Htpc

Hi everyone,

I'm just looking into getting back into PC gaming. Wife/children etc spoiled that and sold my soul to Xbox.
Bought my first custom PC's from here back in 2009 ish.

My limitations is currently space so that's why I was looking at a HTPC. I really fancy the Corsair k63??? Lap table and wireless mouse combo and have money sat aside for that.

For the PC budget £800-1000 (does that get you anywhere nowadays)

I've tried reading a lot of reviews and putting together builds but having browsed quickly through the forums this Oussebon seems to have all the answers.

CPU - AMD RYZEN 5 2600
Motherboard -gigabyte 450
Ram- 16 gb corsair Vengeance DDR ( I think it was Phils hardware that said the ryzen 5 worked well with a lot of ram)
Card- genuinely unsure I'm seeing a lot about the 1080 ti but that's a lot of money what about AMD Radeon rx 580


Saw Oussebon's comments on SSD's or the potential to stay with
A traditional hard drive but will an external hardrive with an SSD ruin my day??

This is all planned to go in a mini case.

Game wise I very much plan to play WARHAMMER TW2 and old MMOS from my earlier days WW2OL (if anyone's heard of it)

Is latency an issue when playing a PC through a tv? I honestly don't have the space (old PC gaming area is now a play room )

Sorry for blabbering just want to get back into gaming any advice will be greatly appreciated.

I'm not sure how many answers I'll come up with, but I do have a question Which case are you looking at?

Oussebon said:

I'm not sure how many answers I'll come up with, but I do have a question Which case are you looking at?

Click to expand...

Cooler master Elite 130 ?

My problem with these kinds of cases is that their footprint isn't much smaller than some of the more compact ATX cases - you only really get a height reduction. And if a height reduction matters to you, that might mean you're stuffing your PC into a very compact space, which PCs with high end CPUs and GPUs generally don't like.

Also these cases are trying to allow for high end hardware in a smaller space, and due to the more restricted airflow in the cramped case they have to do things like stick the GPU right up against vents on the side of the case in a bid to feed it fresh air - meaning you get 0 dampening of the GPU noise.

I have a Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced and would attest to the noise and the relative size. Something more expensive like the Node 304 might help with the noise a bit, at least Fractal's fans are probably quieter than the cheap cooler master ones, but size certainly is still an issue.

Also you want to avoid cheaper PSUs like the VS series for mini ITX builds as they are not modular. i.e. unnecessary cables can't be removed, which is more of an issue in a smaller case where airflow is easier to obstruct with cables.

And for all this you're sacrificing quite a lot in the way of upgrade options, e.g. storage and expansion slots. You may well feel you don't need that, but so did I when I bought this PC and I still managed to populate all 8 sata ports, so one's uses can change over the 6+ year lifespan of a PC. And depending on the builds, the mini PCs can be more expensive as PCS tend to favour motherboards that pack things like wifi and end up being more expensive.

All this for:
CM 130 Elite: 205mm x 240mm x 378mm (Approx H x W x D)
vs
Fractal Focus G: 444mm x 205mm x 464mm (Approx H x W x D)
Corsair Carbide 275R: 436.5mm x 211mm x 446mm (Approx H x W x D)

About the build more generally:

Ram- 16 gb corsair Vengeance DDR ( I think it was Phils hardware that said the ryzen 5 worked well with a lot of ram

Click to expand...

I'm not sure about "lots of RAM" but dual channel and fast RAM, yes.

Is latency an issue when playing a PC through a tv? I honestly don't have the space (old PC gaming area is now a play room )

Click to expand...

Input lag is an issue in that it exists. But unless you're playing competitively you're probably fine.

Saw Oussebon's comments on SSD's or the potential to stay withA traditional hard drive but will an external hardrive with an SSD ruin my day??

Click to expand...

I think I can guess which topic you meant, in which case they were where someone was trying to squeeze a gaming PC and a monitor into a £900 budget. The context matters.

In your case for up to £1000, an internal SSD and internal HDD should be easily doable. e.g.

Case
FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.25GHz/19MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
Gigabyte B450 AORUS ELITE (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2933MHz ~ (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB AMD RADEON™ RX 580 - HDMI, 3 x DP - DX® 12
---Up to 2 Games FREE w/ select RADEON RX GPUs!
1[SUP]st[/SUP] Storage Drive
500GB Samsung 860 EVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
---Rainbow Six Siege Standard Edition FREE w/ select SAMSUNG SSDs!
2[SUP]nd[/SUP] Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W VS SERIES™ VS-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
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® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
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 3 to 5 working days
Quantity
1

Price £993.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-pc/vCF8Ytv7GE/



If you wanted to max out your budget for storage. You don't have to get a 500gb SSD / 2TB HDD etc of course.

A similar spec as mini ITX but with a (necessarily, in my opinion) more expensive case and PSU, and arguably CPU cooler too, would be something like:

Case
FRACTAL DESIGN NODE 304 Mini ITX Case
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.25GHz/19MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
Gigabyte B450 I AORUS PRO WIFI (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2933MHz ~ (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB AMD RADEON™ RX 580 - HDMI, 3 x DP - DX® 12
---Up to 2 Games FREE w/ select RADEON RX GPUs!
1[SUP]st[/SUP] Storage Drive
500GB Samsung 860 EVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
---Rainbow Six Siege Standard Edition FREE w/ select SAMSUNG SSDs!
2[SUP]nd[/SUP] Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 120 High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
GIGABIT LAN PORT + Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi excluded on H310I-PLUS)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
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® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
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 3 to 5 working days
Quantity
1

Price £1,107.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-sff-gaming/V!7HQUXSzM/

You can go with a cheaper case, PSU, and the stock AMD cooler, but given the downsides I wouldn't recommend it given much of a choice.

I hope your getting commission on these ��. So in lay men's terms either build will work but you'd opt for the little bit extra 2nd build? If my wife asks it was 800 quid ��.

Since you do seem to be the fountain of knowledge here which I very much appreciate. Do you rate this Corsair wireless keyboard and lap board and mouse bundle or do you feel there's something far cheaper that'll do the same minus the Corsair name?

Finally is it just a hdmi connection straight from the box to the tv?

So in lay men's terms either build will work but you'd opt for the little bit extra 2nd build?

Click to expand...

In layman's terms, the first build is cheaper and will give you more upgrade options, with less worry about airflow, while having a fairly similar footprint to the 'mini' system in option 2. Because mini systems aren't really very mini.

But if you really want a 'mini' build, then option 2 will work, and benefit from the things like the better cooler, PSU, and more expensive case that just aren't necessary with option 1.

I'd favour option 1 very heavily, but it's your money so I just present the options

And yes, HDMI connection from the graphics card to the TV.

Option 1 it is ��

Just about to order so it's ready for when I get home Next week and saw there now offering a "PC of the month" with £100 and something off.

Is it worth the extra £150 over the original option 1 that Oussebon suggested to get a ryzen 7 and a AMD RX 590???

Thanks as always.

Maybe. The discount is quite large. But even then

Or if you wanted to save cash just get the spec I posted, maybe with an X470 motherboard.

And drop the CPU to the R5 2600. The 2600x is currently £70 odd more than the 2600 and it's just not worth that. Especially when Zen 2 is coming out in the summer so if you were really that bothered about CPU performance you could swap your 2600 for one of them.

The spec I posted with the CPU dropped to the R5 2600 is over £200 less than the PC of the Month. So that's ~20% cheaper, and the 590 + 2700x isn't going to be 20% better in gaming in most titles.

If you did want to spend more you could get the spec I posted, swapping the R5 2600x to the R5 2600, the RX 580 to an RTX 2060, get similar/higher FPS at 1440p than either system would give you at 1080p in most titles... plus RTX features as a bonus.

And still save £50 and have more storage vs PC of the month.


Case
FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Six Core CPU (3.4GHz-3.9GHz/19MB CACHE/AM4)
---Tom Clancy's The Division 2 FREE w/ select AMD Ryzen CPUs!
Motherboard
Gigabyte B450 AORUS ELITE: DDR4, USB 3.1 - RGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2933MHz ~ (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP, DVI - VR Ready!
---Get Battlefield V -OR- Anthem with select NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs!
1[SUP]st[/SUP] Storage Drive
500GB Samsung 860 EVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2[SUP]nd[/SUP] Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W VS SERIES™ VS-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
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® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
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 6 to 8 working days
Quantity
1

Price £1,129.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-pc/BDmshUUy3!/

I'm not bashing PC of the month btw, it's a good deal and great for certain users. But the pricing of various components and the fact it was launched before the RTX 2060 was out undercuts it a bit.

Thanks for the replies mr Oussebon, I will take your advice and put the order in Friday.

Got it mr Oussebon ��

They talked me up a case, if I'm paying over £1000 I want it to light up. Also got a capture card.
Dropped your name on the telephone since he was trying to push Intel on me.

Went with the last one you said with the RTX 2060 and he recommended a different SSD 3000 somethings over 500

Many thanks for your help, fly home a week on Saturday and will get the pics on once it's home

As long as the SSD was a 970 Evo or WD Black. Damn expensive but nice to have! I'd probably push Intel too, if the prices made more sense.

And grats if you managed to drop my name on the phone, there's like literally 0 people on the internet who can pronounce it

Happy travels, let us know how it all goes.

970 Evo, I think it was £50 dearer

Jamieg said:

970 Evo, I think it was £50 dearer

Click to expand...

Probably the best drive in the bunch imho, seriously fast!