Non-Gaming PC that will allow easy upgrade to Gaming PC in the future

[mike_d99]

Hi All,

Before the current graphics card shortage I was looking for a gaming PC, previous quote here. I waited for the 3060/3070 cards to come out and we all know what happened next.

Since then I've decided against getting a gaming PC for the time being. I would however like to have a system that would be more or less ready to go in the future, so I could just swap out the GPU pretty much rather than having to upgrade half the PC in a year or two.

I've attempted to replicate the previous build, more or less, but I've swapped the GPU down to a RTX2060 Super which should be more than enough for now.

Apart from one day hopefully becoming a good gaming machine, the computer will be used mainly for complex formula-heavy spreadsheets, databases, Power BI so I want something that can tear through these without breaking sweat. I also want to run emulators, which I believe are fairly demanding. I'll also be mass data-hoarding/streaming to Plex and I'll be transferring several HDDs from my existing system. I have a 23" 1080 monitor, happy to use this for now.

I'd also appreciate advice on the case. The one I've chosen seems expensive. I need one that can support the blu-ray writer so that limits my options somewhat. I know nothing about cases or what is required so can someone please point me in the right direction as to what I actually need for the spec?

Overall this build seems rather expensive for what it is - I can stretch if it's worth it, but ideally I'd like to be spending between £1,500 to £2,000. I'm torn between wanting something that is easily upgradable and the possibility that I might never actually upgrade the GPU and potentially waste money, so I'd really appreciate expert advice on how I can balance the two options.

Thanks in advance

Case
THERMALTAKE CORE X71 TEMPERED GLASS EDITION GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT Eight Core CPU (4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 SUPER - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
10TB SEAGATE IRONWOLF PRO 3.5", 7200 RPM 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
16x BLU-RAY WRITER DRIVE, 16x DVD ±R/±RW & SOFTWARE
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100i RGB PRO XT Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
2x 50cm RGB LED Strip
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
Firefox™
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 9 to 12 working days
Price: £2,224.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/sd5sGTr2Aq/

 

[jamiephillips909]

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER 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 DDR4 3600MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 SUPER - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
10TB SEAGATE IRONWOLF PRO 3.5", 7200 RPM 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
16x BLU-RAY WRITER DRIVE, 16x DVD ±R/±RW & SOFTWARE
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W 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 - Supplied on USB Drive
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 9 to 12 working days
Price: £2,258.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/ZWdDA!h!0!/

Removed the case ( its more for liquid series and exstremely expensive for your build

Changed warrenty to silver warrenty is a tough one personally I think silver warrenty offers the best value but thats a peraonal preference

The the savings from case and warrenty
Upped cpu to 5800x
Now 32gb ram @ 3600mhz instead of 16@ 3200
Bigger aio cooler

Upped psu to allow for future upgrades
Removed rgb as you wont see it in that case

 

[DarTon]

I found that requiring a case that could handle a Blu-Ray/DVD player limited my options too much. Instead I bought something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inateck-Ex...p-B08BNPXSJ9/dp/B08BNPXSJ9/ref=dp_ob_title_ce
for £20 and attached my old Blu-Ray and DVD-RW drives to it. It's not as tidy as having it built into the case but the reality is I only need it for one or two specific legacy reasons.

Offered just as an alternative. If I hadn't bought that, I'd have gone for the Fractal Define 7 or another Corsair Obsidian Airflow.

 

[jamiephillips909]

I found that requiring a case that could handle a Blu-Ray/DVD player limited my options too much. Instead I bought something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inateck-Ex...p-B08BNPXSJ9/dp/B08BNPXSJ9/ref=dp_ob_title_ce
for £20 and attached my old Blu-Ray and DVD-RW drives to it. It's not as tidy as having it built into the case but the reality is I only need it for one or two specific legacy reasons.

Offered just as an alternative. If I hadn't bought that, I'd have gone for the Fractal Define 7 or another Corsair Obsidian Airflow.

<< ------ always forgetting about externals

 

[jamiephillips909]

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX MB530P ARGB 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)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 SUPER - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
8TB SEAGATE IRONWOLF PRO 3.5", 7200 RPM 256MB CACHE
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 H100i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB 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 - Supplied on USB Drive
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 9 to 12 working days
Price: £2,020.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/5vGA4MUzJ4/

Cheaper variation ( blue ray would be exsternal )

 

[loso64]

i would like to point out one thing. AMD Ryzen AM4 socket is at the end of its lifespan. Next CPU will be using AM5. It should also support the new DDR5 Ram.
If you really want a platform that will have upgrade option available for few years, consider waiting a year for new pc.
It should hopefully also mean that prices and shortages situation will be better by then.

 

[Bigfoot]

i would like to point out one thing. AMD Ryzen AM4 socket is at the end of its lifespan. Next CPU will be using AM5. It should also support the new DDR5 Ram.
If you really want a platform that will have upgrade option available for few years, consider waiting a year for new pc.
It should hopefully also mean that prices and shortages situation will be better by then.

On that basis nobody would ever buy a pc, as there is always something new around the corner. Buying the latest and greatest is also an expensive way to get what you want. There is also an advantage in getting something that been proven in use, rather than being a guinea pig for a new release.

 

[loso64]

On that basis nobody would ever buy a pc, as there is always something new around the corner. Buying the latest and greatest is also an expensive way to get what you want. There is also an advantage in getting something that been proven in use, rather than being a guinea pig for a new release.

you have a point, but not entirely true. AMD supports a platform for 4-6 years, current AM4 is ending, if he buys now and want upgrade in future, he has to replace mobo and all. Just saying, especially consider the wait times nowdays for some of the pcs, tho i guess there is not much wait time on 2060 super

 

[Citrus_9]

i would like to point out one thing. AMD Ryzen AM4 socket is at the end of its lifespan. Next CPU will be using AM5. It should also support the new DDR5 Ram.
If you really want a platform that will have upgrade option available for few years, consider waiting a year for new pc.
It should hopefully also mean that prices and shortages situation will be better by then.

AM5 Ram will be more expensive in the beginning. It depends what upgrades OP has in mind. Normally it's just a GPU upgrade (if a motherboard, CPU and cooler combination is strong), then Ram wouldn't be a concern. I think it will take at least a few years until AM5 will become popular.

 

[loso64]

AM5 Ram will be more expensive in the beginning. It depends what upgrades OP has in mind. Normally it's just a GPU upgrade (if a motherboard, CPU and cooler combination is strong), then Ram wouldn't be a concern. I think it will take at least a few years until AM5 will become popular.

fair point, just wanted to point out the fact

 

[jamiephillips909]

i would like to point out one thing. AMD Ryzen AM4 socket is at the end of its lifespan. Next CPU will be using AM5. It should also support the new DDR5 Ram.
If you really want a platform that will have upgrade option available for few years, consider waiting a year for new pc.
It should hopefully also mean that prices and shortages situation will be better by then.

Tbh the new chipset etc would be in the adoption bracket I never personally buy it due to issues on release etc so for me to recommend waiting to become a adopter of the new chipset I just cannie do captain but your point is valid same with ddr5 wont jump on it when it becomes valid for gamers will wait a while till issues are ironed out always appreciate a point and opinion the best specs are hashed out from them !!!

 

[mike_d99]

Thanks very much for the advice on this posted above. I've been mulling it over for a while and there doesn't seem that much difference price wise between this and a higher spec option.

So, how about this?

Case
FRACTAL MESHIFY 2 LIGHT TEMPERED GLASS
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12 Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.6GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 Ti - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W 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
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
2x 50cm ARGB LED Strip
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 16 to 19 working days
Price: £2228.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/Z7WDcyvatT/

 

[Steveyg]

The 3900X is a two year old CPU at this point. It's a previous gen CPU so no one is currently recommending it. It's been vastly outperformed by the 5800x. Not to mention the next gen of AMD CPU's starting to peek over the horizon it's about to be 2 generations behind

@jamiephillips909 builds above are the direction I would recommend going

 

[mike_d99]

Thanks Steve. That was an oversight on my part, getting mixed up with the serial numbers. 5900 is what I was aiming for, but based on cost/need the 5800X seems a better balanced option.

This is stretching the budget a bit, but it seems an all round strong build that will stand me in good stead for a while without needing upgrading. I don't need it to be continually at the bleeding edge of technology, I just want something that is powerful now and will remain decent for a good while. Is there anything obviously wrong with this, or is there anything that is superflous?

I will be adding at least half a dozen of my own HDDs to the spec, with more to come no doubt. Does this affect the power requirements at all or is 750W still more than enough?

Thanks all.

Case
FRACTAL MESHIFY 2 LIGHT TEMPERED GLASS
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)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB ASUS ROG STRIX GEFORCE RTX 3070 Ti - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 120 Series ARGB High Performance Liquid Cooler (AMD)
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
2x 50cm ARGB LED Strip
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
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 16 to 19 working days
Price: £2,334.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/!UjUxQpSXT/

 

[Steveyg]

The 750W will give you plenty of overhead for all your storage drives mate I wouldn't worry about the power

I will say don't sell that build short, the 5800x is THE gaming CPU at the minute that offers single cores speeds almost matching the 5900x. The 5900x only real advantage is the four extra cores but I'd say 8 cores is going to be the sweet spot due to the new consoles both having 8 cores.

That build you have there will offer the top end of 1440p gaming and should last you 5-10 years depending on GPU upgrades in future

She's a monster mate

 

[Martinr36]

will the frostflow 120 be enough for the 5800x

 

[Scott]

750w is low balling the 3070Ti IMO. I would definitely up the PSU to the 850w RMx. If you are considering upgrading to a more powerful GPU down the line I would even consider the 1000w RMX as a plug in and forget option. That way you know you are always covered.

Looking at the build everything else is fine other than the cooler. You're going to want a H115i Capellix, or something of that ilk, to keep the CPU temps down when under heavy use.

 

[Scott]

This would be my recommendation for a config. You're spending a fortune on the case & strix GPU that isn't required while other areas are suffering a little. This would be better balanced. Of course you can definitely bump the case back up, I just wouldn't compromise anything to do it.

Case
CORSAIR 5000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING WIFI (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 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
1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2500MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W 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
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
2x 50cm ARGB LED Strip
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
NOT REQUIRED
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
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 16 to 19 working days
Price: £2,217.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/9JMVhFuTu8/

 

[mike_d99]

Thanks Steve, Scott and Martin.

Some more questions Scott, if you don't mind

The difference between the two cases is only £25 or so - it seems the one you've selected only supports four drives and I already have six or seven. The Fractal case supports up to 14, if I'm reading that right?

Is there a specific need for two SSD drives instead of one? I was going to settle for a single 1TB one unless there's a reason two are needed?

I definitely need wireless, so I'll add that back in. I'm using Virgin fibre and I have a speed of 700mpbs, although my existing PC can only manage 300. I think Virgin use both the 5Ghz and the 2.4Ghz channels. Can I get away with using the cheaper one (£19) or is the £89 option I've selected the better choice?

Also, is 3.1 USB worth having? I get an error when I try to select it, stating I have too many PCI-E devices for the mobo. Is it something I should seek to include or it is much of a muchness between 3.1 and 3.0?

Thanks all!

Case
FRACTAL MESHIFY 2 LIGHT TEMPERED GLASS
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING WIFI (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 Ti - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2500MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W 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
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
2x 50cm ARGB LED Strip
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
ASUS PCE-AX58BT Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) 2400Mbps/5GHz, 600Mbps/2.4GHz + 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
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 16 to 19 working days
Price: £2,222.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/srHjxCajAj/

 

[Scott]

Ahh, the case makes more sense with those drives in mind. That's a whole lotta drives to have in a system but I'm sure you have your reasons

The main advantage of 2 M2 drives is that you will have one solely for the OS, Programs and maybe a game or 2. You want to keep this drive as clean as possible to keep it's speed. The second drive would be for games and offer blistering load times. It would also pair as a good cache drive should you be able to make use of that with professional applications. As with anything, the faster the better. Putting all your eggs in one basket limits the usefulness of the space. Having 2 drives basically means 2 lanes for traffic. When you have 2 really, REALLY, fast lanes it can make all the difference to all around use.

The Motherboard I selected has built in Wifi to the same standard as the addon card, that's why I removed it.

I don't think there's much difference between 3.0 and 3.1. It depends on how it's defined etc so I wouldn't read too much into it. If you need USB-C (3.2) then that's a bit different but otherwise you should have tonnes of ports throughout the motherboard. The standard port layout would have most people covered for any connectivity they wish.