New PC advice needed

[Arya Stark]

Case
Send In Your Own Case
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core Processor i7-7740X (4.3GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X299-E GAMING: ATX, USB 3.1, SATA 6 GB/s, WIFI - RGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1080 - DVI, HDMI, 3x DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Hard Disk
960GB HyperX SAVAGE 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
960GB HyperX SAVAGE 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)
3rd Hard Disk
3TB SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx 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
COOLER MASTER MASTERGEL MAKER THERMAL COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) 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 & 6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine 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
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Google Chrome™
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 £2,379.00 including VAT and delivery




The build is for gaming and I want something that will not need upgrading for a long time while running everything on ultra at 60fps or more.

I'm currently using a 1080p monitor but considering upgrading to a 1440p, not sure if I want to spend that extra yet.

I know the psu on there is overkill but the 750 and 850 are currently out of stock and it wouldn't let me post the build with those selected. I intend to order a 750 or 850 depending on what comes back into stock first.

The main problem I'm having is choosing a case. It seems to be the new normal thing for the front usb ports to be on top of the case instead of on the front and that's a problem as I need the case to fit into this desk while still having at least 2 usable usb ports, as you can see from this picture there is no space for top usb ports.

https://imgur.com/a/ZVfkNvW

The approximate dimensions of that box are 49cm high, 32cm wide and 50cm deep, so I need a case that fits into there with space for the cables at the back and at least 2 accessible usb ports for peripherals.

So a few questions:
Are there any cases that PCS sell that would fit that build and fit into my desk while allowing enough space for ventilation and usb peripherals?

If not then would that build fit into a Cooler Master HAF 912 Plus Mid Tower gaming case which is the case I already have, there's still a few left on amazon so I could use the send in your own case option. This would take longer than using a PCS supplied case though with waiting for delivery so a PCS case would be preferred it possible.

Any advice on anything that I should change in that build? Maybe something that's too overkill or something I've overlooked?

 

[Oussebon]

I know the psu on there is overkill but the 750 and 850 are currently out of stock and it wouldn't let me post the build with those selected. I intend to order a 750 or 850 depending on what comes back into stock first.

A 650W PSU will be liberally more than enough for any single GPU setup.

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core Processor i7-7740X (4.3GHz) 8MB Cache

This CPU is obsolete. The i7 8700k on the 300-series motherboards will offer better gaming performance and more futureproofing for a similar price.

https://imgur.com/a/ZVfkNvW

The approximate dimensions of that box are 49cm high, 32cm wide and 50cm deep, so I need a case that fits into there with space for the cables at the back and at least 2 accessible usb ports for peripherals.

Is that box closed at the back? If so, that's really not ideal at all for airflow (it's not really ideal even if it isn't closed at the back, depending on the case and spec...).

I'd suggest putting a small board down next to your desk on the carpet and having the PC sitting on that.

If you are set on having the PC nested into a box with no airflow, bear in mind that the front feet of a PC case are often back from the front a bit. So it could sit in the box, while poking out enough to have the front USB ports accessible even if the are on top. For instance the Fractal Define S:

You can see how the feet are set back so that there's maybe about 80mm of the case poking out in front of them.

Cooler Master HAF 912 Plus Mid Tower gaming case

This case is so old it doesn't have any front-facing USB 3.0 ports. Which is a bit tragic for mid-2018.

1st Hard Disk
960GB HyperX SAVAGE 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
960GB HyperX SAVAGE 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)

This is excessive, especially given how easy it is to move game installs between drives, but if you are going for a pair of 1TB SSD, at least go for a pair of PM961 SSDs from the M.2 SSD menu as they're upto 5-6 times faster while costing only about £7 more each.

Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1080 - DVI, HDMI, 3x DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!

For 1440p this is a good choice. For 1080p it's a waste. If you're sticking to 1080p go for the GTX 1070 ti as it offer nearly all of the performance of a GTX 1080 while being cheaper. By the time a 1070 ti struggles with 1080p gaming, a GTX 1080 will too. Both are overkill, but at least the 1070 ti saves you a bit of money towards your future upgrade. It's also fine at 1440p:

 

[Oussebon]

e.g.


Case
FRACTAL DEFINE S BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
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 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1070 Ti - DVI, HDMI, 3 x DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready! ()
1[SUP]st[/SUP] Hard Disk
3TB SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1[SUP]st[/SUP] M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG PM961 M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3000MB/R, 1700MB/W)
2[SUP]nd[/SUP] M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG PM961 M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3000MB/R, 1700MB/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
Noctua NH-U14S Ultra Quiet Performance CPU Cooler
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
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
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 3 to 5 working days
Quantity
1

Price £2,299.00 including VAT and delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z370-overclocked/!k2TygYWaM/

 

[Arya Stark]

e.g.


Case
FRACTAL DEFINE S BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
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 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1070 Ti - DVI, HDMI, 3 x DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready! ()
1[SUP]st[/SUP] Hard Disk
3TB SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1[SUP]st[/SUP] M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG PM961 M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3000MB/R, 1700MB/W)
2[SUP]nd[/SUP] M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG PM961 M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3000MB/R, 1700MB/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
Noctua NH-U14S Ultra Quiet Performance CPU Cooler
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
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
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 3 to 5 working days
Quantity
1

Price £2,299.00 including VAT and delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z370-overclocked/!k2TygYWaM/

This is confusing, I don't see that case or cpu or motherboard on the options lists?
I went configure a custom pc > core i7/9 extreme to get to the config, did you go on a different one?


I tried to post this reply once already and it didn't work so sorry if it shows up twice.

 

[Oussebon]

I tried to post this reply once already and it didn't work so sorry if it shows up twice.

Especially when you're new, the forum can auto-moderate your posts. Please bear with the volunteer moderators until we get around to releasing them

This is confusing, I don't see that case or cpu or motherboard on the options lists?
I went configure a custom pc > core i7/9 extreme to get to the config, did you go on a different one?

That's exactly right, it's in another configurator. You can get to the configurator I used if you click the link under the spec in my post.

 

[Arya Stark]

If I go for that combination of hdd and the m2 ssd drives what drive will the OS be on?
I'd rather have that on an ssd than a hdd.

 

[Oussebon]

When you click "proceed" it will pop up with a prompt offering where you want the OS - on the M.2 SSD (default) or the HDD.

I'd reiterate my earlier suggestion to only get 1 SSD. Stick to a single 1TB PM961. SSDs are very expensive at the moment, and 1TB of space should be enough to keep you going. And you can add another SSD at any time in the future of course, should you decide you want a second one.

 

[Arya Stark]

Something else I just noticed, that case doesn't support a dvd player

I do have one old game that requires a disk and my computer is also the dvd player in my room so I could do with one if possible, it looks like a lot of cases don't support it though.

 

[Oussebon]

Yeah, it's much less common for cases to have space for DVD drives what with games being downloaded almost exclusively, media being streamed, DVD collections being digitised and viewed off Plex, etc.

The Fractal R5 is a similar design and has a DVD drive (£102 in the configurator).

 

[Arya Stark]

Yeah, it's much less common for cases to have space for DVD drives what with games being downloaded almost exclusively, media being streamed, DVD collections being digitised and viewed off Plex, etc.

The Fractal R5 is a similar design and has a DVD drive (£102 in the configurator).

Far too wide, it needs to fit into the space on the desk which is 49cm high, 32cm wide and 50cm deep

I guess if there isn't one I might have to get netflix or something.

 

[Oussebon]

It's the same size as the Define S:

R5: 451 x 232 x 521 (Approx H x W x D)
Define S: 451mm x 233mm x 520mm (Approx H x W x D)

And remember you're having the front ~8cms or whatever sticking out the front so as to reach the USB ports.

 

[Arya Stark]

Actually an external dvd player only costs about £25 so that solves that problem.

 

[Arya Stark]

It's the same size as the Define S:

R5: 451 x 232 x 521 (Approx H x W x D)
Define S: 451mm x 233mm x 520mm (Approx H x W x D)

And remember you're having the front ~8cms or whatever sticking out the front so as to reach the USB ports.

Facepalm
I was looking at the rectangular one to the right of that.

 

[Arya Stark]

I'm gonna send the build to my uncle and ask his advice on it before I commit the money, thank you for your help Oussebon, I may be back with more questions after he replies.

 

[Oussebon]

Cool, keep us posted

 

[Arya Stark]

So this is what my uncle said:
----

Ok dunno if you need the I7 as the I5 will be similar for gaming unless you are video editing too.

Do you need 2 m2s? Would have thought 1 was enough but dunno too much about them. Other than that seems like a good system.

About monitors, we are now going for refresh over pixels so I would rather have a 144htz 1080 than a 60htz at 1440.

Unless you are going for a 36 inch monitor that 6” from your face, that is.

Last but not least is 16 gig ram enough? I don’t know but thought you should make sure.
-----
I've currently got an I7 and I figure I might as well stick with an I7 this time for future proofing, particularly as 2 of the more recent games I bought (Assassins Creed Origins and Far Cry 5 are both min I5/recommended I7 so i'll stick with that.

I want to keep the 2 m2's because it will save me hassle moving stuff off the ssd onto the hdd once it becomes something I use less often and no doubt I'd eventually wind up wanting to buy a second one when the first filled.

About a new monitor, which of the options would be better for a ~22 inch monitor, 1080p 144htz or 1440p 60htz?
I've got a 22 inch at the moment and I'd like to stick with that size given the way my desk is laid out. I could maybe go to a 24 inch but definitely no more than that and I'm happy with 22 so I might as well save a little money there. I'm sat 3-4 feet away from it if that helps

Would 16gb ram be enough?

 

[Oussebon]

Ok dunno if you need the I7 as the I5 will be similar for gaming unless you are video editing too.

That's true, certainly in today's games. However, for a ~£2300 budget I would go with the i7 for futureproofing. One can compare an i5 3570k to an i7 3770k (which is the choice I had in 2012) and see that in some titles the i7 will give significantly better minimum framerates thanks to having additional threads. For your budget level, an i7 is appropriate imo.

Do you need 2 m2s? Would have thought 1 was enough but dunno too much about them. Other than that seems like a good system.

Agreed, I'd suggest to stick to a single 1TB PM961 which is generously more than enough to be getting on with - and you can always add more storage in the future as desired.

About monitors, we are now going for refresh over pixels so I would rather have a 144htz 1080 than a 60htz at 1440.

Why choose when you can have both? Besides this build is wasted at 1080p tbh. A 144hz 1440p gsync monitor is ~£550+, but if you stick to a single SSD you've already saved ~£300 towards it.

1440p is perfectly fine over a 27" screen, and does give a

Perhaps easier to comment if you say what the whole budget is for the system, including the PC and the monitor? If you're buying a new monitor?

 

[Oussebon]

Can't finish the above post as the forum keep blocking me and half my browsers don't let me paste the text I wrote in................

 

[Oussebon]

Forums keep blocking me, or not working (e.g. 'save' button doesn't work), so I can't edit my post above to finish it and having spent 10 mins trying to do it I CBA any more.

 

[Arya Stark]

Ok hopefully final configuration here. I've also been researching monitors and for a 144hz, 1440p, ~24 inch with 1ms response time and g-sync this is the best I can find Acer Predator XB241YU 23.8" WQHD Gaming Monitor. Any thoughts on that?
Unfortunately PCS don't sell any monitors at that size that fill all of those requirements so i'll have to buy it elsewhere, best price I've been able to find is £360 on amazon.



Case
FRACTAL DEFINE S BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Overclocked CPU
Overclocked Intel® Core™ i7-8700K Six Core (3.7GHz @ up to 4.8GHz)
Motherboard
Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming: ATX, LG1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs - RGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1080 - DVI, HDMI, 3x DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Hard Disk
3TB SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG PM961 M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3000MB/R, 1700MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
External DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x Slim USB 2.0 External DVD-RW
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
Noctua NH-U14S Ultra Quiet Performance CPU Cooler
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
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
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Google Chrome™
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
Promotional Item
FREE entry to win 1 of 5 smart 4K TVs w/ select GIGABYTE Motherboards!
Promotional Item
FREE Warhammer: Vermintide 2 & XMorph Defense w/ select Intel CPUs!
Quantity
1

Price £2,036.00 including VAT and delivery

Unique URL to re-configure : https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z370-overclocked/Nk5c7Xa6Q!/