New Build (Suggestions welcome)

[Xavien]

Hi all, this is a rough spec for a new gaming machine.

Case
PCS PRISM-X RGB MID TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X 16 Core CPU (3.4GHz-4.9GHz/72MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
24GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3090 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
256GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (500MB/R, 400MB/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 H150i 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
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]

I would like to drop the SSD altogether and just have the m.2 ssd as my current laptop has that and its very fast. Unfortunately i cant remove this drive from the selection even though it recommends installing windows on the m.2. Also its a shame that pcs dont make a larger m.2 then 1tb, im pleased with the one i have and dont really want to choose another one.

I would prefere a laptop tbh, i even looked into alienware but it seems its impossible to get a AMD Ryzen 5950 and a 3080 in the same machine currently, maybe its because of the heat it will cause or something. I know you get less performance from a laptop also and it works out as expensive as a desktop for less. Im bothered about how hot this thing will run so if anyone has any suggestions on the cooling side of things let me know. I couldnt add any more fans to the case because apparently the processor cooling takes up all the space available for them. I choose a 800w PSU instead of a recommended 750 just for any other things i decided to run off it and just so it doesnt tax the PSU as much. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[AgentCooper]

Hi there. We wouldn’t recommend the 5950X if you’re just gaming, it’s a workstation processor and is generally outperformed by the 5900X as it has a lower base speed. Likewise with the 3090, all that extra VRAM is only going to be used if you’re chewing through some serious rendering.

Bottom line, you could improve this system considerably. What’s the budget you’re working with? And what monitor would you be using with the system? Make and model or resolution and refresh rate would be helpful for us to know.

 

[Xavien]

Hi thanks for the reply, my budget is around 3-4k as i was willing to spend that on a laptop. I would most likely be using it with my 4k sony tv, i think its a 55 inch. Also ive taken a look at another guys build here so ive amended mine to a similar spec, although ive still included the 3090. I know a lot of the VRAM will be kinda wasted by gaming alone and you only get about 15% more than the 3080, but i dont mind overkilling a little in the hope that it will still be a good card in a few years time.

Case
PCS PRISM-X RGB MID TOWER 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 RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
24GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3090 - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
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 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
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 - Supplied on USB Drive
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)

 

[AgentCooper]

Thanks for getting back to us. That build is a bit more on the money, but there’s still a couple of bits I’d change. I’d switch the RAM to 4X8GB 3200MHz, you’ll get a small performance boost from four matched sticks and the CAS latency means that for gaming there’s no discernible difference between the two frequencies. The cooler won’t need the MX-4 paste, it already comes with good stuff pre-applied. I’d personally drop the Samsung M.2 to 500GB, just to keep OS and programs on there. The more space you have, the more tempting it is to fill it up. And the more hassle it inevitably becomes when it’s time for the occasional clean install. And the case… it’s a pretty budget model with noisy fans and middling airflow, would highly recommend going a bit upmarket for something that’ll be worthy. The Fractal Meshify is a nice understated option but there’s plenty of other good ones if you want something a bit more jazzy.

Lastly, the GPU… overspending now on a card with the idea that it’ll still be good in a few years is a false economy that tends to end up costing you more in the long term. You always should be buying something that matches your screen, purchasing a GPU that your monitor or system uses just won’t be utilising is a waste of your resources.

Now I will admit that I’m not the most educated on using a 4K TV as a monitor, I’d want to enlist the help of all round good egg @SpyderTracks for an opinion as this is much more his bag. Do you have the model of the Sony TV? Knowing what it’s capable of outputting will very much influence the correct choice of graphics card.

 

[SpyderTracks]

It depends what model TV? If it’s one of the latest 120Hz freesync panels, then a 3080ti would be an option, but I think only Samsung and LG do those currently.

It’s likely a standard 60hz in which case a 3070ti would cover it, if you really wanted to splash out then a 3080 would overshoot it by some margin.

3090 would be a huge waste though for either case.

 

[jamiephillips909]

You could use the savings from the 5950x and 3090 to a 3080 and get a decent gaming monitor

 

[SpyderTracks]

You could use the savings from the 5950x and 3090 to a 3080 and get a decent gaming monitor

This would be a far better investment and experience from a gaming perspective.

 

[Xavien]

Thanks everyone for your help. I will take a look at my tv refresh rate and see what it is but i expect you are right there. I need to have a tinker with my spec as well. Thanks.

 

[Xavien]

Theres some nasty (but expected) waiting times for RTX's at the moment but happy to wait tbh. Ok heres an updated spec below. Looks like my tv is unfortunately a 60HZ so getting a monitor down the line would probably be a good idea. If you guys could recommend some that would be awesome. Made some changes that were mentioned above, ive also upped the ram to 64gb as well and added a blue ray player which no doubt will come in handy. Also dropped the processor cooling as for one it wouldnt fit in the case and it was overkill. I think the processor requires 105-110w, so the one i choose was 125w cooling just to add a bit extra.

Case	FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
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)	64GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (4 x 16GB)
Graphics Card	12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 Ti - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive	NOT REQUIRED
1st M.2 SSD Drive	500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive	2TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive	16x BLU-RAY WRITER DRIVE, 16x DVD ±R/±RW & SOFTWARE
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 MasterLiquid Lite 120 High Performance Liquid 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
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 - Supplied on USB Drive
Office Software	FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus	NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser	Google Chrome™
Warranty	3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery	STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time	Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 15 working days
Promotional Item	Get Resident Evil Village with select Samsung SSDs

 

[AgentCooper]

Whilst the Fractal Focus G is a great budget case, a build with that kind of money behind it deserves a bit more. If you really need a Blu-ray player, I’d just get an external one instead. Or go for the Fractal Define 7, although that one won’t show off any RGB components. You’ll still need a beefy cooler to keep the 5900X from throttling and the CoolerMaster 120 just won’t cut it. A H115i is what you’d be looking for. Whilst the thought of a 2TB Samsung 980 is appealing, even the upcoming DirectStorage may not be able to take full advantage of those speeds, the Intel drive will be more than adequate. You’ll also never need 64GB of RAM in a gaming system, you’re throwing money away there. A 1000w PSU isn’t a necessary move but might be worth considering as little safety net for future upgrades.

Case
CORSAIR OBSIDIAN SERIES™ 500D SE 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 RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 Ti - 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
2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
External DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
6x Slim USB 2.0 External Blu-Ray Writer
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 PRO XT 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
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 12 to 15 working days
Price: £3,254.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/w0vu3tkrq6/

 

[Bigfoot]

That build is still unbalanced. You are spending money unnecessarily in some areas and compromising the build in others. This is not the best bang for your buck. Please include the unique configuration link and someone will suggest a more balanced build and what is your budget?

Edit: I don’t mean that the build by @AgentCooper is unbalanced 😀

 

[Xavien]

That build is still unbalanced. You are spending money unnecessarily in some areas and compromising the build in others. This is not the best bang for your buck. Please include the unique configuration link and someone will suggest a more balanced build and what is your budget?

Edit: I don’t mean that the build by @AgentCooper is unbalanced 😀

I kinda saved over my build with Agent Coopers lol i only had 3 hours sleep last night and its really starting to show now I think i can drop the blu ray player off, bit of an after thought and tbh i think i might have an external drive around here somewhere any way. Im thinking practical about the case itself, im not a flashy person so to me its important that the case has enough room inside for the bits to comfortably fit and leave airflow but i also dont want to get a step ladder in order to see over it if you get my meaning Im not bothered about flashy lights or showing off whats inside im the only one whos ever going to see it. The fractal define 7 looks pretty modest, assuming its not too big. Fine to drop down to the 32gb of ram as you said it should be fine. As for the hard drive, the intel is cool but i think i would rather dispense with the standard SSD and just go for the 500gb samsung pro for the operating system and programs and the 2tb intel for games. This build is only ever going to be used for games. I have another laptop for emails, browsing, shopping and everything else non game related. Also will think about the 1000w psu. As for monitors am i right in thinking that a 4k 144hz one is ok? I also dont want anything too big in the range of 25"-32" max. Amazon seem to do some affordable nice ones. Ok heres the build again with a few minor changes again.

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER 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 RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 Ti - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
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 PRO XT 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
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 12 to 15 working days
Price: £3,093.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/N7MWR6yrRa/

 

[AgentCooper]

You can change the RAM to the non RGB version of the 3200MHz if you go with the Fractal Define 7 as the case is closed and you won’t be seeing the twinkly lights.

If you can find a good 144Hz 4K monitor, the optimum screen size is 32 inches. The best ones are exorbitantly expensive at the moment but keep your eyes peeled for deals popping up every now and again.

This build is starting to look really good, fair play to you for persevering with it 🙂👍

 

[Xavien]

You can change the RAM to the non RGB version of the 3200MHz if you go with the Fractal Define 7 as the case is closed and you won’t be seeing the twinkly lights.

If you can find a good 144Hz 4K monitor, the optimum screen size is 32 inches. The best ones are exorbitantly expensive at the moment but keep your eyes peeled for deals popping up every now and again.

This build is starting to look really good, fair play to you for persevering with it 🙂👍

Awesome thanks Agent Cooper! I will change the ram like suggested. Also i will probably go with the gold warranty rather than the silver one, its a bit more expensive i know but when spending this much i like to be covered as much as possible. I think there was an LG monitor which was 4k 144hz 27" for about £260 on amazon which i thought was a pretty good price. Thanks for all your help!

 

[SpyderTracks]

Awesome thanks Agent Cooper! I will change the ram like suggested. Also i will probably go with the gold warranty rather than the silver one, its a bit more expensive i know but when spending this much i like to be covered as much as possible. I think there was an LG monitor which was 4k 144hz 27" for about £260 on amazon which i thought was a pretty good price. Thanks for all your help!

The very cheapest 4k 144hz available atm in £650

 

[Xavien]

The very cheapest 4k 144hz available atm in £650

I actually clicked on the one i wrote above and it actually said 60hz rather than 144hz it was suggesting so a bit of false advertising by amazon there. However this one looks good and has 144hz. "LG Ultra Gear 27" Gaming monitor QHD (2560x1440 1ms Nvidia G-sync" Its £343 which isnt bad. I expect that one would probably be ok. I didnt link it as im not sure if posting external links are allowed here on the forums.

 

[SpyderTracks]

I actually clicked on the one i wrote above and it actually said 60hz rather than 144hz it was suggesting so a bit of false advertising by amazon there. However this one looks good and has 144hz. "LG Ultra Gear 27" Gaming monitor QHD (2560x1440 1ms Nvidia G-sync" Its £343 which isnt bad. I expect that one would probably be ok. I didnt link it as im not sure if posting external links are allowed here on the forums.

That’s not 4k though, pointless having that GPU if you’re going with 1440p

The very cheapest budget 4k 144hz monitor in the world is £650, above that they’re all pretty much over £1000

 

[Xavien]

That’s not 4k though, pointless having that GPU if you’re going with 1440p

The very cheapest budget 4k 144hz monitor in the world is £650, above that they’re all pretty much over £1000

Ok thanks, something else to save up for then