Looking for build advice!

[Elhan]

So, I was hoping I could get some recommendations as to what a good spec would be for a PC capable of playing the latest RPGs/MMOs at highest settings. This would include a good monitor. I am working with a £2500 budget but don't want to spend more than is required. AMD processor builds would be preferred.

Also wanted to know if VR technology is at all worth it at present for PC gaming or, for that matter, PS4 gaming, if anyone has some insight into that?

 

[Oussebon]

AMD processor builds would be preferred.

The i7 7700k is just straight up better for gaming. It's not like AMD's Ryzen CPUs suck for gaming, it's just if you're spending £X on a CPU for a specific purpose I don't see the merit in buying one that costs just as much but performs less well for that activity.

Certain MMOs especially are even more reliant on single threaded CPU performance than many other games.

With that in mind perhaps something like:


Case
FRACTAL DEFINE S BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Overclocked CPU
Overclocked Intel® Core™i7-7700k Quad Core (4.20GHz @ up to 4.8GHz)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z270E GAMING: LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GB, Wi-Fi - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
11GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1080 Ti - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - GTX VR Ready!
1[SUP]st[/SUP] Hard Disk
2TB SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
M.2 SSD Drive
256GB SAMSUNG PM961 M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 2800MB/R, 1100MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W CS SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Noctua NH-U14S Ultra Quiet Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY 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
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
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 6 to 8 working days
Quantity
1

Price £1,927.00 including VAT and delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z270-overclocked/j37YrY2jFj/

As for a monitor you could get a £4k gsync one like the Acer XB281HK for £400, or a 1440p 144hz gsync screen for ~£500+

PCS do the AOC AGON AG271QG 27" for ~£600 which is 165hz, 1440p IPS gysnc and is supposed to be rather nice.

I can't comment on VR though

 

[Oussebon]

To present an AMD alternative for balance:



Case
FRACTAL DEFINE S BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 1700X Eight Core CPU (3.4GHz-3.8GHz/20MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME X370-PRO (DDR4, 6Gb/s, CrossFireX/SLI) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
11GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1080 Ti - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - GTX VR Ready!
1[SUP]st[/SUP] Hard Disk
2TB SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
M.2 SSD Drive
256GB SAMSUNG PM961 M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 2800MB/R, 1100MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W CS SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster Hyper 212X (120mm) Fan CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY 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
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
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 6 to 8 working days
Quantity
1

Price £1,901.00 including VAT and delivery

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

You can look up benchmarks online and make your own decision about performance vs £ for gaming, if that is your main use. Here are a few to start you off:
http://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/2867-intel-i7-2600k-2017-benchmark-vs-7700k-1700-more/page-3
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/amd-ryzen-7-1700x-review,review-33843-5.html
http://hexus.net/tech/reviews/cpu/103078-amd-ryzen-7-1700x-14nm-zen/?page=6
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2017-amd-ryzen-7-1700-1700x-vs-1800x-review

 

[Elhan]

Brilliant. Thanks for your help. I'll give the guides a look.

In regards to the screen, is there any tangible benefit to a 4k monitor for a PC? As in, does it produce a noticeable difference? I've heard very good things about the AGON monitor.

Lastly, is it worth getting a dedicated sound card for a gaming PC?

I'll create a separate thread on the VR question.

 

[Oussebon]

Well, it's a lot sharper than 1080p. If there's a store near where you live that sells monitors / TVs you could go and audition some monitors or at least see if they have a 4k one on display and spot the difference.

I can't give a personal verdict on how mind-blowing the difference is or whether 1440p high refresh rate is the way to go instead as I don't even own either of those. Some forum members do though and may pop in.

WRT the sound card, my short answer is no.

Onboard sound is generally decent enough. It would be worth trying it out before buying a sound card. If you try it out and decide you do want something better then you may consider a USB DAC of some kind instead. But there's probably not much benefit unless you're an audiophile listening to high definition music with pretty upmarket earphones/headphones. For general gaming with a middle of the road headset, I'd expect that to be more of a bottleneck than the onboard sound.