ratio 1000:1, Panel Type IPS, 2xHDMI(2.0) + 2xDP(1.4)

www.overclockers.co.uk

So on Monday the Monitor was £499, now its showing at £645

Now this could be cos of lockdown they've hiked the price up - am i better holding off or is £645 the price i should be expecting to pay for this?

 

[MrWilson]

So on Monday the Monitor was £499, now its showing at £645

Now this could be cos of lockdown they've hiked the price up - am i better holding off or is £645 the price i should be expecting to pay for this?

Ah dang, looks like the New Years Sale on it has now ended. Unfortunately think it does RRP at around £650, it just got decreased around the Boxing Day/ New Year's period.

In that case we will probably go back to the tried and tested AOC CU34G2X/BK. It's a curved VA as opposed to the Acer being a flat IPS screen, but it's a very reliable screen, and what Cooper rocks back home. One of the best 34" monitors you can get for under £500 at the moment.

Gaming Monitors - Cheap gaming monitor deals | Currys

Optimise your gaming experience with gaming monitor from Currys. Our exciting collection features monitors with 144hz refresh rates and immersive 4K visuals.

www.currys.co.uk

 

[AgentCooper]

Ooooh, unlucky! You've missed a cracking sale deal there, it was a brilliant offer.

But as @MrWilson says, the AOC is a great alternative. It's serving me VERY well

 

[ZuParadox]

Ah dang, looks like the New Years Sale on it has now ended. Unfortunately think it does RRP at around £650, it just got decreased around the Boxing Day/ New Year's period.

In that case we will probably go back to the tried and tested AOC CU34G2X/BK. It's a curved VA as opposed to the Acer being a flat IPS screen, but it's a very reliable screen, and what Cooper rocks back home. One of the best 34" monitors you can get for under £500 at the moment.

Gaming Monitors - Cheap gaming monitor deals | Currys

Optimise your gaming experience with gaming monitor from Currys. Our exciting collection features monitors with 144hz refresh rates and immersive 4K visuals.

www.currys.co.uk

Its cool, i don't mind spending the extra £150 if it's the better monitor to get

So if it was a choice between the two, you reckon i should still go with the XV340CKP?

 

[AgentCooper]

It's your call, the Acer will technically have the sharper, 'better' image.

But having spent many hours with the AOC, the VA panel is pretty damn good and I really enjoy the curve as it helps with the sense of immersion and is easy on the eyes (less head turning required).

Follow your heart.

 

[ZuParadox]

It's your call, the Acer will technically have the sharper, 'better' image.

But having spent many hours with the AOC, the VA panel is pretty damn good and I really enjoy the curve as it helps with the sense of immersion and is easy on the eyes (less head turning required).

Follow your heart.

haha now i'm torn

As i'm also going to be using this for work (design mainly) i will be sat in front of a desk with the monitor too. Does a curved monitor affect how things would look (ie, if drawing a straight line etc )

 

[AgentCooper]

haha now i'm torn

As i'm also going to be using this for work (design mainly) i will be sat in front of a desk with the monitor too. Does a curved monitor affect how things would look (ie, if drawing a straight line etc )

Not as such, it's a very natural curve and not quite as pronounced as on some of the Samsung monitors. But in your line of work the Acer might be the better choice.

 

[ZuParadox]

Not as such, it's a very natural curve and not quite as pronounced as on some of the Samsung monitors. But in your line of work the Acer might be the better choice.

Lovely, thank you for all your help

 

[Bigfoot]

How dependent is your PS work on colour accuracy? If this is important, you might wasn’t to consider a specialist monitor for photography or design. BenQ make some good value versions and Eizo make some much more expensive ones. However, such a monitor won’t be as good for gaming.

 

[ZuParadox]

@AgentCooper

I had to park the PC build over lockdown however I am now ready to proceed.

This was the spec you did for me:

PCSPECIALIST - Top Spec Custom PCs & Laptops Built to Order

Manufacturer of performance custom computers and laptops. Customise your ideal gaming PC or laptop using our advanced configurator.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

Would you change anything in that, now we are 3 months down the line?

 

[MrWilson]

Is your budget the same? Looking back through the budget seemed to be £2500 and around £500 for a suitable monitor.

Unfortunately stock of the 5900x has dried up considerably worldwide, and that has caused them to have a substantial price increase, and a fairly high wait time, so we might have to adjust your build accordingly.

 

[AgentCooper]

Welcome back! There would be a change I'd make with the RAM, we've encountered reports of people having significant stability issues using four sticks, so I'm more inclined to go for two until it's sorted. Prices have also shot up a bit so a build that was around £2450 is now around £2700...

 

[ZuParadox]

Thanks guys - i don't mind stretching to £2700 if need be unless you would recommend another option that is suitable?

Do you know, roughly, what the wait time is for the 5900x?

So you reckon 2x16GB

Also, sorry another question - what case would you suggest as it seems the H500 is no longer on the list?

 

[AgentCooper]

What I'd suggest as an alternative that's still going to be an absolute beast in terms of performance and not push the budget too far is this...

Case
CORSAIR CRYSTAL SERIES 680X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB 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
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro 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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
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 - Subject to stock availability on pre-order products
Price: £2,353.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/J8xu7xsW8U/

And I've found that cracking Acer monitor on sale again!

Acer Nitro XV340CKP 34" UWQHD HDR10 IPS FreeSync | Box.co.uk

 

[ZuParadox]

What I'd suggest as an alternative that's still going to be an absolute beast in terms of performance and not push the budget too far is this...

Case
CORSAIR CRYSTAL SERIES 680X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB 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
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro 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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
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 - Subject to stock availability on pre-order products
Price: £2,353.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/J8xu7xsW8U/

And I've found that cracking Acer monitor on sale again!

Acer Nitro XV340CKP 34" UWQHD HDR10 IPS FreeSync | Box.co.uk

Ah perfect, thank you once again.

And I'm going to order up this monitor today to avoid missing out on the discount