Could anybody give a clueless person some guidance? It's not definite, but I may have to make a snap decision within the next week or two, and I'd like to be ready. I'd be using this PC for games (mostly flight sims), VR, work (software development). Realistically, most of its time will be spent on games.
I have a Windows license, a keyboard, mouse, and monitor that will do for now, but later in the year I'll get a "proper" monitor. (Personal situation makes it uncertain for now as to what environment I'll be in, and what size of monitor I can get)
AMD versus Intel - I'd naturally tend towards AMD, especially with my confidence in Intel being knocked after Spectre etc. And Ryzen5 possibly generating less heat. However, the Alder Lake CPUs seem to be objectively better, so that's that. I'd love to see the AMD 5800X3D, but I may not be able to wait for it to appear.
I really want something in a compact case. I'll probably be lugging it between rooms. I would get a "Small Form Factor PC", except I want to avoid thermal issues and fan noise. So not that, but also not a huge tower that's like a piece of furniture.
RGB lighting anywhere in or around the case - no thanks. Even if it comes for free, I'll be disabling it.
So to sum up; small, quiet, unobtrusive. I know, an impossible combination.
With all that in mind, here's what I configured with my limited knowledge an seeing other people's suggestions. It also reflects my budget. What do you think?
Case
CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ 275Q QUIET CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700 (2.1GHz) 25MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (4 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP, LHR
Graphics Card Support Bracket
PCS GRAPHICS CARD SUPPORT BRACKET
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H115i RGB PRO XT Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
2 - 3 DAY DELIVERY TO REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 4 to 7 working days
Price: €2,964.00 including VAT and Delivery
I have a Windows license, a keyboard, mouse, and monitor that will do for now, but later in the year I'll get a "proper" monitor. (Personal situation makes it uncertain for now as to what environment I'll be in, and what size of monitor I can get)
AMD versus Intel - I'd naturally tend towards AMD, especially with my confidence in Intel being knocked after Spectre etc. And Ryzen5 possibly generating less heat. However, the Alder Lake CPUs seem to be objectively better, so that's that. I'd love to see the AMD 5800X3D, but I may not be able to wait for it to appear.
I really want something in a compact case. I'll probably be lugging it between rooms. I would get a "Small Form Factor PC", except I want to avoid thermal issues and fan noise. So not that, but also not a huge tower that's like a piece of furniture.
RGB lighting anywhere in or around the case - no thanks. Even if it comes for free, I'll be disabling it.
So to sum up; small, quiet, unobtrusive. I know, an impossible combination.
With all that in mind, here's what I configured with my limited knowledge an seeing other people's suggestions. It also reflects my budget. What do you think?
Case
CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ 275Q QUIET CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700 (2.1GHz) 25MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (4 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP, LHR
Graphics Card Support Bracket
PCS GRAPHICS CARD SUPPORT BRACKET
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H115i RGB PRO XT Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
2 - 3 DAY DELIVERY TO REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 4 to 7 working days
Price: €2,964.00 including VAT and Delivery
