Hi all, I'm in the unusual situation of looking to get a gaming PC although (for all practical purposes) I'm not a gamer. I use something called Zwift, which is (to quote Wikipedia) a "massively multiplayer online cycling and running videogame and physical training program that enables users to interact, train and compete in a virtual world". An indoor road cycling ap attached to a bike trainer, basically. This PC will also be my main home computer desktop (for which purposes I have no particularly unusual requirements but will need the usual capabilities including WiFi and sound etc). It'll be attached to the peripherals I already have, including a widescreen TV.
Zwift will run fine on pretty low spec systems, but for the best graphics / VR experience a gaming system is recommended. I've read that for top-notch performance the ideal graphics card is an Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti. I've ended up here because I'm very attracted to the small form factor systems that you can configure that don't look like gaming PCs.. ;-) . But I've little idea about what else to specify to make a good all-round system.
See below for my draft spec. Particular things I'm uncertain about:
- Do I need 16GB RAM or would 8GB be fine?
- What's the best storage solution? I need at least 1TB storage and 2TB would be useful, so I specified a single 2TB SSD. But what would be the pros and cons of running a smaller SSD together with a larger HDD drive?
- What is "Intel optane memory"?
- I haven't a clue about what I'll need regarding power supply and cooling. Obviously I don't want anything to melt, and as the PC will be running full time in my living room it would be nice if it was as quiet as possible (at least when doing normal stuff such as streaming video - I don't really mind if it's noisy when I'm Zwifting!).
The only significant interface the user has with the PC while playing Zwift is through the bike trainer (which communicates by ANT+ wireless), on-bike power meter, and heart rate monitor (also ANT+). Keyboard and mouse are only used for menu options so fast communication there is not important. Sound will be provided by my SONOS soundbar and subwoofer through the TV (HDMI).
Thanks in advance for any tips...
Case
THERMALTAKE CORE V1 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-9400F (2.9GHz) 9MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B360-I GAMING: Mini-ITX, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (1 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 Ti - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
2TB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 470MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 350W VS SERIES™ VS-350 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD 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
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
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
Firefox™
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 14 working days
Price: £969.00 including VAT and Delivery
Zwift will run fine on pretty low spec systems, but for the best graphics / VR experience a gaming system is recommended. I've read that for top-notch performance the ideal graphics card is an Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti. I've ended up here because I'm very attracted to the small form factor systems that you can configure that don't look like gaming PCs.. ;-) . But I've little idea about what else to specify to make a good all-round system.
See below for my draft spec. Particular things I'm uncertain about:
- Do I need 16GB RAM or would 8GB be fine?
- What's the best storage solution? I need at least 1TB storage and 2TB would be useful, so I specified a single 2TB SSD. But what would be the pros and cons of running a smaller SSD together with a larger HDD drive?
- What is "Intel optane memory"?
- I haven't a clue about what I'll need regarding power supply and cooling. Obviously I don't want anything to melt, and as the PC will be running full time in my living room it would be nice if it was as quiet as possible (at least when doing normal stuff such as streaming video - I don't really mind if it's noisy when I'm Zwifting!).
The only significant interface the user has with the PC while playing Zwift is through the bike trainer (which communicates by ANT+ wireless), on-bike power meter, and heart rate monitor (also ANT+). Keyboard and mouse are only used for menu options so fast communication there is not important. Sound will be provided by my SONOS soundbar and subwoofer through the TV (HDMI).
Thanks in advance for any tips...
Case
THERMALTAKE CORE V1 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-9400F (2.9GHz) 9MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B360-I GAMING: Mini-ITX, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (1 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 Ti - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
2TB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 470MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 350W VS SERIES™ VS-350 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD 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
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
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
Firefox™
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 14 working days
Price: £969.00 including VAT and Delivery