finally a 21st century PC query

[gurf]

Hi all,

I have been looking into upgrade my very old laptop that I used for playing games and all.

I have up to £1200 to spend. I am completely open to intel vs amd and geforce vs radeon.

The minimums are 6gb GPU, SSD 250gb + HDD for storage, 16GB of ram for a bit of futureproofing.

Obviously I would be playing games on it but I am a different type of beast - I have absolutely no problems to get settings down in order to get smooth gameplay. The highest scr res is going to be 1920x1080 as this is the monitor I have.

I am looking just for the PC as I have screen and peripherals. With OS.

So far I have come up with this:

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/ocuk...configurator-fs-1aj-og.html#t=b1c2d;e14f1h0l1

or should I go with the ex-demo and have the 'so I've heard intel/geforce stability':

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/ex-d...80ti-6gb-16gb-ram-rgb-lighting-fs-179-ep.html

Also, how do you get a quote from OcUK to build a system from handpicked hardware?

Thank you!

 

[gurf]

well it's been a while since I built anything... We are talking Pentium 3 while. While the mechanical aspect of it is not scary, the marrying up of all the hardware at the picking phase is.

 

[gurf]

thank you for that. I take it the finance option is still available, it's not tied to pre-built PCs only?

I tried to compile one myself but went waaaay over the budget, haha. Poor self-control I guess.

edit.

also if that is not a problem - the general idea is to spend as little as possible - though I am aware of the limitations and the price tags and the gear I would like to have.

 

[gurf]

Ok I see.

Thank you very much for that.

And in terms of extras to build it I am only missing a thermal paste?

Also, what are differencies between same GPUs - strix, nitro, black edition etc. Worth the extra spend?

And no, I don't care that much about aesthetics.

 

[gurf]

I have absolutely no idea.

I haven't had a PC since that said Pentium 3 (I think I did a switcheroo into Athlon after that).

I have been using an appalling laptop for work/leisure - core 2 duo 2ghz with 4gb of ram and 512mb gpu.

I think the speeds and quality achievable with this set will be enough for a [long] while so I will stick to the factory speeds until it is not enough. This kit goes down by nearly £50 with Windows found *elsewhere*, so this is really amazing VFM, thank you again.

Some of the components are not available at the minute so I imagine I can just change them:

for the GPU:
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/xfx-...ess-graphics-card-rx-580p8dbd6-gx-23q-xf.html £269.99 - is xfx ok?

for the cooling:
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/cooler-master-hyper-212-evo-cpu-cooler-hs-035-cm.html £24.95

for the case:
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/cors...ase-black-window-cc-9011105-ww-ca-22b-cs.html £57.95

Is the fan compatible even though it does not state AM4 socket?

edit - I just found the info about emailing AMD about getting the bracket. Is this a lot of hassle to put together? (surely there are fans fully compatible with AM4?)

 

[gurf]

oh no. more options.

haha, thank you Lee, I will have a look at it.

However I am wondering how well will that GTX 1060 compare to the RX580?

 

[gurf]

Ther're on a par - they both have their pros and cons in different games. Either card is a solid choice.

I wouldn't get too hung up about AMD/Nvidia card choice - more about the quality/brand of the card you decide on.

Which are then "to go" brands and which are to be avoided? As I mentioned earlier - I am completely unlocked with the AMD/Nvidia - just want to get a reliable hardware.

haha, I can imagine both your builds are fine, but now I am facing a real tough nut to crack!

 

[gurf]

wait, what.

LED RAM?

What happened to the good old RAM?

The times we live in, eh?

:}

 

[gurf]

Well, the budget is one thing, and the ability to build something below the budget and save few quid is other.

Unlike the government(s) any savings made are a good thing.

The GPUs are single most expensive components to a PC and while I admit it will mostly be gaming to relax, I also never needed or even had the chance to play things on max/ultra. Graphics in games are not the most important thing to me, and a 1060/rx580 build keeps a £100 in my pocket.

Also I forgot to mention - I need a wireless lan pci-e so there goes £30.

 

[gurf]

I will do, thank you all!

This is an overwhelming response, I never expected that.

Now I reckon I should get back to work and leave it until I get home.

 

[gurf]

You have to pay us now - it's not a free service!

No worries - hope the build goes smoothly.

We can help with the build if you get stuck - but suspect your past experience, the youtube link coupled with the manual you'll be fine.

N.B. whichever card you get:

• install one stick of memory and immediately flash the Motherboard BIOS to the latest release (for memory compatibility/stability)
• then you can add the second stick and apply settings...
• carry on building...

I presume it would be just the matter of downloading the newest BIOS on a fat32 usb and sticking it in... No doubt I will be in touch in relation to that.

 

[gurf]

hi guys, so I have bought the pc and built it. snooped around a little bit on the internet to compare prices and all in all have purchased the stronger option.

So it's ryzen 5 1600 + gtx 1070, 16gb of 3000 mhz ram.

The hardest part of the build was definitely attaching the stock cooler. The mobo came with a bracket that fell off after I removed the plastic holders and since I have already put the mobo in (just like the guide on forum says) I had to put the PC upright and hold it with one hand and try to screw it in with other and it was definitely most stressful.

Other than that I managed to connect the case to the mobo at the first try and only thing I did not bother to connect was PWR leds. All in all I can hear it working.

Happy with the outcome, 20-25 idle temps on the CPU, I think the cinebench scores were 90fps for the GPU and 1172 for the stock speed of ryzen.

Next step is I think overclocking the ryzen a little bit to approx 3.8 using few guides I found here and youtube, but that's a job for the weekend, not 11.30pm after 3 hours of building.

I have flashed the BIOS as you susggested - it was just one version behind.

 

[gurf]

I personally would no longer call 16gb of ram "future" proof as i regularly see upto 14gb being used during gaming. But you can always add to this 16gb later if you leave dimm slots open.

Considering that I have been using DDR2 4GB of ram for the past 9 years, I will definitely call my 16gb of ram a futureproof.

For a first build it sounds like you had a relatively smooth ride.



Yes, ideally you would have installed the CPU and attached the heatsink onto the motherboard before installing into the case. The heatsink even makes installing the motherboard easier, especially into smaller cases, as you can hold onto the cooler to guide the motherboard into the case.

Your next build should be a breeze - but I can't see you building another for a few years as your present build should last you years apart from easy upgrades.

The things we learn then. Oh yes, the next upgrade is probably going to be screen, but given that it works just fine at 1080p I am not rushing it at all unless it breaks down.

And I did have a smooth ride thanks to you as well. Is there any 'thanks' button anywhere?