no clue where to begin with spec

Hey! I'm pretty new to the pc scene over the last few months and always wanted one to call my own. I do know enough about parts to get me by but not enough to know what matches with what and what is worth the money.
Currently I'm at a point where I would like a pc to handle pretty big titles and also to mod some of them aka Skyrim Modded etc. multitasking, Hopefully some VR with the HTC vice too! I also would like something to future proof myself where I wont have to touch it for at least 5 years lol.

So I'm wondering if this spec would work? and if intel would be better or AMD. I would like to keep cost to very minimal as possible but I understand that will difficult So yeah any help appreciated, and possible what monitor to go along with it! this is the spec I was looking at:

Case
FRACTAL MESHIFY C BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i9 Eight Core Processor i9-9900K (3.6GHz) 16MB Cache
Get Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 & More w/ select Intel CPUs!
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z390-E GAMING: ATX, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs, WIFI - RGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2070 - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
Get Battlefield V -OR- Anthem with select NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs!
1st Storage Drive
250GB Samsung 860 EVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 32MB 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
Corsair H115i PRO Cooler w/ PCS 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/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 [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® 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

What;'s your budget and what did the above cost?

It was coming at roughly £1800 I believe but then with vat etc it was around £2100 which was putting me off slightly. I wanna keep my budget under £2000 I would prefer if possible? Thank you so much for the fast reply!

When I was on the site last week and building it, there was a case - Fractal define R6 with a full glass side, that's now gone;(

PCS's stock and lineup does change, so perhaps they've stopped selling it. But they let you send in cases for them to build into.

For gaming you can easily make some economies, like swapping the RAM to 16gb and the CPU to a 9700k. There's no point to 32gb RAM for gaming. Even modded Skyrim/FO4 - I have heavily modded Oldrim, SSE, and FO4 too and even with the way ENB works in Oldrim 16gb isn't close to being an issue.

The 9700k is near enough as good as the 9900k for general gaming as makes no difference.

The AORUS Pro motherboard is more than fine and much cheaper.

You could stick to the H100x cooler

The VS series PSU is quite budget and not what I'd select for a build of this budget - something better quality and more efficient like TXm series would be preferable.

You said the above cost ~£2.1k inc VAT and you're looking more for ~£2k. But what is your budget for the monitor?

Thank you for the quick reply once again! That sounds fair enough yeah. The reason why I chose the motherboard and those ram was because I do like RGB and having it look nice from the outside. As well as the cooler too. I’ll take a look and make those changes. The CPU you mentioned is that an i7?

For the monitor at least under £800 hopefully. I have a voucher to use for Curry Pc World up to the value of £1000 and would probably spend it there as basically free, I don’t know much apart from G-sync etc but I would like one that is affordable, good picture quality and no lagging, tearing I believe it’s called? I’m hoping to run games at mostly ULTRA like battlefield etc

The reason why I chose the motherboard and those ram was because I do like RGB and having it look nice from the outside.

Click to expand...

So with the RAM, you can still get RGB RAM as 2 x 8gb instead of the 2 x 16gb you picked.

The Aorus Pro does have RGB lighting too. It's a different design, but it's much cheaper. Remember that this is cash could (need to) be using to buy a better graphics card. Certainly on Ultra / modded Skyrim with an ENB on the kind of monitor you'll be buying.

The CPU you mentioned is that an i7?

Click to expand...

That's right, it's the i7 9700k.

For thee kind of budget you're looking at for monitors you could easily get a 32" 4k gsync IPS monitor. In which case you'd ideally want a GTX 2080 ti. Or at least a 2080.

For modded Skyrim you'd probably want a large and quite fast SSD too.

e.g.

Case
FRACTAL MESHIFY C BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-9700K (3.6GHz) 12MB Cache
Motherboard
Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO: ATX, LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs - RGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
---Get Battlefield V -AND- Anthem with select NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs!
1[SUP]st[/SUP] Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 32MB CACHE
1[SUP]st[/SUP] M.2 SSD Drive
500GB WD Black™ M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3400MB/s R | 2500MB/s W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i PRO Cooler w/ PCS Ultra Quiet Fans
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 [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® 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 £2,086.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z370-pc/TVp!nkTQVU/


A 4k IPS gsync monitor would be about £600-700.

If you have a £1000 PC World voucher, something you could consider is buying the PC without a graphics card, and buying the monitor with your own money.

Then use the PC World voucher to buy an RTX 2080 ti, assuming they have them in stock and aren't at rip off prices ofc.

That looks great! I like that config a lot thank you very much. Quick question. The storage selection, do I not make the 1st storage SSD so that my operating system is stored there first of all? Or is that even possible to get pc specialist to do?

UltraChrillex95 said:

That looks great! I like that config a lot thank you very much. Quick question. The storage selection, do I not make the 1st storage SSD so that my operating system is stored there first of all? Or is that even possible to get pc specialist to do?

Click to expand...

The '1st Storage device' dropdown does not have the M.2 SSDs listed in it, they have to be chosen in the '1st M.2 SSD Drive' dropdown.
When you press Proceed it asks you to verify which drive you want the OS on - I think it defaults to the M.2 if you've selected one, but you do need to verify it when it asks.

Exactly as above, PCS will put the OS on the fast M.2 SSD unless you tell them otherwise.

Okay no problem thank you! can you recommend a monitor at all? Currys don't seem to search for only g sync monitors. It has these Asus ASUS ROG Swift XG258Q Full HD 25" LED Gaming Monitor - Blackand ACER Predator XB271HUA Quad HD 27" TN LCD Gaming Monitor - Black & Red. that seems to be the best possibly? I don't know how good they are and clearly they wont do 4k. I have heard getting 1ms is better than 4ms? but is it a huge difference? They don't seem to have g sync though

Okay that's fine. Now do you at all recommend any monitors at all? not too sure to begin with that! On currys they don't seem to search for gsync when I look into the search bar. For example I have seen these type of monitors ACER Predator XB271HUA Quad HD 27" TN LCD Gaming Monitor - Black & Redand ASUS ROG Swift XG258Q Full HD 25" I mean, they don't seem to have gsync but look good? asus is 4ms and the other is 1ms, is there a huge difference? I get a bit lost with that stuff hahaha. Wouldn't mind the 4k and gsync if its possible

The website does actually let you search for gsync only. It's under "Features" on the left hand filter/options pane. Unfortunately, it seems to include 1 that isn't gsync and miss out others that are...

Ignore 1080p monitors as unless you're looking to play twitch shooters at a competitive level it's probably not the right fit.

The 'ms' isn't terribly important. It's response time of a panel, with 1ms usually being a TN panel and 4ms usually being an IPS panel. However, the numbers quoted by manufacturers can be taken with a pinch of salt...

The very, very broad brush of TN/IPS monitors is:
TN has faster response times. It's particularly popular with players that favour shooters or fast paced, competitive action games.
IPS has a slower response time, but better colour reproduction and viewing angles. That's particularly popular with players that like pretty visuals, RPGs, etc.

But that's a huge oversimplification. Many people with modern TN monitors are very happy with the colours, while many with IPS monitors don't have the slightest issue with the response time.

Sometimes you get VA panels which have better colours than TN, deeper blacks than IPS, but not quite as good colours as IPS and slower response time than TN.. (and IPS too I think..?) A lot of curved monitors will be VA, though not all.

An RTX 2080 is a good fit for a 1440p (2560x1440) high refresh rate monitor, or a 1440p ultrawide monitor (3440x1440).

A very popular high end monitor is the PG279Q. 1440p, high refresh, IPS. That might be a fairly safe bet if you have a £1000 voucher and don't know what you want. Visuals should be stunning and you should get pretty decent framerates in many modern titles at that resolution.

If you think you probably want a TN panel, the PG278QR is an option, similar to the XB271HUA (though the Acer is much cheaper it seems).

You can also give some thought as to whether you want a 1440p ultrawide monitor. Maybe go into a store and see if they have one. Those would be the Asus PG348Q (IPS), Acer Predator X34P (IPS), or acer Z35P (VA).

They don't sell any 4k gsync monitors it seems.

Just don't buy a 1080p monitor unless you are really 100% sure that's the right fit for you

again thank you so much for the info! I think I wouldn't mind these wide screen monitors? they seem immersive! I also would like at least 1440p that seems like a sweet spot and anything up from that would be great.. so main things to look for is:

1440p, at least 4ms and below, gsync for tearing and a IPS panel? I do like colourful vibrant pictures though and if I was playing something along the lines of Anthem, BF, Overwatch etc they will look good on these monitors you have stated?

I have seen these monitors, what do you think? ASUS Republic of Gamers PG348Q Quad HD Curved 34" LED - ASUS XG32VQ Quad HD 32" Curved LED (This seems to be freesync? and Curved)

I like these Asus monitors, they have cool designs and an LED stand which I find interesting

ASUS XG32VQ Quad HD 32" Curved LED

Click to expand...

This is a Freesync monitor, as you say.

It may well be gsync compatible (Nvidia recently started supporting freesync) but I'd probably stick to actual gsync (which will have a larger refresh window). It's also not ultrawide (3440 x 1440) it's just regular 1440p. It's just bigger at 32" across than most 27" ones. VA panel as most if not all of these 32" curved ones are I think.

The PG348Q seems like a good prospect if you want an IPS panel, ultrawide 1440p, and gsync. Maybe check out some reviews, and look for some videos on youtube to get a good sense of the look
https://www.tomshardware.co.uk/asus-rog-pg348q-34-inch-curved-g-sync-monitor,review-33670-6.html
https://uk.ign.com/articles/2018/01/24/asus-rog-swift-pg348q-curved-gaming-monitor-review

There's an interesting mini-article here about IPS vs VA ~34" curved ultrawide monitors
https://pcmonitors.info/others/ips-vs-va-100hz-ultrawides/

that PG348Q looks a tad expensive tbh. It seems good although its the first monitor that seems to have 5ms? I Like these ROG monitors. Theres one that seem to have great designs and specs but cant seem to find one

The ms is a bit irrelevant as it's a number provided by the manufacturer that doesn't necessarily represent performance in a way that matters. It's more marketing than anything else. Better to rely on reviews, and see what people say about blur and ghosting and so forth.

1440p ultrawide monitors aren't cheap. £900 isn't an unusual price.

of course, you almost certainly could find them cheaper at other stores. A lot cheaper. But then you don't have a £1k voucher for those...

There are somewhat less expensive ones with VA panels e.g. Acer Z35P - it reviews well:
https://www.avforums.com/review/acer-predator-z35p-monitor-review.14994
https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals...dator-z35p-100hz-g-sync-monitor-review/all/1/
https://uk.ign.com/articles/2017/10/30/acer-predator-z35p-curved-gaming-monitor-review

But these are still very expensive. You might not want to spend £800 on a monitor. And not all games play nice with 21:9 aspect ratio (ultrawide) anyway.

Perhaps the ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q is worth looking at.

Usual pricing is around £650, give or take (usually give...). 1440p, IPS, high refresh and generally considered one of the go-to gaming monitors.
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/best-gaming-monitor/

https://www.tomshardware.co.uk/asus-pg279q-rog-swift-27-inch-165hz-monitor,review-33467-8.html
https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Displ...27-IPS-G-Sync-Monitor-Review/Testing-165Hz-Ga

I don't think you'd be disappointed if you bought it and played games on very high settings with an RTX 2080.

Another option is to buy the PC with a graphics card. This saves ~£700.

You can then buy a graphics card with your voucher for £700 and install it yourself.

And buy a monitor from any store you like.

That does seem like a smart option to do. However I have no clue about building Pc's at all and would hate to mess that up but it really is a good idea! I think I have a rough idea where to go with this and now and probably going to consider, a predator. monitor. ACER Predator Z271U quad HD. Do you think that's a good one for the price too? or the ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q Quad HD 27. <-- however that doesn't state of it has gsync on the website but surely it does for the price and model

UltraChrillex95 said:

That does seem like a smart option to do. However I have no clue about building Pc's at all and would hate to mess that up but it really is a good idea!

Click to expand...

The folk on this board encouraged me to fit my own graphics card - it really is as easy as they make it sound. The confidence you gain from doing it opens the door to more tinkering too!