Need help with specs, and what monitor to get please

[ramspectrum]

OK, thanks for having me here.
See attached for my quote so far.
I am treating myself, to a decent set-up, and while I am fairly tech-savvy, I am no expert.
Does this config look OK, as in what's needed or needs adding?
Also, I haven't decided on a monitor yet, I saw 8K prices and thought sod that.
I see my set-up is 8k capable, so maybe in time when the price goes down.
But what monitor should I get to get the best out of this set up?
4k? Hz? Etc

Also, you will see I added an extra case fan, I would've added more, but the gaming case can not take any more.
Is my cooling set-up sufficient?
I will get some speakers separately, I think this set up is capable of 7.1 sound, any suggesting on 7.1 capable speakers?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[AgentCooper]

Good evening and welcome. In order to provide the best kind of assistance we’ll need to ping a few questions at you…

What’s your total budget for the system and monitor? Do you need any extra peripherals and is there a separate pot of gold set aside for those?

What are you going to be using the PC for? Are you a gamer? Streamer? Video editor? Musician? Or a combo of disciplines?

Let us know and the hive mind will begin turning the cogs of knowledge 👍

 

[AgentCooper]

Oh! And if you could also provide the configuration link that allows us to make suggestions and changes to the spec, that’d be mega helpful. Instructions on how to do so are linked below:

How to Post Your Specification to the Forum - Check this Spec

Just a first note, if you've been provided this link, don't amend your first post as it won't update the queue, please add an additional comment to the thread, that way it will go back to the front of the queue. Otherwise we don't know it's been updated. When creating a forum post looking to...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

 

[ramspectrum]

Good evening and welcome. In order to provide the best kind of assistance we’ll need to ping a few questions at you…

What’s your total budget for the system and monitor? Do you need any extra peripherals and is there a separate pot of gold set aside for those?

What are you going to be using the PC for? Are you a gamer? Streamer? Video editor? Musician? Or a combo of disciplines?

Let us know and the hive mind will begin turning the cogs of knowledge 👍

Gaming, and just to have top spec for what I can spend, including the monitor and speakers I have a budget 5k the latter, monitor and speaks I till need to get, here, or else where.
As you can see I have about 800ish left as the set-up you see comes to £4,198.00 For that price I am getting webcam, keyboard, mouse. I need a monitor and speakers.

And please, tell me if I need to change anything in the spec set-up, better power instead of 750w?
Or anything else you can think of.
Thanks so much

 

[ramspectrum]

Oh! And if you could also provide the configuration link that allows us to make suggestions and changes to the spec, that’d be mega helpful. Instructions on how to do so are linked below:

How to Post Your Specification to the Forum - Check this Spec

Just a first note, if you've been provided this link, don't amend your first post as it won't update the queue, please add an additional comment to the thread, that way it will go back to the front of the queue. Otherwise we don't know it's been updated. When creating a forum post looking to...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

I can't seem to find the URL to post, but here it is in text form.

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500M GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i9 Eight-Core Processor i9-11900K (3.5GHz) 16MB Cache
Motherboard
GIGABYTE Z590 AORUS Master (LGA1200, USB 3.2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX, Wi-Fi) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
128GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (4 x 32GB)
Graphics Card
24GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3090 - HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100x Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Extra Case Fans
1x 120mm Thermaltake TOUGHFAN 12 Case Fan
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00003]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Keyboard & Mouse
ASUS ROG Strix Scope RX Gaming Keyboard & Gladius II Core Mouse Bundle
Webcam
ASUS Webcam C3 1080p 30 fps recording
Surge Protection
6 Socket 2m Surge Protector
Warranty
3 Year Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 Year Parts, 3 Year labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
FAST TRACK 3 WORKING DAY DISPATCH
Promotional Item
Get Dying Light 2 with select Samsung SSDs
Price: £4,228.00 including VAT and Delivery

 

[MrWilson]

This is where I would be leaning without getting too silly. You have a large budget to work with but it’s very easy to over splurge by just maxing out the configurator.
Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500M GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700K (3.6GHz) 25MB Cache The go to CPU for gaming. The 12900k would only offer better performance at 1080p, you’ll see negligible difference at higher resolutions and it’ll be hotter and more power hungry.
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z690-A GAMING WIFI D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB) 32GB will be enough to handle any game you want to play.
Graphics Card
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP, LHR It’s hard to recommend the 3090 when the 4000 series will be coming out in the autumn. The new generation of cards will beat out the 3090 for performance so if you’re looking to have the very best I wouldn’t keep the 3090 for 7 months. This also frees up the budget to go elsewhere.
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 530 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 7300MB/R, 6900MB/W) Speedy boot drive for OS and Programs and then 2TB for games. Going gen 4 on your secondary drive is definitely a luxury drive, but you have the budget and we will hopefully be able to get the most out of the drives going forward.
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1200W HX SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® PLATINUM, ULTRA QUIET This is with the future in mind. If you’re set on the best you’ll want to upgrade to the 4000 series, which will be incredibly power hungry. For a high end system I wouldn’t look below 1000W anymore.
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler Top end cooler both in performance and aesthetics.
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
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 [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge
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 4 to 7 working days
Price: £2,901.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z690-pc/cdnRBBfrK9/

 

[AgentCooper]

Thanks for the info, very helpful 👍

The guidance of @MrWilson is spot on, I only differed in my choice of case, cooler and drives… and going with Windows 10 as I’m still not convinced by v11.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700K (3.6GHz) 25MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z690-A GAMING WIFI D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 530 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 3000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD Display RGB 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
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 [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 4 to 7 working days
Price: £2,815.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z690-pc/0Ta5KnZYfv/

This leaves you with a considerable bit of banked cash to decide where you want to go with your monitor choice. You can go 4K at 144Hz or you could get ultra immersive with a superwide setup. As for your speakers and extra peripherals, there’s a plethora of better options outside of the PCS selection we’d be happy advise on 👍

 

[MrWilson]

Thanks for the info, very helpful 👍

The guidance of @MrWilson is spot on, I only differed in my choice of case, cooler and drives… and going with Windows 10 as I’m still not convinced by v11.

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 5000X RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700K (3.6GHz) 25MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z690-A GAMING WIFI D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 530 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 7000MB/R, 3000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD Display RGB 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
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 [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 4 to 7 working days
Price: £2,815.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z690-pc/0Ta5KnZYfv/

This leaves you with a considerable bit of banked cash to decide where you want to go with your monitor choice. You can go 4K at 144Hz or you could get ultra immersive with a superwide setup. As for your speakers and extra peripherals, there’s a plethora of better options outside of the PCS selection we’d be happy advise on 👍

Great minds think alike!
On the monitor side of things, with this sort of budget and space depending, I would probably throw LG’s OLED offerings into the ring. You can now pre order the C2 range, and they are offering a 42 inch offering as their smallest size, which might be an option depending on your desk size.

 

[ramspectrum]

Thank you to both of you.
See my photo attachments of my current system, it's a laptop and struggles to play AAA games.
So because I already have an i7 and a GTX 1060, I am surprised you think I should get the specs you say, I can obviously see an improvement from my laptop.

Do you really think an i7 and 10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 is getting the best I can get, as you know my budget?
I really appreciate your time and effort.

 

[ramspectrum]

Great minds think alike!
On the monitor side of things, with this sort of budget and space depending, I would probably throw LG’s OLED offerings into the ring. You can now pre order the C2 range, and they are offering a 42 inch offering as their smallest size, which might be an option depending on your desk size.

I have heard from pc gamers, I am primarily PS5. That a smaller monitor is better for reaction times?
I kind of want to get the best I can with the budget I have.
Future-proof it as much as possible.

 

[ramspectrum]

Great minds think alike!
On the monitor side of things, with this sort of budget and space depending, I would probably throw LG’s OLED offerings into the ring. You can now pre order the C2 range, and they are offering a 42 inch offering as their smallest size, which might be an option depending on your desk size.

Sorry, see above, I forgot to add screenshots of current laptop.

 

[MrWilson]

Thank you to both of you.
See my photo attachments of my current system, it's a laptop and struggles to play AAA games.
So because I already have an i7 and a GTX 1060, I am surprised you think I should get the specs you say, I can obviously see an improvement from my laptop.

Do you really think an i7 and 10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 is getting the best I can get, as you know my budget?
I really appreciate your time and effort.

So i7 refers to the tiering of the CPU, you’re not just comparing i7 to i7 here.
Additionally laptop parts are always going to perform worse than their desktop variants as they’re clocked down so they consume less power and produce less heat.

CPU wise you’re comparing a 7th gen 4 core chip to a 12th gen 8+4 core desktop CPU. The difference is genuinely night and day. The 1060 was an entry level card from 2016, the 3080 is an enthusiast level card from 2020. Again, this difference is huge, I would encourage you to do some research independently to really grasp the difference. You could go for the 3080ti but that’s paying £450 for a single digit percentage performance increase, which is not worth it in my opinion, especially with what’s on the horizon.

I have heard from pc gamers, I am primarily PS5. That a smaller monitor is better for reaction times?
I kind of want to get the best I can with the budget I have.
Future-proof it as much as possible.

In terms of future proofing, it’s very hard to do as we’re in a state where big leaps are being made every generation, especially with GPUs. Last generations top end card the 2080ti was matched by this generations 3070, which retailed for around half the price. As mentioned above, I would set aside some of that 5k to invest in a 4000 series GPU they are dropping in the autumn as that will be much better use of your money.
I think your friends might be confusing you. The physical size of a monitor doesn’t affect reaction time. They might be referring to play at a lower resolution for additional frames, but this doesn’t really apply to you as you’re looking at an absolute top end system, you’re not looking to play at 1080p with graphics settings minimised to eke out every frame possible. 99% of humans can’t discern above 120 frames per second so there’s no point shooting for above that.

 

[ramspectrum]

So i7 refers to the tiering of the CPU, you’re not just comparing i7 to i7 here.
Additionally laptop parts are always going to perform worse than their desktop variants as they’re clocked down so they consume less power and produce less heat.

CPU wise you’re comparing a 7th gen 4 core chip to a 12th gen 8+4 core desktop CPU. The difference is genuinely night and day. The 1060 was an entry level card from 2016, the 3080 is an enthusiast level card from 2020. Again, this difference is huge, I would encourage you to do some research independently to really grasp the difference. You could go for the 3080ti but that’s paying £450 for a single digit percentage performance increase, which is not worth it in my opinion, especially with what’s on the horizon.

In terms of future proofing, it’s very hard to do as we’re in a state where big leaps are being made every generation, especially with GPUs. Last generations top end card the 2080ti was matched by this generations 3070, which retailed for around half the price. As mentioned above, I would set aside some of that 5k to invest in a 4000 series GPU they are dropping in the autumn as that will be much better use of your money.
I think your friends might be confusing you. The physical size of a monitor doesn’t affect reaction time. They might be referring to play at a lower resolution for additional frames, but this doesn’t really apply to you as you’re looking at an absolute top end system, you’re not looking to play at 1080p with graphics settings minimised to eke out every frame possible. 99% of humans can’t discern above 120 frames per second so there’s no point shooting for above that.

OK, I understand you better.
The i7 I would be buying would be leagues better than I already have.
And the 3090 isn't going to make much discernable difference between the 3080?
Not really friends lol, just what I have read on gaming posts etc
So let's say I go with your set-up suggestion, save 1500ish for the 4000 series?
Would it be a major difference to a 3080?
Yeah, I figured the laptop was a struggle with heat dispersion etc.
That is why I want a desktop this time.
So I don't have the space for anything above a 32" monitor, but want a good one.
And speaker wise, would want quality over the size.
And recommendations please?

Thanks

 

[ramspectrum]

So i7 refers to the tiering of the CPU, you’re not just comparing i7 to i7 here.
Additionally laptop parts are always going to perform worse than their desktop variants as they’re clocked down so they consume less power and produce less heat.

CPU wise you’re comparing a 7th gen 4 core chip to a 12th gen 8+4 core desktop CPU. The difference is genuinely night and day. The 1060 was an entry level card from 2016, the 3080 is an enthusiast level card from 2020. Again, this difference is huge, I would encourage you to do some research independently to really grasp the difference. You could go for the 3080ti but that’s paying £450 for a single digit percentage performance increase, which is not worth it in my opinion, especially with what’s on the horizon.

In terms of future proofing, it’s very hard to do as we’re in a state where big leaps are being made every generation, especially with GPUs. Last generations top end card the 2080ti was matched by this generations 3070, which retailed for around half the price. As mentioned above, I would set aside some of that 5k to invest in a 4000 series GPU they are dropping in the autumn as that will be much better use of your money.
I think your friends might be confusing you. The physical size of a monitor doesn’t affect reaction time. They might be referring to play at a lower resolution for additional frames, but this doesn’t really apply to you as you’re looking at an absolute top end system, you’re not looking to play at 1080p with graphics settings minimised to eke out every frame possible. 99% of humans can’t discern above 120 frames per second so there’s no point shooting for above that.

I called in too, had a chat.
I realise now you are spot on with your advice, both of you.
So I went for this spec, changed the graphics card to a 3080ti, but here's the rest.

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500M GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700K (3.6GHz) 25MB Cache
Get Monster Hunter: Rise & more with select Intel® Core™ Processors
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z690-A GAMING WIFI D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
Graphics Card Support Bracket
PCS ARGB GRAPHICS CARD SUPPORT BRACKET
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
Get Dying Light 2 with select Samsung SSDs
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 530 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 7300MB/R, 6900MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1200W HX SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® PLATINUM, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00003]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Supplied on USB Drive
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Webcam
Logitech® HD Webcam C920 - 1080p recording & 720p video calling
Surge Protection
6 Socket 2m Surge Protector
Warranty
3 Year Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 Year Parts, 3 Year labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
FAST TRACK 3 WORKING DAY DISPATCH

Just need to find a good monitor and speakers.

Thanks so much both of you

 

[AgentCooper]

Looking good there, although you can drop the thermal paste as the H150i already comes with top notch paste applied. You won’t get any additional benefit from the MX-4 and it could actually end up with worse cooling if it’s not a good re-paste.

If you narrow down a few monitors that you like the look of and want some feedback you’re welcome to update this thread and we can give our two penneth on the options 👍

 

[ramspectrum]

Looking good there, although you can drop the thermal paste as the H150i already comes with top notch paste applied. You won’t get any additional benefit from the MX-4 and it could actually end up with worse cooling if it’s not a good re-paste.

If you narrow down a few monitors that you like the look of and want some feedback you’re welcome to update this thread and we can give our two penneth on the options 👍

Yeah, thanks, I am seeing monitors that are 4k with a decent refresh rate 144Hz, but I think it needs to be connected to an HDMI 2.1 connection, does this motherboard have that? I see it has 3.0
I am trying to have the options of both worlds, 4k and decent refresh rate, obviously I can switch between what is best in game.

 

[AgentCooper]

Yeah, thanks, I am seeing monitors that are 4k with a decent refresh rate 144Hz, but I think it needs to be connected to an HDMI 2.1 connection, does this motherboard have that?

It does indeed 👍

ROG STRIX Z690-A GAMING WIFI D4 | Gaming motherboards｜ROG - Republic of Gamers｜ROG Global

ASUS ROG STRIX Z690-A GAMING WIFI Intel LGA 1700 ATX motherboard, OptiMem III, PCIe 5.0, 16+1 power stages, WiFi 6, Intel® 2.5 Gb Ethernet, four M.2 slots, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 USB Type-C®, SATA and Aura Sync

rog.asus.com

 

[ramspectrum]

It does indeed 👍

View attachment 32902

ROG STRIX Z690-A GAMING WIFI D4 | Gaming motherboards｜ROG - Republic of Gamers｜ROG Global

ASUS ROG STRIX Z690-A GAMING WIFI Intel LGA 1700 ATX motherboard, OptiMem III, PCIe 5.0, 16+1 power stages, WiFi 6, Intel® 2.5 Gb Ethernet, four M.2 slots, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 USB Type-C®, SATA and Aura Sync

rog.asus.com

OK, so I think I have narrowed it down to this https://www.currys.co.uk/products/a....5-ips-lcd-gaming-monitor-black-10227838.html

What would you suggest I use for connection for the 2.1 or DisplayPort 1.4 to get the best out of it?

 

[ramspectrum]

It does indeed 👍

View attachment 32902

ROG STRIX Z690-A GAMING WIFI D4 | Gaming motherboards｜ROG - Republic of Gamers｜ROG Global

ASUS ROG STRIX Z690-A GAMING WIFI Intel LGA 1700 ATX motherboard, OptiMem III, PCIe 5.0, 16+1 power stages, WiFi 6, Intel® 2.5 Gb Ethernet, four M.2 slots, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 USB Type-C®, SATA and Aura Sync

rog.asus.com

And, also, I want a controller for it, I am guessing the Xbox controller is best, but which version will work best for this set up?

 

[AgentCooper]

Technically, HDMI 2.1 trumps DP 1.4 but I myself would personally always stick with the DisplayPort standard as the waters have been muddied with HDMI recently…

HDMI 2.0 merging with 2.1 and now 2.1a

So this is pretty frustrating news to say the least. The HDMI Standards Authority for some unkown reason is choosing to merge HDMI 2.0 into HDMI 2.1. So where previously it was abundantly clear which devices were able to achieve 4k 120Hz, now the only way to know will be a specific labelling...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

The monitor you’ve picked isn’t a bad shout but with the budget you’ve got it may be worth waiting for one of these bad boys to come back into stock…

MSI Optix MPG321UR-QD Review: Speed, Quality and Pro Aspirations

MSI's Optix MPG321UR-QD is a 32-inch Ultra HD gaming monitor with Esports cred and professional aspirations.

www.tomshardware.com

As for the controller, standard Xbox pad would work well or you could treat yourself to the Elite version. The Razer Wolverine range are also quite highly rated although the best models aren’t wireless which puts some people off.