Game Development Build

J

JA45

Member
Hey all, thanks for taking the time to check this out.
Currently a software engineer doing game dev as a hobby on the side. Ive been working with notebook laptops (I know!) so far, but im beginning to hit a wall, so i’m looking to build a more powerful machine. Im pretty clueless when it comes to hardware though, so I was hoping somebody could sanity check me on this tentative spec.

I’m pretty set on the 12-core 3900X at a minimum and 64GB of RAM because the workflow involves a fair amount of multitasking and pretty much constant compiling. I’ve seen some benchmarks against the intel CPUs that support this decision. I think i’m also set on the RTX 3070 as i’d like to have the power to run modern graphics, but I don’t need to run any graphics heavy workloads over 1440p, ruling out the need to upgrade to the RTX 3080 or upwards.

i’ve no idea what i’m doing when it comes to motherboards though, and the current spec is basically just ‘pick one at random’. Also unsure if liquid cooling is overkill for this sort of build.

I’d also like to check myself on the 3900X, the 5900X isnt too much more expensive (I can stretch if its worth it), but whats the effective boost in performance between these two CPUs?

My budget is about £1800-1900 with a little wiggle room, which this current spec sits between.

Thanks in advance!

Case
CORSAIR 175R RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12 Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.6GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 32GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
1TB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 470MB/W)
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
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 240 High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Extra Case Fans
1x 120mm Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 6 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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Google Chrome™
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 13 to 15 working days
Price: £1,880.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-workstation/gZ9SBnBYU!/
 
Last edited:
J

JA45

Member
Hey all, I took the time to do some extra research and came up with an alternative spec that I think might be better suited to my use case.

The advantages here are jumping up to the 5950X which is definitely a bonus for the kind of work i’m expecting to do. Dropping down to 32GB of RAM (which seems more than adequate for now) keeps the price down, as well as moving down to a RTX 2070 Super.

I wasn’t originally aware that GPU performance was tied to heavily to display, and my current hp-27f wouldn’t make best use of the 3070 at 1080p, though i’d like to be relatively future proof. This also keeps the power requirement down, which is a nice to have.

Still, any tips regarding this spec (and the motherboard especially) would be great.

Thanks again!

Case
CORSAIR 175R RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X 16 Core CPU (3.4GHz-4.9GHz/72MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
Gigabyte X570 GAMING X: ATX (USB 3.2 Gen 1, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2070 SUPER - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
1TB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 470MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W CV SERIES™ CV-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 120 High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Extra Case Fans
1x 120mm Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
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 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 13 to 15 working days
Price: £1,874.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/ZqA5cg8F0e/
 
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B

Bigfoot

Grand Master
Some experts will be along soon, but I expect they will say that you need the X570 ROG Strix board for that CPU along with the Corsair H115 Platinum cooler (you won’t need the extreme paste then). The memory speed could be upped to 3200 or 3600, the WiFi card to AX200 and warranty to Silver (only £5). The Bullguard AV is not recommended. If you have an existing PC you could transfer the Windows licence and save about £100.

i don’t know anything about the cases, so can’t advise on this, but suspect you wouldn’t need extra fans with the Corsair Platinum coolers.
 
Martinr36

Martinr36

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
And a 650W power supply as 550 is the minimum recommended for that card by Nvidia, and you want some headroom to help future proof
 
J

JA45

Member
Thank you both for your inputs! That’s extremely useful information to have to hand. I hadn’t even considered the speed of the RAM!

Sadly I don’t have an existing windows license as i’m coming over fresh from years of unix/mac use day-to-day.

Its been really useful to have some feedback though. Thank you for your time!
 
J

JA45

Member
Hello all, i’m back again to bug you all again with my incessant questions!


Im currently working with the below spec (i decided to drop back down to 5900X because the 5950X took me a little too out of budget when including 3600Mhz RAM and the proper motherboard and cooling for the 5000 series CPUs.

I feel like i’m getting close to the final build, but i wanted to see if anybody had any advice regarding cases.
The Corsair Carbide Series 275Q, Corsair 275R Airflow, NZXT h511, and Coolermaster Silencio s600 are all in my budget range and fit with the CPU cooler’s 280mm radiator. I’d ideally like to get the best possible airflow and cooling, and i’m not too bothered about a specific aesthetic or RGB.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Thanks for your time.

Case
CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ 275Q QUIET CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2070 SUPER - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA 120 2.5" SSD, (up to 560MB/sR | 540MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W CV SERIES™ CV-650 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair 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 (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
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 [KUK-00001]
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
Google Chrome™
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 13 to 15 working days
Price: £1,889.00 including VAT and Delivery

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

AgentCooper

At Least I Have Chicken
Moderator
The 275R Airflow is the best case out of that selection, the others aren't great at moving the air around a system. Would strongly suggest that you get a better quality PSU. The 650w TXm as a minimum, 750w RMx as a recommendation.

A 512GB PCS M.2 drive would be another thing to get as your OS drive (y)
 
J

JA45

Member
Brilliant, that’s just what I wanted to hear, thank you! I also appreciate the recommendation for the PSU and will take that advice and make the 750w jump.

Thanks for your time!
 
G

Gavras

Master Poster
J

JA45

Member
Getting an M.2 definitely looks like the right call, though dropping to 3200 in this spec doesn’t drop the price by too much. I might het a light one at build time and get a proper m.2 separate from this build in the new year. Its a good shout though! I might go down to 3200 anyway because it would offer a 64gb configuration which im still debating.

There’s an overwhelming consensus to go for the 750w PSU so I’m definitely going to go for that. I appreciate the explanation as to why it’s important. I’d like the machine to do the miles!
 
Last edited:
J

JA45

Member
EDIT: the below was moved from the general desktop discussion. Big props to the mods for keeping my mad posting talents under control!

—

i’ve been in the process of putting together a spec for game development recently, and the folks over in Check My Spec have been amazing in helping me figure out what I need for the build.

I noticed tonight that the RTX 2070 super (my original choice for GPU) has gone from the PCS build tool, and so i’ve been trying to figure out which GPU to replace it with. I thought this might be a good opportunity to ask for some advice on the subject relating to my specific situation. I’ve been out of the hardware loop forever, so I appreciate you all bearing with me while I get my head around all the possibilities here.
I’m working on a 1080p display with a relatively low (from a gaming perspective) refresh rate. Around the 70Hz mark if memory serves. I am not particularly bothered about this, and have no intention of upgrading to 1440p any time soon, and definitely not 4k. I’m not into the competitive gaming scene, so jumping up to these extreme resolutions just isn’t something I need. This rules out the 30 series RTX cards - I know that would be far too much power for my basic monitors to handle.

I should also mention that i’d rather avoid going down the Radeon graphics route, as I primarily work with the unreal engine and I keep hearing horror stories about compatability with AMD cards and the engine.

I’d like to be able to run games (or at least test run the things im making) that are considered ‘modern’ for the next several years at the proverbial ‘ultra’ level, even if its on my 1080p monitors. I am put off, though perhaps this fear is unfounded, by the 6GB of VRAM offered by a lot of the Nvidia cards offered on PCS right now.

My questions are: am I going to feel the pain running on 6GB VRAM? Is the 6GB RTX 2060 going to remain decently future proof for 1080p displays? Or is that still a complete overkill for the resolution i’m working with?
(The build is going to include the ryzen 5900x CPU and 64GB of 3200mhz RAM, if this affects the advice at all).

Thanks for your time!
 
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