Are they worth it?

Boothy

Active member
Hey guys, just wondering for just gaming only is it really worth going for the liquid series PC's or would it purely just be for looks really over anything else?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks alot
 

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
'Worth it' depends on you, but for most people I'd say it's not worth it as the benefits such as they are come with disadvantages like increased cost, actual maintenance (beyond the usual dusting) and upgrades will require buying new waterblocks.

The most popular compromise is to get an All In One liquid cooler for the CPU, and use an air-cooled graphics card, or even purchase a graphics card that comes with its own all in one cooler for it built in. This avoids additional maintenance, mitigates the cost of a custom loop, and means you don't need new waterblocks when you want a new GPU or CPU.

If you post a full budget, prospective spec you're looking at, and of course what you're using the PC for, people can suggest how to get the best bang for your buck. :) If the system will be used for gaming, it's also important to know what monitor it's being paired with
 

Boothy

Active member
I'll be honest my monitor is not the best gaming monitor at all it's a Samsung U32R590 32Inch Curved UHD 4k Monitor. If you wouldn't mind would you happen to have a build available for around £1600-£1800? Forget the Liquid Series it's literally only used for gaming nothing else (plus I don't wanna mess about with maintenance :p )

Thanks for that fast reply!
 

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
For £1800 you'd not be looking at liquid series outside of maybe a few very niche, non-gaming uses.

For 4k gaming at upto £1800, something like:

Case
FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)

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Get 3 Months of XBOX Game Pass for PC w/ select AMD Ryzen CPUs
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
11GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
NOT REQUIRED
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 660p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (upto 1800MB/sR | 1800MB/sW)
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
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
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
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 12 to 15 working days
Price: £1,789.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/YhQhRAheG3/

For 4k gaming, the 2080 ti is highly desirable.

Your 4k monitor doesn't have adaptive sync (freesync) unfortunately, so a beefy graphics card to keep the framerate up and minimise stutter and tearing seems essential.
 

Boothy

Active member
Out of interest, I've made a couple changes I'm just wondering if they are worth it or not.

If you could let me know if I've wasted money here for too little of an upgrade on what you posted earlier just let me know I'll just use the spec you put up instead.

Case
THERMALTAKE V200 TEMPERED GLASS RGB EDITION GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Eight Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.4GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)

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Get 3 Months of XBOX Game Pass for PC w/ select AMD Ryzen CPUs

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The Outer Worlds -OR- Borderlands 3 w/ select AMD Ryzen CPUs
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
11GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
NOT REQUIRED
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 660p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (upto 1800MB/sR | 1800MB/sW)
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
PCS FrostFlow 120 Series RGB High Performance Liquid Cooler - Changed
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
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® 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 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: £2,068.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/N89zrYqUUv/

Is AMD kinda the thing now over Intel?

Also I know this is a little over what I said was budget.. but you know how it is when you start building these things lol
 

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
You aren't going to get a decent RGB case within that sort of money unfortunately. You want at least the H500 in there, I prefer the 570X but that's purely for aesthetics.

The 3700X is a great chip, but it'll do virtually zero for you for 4k gaming. There are very few games that make real use of more than 2 cores, never mind 6 or 8.

X570 is overkill. It has some great features, if those features appeal then go for it. Performance wise there will be no difference for you than with the B450.

If you want an AIO cooler, go for the 240mm Rad one. The 120 won't be any more effective than the stock cooler.... it may actually be less effective as single fan coolers are notoriously meh. The stock fan on the 3600 is excellent, the 3700X could possibly use an aftermarket cooler but for gaming it's not necessary.

If you're after the RGB look overall, you may want to consider RGB RAM.
 

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
The first build is spot on. If you have 2K to spend you can add nice things to it for aesthetics or features.

If you want the RGB look I would go for the 570X Case, RGB RAM and the 240mm AIO RGB cooler.

You could save a few quid with the PCS branded M2 drive over the 660p to put towards it.

The world is your oyster, you won't really gain any better real world performance no matter what else you do :)

Oh, the 750W RMx PSU is probably worth the £20 premium. It is fully modular, runs silent most of the time and has some of the most premium internals there are.

Oussebon's choices are based on the limitation of £1800. Opened up to £2k you get some room for niceties.
 

Boothy

Active member
Do you perhaps have time to tweak it for me and show me what I could be looking at, just so I don't do it wrong or anything. It's fine if not I'll just play around with it and see what I come up with. Cheers for the help so far too much appreciated
 

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
You want at least the H500 in there, I prefer the 570X but that's purely for aesthetics.
The Cooler Master Mastercase H500 is a good shout

As above, the R7 3700X and X570-PLUS are great, though not necessary or especially advantageous for 4k gaming, and they do add over £300 to the price tag between them. That's probably not worth it.

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)

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Get 3 Months of XBOX Game Pass for PC w/ select AMD Ryzen CPUs
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
11GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
NOT REQUIRED
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 660p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (upto 1800MB/sR | 1800MB/sW)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 240 Series RGB High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
2x 50cm RGB LED Strip
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
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
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 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: £1,900.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/64BaSwJWBQ/

I'm not 100% sure I would buy the PCS branded SSD drive versus the Intel 660p as I have no idea what the drive is. At least you know what you're getting with a 660p...

So the above has the RGB case with decent airflow, a 240mm AIO cooler for the CPU (with RGB fans), a couple of RGB strips, and the RMx PSU, edging the price up by about £100 in total.
 

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
Don't forget the RAM :D

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)

down_right_arrow.gif
Get 3 Months of XBOX Game Pass for PC w/ select AMD Ryzen CPUs
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
11GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
NOT REQUIRED
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB INTEL® 660p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (upto 1800MB/sR | 1800MB/sW)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 240 Series RGB High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
2x 50cm RGB LED Strip
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
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
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 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: £1,916.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/vKuPW7Y7Q3/
 

Boothy

Active member
Is it worth bumping up to a 3600x for the free game? :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Also I think I'll go for that 570X case, I do like the look of it a lot. :)
 

Boothy

Active member
Well listen, seriously, thanks a bunch for taking the time to help me, I really do appreciate it. Thanks again! I'll order it ASAP
 

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
No worries at all. Would be nice to hear back from you to see what you think of it once you've put it through its paces :)
 
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