Spec check

[uhtred]

Hi all! I'm looking to get a desktop PC through PCS for the purpose of gaming, Photoshop, and other general tasks. I've had some experience with PCS in the past - I bought a custom laptop through them about 8-9 years ago.

I'm looking to be able to be able to play games on the highest settings at 1440p, 60+ fps, as I get the sense that this is the sweet spot for gamers at the moment. I'm looking to play a mixture of old and new games: older games include modded Skyrim, Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, Rocket League, Batman Arkham games, and Cities Skylines; newer games include things like Fallout 4, Cyberpunk 2077, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

My budget for the PC excluding monitor, keyboard, mouse, and possibly Microsoft Office is about £1500. I've included a spec below which as of writing comes to £1506, but wanted to hear your views on anything that could be improved, streamlined, omitted, or added. I've based my choices on the example configurations discussed here.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 465X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB 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 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB ASUS DUAL GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP, DVI
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 2500MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD 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 (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
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
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days

EDIT:
Price: £1,506.00 including VAT and Delivery

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

A few questions:
- PCS gave a warning saying that 550W for the power supply was too much, and that 450W is preferred. What is the general view on this?
- I've used a 1TB HDD and a 500GB SDD in the above. PCS recommends putting the OS on the SDD. What are the general views regarding storage choices - all SDDs, HDD and SDD hybrid, OS on SDD?
- I don't really have any views on the cooling and thermal paste. Are the standard choices that I've selected OK for longevity and general gaming?
- Perhaps a silly question, but I'm not familiar with the network card options - I'm guessing that the above configuration is fine with general wireless access to a router?

Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 17413]

From the page you copied/pasted, can you go and also include the config link thats at the bottom? Makes things much easier.

The Asus RTX 2060 was actually more expensive than the 3060, I would switch to the 3060 its going to give better performance. (Edit - checked this and its no longer true...not sure if I made a mistake or prices have changed)
Also increase the PSU to allow for future GPU upgrades, either a 750W or 850W.
The AX200 is an excellent card, and comes with bluetooth, i'd leave that as it is.
You can drop the motherboard to a Tuf 550 with that CPU as well which will help with the budget.
I would also suggest a different M.2 given your budget, you are still going to get great speeds but your budget and current prices mean its a squeeze... a £1500 build would cost a couple of hundred less in normal circumstances.

 

[Deleted member 17413]

You can still add another M.2 further down the line (board supports one Gen4 and one Gen3) and can upgrade GPU should you move up to 1440p with the monitors etc.

The Asus 2060 is not a good idea for 1440p, the 3060 would cope far better and I think is more suited to your needs, but theres the issue of budget and current prices... it really does nip at your heels.

If you can wait, that would probably be better, until stock is moving properly again and the prices come down a little, can do a system that is ok for your needs, but you would normally get far more for your money than you can right now.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 465X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
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 3060 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD 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 (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
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
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,544.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/3UpM5UBvkW/

 

[uhtred]

From the page you copied/pasted, can you go and also include the config link thats at the bottom? Makes things much easier.

The Asus RTX 2060 was actually more expensive than the 3060, I would switch to the 3060 its going to give better performance. (Edit - checked this and its no longer true...not sure if I made a mistake or prices have changed)
Also increase the PSU to allow for future GPU upgrades, either a 750W or 850W.
The AX200 is an excellent card, and comes with bluetooth, i'd leave that as it is.
You can drop the motherboard to a Tuf 550 with that CPU as well which will help with the budget.
I would also suggest a different M.2 given your budget, you are still going to get great speeds but your budget and current prices mean its a squeeze... a £1500 build would cost a couple of hundred less in normal circumstances.

I've made an edit to my original post which now includes the config link. I might consider going to the 3060, even if it is a bit more expensive.

If I don't plan on upgrading the hardware any time soon, is there a need for 750W or 850W? I've read that the higher this value, the less long-lasting the PC?

I've noticed that changing just the graphics card to the Nvidia RTX 3060 increases the price to £1583, which is not unreasonable.

 

[Deleted member 17413]

Replacing the PSU is a proper job, you have to unwire everything. Also having a PSU running towards its maximum output shortens lifespan and creates more noise. Spec a decent PSU to start with and you wont have to worry about it at all or buy a new one when you upgrade GPU's/Monitors.

The real benefit in custom gaming rig is investing at the start to get a spec that will last 10 years, all you end up doing it upgrading GPU every few years to keep up to date. Its then far far cheaper than upgrading entire machines every 2 or 3 years.

 

[uhtred]

Replacing the PSU is a proper job, you have to unwire everything. Also having a PSU running towards its maximum output shortens lifespan and creates more noise. Spec a decent PSU to start with and you wont have to worry about it at all or buy a new one when you upgrade GPU's/Monitors.

The real benefit in custom gaming rig is investing at the start to get a spec that will last 10 years, all you end up doing it upgrading GPU every few years to keep up to date. Its then far far cheaper than upgrading entire machines every 2 or 3 years.

Thanks for all your help so far. I've modified the config link you sent me - if I upped the budget to £1600 do you think the below would be a good set-up for 1440p gaming? Also, two questions: 1) do you have an idea when prices will start to go down given the lifting of lockdowns in the UK (and presumably likewise elsewhere), and 2) what made you choose the 1TB SSD over the apparently faster 500GB SSD - is the additional space more important in your view than the additional speed?

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 465X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB 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 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD 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 (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
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
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,598.00 including VAT and Delivery

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

 

[Deleted member 17413]

The Tuf 570X isnt needed, you would be fine on a 550.
If you had a higher spec cpu, then a 570X would be worthwhile.

Even increasing to a £1600 budget, i would take that little extra and put it elsewhere, such as a cooler or a separate small M.2 just for the OS like so

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 465X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
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 3060 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 240 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 (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
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
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,591.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/V36S9DvstB/


Or

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 465X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
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 3060 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
250GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 2300MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD 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 (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
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
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,607.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/T2cyYT2K0N/

 

[uhtred]

The Tuf 570X isnt needed, you would be fine on a 550.
If you had a higher spec cpu, then a 570X would be worthwhile.

Even increasing to a £1600 budget, i would take that little extra and put it elsewhere, such as a cooler or a separate small M.2 just for the OS like so

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 465X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
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 3060 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 240 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 (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
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
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,591.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/V36S9DvstB/


Or

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 465X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
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 3060 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
250GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 2300MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD 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 (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
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
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,607.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/T2cyYT2K0N/

Thanks again for the explanations - the builds look good. If I had 10-20 reasonably-sized games in my library, would you recommend the additional cooler or the additional 250GB SSD? Also, do you see prices decreasing soon, or more over the next 6 months to a year?

 

[Deleted member 17413]

Hopefully in the next 6 months things will start sorting themselves out, it would make it a far lot easier to spec a build if it does.

The idea of a 250GB M.2 is the OS goes on it, then you would load all games onto the 1TB, its a bit of a luxury setup but means you can do complete installs on the OS without having to reload all your games back on, its a convience thing.

The cooler on the other hand would probably be more beneficial in terms of lifespan of the machine and running temps, and you can always add a second M.2 later very easily (a cooler is a little more work).

The main point I was making, was the 550 is suited to the CPU you would be looking at, so any additional increase in budget could be better spent in other areas.

 

[uhtred]

Hopefully in the next 6 months things will start sorting themselves out, it would make it a far lot easier to spec a build if it does.

The idea of a 250GB M.2 is the OS goes on it, then you would load all games onto the 1TB, its a bit of a luxury setup but means you can do complete installs on the OS without having to reload all your games back on, its a convience thing.

The cooler on the other hand would probably be more beneficial in terms of lifespan of the machine and running temps, and you can always add a second M.2 later very easily (a cooler is a little more work).

The main point I was making, was the 550 is suited to the CPU you would be looking at, so any additional increase in budget could be better spent in other areas.

Thanks. I would probably be looking to buy a PC fairly soon, so I may have to stomach the inflated prices. In your view, are the two most recent configurations you posted above the 'optimal' (I'm aware that's subjective) set-ups to attempt to run the kind of games I originally mentioned, given that I want to ideally spend £1500-£1600 on the PC itself, run at 1440p, and run the highest settings on these games (perhaps I'll ignore Cyberpunk 2077 for the time being)?

 

[Deleted member 17413]

The monitor choice plays an important role here, and I also think I need to point out budget vs expectations when you mention 1440p and all games on highest settings... a RTX 3060 is a 1440p card, but its entry level 1440p.

MY personal view is for 1440p 144Hz I would want a RTX 3070, so it ran it seamlessly, but a 3060 is capable, just not on highest settings on recent games and it will push the card to really have to work.

And yes, I would put cyberpunk on a back burner lol its a AAA brand new title, and would want more juice.

 

[JUNI0R]

Don't want to put a spanner in the works of a discussion but personally I'd recommend a 3060TI if you want to use the highest settings on 1440p 60hz, this would also cover lower settings 1440 at 144hz if you were to spend £300 to spend on the monitor.

Personally this is the build I'd go for in your budget

Saved £60 on a less expensive case, I've upgraded to the 3060TI for reasons previously explained. Storage I've gone for the 1TB SSD for OS and games then 2TB HDD for general files (it's only £11 more than 1TB). I'd highly recommend an AIO with the 5600X so gone for the Cooler Master 240. The RM850 is a great PSU and should cover future upgrades. The wifi card with give 5.0Ghz bandwith as well as Bluetooth. Bullguard is known to cause issues and Silver warranty is worth it for £5.

The storage solution isn't ideal on this build but a sacrifice I've made for the 60TI, I'm aware you've already increased the budget so reluctant to suggest another one, but £1650 you could get both the better card and better storage configuration.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 220T RGB AIRFLOW MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 240 High Performance Liquid 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 (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
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
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
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 10 to 12 working days
Price: £1,558.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/bHqtGSX9QS/

 

[A L-pc]

The major problem is that available GPU's do not seem to exist at the moment. A quick check of a couple of sites has Curry's being the only place even quoting a price for an RTX 3070, £500 minimum. Does not look as if that is going to change any time soon.

 

[uhtred]

Thanks both. Junior, your build seems good - would I be right in thinking that the RTX 3060TI is pre-order only? Is there an expected date for its availability?

 

[JUNI0R]

Thanks both. Junior, your build seems good - would I be right in thinking that the RTX 3060TI is pre-order only? Is there an expected date for its availability?

Currently the 60TI is on Pre-order. The average wait currently seems to be about 30-40 working days (1-2 calendar months) although this can change depending on what stock PCS does or doesn't recieve. There's a large thread full of people disucssing their 3060TI wait times which can be found here and might be worth checking out.

I don't think it'll come out of pre-order as such for a while, they're just working through orders as they recieve stock so it's likely you'll get your card while it's still in pre-order. You could source your own card for a faster build but tracking down a card is currently very difficult.

 

[uhtred]

Currently the 60TI is on Pre-order. The average wait currently seems to be about 30-40 working days (1-2 calendar months) although this can change depending on what stock PCS does or doesn't recieve. There's a large thread full of people disucssing their 3060TI wait times which can be found here and might be worth checking out.

I don't think it'll come out of pre-order as such for a while, they're just working through orders as they recieve stock so it's likely you'll get your card while it's still in pre-order. You could source your own card for a faster build but tracking down a card is currently very difficult.

Thanks for that. I don't mind waiting 1-2 months for the 60TI if that is what is required. Two questions: 1) you mentioned £1650 could get both the better storage and graphics card, did you mean the 60TI + an extra 250GB SSD (and if so, any in particular?), and 2) I chose the original case because I have heard it got good reviews - is the cheaper case you chose still rated well, in terms of ventilation and other metrics?

 

[JUNI0R]

Thanks for that. I don't mind waiting 1-2 months for the 60TI if that is what is required. Two questions: 1) you mentioned £1650 could get both the better storage and graphics card, did you mean the 60TI + an extra 250GB SSD (and if so, any in particular?), and 2) I chose the original case because I have heard it got good reviews - is the cheaper case you chose still rated well, in terms of ventilation and other metrics?

That £1650 price was based on a 500GB Seagate Firecuda 520 Gen 4 M.2 SSD, a 1TB PCS M.2 SSD and the 3060 TI.

The case I changed to (220T) will still have good thermals as it has 3 included fans and a full mesh front, although it is smaller than the 465X which might not help, this also means if you were to upgrade to one of the huge GPU's (think the 30 series STRIX cards), they might not fit in the smaller 220T. So if you plan to keep the PC for a long time through multiple upgrades then the 465X might be worth the investment.

2 reviews worth checking out for these cases are the reviews by Gamers Nexus. He does tests with the same internals to see which one perfoms best on thermals and noise. From a quick scroll, it seems the 220T actually has slightly better CPU thermals (50.5 degrees) compared to the 465X (52.1 degrees) and the same is the case for GPU thermals (about 2 degrees in it).

Here are links to the two reviews if you'd like to have a more in depth look
Corsair 465X Review - The one you had originally
Corsair 220T Review - The one I changed to

 

[uhtred]

That £1650 price was based on a 500GB Seagate Firecuda 520 Gen 4 M.2 SSD, a 1TB PCS M.2 SSD and the 3060 TI.

The case I changed to (220T) will still have good thermals as it has 3 included fans and a full mesh front, although it is smaller than the 465X which might not help, this also means if you were to upgrade to one of the huge GPU's (think the 30 series STRIX cards), they might not fit in the smaller 220T. So if you plan to keep the PC for a long time through multiple upgrades then the 465X might be worth the investment.

2 reviews worth checking out for these cases are the reviews by Gamers Nexus. He does tests with the same internals to see which one perfoms best on thermals and noise. From a quick scroll, it seems the 220T actually has slightly better CPU thermals (50.5 degrees) compared to the 465X (52.1 degrees) and the same is the case for GPU thermals (about 2 degrees in it).

Here are links to the two reviews if you'd like to have a more in depth look
Corsair 465X Review - The one you had originally
Corsair 220T Review - The one I changed to

Thanks for the video links, they were helpful. I'll have more of a think on the configuration, but all of the suggestions have been very useful.

 

[Deleted member 17413]

The 3060Ti is a good shout, but as I said, your budget is very tight with current prices.
I left your case in, its not a bad case at all and you chose it yourself, but the 220T is a decent case and cheaper (call it a high performing budget case...)

I should of also considered the 3060Ti when I said about the extra budget wiggle room you gave, alongside the ideas about cooler upgrade or separating your drives off.... the GPU step up would be the most beneficial when looking at the build as a whole compared to those.

Its tough when it gets to build like this, because you can only ever get it close to what you really want, not quite on point.
Perhaps in a couple of months prices will relax a little, which would be perfect for you as it would allow you to spec a build that does hit all its targets.

 

[Ash_]

The major problem is that available GPU's do not seem to exist at the moment. A quick check of a couple of sites has Curry's being the only place even quoting a price for an RTX 3070, £500 minimum. Does not look as if that is going to change any time soon.

Forget Msrp, that is for FE editions and was announced before things like the shortages, £600 is a good price for a Gigabyte gaming OC (very high performing card), but are extremely difficult to get a hold of. I would go out on a limb and say... non-fe cards will never go below £500 for a new 3070.