Spec me a gaming pc for £2000-2250 (ish)

imtoooldforthis

imtoooldforthis

imtoooldforthis

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Hi

My current PC is an i7 4790k and a 1080. I am looking for a hefty upgrade on this. The PC will be used purely for gaming on a 1440p screen although I might perhaps upgrade to a 4k monitor in the future.

I have built PCs before but my problem is I am not technical enough to know the difference between all the different CPU's etc. For example I don't want to spend an extra £100-200 on a CPU that is on paper really quick but actually offers no real benefits compared to a cheaper CPU when it comes to gaming.

The only requirements that I have are as follows:

- The graphics card needs to be a Nvidia 3080 or better (Only interested in Nvidia GPUs)
- The CPU id rather be Intel but that's only because I have never used AMD CPU's, if there is an AMD equivalent which is cheaper and gives me the same or better performance then im open to going down that route.
- 32gb Ram (for Microsoft flight simulator). I have no idea whether DDR5 is worth it or not ?
- 1TB SSD drive. If NVME drives are notably quicker than normal SSD's then id be interested in that, if not just a normal SSD is fine.

Then id need a power supply for it all, cpu cooler and a case ? Anything else ? I don't mind spending a bit extra to make the PC visually pleasing as well, whether that be on the case, fans, RGB lighting etc

Any help would be massively appreciated.
 
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imtoooldforthis said:
- The CPU id rather be Intel but that's only because I have never used AMD CPU's, if there is an AMD equivalent which is cheaper and gives me the same or better performance then im open to going down that route.
- 32gb Ram (for Microsoft flight simulator). I have no idea whether DDR5 is worth it or not ?
- 1TB SSD drive. If NVME drives are notably quicker than normal SSD's then id be interested in that, if not just a normal SSD is fine.
Click to expand...

CPU: if going Intel: 12700 or AMD: 5800X3D, anything more is overkill if you're only gaming, since the extra cores are wasted. If you're planning to play at 4k soon then the CPU matters even less.
RAM: it is not, it costs twice as much. For Intel, any decent 3200 or above kit will do fine.
SSD: get at least one nvme for future games, because if they use directstorage then SATA won't be supported. If the SSD is for archiving or old games, then SATA is fine, but the price difference is minimal nowadays and SATA drives add cable clutter. For the OS: I'd suggest you get a drive with TLC and DRAM, but for games it is fine to have one without DRAM.
 
Tetras said:
CPU: if going Intel: 12700 or AMD: 5800X3D, anything more is overkill if you're only gaming, since the extra cores are wasted. If you're planning to play at 4k soon then the CPU matters even less.
RAM: it is not, it costs twice as much. For Intel, any decent 3200 or above kit will do fine.
SSD: get at least one nvme for future games, because if they use directstorage then SATA won't be supported. If the SSD is for archiving or old games, then SATA is fine, but the price difference is minimal nowadays and SATA drives add cable clutter. For the OS: I'd suggest you get a drive with TLC and DRAM, but for games it is fine to have one without DRAM.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the quick response mate

So with the 12700 should I go with the normal 12700 or the 12700F or 12700K variant ? I know next to nothing about overclocking so im thinking the K might be pointless ? I see the F version is about £80 cheaper than the normal 12700 yet on user benchmark they seem to perform identical ?


Do you have any suggestions for a motherboard and CPU cooler to pair with it ?

Thanks again :)
 
imtoooldforthis said:
Thanks for the quick response mate

So with the 12700 should I go with the normal 12700 or the 12700F or 12700K variant ? I know next to nothing about overclocking so im thinking the K might be pointless ? I see the F version is about £80 cheaper than the normal 12700 yet on user benchmark they seem to perform identical ?


Do you have any suggestions for a motherboard and CPU cooler to pair with it ?

Thanks again :)
Click to expand...

In the testing that hardwareunboxed did, they were some differences in games at 1080p when the CPU was limited to 65 watts (most boards will not do this), but otherwise they're very similar and at 1440p or 4K, the difference will be even less, if anything.

In productivity tasks, when restricted to 65 watt, there is a very large performance loss, but on most boards, with a decent cooler, it can run boosted no problem.

The 12700F is identical to the non-K, but it has no IGP and loses some management features relating to VPro.

I can't comment on the motherboard, or CPU cooler.
 
Tetras said:
In the testing that hardwareunboxed did, they were some differences in games at 1080p when the CPU was limited to 65 watts (most boards will not do this), but otherwise they're very similar and at 1440p or 4K, the difference will be even less, if anything.

In productivity tasks, when restricted to 65 watt, there is a very large performance loss, but on most boards, with a decent cooler, it can run boosted no problem.

The 12700F is identical to the non-K, but it has no IGP and loses some management features relating to VPro.

I can't comment on the motherboard, or CPU cooler.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Looks like I will just go for the 12700f given the performance is near identical and I don't need IGP
 
My basket at OcUK:

Total: £2,025.54 (includes delivery: £14.70)​










​

Here is a template build. There are so many options that it is almost impossible to narrow it down.

12700 or 12700f or 12600 are all good options that are cheaper but not in stock on OCUK.

You mention making the PC visually appealing and that opens up a can of worms that can get very expensive very fast so you need to look at cases and AIO coolers yourself and decide what you like and what you are willing to spend.
 
I have decided to go with this build, does anyone see any issues with it in terms of compatibility or bad choice of parts ?

- Intel i7 12700
- MSI PRO Z690-A WIFI DDR4 ATX Motherboard
- Corsair Vengeance 32GB RGB DDR4 Ram
- Zotac Trinity Nvidia 3080
- 1TB Samsung 980 Pro NVME SSD (Heatsink version)
- MSI MPG A850GF 850W Modular 80+ Gold PSU
- MSI MPG GUNGNIR 110R Black Mid Tower Tempered Glass PC Gaming Case
- MSI 240r v 2 CPU Cooler
 
The electronic component choices look perfectly reasonable. Samsung drives are generally moe expensive than comparable competitors but they are very fast.

The biggest issue I have with that build is the case. MSI do many fine products but making a sensible case is not a strength of theirs. They look to have put the front 3 fans with very little way to get air in. This is a common mistake made with certain case brands and if you want entertainment watch Gamersnexus rant about this issue in their case reviews.
I assume you are getting this from a system integrator ? (do not name it if it is a competitor) If so , see if there are any cases on offer with a mesh front so the fans can breathe and do the job they are intended for.

Example of sensible mesh fronted case -

www.overclockers.co.uk

Phanteks Eclipse P400 Air Midi Tower DRGB Case - Black

Order Phanteks Eclipse P400 Air Midi Tower DRGB Case - Black now online and benefit from fast delivery.
www.overclockers.co.uk www.overclockers.co.uk
 
you can get corsair rm850 and the 12700 for £393 incl free next day delivery if you look..part of a promo..psu is great, 10 yrs warranty etc..just do a search for the rm850..it'll be at £92.99 (2021 version so latest too)..it will have promo by it, so you then get 10% off the cpu(which drops to £300.24)
Sammy 980 pro is expensive...you wont know any difference by going with something like the crucial P5P gen 4 drive for £112, or comparable to the sammy, the WD SN850 1tb which you can get for £134 with heatsink or £122 without

I'd be tempted with the 5800X3d myself.., pair it with something like a MSI B550 gaming edge...beats the 12900k in gaming. it's the 1% lows also where it massively improves in gaming also...but nothing wrong with above..maybe go midrange mobo such as the msi z690 tomahawk/edge or z690 tuf gaming..better vrm's so runs cooler with more powerful cpu..if you decide to upgrade to 13th gen down the road
 
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just realised, aio only has 2 yrs warranty..I'd get one with a 5yrs at least..if you don't like the look of arctic, the Corsair H115i elite(280mm) capellix you can get for £106 at mo on offer (5 yrs warranty) as an alternative.(seeing as you have the ram)..ocuk have it for £160, so google it
 
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