Is this spec any good?

[Vol780]

Hi all,

A long time customer at PCS since over 10 years having bought several PCs and Laptops over the years for both work and pleasure. Now its time for a new one

After reading many threads here and learning lots and lots from the ones in the know I thought it would be a good idea to post my own spec question (first time btw).

My poor old PC is showing signs of not only age (just over 10 years old!) but it's also struggling with lots of little things, like a simple re-start just won't work (get a long beep) and sometimes the LAN won't connect to the internet, despite Windows showing its connected and working. Anyway, for those who are interested, it uses an Asus P6T Deluxe motherboard with an Intel i7-975 processor, 6Gb Dominator GT 2000Mhz, two 2Gb ATI Radeon Graphics cards in SLI and two 250Gb SSD's from OCZ. Has served my needs very well over the years, especially when playing Flight Simulator (still does work all maxed out). The price of it, 10 years ago, was an arm & a leg at over £4600!

In any case, it's time for an upgrade and was thinking of the below spec. I mainly use the PC for gaming, but also some light work and graphics/editing etc (my laptop does the heavy work load for my business). I would like to have it as future proofed as possible using quality items only and don't mind spending a bit of money on it. A monitor I will buy seperately but more of that end the end.... The games I play are Cities Skylines and await the release of the new FS2020. I would like to have both maxed out.

I have some additional questions at the end of things that I either are to thick to understand or simply lack the knowledge...

Case
CORSAIR OBSIDIAN SERIES™ 500D SE CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16 Core CPU (3.5GHz-4.7GHz/73MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® CROSSHAIR VIII HERO (DDR4, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX/SLI) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
11GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU 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)
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

Price: £3949.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/ydSyQh69MA/

Case + Fans - I am totally sold on the case but it doesn't seem to come with a rear fan, let alone an RGB one and I don't see this in the options list. Easy enough to get one and connect yourself (I really would like the same theme as the front ones)?

Motherboard - not sure on this one. Want something can handle fast LAN (500Gbit connection), have good sound quality among other things. Perhaps I should save £100 by selecting the ASUS Strix X570-F gaming one instead?

Memory - want the RGB and 2x16Gb so can easily upgrade if ever needed.

LAN card - well, just because it's only £18 but have never needed one.....

Monitor - I know from other threads that this question will come up and I am looking to run the games at highest quality. Is a 4K superwide the way to go? Don't want to spend more that around £1k on a monitor. Have looked at Asus XG43VQ (superwide?) and a "normal" one Asus XG27UQ (also seen the PG27UQ but double of the other two).

Grateful for any input on this one (ready to order).

Thank You very much in advance!!
Patrik

 

[Scott]

I would suggest a couple of changes. There's a lot of money being spent here for no real gain.... even with a 10+ year longevity considered.

For the CPU there's no point in the 3950X for your uses. The 3900X is massive overkill but it's a reasonable outlay for such a high end system.
As you rightly surmised... the Hero motherboard isn't worth it. The STRIX is overkill but it's definitely the one I would go with and recommend at this budget.
The RAM is a fair shout as you won't need to upgrade anything for a LONG time.
With the Thermal paste, the standard stuff on the H115i is the way to go. It's fantastic and you don't need to worry about a poor paste job.
There's no point in paying for a Windows license again. If you register your current build to a microsoft account, you can deactivate your current PC then sign in and it'll automatically activate your new system.

With regards to the exhaust fan. I would contact PCS. They may be able to charge for 1 of the Corsair LL fans to match the rest.

For the monitor.... in your shoes I would go with this personally...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-C49RG90-49-inch-Ultrawide-Monitor/dp/B07NL27TCK

Case
CORSAIR OBSIDIAN SERIES™ 500D SE CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12 Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.6GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
11GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
NOT REQUIRED
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM 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)
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
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® Office® 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 10.30AM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 14 working days
Price: £3,484.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/9BhymzDjqT/

 

[Vol780]

Thank you very much!

Some very nice points made there.

Re the monitor, I've had a look at the Samsung you recommended and its seems it's a very nice step up from the Asus for very little money (perfect as I like a high quality screen). The only thing that I have "concerns" about would be this huge curved screen, that I am not used too, and if I could possibly do any work on it without straining my eyes?

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thank you very much!

Some very nice points made there.

Re the monitor, I've had a look at the Samsung you recommended and its seems it's a very nice step up from the Asus for very little money (perfect as I like a high quality screen). The only thing that I have "concerns" about would be this huge curved screen, that I am not used too, and if I could possibly do any work on it without straining my eyes?

It’s just a standard 1440p resolution on the vertical but multiple screens width. If you struggle with eyessight you can adjust the scaling in windows settings to 125% or whatever worked for you.

It’s just going to be normal display scaling though, it’s not any smaller just because it’s a larger screen.

 

[Vol780]

It’s just a standard 1440p resolution on the vertical but multiple screens width. If you struggle with eyessight you can adjust the scaling in windows settings to 125% or whatever worked for you.

It’s just going to be normal display scaling though, it’s not any smaller just because it’s a larger screen.

It’s just a standard 1440p resolution on the vertical but multiple screens width. If you struggle with eyessight you can adjust the scaling in windows settings to 125% or whatever worked for you.

It’s just going to be normal display scaling though, it’s not any smaller just because it’s a larger screen.

Oh I see. But its still a 4K screen?

Get a little confused with all these things, despite reading the Monitor guide on here a couple of times. Have understood a 2080Ti card can handle it and to skip any 1080 and 1440 screens.

 

[Scott]

As above. Its 2 1440p screens stitched together. The peripheral vision of your eyes will love it 😎

 

[Scott]

Oh I see. But its still a 4K screen?

Get a little confused with all these things, despite reading the Monitor guide on here a couple of times. Have understood a 2080Ti card can handle it and to skip any 1080 and 1440 screens.

Its 1440 pixels high but its double 3440 across. I'm not sure how that works in pixel count but it's similar to 4k I think. Its sometimes referred to as 5k but I've no idea why. People just seem to attach references to things 🤷‍♂️

You cannot compare them like for like though. IMO this is wayyyy better than 4k.

It takes a 2080ti to drive that panel properly.... trust me on that 😁

 

[Vol780]

As above. Its 2 1440p screens stitched together. The peripheral vision of your eyes will love it 😎

Thank You!

Just been seeing a few vids and what I was concerned about can clearly be sorted using Display Fusion Windows Management. I was under the impression that even simple things like documents etc would be "spread out" over the whole screen...

 

[Vol780]

Its 1440 pixels high but its double 3440 across. I'm not sure how that works in pixel count but it's similar to 4k I think. Its sometimes referred to as 5k but I've no idea why. People just seem to attach references to things 🤷‍♂️

You cannot compare them like for like though. IMO this is wayyyy better than 4k.

It takes a 2080ti to drive that panel properly.... trust me on that 😁

I am sure that Samsung would be perfect and I would probably be more than happy to fly in FS2020 looking at a Superwide (and scale it down for if/when needed).

 

[Scott]

Would make a huge difference with any sim like that imo. An entire windscreen basically 😲

 

[Vol780]

Been reading up and watched a few vids about these screens and I must say, I am impressed! Lucky me as I found vids with the exact games I and my daughter plays.

 

[Scott]

All I can add is make sure they are current. There were shortcomings years ago..... not now. They now have it all 😎

 

[Pokkai]

Consider that nVidia should drop their Ampere, 30XX, cards later this year, buying a 2080 Ti at this point is pouring money down the sink. The performance and efficiency gains are assumed to be huge on these cards, as they use a new fabrication.

Additionally, AMD will release 4th Gen Ryzen in the same time period making your 10 year build expensive and outclassed within 6 months.

Can you either wait on those products or lose the 2080 Ti and get a cheaper card to tide you over, you can then drop in a 4th gen Ryzen into that same build as well?

 

[Vol780]

Consider that nVidia should drop their Ampere, 30XX, cards later this year, buying a 2080 Ti at this point is pouring money down the sink. The performance and efficiency gains are assumed to be huge on these cards, as they use a new fabrication.

Additionally, AMD will release 4th Gen Ryzen in the same time period making your 10 year build expensive and outclassed within 6 months.

Can you either wait on those products or lose the 2080 Ti and get a cheaper card to tide you over, you can then drop in a 4th gen Ryzen into that same build as well?

Well, unfortunately it's like with anything in the computer world as well as with cars and many other things. Buy today, obsolete tomorrow. Ok, a bit exaggerated perhaps but we all know it. Sure I could wait but in 6 months time they will announce something else and then something else etc.

The 10 year old system we use today even struggles with a simple graphics program (forget the name) and many games won't even run on it (one example being Cities Skylines, that does run on my laptop however) and me considering upgrading has been a thought since last Christmas.

Guess I shouldn't leave it 10 years till next time!

 

[Scott]

Consider that nVidia should drop their Ampere, 30XX, cards later this year, buying a 2080 Ti at this point is pouring money down the sink. The performance and efficiency gains are assumed to be huge on these cards, as they use a new fabrication.

Additionally, AMD will release 4th Gen Ryzen in the same time period making your 10 year build expensive and outclassed within 6 months.

Can you either wait on those products or lose the 2080 Ti and get a cheaper card to tide you over, you can then drop in a 4th gen Ryzen into that same build as well?

I agree with your sentiment but with the same mindset you get to the point where you are as well waiting on the nth generation product.

Right now, we aren't on the cusp of new technology. It's likely Sept/Oct/Nov before we are going to see these products drop. By which point..... why not wait for the price drop to get the next tier.... or again hold off for the Super.

There are sooooooooo many iterations. It's the BIGGEST reason why we always recommend building a system with the GPU matching the monitor.

At this level, where the op is, we are top tier. There is nothing that's going to beat the experience of the 2080Ti and the monitor that I've recommended. Sure... hold off 6 months and you can beat it... my point is.... hold off another 6 months and you can beat it again.... and again.. etc.

 

[Scott]

Well, unfortunately it's like with anything in the computer world as well as with cars and many other things. Buy today, obsolete tomorrow. Ok, a bit exaggerated perhaps but we all know it. Sure I could wait but in 6 months time they will announce something else and then something else etc.

The 10 year old system we use today even struggles with a simple graphics program (forget the name) and many games won't even run on it (one example being Cities Skylines, that does run on my laptop however) and me considering upgrading has been a thought since last Christmas.

Guess I shouldn't leave it 10 years till next time!

You kind of took the words out of my..... post haha.

 

[Vol780]

I think that with my spec and with your recommendations of little changes (as well as others on here) we will more than happy for a long time. I really appreciate what you guys do and the help you so happily seem to give to everyone.

The reviews I've seen of that C49RG90 monitor seems to be 5+ more less all over board and yes, sure we can look for something even better but there are limits. We currently use an old Dell 24" display, which is nice and sharp and works perfectly (it will be used elsewehere) but I think that Samsung will be a VERY different ball game altogether! When it comes to watching movies on a TV, thats where I go the full hog! Sound too. Both at home and in cars. Has to be perfect and clarity is #1!

 

[Scott]

I think that with my spec and with your recommendations of little changes (as well as others on here) we will more than happy for a long time. I really appreciate what you guys do and the help you so happily seem to give to everyone.

The reviews I've seen of that C49RG90 monitor seems to be 5+ more less all over board and yes, sure we can look for something even better but there are limits. We currently use an old Dell 24" display, which is nice and sharp and works perfectly (it will be used elsewehere) but I think that Samsung will be a VERY different ball game altogether! When it comes to watching movies on a TV, thats where I go the full hog! Sound too. Both at home and in cars. Has to be perfect and clarity is #1!

TBH you sound very much like myself.... all be it with deeper pockets than I.

Just be 100% sure to get the 1440p version as there is, from what I can tell, a 1080p version. I'm not sure how that works exactly.

However... now having looked into the resolution, 5120x1440 pixels , 5k seems apt haha.... not accurate... but definitely apt.

 

[Vol780]

TBH you sound very much like myself.... all be it with deeper pockets than I.

Just be 100% sure to get the 1440p version as there is, from what I can tell, a 1080p version. I'm not sure how that works exactly.

However... now having looked into the resolution, 5120x1440 pixels , 5k seems apt haha.... not accurate... but definitely apt.

I think that the one you linked is the right version.....

Tbh everything depends on what you are into and prepared to spend some decent dough on. For example, I won't go out and buy the newest TV every year as it brings me nothing (but I would like to change the 5 yrs old one we have to 4K!) and the same goes for the cinema system I use (self built 9.2 from Canton) which is now 7 yrs old but is absolutely wonderful and will last me for years to come. Hopefully!

 

[Scott]

The one I linked is definitely correct