Gaming PC Advice Help Please

[dandug]

Hi - I'm looking for advice on a new desktop I am looking to buy in the near future.
The main purpose is to be used for gaming with as best performance I can get (aside from the basic negligible day to day stuff) with the possibility of maybe using it to stream in the future. I have a set of decent 4k gaming monitors already with a decent refresh rate but of course I may end up looking to improve if needed so the best I can prepare for now the better.
I don't have a firm cost limit right now but the below is acceptable with room to go up if worth it. I don't want to push much beyond £4k unless its really worth it.

I have come up with the below based on some semi educated idea and a few stolen ideas from other threads.

In looking at the builds - I am curious if the Processor is the most sensible here - and if the threadripper variants offer any clear improvements for the seemingly quite increased cost and gaming oriented use. I would think not but would be good to get reassurance. I have previously had Intel processors but from what I've seen - current wisdom is that AMD has fully overtaken intel.
In addition I am usually feeling a bit lost when it comes to motherboards and their relevant value so any advice here based on the spec is well appreciated, I know I tend to miss when things can be overpriced.
Any other advice on the whole build is of course appreciated too. I will admit I have become enamoured with the idea of a LCD screen on the cooling, so at least this may seem pointless but just a trinket I want.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000T RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D 16 Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.7GHz/144MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG CROSSHAIR X670E HERO (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
16GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4070 Ti SUPER - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 990 PRO M.2, PCIe 4.0 NVMe (up to 7450MB/R, 6900MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SAMSUNG 990 PRO M.2, PCIe 4.0 NVMe (up to 7450MB/R, 6900MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ - MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD XT RGB CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans
4 x Corsair ICUE LINK QX120 RGB PWM Fan + Controller Kit
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe 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
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 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™
Warranty
3 Year Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 Year Parts, 3 Year labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
FAST TRACK 5 WORKING DAY DISPATCH
Price: £3,418.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/ZDQDPEE8Yv/

If I have not been clear or missed some key information please accept my apologies.

 

[TonyCarter]

It’s a bit unbalanced as you’ve gone for a lower spec GPU (a 1440p one) and then overspent of the CPU and motherboard.

The 7950x3D has very a specific use case where you need a CPU that offers great gaming performance and lots of cores for core-heavy tasks like rendering and video. Otherwise the 7800x3D is the better gaming-only CPU.

The motherboard is overkill unless you’re heavily into overclocking (which isn’t really a thing on AMD), so you could save £200 there to go towards a 4080 Super or 7900XTX GPU.

…and if you’re going for iCUE link fans, then you may want to go for an iCUE Link AIO too…otherwise you’re going to have a mix of fan types and controllers.

 

[Scott]

Agree with the above. You'll need to have a think about the fans as you will have multiple controllers with the LCD cooler. I would probably still stick with the link personally, as I guess the fans will daisy chain off their controller rather than have individual cables (which is a bit nicer).

Some changes I would look at below. I would probably also hold off for the 4080 Super coming back into stock (and forego the express delivery) in favour of the NVidia streaming capabilities. I don't think AMD are quite there with that yet, although the CPU would do a fine job regardless. If sticking with the XTX then I think the Asus option is probably worth it in this case as it's not a lot of extra dough, where the Nvidia options are crazy priced.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000T RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X670E-A GAMING WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
24GB ASUS TUF GAMING RADEON™ RX 7900 XTX OC - HDMI, DP - DX® 12
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ - MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD XT RGB CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans
4 x Corsair ICUE LINK QX120 RGB PWM Fan + Controller Kit
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe 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
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 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™
Warranty
3 Year Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 Year Parts, 3 Year labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
FAST TRACK 5 WORKING DAY DISPATCH
Price: £3,206.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/H2USTASvRJ/

 

[dandug]

Thanks kindly for the responses.

Thanks for the motherboard suggestion Scott - I was going to check that was the suggestion intended from TonyCarter's reply to ensure I understood.

Regarding the graphics card - understood and I have looked to investigate further - could I ask what the opinion is of 24GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4090? It is more expensive of course but I have also seen from a cursory search its considered decently better than the 4080 as one would expect. I also saw however there were some reports of issues so in short the question is if it falls within budget is it still something not worth it/to steer clear of? (Included below just to identify it)

For the Cooling/Fans - is this a case then no fans will work in the daisy chain manner in relation to the LCD screen? Again I admit its a somewhat childish attraction to it but just want to be sure I understand correctly. I switched the fans to the 4 x Corsair AF120 RGB ELITE PWM Fan + Controller Kit option in the below as it seemed it may apply but again this was based on a cursory search for the best options.

One last question was just regarding the M.2 drives - is SOLIDIGM considered better than the Samsung options or is it that they are cheaper and the samsung are not worth the extra cost? Or simply a preference thing?

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000T RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X670E-A GAMING WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
24GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4090 - HDMI, DP
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ - MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD XT RGB CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans
4 x Corsair AF120 RGB ELITE PWM Fan + Controller Kit
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe 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
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 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™
Warranty
3 Year Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 Year Parts, 3 Year labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
FAST TRACK 5 WORKING DAY DISPATCH
Price: £3,779.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/dwcKacjCVm/

Apologies for being a bug with the questions and again thanks for taking the time to help.

 

[Scott]

The STRIX is actually overkill too, but it's not much more than the TUF motherboard. I think it's worth going the little extra at this price point/budget.

I don't think the 4090 is worth it over the 4080 Super. There is a difference in performance, but it isn't linear to the price increase. The money would be far better saved and put towards the next generation GPU in the same bracket. The 5080 will likely be far more powerful than the 4090 for example, but still be in the same price bracket as the 4080 Super.

With regards to the cooler/fans. I would choose the link kit that you had initially as the fans will daisy chain from the controller. If you also opted for the LINK cooler, the fans would daisy chain off of this also, leading to one single controller. With the LCD option chosen, you need another controller for its fans. The LCD comes with the commander core, which additional fans can be plugged into. I wouldn't be overly concerned here as PCS will sort it all out for you. Going with the LINK option across both is the neatest solution, opting for the LCD and additional fans can be done with one controller but I'm not sure how PCS will build it as you will be entitled to both.

SolidGM is a better choice IMO. The Samsung brand took a bit of a tanking in the 980 and 990 releases. The bugs were fixed in the 990 but you're paying more money for a name without getting a better product. The Solid options are genuinely solid. From the list it's what I would have personally. I swing between Solid & Corsair from the list, but the premium Solid options are a bit faster.

 

[TonyCarter]

You could do what I'm doing, and get the iCUE Link AIO and swap out the pump cap for the LCD screen...

iCUE LINK LCD Screen Module, Black

Upgrade your iCUE LINK RGB CPU Cooler with a custom 2.1” IPS LCD screen.

www.corsair.com

...but it would cost you an extra £55 to do so (i.e. the £85 to buy, minus the saving from going down to the iCUE Link H150i from the LCD model).

 

[Scott]

That's a really good shout, you'll get the best of everything with that option. At this budget and level I think it's worthwhile. The £55 could be subsidised by dropping the express build, it doesn't make much odds anyway.

 

[dandug]

Once again thanks kindly for the advice - I believe I am settled but can I just request a check on this spec to make sure its correct?
Ive changed to reflect the idea for the cooling with the pump cap swap idea.
I have selected a 4080 super which should be ready in a week or so accrd to the eta. I don't see any issue with getting the ASUS model of the 4080 but best to make sure I've not missed something.

Also thanks for the info on the M.2 storage.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000T RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X670E-A GAMING WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
16GB ASUS TUF GEFORCE RTX 4080 SUPER OC EDITION - HDMI, 3 x DP
Graphics Card Support Bracket
NONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti / RX 7700 XT AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 6500MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ - MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR ICUE LINK H150i RGB HIGH PERFORMANCE CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans
4 x Corsair ICUE LINK QX120 RGB PWM Fan + Controller Kit
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
ONBOARD 2.5Gbe 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
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 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™
Warranty
3 Year Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 Year Parts, 3 Year labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Price: £3,406.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/zq2FYmmFPa/

 

[TonyCarter]

I don't think anyone was recommending the Asus version of the Nvidia RTX4080 Super, as there's quite a jump in price (c.£300) for very little extra performance.

The recommendation was for the Asus version of the AMD 7900XTX as there's only a small price premium (c£50).

 

[dandug]

Some changes I would look at below. I would probably also hold off for the 4080 Super coming back into stock (and forego the express delivery) in favour of the NVidia streaming capabilities. I don't think AMD are quite there with that yet, although the CPU would do a fine job regardless. If sticking with the XTX then I think the Asus option is probably worth it in this case as it's not a lot of extra dough, where the Nvidia options are crazy priced.

I was on the path for Nvidia to begin with but I was taking this as saying waiting for the 4080 super over the AMD, but forgive me if I misinterpreted. However I would take this as saying there is no reason to wait for the non-Asus version.

 

[TonyCarter]

I was on the path for Nvidia to begin with but I was taking this as saying waiting for the 4080 super over the AMD, but forgive me if I misinterpreted. However I would take this as saying there is no reason to wait for the non-Asus version.

Only if you're happy to spend an additional £300 for the sake of waiting a week or two.

 

[dandug]

Well actually I've managed to resolve something which does mean I can wait longer.
It sounds as though your opinion is that the ASUS version offers nothing less but nothing more for the additional money - as such as my time scales are a touch more agreeable now it makes sense to wait for the non-Asus version.

 

[sck451]

Alternatively you could buy a 4080 Super from elsewhere (it's about £1000, a tad lower than on PCS), order the PC without a card and fit it yourself, if you would feel confident doing that.