Console player, PC noob. TIA

[Scottie665]

Hi all, as the title suggests I have always played consoles, particularly Xbox, however, I have recently started toying with the idea of playing on PC rather than simply going for the next-gen console. I am very much at the starting point of my research and I am just interested in knowing:

- What are the 'main' components to consider? I typically play FPS games with the occasional RPG.
- What would be the best component to start with and then build around?
- Are there any obvious (ironic to ask, I know) do's and don'ts?

I am sure I will have plenty more to ask going forward but just looking for ideas to start research. I am in absolutely no rush and the idea of building my own setup over time is actually something that really sells PC gaming to me so I am happy to do it in stages.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[SpyderTracks]

Hi all, as the title suggests I have always played consoles, particularly Xbox, however, I have recently started toying with the idea of playing on PC rather than simply going for the next-gen console. I am very much at the starting point of my research and I am just interested in knowing:

- What are the 'main' components to consider? I typically play FPS games with the occasional RPG.
- What would be the best component to start with and then build around?
- Are there any obvious (ironic to ask, I know) do's and don'ts?

I am sure I will have plenty more to ask going forward but just looking for ideas to start research. I am in absolutely no rush and the idea of building my own setup over time is actually something that really sells PC gaming to me so I am happy to do it in stages.

Many thanks in advance!

As PCSpecialist build and sell custom desktops and laptops we can't advise on self builds or competitior builds, you may want to check out Toms Hardware which is an open forum on a self build.

If you're interested in a PCS system which is a full system that comes fully built, then post your max budget and what you'll be using it for and we can advise further.

 

[Scottie665]

As PCSpecialist build and sell custom desktops and laptops we can't advise on self builds or competitior builds, you may want to check out Toms Hardware which is an open forum on a self build.

If you're interested in a PCS system which is a full system that comes fully built, then post your max budget and what you'll be using it for and we can advise further.

Thanks for your reply, and my apologies, it makes total sense that you could not advise on a self build. If I was getting PCS system for my requirements - mostly FPS player, what your recommended setup be? I will add that I am a casual gamer, certainly not a pro. I have played around with the configurator but most of the components are alien to me! I am happy to spend but I'd like it to be on the areas that will have greatest impact, if that makes sense. I'm thinking anything up to £1200 as it would be my first step into PC. Are your systems quite easily upgradeable in future?

Additionally, I will add that the PC will probably get some domestic use but I would imagine this would be no issue.

Thanks

 

[Scottie665]

Slightly over budget but this would be a good hgih end 1080p system (including monitor) with the ability to have a higher level graphics card slotted in (with the appropriate monitor of course) and potential CPU upgrade path as well:

Case
CORSAIR 275R AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
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
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 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
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
Browser
Firefox™
Monitor
AOC G2590PX 24.5" 144Hz Gaming Monitor
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Home Installation
NONE
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 11 to 13 working days
Price: £1,269.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/s4GjYCPHhQ/

Really appreciate the quick replies here!! Thank you for the suggestion, below is the config I put together based on recommendations from videos and some articles read just this morning (I understand each individual is different) but I was wondering if you could offer insight into why you may prefer certain components over others? I have only included the parts which were different to your suggested. Thanks.

Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.25GHz/19MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
8GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2666MHz (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
1TB Samsung 870 QVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (up to 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
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
Corsair H100x Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD

 

[Scottie665]

CPU: That chip is not a gaming chip and would struggle with anything that required decent CPU power such as Fortnite for example. The lowest CPU we would recommend for a gaming system (unless severely budget limited) would be the 3300x....the 3600 just adds options.

Motherboard: It is an older board with less upgrade options. If, for example, you wanted to replace the CPU in a couple of years as your needs changed, then you'd need a new motherboard

RAM: Any half-decent gaming system will have 16GB of high frequency RAM. 8GB is just not enough for modern games...there are already several games that have 8GB as an absolute minimum. Going with 8GB means you will likely have to spend more in a year or 2 to add extra RAM

Hard Drives: The Samsung QVO is a waste of money as a storage drive...a SATA drive is fine for storage..the faster speed of the QVO would only be worthwhile if you were regularly doing file transfers of large sizes. The Samsung Evo M2 drive is a luxury item...if the budget is there, then fair enough but not at the expense of more important basic items like CPU, RAM etc. I have an M2 drive with the same speed as the PCS one (the one I put in the spec) and it is quick and is perfect for gaming.

PSU: It is a better quality one. If you really need to save money, then you can drop down. For the sake of £20 odd, I'd always go for the better one.

Cooler: The stock fan on the 3600 is excellent at keeping temperatures down (I have the stock fan on my 3600 and have zero issues, even with all my fans turned down to minimum)...buying a cooler like that is just money wasted in my opinion

Thermal paste: You can get it if you want...I have the stock paste and, as said above, have zero thermal issues

Wi-Fi: The Ax200 is a superior card, in terms of quality and speed. Had the added bonus of Bluetooth in case it's needed (for example, to connect a wireless Xbox controller to use)

That's really helpful thank you. From what I understand, the really important elements to a gaming PC are the CPU, Graphics Card & RAM. Is that a fair assessment? As for HDD, I was just under the impression that SSD is the way forward but if it doesn't affect game performance then happy to go with it. If I run at Fortnite / Apex for example at a higher FPS then would cooling be an issue? Happy with the Wi-Fi suggestion as I'd probably be running scuf controller. I apologise for all the Qs, it is all new and something I definitely want to explore !