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Chat => Entertainment & Technology => Topic started by: XEntity on March 11, 2019, 15:02:07 PM

Title: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on March 11, 2019, 15:02:07 PM
Hi All, I've not built a PC for a very long time.. probably a good 10 years+, today I have a laptop, HP MicroServer and a couple of Raspberry Pi's.. so apart from updating the micro server to a Xeon and a laptop SSD upgrade I have not touched the inside of a PC..

I fancy building a system to play some games.. I don't want to spend silly money and don't want bleeding edge 4K @ 60FPS

I'll get an SSD and have a couple of decent monitors (1920 x 1200) and peripherals..

But I have no idea where to start on CPU / Graphics.. if anyone has any suggestions or site they can point me to?

Is around £500 realistic for CPU, Mobo, Graphics, RAM, Case, PSU? Or am I dreaming.. like I said.. I have no idea anymore!

 

Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Binary Shadow on March 11, 2019, 17:50:24 PM
tried pcpartpicker?
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on March 11, 2019, 17:57:35 PM
tried pcpartpicker?

Nope, will give it a look now.. so out of the loop on these things I think I may need to downgrade my nerd status..
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Binary Shadow on March 11, 2019, 18:00:55 PM
PCPartPicker part list (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/YkgRP3) / Price breakdown by merchant (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/YkgRP3/by_merchant/)

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 3 1200 3.1 GHz Quad-Core Processor (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/TX4NnQ/amd-ryzen-3-1300x-35ghz-quad-core-processor-yd1200bbaebox)  (£67.99 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: ASRock - AB350M Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/sfcMnQ/asrock-ab350m-micro-atx-am4-motherboard-ab350m)  (£80.98 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Patriot - Viper 4 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/vgJkcf/patriot-memory-pv416g300c6k)  (£91.19 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6 GB GT OCV1 Video Card (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/TrGj4D/msi-geforce-gtx-1060-6gb-6gb-gt-ocv1-video-card-geforce-gtx-1060-6gt-ocv1)  (£189.99 @ Ebuyer)
Case: Fractal Design - Focus G (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/ZHmxFT/fractal-design-focus-g-black-atx-mid-tower-case-fd-ca-focus-bk-w)  (£43.33 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: EVGA - 500 W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/XCjG3C/evga-power-supply-100w10500kr)  (£42.41 @ Aria PC)
Total: £515.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-11 17:59 GMT+0000

have thrown this together but tbh I'm a bit rusty myself, could try posting on linus tech tips build forum
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on March 11, 2019, 18:35:09 PM
Cheers..

I assume the Rizen 3/5/7 are the i3/5/7 equivalents?

In which case, is the below combo better a decent jump for the increase in cost?

PCPartPicker part list (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/qPmpvn) / Price breakdown by merchant (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/qPmpvn/by_merchant/)

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/jLF48d/amd-ryzen-5-2600-34ghz-6-core-processor-yd2600bbafbox)  (£145.99 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: *Gigabyte - B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/hpRzK8/gigabyte-b450m-ds3h-micro-atx-am4-motherboard-b450m-ds3h)  (£64.94 @ AWD-IT)
Memory: *Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/wZ22FT/corsair-vengeance-lpx-16gb-2-x-8gb-ddr4-3000-memory-cmk16gx4m2d3000c16)  (£86.67 @ CCL Computers)
Video Card: *PowerColor - Radeon RX 580 8 GB Video Card (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/rKgzK8/powercolor-radeon-rx-580-8gb-video-card-axrx-580-8gbd5-3dhdv2oc)  (£179.99 @ AWD-IT)
Case: Thermaltake - Versa H18 Tempered Glass MicroATX Mini Tower Case (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/dgndnQ/thermaltake-versa-h18-tempered-glass-microatx-mini-tower-case-ca-1j4-00s1wn-01)
Power Supply: *SeaSonic - G 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/DPCwrH/seasonic-power-supply-ssr550rm)  (£66.65 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £544.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-11 18:26 GMT+0000

Edit: Just realised I'm also missing the case cost in this instance.. Still I guess is it worth the extra cost?
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Serious on March 11, 2019, 18:42:38 PM
tried pcpartpicker?

Nope, will give it a look now.. so out of the loop on these things I think I may need to downgrade my nerd status..

I think we are all suffering from that a bit. Finally got to drooling over component lists myself. Despite everything I have some money I need to spend.

At 1080P it doesn't seem to matter too much what graphics you have, 1060 is fine. My temptation would be to go for a Ryzen 2600X gen2 which would blow your budget.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Binary Shadow on March 11, 2019, 18:54:09 PM
I don't think you can directly compare the intel/amd chips like that but the amd is usually more bang for buck.

the 500 budget was really tight
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Clock'd 0Ne on March 12, 2019, 06:44:13 AM
Keep your eye on www.hotukdeals.com too as often some real hardware bargains come up, especially on HDDs.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on March 12, 2019, 11:02:50 AM
Cheers all, will put a few alerts on HUKD.. and spend a bit of time looking at some reviews and getting up to speed.. but PCPartPicker has helped greatly and gives me a decent idea of where to be looking!

If 500 is tight I would spend a bit more if the jump was worth it..
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: matt5cott on March 12, 2019, 12:44:53 PM
It's worth noting that the Ryzen onboard graphics are fairly competent, even last years 2200/2400 were surprisingly good -> https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2018-ryzen-3-2200-g-ryzen-5-2400g-review
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on March 12, 2019, 13:06:32 PM
It's worth noting that the Ryzen onboard graphics are fairly competent, even last years 2200/2400 were surprisingly good -> https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2018-ryzen-3-2200-g-ryzen-5-2400g-review

That's interesting, I might give that a go in the first instance then, if it turns out to be rubbish then I can always upgrade at a later date..

The below comes in at 16p under budget (with an SSD)  ;D Need to do a bit more research on each of the components, as really it's just been thrown together for an estimate.. but at least a starting point.. thanks all for your help so far!

PCPartPicker part list (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/vyqLRJ) / Price breakdown by merchant (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/vyqLRJ/by_merchant/)

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/jLF48d/amd-ryzen-5-2600-34ghz-6-core-processor-yd2600bbafbox)  (£145.50 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: *Gigabyte - B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/hpRzK8/gigabyte-b450m-ds3h-micro-atx-am4-motherboard-b450m-ds3h)  (£64.94 @ AWD-IT)
Memory: *Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/wZ22FT/corsair-vengeance-lpx-16gb-2-x-8gb-ddr4-3000-memory-cmk16gx4m2d3000c16)  (£86.58 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/6yKcCJ/samsung-860-evo-500gb-25-solid-state-drive-mz-76e500bam)  (£78.95 @ AWD-IT)
Case: Thermaltake - Versa H18 Tempered Glass MicroATX Mini Tower Case (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/dgndnQ/thermaltake-versa-h18-tempered-glass-microatx-mini-tower-case-ca-1j4-00s1wn-01)  (£57.22 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: *SeaSonic - G 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/DPCwrH/seasonic-power-supply-ssr550rm)  (£66.65 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £499.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-03-12 13:02 GMT+0000
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Binary Shadow on March 12, 2019, 19:26:00 PM
might find this helpful for ryzen without gpu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5FiwITzm3M
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: matt5cott on March 12, 2019, 22:29:05 PM
might find this helpful for ryzen without gpu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5FiwITzm3M
CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor (https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/jLF48d/amd-ryzen-5-2600-34ghz-6-core-processor-yd2600bbafbox)  (£145.50 @ Aria PC)

https://www.amd.com/en/ryzen-5

The ruddy 2600 doesn't appear to have the vega graphics, infact no graphics on chip at all  :dunno: :roll:
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: neXus on March 13, 2019, 01:36:13 AM
tried pcpartpicker?

Nope, will give it a look now.. so out of the loop on these things I think I may need to downgrade my nerd status..

I think we are all suffering from that a bit. Finally got to drooling over component lists myself. Despite everything I have some money I need to spend.

At 1080P it doesn't seem to matter too much what graphics you have, 1060 is fine. My temptation would be to go for a Ryzen 2600X gen2 which would blow your budget.


I was recommended the Ryzen 2600X gen2 - No regrets there. As a note - if you do not plan to try crazy overclock and do not buy a board with good voltage modifiers then the standard version is cheaper and still does the business from what I read online.

In terms of graphics card - I have friends with Radeon but TBH most games still optimize well for nVidia first. Also depends on your monitor and what sync tech it has but a 1060 will still be on max settings and above 60fps for most games UNLESS you have an UltraWide where a 1080/TI will be better.

I am not sure on the new RTX cards without ray tracing that are supposed to be the new 1060's. Mixed views on those. I think people still saying either new or second hand 1080/TI from ex mining is better.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Clock'd 0Ne on March 13, 2019, 06:30:21 AM
The new raft of underperforming nVidia cards should be pushing prices down on the older models now, so I'd leave buying your graphics card until last, you can probably get a bargain on a 1070/1080
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on March 13, 2019, 14:08:41 PM
might find this helpful for ryzen without gpu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5FiwITzm3M

Yeah came up in my YouTube feed last night.. :)

The ruddy 2600 doesn't appear to have the vega graphics, infact no graphics on chip at all  :dunno: :roll:

Good spot cheers! I think I might go for a separate GPU and push the budget a little more..

I was recommended the Ryzen 2600X gen2 - No regrets there. As a note - if you do not plan to try crazy overclock and do not buy a board with good voltage modifiers then the standard version is cheaper and still does the business from what I read online.

In terms of graphics card - I have friends with Radeon but TBH most games still optimize well for nVidia first. Also depends on your monitor and what sync tech it has but a 1060 will still be on max settings and above 60fps for most games UNLESS you have an UltraWide where a 1080/TI will be better.

I am not sure on the new RTX cards without ray tracing that are supposed to be the new 1060's. Mixed views on those. I think people still saying either new or second hand 1080/TI from ex mining is better.


The new raft of underperforming nVidia cards should be pushing prices down on the older models now, so I'd leave buying your graphics card until last, you can probably get a bargain on a 1070/1080

Cheers, the 1080ti blows the budget anyway even second hand at the moment, but will look at the 1060 instead of the RTX perhaps.. and maybe wait to see what happens..



Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Binary Shadow on March 13, 2019, 18:26:15 PM
very little game support for RTX anyway I believe, still too new
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: neXus on March 14, 2019, 06:04:29 AM
very little game support for RTX anyway I believe, still too new


Full Ray Tracing still seems to heavy as well. What Metro has done is used it for in regards to DLSS to good effect.
But yeah, the cheaper version or just a 1080 will still do you well for the most part for some time still.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on March 15, 2019, 09:49:47 AM
So the Ryzen 3000 series chips should be out sometime in the next 3 months, so it's probably worth waiting to see what pricing these come out with and then see what happens with the GPUs at the same time.. it would be nice to have a system before then, but probably more sensible to wait for the extra benefit..
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on March 15, 2019, 11:29:42 AM
Just looking at cases.. I'm thinking of spending a little extra here and get something that can handle future upgrades and looks good..

I was thinking MATX, but TBH I don't need the small size and and I think it will give me more options then..

I was thinking this, as they also have easy water cooling upgrades and great cable management, but open to options..

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/NZXT-Tempered-Supports-MicroATX-Motherboards/dp/B07D7H5T57/ (https://smile.amazon.co.uk/NZXT-Tempered-Supports-MicroATX-Motherboards/dp/B07D7H5T57/)
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on March 27, 2019, 21:34:07 PM
Are you planning on getting into water cooling? If you are, I think that's a solid choice.

No it's a liquid choice
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: knighty on March 28, 2019, 16:29:47 PM
I used to get expensive cases, not really sure why... my nephew bought a £20 case... and it's awesome, bought myself one on my next upgrade

I thought it was an NZXT make like the one you posted above (but googled it and can't see the one I have)... I've text my nephew to see what he says
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Serious on March 31, 2019, 00:31:13 AM
Are you planning on getting into water cooling? If you are, I think that's a solid choice.

No it's a liquid choice

Fluidity is always good in computer driven environments, until you get a leak. :ptu:
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: matt5cott on July 02, 2019, 12:22:13 PM
New Ryzen chips out Sunday. https://www.amd.com/en/products/apu/amd-ryzen-5-3400g is the new GPU on board offering (also lesser priced Ryzen 3 variant)

Also re-looking at the original build spec, consider an M2 NVME instead of an SSD.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on July 02, 2019, 14:58:04 PM
New Ryzen chips out Sunday. https://www.amd.com/en/products/apu/amd-ryzen-5-3400g is the new GPU on board offering (also lesser priced Ryzen 3 variant)

Also re-looking at the original build spec, consider an M2 NVME instead of an SSD.

Yep, so I've been waiting for this, there are excellent deals on the 1k and 2k series chips in anticipation of the 3k (Zen 2) for anyone interested, HUKD is full of them..

In terms of my build I've decided to screw my budget and spend double what I was planning, and NVME is on the list, although real life performance is likely negligible compared to a standard SSD I believe, despite much more significant bandwidth availability..

I'll also be going for a dedicated GPU, although still a little lost on what to get.. for around £300ish
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: matt5cott on July 02, 2019, 18:02:45 PM
In terms of my build I've decided to screw my budget and spend double what I was planning

 ;D Lovely stuff :thumbup: :lol:
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Clock'd 0Ne on July 05, 2019, 06:29:25 AM
Classic Tekforums fashion  :lol: God speed!  ;D
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Serious on July 11, 2019, 01:29:02 AM
I am looking very closely for a new system, last two are intel boxes and, while the CPUs are still OK, the graphics card on one is an Nvidea 970                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            GTX and the other an even older MSI AMD Radeon HD7800.

So absolute minimum is a new graphics card.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on July 25, 2019, 16:19:04 PM
Sorry not been on in a while and just seen your comments, LMAO!  :rofl:

So I'm likely going to be going for a Ryzen 3700X paired with an MSI B450 or X470 board (possibly a max version if they are coming out any time soon, which can properly handle the new BIOS)

Graphics I'm still undecided, maybe a vega 56.. maybe something else around £250-300.. the thing is in the old days I knew my graphics cards.. now I have no idea and just reliant on peoples opinions.. feel free to throw some ideas :)
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Serious on July 26, 2019, 01:25:03 AM
AMD have just brought out a couple of new GPU chips, but they are still being sold on reference boards with dodgy single fan.

Might be a couple of moths before they get drivers sorted out properly as well.

Depends entirely on the resolution you intend to use, there isn't much out there that will not put out 1080p at a good refresh rate. On the other hand there isn't much that will put out 4K at a consistent good refresh without cutting back on options.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: matt5cott on July 26, 2019, 07:33:33 AM
I did a Ryzen 3200G build for my arcade cab, it's used for emulators at 640x480 so pretty much breezes anything I chuck at it  :lol:

(http://chasethedevil.co.uk/img/awave4.jpg)
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on July 26, 2019, 09:57:31 AM

Depends entirely on the resolution you intend to use, there isn't much out there that will not put out 1080p at a good refresh rate. On the other hand there isn't much that will put out 4K at a consistent good refresh without cutting back on options.

Native is 1920 x 1200 on my monitors, but TBH even 1080 will be good enough for me, will do a bit more research on the new AMD stuff, I've spend most of my time reading about the new Ryzens and boards at the moment, GPU is next on my list..

Edit: The 5700 does look tasty.. will wait a bit for a non blower I think..

I did a Ryzen 3200G build for my arcade cab, it's used for emulators at 640x480 so pretty much breezes anything I chuck at it  :lol:

lol, just marginal overkill when a raspberry PI would have done it  ;D
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: matt5cott on July 26, 2019, 13:07:56 PM
I did a Ryzen 3200G build for my arcade cab, it's used for emulators at 640x480 so pretty much breezes anything I chuck at it  :lol:

lol, just marginal overkill when a raspberry PI would have done it  ;D

Huge fan of the PI and I have plenty of them inc the new 4, but when it comes to emulation IMO they're good, but not great.

edit- oops and crucially I forgot to point out it's used as a server also  :lol:
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Serious on July 26, 2019, 14:54:28 PM
I'm using a GTX 970 to push 4K graphics in Guild Wars 2, when I feel well enough to play, not that often now.

Does over 30FPS until I run into a massive open world battle or zerg in World vs World play, then it tries to fry itself.

Still playable, just but nowhere near ideal.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on July 26, 2019, 21:19:44 PM
I did a Ryzen 3200G build for my arcade cab, it's used for emulators at 640x480 so pretty much breezes anything I chuck at it  :lol:

lol, just marginal overkill when a raspberry PI would have done it  ;D

Huge fan of the PI and I have plenty of them inc the new 4, but when it comes to emulation IMO they're good, but not great.

edit- oops and crucially I forgot to point out it's used as a server also  :lol:

Here's my RetroPie setup:
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByWCNppFeM6/?igshid=dkrdunn5msle
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on August 31, 2019, 19:50:02 PM
Critique on the below specs welcome..

* Ryzen 5 3600 @ £189
* Cooler Master Hyper 212 LED @ £35
* MSI B450M Gaming Plus @ £75
* Crucial Ballistix Sport LT 3200 @ £75
* Corsair RM750X 80 Plus Gold 750w @ £103
* Sabrent 1TB Rocket NVMe @ £110
* Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Super Gaming OC 8G @ £421
* NZXT H510 @ £75

Total @£1083 from Amazon, but I'll shop around.. any suggestions?
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Serious on September 01, 2019, 20:42:54 PM
any suggestions?

At the moment only one, the British pound is down 27% on pre you know what prices.

Might be worth waiting see what happens in the next few weeks.

Or everything might just end up much worse.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on September 02, 2019, 18:44:37 PM
any suggestions?

At the moment only one, the British pound is down 27% on pre you know what prices.

Might be worth waiting see what happens in the next few weeks.

Or everything might just end up much worse.

We probably won't even have electricity.. so might save myself a grand..
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: knighty on September 12, 2019, 13:16:57 PM
looks good to me... I really like noctua heat sinks, but I don't think there's much difference between high end heat sinks tbh

and I'd have gone with a name I recognise for the nvme... but maybe the're well knows and I'm just to old to know it now :-o
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Clock'd 0Ne on September 16, 2019, 19:10:20 PM
I've heard of Sabrent before but couldn't comment on how reliable they are, I always tend to go for Crucial for SSDs for their track record. Great spec though! I really feel like I should be upgrading as I'm stuck on DDR3, USB 3.0, no NVMe, etc but my i7-3770K just doesn't feel long in the tooth yet, I reckon I can just keep eeking graphics card upgrades out of it for a while longer. Not that I find time to game much these days either!

Maybe PCIe4 will change my mind :yarr:
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Serious on September 16, 2019, 22:51:12 PM
I always tend to go for Crucial for SSDs for their track record.

So far I have 5 Crucial from 240GB to 1TB, all of them work well.

Although for some strange reason one of them, a 1TB used as a boot disk, is refusing to work plugged in to the SATA connectors but works fine in a USB caddy.

Think the contacts are oxidized or just not connecting properly. Although no idea why it should then run perfectly in the caddy.

Anyone got experience with AMD Radeon rx 5700 xt graphic cards? Was thinking of going for a 2070 but it's quite a bit more expensive.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: matt5cott on September 17, 2019, 12:51:37 PM
I've been very ill recently so bought a new laptop so I could use it in bed (old one was from 2007!) £606 with an eBay voucher (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/183889220639) for, a Ryzen 5 3500 with integrated vega graphics, it's hilariously capable of even modest gaming  :thumbup:

Oh and a thumbs up to Noctua, I use their fans for all my gear, I've had 1 out of easily 20 odd go wrong and they sent another out that day!
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on October 02, 2019, 09:34:14 AM
I've been on holiday hence the late response, the Sabrents get good reviews, but may end up going Crucial..

I'm currently gaming on a laptop, and it gets VERY hot and is heavy so will likely get a PC for gaming and a light laptop for other stuff...

Cheers for your input!
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on December 11, 2019, 10:19:27 AM
So I thought I'd update you with what I went for in the end.. I took advantage of some black Friday deals and came in under budget with enough change for a better cooler..

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Processor (6C/12T, 35MB Cache, 4.2 GHz Max Boost) @£179 (Just missed a better deal)
Crucial Ballistix Sport LT BLS2K8G4D32AESCK 3200 MHz, DDR4, DRAM, Desktop Gaming Memory Kit, 16 GB (8 GB x 2), CL16, White @£70
Corsair RM750x 80 PLUS Gold, 750 W Fully Modular ATX Power Supply Unit - Black @£83
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1 TB NVMe M.2 Internal SSD @£155
NZXT H510 - Compact ATX Mid-Tower PC Gaming Case @ £55
MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX AMD Socket AM4 Motherboard @ £90
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Super Windforce 8GB @ £335

Total £967

Currently running stock on the stock cooler, I'll swap that out for something a little quieter in the new year and maybe swap out the case fans at the same time..

I went for the RTX 2060 Super in the end at the price point the ATI 5700XT is a blower card and the drivers seem pretty hit and miss for the range at the moment and just wanted something that worked. The 2070 (non Super) gave a small increase, but not enough to warrant the cost, although I could have possibly held out for a better deal..

Only played a couple of games, at stock games are running smooth (1920 x 1200) on max settings, although are now let down by my 60Hz monitors! So an ultrawide or a pair of new monitors may be on the cards next year..

 :ptu:
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Clock'd 0Ne on December 11, 2019, 16:12:46 PM
Save for an ultrawide 120hz + Gsync offering for sure, they are wonderful for gaming and productivity. I'm not sure I could go back to a standard aspect ratio now.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Serious on December 12, 2019, 12:12:08 PM
I am now using a 55" 4K Sony TV ( bought for me by my Brother last year) but don't use anywhere near full settings on games.

My poor old 970 isn't really up to that anyway so a 2070 super or 2080 super is in the buy list for sometime in the future.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on December 12, 2019, 14:43:08 PM
Save for an ultrawide 120hz + Gsync offering for sure, they are wonderful for gaming and productivity. I'm not sure I could go back to a standard aspect ratio now.

Yeah I think that's the way to go, I'll probably want something around 34" and 1440p, have only had a brief look, but probably looking >£500..
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on January 08, 2020, 13:26:32 PM
Save for an ultrawide 120hz + Gsync offering for sure, they are wonderful for gaming and productivity. I'm not sure I could go back to a standard aspect ratio now.

Went for this in the end... ASUS ROG STRIX Curved XG35VQ, 35 Inch UWQHD (3440 x 1440) Gaming Monitor, VA, Up to 100 Hz, 1 ms

Will be vesa mounting it as the stand is huge and the lights are tacky..

I had 2 x 24" before so my usable space is much less for work, but much nicer for gaming!

Just shy of £600 so not cheap and well and truly blowing my original £500 PC build (now over 3 x the budget)  :rofl:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61+Llt3Hb4L._SS300_.jpg)
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Clock'd 0Ne on January 09, 2020, 07:49:29 AM
Well worth it, you won't miss that extra space when the ultrawide offers so much real estate with no divide.

Webstorm and other IDEs on an ultrawide is pretty much perfect.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: neXus on January 10, 2020, 01:30:55 AM
Save for an ultrawide 120hz + Gsync offering for sure, they are wonderful for gaming and productivity. I'm not sure I could go back to a standard aspect ratio now.

Went for this in the end... ASUS ROG STRIX Curved XG35VQ, 35 Inch UWQHD (3440 x 1440) Gaming Monitor, VA, Up to 100 Hz, 1 ms

Will be vesa mounting it as the stand is huge and the lights are tacky..

I had 2 x 24" before so my usable space is much less for work, but much nicer for gaming!

Just shy of £600 so not cheap and well and truly blowing my original £500 PC build (now over 3 x the budget)  :rofl:

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61+Llt3Hb4L._SS300_.jpg)


Gsync - If you not had one with it before - You will notice
100hz is OK but 133, 144+ you notice, especially in FPS


But Ultrawide - I know it works your graphics card more with all the pixels but since I got mine - OMG.... (I got the Acer Preditor) when you set a good field of view like in battlefield and see people trying to sneak up on you or snipping people with heavy machine guns.. SO GOOD.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: XEntity on January 10, 2020, 13:52:03 PM
Well worth it, you won't miss that extra space when the ultrawide offers so much real estate with no divide.

Webstorm and other IDEs on an ultrawide is pretty much perfect.

Yeah I just wish I could treat it as two physical monitors, I'm too used to double clicking the title bar, just need to get used to dragging it or using windows + LEFT/RIGHT


Gsync - If you not had one with it before - You will notice
100hz is OK but 133, 144+ you notice, especially in FPS

But Ultrawide - I know it works your graphics card more with all the pixels but since I got mine - OMG.... (I got the Acer Preditor) when you set a good field of view like in battlefield and see people trying to sneak up on you or snipping people with heavy machine guns.. SO GOOD.

Yeah having Sync is pretty good, I pretty much had to compromise somewhere and I didn't want to go smaller or drop to 1080, but without a doubt 100hz is much better than the 60hz Dell UltraSharp U2412M's it replaced!  :thumbup:
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Serious on May 11, 2020, 16:54:55 PM
Having been unable to decide on a new AMD CPU for several months now I upgraded the memory on my old I7-3770K to 16GB instead. Pair of 4GB sticks cost £50.26.

Only minor issue was they no longer sell the white version Corsair CML8GX3M2A1600C9 Vengeance Low Profile, so had to get black. Functionally identical.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Clock'd 0Ne on May 11, 2020, 17:19:25 PM
People laughed when I was touting 32GB RAM years ago; it's still one of the reasons I haven't had to upgrade my i7 system other than graphics card and more/bigger SSDs. RAM never really got any cheaper either looking at it. Software is only ever gonna get more bloated and memory hungry as time goes on.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: neXus on May 12, 2020, 02:00:41 AM
People laughed when I was touting 32GB RAM years ago; it's still one of the reasons I haven't had to upgrade my i7 system other than graphics card and more/bigger SSDs. RAM never really got any cheaper either looking at it. Software is only ever gonna get more bloated and memory hungry as time goes on.


While not PC taking account my work imac.
16gig - it flew through things just fine.
A couple years into this machine I am not really using anything new other than the updated versions of software from a few years ago.
It is current struggling and my spare memory hovers around 1-2gb only and I have to close apps like Teams now to be able to use others.


The simple reason here is that apps to work on the latest MacOS all had to migrate to 64bit away from 32bit. As such every single app just wants more memory.


If and windows started to force this as well, especially in the sense of games - You will instantly need 32gb min memory.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Clock'd 0Ne on May 12, 2020, 06:37:13 AM
My work Macbook Pro is still running Mojave and I don't want to upgrade because it already feels sluggish with 16GB RAM and I have no idea if it will get worse or better under Catalina.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: neXus on May 12, 2020, 06:46:09 AM
My work Macbook Pro is still running Mojave and I don't want to upgrade because it already feels sluggish with 16GB RAM and I have no idea if it will get worse or better under Catalina.
A lot of older ones do not even get the ability to update for that very reason.



Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Serious on May 12, 2020, 22:49:57 PM
People laughed when I was touting 32GB RAM years ago; it's still one of the reasons I haven't had to upgrade my i7 system other than graphics card and more/bigger SSDs. RAM never really got any cheaper either looking at it. Software is only ever gonna get more bloated and memory hungry as time goes on.

Considering I bought it way back in 2012 and for most things I have done it's been entirely adequate. Add in the memory prices back then were much more expensive.

If I do eventually decide to get an entirely new PC then I will certainly be considering 32GB.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: neXus on May 13, 2020, 02:19:47 AM
But faster memory does compensate as well, 16gb of new DDR4 and coming 5.


Anyone going new have to really look at Ryzen though. AMD are just killing it right now.

Ryzen 3 3100 people getting close to 5ghz on this alone and then you have the solid at stock 3300X Reviews as well with the lower power consumption and lower cost than intel..


The only thing they really need is mainly for game developers and game engines to focus less on intel specific optimisations. I think this really is only where Intel have a leg over them at the moment.
The only thing people seem semi pissed with AMD is that they have gone against their socket backwards compatibility as these have a new socket.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Clock'd 0Ne on May 13, 2020, 07:57:58 AM
I would not be buying a new Ryzen system right now with the next gen of chips and boards right around the corner that are not backwards compatible. I might start to consider it soon with the jump to PCIE4 and DDR5 as it will start to feel worth the leap for me.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: Serious on May 13, 2020, 23:04:19 PM
Which is part of the reason why I didn't just totally upgrade to a new system.
Title: Re: Gaming PC Build
Post by: neXus on May 14, 2020, 07:34:10 AM
HAHA,
Just as a I mention in Microsoft are finally ditching 32 bit Windows 10 at least:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/rip-microsoft-to-drop-support-for-windows-10-on-32-bit-systems/ (https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/rip-microsoft-to-drop-support-for-windows-10-on-32-bit-systems/)


They are being slower because its the PC space but they will go only 64bit for apps eventually as well.