Just want to make sure everything would fit in a case this size, and that the case has good airflow and cooling.

[Mickkey]

Details pasted below. My one limiting factor is that the 'shelf' that the PC will sit on is somewhat slim, so that any of the Cases with like 248mm width wont fit, especially the ones with the legs right at the edge of the machine, so i've got to go for cases with like 200 - 215mm width (or the 'legs' of the PC to be more central rather than at the edges).

I tried using a better CPU cooler but any big ones came up saying they were too big for the cases i could use.
I also wanted a 3080 but assume they're out of stock.
I'm aiming for around the 2k mark but i would happily stretch this to like 2.3k or maybe even 2.5k to get 'the perfect' machine for future proofing (like going for a 3080 over a 3070 ti for example).

Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. My old build was like 6 years old with a 1060 and a i7-6700, with a COOLERMASTER HAF 912 PLUS MID TOWER GAMING CASE, with a CoolerMaster Hyper 212X (120mm) Fan CPU Cooler and despite me now needing an upgrade, it still ran quietly and never had any issues with overheating, so if i could avoid this new machine sounding like a jet engine or roasting me alive that would be ace.

Cheers,

Mike

Case
FRACTAL FOCUS 2 RGB GAMING CASE (BLACK)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700K (3.6GHz) 25MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME Z790-P (DDR5, LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H100i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
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
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 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
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 16 working days
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Price: £2,026.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z790-ddr5-pc/6BgJdFZJmZ/

 

[sck451]

It'll all fit but it wouldn't be the PC I'd recommend.

What display will you be using?

 

[Mickkey]

It'll all fit but it wouldn't be the PC I'd recommend.

What display will you be using?

Ah damn sorry i forgot to say the display in the post, so it's currently just a decent two Asus 1080p monitors, 60hz. But i'd be looking to upgrade a little, still keeping a 24 (or maybe 27) inch screen size, not curved, don't care about 4k, so probably 144hz?
Another thing i forgot to add was that i'll be using this primarily for gaming, with some streaming, and some mild video editing (nothing major).

What would you recommend my guy?

 

[sck451]

Ah damn sorry i forgot to say the display in the post, so it's currently just a decent two Asus 1080p monitors, 60hz. But i'd be looking to upgrade a little, still keeping a 24 (or maybe 27) inch screen size, not curved, don't care about 4k, so probably 144hz?
Another thing i forgot to add was that i'll be using this primarily for gaming, with some streaming, and some mild video editing (nothing major).

What would you recommend my guy?

I would suggest that you want to go for 1440p 144Hz (or better) as the display. The prices on these aren't great right now. In another thread I just recommended the BenQ EX2780Q for £340; the other ideal option would be to go for the amazing MSI MAG2724QRF-QD for £470. Both are flat 27" displays.

I would suggest keeping at least one of the 1080 displays, particularly for streaming and video editing when extra screen space is important.

The important thing is to decide on the screen you'll be using and buy a PC to match.

Then for the PC... You have options here too. I wouldn't suggest that Intel-based system. Intel's offerings currently offer good performance, but neither the best value nor upgradability. For value, I'd suggest AMD 5000 series; for upgradability I'd suggest the AMD 7000 series and probably the 7700X. The difference in price is around £200. The upgradability difference is that you would have the option of upgrading the CPU in a few years' time to get additional performance. The performance difference today is actually surprisingly small. So if you might upgrade a CPU in future, I'd suggest the 7000 one; if that's not something you can imagine doing, I'd suggest the 5000 one.

Here's the cheaper 5000-series option:

Case
FRACTAL FOCUS 2 RGB GAMING CASE (BLACK) Great case
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D Eight Core CPU (3.4GHz-4.5GHz/100MB CACHE/AM4) Amazing gaming CPU
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4070 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR Overkill for 1440p, but not stupidly so. You could buy a cheaper card like the 3070 or 6750XT, but this would be an amazing experience...
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W) Super-fast boot drive
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 2950MB/sW) Fast games drive
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ - MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET Plenty of power capacity
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H100i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler Good cooling
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
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00003]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 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
Microsoft® Edge
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 16 working days
Price: £2,159.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/ACXTuvZD0q/

I can post the 7000-series build if you'd like!

 

[Mickkey]

Wow, thanks for such a detailed reply mate.

Regarding the AMD/Intel debate, everything i've looked up shows the I7-12700k outperforming the AMD equivalents by enough of a % that the saving is negated, and i've always had Intel/Nvidia combo (though i know that's less important nowadays).

I'd definitely be going for a 1440p/144hz monitor, so should i stick with a 3070 ti (or even a 3060?). I wouldnt want to get a 4070ti if i'll never get close to utilising it with the screens i'll buy?
£470 for one screen seems like an insanely high cost, should i perhaps wait or is that likely to just stay as the price for those types of screens now?
Regarding the boot drive/games drive. Is it actually better to have 1 smaller SSD purely for boot and 1 SSD for games, rather than just have 1 particularly powerful (and large, like 1 or 2tb) SSD that does boot and also games??
Regarding the motherboard, i think you've dropped that by a level or two, any reason?
Noticed you dropped the RAM down to DDR4 rather than DDR5, any reason?
And noticed you changed the thermal paste to default, is there no difference there?

 

[sck451]

Wow, thanks for such a detailed reply mate.

Regarding the AMD/Intel debate, everything i've looked up shows the I7-12700k outperforming the AMD equivalents by enough of a % that the saving is negated, and i've always had Intel/Nvidia combo (though i know that's less important nowadays).

Than the 5800X3D? I don't believe that's the case. If you're looking at online "comparison" sites (like one with the initials UB) then they're pretty rubbish. The 5800X3D chip is a really good option on a cheaper platform. I also don't know why you'd buy the 12700K when the 13700K is better (and the 13600K is both better and cheaper!) But all the Intel chips are of similar performance to the 5800X3D in most games, have a higher platform cost and are much hotter.

I'd definitely be going for a 1440p/144hz monitor, so should i stick with a 3070 ti (or even a 3060?). I wouldnt want to get a 4070ti if i'll never get close to utilising it with the screens i'll buy?

The problem is that there aren't really good 1440p options right now. The 3070 is now over two years old. There's a huge gulf in performance between the 3070 and the 4070 Ti without anything ideal to fit into it. You would be able to use the full capacity of the 4070 Ti on a 1440p screen, but it might be overkill in that you could go to unnecessarily high settings or go beyond the refresh rate of the display.

It's hard to say what to recommend! Going for a cheaper option wouldn't be stupid by any stretch of the imagination, but none are great value to my mind... Any will be fine; the 4070 Ti would last a lot longer and take you to the full capacity of your display, so with your budget that's where I'd go, but other options exist!

£470 for one screen seems like an insanely high cost, should i perhaps wait or is that likely to just stay as the price for those types of screens now?

Well, it depends what you want. You can buy a cheap 1440p screen for £200, but I wouldn't recommend it. The one I have (bought in 2020 for £270) is of moderate quality and is now £315. Prices aren't great right now, but they've been that way since at least December. But you're unlikely to be looking much below £300 for a decent 1440p screen. The £470 one is the best 1440p screen.

Regarding the boot drive/games drive. Is it actually better to have 1 smaller SSD purely for boot and 1 SSD for games, rather than just have 1 particularly powerful (and large, like 1 or 2tb) SSD that does boot and also games??

Yes, it is. Multiple reasons. First, it means you can reinstall Windows without downloading your games again. I'd reinstall Windows at least every year or two, so it makes a difference. Second, it means you have two separate data channels so they're not competing for bandwidth. Third, it means you can have super-fast boot storage and cheaper games storage (where speed just doesn't matter so much) and get the best of both worlds.

Regarding the motherboard, i think you've dropped that by a level or two, any reason?

Well, in some ways I've gone up a level or two. Motherboards are vendor and generation specific. So the Z790 is Intel's top platform for 12th and 13th gen. B550 is AMD's second-tier platform for 5000-series. But the Tuf branding from Asus is a higher tier than the Prime branding.

Ultimately, it's about (a) features and (b) what's necessary. For the Intel build, I'd probably go for something like the Tuf Z690 as a better balance of cost and performance. I wouldn't touch anything with Asus's Prime branding except for a budget-level build.

Noticed you dropped the RAM down to DDR4 rather than DDR5, any reason?

AMD 5000 series is DDR4 only. That's why you can make significant savings. And you've gone for cheap DDR5 memory, which is little better than good DDR4.

And noticed you changed the thermal paste to default, is there no difference there?

Not when you have a good cooler like the Corsair one that comes with its own pre-applied thermal paste.

 

[Mickkey]

Fair enough on all points, it was indeed 'UB' i was using, didn't realise it wasn't a good source of info.

When i look at the config it seems the Corsair H100i Cooler has been knocked off and is greyed out, would you recommend any of the other coolers instead?

Also, you put a 1000W PSU, but the PCSpecialist thing states it would only need 630W and that's with a 20% allowance. I'd likely go for an 850w one instead and still have plenty of coverage?

 

[sck451]

Fair enough on all points, it was indeed 'UB' i was using, didn't realise it wasn't a good source of info.

It's so bad it's actually banned on the majority of tech forums!

When i look at the config it seems the Corsair H100i Cooler has been knocked off and is greyed out, would you recommend any of the other coolers instead?

Probably the H115i instead. It's a bit better but you probably won't notice the difference.

Also, you put a 1000W PSU, but the PCSpecialist thing states it would only need 630W and that's with a 20% allowance. I'd likely go for an 850w one instead and still have plenty of coverage?

It's always a good policy to go over what's necessary on power supplies because it means they're higher quality, more efficient, quieter, longer lasting and also have room for upgrades in the future, which might be very power hungry.

850W is probably enough, but going higher would give you a bit more headroom for only a small amount more money. To me that seems obviously worth it, but your call!

 

[Mickkey]

Damn, good to know!

Ah, the H115i is stating it's too big, i think any of the ones above 250w are too big, should i go for a PCS Frostflow 240 series? The only other option would be the Corsair H100i Elite but that's way more costly.

Fair enough, will go for the 1000w

 

[sck451]

Damn, good to know!

Ah, the H115i is stating it's too big, i think any of the ones above 250w are too big, should i go for a PCS Frostflow 240 series? The only other option would be the Corsair H100i Elite but that's way more costly.

Fair enough, will go for the 1000w

Ah, I hadn't realised the case had that restriction.

Don't pay any attention to the wattage ratings: they're very inaccurate and mostly used for marketing. A better approach is to look at the radiator size, the fan size, and the brand reputation.

Personally I'd advise against the PCS own brand coolers. They're relatively noisy and there's been some reports of pumps failing. I'd probably change case, probably to the Lian Li 215, which can fit the H115i, to make sure I got good cooling.

 

[Mickkey]

Dangit, i may have to wait then for that H100i to come back in stock as one of the reasons the Fractal Focus case worked was cause the 'legs' are straight rather than the slanted design on the Lian Li, as i think they would be in danger of sliding off the shelf :/

Regarding cable management, does PCSpecialist do cable management on the inside or do i have to pay extra for that btw?

 

[sck451]

Dangit, i may have to wait then for that H100i to come back in stock as one of the reasons the Fractal Focus case worked was cause the 'legs' are straight rather than the slanted design on the Lian Li, as i think they would be in danger of sliding off the shelf :/

Regarding cable management, does PCSpecialist do cable management on the inside or do i have to pay extra for that btw?

The cable management is pretty good. No complaints from me for my system, certainly!

That is a pity. You could take a chance on the FrostFlow 240 or, alternatively, go for the big air cooler, the FrostFlow 200. The 5800X3D isn't that demanding thermally, so it would probably be fine, though aesthetically I know people tend to like liquid coolers. (I'm the exception to that -- I love a chunky air cooler!)

 

[Mickkey]

Ah good to know, ta.

I'm not particularly fussed on the internal aesthetics of the machine, as the pc will be on my left of the desk, i won't even see into the case regularly, so it's more about performance. Is the Liquid cooler that much more efficient than the big air cooler?

 

[sck451]

Ah good to know, ta.

I'm not particularly fussed on the internal aesthetics of the machine, as the pc will be on my left of the desk, i won't even see into the case regularly, so it's more about performance. Is the Liquid cooler that much more efficient than the big air cooler?

The air cooler will probably be fine for the 5800X3D: it's not the hottest chip around.

 

[Mickkey]

The air cooler will probably be fine for the 5800X3D: it's not the hottest chip around.

Typically the frostflow200 is now also greyed out. I hate the idea of spending an extra £50 on an LCD display that will serve no extra purpose, but i think i might have to (the Corsair H100i with LCD display)

EDIT: Have spoken to the sales guys and they said to check Monday as that's when they should get an update on re-stocks.

 

[B4zookaw]

Typically the frostflow200 is now also greyed out. I hate the idea of spending an extra £50 on an LCD display that will serve no extra purpose, but i think i might have to (the Corsair H100i with LCD display)

EDIT: Have spoken to the sales guys and they said to check Monday as that's when they should get an update on re-stocks.

You could go with a very basic cooler and upgrade to something better in line with your requirements after you get the build?

 

[Mickkey]

You could go with a very basic cooler and upgrade to something better in line with your requirements after you get the build?

Yeah i did consider that, but i have 0 experience with AIO's, plus removing a current cooler and replacing it is a bit of a faff, something i havent really done much of at all.

 

[TonyCarter]

Typically the frostflow200 is now also greyed out. I hate the idea of spending an extra £50 on an LCD display that will serve no extra purpose, but i think i might have to (the Corsair H100i with LCD display)

EDIT: Have spoken to the sales guys and they said to check Monday as that's when they should get an update on re-stocks.

The non-LCD H100i Capellix is also available, so no need to spend the extra £50 on the LCD version.

Although I notice the price of standard H100i Capellix has gone up a bit (about £15) since last time I looked.

 

[Mickkey]

The non-LCD H100i Capellix is also available, so no need to spend the extra £50 on the LCD version.

Although I notice the price of standard H100i Capellix has gone up a bit (about £15) since last time I looked.

View attachment 36381

Aaaah! That's the one i'm trying to order! It's no longer greyed out but when i'm trying to proceed with my order, it's asking for my login details and stating incorrect, despite those same credentials allowing me to log into this page and respond to this forum!?!?!?!?!?

 

[SpyderTracks]

Aaaah! That's the one i'm trying to order! It's no longer greyed out but when i'm trying to proceed with my order, it's asking for my login details and stating incorrect, despite those same credentials allowing me to log into this page and respond to this forum!?!?!?!?!?

The forum is a separate account to the main site. Totally different username and password.