Would love some guidance on this spec (109 days in pre-production)

[shark with knees]

Hello friends.

As per the title. I ordered this the middle of December. It's now the middle of May. 109 days in pre-production, as of today. PC Specialist have already swapped out the processor and the motherboard (they asked me if I wanted to on the latter, for the former they just did it).

My main question really is can I swap anything else out to speed up build and delivery?

And also, what can I optimise for cost/benefit? I'm sure there'll be something because this was the first PC build I've ever done and I just went with what seemed necessary for my use case which is basically running Lightroom and Photoshop (and probably video editing for YouTube etc in future) and general running of websites/blogs. Not bothered about gaming at all.

Not ordered a monitor yet. Was waiting until it was near delivery for that...

My budget is about what I spent on this build. About 700 quid. Really don't want to go much over say 800 for any alterations if I can help it.

Thank you for reading and hopefully helping in any way you can. I'm a patient man, but triple figures in pre-production ain't great, even for me. Hence why I'm asking for your help now.

Case
CORSAIR 175R RGB MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-9600 (3.1GHz) 9MB Cache

Change to: Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-9700 (3.0GHz) 12MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® H310M-A R2.0: Micro-ATX, DDR4, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs

Change to: ASUS® H310-PLUS R2.0: ATX, DDR4, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1050 Ti - DVI, HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
1TB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 470MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power Supply
CORSAIR 350W VS SERIES™ VS-350 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD 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
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz 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
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Logo Branding
PCSpecialist Logo

 

[SlimCini]

Are you sure that's the right spec you've posted? Can't see anything in there that would be sought after and cause delays... Are you sure you haven't just copied out the spec or the most basic pc you can get from the Intel configurator?

 

[Martinr36]

Are you sure that's the right spec you've posted? Can't see anything in there that would be sought after and cause delays... Are you sure you haven't just copied out the spec or the most basic pc you can get from the Intel configurator?

Yeah can see loads of stuff I WOULDN'T order there

 

[shark with knees]

Are you sure that's the right spec you've posted? Can't see anything in there that would be sought after and cause delays... Are you sure you haven't just copied out the spec or the most basic pc you can get from the Intel configurator?

I'm sure, yes.

Although I missed this amendment:

Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence

Change to: Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]

 

[shark with knees]

Yeah can see loads of stuff I WOULDN'T order there

Thanks Martin. That sounds like the start of a helpful reply that tells me what I should order instead...

 

[JUNI0R]

Are you sure that's the right spec you've posted? Can't see anything in there that would be sought after and cause delays... Are you sure you haven't just copied out the spec or the most basic pc you can get from the Intel configurator?

I have a feeling the huge wait is coming from the i7-9700 CPU, it's now 2 generations old and PCS won't recieve any new stock of it. It's a shame you haven't been notified (or missed the notification for it maybe?) to change it away from this option to have your PC built. I'd contact them and speak to them regarding changing to either a 11th gen or ideally swapping to AMD. That said, prices have gone up a lot since then and I'd personally struggle a lot to get to a spec I'd want to recommend for your uses with your budget. Others might be able to trim it down further but this is what I'd be aiming for. If you have a PC or Laptop that already has a Windows key then you can transfer that over to save about £80, but apart from that I can't see anywhere I'd trim. Maybe less storage that can be upgraded pretty easily down the line? For example:

Case
FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1050 Ti - DVI, HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/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
STANDARD AMD 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
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
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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
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 10 to 12 working days
Price: £973.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/TjpCV3sj6K/

 

[shark with knees]

I have a feeling the huge wait is coming from the i7-9700 CPU, it's now 2 generations old and PCS won't recieve any new stock of it. It's a shame you haven't been notified (or missed the notification for it maybe?) to change it away from this option to have your PC built. I'd contact them and speak to them regarding changing to either a 11th gen or ideally swapping to AMD. That said, prices have gone up a lot since then and I'd personally struggle a lot to get to a spec I'd want to recommend for your uses with your budget. Others might be able to trim it down further but this is what I'd be aiming for. If you have a PC or Laptop that already has a Windows key then you can transfer that over to save about £80, but apart from that I can't see anywhere I'd trim. Maybe less storage that can be upgraded pretty easily down the line? For example:

Case
FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1050 Ti - DVI, HDMI, DP
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/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
STANDARD AMD 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
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
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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
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 10 to 12 working days
Price: £973.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/TjpCV3sj6K/

Thank you for the detailed reply, Junior. It's hugely appreciated. With what you say about the i7-9700 CPU being two generations old and PC Specialist not receiving any more of them, is that (the bit about them not receiving any more) something they'd have been aware of in March? Coz that's when they swapped it into my build. Which would be annoying if they knew that then.

TBH mate despite me saying I don't want to go over 800 quid for the whole thing, I'm going to research your suggested build that came out at £973. They took my £700-odd quid six months ago. That's gone, I can afford another £200-odd now to get a better machine and actually get it some time soon.

Thank you again.

 

[JUNI0R]

is that (the bit about them not receiving any more) something they'd have been aware of in March? Coz that's when they swapped it into my build. Which would be annoying if they knew that then.

I'd imagine they probably had the last few 9th gen CPU's kicking around then (or they got a last order to cover some of the orders) but it wasn't enough to cover yours. The way stock works on the configurator is that shows what they have at that moment in time and not what will be in stock when you come to build and they don't allocate parts to people (that'd be a logistical nightmare) It's likely it just went out of stock before your order was up and weren't able to recieve any more.

TBH mate despite me saying I don't want to go over 800 quid for the whole thing, I'm going to research your suggested build that came out at £973. They took my £700-odd quid six months ago. That's gone, I can afford another £200-odd now to get a better machine and actually get it some time soon.

The £700 isn't 'gone' necesarily, it's just been taken for your order for the build which has sadly been caught up in a CPU generation swap. Do what research you need to do and we'll be happy to look over an updated spec for you Hint: you'll want to go for AMD, Intel is trailing a long way behind these days (more about it here). Once we have a build figured out, you can call PCS and explain the situation and see what they can do.

 

[Martinr36]

Thanks Martin. That sounds like the start of a helpful reply that tells me what I should order instead...

See the reply from @JUNI0R

 

[shark with knees]

I'd imagine they probably had the last few 9th gen CPU's kicking around then (or they got a last order to cover some of the orders) but it wasn't enough to cover yours. The way stock works on the configurator is that shows what they have at that moment in time and not what will be in stock when you come to build and they don't allocate parts to people (that'd be a logistical nightmare) It's likely it just went out of stock before your order was up and weren't able to recieve any more.

The £700 isn't 'gone' necesarily, it's just been taken for your order for the build which has sadly been caught up in a CPU generation swap. Do what research you need to do and we'll be happy to look over an updated spec for you Hint: you'll want to go for AMD, Intel is trailing a long way behind these days (more about it here). Once we have a build figured out, you can call PCS and explain the situation and see what they can do.

Hey Junior.

When I say 'gone', I don't mean anything negative, if it came across that way. I just mean like it's money I put down so long ago that I don't think about it anymore from a personal budgeting perspective! I can stretch to another few hundred now if I need to. But no need to get off track too much with that talk, is there.

So I've looked at amending my order to what you suggested. Looks like I'll have to cancel my original order and do a new one to change from Intel to AMD, which I don't mind. Although it would've been nice to keep my place in the queue.

I just wanted to ask what you meant about calling PC Specialist and explaining the situation and seeing what they can do? I know you can't say for sure because you're not them, but what did you have in mind about anything they could potentially do?

Thanks again.

 

[Martinr36]

Hey Junior.

When I say 'gone', I don't mean anything negative, if it came across that way. I just mean like it's money I put down so long ago that I don't think about it anymore from a personal budgeting perspective! I can stretch to another few hundred now if I need to. But no need to get off track too much with that talk, is there.

So I've looked at amending my order to what you suggested. Looks like I'll have to cancel my original order and do a new one to change from Intel to AMD, which I don't mind. Although it would've been nice to keep my place in the queue.

I just wanted to ask what you meant about calling PC Specialist and explaining the situation and seeing what they can do? I know you can't say for sure because you're not them, but what did you have in mind about anything they could potentially do?

Thanks again.

Sometimes if you give them a call with a quote number for an AMD system to change to from Intel order, they can do it on the phone without you losing your place in the queue

 

[shark with knees]

Sometimes if you give them a call with a quote number for an AMD system to change to from Intel order, they can do it on the phone without you losing your place in the queue

Brilliant, thank you Martin. I'll give them a call tomorrow and see what they say.

 

[Martinr36]

Brilliant, thank you Martin. I'll give them a call tomorrow and see what they say.

Keep us in the loop

 

[shark with knees]

An update on this. As requested by Martin but also it might help someone else to read it.

I called PCS, got through to someone in under ten minutes (which was far less time than I was fearing), and explained the situation.

The guy I spoke to also couldn't understand how it'd sat so for so long in pre-production with nothing happening and said that I've been unlucky with something odd happening somewhere. He did suggest it may have been the graphics card (4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1050 Ti - DVI, HDMI, DP) in the early days, but that shouldn't have been a problem for this long. I don't know either way, just what he said.

Regardless, I'd saved the new AMD spec as a quote so he cancelled the original Intel order, issued a credit note, and put that towards the new AMD build. Then I paid the balance (the new build was a little more expensive) with my card over the phone.

He also put a priority note on the new build so I didn't lose my place in the queue...

That was on Tuesday afternoon. This morning (Wednesday), I got an email saying it was being assembled. I then got another email at lunchtime saying it was in testing and configuration.

I'm really happy with the job the chap on the phone did. I know PCS are snowed under and people get frustrated with the customer service right now but I'm really happy with how my issue was dealt with. And obviously with how quickly things have moved since.

Big thank you to Junior and Martin for helping me out in this thread. It's very much appreciated.

Anyone reading this who isn't sure about their spec or anything else, don't be anxious about posting on the forums for advice. I wish I'd have done it sooner.

 

[Steveyg]

Glad you got sorted mate

On another note Sharks With Knees is a great username

 

[Martinr36]

An update on this. As requested by Martin but also it might help someone else to read it.

I called PCS, got through to someone in under ten minutes (which was far less time than I was fearing), and explained the situation.

The guy I spoke to also couldn't understand how it'd sat so for so long in pre-production with nothing happening and said that I've been unlucky with something odd happening somewhere. He did suggest it may have been the graphics card (4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1050 Ti - DVI, HDMI, DP) in the early days, but that shouldn't have been a problem for this long. I don't know either way, just what he said.

Regardless, I'd saved the new AMD spec as a quote so he cancelled the original Intel order, issued a credit note, and put that towards the new AMD build. Then I paid the balance (the new build was a little more expensive) with my card over the phone.

He also put a priority note on the new build so I didn't lose my place in the queue...

That was on Tuesday afternoon. This morning (Wednesday), I got an email saying it was being assembled. I then got another email at lunchtime saying it was in testing and configuration.

I'm really happy with the job the chap on the phone did. I know PCS are snowed under and people get frustrated with the customer service right now but I'm really happy with how my issue was dealt with. And obviously with how quickly things have moved since.

Big thank you to Junior and Martin for helping me out in this thread. It's very much appreciated.

Anyone reading this who isn't sure about their spec or anything else, don't be anxious about posting on the forums for advice. I wish I'd have done it sooner.

Good to hear that you are sorted, which spec did you go with, photos please when it arrives

 

[JUNI0R]

An update on this. As requested by Martin but also it might help someone else to read it.

I called PCS, got through to someone in under ten minutes (which was far less time than I was fearing), and explained the situation.

The guy I spoke to also couldn't understand how it'd sat so for so long in pre-production with nothing happening and said that I've been unlucky with something odd happening somewhere. He did suggest it may have been the graphics card (4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1050 Ti - DVI, HDMI, DP) in the early days, but that shouldn't have been a problem for this long. I don't know either way, just what he said.

Regardless, I'd saved the new AMD spec as a quote so he cancelled the original Intel order, issued a credit note, and put that towards the new AMD build. Then I paid the balance (the new build was a little more expensive) with my card over the phone.

He also put a priority note on the new build so I didn't lose my place in the queue...

That was on Tuesday afternoon. This morning (Wednesday), I got an email saying it was being assembled. I then got another email at lunchtime saying it was in testing and configuration.

I'm really happy with the job the chap on the phone did. I know PCS are snowed under and people get frustrated with the customer service right now but I'm really happy with how my issue was dealt with. And obviously with how quickly things have moved since.

Big thank you to Junior and Martin for helping me out in this thread. It's very much appreciated.

Anyone reading this who isn't sure about their spec or anything else, don't be anxious about posting on the forums for advice. I wish I'd have done it sooner.

Thanks for the update, And you're welcome! I'm glad to hear the PCS guy was helpful and they were able to sort it out for you. With it being rushed through assuming you're in the UK you should have it by the weekend! As Martin has said, would love to see some pics!