The build I ended up with

[Stealthy purchaser]

Hi there

I’ve ordered myself a new gaming PC from PCS and when my wife finds out how much it cost I might even live long enough to use it.

- anyone reading this who hasn’t used PCS before, this will be the 5th gaming machine (3 x desktops and 2 x laptops) I’ve ordered from PCS over the years, so if you’re wondering if they’re any good I would say definitely yes, they’re excellent

Anyway I have a question about ARGB led strips as I’ve never used them before and two for twenty quid seemed good value.

Does anyone know how they are attached (magnetic or sticky)?
Also do the PCS builders position them to what they feel is aesthetically best or do I need to instruct them.

Many thanks for your time

Ryan

 

[Scott]

Might be worthwhile posting your whole spec and getting some advice on the build? Can often be worthwhile.

With the strips they are magnetic so if you aren't happy with the placement you can change it. I don't know if they will do custom placement, I guess you could always ask in the chat or via phone (Email may take too long). I would guess that with 2 strips one would be along the bottom. Depending on the aesthetic, one could go along the rear or inside on the top.

Difficult to keep on top of this but still some good information on methodology.

Desktop Building Guide - April 2023

A "quick" reference guide to building the perfect system. This is the sort of logic I go through when suggesting systems, so thought I would jot it down on the page. Clearly this is an ever changing suite of options but I'll update periodically as my default go-to's change... I'm noticing the...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

And if you do decide to seek some advice:

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

 

[Stealthy purchaser]

Ok thanks. Im more than happy for them to put them wherever they think best - I don’t normally bother with visual stuff a) because Im 52 and b) my PC lives under my desk.

I wont post my full build, as I’m sure you all will point out what I already know which is I over specced the CPU (13700KF), PSU and possibly the GPU (4070ti) for 1440 gaming and VR and under specced the RAM (2 x 8 PCSPro 4800). The rest is the usual gubbings 360 AIO cooler, Solidigm P44 Pros, 790 TUF etc.
I’m unlikely to change the spec now as I’m happy enough with it, but I appreciate the offer to look over my build to critique it.

Just have to play the waiting game now involving the hour check to see if it’s out of “Processing “

Cheers

 

[Scott]

For gaming, and especially VR, you would be far better off with the AMD 7800X3D (The king of gaming).

But all entirely up to yourself of course. It's your money so as long as you are happy

 

[Scott]

Yeah, there's a lot on there that we would recommend you change.

Could you at the very least consider removing the Norton? It'll only cause you headaches. Windows in-built Defender does a stellar job of protecting your PC, at least to the ability of most 3rd party software (and more often than not better).

 

[Stealthy purchaser]

Ah, you managed to read the specs before I deleted them.

I changed / upgraded the spec about 7 times but when I used the post to forum link it didn’t show the new spec lol

Norton if definitely a no no for me. Like you suggested I always rely on the built in Win protection

 

[Scott]

Indeed, plus I'm a mod so they're never really deleted

Take some time to consider your options though. It's a lot of money to spend on a build. Keep in mind that we are only looking after your best interests on this forum as we are volunteer based and nothing to do with PCS as a company.

Lots of the regulars on here spend hours watching reviews, benchmarks and assess all the considerations that we go through when making suggestions. A number of us are also experienced in building and maintaining systems, have been for years, and a few of us even game from time to time

If you have a look around you'll see the same names offering countless advice, and you may even notice a trend to it which is completely independent from each other and PCS. It's just a trend that follows logic

 

[Stealthy purchaser]

I managed to retrieve my spec through saved quotes


Case
PCS SPECTRUM II ARGB MID TOWER CASE (PWM)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 16-Core Processor i7-13700KF (Up to 5.4GHz) 30MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING Z790-PLUS WIFI (DDR5, LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB PCS PRO DDR5 4800MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4070 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti 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
1TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)
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 360 Series ARGB High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
LED Lighting
2 x 50cm ARGB LED Strip
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 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 [KUK-00003]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 11 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
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 10 working days
Price: £2,108.00 including VAT and Delivery

 

[Stealthy purchaser]

Indeed, plus I'm a mod so they're never really deleted

Take some time to consider your options though. It's a lot of money to spend on a build. Keep in mind that we are only looking after your best interests on this forum as we are volunteer based and nothing to do with PCS as a company.

Lots of the regulars on here spend hours watching reviews, benchmarks and assess all the considerations that we go through when making suggestions. A number of us are also experienced in building and maintaining systems, have been for years, and a few of us even game from time to time

If you have a look around you'll see the same names offering countless advice, and you may even notice a trend to it which is completely independent from each other and PCS. It's just a trend that follows logic

I don’t doubt the knowledge of the members on here. I remember the name Spider from years ago. I used to build my own PCs years ago but they always looked untidy inside and now I much prefer PCS to build something nice and neat

I just tend to spec to what I like and my budget

 

[Stealthy purchaser]

The option to change spec after purchase is lethal- the original spec I posted is what I originally was going to get to replace my 8600k and 3070ti - I would have transferred the 3070ti into the new PC, but that “amend your spec” option gets me every time and probably put my build back with every amendment lol

 

[Scott]

So here is my 50p on where you're at currently. Feel free to completely disregard all of this, but I wanted to give some understanding to the comments.

So the case isn't going to be the best. It looks nice, but I would go with the 4000X over the PCS offering. It'll give known excellent airflow for the GPU (which will get quite toasty).

The RAM is a real issue IMO. I wouldn't opt for 16GB nowadays, not with the current game ramping requirements. The 4800Mhz will absolutely cripple the performance as well. I don't think the price difference is that huge in the speeds, but I do understand that the price of the increase will be. I would strongly advise reconsidering this as shaving the cost here is a bad idea.

The 4070ti is a great GPU but I would consider sticking with your 3070Ti and opting for the 5070(ti) when it gets released. The 40 series is poor value and you already have an overachieving 3070Ti to play with. Saving here could get you a mint build just waiting on the next gen GPU to blow your monitor away.

The 850w PSU covers your uses nicely but I would consider the 1000w over it. It's not a lot of extra money but it means that you can support most levels of GPU (Up to the 4080 at time of writing) without any worry of transient spikes or boost power frequencies etc. It's much better to opt for something a bit more than what you need so that you don't need to swap it out down the line if a higher line GPU tickles your fancy.

I would definitely reconsider the PCS cooling solution. We are dealing with pump failures on them quite frequently. They are budget range and the build quality is budget range. With that chip in mind I would suggest the H150i would be better suited. You wouldn't need the extra paste. It's not a good idea to put the paste on any of the AIOs as they use the entire tube.

Rest looks good but I would consider the silver warranty to save any hassle with returns (it's only £5).

 

[Stealthy purchaser]

Regarding the AMD vs Intel CPU

I always choose Intel these days as I’m still annoyed that back in the day my mates Pentium 75 was quicker than my AMD DX4-100

 

[Scott]

The main thing to consider outside of where you are at is the AM5 platform. For very similar money you can get the 7800X3D chip on the AM5 platform which has a future. Intel is still stuck on very old architecture and any new releases won't be supported on the Z790 board. The AM5 supports at least the next generation of hardware and if history repeats, it'll be 2 generations going forward.

This means that in 4 or 5 years you can get yourself back on the bleeding edge with a CPU & GPU upgrade, without having to replace the entire rig. It's a true 10 year investment really. The other changes would still apply, but if you have a look around. Most enthusiasts who have purchased in the last 6 months are on AM5 (myself included). I've been Intel all my days up until this build as they (AMD) are miles ahead.

You don't have to worry about the cooling issues or the ridiculous power needs either.

 

[Scott]

Regarding the AMD vs Intel CPU

I always choose Intel these days as I’m still annoyed that back in the day my mates Pentium 75 was quicker than my AMD DX4-100

I would definitely reconsider this way of thinking. The modern day is a very different landscape.

 

[Stealthy purchaser]

So here is my 50p on where you're at currently. Feel free to completely disregard all of this, but I wanted to give some understanding to the comments.

So the case isn't going to be the best. It looks nice, but I would go with the 4000X over the PCS offering. It'll give known excellent airflow for the GPU (which will get quite toasty).

The RAM is a real issue IMO. I wouldn't opt for 16GB nowadays, not with the current game ramping requirements. The 4800Mhz will absolutely cripple the performance as well. I don't think the price difference is that huge in the speeds, but I do understand that the price of the increase will be. I would strongly advise reconsidering this as shaving the cost here is a bad idea.

The 4070ti is a great GPU but I would consider sticking with your 3070Ti and opting for the 5070(ti) when it gets released. The 40 series is poor value and you already have an overachieving 3070Ti to play with. Saving here could get you a mint build just waiting on the next gen GPU to blow your monitor away.

The 850w PSU covers your uses nicely but I would consider the 1000w over it. It's not a lot of extra money but it means that you can support most levels of GPU (Up to the 4080 at time of writing) without any worry of transient spikes or boost power frequencies etc. It's much better to opt for something a bit more than what you need so that you don't need to swap it out down the line if a higher line GPU tickles your fancy.

I would definitely reconsider the PCS cooling solution. We are dealing with pump failures on them quite frequently. They are budget range and the build quality is budget range. With that chip in mind I would suggest the H150i would be better suited. You wouldn't need the extra paste. It's not a good idea to put the paste on any of the AIOs as they use the entire tube.

Rest looks good but I would consider the silver warranty to save any hassle with returns (it's only £5).

Thanks for the critique- I’ll definitely take time to go over what you suggest.
I’m surprised about the AIO. The PCS 240 frost flow in my 8600 has lasted from 2018 and is still going strong

 

[Scott]

Thanks for the critique- I’ll definitely take time to go over what you suggest.
I’m surprised about the AIO. The PCS 240 frost flow in my 8600 has lasted from 2018 and is still going strong

It's simply the failure rates are higher. That's not to say they all fail. Have a look around for PCS AIO issues and they are frequent. The biggest hassle you get from Corsair are the screen hassle with the LCDs (I choose the non-LCD variants for the most part, although they are pretty).

I've got a corsair unit still running on my Dads PC from 2008. They are properly built to last, the failure rates since the mid 2010s are ridiculously low too.

 

[Stealthy purchaser]

The main thing to consider outside of where you are at is the AM5 platform. For very similar money you can get the 7800X3D chip on the AM5 platform which has a future. Intel is still stuck on very old architecture and any new releases won't be supported on the Z790 board. The AM5 supports at least the next generation of hardware and if history repeats, it'll be 2 generations going forward.

This means that in 4 or 5 years you can get yourself back on the bleeding edge with a CPU & GPU upgrade, without having to replace the entire rig. It's a true 10 year investment really. The other changes would still apply, but if you have a look around. Most enthusiasts who have purchased in the last 6 months are on AM5 (myself included). I've been Intel all my days up until this build as they (AMD) are miles ahead.

You don't have to worry about the cooling issues or the ridiculous power needs either.

Fair point taken.

I will readily admit that I never usually look at future proofing as I change my desktop every 5 years or so.

I’m going to be stuck with the 4070ti as I’ve already given my son my old PC - I kind of wished I’d gone the fast track route now lol

 

[Stealthy purchaser]

This is a follow on post from one I started yesterday. Im continuing it here as it’s a more appropriate place for the thread to be.
I made a few changes based on the recommendations given in the other thread and what my budget would allow and ended up with this. I couldn’t afford the suggested Corsair AIO to replace the PCS360 one, so I went with an air cooler.
It’s just entered Pre-production so I’m looking forward to receiving it maybe by the end of next week if I’m lucky.
Cheers for the input received

Oh, it’s for 1440 and VR gaming

Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL II GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 16-Core Processor i7-13700KF (Up to 5.4GHz) 30MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING Z790-PLUS WIFI (DDR5, LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4070 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti 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
1TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)
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
DeepCool AG620 ARGB High-Performance Dual Tower 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 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 [KUK-00003]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 11 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
Google Chrome™
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 7 to 10 working days
Price: £2,206.00 including VAT and Delivery

 

[Stealthy purchaser]

Hello all

After receiving some advice on here regarding a build I had on order I decided to cancel it and start again, but this time to try to follow the advice I was given and save £1000

Here goes.

Budget £1300

My PC will be used purely for gaming and VR gaming.
My monitor is a 1440 144hz Samsung.
I will be using my existing 3070ti
I’ve only included one NVME in the build as I’ve got a lot of spare SSDs and a spare NVME in my old PC that I will be using for general storage and I plan to move my Steam library games onto P44 as required.
I’m open to suggestions on a slightly less tall case (I’ll need to modify my PC desk to fit the LIAN Li
Flashing leds and glowing fans don’t interest me.
I plan to keep this PC going for about 5 or 6 years before replacing it.

I think that about covers the background info. Any advice much appreciated.

LIAN LI LANCOOL II GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME X670-P-CSM (DDR5, PCIe 5.0) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)
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
Corsair H100x 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
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 [KUK-00003]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 11 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
Google Chrome™
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 7 to 9 working days
Price: £1,310.00 including VAT and Delivery

 

[Scott]

Can you include the link at the bottom of the quote so that we can easily suggest changes. It doesn't change your actual build, it just gives the same starting point without having to go through the whole configurator to get the same build for suggestions.

For the case the 4000D would be a great choice. Unsure if that helps with the layout modification? The Focus 2 would also be fine, but may be annoying with the lights.

Unless you have a specific need I would choose the B650 TUF motherboard. Saves a few quid and gives you the TUF level component.

With regards to the storage, if the P44 is going to be your Windows installation I wouldn't put your steam library on it as well. If the P44 is purely for the games/storage then that sounds fine, but ensure that your current NVME drive is a decent level for Windows to run optimally on. 500GB primary and 1TB+ storage is what's typically recommended. You want Windows on the fastest option, secondary drive speed depends on budget and use case. Only direct storage typically needs the top level speeds so the likes of the Corsair or P41 would do nicely for a games/storage drive.

With the cooler I would select the H100i. The h100x performs admirably but it doesn't have the magnetic levitating fans that can help with acoustics.