Looking at a new PC, but unsure what to get..

[Oussebon]

The TXm is fine. As good as the RMx PSUs are, I'm not sure they're worth the premium in the context of this build.

In terms of being modular, the TX650m only has the motherboard and CPU cables fixed in place as far as I know. All the other cables are modular, so there should be no 'unnecessary' PSU cables making the case messy or obstructing airflow.

 

[Andrew_P]

Hi All,

I am back and now looking to order my machine.

Thinking of going with the below spec, however case wise looking for something reasonably small as I don't have much room in the bedroom where the PC is going to be placed.

Case
NZXT S340 MID TOWER GAMING CASE (BLACK/BLUE)
Overclocked CPU
Overclocked Intel® Core™ i7-8700K Six Core (3.7GHz @ up to 4.8GHz)
FREE Warhammer: Vermintide 2 & XMorph Defense w/ select Intel CPUs!
Motherboard
Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming: ATX, LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs - RGB Ready
FREE entry to win 1 of 5 smart 4K TVs w/ select GIGABYTE Motherboards!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
3GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1060 - DVI, HDMI, 3 x DP
1st Hard Disk
1TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 3.5" SSHD
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB SAMSUNG 970 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 2300MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 240 High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
COOLER MASTER MASTERGEL MAKER THERMAL COMPOUND
Extra Case Fans
2x 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
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB 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
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 3 to 5 working days
Quantity
1

Price £1,543.00 including VAT and delivery

Any feedback or possible tweaks would be greatly appreciated

Thank you in advance

 

[Oussebon]

I'd go for the H100i cooler over a Coolermaster Lite

The SSD is super expensive. The 970 Evo is much better value. Or the 960 Evo if PCS haven't refreshed that part of the lineup yet (they're only just refreshing the M.2 SSDs)

I wouldn't bother with an SSHD as a secondary drive. You're not going to get much/any benefit off it what with your OS, programs, and favourite games being on the SSD.

The storage changes alone would cut £100 off the price tag and cost no gaming performance at all.

I wouldn't bother with the extra case fans either. The S340 has 3 as standard, and a 240mm AIO cooler effectively adds 2 more.

Otherwise looks good.

 

[Andrew_P]

I'd go for the H100i cooler over a Coolermaster Lite

The SSD is super expensive. The 970 Evo is much better value. Or the 960 Evo if PCS haven't refreshed that part of the lineup yet (they're only just refreshing the M.2 SSDs)

I wouldn't bother with an SSHD as a secondary drive. You're not going to get much/any benefit off it what with your OS, programs, and favourite games being on the SSD.

The storage changes alone would cut £100 off the price tag and cost no gaming performance at all.

I wouldn't bother with the extra case fans either. The S340 has 3 as standard, and a 240mm AIO cooler effectively adds 2 more.

Otherwise looks good.

Thanks Oussebon - Can't see a 512GB 970 Evo in the list at the moment.

What do you think of the below changes I have made after your suggestions?

Also I was looking on the NZXT website and on there it seems the case only comes with 2 fans as standard?

Fan Support Front: 2x 140/2x120mm
Top: 1x 140/120mm (1 x 120mm FN V2 Fans Included)
Rear: 1x 120mm (1 x 120mm FN V2 Fan Included)

https://www.nzxt.com/products/s340-black-blue

Thank you

Case
NZXT S340 MID TOWER GAMING CASE (BLACK/BLUE)
Overclocked CPU
Overclocked Intel® Core™ i7-8700K Six Core (3.7GHz @ up to 4.8GHz)
FREE Warhammer: Vermintide 2 & XMorph Defense w/ select Intel CPUs!
Motherboard
Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming: ATX, LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs - RGB Ready
FREE entry to win 1 of 5 smart 4K TVs w/ select GIGABYTE Motherboards!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
3GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1060 - DVI, HDMI, 3 x DP
1st Hard Disk
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 32MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 960 EVO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3200MB/R, 1900MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100i V2 Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste
COOLER MASTER MASTERGEL MAKER THERMAL COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB 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
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 3 to 5 working days
Quantity
1

Price £1,507.00 including VAT and delivery

 

[Oussebon]

Also I was looking on the NZXT website and on there it seems the case only comes with 2 fans as standard?

PCS don't always sell with the factory fan config it seems. If you check the entry on the configurator they specify 2 front and 1 rear fan.

 

[Andrew_P]

Thanks Oussebon

Do you think the S340 case will be ok considering I am overclocking?

Also is it worth the extra for the 1060 6GB or do you think I would be better off sticking with the 3GB?

Thank you

 

[Oussebon]

The S340 is more than fine. PCS even used to do one of their high end review systems in it: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/files/landing/reviews/ultimax01reviewv2.jpg

The 6gb version is ~£70 more than the 3gb version. Which is a lot more than it's worth in my opinion. You could always buy the system without a GPU and buy and fit your own GTX 1060 6gb if you can find one for less than PCS sell theirs.

 

[Andrew_P]

That's great, thank you for your help Oussebon

I assume buying your own GPU elsewhere and installing does not void your warranty with PCS?

Is there a particular model of 1060 6GB that would be best to get?

Thanks again

 

[Oussebon]

Is there a particular model of 1060 6GB that would be best to get?

Whatever's at the cheaper end of the spectrum tbh, if saving money is the object of the exercise. There's relatively little difference in performance between models.

You can always google reviews of what models you find e.g. http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/msi_geforce_gtx_1060_6gt_oc_review,26.html

I assume buying your own GPU elsewhere and installing does not void your warranty with PCS?

7.7

Unlike with most computer companies, we allow you to open your case and install your own components without voiding your warranty on the following conditions: if the actions of the person installing the components cause damage to the computer, your warranty will be void; if you install components that are not purchased from us and they cause problems with your computer, your warranty will be void; if you install components that are not purchased from us we will in no way support you in installing them or with any problems you have relating to the components you have installed. we will support you in installing components purchased from us providing you have purchased them through the upgrade service available on your online account.

7.8

The company reserves the right to suspend the warranty or refuse service if your Case, Motherboard, CPU or BIOS have been replaced without authorisation. Any tampering, repair or modification by unauthorised personnel voids the warranty.

https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/terms/

So you're pretty well fine to do it as long as you don't break anything in the process.

 

[Andrew_P]

Thanks Oussebon

I was looking at a Freesync monitor originally as don't want to spend too much but there is an LG which I was looking at which does 60hz. It seems the RX580 4GB is really expensive.

Would you look for a monitor with G-Sync with an IPS panel for example?

Thank you

 

[Oussebon]

There are no 1080p gsync IPS monitor I believe, or there didn't used to be when I last looked. Furthermore, Gsync tends to add ~£100 to the price tag of a monitor. The cheapest 1080p gsync monitors tend to be £300, with most upwards of £400 I think.

Given the current pricing of the RX580 you might want to about freesync. Unless you can source one for not much more than the ~£250 a GTX 1060 6gb is going for. I had a quick look and there are some RX 580s out there for under £270 actually.

You can use a freesync monitor with an Nvidia GPU, you just can't use the freesync.

 

[Andrew_P]

Hi Oussebon,

Was just reading another thread and noticed the 8086K is likely to be coming out very soon. Would you hold off and wait for this CPU before ordering?

Thank you

Andrew

 

[Scott]

Might as well

 

[Andrew_P]

I wonder when PC Specialist will be taking pre orders?

 

[Oussebon]

I believe it's supposed to cost £50+ more than the 8700k and at this budget level is arguably not worth the extra.

 

[Andrew_P]

Just looking to shave some cost off the build I posted previously where I can, would you say the Noctua would do a satisfactory job on an overclocked 8700K?

Also now PCS have the 250GB 970 Evo I might go for that.

 

[Oussebon]

If this build: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/foru...re-what-to-get&p=415010&viewfull=1#post415010

Yes, Noctua is more than fine. It won't fit in the S340 so I'd suggest the Fractal Define S or the Corsair 200R

 

[Andrew_P]

Hi Oussebon,

I am finally going to order tonight and have decided on the below:

Case
NZXT S340 MID TOWER GAMING CASE (BLACK/BLUE)
Overclocked CPU
Overclocked Intel® Core™ i7-8086K Six Core (4.0GHz @ up to 5.0GHz)
Motherboard
Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming: ATX, LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs - RGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
3GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1060 - DVI, HDMI, 3 x DP
1st Hard Disk
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 32MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3400MB/R, 2300MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100i V2 Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Liquid Series Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste
COOLER MASTER MASTERGEL MAKER THERMAL COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB 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
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 6 to 8 working days
Quantity
1

Price £1,552.00 including VAT and delivery

In regards to the 3GB 1060 would this be enough to do any gaming at 1440p?

Also regarding the Overclock it only mentions 5Ghz which is the max speed out of the box I believe? Do you think PCS will still overclock it due to it being a new CPU?

I have also been looking at monitors and the Dell S2417DG seems to get very good reviews, however I guess a 3GB 1060 may not be enough to run at 1440p?

Your thoughts would be most welcome

Thank you

 

[Oussebon]

In regards to the 3GB 1060 would this be enough to do any gaming at 1440p?

Depends on the game and settings, but it's not really a 1440p card, especially if going for more demanding titles. You would want a GTX 1070 at the least really, ideally a GTX 1080 or 1080 ti for 1440p high refresh.

Though there are some people who do game on GTX 1060s at 1440p.

Also regarding the Overclock it only mentions 5Ghz which is the max speed out of the box I believe? Do you think PCS will still overclock it due to it being a new CPU?

The above is overclocked. 5GHz relates to the max boost speed, which will be for a single core. The max boost speed across all 6 cores is probably below 5GHz.

With the 8700k it works like this:


So if the base speed and max single core boost speed are both 300MHz higher than the 8700k's base and max single core boost speeds, it stands to reason that that other boost speeds will be 300MHz higher as well. So the max 6 core boost without an OC will be 4.6 GHz. PCS will attempt to OC it up to 5GHz on all cores, which is upto 400MHz higher across 6 cores.

Just like the 8700k is OCed t0 4.8GHz on all 6 cores, up 500MHz from its 4.3GHz 6-core boost.

But seriously, the 8086k is £100 more than the 8700k. That's just not worth it at this budget level at all.

You're paying £100 for 200MHz (5GHz OC on an 8086k versus 4.8GHz on an 8700k OC).

 

[Andrew_P]

Depends on the game and settings, but it's not really a 1440p card, especially if going for more demanding titles. You would want a GTX 1070 at the least really, ideally a GTX 1080 or 1080 ti for 1440p high refresh.

Though there are some people who do game on GTX 1060s at 1440p.

The above is overclocked. 5GHz relates to the max boost speed, which will be for a single core. The max boost speed across all 6 cores is probably below 5GHz.

With the 8700k it works like this:
View attachment 11718

So if the base speed and max single core boost speed are both 300MHz higher than the 8700k's base and max single core boost speeds, it stands to reason that that other boost speeds will be 300MHz higher as well. So the max 6 core boost without an OC will be 4.6 GHz. PCS will attempt to OC it up to 5GHz on all cores, which is upto 400MHz higher across 6 cores.

Just like the 8700k is OCed t0 4.8GHz on all 6 cores, up 500MHz from its 4.3GHz 6-core boost.

But seriously, the 8086k is £100 more than the 8700k. That's just not worth it at this budget level at all.

You're paying £100 for 200MHz (5GHz OC on an 8086k versus 4.8GHz on an 8700k OC).

Thanks Oussebon for explaining in more detail about the CPU clock speeds it makes more sense now

Would you put the £100 towards something else like a RX580 for example?

Been looking at monitors this evening and for the money the below LG seems really good as I would be able to use Freesync and its got a 75Hz refresh rate. I will probably stick to 1080P to start with as I can always upgrade in the future.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/LG-23MP68VQ-23-Inch-Monitor-1920x1080/dp/B01F1PSHVW