Just ordered this

[computer-alice]

Hi

Just ordered the following - a balancing act of fitting within budget, being able to upgrade things later, and selecting items currently in stock.

Use case is software development (but _not_ data science/machine learning, so don't need heavy GPU), occasional casual gaming (I don't play too much, but want to be able to play occasionally), music production (will increase RAM and add a second storage drive later).

Any thoughts ?

Case
PCS P209 ARGB MID TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600 Six Core CPU (3.5GHz-4.4GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB PCS PRO DDR4 2666MHz (1 x 32GB)
Graphics Card
4GB AMD RADEON™ RX 6500 XT - HDMI, DP - DX® 12
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (3300 MB/R, 2900 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W CV SERIES™ CV-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
ASUS PCE-AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) 2400Mbps/5GHz, 600Mbps/2.4GHz
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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge
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 15 working days
Promotional Item
Get Company of Heroes™ 3 when you buy select AMD Ryzen™ 5000 Series processors!
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Logo Branding
PCSpecialist Logo

 

[sck451]

I would make some significant changes, which fortunately is still possible for you.

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE Much superior case
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600 Six Core CPU (3.5GHz-4.4GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
GIGABYTE B550 GAMING X V2 : DDR4, USB 3.2 - ARGB Ready Inferior motherboard, but it has the USB-C header so the case will work fully
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB) Two sticks of faster RAM is essential for Ryzen 5000
Graphics Card
8GB AMD RADEON™ RX 6600 - HDMI, DP - DX® 12 Don't go near the 6500 XT: this is much better and better value
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (3300 MB/R, 2900 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET Much superior to the CV version; I'd actually recommend the 750W one so you have some upgrade options in future
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0 No need for the more expensive card here
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 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) The extra £5 is worth it for significantly better warranty
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 15 working days
Price: £938.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/j7Wa!6DBWr/

 

[computer-alice]

Thanks for your reply ! Much appreciated

The following doesn't seem to exist as an option: 32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB) - I can get 2x16GB but only at 2666MHz, is that still better than 1x32 ?

 

[Steveyg]

Thanks for your reply ! Much appreciated

The following doesn't seem to exist as an option: 32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB) - I can get 2x16GB but only at 2666MHz, is that still better than 1x32 ?

You must have used the wrong configurator mate, it will only give you very basic options. I'd honestly cancel and go again the first spec above is not well put together at all to be honest. It just wont perform well

PCS site can be a little confusing with all the different configurator options especially if you dont know what all the terms mean

 

[computer-alice]

A couple more questions if you don't mind !

* For the motheboard, the ASUS one is listed as having USB Type-C slot, what is the difference ?
* For the video card, while the 6600 may be better value, it's pushing me over budget ! Is there a nvidia that's better than the 6500 XT, but at the same price ?

 

[SpyderTracks]

A couple more questions if you don't mind !

* For the motheboard, the ASUS one is listed as having USB Type-C slot, what is the difference ?
* For the video card, while the 6600 may be better value, it's pushing me over budget ! Is there a nvidia that's better than the 6500 XT, but at the same price ?

Nvidia cards are more expensive for lesser power unfortunately.

USB C is the newest version of usb that most devices now adopt. It also offers significantly higher bandwidth.

 

[sck451]

A couple more questions if you don't mind !

* For the motheboard, the ASUS one is listed as having USB Type-C slot, what is the difference ?
* For the video card, while the 6600 may be better value, it's pushing me over budget ! Is there a nvidia that's better than the 6500 XT, but at the same price ?

The USB-C port on the case is only functional if the motherboard has a particular internal port that it can plug into. The Asus board doesn't have it; the Gigabyte one does. Both boards have a USB-C port on the back.

No; the 6600 is by far the best value card. Maybe the 1660 Super would be the next step down that's recommendable? But the 6500XT was made specifically to be so bad that it was useless in crypto-mining; it's not a product that I could recommend in these "normal" times. If you can possibly stretch to it, I'd recommend the 6600. The 1660S is now old and, while not incapable, will have a lesser life than a strong modern card like the 6600.

 

[SpyderTracks]

The USB-C port on the case is only functional if the motherboard has a particular internal port that it can plug into. The Asus board doesn't have it; the Gigabyte one does. Both boards have a USB-C port on the back.

No; the 6600 is by far the best value card. Maybe the 1660 Super would be the next step down that's recommendable? But the 6500XT was made specifically to be so bad that it was useless in crypto-mining; it's not a product that I could recommend in these "normal" times. If you can possibly stretch to it, I'd recommend the 6600. The 1660S is now old and, while not incapable, will have a lesser life than a strong modern card like the 6600.

The 1660s is now 4 years old, it's far outdated even at budget level I'd say. It will struggle on an awful lot of games at 1080p and won't have enough VRAM to support quite a few modern titles.

 

[computer-alice]

I've now amended my order, thanks for your help ! I took money out my tatoo budget to get the 6600, so it will be a longer while until I can get a new tatoo. Maybe that's for the best...

 

[sck451]

I've now amended my order, thanks for your help ! I took money out my tatoo budget to get the 6600, so it will be a longer while until I can get a new tatoo. Maybe that's for the best...

Maybe consider it an investment in the 2024 Christmas fund as you won't need to replace it nearly so early...