Any feedback welcomed, Gaming PC Build (8700k, 1080ti ...)

Tsunami

Member
Hello PCS community!

After saving up money for quite a while now, I will now succumb to my temptations and buy a gaming PC, which I've been contemplating to do for years.
The last pre-built PC I bought in 2014 was worth 750 euros at the time and has left me in want, I have today a budget of 2500 euros and after watching hours of Youtube content from popular hardware reviewers, I have put this together and have a few questions along with it:

Case: CORSAIR OBSIDIAN SERIES™ 500D FULL TOWER CASE (This one or the Define R6? I really love how the 500D looks overall, but if the R6 has better airflow than the 500D, I will change it)
Motherboard: ASUS® ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING: ATX, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs, WIFI - RGB Ready (Is it the best in its price bracket?)

Processor: (CPU)Intel® Core™ i7 Six Core Processor i7-8700k (3.7GHz) 12MB Cache (Nothing to add here, I don't want anything else)
Processor Cooling: Corsair H100x Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans (This one or the H115i PRO?)
Thermal Paste: STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING (Should I add the Cooler Master thermal compound for 11€? Apparently Corsair AIO coolers already have some compound pre-applied on them)

Memory (RAM): 16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 8GB) (I know the 3200MHz version has better frequencies but would it make a noticeable difference for me? I kinda like the RGB by the way.)
Graphics Card: 11GB ASUS ROG STRIX GEFORCE GTX 1080 Ti - DVI, HDMI, DP (This card is 114€ more expensive than the "default" version of the 1080ti offered by PCS, that's quite a lot more I have to say, but it is apparently in the Top 3 best cooled 1080ti cards and I don't know what to expect from the "default" offering, could it be the FE which makes a lot of noise?)

1st Hard Disk: NOT REQUIRED (Don't need anything else than the 970 Evo M.2 I'm ordering with it for the system, as I have 2 old SSD waiting to be transferred to this PC)
1st M.2 SSD Drive: 250GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3400MB/R, 1500MB/W)
Power Supply: CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET (850W might be too much but at least it's future-proof)
Operating System: NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED

Total price: 2 003,33 € ex. TVA - 2 404,00 € inc. TVA

Here are some more information to help you advise me:
- This PC will only be used for gaming, not even surfing the internet or watching videos, nothing else but gaming.
- I would like this PC to run as cool as possible when gaming, I live in an apartment in Paris, France, and it's crazy hot during summer due to the pollution, that's why I'm going for a case with a high air flow (from what I saw) and liquid cooling over a fan.
- I know new cards are on the horizon but I don't really feel like waiting, when new cards are released here they are always somehow way above MSRP compared to other countries like the US (even including taxes)
- This PC will be paired with a Acer Predator XB1 G-Sync 27" WQHD (2560 x 1440) 144Hz screen that will buy shortly after, if you know one better in the same price range please share!
- My favorite games to play are GTA V, Fallout 4, The Witcher 3 and Assassin's Creed.
- Feel free to ask any other questions.

Thanks, have a good day!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edit (October 19th): It's been over 2 months since I posted this thread, and now that Nvidia and Intel has released their latest products, I'm finally ready to order a new computer.
Needless to say, I've been disappointed in their new product line-ups. Overpriced, bad value overall, very small performance gain over last generation, it feels like I've waited 2 months (more actually) for nothing.
So here is what I'm thinking about ordering next week, I'll be adding some commentary again to let you know why I chose certain components.

Case: COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500M GAMING CASE (I chose this case for its very high airflow and aesthetic)
Motherboard: ASUS® ROG MAXIMUS X HERO (Best Z370 motherboard apparently)

Processor: (CPU)Intel® Core™ i7 Six Core Processor i7-8700k (3.7GHz) 12MB Cache (I know some would advise me to get the brand new 9700k instead, but according to the reviews released just a few hours ago, the performance is literally identical in every single game. Moreover, the 9700k is 70 euros more expensive than the 8700k, and generate a lot more heat despite the added solder TIM, which is very disappointing to me)
Processor Cooling: Corsair H115i PRO Cooler w/ PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans (Just going for the best cooler PCS has to offer)
Thermal Paste: COOLER MASTER MASTERGEL MAKER THERMAL COMPOUND (Only cost 11 euros, might as well)

Memory (RAM): 4GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (1 x 4GB) (Don't worry I'm not actually going to use it, I've found better and less expensive RAM on another web retailer)
Graphics Card: NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD (Going to buy an EVGA 1080 ti SC2 on that same other web retailer)

1st Hard Disk: NOT REQUIRED (Don't need anything else than the 970 Evo M.2 I'm ordering with it for the system, as I have 2 old SSD waiting to be transferred to this PC)
1st M.2 SSD Drive: 250GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3400MB/R, 1500MB/W)
Power Supply: CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET (Nothing to add here, 750W could be enough but I want the full modularity)
Operating System: NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED

Total price: 1 146,67 € ex TVA - 1 376,00 €inc. TVA

I've long hesitated the past few weeks between the Ryzen 2700x and the i7 8700k, both are great processors with the 2700x having the best overall value, and the 8700k having the best overall performance.
This system equivalent with the 2700x, in which the motherboard Maximus X Hero becomes the Crosshair VII Hero, only is 100 euros less expensive, so I thought to myself, since I will only be gaming, to go for the 8700k.


If you guys have any suggestions or commentary, they are welcomed, I will place my order by the end of next week.
Have a good weekend everyone!
 
Last edited:

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
Acer Predator XB1 G-Sync 27" WQHD (2560 x 1440) 144Hz screen that will buy shortly after,

Graphics Card: 11GB ASUS ROG STRIX GEFORCE GTX 1080 Ti - DVI, HDMI, DP [/COLOR](This card is 114€ more expensive than the "default" version of the 1080ti offered by PCS, that's quite a lot more I have to say, but it is apparently in the Top 3 best cooled 1080ti cards and I don't know what to expect from the "default" offering, could it be the FE which makes a lot of noise?)
The FE version is fine. ~£100 is a lot of money to pay for better cooling. if you really wanted better cooler, buy a system without the GPU and get a hybrid water cooler GPU e.g. an EVGA Hybrid.

But regardless of that, it's believed that the new gen of Nvidia's GPUs will be announced on 20th August, so less than 3 weeks away, launching a short while after.

I'd really suggest waiting and getting one of those instead. £800 on a GPU that will be obsolete almost as soon as the PC reaches you sounds like a real shame.
 

Tsunami

Member
Thanks for your reply Oussebon, I know it is indeed a lot of money, in fact the card alone cost 990 euros on PCS, which is pretty much the same price as other retailers in France, besides Amazon who sells it a tad bit cheaper.
Unfortunately for us, GPU prices never went down even during the past months where things calmed down on the market and crypto-miners stopped buying card, they probably never will either.

The EVGA Hybrid seems like a cool card (pun intended) but the thing is I've never built a PC myself, hence why I'm here, and the simple task of installing a 1000 euros graphics card would make me tremble and probably mess up. Sure I've watched plenty of computer hardware related videos to inform myself before putting together this computer, but without practice I can't be sure I won't mess up.

I think I will take your advice and wait for the next line of Nvidia GPUs to come out, but knowing myself, I could wait forever, because supposedly Intel's 9th gen processors are due for October, so that would definitely make me wait another 2 months, then there is probably gonna be something that I will want after that, so I'll just wait and wait.. It's very hard for me to stop myself from waiting but I think I'll wait at least for the new GPUs.
 

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
Sounds good. At least wait for 20th August, which is when Nvidia are holding a press event at which it is suspected the new GPUs will be announced - and then take it from there.
 

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
I would have a look at the Corsair Carbide Air cases (540 or 740). Amazing cases for airflow. The 540 is my favourite overall but the 740 takes more 3.5" drives.
Motherboard is a beauty, you could save a few quid and go with the Gigabyte equivalent. Wireless would be the main advantage I believe.
8700k is the obvious choice but I would always go for the overclocked option from PCS. It's all covered under warranty and you don't need to do a thing. It's a no-brainer for a very considerable horsepower gain.
H100x is plenty. The only reason to consider the 115 would be if you planned on pushing the OC. Otherwise the 100 is more than adequate.
I always prefer to pay extra for good paste, up to you though.
3200mhz will make a difference, I get what you mean with the RGB though so it's your call.
1080 Ti is the card I've had my eye on for over a year. It's just never been the right time to buy for me so I think I'm now set on the 1180 when it comes out. However, I wouldn't buy it in a system from PCS at the moment due to pricing. The best (IMO) Ti card can be had for £750 at the moment (Aorus Xtreme, 1746mhz OC) brand spanking so it's a no brainer if you're going to buy to get it off the shelf.
Any savings made on the card I would put towards another 250gb of 970 Evo space and go for the 500GB offering over the 250.
The PSU is the best choice for me.
 

Tsunami

Member
Will do, Oussebon, it's going to be hard for me to wait but it will be worth it I'm sure, if the new cards are a lot better than the current line-up I would really feel bad about my purchase being so close to their release.
On the plus side it will give me another month or two to fine tune my configuration on PCS.

---------

Thanks a lot for all the feedback The_Scotster!
- That case does look like it has an amazing airflow, it's also very unique with its cube shaped style, first time seeing a PC case like that, I will keep it in mind!
- If I don't need the Wifi (using Ethernet), do you think I should stick with the Strix motherboard nonetheless?
- I thought about going for the overclocked option, but then I thought to myself, as someone who often format his PC (maybe not "often", but when I feel like my computer is slower than it once was, I just wipe clean everything), would the changes made by the PCS technician be saved after the computer format?
- I will stick with the H100x then.
- No problem I will pay another 11 euros to make sure the paste is there.
- If 3200Mhz does make a difference over 3000Mhz I really don't mind getting rid of the RGB, it was just a bonus for me since I wasn't sure there would be a difference between the two versions.
- Yeah I gotta say pretty much every component but the graphics cards are (much, sometimes) cheaper on PCS than our retailers in France, so that still makes it very interesting for me to order my next PC via PCS, on top of the fact that it is the only website/store available to me that allows you to cherry pick every single component in your personalized computer and build it for you.
- I think I will be fine with just a 250Gb 970 Evo for Windows, as I have a 250Gb and 500Gb Samsung 850 Evo Sata for my current computer that I will transfer to my next computer, I don't use that much space because I never install more than 10 games at a time, I'd rather finish one before starting another game.

Thanks again for going through every single one of my comments!
 

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
Here is what I would recommend, so that you can play with the config.

The OC won't be changed with re-formatting. It's a BIOS configuration so the OS won't make any difference. With the supporting mods (H100x etc) you won't have an issue.
I would definitely recommend the 500GB drive regardless of your additional drives. That way you could have the 10 games on the primary (fastest) drive for faster loading times. Everything nowadays is just getting bigger and bigger so I think it's good to have a reasonably large primary drive so that you never need to consider replacing it. The rest of the storage can be chopped and changed as required. Completely up to yourself though.

By the time new cards are out I'm sure the Coffee Lake refresh will be around the corner so I would suggest holding off till then. The CPU you're going to want to price up will be the i9 8 core. It will slot right into this build with only the CPU changing. The card you will likely want to price will be the 1180.



Case
CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ AIR 540 GAMING CASE
Overclocked CPU
Overclocked Intel® Core™ i7-8700K Six Core (3.7GHz @ up to 4.8GHz)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF Z370-PLUS GAMING: ATX, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs - RGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
INTEGRATED GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR (GPU)
1st Hard Disk
NOT REQUIRED
1st M.2 SSD Drive
250GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3400MB/R, 1500MB/W)
The Crew 2 FREE with select SAMSUNG NVMe SSDs!
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
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
Corsair H100x Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste
COOLER MASTER MASTERGEL MAKER THERMAL COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 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 9 to 11 working days
Quantity
1

Price £1,164.00 including VAT and delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z370-overclocked/UjsQFAzMU5/
 

Tsunami

Member
Thank you for your recommendation The_Scotster, I've saved it for later, only component I would change for now is the CPU cooler, for the Corsair h115i Pro, since I still have a lot of room from my initial budget. (2500 euros)

Part of me would like to wait until late (supposedly) August for the new Nvidia cards, and then October for Intel's 9th gen CPUs, but I'm afraid that I will keep waiting forever if something else catches my eyes down the line.
On top of that there is probably going to be a shortage of video cards soon after the 1180 and 1180ti's are released, so waiting for the new CPUs is kinda of a risk.

In the meantime, I'll keep me informed on Youtube and I'll stick around this forum to see what everyone's planning to do in the next months.
 

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
but I'm afraid that I will keep waiting forever if something else catches my eyes down the line.
Ofc it's possible to keep waiting for things, since new components or refreshes come out every 6-12 months. However, we're looking at the first new Nvidia generation of gaming GPUs in over 2 years, and Intel's first 8 core consumer offerings, with apparently the highest frequencies yet for these CPUs. So worth waiting until Aug/Sept for the GPUs and arguably for Oct for the CPUs too. This stuff is pretty close now, unlike Zen, 7nm Vega etc that are expected next year.
 

Tsunami

Member
I'll keep thinking about it but even though I would also like to wait for Intel's new CPU's, it is very probable that Nvidia's new GPU's are going to be sold out for a while after their release since gamers and miners are going to jump on it, bringing their prices up at the same time.
Even though I would very much like to buy the newest technology I might have to go with the i7 8700k which probably going to be good enough for most games until Intel's 10th gen processors come out a few years later, unfortunately that probably means that I will have to buy another motherboard and re-install everything (which I have never done before) so I'd better take some classes or something before then.
 

Tsunami

Member
Interesting, I had no idea the crypto-mining trend would slow down after that huge spike in popularity last December, I thought it would just go up from here thanks to the snowball effect.

Hopefully this time crypto-miners won't spoil the fun for gamers, and for once the price will stagnate around MSRP in general.
 

Tsunami

Member
It's been over 2 months since I posted this thread, and now that Nvidia and Intel has released their latest products, I'm finally ready to order a new computer.
Needless to say, I've been disappointed in their new product line-ups. Overpriced, bad value overall, very small performance gain over last generation, it feels like I've waited 2 months (more actually) for nothing.
So here is what I'm thinking about ordering next week, I'll be adding some commentary again to let you know why I chose certain components.

Case: COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500M GAMING CASE (I chose this case for its very high airflow and aesthetic)
Motherboard: ASUS® ROG MAXIMUS X HERO (Best Z370 motherboard apparently)

Processor: (CPU)Intel® Core™ i7 Six Core Processor i7-8700k (3.7GHz) 12MB Cache (I know some would advise me to get the brand new 9700k instead, but according to the reviews released just a few hours ago, the performance is literally identical in every single game. Moreover, the 9700k is 70 euros more expensive than the 8700k, and generate a lot more heat despite the added solder TIM, which is very disappointing to me)
Processor Cooling: Corsair H115i PRO Cooler w/ PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans (Just going for the best cooler PCS has to offer)
Thermal Paste: COOLER MASTER MASTERGEL MAKER THERMAL COMPOUND (Only cost 11 euros, might as well)

Memory (RAM): 4GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (1 x 4GB) (Don't worry I'm not actually going to use it, I've found better and less expensive RAM on another web retailer)
Graphics Card: NONE, I ALREADY HAVE A GRAPHICS CARD (Going to buy an EVGA 1080 ti SC2 on that same other web retailer)

1st Hard Disk: NOT REQUIRED (Don't need anything else than the 970 Evo M.2 I'm ordering with it for the system, as I have 2 old SSD waiting to be transferred to this PC)
1st M.2 SSD Drive: 250GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3400MB/R, 1500MB/W)
Power Supply: CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET (Nothing to add here, 750W could be enough but I want the full modularity)
Operating System: NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED

Total price: 1 146,67 € ex TVA - 1 376,00 €inc. TVA

I've long hesitated the past few weeks between the Ryzen 2700x and the i7 8700k, both are great processors with the 2700x having the best overall value, and the 8700k having the best overall performance.
This system equivalent with the 2700x, in which the motherboard Maximus X Hero becomes the Crosshair VII Hero, only is 100 euros less expensive, so I thought to myself, since I will only be gaming, to go for the 8700k.


If you guys have any suggestions or commentary, they are welcomed, I will place my order by the end of next week.
Have a good weekend everyone!
 
Last edited:

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
Motherboard: ASUS® ROG MAXIMUS X HERO (Best Z370 motherboard apparently)
It's also £100+ for features you'll never use or will get no/little benefit from.

"Best" is a really useless term on the internet. The i9 9900k is the "best" but you're not buying that because there's no point - don't buy the Hero either.

Stick to the Aorus Pro and save £100.
 

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
Don't bother with the paste. The Corsair Coolers come with good paste pre-applied and it will be far less likely to suffer from any of the application issues that PCS systems often have.

Ditto on the motherboard option though. £100 extra for that board is crazy IMO. Your other choices are justified, although the cooler may also be overkill (H100 would be more than enough).
 
Top