PC build for photo/video editing (and a little gaming!)

[Ascetic Focus]

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 4000X RGB Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX Case
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B550-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
256GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W CV SERIES™ CV-650 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H100i ELITE LCD Display RGB 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
Wireless Network Card
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
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 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)
Insurance
Simplesurance Purchase Protection inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Subject to stock availability on pre-order products
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Logo Branding
PCSpecialist Logo

-

I'm working on a budget of £1800 (give or take £50) and the monitor this is being paired up with is the LG27UP850 (which I already have) - details below:

Max resolution: 4K (3840 x 2160) UHD (IPS display)
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Screen size: 27" 16:9
Response time: 5ms
Built-in 5W speakers

-

This is my second build with PCS (the first being almost exactly 10 years ago now!) but instead of my focus being purely on gaming, this time round, it's also extended across to editing too (photo and video editing in particular) - let me know what y'all think and if you have any questions because this is quite a 'specific' build and comes with a little more knowledge on PC's - suggestions welcome

 

[Martinr36]

can you give us monitor details, budget and configuration link

 

[Ascetic Focus]

can you give us monitor details, budget and configuration link

I've added monitor and budget details in above. Below is the config. link:

PCSPECIALIST - Top Spec Custom PCs & Laptops Built to Order

Manufacturer of performance custom computers and laptops. Customise your ideal gaming PC or laptop using our advanced configurator.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

 

[JUNI0R]

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 4000X RGB Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX Case
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B550-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
256GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W CV SERIES™ CV-650 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H100i ELITE LCD Display RGB 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
Wireless Network Card
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
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 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)
Insurance
Simplesurance Purchase Protection inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Subject to stock availability on pre-order products
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Logo Branding
PCSpecialist Logo

-

I'm working on a budget of £1800 (give or take £50) and the monitor this is being paired up with is the LG27UP850 (which I already have) - details below:

Max resolution: 4K (3840 x 2160) UHD (IPS display)
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Screen size: 27" 16:9
Response time: 5ms
Built-in 5W speakers

-

This is my second build with PCS (the first being almost exactly 10 years ago now!) but instead of my focus being purely on gaming, this time round, it's also extended across to editing too (photo and video editing in particular) - let me know what y'all think and if you have any questions because this is quite a 'specific' build and comes with a little more knowledge on PC's - suggestions welcome

Heya! The system below should be pretty well balanced for your needs! One thing I was a little confused on was the lack of any storage options. Do you have drives to go in or is it a section you've missed? Saved a bit on the CPU to put this in but if you have storage, feel free to bump it back up to the 5900X

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 4000X RGB Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX Case Lovely case, approve very much
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4) To make way for spending in other areas I've swapped for the still fantastic 5800X
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B550-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB) With the RAM PCS provides, there isn't much of a difference between 3200mhz and 3600mhz so saved a bit of cash here
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR The 3070 is really the ideal card for 4K 60hz, but as a secondary use, the 60TI doesn't trail that far behind so will still give a decent experience
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W) Super fast boot SSD for OS and applications
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2200 MB/R, 1500 MB/W) SSD for storing games and files, I'd also recommend adding a HDD down the road for bulk file storage of projects you're not working on.
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET Much higher quality and wattage PSU which will allow for an upgrade down the road
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler Saved on this and gone for the non-LCD version
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
Wireless Network Card
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
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 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
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Subject to stock availability on pre-order products
Price: £1,855.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/4Wf7m27cjw/

 

[Ascetic Focus]

Heya! The system below should be pretty well balanced for your needs! One thing I was a little confused on was the lack of any storage options. Do you have drives to go in or is it a section you've missed? Saved a bit on the CPU to put this in but if you have storage, feel free to bump it back up to the 5900X

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 4000X RGB Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX Case Lovely case, approve very much
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4) To make way for spending in other areas I've swapped for the still fantastic 5800X
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B550-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB) With the RAM PCS provides, there isn't much of a difference between 3200mhz and 3600mhz so saved a bit of cash here
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR The 3070 is really the ideal card for 4K 60hz, but as a secondary use, the 60TI doesn't trail that far behind so will still give a decent experience
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W) Super fast boot SSD for OS and applications
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2200 MB/R, 1500 MB/W) SSD for storing games and files, I'd also recommend adding a HDD down the road for bulk file storage of projects you're not working on.
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET Much higher quality and wattage PSU which will allow for an upgrade down the road
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler Saved on this and gone for the non-LCD version
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
Wireless Network Card
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
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 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
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Subject to stock availability on pre-order products
Price: £1,855.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/4Wf7m27cjw/

Hey! Thanks for your feedback

So with my current build, I brought a 1TB SSD (WD Blue, 530w/560r) not too long ago and cloned my HDD over. Now the PC runs a lot faster but when it came to this new build, I decided to go for an M.2 which I will be using to boot the OS from and to run a few apps off (such as Pr) - the new SSD will be for file storage and the HDD will either serve as a back-up or be sold along with my current rig (the latter being the most likely case as I already have a 2TB external HDD serving as both a back-up and off-shore storage for my professional work)

I changed my mind and swapped the 256GB M.2 out for the much faster 512GB M.2 Intel which gives me plenty room for OS and apps.

The RAM swap would make a £6 difference which is negligible but the CPU cooler, I really want to keep as I like the customisation it offers.

I also strongly feel a Ryzen 7 at 5900 would be able to manage the strain well as I'll be editing 4K 100bit footage as well as 1080p 120fps 200bit footage. I've had bad experiences with my current set-up trying to edit 1080p in 24fps (let alone 120fps!) and that's without Ae!

From the research I've been doing, the two banes of my life right now are 1. the PSU and 2. the GPU.

Let's start with the GPU - I really wanted the 3070 as I know it's a decent step-up from the 3060Ti in what it offers from a 4K perspective but it's just way outside of my budget (considering the sacrifices I don't want to make with other parts - as mentioned above) and then I kept drooling over the 3070Ti (always been a Ti guy), and those budget constraints were literally titanic - tearing at the seams. So I reassured myself with even more research on the 3060Ti and decided to settle with it - until I learnt it was OOS! That's when I met the 8GB ASUS Dual and was seriously considering swapping it for an extra £55, given it was in stock and that I was going to end up with a NFRD card anyway... but the 3060Ti ship had sailed and now I've decided to wait for it to be re-stocked.

The PSU... I've been reading around that the TXm/RMx are well-worth your buck and that going above your wattage is a better keep (as you mentioned yourself - future-proof), but again, budget constraints! It's really pushed me and the better-quality ones are a big step up, financially. Just out of interest, how difficult would it really be to swap out the PSU a few years down the line?

(I think I already know the answer...)

 

[Bigfoot]

The RMX PSUs are fully modular, with no permanently fixed cables, so are the easiest to swap out. TXM are semi-modular and have some fixed cables, so are a bit more difficult to upgrade. Lower spec PSUS will have all the cables hard wired and will be a pain, if you decide you want a change. RMX PSUs also have a passive mode, where the fans don’t switch on at lower loads, so they are quieter. The extra cost now is worth it in my opinion, but it is not me spending the money here.

 

[Scott]

You're sacrificing actual performance and foundation parts for bells and whistles. I totally understand why you would want the LCD cooler but at the cost of the PSU is madness IMO, no matter which way it gets sliced.

I would personally strip back all the RGB tricks, bells and whistles. Put in a spec that has a solid foundation and meets your requirements, see if it adds up and then if there's room to purchase some of the bells and whistles then by all means.

Your reasoning seems quite sound in most aspects but I think you're sticking the blinkers on with the trick looking stuff

 

[RichLan564]

I also strongly feel a Ryzen 7 at 5900 would be able to manage the strain well as I'll be editing 4K 100bit footage as well as 1080p 120fps 200bit footage. I've had bad experiences with my current set-up trying to edit 1080p in 24fps (let alone 120fps!) and that's without Ae!

Simple fix for this, don't edit in 4K, its pointless, either use proxies or reduced timeline settings.

 

[Ascetic Focus]

You're sacrificing actual performance and foundation parts for bells and whistles. I totally understand why you would want the LCD cooler but at the cost of the PSU is madness IMO, no matter which way it gets sliced.

I would personally strip back all the RGB tricks, bells and whistles. Put in a spec that has a solid foundation and meets your requirements, see if it adds up and then if there's room to purchase some of the bells and whistles then by all means.

Your reasoning seems quite sound in most aspects but I think you're sticking the blinkers on with the trick looking stuff

I chose parts up to a point which matched my requirements and budget and then followed that with all the 'gimicky' stuff - you're right, I could do away with all the bells and whilstles and spend that money on an even higher performance PC, but for one, I don't need that extra power for the work I'll be carrying out. Heck, the spec I've built above is more than enough to keep me going for a while - and second, I'd like my build to be a pleasure to look at too

 

[Ascetic Focus]

The RMX PSUs are fully modular, with no permanently fixed cables, so are the easiest to swap out. TXM are semi-modular and have some fixed cables, so are a bit more difficult to upgrade. Lower spec PSUS will have all the cables hard wired and will be a pain, if you decide you want a change. RMX PSUs also have a passive mode, where the fans don’t switch on at lower loads, so they are quieter. The extra cost now is worth it in my opinion, but it is not me spending the money here.

Thought I'd replied to this but it seems to have gone AWOL

I'm going to switch the CORSAIR 650W CV SERIES™ non-modular power supply to the CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ semi-modular - at only £40 more, I'd consider it a good move

(The RMx is £12 more and very tempting, though I think I'll sleep on that idea)

 

[AgentCooper]

I'm going to switch the CORSAIR 650W CV SERIES™ non-modular power supply to the CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ semi-modular - at only £40 more, I'd consider it a good move

(The RMx is £12 more and very tempting, though I think I'll sleep on that idea)

Don’t sleep on it! Do it! RMx models are a brilliant investment. They’re bombproof, they’ll only kick in the fan if the system is under load, and they’ll remove some of the cable spaghetti that’ll be crammed into your build 👍

 

[Scott]

I chose parts up to a point which matched my requirements and budget and then followed that with all the 'gimicky' stuff - you're right, I could do away with all the bells and whilstles and spend that money on an even higher performance PC, but for one, I don't need that extra power for the work I'll be carrying out. Heck, the spec I've built above is more than enough to keep me going for a while - and second, I'd like my build to be a pleasure to look at too

My point being that even as you have specced it, you have skimped on important areas in favour of the trick stuff.

Will leave you to it though, if you're happy I'm happy

 

[Ascetic Focus]

Don’t sleep on it! Do it! RMx models are a brilliant investment. They’re bombproof, they’ll only kick in the fan if the system is under load, and they’ll remove some of the cable spaghetti that’ll be crammed into your build 👍

Lol I'm gathering funds to make this possible. Went back to the spec yesterday and was shocked to see that the motherboard and case I'd chosen now looked as though they were out of stock (one was greyed out and the other wasn't even visible!)

So not too sure what's happening with my build with regards to those (even though at the time of 'purchase', the only thing out of stock was the 3060Ti)

 

[Ascetic Focus]

My point being that even as you have specced it, you have skimped on important areas in favour of the trick stuff.

Will leave you to it though, if you're happy I'm happy

I am rather happy (with the exception of what I'd mentioned in my most recent post above - potential OOS items!) - heavy purchases such as this one usually involve myself putting in a huge amount of research before I proceed (as with anything I guess) but since seeking advice from yourself and others, I've made two changes to the spec:

1. A faster SSD M.2 with greater capacity (I already have an SSD with OS on it but will transfer the OS over to the M.2 when I get the PC)
2. A better-quality, higher-wattage PSU

The only other things were slightly downgrading the RAM (£6 is negligible to me), changing out the GPU (from the 3060Ti to 3070, which is unfortunately outside of my financial reach) and changing out the CPU cooler for a less-gimicky one (which you mentioned) - that final one is just a personal preference lol

 

[Ascetic Focus]

Hey all, I have a few questions regarding desktop build and thought I'd post here as it seems to be the place for questions re desktops.

I do have a little knowledge on PC building but there's plenty of room for more. I have doubts and questions which I'll list below and hope y'all can help:

1. Motherboard - I have ordered the ASUS Strix B550-F and was wondering if this will pair up well with my chosen GPU (8GN Nvidia GeForce 3060Ti) and more importantly, my CPU of choice, which is the Ryzen 9 5900X - RAM will be 32GB (2 x 16GB) of the Corsair Vengance 3600MHz - I've read that certain CPU's overpower motherboards but wanted clarification?

2. RAM - do I really need 3600MHz? Or can I get away with 3200MHz? I've read about CAS latency and all that but something still tells me that I should stick to the 3600MHz as it's more future proof going forward, but how does it hold up against the CPU I've chosen? Does it pair well?

3. My chosen system will be build without an OS - this is because I already have a happy version of Win10 running off my newly-bought 1TB SSD card. I have ordered in this new build a 512GB M.2 SSD (3000r/1600w) and plan to put the OS onto this (as well as a few power-hungry editing apps) - I've requested the team at PCS to leave a SATA and power cable so I can connect my SSD when the PC arrives and 'plug and play' - but is it really that straightforward? What about drivers for ALL the new components I have in the new PC? How will PCS test the PC without an OS? - Any advice on 'first time turning the power button on after installing the SSD' would be appreciated.

4. Last but not least, the PSU. This has been the bane of my life over the last week or so. I checked my spec and only need around 480W (including the 20% extra) and currently have the 650W Corsair CV on my order - I've been told to go for at least the 750W TXm series as it's future proof, quieter and semi-modular - but do I really need all that extra power? After all, I rarely change out my components. I guess the cables would look tidier and I brought a standard 600W with my current build and never noticed an excess of noise when it comes to the PSU...

5. Thermal paste - I'm thinking of kicking the 'Arctic' off my list (saving £9) and going for the standard as I've heard that 1. paste already comes with the CPU cooler and 2. it's pretty decent and will last around 4-5 years before needing to be replaced. Anyone with experience or knowledge on this?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Steveyg]

I'll try and answer some of these for your mate, although seeing your whole spec will help us answer these questions

1. The motherboard should be ok with the 5900x. I would have preferred to have the X570 STRIXX personally but the B550 STRIXX should do the job. It's not a case of being overpowered it's a case of the motherboard being a good enough standard to not hold the CPU back.

GPU/motherboard pairings isn't really a thing. The GPU should work just fine on pretty much any board that has a proper slot for it. It's a more a match for the CPU. It can be a factor for particularly powerful GPU's but the 3060Ti should be fine on pretty much any board

2. RAM depends entirely on usage. The latencies on the RAM PCS use between the 3600Mhz and the 3200Mhz make them very similar, but they still can have significant differences depending on the end usage. For gaming there is practically zero difference between them

3. If you've bought a computer without an OS then a bare bones "TEST" OS will be installed. It's recommended that you completely remove this and start with a new fresh install of your own copy of Windows. The TEST OS will not be configured fully or properly as it's only used to check if the system is working

You'll have to sort out your own installation which there are some guides on the forums here

4. The CV model PSU's are basically office computer power supplies. I would strongly recommending changing this, we generally recommend the 850W RMx due to it's superior build quality and very reasonable price. The absolutely bare minimum we generally recommend is the 750W Txm but only if the budget isn't there for something better. If you have a 5900x in there and a B550 STRIXX you can afford a proper PSU

5. Thermal paste would depend entirely on the CPU cooler you've selected

 

[TonyCarter]

A summary of your uses/requirements would help to confirm whether each component in overkill or insufficient.

It would also help the forum elves if you could post your full spec from your order page.

The easy way to post your specification to our forums!

When configuring a new computer/laptop on our website you can easily post your selected specification to our forums. Once you've created your specification, click the "Proceed" button and on the next page, click the "Post to Forum" button. There you can copy the specification and click the...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

 

[Ascetic Focus]

I'll try and answer some of these for your mate, although seeing your whole spec will help us answer these questions

1. The motherboard should be ok with the 5900x. I would have preferred to have the X570 STRIXX personally but the B550 STRIXX should do the job. It's not a case of being overpowered it's a case of the motherboard being a good enough standard to not hold the CPU back.

GPU/motherboard pairings isn't really a thing. The GPU should work just fine on pretty much any board that has a proper slot for it. It's a more a match for the CPU. It can be a factor for particularly powerful GPU's but the 3060Ti should be fine on pretty much any board

2. RAM depends entirely on usage. The latencies on the RAM PCS use between the 3600Mhz and the 3200Mhz make them very similar, but they still can have significant differences depending on the end usage. For gaming there is practically zero difference between them

3. If you've bought a computer without an OS then a bare bones "TEST" OS will be installed. It's recommended that you completely remove this and start with a new fresh install of your own copy of Windows. The TEST OS will not be configured fully or properly as it's only used to check if the system is working

You'll have to sort out your own installation which there are some guides on the forums here

4. The CV model PSU's are basically office computer power supplies. I would strongly recommending changing this, we generally recommend the 850W RMx due to it's superior build quality and very reasonable price. The absolutely bare minimum we generally recommend is the 750W Txm but only if the budget isn't there for something better. If you have a 5900x in there and a B550 STRIXX you can afford a proper PSU

5. Thermal paste would depend entirely on the CPU cooler you've selected

Thanks for your reply. I've created a separate thread to this now (in 'Desktops') we can discuss on there

 

[Ascetic Focus]

A summary of your uses/requirements would help to confirm whether each component in overkill or insufficient.

It would also help the forum elves if you could post your full spec from your order page.

The easy way to post your specification to our forums!

When configuring a new computer/laptop on our website you can easily post your selected specification to our forums. Once you've created your specification, click the "Proceed" button and on the next page, click the "Post to Forum" button. There you can copy the specification and click the...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

Here it is!

Case
CORSAIR iCUE 4000X RGB Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX Case
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B550-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (3000 MB/R, 1600 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W CV SERIES™ CV-650 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CORSAIR iCUE H100i ELITE LCD Display RGB 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
Wireless Network Card
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
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED

PC will mainly be used for photo and video editing with a bit of gaming here and there!

 

[Steveyg]

Can you include the configurable link at the bottom of that spec sheet mate?

I would stay well clear of that PSU and I'd personally want better storage for this grade of a machine

Generally what you're doing here is a paying a premium for core parts then cheaping out on the rest of the build. This is pretty unbalanced and not recommended as it can affect longevity of the build

Also yeah that CPU cooler comes with it's own very high quality paste so the extra paste isn't needed

You really need a better PSU though