Finally deciding to upgrade into the high-end, want to make sure this is a good choice

KriSwi

Member
After spending the last 4-5 years using a pre-built HP computer off amazon with a very poor graphics card, I've decided it's probably best to upgrade and allow my family to use my old one (considering everyone else has laptops with painfully low specs).

I'd need it for decently demanding gaming (though nothing obscene like a brand new Resident Evil game), unity and 3d modelling for college and video editing. Along with that, something that'll generally last me a long time so I won't have to upgrade parts constantly.

I've configured a computer here, which is about at my budget limit, being priced at £1,344+vat, I plan on paying it off over the course of a year hopefully. I don't mind raising the price slightly if there's a better choice, however.

I've tried to put a little research into things, my main struggle is figuring out if the graphics card is good (frankly, the war on graphics cards terrifies me). Are these specs okay for what I require and is it viable for long-term?

Thank you.

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JUNI0R

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
After spending the last 4-5 years using a pre-built HP computer off amazon with a very poor graphics card, I've decided it's probably best to upgrade and allow my family to use my old one (considering everyone else has laptops with painfully low specs).

I'd need it for decently demanding gaming (though nothing obscene like a brand new Resident Evil game), unity and 3d modelling for college and video editing. Along with that, something that'll generally last me a long time so I won't have to upgrade parts constantly.

I've configured a computer here, which is about at my budget limit, being priced at £1,344+vat, I plan on paying it off over the course of a year hopefully. I don't mind raising the price slightly if there's a better choice, however.

I've tried to put a little research into things, my main struggle is figuring out if the graphics card is good (frankly, the war on graphics cards terrifies me). Are these specs okay for what I require and is it viable for long-term?

Thank you.

View attachment 27018
Hi there! There's a number of areas where this build could be improved. The main area is CPU choice. Intel is lagging a long way behind these days and there's very little reasons to use them over AMD, who are smashing things right now. If you'd like to add to your research, I'd recommend a read of this. If you'd like to have a go at an AMD build, feel free! If you'd like us to start the ball rolling, let us know but we'll also need some other info before giving advice for your build.

-What monitor will you be connecting this PC to? (either make and model or resolution and refresh rate)
-Do you have a set figure we can work towards? It makes our job a lot easier!
-Would you be able to provide us with the spec written out? How to do this can be found here (make sure to include the link at the bottom!)
 

KriSwi

Member
I see! Admittedly, I had absolutely no clue what the difference between Intel and AMD was hence I chose what I understood, so I'll take a look at that per your advice. : )
I should also ask, do you think the fan will be fine? I'm not well versed in what constitutes better ventilation, considering I've only ever had lower end devices, will it be enough?

I just checked dxdiag to figure out which monitor it is, it's a Philips 227E6 (1920 x 1080, 32bit, 60Hz). I may be getting a new monitor for the new computer but I'm unsure of that, either way I'm not interested in 4k gaming or anything, 720p and 1080p work just fine for me.

A set figure is a little hard, it's rather malleable. Like I said, I'm planning to buy on finance so I don't mind spending a bit more if it means greater performance, however I'd like to stay under £1500~ if that's possible!

Here is the specification in written form, should I update my original post to have these details?

Case
PCS P209 ARGB MID TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-11700K (3.6GHz) 16MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME Z590-P (LGA1200, USB 3.2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
512GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 450MB/W)
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W CV SERIES™ CV-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 100 V3 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
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
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
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
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 12 to 15 working days
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland

Thank you very much for your time. : D It's very appreciated!
 

JUNI0R

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
I see! Admittedly, I had absolutely no clue what the difference between Intel and AMD was hence I chose what I understood, so I'll take a look at that per your advice. : )
I should also ask, do you think the fan will be fine? I'm not well versed in what constitutes better ventilation, considering I've only ever had lower end devices, will it be enough?

I just checked dxdiag to figure out which monitor it is, it's a Philips 227E6 (1920 x 1080, 32bit, 60Hz). I may be getting a new monitor for the new computer but I'm unsure of that, either way I'm not interested in 4k gaming or anything, 720p and 1080p work just fine for me.

A set figure is a little hard, it's rather malleable. Like I said, I'm planning to buy on finance so I don't mind spending a bit more if it means greater performance, however I'd like to stay under £1500~ if that's possible!

Here is the specification in written form, should I update my original post to have these details?

Case
PCS P209 ARGB MID TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-11700K (3.6GHz) 16MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME Z590-P (LGA1200, USB 3.2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
512GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 450MB/W)
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W CV SERIES™ CV-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 100 V3 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
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
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
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
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 12 to 15 working days
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland

Thank you very much for your time. : D It's very appreciated!
Thanks for the info! Case wise, If suggesting a spec, I wouldn't go for the P209, it's a very budget case and doesn't have the best airflow. Something like the 4000D is an incredible case for a great price, it's a little light on fans but that can be rectified easily down the road!

An important part of this spec is actually based on the monitor you'll be using. For your current monitor, the 1660 would be a perfeclty adequate card which means we could spend more in other areas of the build. Where as if you were to upgrade your monitor in the next 9 or so months then I'd suggest a better GPU to go along side it. For reference, at your budget I'd be looking at 1080p 144hz, a nice monitor with those specs would be about £170. Is this a spend you'd be happy to add on top of your PC tower budget, or is it best if we section part of the budget off for a new one? Or, would you rather just keep your current monitor? It's a bit to think about but it'll help get the pairing just right with your build.
 

KriSwi

Member
My apologies for the late response, it's been very hot all week so my brain's been rather foggy!

I see! I'll look into it, I'm not too aware of cases. Is that case listed on the website?

I'm surprised that the monitor is so important, thank you! I will perhaps upgrade in the next 9 months, after I'm able to save up further from the PC purchase. If so, what GPU do you recommend - a step up from the 2060? I did see that there was an 8GB variation of the card, is that adequate or should I be aiming higher?

Also, what other parts of the build do you believe could use an upgrade as you've mentioned? I'll try put some of my own research into this as to not rely entirely on you and the rest of the forum users. : )

Thanks for the support!
 

JUNI0R

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
My apologies for the late response, it's been very hot all week so my brain's been rather foggy!
No worries!

I see! I'll look into it, I'm not too aware of cases. Is that case listed on the website?
Yup! It's currently £60

I'm surprised that the monitor is so important, thank you! I will perhaps upgrade in the next 9 months, after I'm able to save up further from the PC purchase. If so, what GPU do you recommend
It's difficult to answer as they all intertwine with eachother, so we'll need to know the PC spec before suggesting a monitor and visa versa. Once you're ready with your budget for PC and pretty much ready to purchase, we'll be able to tell you what monitor we'd suggest for your PC spec.

Just as a little guide for monitors currently:
1080p 144hz, is about £170-200
1440p 144hz is about £270-300

For 1080p 144hz, you'd be looking at: 1660 Super, 2060 or 3060
For 1440p 144hz, you'd be looking at 3060TI, 3070, 6700XT

If so, what GPU do you recommend - a step up from the 2060? I did see that there was an 8GB variation of the card, is that adequate or should I be aiming higher?
The next step from a 2060 would be a 1440p card, I don't see much point in going from 2060 to 3060 so you'd be looking at the cards mentioned above.

I'll try put some of my own research into this as to not rely entirely on you and the rest of the forum users. : )

Thanks for the support!
That's okay! It's what we're here for!
 

JUNI0R

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Had to post in 2 parts :/
Also, what other parts of the build do you believe could use an upgrade as you've mentioned?
I think it'd just be eaiser if I were to give a spec 😂 Assuming you were to spend your whole £1500 on a PC now, then save up the money for the monitor afterwards you'd be looking at something like this. I'm not the strongest at some of your use cases, so other users might need to suggest otherwise but this shouldbe a pretty decent all round spec.

As mentioned, the 4000D is a solid case, and is capable of properly top end stuff if you add a few fans. The 5600X is a fantastic gaming CPU to have right now. I've gone with the TUF B550 which will be a nice pairing with the 5600X. For RAM 16GB is the standard for gaming, although for your other uses you'll likely benefit from having 32, although this doesn't fit in the budget(*). I've gone for 3200mhz, as AMD loves fast RAM. For GPU I've gone with the 2060, it's a solid 1080p card. For storage, there's a super fast 500GB M.2 for OS and applications, a dedicated 1TB SSD for games and current projects then a 2TB HDD for general file storage. I've gone for a top of the line RMx 850W PSU which will comfortably support this system and happily allow for upgrades down the line. For CPU cooling, I've gone for the Coolermaster 240mm AIO, it'll be a nice luxury for your CPU and keep temps cool. Assmuming you need WiFi, the AX200 is a no brainer. As is the Silver warranty for a fiver.

(*) If you're happy to go a little more over your £1,500, you could drop the 2TB HDD if you think you'll manage with 1.5TB and the AIO cooler which realistically, the 5600X will be fine without. With 32GB of RAM and those changes, it comes to £1,546

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS 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
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2500MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx 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
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
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
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 12 to 15 working days
Price: £1,524.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/rYJWhbwxf5/
 

KriSwi

Member
Hello!

I finally sat down to look at configurations and took your word to switch to AMD - and I definitely see what you mean! For a fairly cheaper price the speed of the processers are much faster. Thank you for that piece of advice! I wouldn't have tried AMD if you hadn't recommended it.

I looked at your specs and used them as a baseline to adjust and have a look at how I can lower the budget as much as I could. I didn't use the case you recommended (which you can decide if that was silly of me or not, I don't mind!) however I took almost everything else into consideration. Does something like the PCS Spectrum RGB mid tower case or their similar types seem like enough? I see that it has a fair amount of fans, and I want to keep my budget as low as I can push it. (Though, if that means performance problems in the future then feel free to give me a slap on the wrist, haha)

Considering I'll be sticking with 1080p I went for a 2060 Super, I'd hope that it'll keep me in the loop in terms of gaming for a fair while.

Because switching to AMD left me with extra to expand my hard drive space I upgraded as well, although I have no Idea what M.2 is. I've never heard of it, but I see that it's a recent thing?

Due to certain anxieties I don't want to get into water cooling, so what would you recommend as a good cooler otherwise?

My apologies if I went against your ideals! From here, what would you recommend?
 

JUNI0R

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Hello!

I finally sat down to look at configurations and took your word to switch to AMD - and I definitely see what you mean! For a fairly cheaper price the speed of the processers are much faster. Thank you for that piece of advice! I wouldn't have tried AMD if you hadn't recommended it.
Happy to hear I showed you the light :ROFLMAO:

I looked at your specs and used them as a baseline to adjust and have a look at how I can lower the budget as much as I could. I didn't use the case you recommended (which you can decide if that was silly of me or not, I don't mind!) however I took almost everything else into consideration. Does something like the PCS Spectrum RGB mid tower case or their similar types seem like enough? I see that it has a fair amount of fans, and I want to keep my budget as low as I can push it. (Though, if that means performance problems in the future then feel free to give me a slap on the wrist, haha)
In regards to the Spectrum RGB, I think it's a perfectly acceptable budget case but other users would avoid recommending it. Some owners have complained of loud fan noise, while others think it's perfectly fine. The build quality won't be the best either, but for a budget case with 4 included fans, 3 of which are RGB, I think it's a pretty good value.

Considering I'll be sticking with 1080p I went for a 2060 Super, I'd hope that it'll keep me in the loop in terms of gaming for a fair while.
I find the 2060 Super pretty hard to recommend to be honest. The 2060 does a perfectly capable job of 1080p 144hz with some settings optimisations and the 2060 Super is just so much more expensive than it. For reference it's £128 more than the 2060 but only £10 less than the 3060, at which point you might as well get the 3060- as you'll have 2nd gen Ray Tracing and a generally newer card. Oh, I also find the 3060 hard to recommend for the point above too. It's too expensive (at it's current price) for 1080p and not powerful enough for 1440p.

Because switching to AMD left me with extra to expand my hard drive space I upgraded as well, although I have no Idea what M.2 is. I've never heard of it, but I see that it's a recent thing?
M.2's are the newest generation of storage, it's basically an SSD that is plugged straight into the motherboard that requires no wires. It's also a TONNE faster for hardly any more money than a SATA SSD (the normal 2.5 inch SSD's you're probably used to).

Comparing the PCS SSD's, a 1TB SATA SSD is 520 mb/s read and 470mb/s write where as the M.2 is 2,000 mb/s read and 1100 mb/s write (so 4x the read speed and more than 2X the write speed) for only £9 more!

Then at the top end, you can get something like the Samsung 980 pro that has a 7,000 mb/s read and 5,000 mb/s write. That's insane! Although quite expensive 😂

Due to certain anxieties I don't want to get into water cooling, so what would you recommend as a good cooler otherwise?
An AIO Watercooler is a closed loop that is filled and sealed from factory, the only maintainence it requires is a dust every few months which is no different from an air cooler. AIO's have come a long way over the years and rarely leak so it's not something I'd worry about. They're a totally different kettle of fish to a full custom loop.

If you're still against watercooling, the stock cooler is perfectly capable for the 5600X, or you could go for something like the Cooler Master 212 BE which will take a little chunk off the top of your temps. I had one on a i7 8700 previously and it gave me performance I was perfectly happy with.

My apologies if I went against your ideals! From here, what would you recommend?
That's okay! At the end of the day it's your money and we're just here to give you advice, it's your choice whether you decide to take that advice or otherwise. From here, I think the best thing is to decide if you want to make any changes based on the info I've given above then show us your spec. We can work out what needs to be adjusted from there!

Sorry for all the text! I hope it's all useful, I have the tendency to rable on a bit 😂
 

KriSwi

Member
God, apologies but I have no idea how to respond to certain segments! I'll try to be concise, at least.

You definitely have! My friend is also considering getting a PC built and I told them to consider AMD after looking into it. Great advice on that front!! I would have totally fallen into Intel's sleazy trap, otherwise lol

I did look up what people thought of the Spectrum RBG so I opted to upgrade to the PCS Prism-X (as seen below). From what I've seen there aren't any complaints about that, though I'd like your take on the matter too!

I see, I've opted for the base 2060 instead then. If the 3060 comes down in price in the coming years I could always upgrade, so I guess it's not the biggest issue in the world. : ) I definitely see what you mean by the major price increase, I hadn't properly seen that beforehand. So thanks for the warning! I'm seeing all the little traps now.

I was absolutely mesmerised to see how much more M.2's can handle compared to a base SSD, consider me sold! My current computer has 117GB useable SSD with the rest being held on my 3TB HDD (which is failing me, painfully so), so I'll definitely be getting an M.2 to improve with some of the painful transfer rates of meddling with video files on a HDD. Thank you once again for the advice!

So I've seen now that you've prompted me to look into it more. I'm admittedly still a little nervous; call me old fashioned, but I don't understand it and dread to think of having to repair if anything were to ever go wrong. (Though, of course, I doubt it ever would but I am frankly a little paranoid!)
I took your advice and went for the Coolermaster (especially after hearing about poor reception regarding Frostflow).

Of course, but thank you so much for your help so far! I was a little nervous about inquiring for help, I tend to be kind of anxious about interactions, but you've proven to be very friendly and helpful! I would've definitely ended up with a less than stellar set up if I hadn't asked for help. : )

No worries about rambling, I do so myself - I find it very fascinating to listen to someone who knows what they're into. It's great to see your passion, honestly!

Here's the configuration I've come to after meddling, final thoughts?

Case
PCS PRISM-X RGB MID TOWER 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 2400MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
512GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 450MB/W)
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2500MB/sW)
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W CV SERIES™ CV-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster Hyper 212 (120mm) Fan CPU Cooler Black Edition
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
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
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
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 12 to 15 working days
Price: £1,341.00 including VAT and Delivery
 

JUNI0R

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
I did look up what people thought of the Spectrum RBG so I opted to upgrade to the PCS Prism-X (as seen below). From what I've seen there aren't any complaints about that, though I'd like your take on the matter too!
If you're looking to 'upgrade' from the Spectrum RGB, I'd look outside of PCS brand case options. The Corsair 4000D is a fantastic case, especially at the price PCS has it for! As you upgrade over time and add more fans, it has the potential to hold a seriously high end system!
I see, I've opted for the base 2060 instead then. If the 3060 comes down in price in the coming years I could always upgrade, so I guess it's not the biggest issue in the world. : ) I definitely see what you mean by the major price increase, I hadn't properly seen that beforehand. So thanks for the warning! I'm seeing all the little traps now.
Awesome! This is less important now, but when upgrading from the 2060, I'd look at at least the 3060Ti or 3070 (or their later generation variants). Effectively going from 1080p to 1440p, instead of 1080p to better 1080p which is effectively what the 3060 offers.
So I've seen now that you've prompted me to look into it more. I'm admittedly still a little nervous; call me old fashioned, but I don't understand it and dread to think of having to repair if anything were to ever go wrong. (Though, of course, I doubt it ever would but I am frankly a little paranoid!)
I took your advice and went for the Coolermaster (especially after hearing about poor reception regarding Frostflow).
That's still fair, I understand the caution your taking. If an AIO were to break, it's a part that'd be replaced all together, less repaired as such. AIO's use a non-conductive (think that's the term) liquid meaning it wouldn't break any of your other PC parts if it were to leak which is nice. Plus you'll be backed by PCS's warranty for the first few years so that'll hopefully give you piece of mind.

Of course, but thank you so much for your help so far! I was a little nervous about inquiring for help, I tend to be kind of anxious about interactions, but you've proven to be very friendly and helpful! I would've definitely ended up with a less than stellar set up if I hadn't asked for help. : )
No worries, I'm the same to be honest. Happy to hear it's helpful and I'm glad we're getting you spec to where it'll be at it's best ;)
 

JUNI0R

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Onto the spec! For this I've annotated what I've changed as it's just more efficent than a wall of text and is easier to see what I'm talking about (I see why @MrWilson does it this way now 😂 ). Budget wise, I was a little unsure where to place it. You said you wouldn't like to exceed £1500 but then talked about making savings later on so I've gone for 'make improvements but save money' 😂 if you're happy to take it up to 1500 there are definetly ways, but the spec below will be a solid one.

I've swapped to the 4000D, it's a fantastic case. If you're wanting some RGB action I'd look at the Cooler Master TD500 or Corsair 220T which are about £10 more AMD loves fast RAM so I've upped the speed from 2400mhz to 3200 mhz. For storage, I've had a rejig. Your Boot SSD that'll contain Windows and Programs is now a faster M.2. The secondary M.2 drive can be used for games and active projects. The CV is a very buget line and 450W isn't a lot, I've upped it for a higher end TXm 750W unit. Having a larger wattage will allow for a lot more future upgradability as well as allow the system to run more comfortably in it's curent state. The 212 is actually still a tower cooler, I'm unsure if that was intentional. The Cooler Master AIO would be the MasterLiquid Lite 240 which is about £20 more. Removed anti-virus as Bull Guard is known to cause issues. Silver warranty is a no-brainer, extends the collect and return from a month to a year for a fiver


Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS 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
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3000MB/sR | 1600MB/sW)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
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 Hyper 212 (120mm) Fan CPU Cooler Black Edition
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
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 Removed anti-virus as Bull Guard is known to cause issues
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 12 to 15 working days
Price: £1,433.00 including VAT and Delivery

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

KriSwi

Member
Hello again!

I decided to suck it up and count my losses with the case, so I went with the 4000D as you said!
I looked into all the notations you made, I see. I went back and edited the RAM, the storage, power supply, anti-virus and warranty.

If you think that's solid then I'm fairly satisfied with that! I'll happily go through with the purchase. God, though, you've been a great help! I came here kind of clueless and anxious but you do delivery facts well, even if you thought your walls of text weren't up to par!
 

JUNI0R

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Hello again!

I decided to suck it up and count my losses with the case, so I went with the 4000D as you said!
I looked into all the notations you made, I see. I went back and edited the RAM, the storage, power supply, anti-virus and warranty.

If you think that's solid then I'm fairly satisfied with that! I'll happily go through with the purchase. God, though, you've been a great help! I came here kind of clueless and anxious but you do delivery facts well, even if you thought your walls of text weren't up to par!
Awesome, sounds good to go! I’d do one last spec post just to make sure you’ve got everything right then you can go through with the purchase! It’s been great to work with you and I’m happy I’ve been such help. I’m probably almost as excited as you are and would be great to see pictures when it arrives!

A quick note on monitors. You’ll be looking for a 1080p 144hz unit to go with your graphics card. Our usual recommendations are the AOC 24G2U or the MSI Optix G241. Both should be between about £170-200 depending on the where you’re looking and which one you’re looking for!
 
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