MatthewRichards964
New member
I am in the process of purchasing a new gaming PC for our son but I am somewhat lost by all of the different options that are available. From my research it seems that the AMD processors rather than the Intel processors are the way to go. I want to get the best that I possibly can and one that will stand the test of time, as well as look good! Looking good was my reasoning behind the 3 extra RGB Fans and the LIAN LI ARGB STRIMER PLUS V2 24-PIN Cable.
GTA, Fortnite and Call of Duty are common games that it would be used for although I'm sure there will be others too.
I did ask a local shop for some ideas and originally I was looking at the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D as I had read a couple of weeks ago that this was the best processor for gaming. The Motherboard that they had suggested was an Asrock X780E Taichi Lite.
Having looked on PC Specialist it seems the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is out of stock but I have also seen that a new processor, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, has just been released which I assume is an upgrade from the 7800X3D. The Asrock Motherboard was not an option on PC Specialist but one of the ones that the configurator suggested was the ASUS one in the list shown below.
There are so many different options for a Motherboard in the configurator and I was wondering what makes one better than the other? The one I selected indicated it had Gaming Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi is something that I would want therefore one of the reasons I chose it. Apart from noticing it had plenty of USB connections etc. my knowledge about why it would be the right choice ends there!
32GB of RAM seems like it will be plenty and Corsair is a familiar name.
From my research I believe that the GeForce RTX 4090 Graphics Card is the best one currently to have and would hopefully have no issues with the games that will be played. I know my son currently moans about stuttering graphics at times so I would want to get the best one I could afford. (This could also be to do with his current monitor of course).
When I selected that particular graphics card it gave me 3 further options, the Windforce V2 being the one shown below. This is again something that I don't really understand. What are the differences between the options? Is one of them better than the other or is it just more of a cosmetic difference?
I wanted plenty of storage so have gone for a couple of 2TB SSDs. I read somewhere on here that Samsung drives have not been reliable. Is there a reason that I should go for SOLIDIGM rather than Corsair? Again, so many choices...!
When you don't have that much familiarity with all of the different options it makes choosing one thing above another difficult as I'm not 100% sure why one would be better or more suitable than another.
I have also copied a few links below to some ideas for monitors. Again, I'm not sure how they compare. My assumption is that the higher the refresh rate the better, so 240Hz would be better than 144Hz. If that is the case would the electriQ 49" monitor linked below be just as good as the Odyssey G9 49" monitor linked below, despite it being cheaper? It surely can't always be that the most expensive one is the best! Would the electriQ be good enough?
Currently I am trying to decide what size would be best.
As for budget, the spec below is probably at the high end of where I would like to be. If someone said a different thing would be a better option and it was a little more I wouldn't necessarily discount it. Conversely, if someone suggested something that was a little cheaper and would still be as good I would look at that too.
Anyway, I have copied in the spec that I ended up with below and would really appreciate any feedback or advice as to how it measures up. Would a different Motherboard be better, would I be better with different Memory etc. etc?
Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Promotional Item
Get a discount code for 20% off select peripherals at Corsair.com
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core CPU (Up to 5.2GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X870-F GAMING WIFI (AM5, DDR5, M.2 PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 5200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
24GB GIGABYTE GEFORCE RTX 4090 WINDFORCE V2 - HDMI, 3 x DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ - MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
ARGB Power Supply Extension Cables
LIAN LI ARGB STRIMER PLUS V2 24-PIN CABLE
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD XT RGB CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans
3 x Corsair RS120 ARGB PWM Fan
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
Norton 360 inc. Game Optimizer - Free 90 Day License
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (6 Month 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
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book
Price: £3,685.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/xqp8u0TwEu/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Possible Monitors that I have been looking at are linked below.
https://www.currys.co.uk/products/s...oled-smart-gaming-monitor-black-10246783.html
https://www.currys.co.uk/products/msi-mag-341cqp-qd-ultra-wide-quad-hd-34”-curved-oled-gaming-monitor-black-10259473.html
https://www.lg.com/uk/monitors/gami...XrkTcs2oJXxkzkvU4oYaArD8EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://www.samsung.com/uk/monitors...XvWhNjrELjNOLcVEq-waAkWwEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/ele...0_1731005394_ef8a3598f2cde8339b5faa2ca9208f19
https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/electriq-eiq-495kcsuw240va-49-5k-va-240hz-1ms-super-ultrawide-curved-monit-eiq-495kcsuw240va/version.asp?utm_campaign=369493_SHOPIA+[INVOKE+AB]&utm_medium=affiliate&refsource=awin&sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=369493&awc=74730_1731006904_addbbf9071adeafc753dab0fd1382a06
GTA, Fortnite and Call of Duty are common games that it would be used for although I'm sure there will be others too.
I did ask a local shop for some ideas and originally I was looking at the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D as I had read a couple of weeks ago that this was the best processor for gaming. The Motherboard that they had suggested was an Asrock X780E Taichi Lite.
Having looked on PC Specialist it seems the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is out of stock but I have also seen that a new processor, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, has just been released which I assume is an upgrade from the 7800X3D. The Asrock Motherboard was not an option on PC Specialist but one of the ones that the configurator suggested was the ASUS one in the list shown below.
There are so many different options for a Motherboard in the configurator and I was wondering what makes one better than the other? The one I selected indicated it had Gaming Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi is something that I would want therefore one of the reasons I chose it. Apart from noticing it had plenty of USB connections etc. my knowledge about why it would be the right choice ends there!
32GB of RAM seems like it will be plenty and Corsair is a familiar name.
From my research I believe that the GeForce RTX 4090 Graphics Card is the best one currently to have and would hopefully have no issues with the games that will be played. I know my son currently moans about stuttering graphics at times so I would want to get the best one I could afford. (This could also be to do with his current monitor of course).
When I selected that particular graphics card it gave me 3 further options, the Windforce V2 being the one shown below. This is again something that I don't really understand. What are the differences between the options? Is one of them better than the other or is it just more of a cosmetic difference?
I wanted plenty of storage so have gone for a couple of 2TB SSDs. I read somewhere on here that Samsung drives have not been reliable. Is there a reason that I should go for SOLIDIGM rather than Corsair? Again, so many choices...!
When you don't have that much familiarity with all of the different options it makes choosing one thing above another difficult as I'm not 100% sure why one would be better or more suitable than another.
I have also copied a few links below to some ideas for monitors. Again, I'm not sure how they compare. My assumption is that the higher the refresh rate the better, so 240Hz would be better than 144Hz. If that is the case would the electriQ 49" monitor linked below be just as good as the Odyssey G9 49" monitor linked below, despite it being cheaper? It surely can't always be that the most expensive one is the best! Would the electriQ be good enough?
Currently I am trying to decide what size would be best.
As for budget, the spec below is probably at the high end of where I would like to be. If someone said a different thing would be a better option and it was a little more I wouldn't necessarily discount it. Conversely, if someone suggested something that was a little cheaper and would still be as good I would look at that too.
Anyway, I have copied in the spec that I ended up with below and would really appreciate any feedback or advice as to how it measures up. Would a different Motherboard be better, would I be better with different Memory etc. etc?
Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Promotional Item
Get a discount code for 20% off select peripherals at Corsair.com
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core CPU (Up to 5.2GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X870-F GAMING WIFI (AM5, DDR5, M.2 PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 5200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
24GB GIGABYTE GEFORCE RTX 4090 WINDFORCE V2 - HDMI, 3 x DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ - MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
ARGB Power Supply Extension Cables
LIAN LI ARGB STRIMER PLUS V2 24-PIN CABLE
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD XT RGB CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans
3 x Corsair RS120 ARGB PWM Fan
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
Norton 360 inc. Game Optimizer - Free 90 Day License
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (6 Month 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
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book
Price: £3,685.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/xqp8u0TwEu/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Possible Monitors that I have been looking at are linked below.
https://www.currys.co.uk/products/s...oled-smart-gaming-monitor-black-10246783.html
https://www.currys.co.uk/products/msi-mag-341cqp-qd-ultra-wide-quad-hd-34”-curved-oled-gaming-monitor-black-10259473.html
https://www.lg.com/uk/monitors/gami...XrkTcs2oJXxkzkvU4oYaArD8EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://www.samsung.com/uk/monitors...XvWhNjrELjNOLcVEq-waAkWwEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/ele...0_1731005394_ef8a3598f2cde8339b5faa2ca9208f19
https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/electriq-eiq-495kcsuw240va-49-5k-va-240hz-1ms-super-ultrawide-curved-monit-eiq-495kcsuw240va/version.asp?utm_campaign=369493_SHOPIA+[INVOKE+AB]&utm_medium=affiliate&refsource=awin&sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=369493&awc=74730_1731006904_addbbf9071adeafc753dab0fd1382a06
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