Hi,
I have been looking to get a PC since summer last year and held off ordering until the RTX 3000 series GPUs were released. I then decided to wait further until the Ryzen 5000 series CPUs were released. Due to the stock issues for these CPUs/GPUs I decided I'd wait longer, until availability had improved. After reading various articles about the stock issues and that things probably wouldn't start settling down until March/April time this year, I thought about placing a PC order with components that were in stock and compromise on the spec.
My original plan was to spec a PC around the Ryzen 7 5800x and RTX 3080. I currently have a laptop which I use for general tasks and Blender (Hobbyist level) and a PS4 Pro (4k 60 Hz TV) for gaming. The game I play most is Assetto Corsa Competizione and I'd like to be able to play that game in 4k on PC. The game on PS4 Pro is ok, but I think I'd have a much better experience on PC. I also have a 27" LG 4k monitor (60hz) which I use for general tasks and Blender. The reason for looking at the RTX 3080 was for gaming in 4k and using it for GPU based rendering (Blender). I have considered the R9 5900x as it represented better value over the R7 5800x, but I'm thinking that it may be overkill for my uses and the initial spend would be more.
I currently have an order in pre-production (7 working days) for the spec below. I picked this spec as I thought that with most of the components being in stock, barring the GPU, I would get the order quicker, and it would be suitable for my uses. The price came to £1779, which I thought was quite good at the time (ordered 08/01/21). I decided to drop down to a RTX 3070 and chose Intel as I have always had Intel and I wasn't sure about the Zen 2 Ryzens. However, after reading around these forums (Intel vs AMD, looking at other people's specs and the advice given) I'm now thinking that compromising on the spec to get a PC quicker is not the way to go.
I have done a lot of reading around since placing my order and I'm considering cancelling it and starting again with an AMD based system, with the specs I originally planned (R7 5800x and RTX 3080). I am aware that this would mean a much longer wait and an increased initial outlay, but long term it is likely to be a better investment. My budget is around £2k to £2.5k and I'd welcome any advice you may be able to offer. I have provided a replacement spec below. Thanks in advance.
Original Spec (£1779):
Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-10700K (3.8GHz) 16MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME Z490-P (LGA1200, USB 3.2, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PRO XT 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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
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 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
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Keyboard & Mouse
LOGITECH® K120 USB KEYBOARD
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 21 to 23 working days
Promotional Item
Get Assassin's Creed: Valhalla with select SAMSUNG SSDs!
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Logo Branding
PCSpecialist Logo
Replacement Spec (£2219):
Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PRO XT 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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
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 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
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Keyboard & Mouse
LOGITECH® K120 USB KEYBOARD
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 21 to 23 working days
I have been looking to get a PC since summer last year and held off ordering until the RTX 3000 series GPUs were released. I then decided to wait further until the Ryzen 5000 series CPUs were released. Due to the stock issues for these CPUs/GPUs I decided I'd wait longer, until availability had improved. After reading various articles about the stock issues and that things probably wouldn't start settling down until March/April time this year, I thought about placing a PC order with components that were in stock and compromise on the spec.
My original plan was to spec a PC around the Ryzen 7 5800x and RTX 3080. I currently have a laptop which I use for general tasks and Blender (Hobbyist level) and a PS4 Pro (4k 60 Hz TV) for gaming. The game I play most is Assetto Corsa Competizione and I'd like to be able to play that game in 4k on PC. The game on PS4 Pro is ok, but I think I'd have a much better experience on PC. I also have a 27" LG 4k monitor (60hz) which I use for general tasks and Blender. The reason for looking at the RTX 3080 was for gaming in 4k and using it for GPU based rendering (Blender). I have considered the R9 5900x as it represented better value over the R7 5800x, but I'm thinking that it may be overkill for my uses and the initial spend would be more.
I currently have an order in pre-production (7 working days) for the spec below. I picked this spec as I thought that with most of the components being in stock, barring the GPU, I would get the order quicker, and it would be suitable for my uses. The price came to £1779, which I thought was quite good at the time (ordered 08/01/21). I decided to drop down to a RTX 3070 and chose Intel as I have always had Intel and I wasn't sure about the Zen 2 Ryzens. However, after reading around these forums (Intel vs AMD, looking at other people's specs and the advice given) I'm now thinking that compromising on the spec to get a PC quicker is not the way to go.
I have done a lot of reading around since placing my order and I'm considering cancelling it and starting again with an AMD based system, with the specs I originally planned (R7 5800x and RTX 3080). I am aware that this would mean a much longer wait and an increased initial outlay, but long term it is likely to be a better investment. My budget is around £2k to £2.5k and I'd welcome any advice you may be able to offer. I have provided a replacement spec below. Thanks in advance.
Original Spec (£1779):
Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-10700K (3.8GHz) 16MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME Z490-P (LGA1200, USB 3.2, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3000MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PRO XT 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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
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 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
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Keyboard & Mouse
LOGITECH® K120 USB KEYBOARD
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 21 to 23 working days
Promotional Item
Get Assassin's Creed: Valhalla with select SAMSUNG SSDs!
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Logo Branding
PCSpecialist Logo
Replacement Spec (£2219):
Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.7GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PRO XT 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)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
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 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
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Keyboard & Mouse
LOGITECH® K120 USB KEYBOARD
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 21 to 23 working days
