Specs advice repost with additional info

[Bluecats]

Hi, I am seeking some advice on this proposed build. I'm trying to create a "discreet" small factor form build for everyday use, but skews toward gaming (I do not need it to be a gaming beast, but want the system to have some longevity). I am not really an expert on these things, but can anyone see any obvious/rookie mistakes I have made in these specs? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


Monitor

This will be a living P.C so will be connected to a Bravia XR XR55A95L QD-OLED HDR 4K Ultra HD 55”

Resolution 3840 x 2160 pixels (do not particularly need a specific 4k set up, though) refresh rate.
Refresh 120Hz



Computer Use

35% gaming ( Game types: Baldur’s Gate 3 , Diablo 4, Cyberpunk, Starfield, No Man's Sky, Upcoming GTA)

35% Web browser, content streaming (Netflix, Prime, Apple Plus)

30% working from Home (Mainly using Microsoft Office suite, Zoom, nothing resource-hungry)



Case size:

This build will be a living room PC, so the case I chose appeared to be the best compromise between size and components, happy for any further advice but do not want huge rig lit up like a Christmas tree.



Max Budget:
£2000



Case
THERMALTAKE CORE V1 GAMING CASE (BLACK)
Promotional Item
Get a discount code for 20% off select peripherals at Corsair.com
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700 (Up to 4.9GHz) 25MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B760-I GAMING WIFI (Mini-ITX, LGA1700, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4070 SUPER - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB CORSAIR CORE XT MP600 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD (up to 5000 MB/R, 4400 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W CX SERIES™ CX-750 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 55 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
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 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
Microsoft® Edge
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
SATURDAY DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 3 to 5 working days
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book
Logo Branding
PCSpecialist Logo
Packaging
Original Case Packaging

Price: £1700.00, including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z690-sff-gaming/X8X30nNJne/

 

[TonyCarter]

Could you have a read of the below sticky post...

Please read before posting:- Collaboration of Helpful Hints

NB: These forums are not an official support channel. None of us work for PCS, we're all either customers or techies who just like to help out where possible. For any official support, you need to contact PCS directly either through your PCS account, or via the contact details on the main...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

...and then come back and edit your post with:

1. Max budget
2. Monitor (make & model, or resolution and refresh rate)
3. Typical games / applications used (and % spent on games vs productivity)
4. Your config link to the above build (although we'd probably swap it to an current gen AMD build if you're wanting a bit of longevity)
5. How 'small' does it need to be, as the smaller the case, the less flexibility we have with choice of components

 

[Bluecats]

Amended post. Thanks Again

 

[Bluecats]

I edited and saved my original enquiry, but no replies. Have I asked an impossible question? Should I have made a new post so it would return to the top of the forum?

 

[Scoped Badger]

I wouldn’t recommend a mini-ITX PC to anyone so for that reason I didn’t reply and left it to someone else.

Connecting a PC to a TV should be a criminal offence as well!

You’re definitely going to want to go AMD over Intel though due to the latter having all sorts of issues.

 

[Scott]

Is SFF an important consideration? I get that it'll be connected to the TV but for a 4k gaming machine you're going to need a lot of cooling potential, something that SFF systems inherently lack.

You've also landed on a 4070 Super, this is a 1440p card, rather than 4k. It's not going to be powerful enough to run your TV to its potential. I would be aiming for the 4070 Ti Super as a minimum, the 4080 would be better placed. Budget will be the limiting factor here.

 

[Bluecats]

Thanks for your input; sharing your knowledge with newbie like me is very much appreciated

 

[Bluecats]

Thanks for the advice

 

[Scott]

It wasn't the end of the advice. If you share your thoughts we can suggest a full configuration that will be better suited. Just need to know all the jigsaw pieces before taking the time to do so

 

[Bluecats]

It wasn't the end of the advice. If you share your thoughts we can suggest a full configuration that will be better suited. Just need to know all the jigsaw pieces before taking the time to do so

Forgive my ignorance, but I thought I did when I took the original responders' advice and amended my initial post to mention what I would use for the computer for. Along with percentages for each activity, the type of games I play, what it would connect to, including res and refresh. Why I wanted a more discreet rig: living room PC shared space so moderate size with no flashing lights. From my original post I chose a THERMALTAKE CORE V1 GAMING CASE (BLACK) thinking that was a good compromise between size and components but is that a bad idea, does it have terrible airflow? I included my fumbling component choices with my config link and prepared budget. Could you advise me if there is anything more I should add to the post that would be helpful? I barely know anything about intel, but AMD is an entirely different world to me, so I'm lost when people mention AMD chips and graphics cards. I have a simplistic knowledge that Nvdiva 2070 is old to Nvidia 4090 best. . I could not pick a good AMD graphic card/ CPU out of a lineout 😕

 

[Scott]

Forgive my ignorance, but I thought I did when I took the original responders' advice and amended my initial post to mention what I would use for the computer for. Along with percentages for each activity, the type of games I play, what it would connect to, including res and refresh. Why I wanted a more discreet rig: living room PC shared space so moderate size with no flashing lights. From my original post I chose a THERMALTAKE CORE V1 GAMING CASE (BLACK) thinking that was a good compromise between size and components but is that a bad idea, does it have terrible airflow? I included my fumbling component choices with my config link and prepared budget. Could you advise me if there is anything more I should add to the post that would be helpful? I barely know anything about intel, but AMD is an entirely different world to me, so I'm lost when people mention AMD chips and graphics cards. I have a simplistic knowledge that Nvdiva 2070 is old to Nvidia 4090 best. . I could not pick a good AMD graphic card/ CPU out of a lineout 😕

Oh no apologies, I wasn't meaning that what you had shared wasn't enough. The sticking point for me was the form factor. I understand your reasoning and thinking on it, it was more a case of understanding if it was a firm requirement. If it's just a want we would steer you towards a smaller but more suitable case. If it's a firm requirement then I'll do what I can with a SFF build but it will be explicitly with the understanding that I do not recommend it and I'm merely doing the best I can with the space limitation.

Additionally the GPU power. You're asking too much of a 4070 Super IMO, as suggested it would take at least the 4070Ti Super to have a good experience. This is budget limited though, so I was opening a discussion on the budget as well, or at least managing expectations of gaming performance.

 

[Bluecats]

Oh no apologies, I wasn't meaning that what you had shared wasn't enough. The sticking point for me was the form factor. I understand your reasoning and thinking on it, it was more a case of understanding if it was a firm requirement. If it's just a want we would steer you towards a smaller but more suitable case. If it's a firm requirement then I'll do what I can with a SFF build but it will be explicitly with the understanding that I do not recommend it and I'm merely doing the best I can with the space limitation.

Additionally the GPU power. You're asking too much of a 4070 Super IMO, as suggested it would take at least the 4070Ti Super to have a good experience. This is budget limited though, so I was opening a discussion on the budget as well, or at least managing expectations of gaming performance.

Hi, thanks for the replaying; I am very movable regarding the form factor if it makes life easier and safer. I only plead it does not look like a disco is happening inside. 🙏 Any component recommendation you could suggest would be awesome. I am happy to upgrade to a 4070ti super or AMD equivalent, same with CPU intel/ AMD . The only problem is that the highest my budget could stretch would be £2300 max max. Thanks again for taking some time out to help

 

[Scott]

£2300 is spot on, you can cover every need within that. The case that I've selected is a little smaller than I would like. It may be worth considering the Fractal North as an alternative though. It's a little bigger but it comes with a really nice aesthetic that would look good in a livingroom. Choice between black and white with wood effect front.

Note there are LEDs in the Cooler below. These can be completely switched off so that you can avoid the disco ball effect. It's worth having the cooler though as it's very good. It will be very quiet and help with ventilation for the GPU to keep things running cool with the smaller footprint.

Case
CORSAIR 3000D AIRFLOW MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
16GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4070 Ti SUPER - HDMI, DP, LHR
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1200W RMx SHIFT SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR ICUE LINK H115i RGB 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
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
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 3 to 5 working days
Price: £2,251.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/YTUQXJ0KKr/

 

[Scott]

Example with the Fractal North case:

Case
FRACTAL NORTH TG GAMING CASE (WHITE)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
16GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4070 Ti SUPER - HDMI, DP, LHR
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1200W RMx SHIFT SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR ICUE LINK H100i RGB 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
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
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 3 to 5 working days
Price: £2,321.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/zAnDBhypqB/

 

[Bluecats]

WOW! Thank you ever so much, Scott for these suggestions. I appreciate having two options to consider. That's incredibly helpful

 

[Bluecats]

Example with the Fractal North case:

Case
FRACTAL NORTH TG GAMING CASE (WHITE)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
16GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4070 Ti SUPER - HDMI, DP, LHR
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1200W RMx SHIFT SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR ICUE LINK H100i RGB 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
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
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 3 to 5 working days
Price: £2,321.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/zAnDBhypqB/

Thanks again, Scott. After reviewing both of your suggestions, I plummed for the fractal ( black case, it is pretty) spec you so kindly suggested, with a couple of slight modifications. Really appreciate you taking some time to help me. Though I might be eating beans for a couple of weeks, it's a great system 😁

 

[Scott]

What were the modifications? You should note that I balanced the spec so making changes without understanding their impact fully may put it out of whack.

 

[Bluecats]

What were the modifications? You should note that I balanced the spec so making changes without understanding their impact fully may put it out of whack.

Sorry to give you a heart attack after all your help. All the components you recommended are the same; the only difference in the spec list is I went for the black option on the Fractal North case ( same size, same slot, only black instead of white, though strangely a couple of pounds cheaper) and paid extra for a Saturday delivery. Currently, they are only out of stock of the graphic card you suggested, but I'm waiting for restock, which should be on 26/6/24 might delay the build a little but I don't mind

 

[Bluecats]

Sorry to give you a heart attack after all your help. All the components you recommended are the same; the only difference in the spec list is I went for the black option on the Fractal North case ( same size, same slot, only black instead of white, though strangely a couple of pounds cheaper) and paid extra for a Saturday delivery. Currently, they are only out of stock of the graphic card you suggested, but I'm waiting for restock, which should be on 26/6/24 might delay the build a little but I don't mind

i mean 26/8/24

 

[Scott]

Sorry to give you a heart attack after all your help. All the components you recommended are the same; the only difference in the spec list is I went for the black option on the Fractal North case ( same size, same slot, only black instead of white, though strangely a couple of pounds cheaper) and paid extra for a Saturday delivery. Currently, they are only out of stock of the graphic card you suggested, but I'm waiting for restock, which should be on 26/6/24 might delay the build a little but I don't mind

Haha, that's all fine. You would be surprised with the changes that we see all to save a couple of £ that throws things out or creates a bottleneck.

Shouldn't be long to wait at all then. Once the parts are in they tend to be quite quick and putting it all together