not sure what to do

[zidey]

Basically, looking to upgrade my current system. I used PCS 10 years ago for a pc and it was great.

My only issue now is, if i built it myself I could save a significant amount on the cost, I just don't want the hassle and stress of building but at the same time I don't know if the higher cost can justify that.

Anyone have any suggestions maybe on the spec for changes i can make that won't massively decrease performance but allow me a bit of a reduction in price?

i am gonna be using it mainly for 2k gaming but wanna be a little future proof and maybe 4k gaming if i ever get 4k monitors.


Case
FRACTAL POP SILENT CASE TG (WHITE)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D 16 Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.7GHz/144MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
GIGABYTE B650 AORUS ELITE AX V2 (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
16GB ASUS PROART GEFORCE RTX 4080 SUPER - HDMI, 3 x DP

Buy select GeForce RTX 40 Series*, get Star Wars: Outlaws

1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SAMSUNG 990 PRO M.2, PCIe 4.0 NVMe (up to 7450MB/R, 6900MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 200 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
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
NONE OR ONBOARD Wi-Fi (MOTHERBOARD DEPENDENT)
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
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
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
FAST TRACK 3 WORKING DAY DISPATCH

 

[TonyCarter]

If you have a current system that you're completely replacing, you can save a bundle by transferring your Windows licence over to the new machine. You can also save £69 by not going for the FastTrack service - a bit pointless too as the CPU you'd actually want in a gaming PC build (the 9800X3D) isn't available until at least the end of next week.

But we'll need to know whether this PC will be mostly for gaming, or whether there'll be any other major uses that would affect our choice of CPU, RAM, GPU. We'll also need to know your MAX budget that we're working to - as you says you want something a little cheaper than what you've built, but haven't provided us with the price of it, or the configuration link.

If it's purely (>75%) gaming and you'll be at 1440p for more than a year, then there's no point going for a 4080 Super when a 4070 Super or 4070Ti Super will suffice.

Just for info, but currently entry level 1080p is £1500+, 1440p is £2000+, 4k is £2500+

 

[zidey]

I'm sorry, i totally spaced with not putting price.

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yeah will be a total rebuild so reusing windows is a good idea.

Its probably gonna be close to 90/95% gaming. I may be getting into home video converting, so vhs to digital but no idea when or if that will be a big impact.

I would say max is what its come out to now at £2600.

 

[TonyCarter]

If you're not going to get a proper 4K gaming monitor in the next 3 months, then I'd buy a 1440p GPU for now, save the cash and put it towards the monitor & GPU upgrade next year...when both new monitors and the 5xxx Nvidia / 8xxx AMD GPUs are readily available.

You can save a lot on a 1440p build if you change the GPU to a 1440p one...something like this would be £500 cheaper.

The only real world scenario where an Nvidia GPU is worth it over an AMD one is when you want to play everything with ray tracing on...but in reality there are only a few games where it makes a significant different to the look & feel of the game, and then you're facing 30-60% less FPS for turning it on (I have a RTX4090 and don't turn it on in most games as I prefer higher frame rates to shiny water/glass). Both have their own forms of frame generation and upscaling - Nvidia tends to be better at this, but you pay a premium for it. In general, AMD GPUs are usually more powerful in raw FPS than an Nvidia GPU at the same price point.

Case
CORSAIR 3500X ARGB TEMPERED GLASS MID-TOWER (WHITE) - changed the case as the GPU was too long for the Pop
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 9700X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-5.5GHz/40MB CACHE/AM5) - you want the 9800X3D (this is just a placeholder for that coming end of next week)
Motherboard
GIGABYTE X870 EAGLE WIFI7 (AM5, DDR5, M.2 PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7) - current gen equivalent of the B650 motherboard, but with USB4, wifi-7 and PCIe 5.0
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB) - sweet spot for AM5 CPUs (can have RGB for a few £££ more)
Graphics Card
16GB XFX RADEON™ RX 7900 GRE - HDMI, 3 x DP - somewhere between the 4070 Super and 4070Ti Super (7900XT is £100 more; 4070Ti Super is £250-£350 more; 4000 Super is £450-£500 more) - see chart below for 1440p comparison
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW) - fast primary drive for Windows, apps and game launchers ONLY (to keep documents, media, games off it and secure from failure/corruption, and to keep this drive 'clean & mean')
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW) - fast secondary drive for games installs (could add or transfer a 3rd drive from your current PC for storage)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1200W RMx SHIFT SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET - latest ATX3.1 spec PSU with plenty of room for future upgrades
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H115i ELITE CAPELLIX XT RGB High Performance CPU Cooler - much better cooler and nice RGB for the case
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
NONE OR ONBOARD Wi-Fi (MOTHERBOARD DEPENDENT)
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 - dropping this to use your current licence will save £110
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 5 to 7 working days - saves £70 over the 3 day Fast Track service, and they're not currently taking that long anyway - will get busier closer to Christmas though
Price: £1,949.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/QGrdZ0uFvB/

 

[zidey]

oh wow thats an amazing reduction in price with very little change! thank you! I went with the 7950X3D cause the one you suggested wasn't avaliable.

I don't hink ive ever used an amd card, am i losing anything going amd over geforce?

I have always been nervous about liquid cooling, is it easy enough to use?

 

[TonyCarter]

oh wow thats an amazing reduction in price with very little change! thank you! I went with the 7950X3D cause the one you suggested wasn't avaliable.

Yes, the current daddy of gaming CPUs is/was the 7800X3D, but supplies have dried up and ETA keeps slipping; BUT the new & improved 9800X3D is literally around the corner (i.e. due next Friday). This doesn't mean it will be available for delivery next Friday, but it should appear on the configurator about then...and we'll have to hope that PCS get some stocks of them on Day One!

I don't hink ive ever used an amd card, am i losing anything going amd over geforce?

It's a value for money option, but as listed above the differences are in the technologies offered and the biggest difference is ray tracing (which I rarely use myself due to the huge drop in performance)

I have always been nervous about liquid cooling, is it easy enough to use?

There's 2 types.

1. "Closed Loop" AIO liquid cooling (like the Corsair H1xxi ones listed) which are self-contained, maintenance-free, and use non-conductive liquid - so even if there was a leak there would be no electronic damage - and are made up of a radiator and pump containing the fluid, with 2-3 fans attached to push air through the radiator
2. "Open Loop" liquid cooing, where there's reservoirs, radiators, fans, pumps are connected by soft/hard tubing and filled with (usually) distilled water and a colour to make it look pretty - these require regular maintenance and checking for leaks, air bubbles, etc.

PCS sell both, but we'd only recommend a closed loop system for a normal gaming PC, as it can be moved around, and components swapped/upgraded without having to disassemble everything. It's much simpler with less cooling components to worry about.

This is closed loop...

This is open loop...

 

[TonyCarter]

...and if you are thinking about going to 4K in 6 months, then the additional saving of getting the AMD GPU in interim means you can choose what best meets your needs at that time - as the pricing difference might have closed, or the technology advancements in the next gen GPUs might close the gap between them.

 

[zidey]

ahhh ok, that makes perfect sense about the cooler thank you!

with the cpu ill defo hold off for that new one as i will have the money by the end of next week so should be able to order it right away

to be fair i may never bother with 4k as im not overly sure its worth it, but its nice to know the system is built for it if i wanna upgrade the card.

thanks for your help

 

[TonyCarter]

There are some very good ultra-wide (3440x1440 and super-ultrawide (5120x1440) displays - the best (for gaming) are the current gen of OLED models with brilliant contrast, brilliant colours, HDR, and extremely fast response rates. Of course as you get wider, you'll probably want a bit of curve to the monitor so that the edges don't seem so far away and to help with the immersiveness.

Of course the extra width of these do take extra GPU power...the ultrawide not so much, but the super-ultra wide is almost 4K resolutions so would need a 4K GPU.

But no point looking at them now, as things will have moved on in 6 months time anyway, and you'll either be able to get this generation for cheaper, or the new generation for current prices.

 

[zidey]

so just went to order and the graphics card isnt in stock and the case has vanished..

PCSPECIALIST - Configure the AMD Am5 PC to your ideal requirements.

PCSpecialist is an award-winning manufacturer of high quality custom PCs & Laptops. Configure the AMD Am5 PC to your ideal requirements.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

ive changed the graphics card (ive increased what im gonna pay which i can deal with)

im at a loss as to what case i can use

 

[SpyderTracks]

so just went to order and the graphics card isnt in stock and the case has vanished..

PCSPECIALIST - Configure the AMD Am5 PC to your ideal requirements.

PCSpecialist is an award-winning manufacturer of high quality custom PCs & Laptops. Configure the AMD Am5 PC to your ideal requirements.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

ive changed the graphics card (ive increased what im gonna pay which i can deal with)

im at a loss as to what case i can use

The iCue 5000X would me my choice personally

 

[zidey]

The iCue 5000X would me my choice personally

i assume from you saying that, that it will fit the xfx rx7900 xtx?

 

[SpyderTracks]

i assume from you saying that, that it will fit the xfx rx7900 xtx?

Yes, no problem

 

[zidey]

Yes, no problem

thank you

 

[TonyCarter]

so just went to order and the graphics card isnt in stock and the case has vanished..

PCSPECIALIST - Configure the AMD Am5 PC to your ideal requirements.

PCSpecialist is an award-winning manufacturer of high quality custom PCs & Laptops. Configure the AMD Am5 PC to your ideal requirements.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

ive changed the graphics card (ive increased what im gonna pay which i can deal with)

im at a loss as to what case i can use

Unfortunately stock levels, components and ETAs change all the time, and we have all experience the same dilemmas. It comes down to waiting & hoping, or changing something.

 

[zidey]

well all ordered, i added in some insurance. probably unneeded but i like having a little peace of mind. so hopefully have it soon thanks for all your help!

 

[SpyderTracks]

well all ordered, i added in some insurance. probably unneeded but i like having a little peace of mind. so hopefully have it soon thanks for all your help!

Personally I always insure the PC.

The PC in my life is very much = a small baby, I get that may be irrational but it’s genuinely how I feel about them 🤣

 

[Martinr36]

Personally I always insure the PC.

The PC in my life is very much = a small baby, I get that may be irrational but it’s genuinely how I feel about them 🤣

Yeah, I'm like that about my bikes, I mean when I hop looking at a man cave early next year, it's going to need somewhere Ian keep the bikes safely