£2K budget, new gaming PC. Help me spec before 4pm cutoff?

[Chazaxl]

So,

Need to get another PC, my current one will be handed to one of the kids and I 'need' to hit £2K for VAT reasons.

So its been a while since I bought, so a lot of the new boards and specs mean little to me.

From a quick look, this is what I have come up with.

Mobo - ROG Max Z270 Formula - I want to have liquid cooling and something that will last for a few years - £350
CPU i7 7700K 4.2 - £339
The remainder I am unsure about.
GPU, 970 or 1070 of sorts.
PSU, anything decent, I dont want to struggle with power issues now or later.
RAM, more the better, my current machine runs on 48GB, id want at least 32 for the next machine and allow some 'future proofing' where possible.
Storage, as fast as possible. I will likely get a NAS for other stuff, so dont need much locally, perhaps 256GB as a minimum.
Cooling, liquid cooled, if I want to do some mild clocking (im not a big OC fan), then good. The machine should be silent.
Waterblock thing ..... I saw that on a prebuild machine - what do I need with this CPU / Mobo?
Case, dont mind, something easy to work inside, spacious and nothing blingy.
Monitor - optional, I have my good IPS 27 Dell however Id consider another 27 inch IPS - 4K ideally.

Would consider going over budget but guidance is £2000 including VAT.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Chazaxl]

Quick look :-

May reduce the amount of RAM, what is the recommended clockspeed for this setup with potential mild overclocking (ie, what is minimum for base)?

Still need to add a case. I plan to use my existing PCI soundcard from current PC (high end Asus one).

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x Asus ROG Maximus IX Formula Intel Z270 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £349.99
• 1 x Corsair RM Series RM1000X '80+ Gold' 1000W Modular Power Supply (CP-9020094-UK)= £174.95
• 1 x Samsung SM951 512GB M.2 PCI-e 3.0 x 4 NVMe Solid State Drive (MZVPV512HDGL-00000)= £229.99
• 1 x MSI GeForce GTX 1070 GAMING X 8G 8192MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card= £458.99
• 1 x Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound (3.5g)= £5.99
• 1 x Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz (Kaby Lake) Socket LGA1151 Processor - Retail= £349.99
• 2 x Corsair Dominator Platinum 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 PC4-25600C16 3200MHz Dual Channel Kit - Black (CMD32GX= £329.99
• 1 x Corsair Hydro Series H115i Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler (CW-9060027-WW)= £134.99

Total: £2,364.87
(includes shipping: £0.00)
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[Chazaxl]

You want a custom loop? Any AIO is not going to offer you much over a top end Noctua or Cryorig air cooler (you can OC on these just as easily), and will likely be noisier when you ramp it up, what with pump noise. A custom loop will perform much better and can be very quiet if done right... but comes at a price. You could go with a CPU only loop to save money though, which then makes GPU upgrades in the future hassle free. You will certainly be able to keep that CPU for years.

1000W PSU is utter overkill. A 650W-750W is all you need, and even that allows plenty of headroom. Just go with a top end Gold or Platinum rated from EVGA, Super Flower or Seasonic.

I dont mind - whatever gives me a fairly silent and stable PC. Would it be worth going for the slightly less expensive mobo then and just using fairly normal (air) cooling?

 

[Chazaxl]

How do I know what RAM speed I need?

- Memory Controller: Dual channel DDR4 2133/2400/2666/3000/3200/3600/4000/4200/4400/4600/5000+ MHz
- Socket: LGA1151
- Memory compatibility: All DDR4 is compatible (Check your motherboards manual)

It was so much easier in 'the old days' when it was a simple FSB and multiplier calculation. Is 3200 MHz an overkill for this CPU? Would it run properly on 2133 and the others are only for overclocking?

 

[Chazaxl]

Updated set of stuff.

Adding cooling system, changed PSU and reduced slightly on the Mobo.

Any compatibility issues? Anything I should scale up or down for value / future?

Thanks

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x Samsung SM951 512GB M.2 PCI-e 3.0 x 4 NVMe Solid State Drive (MZVPV512HDGL-00000)= £229.99
• 1 x MSI GeForce GTX 1070 GAMING X 8G 8192MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card= £458.99
• 1 x Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound (3.5g)= £5.99
• 1 x Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz (Kaby Lake) Socket LGA1151 Processor - Retail= £349.99
• 2 x Corsair Dominator Platinum 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 PC4-25600C16 3200MHz Dual Channel Kit - Black (CMD32GX= £329.99
• 1 x Corsair Obsidian 750D Airflow Full Tower Case - Black (CC-9011078-WW)= £146.99
• 1 x Asus ROG Maximus IX Code Intel Z270 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £299.99
• 1 x Noctua NH-D15 Dual Radiator Quiet CPU Cooler with two NH-A15 Fans= £76.99
• 1 x EVGA SuperNova G2 750W '80 Plus Gold' Modular Power Supply= £119.99

Total: £2,348.90
(includes shipping: £0.00)
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[Chazaxl]

A custom loop will give you the POTENTIAL for the most quiet and stable system, but it won't come cheap and takes some work. If you want to just get up and running quickly with something stable, quiet and reliable, mobo choice really doesn't matter that much, and you can't go wrong with something like the Cryorig R1/R1 Ultimate. It's a good looking cooler too, and one of the best performing. Paying nearly double the price for an AIO is really not worth it, unless you are in love with the aesthetics.

Don't worry about RAM... there is no real noticeable benefit to having the fastest, so just get the best value kit. OC'd ram reaps minimal benefit, but saying that the cost difference between some options isn't that great. Just don't pay over the odds, it's pointless.

Thanks. Appreciated. I just posted before seeing your response. BTW, lovely build on your machine in your signature.

I have some CNC mills and such at home, might venture into this at some point.

In terms of looks, not too bothered, I tend to put the PC under the desk and not really look at it.

Any concerns with the case / fitment / size of the bits including the new cooler option?

 

[Chazaxl]

I'd personally go for a different case. 750D is getting on a bit now, and it's a lot to pay for a case without a glass panel. I know you say you don't care about looks, but glass really is so much nicer, and won't scratch as soon as you look it like these acrylic side panels do. Besides, there are just better all round cases. Check out any of the Phanteks for a start, plus they are all more watercooling friendly if you do go that route in the future. The InWin 303 I used in my build could be an option also, as it's very affordable, but has loads of space and looks premium. All cases will give a CPU cooler height clearance, so just check you're within that for the Noctua.

Thanks. I swapped the cooler for the one you mentioned, similar price.

Looking at cases now.

 

[Chazaxl]

Ok, potentially final BOM. RAM OK?

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x Samsung SM951 512GB M.2 PCI-e 3.0 x 4 NVMe Solid State Drive (MZVPV512HDGL-00000)= £229.99
• 1 x MSI GeForce GTX 1070 GAMING X 8G 8192MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card= £458.99
• 1 x Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound (3.5g)= £5.99
• 1 x Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz (Kaby Lake) Socket LGA1151 Processor - Retail= £349.99
• 1 x Asus ROG Maximus IX Code Intel Z270 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £299.99
• 1 x EVGA SuperNova G2 750W '80 Plus Gold' Modular Power Supply= £119.99
• 2 x Kingston HyperX Predator 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 PC4-24000C15 3000MHz Dual Channel Kit (HX430C15PB3K2/32)= £248.99
• 1 x Cryorig R1 Ultimate Dual Tower CPU Heatsink with 2x 140mm Fan - Black= £76.99
• 1 x In-Win 303 Midi Tower Case - Black= £99.95

Total: £2,139.86
(includes shipping: £0.00)
​

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[Chazaxl]

Actually, same clock speed, 16GB x 4, cheaper and I have fair respect for Corsair.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/cors...mhz-quad-channel-kit-white-led-my-48l-cs.html

Mmmmm, will it work with the mobo / cpu I have?

Specification:
- CPU Compatibility: Intel Broadwell-E/Haswell-E & Intel Skylake
- Chipset: Intel X99 / Z170
- Capacity: 64GB (16GBx4)
- Quad Channel kit: Yes
- Tested Speed: DDR4-3000 MHz (PC4-24000)
- Tested Latency: 15-16-16-36
- Tested Voltage: 1.2V
- Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
- Error Checking: Non-ECC
- Type: 288-pin UDIMM
- SPD Speed: 2133 MHz
- SPD Voltage: 1.2V
- Warranty: Lifetime

 

[Chazaxl]

Final, I hope.

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x Samsung SM951 512GB M.2 PCI-e 3.0 x 4 NVMe Solid State Drive (MZVPV512HDGL-00000)= £229.99
• 1 x MSI GeForce GTX 1070 GAMING X 8G 8192MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card= £458.99
• 1 x Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound (3.5g)= £5.99
• 1 x Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz (Kaby Lake) Socket LGA1151 Processor - Retail= £349.99
• 1 x Asus ROG Maximus IX Code Intel Z270 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £299.99
• 1 x EVGA SuperNova G2 750W '80 Plus Gold' Modular Power Supply= £119.99
• 1 x Cryorig R1 Ultimate Dual Tower CPU Heatsink with 2x 140mm Fan - Black= £76.99
• 1 x In-Win 303 Midi Tower Case - Black= £99.95
• 1 x Corsair Vengeance LED 64GB (4x16GB) DDR4 PC4-24000C15 3000MHz Quad Channel Kit - White LED= £429.95

Total: £2,071.83
(includes shipping: £0.00)
​

​

 

[Chazaxl]

So, Ive missed the 4pm, but will consider ordering tomorrow for Saturday delivery.

Any thoughts on the items before I order?

 

[Chazaxl]

Ive done RAID before, software raid wasnt really worth it IMHO but certainly worth considering. On these newer boards, do they offer hardware RAID?

 

[Chazaxl]

I might change the case. I dont mind the look of the selected one but I dont like the 'bling' on the front.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/frac...wer-case-black-window-ca-029-fd.html#comments

or

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/cors...ase-black-window-cc-9011081-ww-ca-216-cs.html

 

[Chazaxl]

Here is a little example on RAM vs CPU, bare in mind this is taking in to account very minimal speeds and not accounting for things like multiple cores or hyperthreading:

CPU Speed (clock cycle) = 1 GHz (i.e. 1000,000,000 Hz)
Time per clock cycle = 1 / 1000,000,000 sec = 1 nano-sec (ns)
RAM write cycle = 3 ns (approx. 300 MHz bus)
Therefore, for each CPU write access cycle, the CPU must wait (or hang-around, doing no useful work) for 3 clock cycles; it has 3 "wait" times.

Thanks.

 

[Chazaxl]

Is this just a gaming pc ? Are you going to do anything else on it i.e Video Editing/Rendering etc ?

I would go with the 960 EVO over the SM951. It has slightly less capacity (500GB vs 512GB) but it has faster read/write speeds and an extra 1 years warranty.

Do you need such an expensive board ? If you are going to drop £300 on a board then I would go X99 instead.

Some of those big air coolers can block off the top pcie slot. Not sure what the R1 Ultimate is like for that, but I would try and find out first.
If you do go with it then you would need a different case as it is too big for the Inwin 303. Max height stated is 160mm and the R1 is 168mm. It would fit in the 400C and Define S that you linked.

If you don't plan to SLI then you only really need a 550W psu.

Mainly, yes. That said, I do use Fusion 360 which is a CAD program and I would presume be CPU / RAM heavy.

I would like at vids at a point but my wife's iMac is probably better suited anyways.

Thanks for the advice on the storage, that is what I was looking for. I saw the 256G one but its like 90% of the price and similar speed to the 512GB one, but didnt see the 960 EVO.

Expensive board, no, I would like something that works, is reliable (ive had bad issues with Asus before and stopped buying their stuff, but these boards get good reviews). So happy to look at alternatives.

550W only? I suppose today's systems are more effecient. Seems like less about clock speed and more about efficiency with today's CPUs?

 

[Chazaxl]

Here is a little example on RAM vs CPU, bare in mind this is taking in to account very minimal speeds and not accounting for things like multiple cores or hyperthreading:

CPU Speed (clock cycle) = 1 GHz (i.e. 1000,000,000 Hz)
Time per clock cycle = 1 / 1000,000,000 sec = 1 nano-sec (ns)
RAM write cycle = 3 ns (approx. 300 MHz bus)
Therefore, for each CPU write access cycle, the CPU must wait (or hang-around, doing no useful work) for 3 clock cycles; it has 3 "wait" times.

Ive just re read this. Are we saying therefore that the faster the RAM, the less time the CPU needs to wait? Would that not mean that 4000 MHz ram would show vast improvements over say 2133 MHz ram or does it simply not work like that?

 

[Chazaxl]

Is this just a gaming pc ? Are you going to do anything else on it i.e Video Editing/Rendering etc ?

I would go with the 960 EVO over the SM951. It has slightly less capacity (500GB vs 512GB) but it has faster read/write speeds and an extra 1 years warranty.

Do you need such an expensive board ? If you are going to drop £300 on a board then I would go X99 instead.

Some of those big air coolers can block off the top pcie slot. Not sure what the R1 Ultimate is like for that, but I would try and find out first.
If you do go with it then you would need a different case as it is too big for the Inwin 303. Max height stated is 160mm and the R1 is 168mm. It would fit in the 400C and Define S that you linked.

If you don't plan to SLI then you only really need a 550W psu.

The Fusion 360 rendering is actually cloud based however you can do local rendering and it does 'sap' resources when rendering 'non rendered' models.

 

[Chazaxl]

My current PC runs Xeon X5660, just looked up the specs, that's 6 core and its a dual processor machine. Been spoilt for 'grunt' despite a lack of sheer clockspeed.

 

[Chazaxl]

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/inte...et-lga2011-v3-processor-retail-cp-611-in.html - so perhaps go for this and go to a cheaper board that is still X99?

Thoughts on this mobo instead then?

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/msi-...cket-2011-ddr4-atx-motherboard-mb-301-ms.html

 

[Chazaxl]

If the main use is gaming potentially at 4K like you say, I would definitely prioritise the GPU. You can easily fit in a 7700K and a 1080 on a 2k budget if you're willing to make cut backs on other components.

Thanks - where would you cut?