First gaming pc

[Quartz]

In addition to what others have suggested, you will also need a decent set of speakers or headphones, unless you already have them. Drop the internal optical drive - you won't use it. You should add an external HDD to your budget to back up your PC.

There are a couple of areas where it is worth spending extra money. Firstly, there's the PSU. A bad PSU has the ability to destroy the components inside your PC so you want a decent one such as the ones recommended above. Secondly, there's the monitor. The monitor is your primary means of interacting with your PC. You want good graphics so don't get a cheap TN (Twisted Nit) monitor as these often are not true 8-bit colour per channel but dither 6 bits. You will want an IPS or VA monitor as these give much better pictures (but cost more). Don't go overboard, though, because once you discover how awesome PC gaming is you will want a better GPU and a better - higher resolution - monitor. (Don't worry: your PC will happily manage two monitors.)

If you are going to build the system yourself I would recommend against a Ryzen build simply because a BIOS update may be required and it can be very disheartening for someone like yourself to appear to have a non-functioning system and have to immediately return the motherboard to OCUK for that update. OCUK will happily build your PC for you for a very modest price and sort out any such issues during the build.

As already mentioned, AMD's Vega GPUs are imminent - 10 days - so waiting for reviews of those is a good idea. I have read that the Vega GPUs may be offered as bundles with money-off vouchers for Freesync monitors, so that will definitely be of interest.

 

[lltfdaniel]

In addition to what others have suggested, you will also need a decent set of speakers or headphones, unless you already have them. Drop the internal optical drive - you won't use it. You should add an external HDD to your budget to back up your PC.

There are a couple of areas where it is worth spending extra money. Firstly, there's the PSU. A bad PSU has the ability to destroy the components inside your PC so you want a decent one such as the ones recommended above. Secondly, there's the monitor. The monitor is your primary means of interacting with your PC. You want good graphics so don't get a cheap TN (Twisted Nit) monitor as these often are not true 8-bit colour per channel but dither 6 bits. You will want an IPS or VA monitor as these give much better pictures (but cost more). Don't go overboard, though, because once you discover how awesome PC gaming is you will want a better GPU and a better - higher resolution - monitor. (Don't worry: your PC will happily manage two monitors.)

If you are going to build the system yourself I would recommend against a Ryzen build simply because a BIOS update may be required and it can be very disheartening for someone like yourself to appear to have a non-functioning system and have to immediately return the motherboard to OCUK for that update. OCUK will happily build your PC for you for a very modest price and sort out any such issues during the build.

As already mentioned, AMD's Vega GPUs are imminent - 10 days - so waiting for reviews of those is a good idea. I have read that the Vega GPUs may be offered as bundles with money-off vouchers for Freesync monitors, so that will definitely be of interest.

Thanks for the heads up i have just been reminded about that bios update so the processor functions :/ way to go eh?

How embarrassing for amd.

 

[Spankme]

Why does no-one hardly ever include the cost of Windows at £100? Are you guys getting it cheaper somehow?

£5 on a particular auction site

 

[lltfdaniel]

£5 on a particular auction site

Fleabay.

 

[Plec]

@dmann ideally need a maximum budget as - GFX card and monitor can be the difference of hundreds of pounds depending on preferred gaming resolution, G-sync, GFX card etc...

You will need an AB350 motherboard or greater for overclocking ability and general quality of board/options/memory compatibility - but the 350 variant is more than sufficient for the average gamer.

They cost a few pounds more than the A320 but they're a far superior board - they even have micro versions. The Gigabyte Gaming 3 has good memory compatibility (will hit 3000MHz+ with latest BIOS in most cases) - but as mentioned some older boards are still floating around and may need flashing for Ryzen 5 compatibility.

Also, ideally spend a minimum of £60 on a case. If you buy a quality case it will last you a couple of builds and have better cooling and if it's a midi tower better expansion and cooling options.

If i have time later (travelling) will do an example build but @Danny75 or similar may be around and will be able to sort you out with a great build - but as mentioned a guide budget is always helpful.

As general guide:

• 1080p - GTX 1060
• 1440p - GTX 1070
• 4K - GTX 1080/ti

And if you're serious about your gaming then G-sync (nVidia) or Freesysnc (AMD) - would be preferable. And then there's panel choice that has been touched upon but again budget will dictate most of these options.

1440p is a great middle ground - but the GTX 1070s are so close to 'some' GTX 1080s in price that it's a bit of a grey area. But usually a GTX 1070 built around a 1440p panel will give you a great gaming experience - at a reasonable price (budget depending)...

But again as mentioned - VEGA is days away so worth waiting to see what impact it has in performance and the market. Just prey it's hopeless at BITCOIN mining!

@lltfdaniel - some good advice - but the choice of the A320 motherboard isn't suitable for a gaming build. It's a budget board with zero clocking features - so can't make use of the unlocked capability of the Ryzen chips which negates one of the prime qualities of the CPU.

EDIT: A friendly heads up - be careful of mentioning Windows 'alternative' buying options the mods view it as competition.

 

[dmann]

Thanks for all of the helpful input everyone. Much appreciated.

I had in my head of around a grand just for the tower, then all the other stuff on top.

Would that get me roughly to where I want to be? Would that get 1440p?

If someone else could do a build that would be great.

Thanks again

 

[lltfdaniel]

A grand for the tower is a healthy amount, then all the other stuff on top.

Thanks Plec, you have summed it up nicely there, thumbs up from me.

I'll let someone else do a build for you, i have already done mine and yes you need a b350 board and up for overclocking.

As for 1440p and has been said, get a 27 inch 1440p monitor, that is an ideal size for 1440p, ips.

I think your confused about the 1440p monitor and hah making me confused as well.

I think the 1440p monitor will come with the other stuff on top.

It will be little over £1k with the gtx 1070 though for the tower alone as well as having a more expensive case and a more expensive motherboard as well. I am thinking in the region of around roughly of £1.2k with the more expensive case and motherboard but then we all know pc gaming isn't cheap but i think it would be worth it.

Apart from that wait for vega.

 

[Plec]

I'm travelling to a meeting - rest point - so bear with me.

Thanks Plec, you have summed it up nicely there, thumbs up from me.

No worries

I had in my head of around a grand just for the tower, then all the other stuff on top.

Would that get me roughly to where I want to be? Would that get 1440p?

@lltfdaniel makes a valid observation - £1000 will be cutting it close for a complete base unit with a Ryzen 1600, GTX1070 (or AMD equivalent), SSD build... May have to cut a few corners - i.e. micro-ATX board, 3000MHz memory (no loss) and perhaps a budget case.

I'm travelling (rest break) so this is a cobbled example of a quality ATX B350 build with a GTX 1070 - but keep aware that VEGA release is imminent so this is for example price purposes.

The 1600 CPU comes supplied with a quality stock Wraith cooler that will clock easily to 3.7GHz. This gigabyte board should hit 3000MHz when flashed to the latest official BIOS - even using the Team Group Vulcan.

You could knock off approx £100 with a lesser case, smaller SSD, and Micro- ATX MoBo (will do an edited example if i get time):

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x Gigabyte GA-AB350-Gaming 3 AMD B350 (Socket AM4) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £101.99
• 1 x AMD Ryzen 5 Six Core 1600 3.60GHz (Socket AM4) Processor - Retail= £199.99
• 1 x EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 8192MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card= £449.99
• 1 x Samsung 250GB 850 EVO SSD 2.5" SATA 6Gbps 32 Layer 3D V-NAND Solid State Drive (MZ-75E250B/EU)= £89.99
• 1 x Super Flower Golden Green HX 550W "80 Plus Gold" Power Supply - Black= £69.95
• 1 x Toshiba P300 1TB 7200RPM 64MB Cache High Performance Hard Drive (HDWD110UZSVA)= £40.99
• 1 x Phanteks Eclipse P400 Midi Tower Case - Gun Metal Window= £64.99
• 1 x Team Group Vulcan T-Force 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-24000C16 3000MHz Dual Channel Kit - Grey (TLGD416G30= £119.50

Total: £1,152.09
(includes shipping: £14.70)



​

Re monitor: 1440p is just the resolution and doesn't affect screen size - but 24"- 27" is the standard. It's the refresh rate/quality of panel (TN/VA/IPS) and whether it has G-sync that affects price - especially G-Sync (pricey). This is where VEGA could really make it's mark as Freesync monitors are far cheaper.

How far do you anticipate sitting from your screen - as some users do not like moving their head when gaming and if you're sitting close to a 27" this can be an annoyance to some.

Again budget for monitors and peripherals would be useful.

 

[lltfdaniel]

Yep £1k to 1.2k with some cut corners indeed for a decent gaming pc or no cut corners .

Shame this is how much i paid for my gtx 1070, this is the price it should be at.

I hope the picture is allowed by the mods since i got this from amazon uk as it states.

No wonder people go to the gtx 1080 over the gtx 1070 pfft the price difference is quite close.

They no longer sell it at this price :/.

 

[Plec]

Shame this is how much i paid for my gtx 1070, this is the price it should be at.

Ditto - i got the exact same card in March for £330. They were fluctuating almost daily and bided my time until i suspected they had hit rock bottom. But even then their 'highs' were relatively sane compared to now...

The mining phenomenon has totally b*ll*xed the market for gamers. AMD are doing VEGA gfx/MB/CPU bundles in an attempt to get cards to game builders but suspect its geared more towards marketing their other products rather than sympathy for the consumer.

 

[lltfdaniel]

Nice same card eh, lucky enough for us we got it at around that price.

Yea i have been hearing quite a lot about the mining for cryptocurrency .

 

[dmann]

Cheers for that build.

I've decide definitely gonna go for the 1440p monitor.

I'll have a look properly at that build and do a bit more research.

I'm not gonna be ordering anything for another 2 weeks so I'll see what happens with the new vega.

What does overclocking actually do and is it easy to do? I presume it enhances power/performance!? Why don't they just come already maxed out?

Thanks

 

[lltfdaniel]

Cheers for that build.

I've decide definitely gonna go for the 1440p monitor.

I'll have a look properly at that build and do a bit more research.

I'm not gonna be ordering anything for another 2 weeks so I'll see what happens with the new vega.

What does overclocking actually do and is it easy to do? I presume it enhances power/performance!? Why don't they just come already maxed out?

Thanks

In my opinion and nobody elses,

Yes well i remember overclocking a q9550 and yes you get more power/performance, and coming back to the q9550 it did if i can remember correctly did 3.4ghz on a p35 board at stock voltage, and regarding wall of performance wise the 7600k at 4.2ghz stock is very much like that, if you catch my drift.

As of today there is much less headroom especially compared with processors of the past and this regards amd processors, i think that they do max it out to be honest with you, i mean my 7600k does 4.2ghz and that is stock speed and same with amd, about maxing it out that is and i think if i were ever to overclock my i5 7600k it will be around 5 ghz overclocking wise but it comes down to how well the processor chip overclocks though.

Also i must point out about cpu delidding as well to improve the cooling aspect of the processor and overclockers sell them as well as guaranteed overclocking performance on cpu chips because overclockers.co.uk sell them.

As for me i did my research and it was easy enough to overclock the q9550 to 3.4ghz.

Nothing to brag about regarding a q9550 @ 3.4ghz just wanted a boost of performance and the p35 board could not handle overclock over 3.4ghz ;-P so yea the p45 would have though and this is socket 775.

I must mention that you will need a good cpu cooler either air or closed loop water system thingy that corsair does, like the corsair h50 if you look it up.

But as plec noted below of my post since i am editing, 3.7ghz on amd's stock air cooler will be i think will be do able, i don't know how well the stock amd air cooler is but i think it will be fine at 3.7ghz i hear it is quite a good cpu cooler.

That is how i feel about it .

 

[Plec]

What does overclocking actually do and is it easy to do? I presume it enhances power/performance!? Why don't they just come already maxed out?

Very simple to clock - with the B350 - can be as simple as adjusting the multiplier. But the amount you can clock will be dependent on the CPU, which is down to luck but you're virtually guaranteed 3.7GHz with the 1600.

When you clock you're clocking the CPU across all cores - so the Ryzen 1600 has a base clock of 3.2GHz across all cores and 3.7 Turbo boost on just the one core.

So when you clock the 1600 to 3.7GHz to 4GHz (depending on luck of CPU) you're clocking all the cores and gaining a significant boost. Having said that at present that boost isn't really needed with present games as most are GPU dependent and the CPU is already very powerful so the gains are minimal or not very noticeable in real world terms. But the clock will have it's benefits as the PC ages - or if you use your PC for other than gaming.

I would clock to 3.7GHz as it's a simple clock and you're essentially getting a 1600X for gratis...

 

[dmann]

Ok I think I have my head round overclocking now thanks guys.

I'm thinking of a few hundred pound ish for the monitor. I'd like 27" really. Is g sync really worth paying the extra?

I'm gonna start off with a cheaper keyboard/mouse combo to get me going. Saw a few on other sites for £30 for both keyboard and mouse. Also I've found windows 10 for £20 too so that's money saved.

Also would that setup let me have 2 graphics cards in the future (ski or crossfire!?) if I decided I wanted to upgrade? Thanks

 

[dmann]

Would it run new games on high settings at 60fps?

 

[jbh110tdi]

what build have you settled on?

as for sli or crossfire you would need to weigh up the pros and cons.
I had a play with an sli 970 setup but found it only worked on a handfull of games Ive got. In my eyes youre better going for a strong single card.

 

[dmann]

The build @Plec did above. Thanks

 

[Plec]

I'm thinking of a few hundred pound ish for the monitor. I'd like 27" really. Is g sync really worth paying the extra?

Depends how serious you are about your gaming as it's all relative.

Personally, i like a quality IPS panel foremost and then would consider G-Sync after that - but then i use my system mainly for work and only game occasionally.

Others swear by G-Sync/Freesync - and wouldn't go back. I would watch YouTube videos and see what you think.

Also would that setup let me have 2 graphics cards in the future (ski or crossfire!?) if I decided I wanted to upgrade? Thanks

The B350 board doesn't support SLI/Crossfire and personally a single card solution is always preferable. But again it has it's supporters - i hated it but i've been out of the multi-gpu loop for a while.

Also the X370 boards, with sli/crossfire support, will cost more again...

Would it run new games on high settings at 60fps?

Yes, absolutely, no problems at 1440p.

The build @Plec did above. Thanks

No problem.

 

[lltfdaniel]

Enjoy dmann

Glad that is now sorted for you with your first ever build.