Critique my system

[Joshuk]

Hi everyone. I’m looking at spending a large chuck of money on a gaming pc with my eyes set on, as a base system:

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/ocuk...-pc-intel-core-i5-8600k-4.8ghz-fs-1bv-og.html

So I’ve changed a few things to accommodate a 1440p 144hz gsync monitor and I was wondering what a more knowledgable person thinks of it:

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/ocuk...o2(-3bhGp2(-8bhGK2(:VbieM2$z.bjaF2_6@bkQb2@33


The unnamed components are

CPU cooling: Asetek 240mm AIO


Mobo: Strix Z370-F


PSU: Seasonic Focus Plus 650W

I just had a really brief search on google and I was thinking of replacing the Asetek with a Noctua D-15.

Is there anything in here that is overkill/not good enough? I’m looking to build a strong system for a decent price that’s going to last me a fair while and be easy to upgrade when it’s required. I also need to buy the monitor, keyboard, mouse and chair so it’s not going to be cheap, hence wanting to be sure that it’s good enough but I’m not wasting a load of money.

Thanks a lot.

Ps - I’m trying to build a quiet pc as I’ll be sharing the room sometimes or have very thin walls next to someone that may be sleeping while I’m gaming (which is why I chose the p400s) will the rest of the build be ok for this too?

 

[Joshuk]

https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/posts/32146368/

worth a look at my post here, can get OCUK to build for £50-80 ontop

Still works out cheaper then above or same price but 1080ti instead of 1080

if you want a quite case... Bequiet Pure 600 or Base 601.. its... quite

https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/now-in-stock-the-be-quiet-silent-base-601.18831908/

Had a little peep. The only thing I’d say is that I think it would be more simple/better to have the overclocked 8600k (I’ll be doing almost only gaming) and save a couple of hundred on the gpu just to make it especially simple so that it’s the only thing I need to upgrade in a few years. Also it’s quite handy that it comes with bf1 and pubg!

What do you reckon?

 

[Joshuk]

Looks good, it will be a very capable gaming system for many years to come!

Personally i would stick with the AIO as it gives a much cleaner look, especially with that case.

Strong components all round, i cant see an issue with this.
Dropping in a new graphics card in a few years time will be easy and you could always put in a 8700k later on if you need the extra boost.
And im sure the 9th gen chips will be supported on the z370 platform meaning you could up your core count as well in the future if needed.

The only issue I had was with the potential noise and a slight concern about having liquid running inside a pc, and I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for the noctua d-15. I’m not fussed about the looks if I’m honest, i’m going entirely for fuction, price and low noise. How would the 2 cooling methods compare?

if it was 8700k then would rather go D-15 but 240 AIO should handle 8600k but may run a little loud and hot is running at 5ghz

vega 56/64 while not as powerful as 1080ti and can match 1070ti/80 in some ames, specially at 4k does allow cheaper freeysnc monitors, 1440p 144hz can be had for £350 odd instead of £650+ for g-sync

How much do you feel the noise would increase/decrease with the 2 options? I had a pc a few years ago and it was honestly so loud. It sounded like a hoover! Tbh though I’m not sure which component is most responsible for noises.

With regards to the monitor I’m not too concerned with the extra £1-200 on a gsync monitor as I see it as a long 5-10 year investment.

 

[Joshuk]

rather have D-15 then a cheap asstek unit . good CLC/AIO like eisbaer are around about the same price . both have pro's and cons etc .

8600k is about £100 more then ryzen 2600 etc - if your gaming 1440p and above ryzen claws back some of the lead over intel, but 1080p... intel hands down.

also, 9th gen is out pretty soon , so know if your buying un-soldered 8600k, 9600k will be around the corner etc

true! spend well with the monitor, will last you a good 7 years plus!

Surely the Noctua should be around the same price too, so a swap should work out to the same(ish) price.

Yeah I’m happy with the extra £100 then. Its coming with a solid overclock too so I’d expect it to last me a while before needing an upgrade.

Is there anything else you’d advise to keep the noise down, other than the D15 for the cpu and a case with sound proofing?

 

[Joshuk]

bequiet Dark Rock 4 Pro is another good one as well. fans are £20 a pop!

card also has effect, aorus has 3x 100mm fans and a 3 slot design etc .

moving to having all SSDs will help as well

and good airflow from a case - normally silent fans

So most changes are going to be pretty expensive. How loud do you think the p400s will be with my build as it is?

 

[Joshuk]

they aren't to bad to be fare, air flow bit restrictive due to design, small gaps for air , but default fans arent loud

i had silent wing 3 fans running 80% all the time next to my sons cotbed... at the time was 5 fans for £100 but worth it , tempered glass does a better job then acrylic or panel metal panel with no sound damp material on it

Ive been down this road (loud fans and overly warm hardware) so I’m keen to avoid it. Would it perhaps be a better idea to upgrade to a Phanteks Enthoo Luxe with x4 standard fans (140mm) and far superior airflow?

If so, would I actually end up with a louder case?

 

[Joshuk]

I would consider a difference CPU with more cores. 6 is good but there is no hyperthreading and we are beginning to see games using 8 or more threads now so I think it won't be long before the 8600 is only just hanging on in there.

You reckon it’s going to be an issue soon enough for it to be a concern?

What is your budget for the tower ?

I’m not working with budgets as such but I’m trying to keep costs down the best I can. I’ve been led to believe that Phanteks make very good cases and I have the Enthoo Pro, Luxe and the P400s on my short list.

 

[Joshuk]

Most likely not in the near term but I'd guess a in couple of years 8 core threaded games become the norm. Just worth considering, especially given the push for more cores in general happening right now. BF5 demo is already maxing out 4 core cpus that don't have hyperthreading at times.

I’ll be happy with a couple/few years with the 8600k then but all that technical stuff was out of my understanding so thanks for that.

Have a look at Fractal Design as well if you want a quiet case. The Define C or Define R5/R6 etc all have sound dampening foam on the inside of the panels. There are also BeQuiet cases as well. If there are none in the configurator then you would need to ask ocuk to change it.

The define R6 does look incredibly nice as well to be honest. Would it be ok with stock cooling? It has x3 Dynamic X2 GP-14 included (2 front as intakes and 1 rear exhaust), however it appears to be sucking in air through the 2 tiny side gaps at the front of the case?

 

[Joshuk]

Get yourself a RTX 2080 Ti to make best use of that monitor. And if you're going for air cooling, look at the Silverstone FT05.

I’m not too fussed about making the ultimate gaming beast just yet, I’m happy with making a solid build. Plus I’m hoping it make decent use of the gsync.

Those vents are pretty big though and they run the full height of the front panel so intake should be fine.

This Gamers Nexus review says that the stock fans are fairly quiet.

https://www.gamersnexus.net/hwreviews/3177-fractal-define-r6-case-review-mid-tower

Would you buy it and just leave the stock fans then, do you think it’ll keep things cool enough?

Edit: The more I’m reading the more I’m seeing custom fan setups and fan controllers etc, pwm fans and other things that I’m not sure about!

 

[Joshuk]

I would try with the stock fans to start with and see what they are like. If you want high end 'quiet fans' then you are looking at about £15 - £20 per fan i.e BeQuiet Silent Wings 3. You can buy a 3 fan bundle though for £39.95 if you go with 120mm ones.

For the cpu cooler I would also stick with a good quiet air cooler, so Noctua D15 or BeQuiet Dark Rock Pro 4 etc.

Ok that sounds great, will I have any control over the fan speeds or will will they control themselves/just run full speed? I’ll do that then, and I’ll definitely take the advice on the Noctua D-15 I’ve only heard good things about it.

I think I’m almost there, going to be looking forward to getting back to the UK and making my order! You and everyone have been so helpful so thanks a lot for all the help.

 

[Joshuk]

If you go with that Asus Z370-F board then you can download AI Suite III from the product page. In that should be Fan xpert which you can use to control the fans.

Perfect. Thanks again for all the help!