My First Gaming PC

[alexisb96]

Hello PCSForums,

I am working on a budget of £1200-1300 and looking to build a very good 1080p 60 fps gaming pc with value for money. This is the best I have come up with after hours of research and advice from friends.

Also, I want to know if this could potentially run 4k games as good as the next gen consoles due to come out end of 2020. Looking for minimum 3 years to stay with this build before potential future upgrades.

Please provide me some feedback on the specs.

All the best and stay safe.

Alex

Case
CORSAIR CRYSTAL SERIES 280X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-10600K (4.1 GHz) 12 MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B460-I GAMING: Mini-ITX, LGA1200, USB 3.2, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2666MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 SUPER - HDMI
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)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 350W VS SERIES™ VS-350 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H60 2018 Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
LED Lighting
50cm Green LED Strip
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS-N (300Mbps) 3dBi HIGH GAIN USB ADAPTER
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 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
Google Chrome™
Keyboard & Mouse
LOGITECH® MK270 WIRELESS KEYBOARD & MOUSE COMBO
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

 

[steaky360]

The GTX 1650S isn't ideally suited to playing 4K games, but it all really depends on your monitor. What monitor will you be using?

To quote @Scott

1080p up to 75hz - 1650 super
1080p over 75hz - 1660 Super
1440p up to 75hz - 2060 Super
1440p over 75hz & VR - 2070 Super
4k up to 60hz, Ultrawide up to 100hz & High end VR - 2080 Super
4k over 60hz,, Super ultrawide and Ultrawide 100hz+ - 2080 Ti

You might be able to get a cheaper & potentially better performing PC with an AMD build, hopefully one of the more seasoned spec builders will see this post shortly and help out AMD are dominating the CPU market at the moment.

 

[alexisb96]

Thanks for the advice steaky.

Initially I will use 1080p monitors which I am sure will run well with gtx 1650 super. This GTX 1650 seems to represent best value for GPU's in the market and will seem to run any game at 60fps with the i5-10600k cpu.

I have looked into AMD as well as I have seen a lot of articles relating to its growing popularity. However, I have been using user benchmarks to compare amd to intel, and comparing i5-10600k to the ryzen 9 3900 shows better gaming performance for i5 which surprises me.

So the big question is would ryzen 9 be better in the long run with its 12 cores compared to i5's 6 cores for running the latest games over the next 3 years?

 

[SpyderTracks]

I have been using user benchmarks to compare amd to intel, and comparing i5-10600k to the ryzen 9 3900 shows better gaming performance for i5 which surprises me.

Userbenchmark, cpubenchmark or any of those comparison sites show complete garbage results that have no meaning whatsoever in the real world, in fact they changed their algorithms as soon as Ryzen 3000 came out because Ryzen was absolutely smashing intel all over the place (which is the true real world performance). They should be avoided at all costs, they're complete nonesense:

Updated: Userbenchmark Responds to Criticism Over Score Weighing Revisions

Userbenchmark's new scoring mechanism has stoked controversy in the enthusiast community.

www.tomshardware.com

Userbenchmark adjusting CPU 'rankings', pandering to Intel?

Userbenchmark changes their CPU rating algorithm to push huge focus on 1T performance while nerfing nT performance because 'Ryzen is too fast'

www.tweaktown.com

Ryzen FAR FAR FAR outperforms Intel at anything other than 1080p 240Hz competitive gameplay.

 

[Scott]

Whatever you do, don't go with Userbenchmark or any of their affiliates for information. It's absolute dross.

The i5 doesn't even close to compete with the 3900, they're a completely different league. For the i5 comparison you would be looking at the 3600 but if the system is purely for gaming the 3300X would actually have you covered. Even at 1080p and looking for 200fps the 3300x would have you covered with the correct GPU.

The 1650 isn't going to be able to run 4k with any sort of decent level of output, even on lower settings with non-demanding games. It's going to run fairly poorly. You may stretch 30fps or something like that, but nothing that would keep you competitive.

Which monitor is it you have for gaming on? Model number or resolution & refresh rate?

 

[alexisb96]

Userbenchmark, cpubenchmark or any of those comparison sites show complete garbage results that have no meaning whatsoever in the real world, in fact they changed their algorithms as soon as Ryzen 3000 came out because Ryzen was absolutely smashing intel all over the place (which is the true real world performance). They should be avoided at all costs, they're complete nonesense:

Updated: Userbenchmark Responds to Criticism Over Score Weighing Revisions

Userbenchmark's new scoring mechanism has stoked controversy in the enthusiast community.

www.tomshardware.com

Userbenchmark adjusting CPU 'rankings', pandering to Intel?

Userbenchmark changes their CPU rating algorithm to push huge focus on 1T performance while nerfing nT performance because 'Ryzen is too fast'

www.tweaktown.com

Ryzen FAR FAR FAR outperforms Intel at anything other than 1080p 240Hz competitive gameplay.

That makes so much more sense, I can't believe they are rating a £200 i5 over a £450 ryzen 9. Is there some sort of agenda for Intel?

 

[SpyderTracks]

That makes so much more sense, I can't believe they are rating a £200 i5 over a £450 ryzen 9. Is there some sort of agenda for Intel?

Absolutely, the fact they changed their algorithm as soon as Ryzen 3000 were shown on their own site to dominate intel, plus the fact that their new algorithm only makes sense for CPU’s from about 10 years ago which happens to be when intel we’re at their peak.

This is real world benchmarks to show how little intel matter outside of 1080p competitive play:

 

[alexisb96]

Whatever you do, don't go with Userbenchmark or any of their affiliates for information. It's absolute dross.

The i5 doesn't even close to compete with the 3900, they're a completely different league. For the i5 comparison you would be looking at the 3600 but if the system is purely for gaming the 3300X would actually have you covered. Even at 1080p and looking for 200fps the 3300x would have you covered with the correct GPU.

The 1650 isn't going to be able to run 4k with any sort of decent level of output, even on lower settings with non-demanding games. It's going to run fairly poorly. You may stretch 30fps or something like that, but nothing that would keep you competitive.

Which monitor is it you have for gaming on? Model number or resolution & refresh rate?

Thanks Scott. So considering I have a budget up to £1300 what will be the best combo of cpu and gpu for gaming performance? Also bearing in mind this PC will also be used for a lot of desktop work.

Also based on what were you saying about the 3300X I have made a revised pc. Tell me what you think.

Case
CORSAIR CRYSTAL SERIES 280X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 3 3300X Quad Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.3GHz/18MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME A320I-K (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2666MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB AMD RADEON™ RX 580 - HDMI, DP - DX® 12
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 CV SERIES™ CV-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H60 2018 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-N (300Mbps) 3dBi HIGH GAIN USB ADAPTER
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 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
Google Chrome™
Keyboard & Mouse
LOGITECH® MK270 WIRELESS KEYBOARD & MOUSE COMBO
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: £1,000.00 including VAT and Delivery

 

[alexisb96]

Absolutely, the fact they changed their algorithm as soon as Ryzen 3000 were shown on their own site to dominate intel, plus the fact that their new algorithm only makes sense for CPU’s from about 10 years ago which happens to be when intel we’re at their peak.

This is real world benchmarks to show how little intel matter outside of 1080p competitive play:

Wow seems Intel are living off the brand. Quite bad that when I search for pc setup comparisons on google all these benchmarks favouring intel top the search engine.

However, are Intel is still regarded best for desktop experience?

 

[alexisb96]

Thanks Scott. So considering I have a budget up to £1300 what will be the best combo of cpu and gpu for gaming performance? Also bearing in mind this PC will also be used for a lot of desktop work.

Also based on what were you saying about the 3300X I have made a revised pc. Tell me what you think.

Case
CORSAIR CRYSTAL SERIES 280X RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 3 3300X Quad Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.3GHz/18MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME A320I-K (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2666MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB AMD RADEON™ RX 580 - HDMI, DP - DX® 12
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 CV SERIES™ CV-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H60 2018 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-N (300Mbps) 3dBi HIGH GAIN USB ADAPTER
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 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
Google Chrome™
Keyboard & Mouse
LOGITECH® MK270 WIRELESS KEYBOARD & MOUSE COMBO
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: £1,000.00 including VAT and Delivery

And with regards to monitor I've been using a Benq monitor for last 4 years (model number - gl2450-t). But looking to make step up to 4k all within reasonable price.

 

[SpyderTracks]

However, are Intel is still regarded best for desktop experience?

No, AMD are a far better experience, the only area intel make sense are 1080p competitive play. Everywhere else AMD outperform then by leaps and bounds.

 

[Scott]

For 4k, you're looking at £2000 worth of PC to make it worthwhile unfortunately. There is a HUGE step up from 1080p going into 4k. IMO 4k is over-rated though and 1440p would be the ideal jump with Ultrawide being the nirvana.

We need to get a few baseline readings of your thoughts on what you want to do with this system.

Right now, for gaming and day to day tasks... the 3300X paired with the 1650 Super, and your current monitor, is going to be absolutely perfect.

Fast forward to a point in time where you are considering a 4k monitor (£450+ usually), are you considering a new GPU to power it? The 2080Ti would be the current standard for 4k on AAA games (£1200)

You can see the very steep price climb when you want to move on.

If we concentrate on 1080p gaming at around 75FPS then I'll centre a spec around that right now.

 

[Scott]

The micro builds you have been looking at are best avoided btw.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 220T RGB AIRFLOW MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 3 3300X Quad Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.3GHz/18MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 SUPER - HDMI
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 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
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
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™
Keyboard & Mouse
LOGITECH® MK270 WIRELESS KEYBOARD & MOUSE COMBO
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 14 working days
Price: £1,030.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/vSWdY3rmyA/

 

[alexisb96]

For 4k, you're looking at £2000 worth of PC to make it worthwhile unfortunately. There is a HUGE step up from 1080p going into 4k. IMO 4k is over-rated though and 1440p would be the ideal jump with Ultrawide being the nirvana.

We need to get a few baseline readings of your thoughts on what you want to do with this system.

Right now, for gaming and day to day tasks... the 3300X paired with the 1650 Super, and your current monitor, is going to be absolutely perfect.

Fast forward to a point in time where you are considering a 4k monitor (£450+ usually), are you considering a new GPU to power it? The 2080Ti would be the current standard for 4k on AAA games (£1200)

You can see the very steep price climb when you want to move on.

If we concentrate on 1080p gaming at around 75FPS then I'll centre a spec around that right now.

Yeah I don't think 4k 60fps+ is worth that money at all. I would be really happy with the 3300x and 1650 super quote. It would be a matter of replacing the gpu and monitors at a later date when 4k becomes more popular and cheaper. The most important thing for me is that this quote would be able to run all games at 60fps+ 1080p for next 3 years at least.

Also, how much of a genuine improvement is comp gaming over 60fps because all I get the impression that as long as you have 60fps+ then its an even playing field.

 

[Scott]

Yeah I don't think 4k 60fps+ is worth that money at all. I would be really happy with the 3300x and 1650 super quote. It would be a matter of replacing the gpu and monitors at a later date when 4k becomes more popular and cheaper. The most important thing for me is that this quote would be able to run all games at 60fps+ 1080p for next 3 years at least.

Also, how much of a genuine improvement is comp gaming over 60fps because all I get the impression that as long as you have 60fps+ then its an even playing field.

If you want to be EXTRA safe, you could go for the 1660 Super over the 1650 Super. This would all but guarantee a good experience for the foreseeable future on 1080p. Its a toss up though as noone really knows what is around the corner.

There is definitely an advantage.... we are talking professional level gaming though. Playing online games around the world with friends and the like is often a very even field with multiple different skill levels. When you get to proper competition the playing field is elite and literally every 10th of a second matters. At this level 200+fps is required to ensure there are NO stutters, lags or tears at any point during the game. It's more for aiming and muscle reflex than anything else.

At this point though, it's just a different territory. I don't know any proper competitive gamers. For the most part, my interactions are with people who would like to be competitive gamers..... so buy all the kit...... only to find that while miles better than me.... they wouldn't crack into the top 500

 

[SpyderTracks]

Also, how much of a genuine improvement is comp gaming over 60fps because all I get the impression that as long as you have 60fps+ then its an even playing field.

Most gaming is expected to be at 144fps, so you’d buy a 144hz monitor. It’s only a tiny percentage of humans that can appreciate any difference over about 120fps.

 

[alexisb96]

If you want to be EXTRA safe, you could go for the 1660 Super over the 1650 Super. This would all but guarantee a good experience for the foreseeable future on 1080p. Its a toss up though as noone really knows what is around the corner.

There is definitely an advantage.... we are talking professional level gaming though. Playing online games around the world with friends and the like is often a very even field with multiple different skill levels. When you get to proper competition the playing field is elite and literally every 10th of a second matters. At this level 200+fps is required to ensure there are NO stutters, lags or tears at any point during the game. It's more for aiming and muscle reflex than anything else.

At this point though, it's just a different territory. I don't know any proper competitive gamers. For the most part, my interactions are with people who would like to be competitive gamers..... so buy all the kit...... only to find that while miles better than me.... they wouldn't crack into the top 500

Well my full time job isn't to be a professional gamer so I wont be breaking top 500 any time soon ahaha. I am mainly looking to play with friends but also be able to muscle it out in comp.

Also regarding the specs you sent, is it worth getting the standard cooler and thermal paste. My friend raves about the h60 cooler, so I would be looking for a cooler that contributes to minimal noise and great performance

 

[alexisb96]

Most gaming is expected to be at 144fps, so you’d buy a 144hz monitor. It’s only a tiny percentage of humans that can appreciate any difference over about 120fps.

Must have some super vision and reflex skills to operate at 120fps+, can see why professional gamers are so intense

 

[Scott]

Well my full time job isn't to be a professional gamer so I wont be breaking top 500 any time soon ahaha. I am mainly looking to play with friends but also be able to muscle it out in comp.

Also regarding the specs you sent, is it worth getting the standard cooler and thermal paste. My friend raves about the h60 cooler, so I would be looking for a cooler that contributes to minimal noise and great performance

No offence..... that friend doesn't know coolers well at all. The H60 is on a similar level to most low end air coolers, it is in no way going to be an upgrade. It was a good cooler back in 2010 (labelled the H50 then) but requirements are far outwith this level now.

The stock spire cooler is actually really good. To purchase an upgraded cooler you would be looking at the 240 Coolermaster AIO water cooler. This is an excellent cooler but it will be noisier due to extracting directly external, having 2 fans and not being premium. If you wanted to go all out, you would want the H100i RGB platinum. Now, these coolers are MASSIVE overkill so not recommended on the 3300X, but if you're going to go aftermarket on a cooler... there's no point in saving £10 for half the performance.

I personally wouldn't bother unless you plan on overclocking the CPU..... something I would only recommend on the 3300X, as it can actually be done properly. The H100i RGB would make sense at this point as it's a monster cooler and runs seriously quiet.

 

[alexisb96]

No offence..... that friend doesn't know coolers well at all. The H60 is on a similar level to most low end air coolers, it is in no way going to be an upgrade. It was a good cooler back in 2010 (labelled the H50 then) but requirements are far outwith this level now.

The stock spire cooler is actually really good. To purchase an upgraded cooler you would be looking at the 240 Coolermaster AIO water cooler. This is an excellent cooler but it will be noisier due to extracting directly external, having 2 fans and not being premium. If you wanted to go all out, you would want the H100i RGB platinum. Now, these coolers are MASSIVE overkill so not recommended on the 3300X, but if you're going to go aftermarket on a cooler... there's no point in saving £10 for half the performance.

I personally wouldn't bother unless you plan on overclocking the CPU..... something I would only recommend on the 3300X, as it can actually be done properly. The H100i RGB would make sense at this point as it's a monster cooler and runs seriously quiet.

Ok so from what you're saying it seems that the standard cooler is really worth it.

Looking over specs I have 3 queries:

1) Why have you picked the x570 plus motherboard? And not upgraded/downgraded?
2) Gamers online seem to be thinking that cpu 6 core min is the requirement for gaming for the next few years and nothing less
3) Having firefox as your main browser?