New Gaming PC 13-04-2019

[adamwright1989]

So yeah I have jumped the gun and already ordered my first PC via PC Specialist today. I wont go into details about why I rushed to order, but it is related to another company failing to deliver the goods and I am without any form of computer currently. However, I thought I'd share my build anyway and see what people think.

Link: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-x299-pc/W8aC0t2zkS/

Case
FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core Processor i7-7740X (4.3GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME X299-A: ATX, USB 3.1, SATA 6 GB/s, RGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2070 - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
480GB ADATA SU650 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 450MB/W)
2nd Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA PRO 3.5", 7200 RPM 128MB CACHE
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 H80i V2 Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans
2x 120mm Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS 802.11 Gigabyte GC-WB1733D-I AC 1734Mbps + BT5 PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 6 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
Google Chrome™
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
FAST TRACK 3 WORKING DAY DISPATCH
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Quantity
1

Price £1,761.00 including VAT and Delivery

 

[Oussebon]

You should cancel the order immediately and reorder something else.

The 7740x is obsolete, and terrible value; you can get the far more powerful 9700k or even the older 8700k for the same cash:

e,g,


Case
FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-9700K (3.6GHz) 12MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME Z370-P II: ATX, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2070 - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
480GB ADATA SU650 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 450MB/W)
2nd Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA PRO 3.5", 7200 RPM 128MB CACHE
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 H80i V2 Hydro Cooler w/ PCS Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS 802.11 Gigabyte GC-WB1733D-I AC 1734Mbps + BT5 PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt 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. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
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
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
FAST TRACK 3 WORKING DAY DISPATCH
Quantity
1

Price £1,764.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z370-pc/Uj6J6EAMXc/


There are a lot of other tweaks I'd suggest, but the 7740x is a terrible CPU to buy, being worse than pretty much everything else at the same price point.

It should frankly be withdrawn from sale.

 

[adamwright1989]

You should cancel the order immediately and reorder something else.

The 7740x is obsolete, and terrible value; you can get the far more powerful 9700k or even the older 8700k for the same cash:

There are a lot of other tweaks I'd suggest, but the 7740x is a terrible CPU to buy, being worse than pretty much everything else at the same price point.

It should frankly be withdrawn from sale.

I have made the following update:

Change to Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-9800X (3.8GHz) 16.5MB Cache from Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core Processor i7-7740X (4.3GHz) 8MB Cache

 

[polycrac]

If you use this link, you can get builds using the CPUs Oussebon mentions above: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/computers/intel-z370-pc/

 

[Oussebon]

As above, you need to use a different configurator to get the newer CPUs.

The 9800x is ~£130 more than an i9 9900k (k, not x, the one in the Z370 configurator) and has lower boost clocks too...

 

[adamwright1989]

Thanks guys but I'm fine with the change as I am over budget now and I only causally game. But thanks anyway. The i7-9800X is still much better than what I had and I paid an extra £200.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thanks guys but I'm fine with the change as I am over budget now and I only causally game. But thanks anyway. The i7-9800X is still much better than what I had and I paid an extra £200.

Think you're missing the point, you've configured an Intel Extreme chipset build, the boards and CPU's are quite enormously more expensive than a standard gaming build and will give LESS performance for gaming.

 

[adamwright1989]

Think you're missing the point, you've configured an Intel Extreme chipset build, the boards and CPU's are quite enormously more expensive than a standard gaming build and will give LESS performance for gaming.

I understand what you mean. I do appreciate it. But I'm quite pleased with that build and the recent cpu modification. I'm not a heavy game player. I did a pc benchmark comparison and was pleased with the components. I do appreciate your help though. I'm in quite a hurry for the build due to issues with a previous supplier. I'll bare what you said in mind for the future. Why would extreme models be worse?

 

[SpyderTracks]

I understand what you mean. I do appreciate it. But I'm quite pleased with that build and the recent cpu modification. I'm not a heavy game player. I did a pc benchmark comparison and was pleased with the components. I do appreciate your help though. I'm in quite a hurry for the build due to issues with a previous supplier. I'll bare what you said in mind for the future. Why would extreme models be worse?

They've got much lower single core boost clocks for one. They're more designed for heavy data processes such as large datasets, or big time video rendering projects where the cores matter more.

 

[adamwright1989]

They've got much lower single core boost clocks for one. They're more designed for heavy data processes such as large datasets, or big time video rendering projects where the cores matter more.

Oh I see. But it is still reasonable though right? The reviews are good. Would a casual gamer like me really notice a difference with boost clocks? I need to get up to speed with this new cpu architecture.

 

[SpyderTracks]

It’s just that you’re paying +£130 for the cpu and +100 or so on the board which will net zero performance benefit and could be wiser spent elsewhere.

I appreciate you’re in a rush, but you might as well get a system that meets your needs rather than throwing money down the drain.

Plus, editing the spec, or even cancelling entirely and creating a new one won’t particularly affect deliver times so long as you make the alterations by Monday.

 

[adamwright1989]

It’s just that you’re paying +£130 for the cpu and +100 or so on the board which will net zero performance benefit and could be wiser spent elsewhere.

I appreciate you’re in a rush, but you might as well get a system that meets your needs rather than throwing money down the drain.

Plus, editing the spec, or even cancelling entirely and creating a new one won’t particularly affect deliver times so long as you make the alterations by Monday.

Unfortunately it's via approved finance so I can only make amendments, in which I've already improved via modification and maxed out my budget.

I know what you mean though. I've not added to the gaming performance but I've paid the premium, but at the same time I've not made it worse. It's not a bad build at all, but maybe not perfect.

What spec have you got currently?

 

[Oussebon]

The CPU cooler's bad value versus an H100x, the SSD is small and slow, the Pro HDDs are insanely expensive and not worth it for 99.99+% of people, the case is relatively cheap to be putting this level of hardware in.

Those are things that, in my view, would make the PC 'imperfect'.

The choice of CPU and platform I class as a lot more serious than that.

What are you using the system for? You say occasional gaming? What else, do you edit photos for a living, or need to render videos daily..?

This kind of money for 'occasional gaming' is arguably a massive waste anyway (versus a system with a Ryzen R5 and GTX 1660 ti for instance), but even leaving that aside and assuming you have other issues that need the horsepower or that you really do want to spend so much cash on occasional gaming needs, the specific set of components is very poor value and performance for the price.

The quantity money being lost here is sufficient that if you need a PC for daily living, you could go into a shop tomorrow, buy a cheap laptop to use for a few days, cancel this PC and order a better-balanced spec, end up with a better value PC, as well as the laptop, and quite possibly still have money left in your pocket.

Please don't take the above as personal criticism btw (I'm sure you wouldn't, it's just always best to be clear about these things online!). It's concern that you're potentially costing yourself a lot of money needlessly.

At the very, very least, you could call PCS when they are open and ask if they could change the spec to a Z370-based one / Ryzen system. Perhaps gently and politely bluff that you'll need to cancel the order altogether if they can't.

 

[adamwright1989]

The CPU cooler's bad value versus an H100x, the SSD is small and slow, the Pro HDDs are insanely expensive and not worth it for 99.99+% of people, the case is relatively cheap to be putting this level of hardware in.

Those are things that, in my view, would make the PC 'imperfect'.

The choice of CPU and platform I class as a lot more serious than that.

What are you using the system for? You say occasional gaming? What else, do you edit photos for a living, or need to render videos daily..?

This kind of money for 'occasional gaming' is arguably a massive waste anyway (versus a system with a Ryzen R5 and GTX 1660 ti for instance), but even leaving that aside and assuming you have other issues that need the horsepower or that you really do want to spend so much cash on occasional gaming needs, the specific set of components is very poor value and performance for the price.

The quantity money being lost here is sufficient that if you need a PC for daily living, you could go into a shop tomorrow, buy a cheap laptop to use for a few days, cancel this PC and order a better-balanced spec, end up with a better value PC, as well as the laptop, and quite possibly still have money left in your pocket.

Please don't take the above as personal criticism btw (I'm sure you wouldn't, it's just always best to be clear about these things online!). It's concern that you're potentially costing yourself a lot of money needlessly.

At the very, very least, you could call PCS when they are open and ask if they could change the spec to a Z370-based one / Ryzen system. Perhaps gently and politely bluff that you'll need to cancel the order altogether if they can't.

Yeah I render videos, mix audio and sometimes DJ. I think the build is great for my needs. You can't change specs once finance is approved and signed for, and I wouldn't want another credit check. Having looked into gaming rigs, many places recommended extreme cpus for gaming builds.

 

[SlimCini]

Still not really sure what's it primarily for. Gaming? Or video rendering and audio mixing?

And whatever the answer to that... No reputable site will advise to use extreme CPUs for gaming builds. Because its nonsense.

 

[ubuysa]

Yeah I render videos, mix audio and sometimes DJ. I think the build is great for my needs. You can't change specs once finance is approved and signed for, and I wouldn't want another credit check. Having looked into gaming rigs, many places recommended extreme cpus for gaming builds.

Speaking as someone not directly involved in this thread I think it's unwise in the extreme to spend nearly 1800 Pounds on a system that the experts on here have identified as poor value for money, even on finance. And these guys really are experts.

I get that you don't want the hassle of another credit check, but you're wasting an awful lot of money, and performance, in order to avoid that. You're going to be stuck with this PC for several years, even if you pay the finance off early, it's much wiser to make sure you get the most bang for your bucks now. IMO of course.

 

[adamwright1989]

Hi. I have listened to your advice. I have submitted an order cancellation and reordered a new spec. This time it has the following difference:

CPU	Intel® Core™ i9 Eight Core Processor i9-9900K (3.6GHz) 16MB Cache
Motherboard	ASUS® ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING: ATX, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs, WIFI - RGB Ready

 

[Oussebon]

Sounds good, this be faster (and cheaper?) than a 9800k. The motherboard has a decent spread of features.

If you don't need wifi + BT you could drop it to the AORUS Pro.

For the cooler, the H100x. Not much more expensive but a decent bit more effective, and high end Intel CPUs are pretty hot these days.

If you went with a Pro HDD you could switch to the normal to save some more / spend what you save on a faster SSD.

These sorts of things I believe can be amended without anything drastic like cancelling the spec I believe, though am sure someone can correct me if I'm not recalling right (?)

 

[adamwright1989]

Thanks for your help everyone. This order was cancelled and is no longer valid. The new spec thread can be viewed at https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/forums/threads/new-gaming-pc-14-04-2019.62657/.

 

[ubuysa]

Thread now locked.