pcspecialist Review my parts list

[RayJohnson48]

 

Looking into building a new gaming PC, awesome suggestion of a pre-build here from PCS forums.

 

Any feedback on this build or any other builds anyone suggest?

 

gaming, live streaming, video editing and web programming tasks (single monitor used for gaming other 2 monitors non-game like chat, obs etc).

 

Thanks

[Ratiofarming]

Apart from the List not giving much details, especially on timings for RAM, GPU cooling etc. this looks pretty good.

The motherboard is a little on the cheap side, but as long as you don't OC (or just a little) it'll be fine.

 

Looks like a good config overall. PSU is sufficient, cooling should be fine. Good to go

 

 

[Arrogath]

10 minutes ago, RayJohnson48 said:

Looking into building a new gaming PC, awesome suggestion of a pre-build here from PCS forums.

gaming, live streaming, video editing and web programming tasks (single monitor used for gamingther 2 monitors non-game like chat, obs etc).

The 3950x is awesome but probably unnecessary. If you're going to stick with it anyway I would advise you to use better ram, a 3600 cl 16 16 16 b-die kit would be a good fit. When you build the computer I would also put ram tuning that the top of your to-do list, just be prepared for some extra memtest86 time, I've been trying to keep mine stable so I go with 8+ passes.

In terms of gaming the 3800x, 3900x, and 3950x will be fairly similar when provided with adequate cooling and good low latency high speed ram like I suggested above. If your video editing and programming tasks aren't EXTREME I would suggest that 8 cores are enough and 12 are gravy. If 8 cores aren't enough, 16 GB of ram is also probably not enough.

[Arrogath]

4 minutes ago, Ratiofarming said:

Apart from the List not giving much details, especially on timings for RAM, GPU cooling etc. this looks pretty good.

The motherboard is a little on the cheap side, but as long as you don't OC (or just a little) it'll be fine.

 

Looks like a good config overall. PSU is sufficient, cooling should be fine. Good to go

Not like there's much overclocking room worth taking on ryzen anyway so I don't think the motherboard will be an issue

[brob]

I doubt a 3950X is required. A 3900X is more than enough for the described usage.

 

32GB would be better for video editing. DDR-3600 CL16 is considered optimal for Zen 2 cpu.

 

I'd suggest a better motherboard.

 

The OP list does not include storage or a case. Both are necessary.

 

If you are comfortable assembling your own system, (a fairly easy process), the following build suggests a high quality case and a decent amount of compatible RGB bling. 

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor  (£415.65 @ Amazon UK) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM 97 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  (£121.98 @ Aria PC) 
Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix X570-E Gaming ATX AM4 Motherboard  (£249.99 @ AWD-IT) 
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory  (£183.90 @ Amazon UK) 
Storage: Intel 660p Series 2.048 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  (£230.51 @ Overclockers.co.uk) 
Video Card: Asus GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB ROG Strix Gaming OC Video Card  (£1154.98 @ Amazon UK) 
Case: Phanteks Evolv X ATX Mid Tower Case  (£195.93 @ CCL Computers) 
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  (£108.27 @ CCL Computers) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  (£91.21 @ CCL Computers) 
Total: £2752.42
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-09 16:09 GMT+0000

[Sir0Tek]

I'd also invest some bucks into a scratch-ssd for editing. Also, a conventional harddisk for the data might as well be considered.

Aren't there any limits considering the build?

 

[RayJohnson48]

Currently I use windows vista 3 displays, 1080p and 1GB ram and can't watch YouTube above 480p without chrome informing me system low on ram so a major new PC is highly needed, LOL.

On 2/9/2020 at 3:23 PM, Ratiofarming said:

Apart from the List not giving much details, especially on timings for RAM, GPU cooling etc. this looks pretty good.

The motherboard is a little on the cheap side, but as long as you don't OC (or just a little) it'll be fine.

 

Looks like a good config overall. PSU is sufficient, cooling should be fine. Good to go

 

 

Thanks for the feedback! I was looking at the Asus ROG Strix X570-F, worth the extra? I don't plan to overclock unless PCS overclock stable for me. You can click the "?" button next to lists for full product info i believe.

 

 

On 2/9/2020 at 3:26 PM, Arrogath said:

The 3950x is awesome but probably unnecessary. If you're going to stick with it anyway I would advise you to use better ram, a 3600 cl 16 16 16 b-die kit would be a good fit. When you build the computer I would also put ram tuning that the top of your to-do list, just be prepared for some extra memtest86 time, I've been trying to keep mine stable so I go with 8+ passes.

In terms of gaming the 3800x, 3900x, and 3950x will be fairly similar when provided with adequate cooling and good low latency high speed ram like I suggested above. If your video editing and programming tasks aren't EXTREME I would suggest that 8 cores are enough and 12 are gravy. If 8 cores aren't enough, 16 GB of ram is also probably not enough.

I've considered getting the 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4 3200MHz (2x 16GB) as i've heard 32 is considered the "sweet spot" 64GB for heavy and 128GB just overkill.

 

On 2/9/2020 at 4:10 PM, brob said:

I doubt a 3950X is required. A 3900X is more than enough for the described usage.

 

32GB would be better for video editing. DDR-3600 CL16 is considered optimal for Zen 2 cpu.

 

I'd suggest a better motherboard.

 

The OP list does not include storage or a case. Both are necessary.

 

If you are comfortable assembling your own system, (a fairly easy process), the following build suggests a high quality case and a decent amount of compatible RGB bling. 

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor  (£415.65 @ Amazon UK) 
CPU Cooler: Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM 97 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  (£121.98 @ Aria PC) 
Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix X570-E Gaming ATX AM4 Motherboard  (£249.99 @ AWD-IT) 
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory  (£183.90 @ Amazon UK) 
Storage: Intel 660p Series 2.048 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  (£230.51 @ Overclockers.co.uk) 
Video Card: Asus GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB ROG Strix Gaming OC Video Card  (£1154.98 @ Amazon UK) 
Case: Phanteks Evolv X ATX Mid Tower Case  (£195.93 @ CCL Computers) 
Power Supply: Corsair RMx (2018) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  (£108.27 @ CCL Computers) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit  (£91.21 @ CCL Computers) 
Total: £2752.42
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-09 16:09 GMT+0000

 

The case in the listing link is the FRACTAL MESHIFY S2 BLACKOUT TEMPERED GLASS. Storage it's a 1TB m.2 but it's currently out of stock so shows as "NONE" there is also a 2TB WD HDD (also OOS so shows NONE).

My budget is £2,500 GBP but will go a little extra if the 32GB ram and motherboard above is worth the upgrade.

 

The m.2 is: 1TB INTEL 660p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (upto 1800MB/sR | 1800MB/sW) - OOS

18 hours ago, Sir0Tek said:

I'd also invest some bucks into a scratch-ssd for editing. Also, a conventional harddisk for the data might as well be considered.

Aren't there any limits considering the build?

 

I've a 1TB m.2 for Windows + programs (and some main games). Plus a 2TB HDD.

This list also includes Windows 10 but that can be removed taking around £100 off the Inc VAT as I got the disk + licence key black Friday sale from Scan last yr.

 

 

Cheers guys!

 

For everyone: I am limited to whatever PCSpecialist sale on the system configuration page, trying to avoid building myself this time round. To note I also will do more heavy work loads like editing and rendering more than i PC game as I PS4 game mostly (will be adding a capture card).

[brob]

3 hours ago, RayJohnson48 said:

The case in the listing link is the FRACTAL MESHIFY S2 BLACKOUT TEMPERED GLASS. Storage it's a 1TB m.2 but it's currently out of stock so shows as "NONE" there is also a 2TB WD HDD (also OOS so shows NONE).

A good case.

 

Editing 4K video would benefit from 32GB.

 

To save a bit you might consider the Prime X570-Pro instead of the Strix motherboard.

[Arrogath]

8 hours ago, RayJohnson48 said:

For everyone: I am limited to whatever PCSpecialist sale on the system configuration page, trying to avoid building myself this time round. To note I also will do more heavy work loads like editing and rendering more than i PC game as I PS4 game mostly (will be adding a capture card).

This is unfortunate when it comes to picking out ram, since their selection is so limited, but I can understand wanting the piece of mind of a decent builder's guarantee. Going for 2x16 GB is a good choice, keeps space open for expansion while also being easier to tune if you are so inclined. At the very least don't forget to check the BIOS settings when you get the machine, some builders forget to turn the XMP/DOCP profile on so your memory could be running at 2666 without you know it.

[Sir0Tek]

Idk if it's gbp 2500 with or without vat, but if it is with vat included you'd have to reduce the overall price.

Going with Ryzen 3900 and Geforce rtx 2080 Super will save a lot, also replacing the rgb-aio with the non-rgb version and going semi-modular 650W on the psu allows to get a scrap ssd and 32gb of ddr4 3200 (non pro) while still beeing within the 2500 gbp marge. 

This is a more balanced setup and I think that it will behave almost as well as the primary build, apart from benchmark-results.

[RayJohnson48]

18 hours ago, brob said:

A good case.

 

Editing 4K video would benefit from 32GB.

 

To save a bit you might consider the Prime X570-Pro instead of the Strix motherboard.

Yeah, i'm definitely heading towards 32GB min ram now.

13 hours ago, Arrogath said:

This is unfortunate when it comes to picking out ram, since their selection is so limited, but I can understand wanting the piece of mind of a decent builder's guarantee. Going for 2x16 GB is a good choice, keeps space open for expansion while also being easier to tune if you are so inclined. At the very least don't forget to check the BIOS settings when you get the machine, some builders forget to turn the XMP/DOCP profile on so your memory could be running at 2666 without you know it.

 

Agreed, they seem limited for RAM. They only do one set at 3600MHz, which been told is what i should aim for when it comes to AMD but it's pretty £££.

 

I don't mind buying very low (8GB) RAM from them and installing my own when it arrives so i've more options - do you think that'd be better or waste of cash?

8 hours ago, Sir0Tek said:

Idk if it's gbp 2500 with or without vat, but if it is with vat included you'd have to reduce the overall price.

Going with Ryzen 3900 and Geforce rtx 2080 Super will save a lot, also replacing the rgb-aio with the non-rgb version and going semi-modular 650W on the psu allows to get a scrap ssd and 32gb of ddr4 3200 (non pro) while still beeing within the 2500 gbp marge. 

This is a more balanced setup and I think that it will behave almost as well as the primary build, apart from benchmark-results.

£2,500 with VAT. That's my budget my max i'd say is £2,800-ish. I'll go above the 2.5K if it'll be worth it (i.e the 32GB i'll ignore the extra £). Another example I want the capture card but this is not included in my budget as for some reason they have 4K60 PRO MK.2 for £196 which seems cheap a scant find it under £215+

 

Is 750W enough? So many people keep telling me 3 screens and a 2080Ti will need a min of "1000W" PSU(?) the website says it's okay and says:

"You have selected a 750W power supply, but based on our calculations you actually only need a 650W power supply. We have calculated your specification to require around of 560W power including a 20% allowance. Although it is not a mandatory requirement to select a lower wattage power supply, doing so will save you money and the last thing we'd like to do is over charge you!"

 

Heard the 2080ti supports 4 displays, is this all HDMI? From limited images they've on site i feel i'm seeing 3 display port and 1 hdmi. Would this mean one display is "weaker" or is HDMI and DisplayPort same spec? Never used DP but i'm only going 3 monitors anyway so will make scene all 3x DP.

[brob]

If DDR4-3600 CL16 memory is not feasible you will be fine with something like Corsair Vengeance LPX 3200 CL16. In fact since these modules are very popular the motherboard may recognize and have special settings to maximize performance.

[Sir0Tek]

@RayJohnson48

The 32gb LPX 3200 set seems to be okayish.

Anyway, you should get in contact with PCSpecialist previous to any ordering. Since you're putting quite a pile of cash on the table there is a good chance to get a better offer or some rebate.

Displayport is superiour to HDMI especially for gaming and for workstations, there's even the option to sport >1 displays over one connector.

Personally I never used more than 2 displays nor felt the need for it (I love the multiple desktops feature...). You may consider the use of - at least - a second graphics-card, which can be also faster for your rendering, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzBRNUtNXnc (add: they're talking about using sli in the vid but afair that's not necessary for rendering purposes) 

2x 2070S would save about gbp 70, but do put more stress to the psu. But afair there's usually no monitor connected to the 2nd gpu. It can be quite tricky to get a) good rendering power and b) 4 displays in one setup, maybe PCSpecialist has a good idea on it as well once you contact them.

[RayJohnson48]

On 2/12/2020 at 6:35 AM, Sir0Tek said:

@RayJohnson48

The 32gb LPX 3200 set seems to be okayish.

Anyway, you should get in contact with PCSpecialist previous to any ordering. Since you're putting quite a pile of cash on the table there is a good chance to get a better offer or some rebate.

Displayport is superiour to HDMI especially for gaming and for workstations, there's even the option to sport >1 displays over one connector.

Personally I never used more than 2 displays nor felt the need for it (I love the multiple desktops feature...). You may consider the use of - at least - a second graphics-card, which can be also faster for your rendering, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzBRNUtNXnc (add: they're talking about using sli in the vid but afair that's not necessary for rendering purposes) 

2x 2070S would save about gbp 70, but do put more stress to the psu. But afair there's usually no monitor connected to the 2nd gpu. It can be quite tricky to get a) good rendering power and b) 4 displays in one setup, maybe PCSpecialist has a good idea on it as well once you contact them.

Thanks! Do you think a streaming PC is a major benefit? Or are systems much better now it's possible and fine to do them from one machine? Not right now, but i always planned to have a PC just for the stream later on (like in a years time). Before i remember people saying it's a huge benefit but dunno if new AMD/Intel is much better now days it's overkill for dual systems.

 

I've 2 displays for the last 6 years. plan to upgrade to 3x soon.

 

 

 

[Sir0Tek]

52 minutes ago, RayJohnson48 said:

Thanks! Do you think a streaming PC is a major benefit? Or are systems much better now it's possible and fine to do them from one machine? Not right now, but i always planned to have a PC just for the stream later on (like in a years time). Before i remember people saying it's a huge benefit but dunno if new AMD/Intel is much better now days it's overkill for dual systems.

 

I've 2 displays for the last 6 years. plan to upgrade to 3x soon.

 

 

 

I don't think there's a need for a 2nd pc for streaming, I can't see any feasible benefit here.