Help a dum dum out :)

[JoycieB]

Hello all,

So here's the rub. I've just received back pay in work and I'm selling my PS5, so I have money burning a hole in my pocket and I have the itch. Been playing around with the configuration for a couple of weeks, watching component reviews and reading up on builds and I've landed on the below. Now, what I want is to play games on 1440p. I have an AOC Q27G2U 2560x1440 144 Hz QHD 27" Gaming Monitor. And my budget is £2500

My Needs:
Total War: Warhammer 3 on High to Ultra without any issues.
Football Manager with 6 to 8 leagues without any processing difficulties.
Future proof for future releases on each of the above titles.
Also Frostpunk 2, Cities: Skylines 2, Manor Lords, Baldur's Gate 3… you get the point.
Maybe a little streaming. But that's a big maybe.

What I don't do:
Any type of video editing
Rarely play any FPS games
I will probably not upgrade in the future (not technically proficient enough to upgrade parts myself)

I have a couple of questions regarding my build here. I'm seeing the 7800X3D has issues with ASUS motherboards. Has anyone came across these issues? Should I therefore go with the GIGABYTE X670 to be safe?
What's the deal with the 2TB SAMSUNG 990 EVO M.2, PCIe 4.0 & 5.0 NVMe, is it both 4.0 and 5.0? Does it just mean it's compatible with both PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 5.0?

Thank you all in advance!

Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL 215 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
GIGABYTE X670 AORUS ELITE AX (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6E)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
16GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4070 Ti SUPER - HDMI, DP, LHR
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 SAMSUNG 990 EVO M.2, PCIe 4.0 & 5.0 NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4200MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMe SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR H100x RGB ELITE HIGH PERFORMANCE CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
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
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS & UK OFFSHORE ISLANDS / N IRELAND
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 4 to 6 working days
Price: £2,345.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/vwyayDybjw/

 

[Scott]

Some minor changes I would recommend below. I wouldn't opt for the 990 in honesty.

For your query. The initial issues at launch were found on Asus but they related to all manufacturers after investigation. AMD put changes out in the base files for all manufacturers so there aren't those problems with any manufacturer now. Performance is increasing across the board with releases.

Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL 215 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
16GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4070 Ti SUPER - HDMI, DP, LHR
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 H100x RGB ELITE 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
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
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS & UK OFFSHORE ISLANDS / N IRELAND
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 4 to 6 working days
Price: £2,295.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/MZVGeNVqTT/

 

[JoycieB]

Some minor changes I would recommend below. I wouldn't opt for the 990 in honesty.

For your query. The initial issues at launch were found on Asus but they related to all manufacturers after investigation. AMD put changes out in the base files for all manufacturers so there aren't those problems with any manufacturer now. Performance is increasing across the board with releases.

Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL 215 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0, Wi-Fi 6)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
16GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4070 Ti SUPER - HDMI, DP, LHR
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 H100x RGB ELITE 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
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
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS & UK OFFSHORE ISLANDS / N IRELAND
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 4 to 6 working days
Price: £2,295.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am5-pc/MZVGeNVqTT/

Thank you for your reply, I appreciate it.

I seen there was issues with boot times on the Asus with the 7800X3D, were those issues sorted too or is it just a mild annoyance that I shouldn't really worry about?

 

[Scott]

Not sure when you're looking at this information from but there are no differences in most of the features and uses between brands. The only limitation with PCS on ASUS is the 64GB of RAM as it's limited to 5600. This isn't an Asus limitation now, it's just a limitation with the PCS testing throughput. If you're really worried about it go for the Gigabyte, there's no harm in that brand either.... I just prefer Asus personally.

For boot times, DDR5 takes longer regardless of brand. After the initial boot which can take 30-60 seconds, they all run pretty similar. There are features you can turn off such as the memory re-checking, but again this is the same with all vendors.

 

[JoycieB]

Not sure when you're looking at this information from but there are no differences in most of the features and uses between brands. The only limitation with PCS on ASUS is the 64GB of RAM as it's limited to 5600. This isn't an Asus limitation now, it's just a limitation with the PCS testing throughput. If you're really worried about it go for the Gigabyte, there's no harm in that brand either.... I just prefer Asus personally.

For boot times, DDR5 takes longer regardless of brand. After the initial boot which can take 30-60 seconds, they all run pretty similar. There are features you can turn off such as the memory re-checking, but again this is the same with all vendors.

It was just things I had seen crop up in forums etc... because I'm not in the know I just wanted to run it past someone more informed than me.

More than happy to go with Asus now. I trust you dude.

Just out of sheer interest, what build do you have? What have been game changers in your opinion when it comes to certain components you've used?

Do you think now is a good time to purchase a build? Or is there a fleet of flagships round the corner?

 

[felhfornow]

Just out of sheer interest, what build do you have? What have been game changers in your opinion when it comes to certain components you've used?

you can find some people's builds as their 'signatures', as well as on their profiles, above is scott's

 

[Scott]

X3D is definitely the biggest game changer for gaming, but AM5 (and AMD in general) are really crushing it when it comes to performance per watt.

40 series GPUs from Nvidia have given a good uplift in performance but their pricing was all over the place. AMD are making great headway on the GPU front but still not there for VR yet, which is a shame.

 

[JoycieB]

View attachment 40800
you can find some people's builds as their 'signatures', as well as on their profiles, above is scott's

Broooo, i'm so stupid haha

 

[JoycieB]

X3D is definitely the biggest game changer for gaming, but AM5 (and AMD in general) are really crushing it when it comes to performance per watt.

40 series GPUs from Nvidia have given a good uplift in performance but their pricing was all over the place. AMD are making great headway on the GPU front but still not there for VR yet, which is a shame.

Thanks Scott! Everyday is a school day!

Looking at my build, if I was to change my GPU from the 16GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4070 Ti SUPER to an AMD equivalent (or better), what would you recommend?

 

[Scott]

Thanks Scott! Everyday is a school day!

Looking at my build, if I was to change my GPU from the 16GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4070 Ti SUPER to an AMD equivalent (or better), what would you recommend?

7900GRE is the best value card by a margin right now, but it's not quite as powerful as the TI Super so you would need to look at the XT. Similar price but the XT offers more performance for flat panel rasterization.

The only down sides with AMD is they aren't there with VR yet and the technologies for upscaling/down scaling aren't quite as refined (but they are very good). RTX on the Nvidia cards is a no-contest too, that's if you want shiny puddles and the likes. If none of this has your interest then the 7900XT is definitely the way to go.

 

[smallkube]

My PC, bought in November, is pretty much the same as you're looking at, with AMD graphics card option.
Of the games you mention I can confirm that i'm playing Baldur's Gate 3 in 4K at max settings, give or take a tweak, and getting the full 120 fps my TV can handle. I only reduce shadows and motion blur as neither seem to matter and never use RTX as it really impacts performance and to me the gains in reflection qualilty aren't impactful to my gaming experience.
I only got the 120hz tv recently so i haven't tried all my games yet but pretty much everything i've had on is hitting 100+ fps, mostly the full 120. The only titles so far that don't get a least 100fps are those that are poorly optimised by the developers, eg Jedi Survivor.

 

[JoycieB]

My PC, bought in November, is pretty much the same as you're looking at, with AMD graphics card option.
Of the games you mention I can confirm that i'm playing Baldur's Gate 3 in 4K at max settings, give or take a tweak, and getting the full 120 fps my TV can handle. I only reduce shadows and motion blur as neither seem to matter and never use RTX as it really impacts performance and to me the gains in reflection qualilty aren't impactful to my gaming experience.
I only got the 120hz tv recently so i haven't tried all my games yet but pretty much everything i've had on is hitting 100+ fps, mostly the full 120. The only titles so far that don't get a least 100fps are those that are poorly optimised by the developers, eg Jedi Survivor.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Your build is near identical to mine. Gives me confidence.