Impulse buy gaming PC advice

[FeralRogue]

Hi,

The other day I impulse bought a gaming pc with minimal research (Silly I know) and I was hoping to get some guidance on amendments or potentially cancelling and reordering if need be. It's for 1080p gaming ideally on max settings and my budget is pretty rigid at £1000 just now.

These are my current specs:
Case
PCS SPECTRUM RGB MID TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-9600K (3.7 GHz) 9 MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z390-F GAMING: ATX, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs - RGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (1 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 SUPER - HDMI
1st Storage Drive
256GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (500MB/R, 400MB/W)
2nd Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W VS SERIES™ VS-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 100 V2 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)
Wireless/Wired Networking
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 [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
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 12 to 14 working days
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Logo Branding
PCSpecialist Logo

Are there any better AMD builds I could make for the same budget or any changes for improved performance?

Thanks

 

[markh]

Did you spec up the equivalent build but with the equivalent AMD 6-core CPU? I imagine it'd be a bit cheaper. You could also save on the CPU cooler, stock AMD ones are fine. The savings on the CPU and cooler might even get you a GPU upgrade

 

[FeralRogue]

This is the build I currently have ordered, any AMD spec I used doesn't really seem to be that competitive honestly. Thanks I will have a look at those changes!

 

[markh]

Well, this might change your mind - basically the same machine but with a better motherboard and GPU:

The specification below has been formatted so you can easily copy and paste this to our forums when discussing your specification. Once you've copied the specification, please click here to continue.
Case
PCS SPECTRUM RGB MID TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)

Get 3 Months of XBOX Game Pass for PC w/ select AMD Ryzen CPUs
Motherboard
Gigabyte X570 GAMING X: ATX (USB 3.2 Gen 1, PCIe 4.0) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 Ti - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
256GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (500MB/R, 400MB/W)
2nd Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W VS SERIES™ VS-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD 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
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 [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
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
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 12 to 14 working days
Price: £1,001.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/uwWPJQV7Qy/

 

[markh]

Also looking at your old spec, one stick of 16gb RAM isn't a good choice, unless you have more 16GB sticks of identical RAM at home. You want at least 2, or 4, there are options for that in the configurator.

I added 2 sticks because it was the only option for 3200mhz RAM, which apparently pairs well with Ryzen processors.

The equivalent AMD CPU would actually be the 3600X but it seems to be out of stock so I went for the 3600.

 

[Oussebon]

, any AMD spec I used doesn't really seem to be that competitive honestly.

Not sure how you figure that - unless you're reading articles several years old about a completely different architecture.

The R5 3600 is competitive against the i5 9600k in modern games, and will probably improve relative to it with future titles thanks to the simultaneous multithreading. Intel doesn't have SMT on its i5s - but it will with its next generation which should tell you all you need to know about which is the more futureproof.

I'd make a couple of amendments to @markh's spec - drop the X570 motherboard - no real point to it over a B450 at this budget level when that £100 could go on other things. Instead get a larger and better SSD, and PSU - at least 550W VS, ideally TXm series, to allow for future upgrades.

You could also get the RTX 1660 Super which in most games gives almost identical performance to the 1660 ti, but is cheaper.

If you don't need the wifi card, drop it. if you do need it, get the AX200 as it has a lot more features for little more expense.

e.g.

Case
PCS SPECTRUM RGB MID TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)

Get 3 Months of XBOX Game Pass for PC w/ select AMD Ryzen CPUs
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W VS SERIES™ VS-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD 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
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 [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
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
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 12 to 14 working days
Price: £927.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/q0FfWQJYXN/

ideally on max settings

+ usual caveat about max settings. If you take some demanding modern games and literally crank the settings up to max, the games will run like trash and you'll get almost no / actually no fidelity improvement over a mixture of high/very high/ultra settings. Games often have settings that tank performance and are visually placebo.

 

[FeralRogue]

Most of my research when looking to make amendments found that intel had a better performance from a purely gaming standpoint although minimal and that AMD was better with things such as rendering etc. Any bench mark tests also rated the i5 9600k above the Radeon 3600x which is why I hadn't put much consideration into it.

I will definitely be having a look at these when I get back from work, you guys definitely know a lot more than me so I'd be silly not too. Especially yours oussebon as I was planning on significantly upgrading at the end of the year when I've saved a chunk and this one works out around £60 cheaper than my current build. Really appreciate such detailed responses!

 

[SpyderTracks]

Most of my research when looking to make amendments found that intel had a better performance from a purely gaming standpoint although minimal and that AMD was better with things such as rendering etc. Any bench mark tests also rated the i5 9600k above the Radeon 3600x which is why I hadn't put much consideration into it.

I will definitely be having a look at these when I get back from work, you guys definitely know a lot more than me so I'd be silly not too. Especially yours oussebon as I was planning on significantly upgrading at the end of the year when I've saved a chunk and this one works out around £60 cheaper than my current build. Really appreciate such detailed responses!

I'm willing to be the "benchmark tests" you're referring to are cpu comparison sites like cpubenchmark or userbenchmark or something like that?

If so they're complete garbage results that should be flushed down the toilet. They heavily favour intel based on completely nonsense calculations and have zero connection to real world performance. https://www.techquila.co.in/userbenchmark-intel-vs-amd-ryzen-processors/

UserBenchmark offers explanation for changes to CPU score weights

This past week a portion of the enthusiast community was lit aflame with controversy over UserBenchmark's decision to adjust its CPU scoring system. While not a popular...

www.techspot.com

The Intel i5 is literally a dead design in most applications. The R5 3600 will perform adequately against a 9900k for half the price (we're talking literally a few fps more on the 9900k). There is literally no reason to buy intel unless you're a bit shortsighted.

 

[FeralRogue]

Fair enough, it was a mix of YT videos and a variety of sites including the ones you mentioned. This is why I asked here, as I previously stated you guys know a lot more than me! Thanks again

 

[SpyderTracks]

Fair enough, it was a mix of YT videos and a variety of sites including the ones you mentioned. This is why I asked here, as I previously stated you guys know a lot more than me! Thanks again

No worries. No one expects there to be blatant misinformation on such mainstream sites. IMHO they should be taken down for obvious slander, but AMD don’t seem too concerned about it.

 

[Oussebon]

Most of my research when looking to make amendments found that intel had a better performance from a purely gaming standpoint although minimal and that AMD was better with things such as rendering etc. Any bench mark tests also rated the i5 9600k above the Radeon 3600x which is why I hadn't put much consideration into it.

1) Remember too that you need to look at the whole spec and a price point, not just CPU A vs CPU B.

In those tests the 9600k and R5 3600 will usually have been paired with the same RAM. However, in your quote, you paired it with 1 x 2400 MHz whereas in the R5 3600 quotes, the CPU has 2 x 3200MHz RAM. So the R5 gets a buff there, sometimes a significant one.

2) The i5 9600k is actually ~£100+ more than the R5 3600 if you compare similar specs
i5 9600k + cheapest Gigabyte Z390 + stuff = £1012
R5 3600 + Gigabyte B450 + same stuff* = £896
(*stock AMD cooler used as it's adequate, cheapest available air cooler for Intel used as stock cooler not supplied or adequate for 9600k)

3) In actual gaming tests, the R5 3600 actually outperforms the 9600k half the time

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 vs. Intel Core i5-9400F: Mainstream Titans Clash

When we reviewed the new Ryzen 5 3600 we had plenty of positive things to say about it, and that was comparing it to the more expensive...

www.techspot.com

The R6 3600 beats the 9600k as often as not, and can give higher "1% low" framerates even where the average framerate is a little lower. i.e. the framerate is more stable and doesn't vary as much, making for a smoother gaming experience.

The review involves actual gaming tests rather than synthetic and sometimes biased or poorly constructed benchmarks like userbenchmark. Not to say that games can't be poorly optimised of course(!).

This may be due to its extra threads, and with Intel's next gen of CPUs introducing hyperthreading to its desktop i5 CPUs for the first time, and next generation consoles having many cores, the R5 certainly seems to be more futureproof. Ofc the i5 still wins out in Far Cry New Dawn, built on the Dunia engine which is very lightly threaded, but scenarios like that are becoming less and less common.