Spec me a PC - £1500

[Colin_M]

Hi Guys,

After many years away I’m looking to purchase a PC for gaming (mostly sim racing) and everything else. I’d like the system to be as quiet as possible and prefer more discrete looks.

It will be powering a single 3440X1440 monitor such as the LG 34GK950F and also VR using an Oculus Rift.

Budget is £1500 but less would be better and this is for the PC + OS only

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[aoaaron]

Fractal R6 case for discrete looks for sure!

I'm interested in the suggestions for this thread as I'm contemplating a similar secondary PC build.

I can tell you now that for an Oculus rift (current gen), with ASW most stuff will be playable even on a 1060/1070 graphics card which is a huge plus.

 

[orbitalwalsh]

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x Gigabyte Z390 Gaming X Intel Z390 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £137.99
• 1 x Team Group Vulcan T-Force 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-24000C16 3000MHz Dual Channel Kit - Grey (TLGD416G30= £92.99
• 1 x MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ventus 8192MB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card= £649.99
• 1 x be quiet! Dark Rock 4 CPU Cooler= £61.99
• 1 x TeamGroup 1TB L5 Lite SSD 2.5" SATA 6Gbps 3D NAND Solid State Drive= £99.95
• 1 x Corsair Carbide 275Q Silent Midi Tower Case - Black (CC-9011164-WW)= £69.95
• 1 x Intel Core i5-9600K 3.7GHz (Coffee Lake) Socket LGA1151 Processor - OEM= £259.99
• 1 x Bitfenix Formula Series 650W 80 Plus Gold Power Supply= £74.99

Total: £1,461.04 (includes shipping: £13.20)​

​

Plus G-sync version of your proposed screen


https://www.overclockers.co.uk/lg-3...-curved-widescreen-led-monitor-mo-14x-lg.html

Rtx 2080 for max frame available for price point with i5 overclocked to 5ghz to chase those extra frames rates , though your not so much CPU bound at that resolution .

 

[Colin_M]

Thanks orbitalwalsh that looks great.

How much of a difference would I see with a 2070 over the 2080. Just wondering if the difference would be noticeable enough for the extra £200?

Also, not sure I sure I would be confident enough to try overclocking but i'll look into it.

 

[tamzzy]

2700x + radeon 7...

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x AMD Ryzen 7 Eight Core 2700X 4.35GHz (Socket AM4) Processor - Retail= £329.99
• 1 x MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC (Socket AM4) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £119.99
• 1 x Team Group Vulcan T-Force 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-24000C16 3000MHz Dual Channel Kit - Grey (TLGD416G30= £92.99
• 1 x Sapphire Radeon RX VEGA VII 16GB HBM2 PCI-Express Graphics Card= £649.99
• 1 x Antec EarthWatts Gold Pro 750W 80 Plus Gold Modular Power Supply= £96.95
• 1 x WD Blue 3D NAND 1TB 2.5" SATA 6Gbps Solid State Drive (WDS100T2B0A)= £109.99
• 1 x Phanteks Eclipse P350X Glass Digital RGB Midi Tower Case - Black/White= £64.99
• 2 x Arctic Cooling P14 PWM PST Black Fan - 140mm= 2x £6.95

Total: £1,491.39 (includes shipping: £12.60)
​

 

[Colin_M]

Thanks Tamzzy, are there any benefits of going AMD and ATI over Intel and Nvidia or is it just down to personal preference?

To be honest I was swaying towards Intel and Nvidia but only because that's what i've used in the past.

 

[tamzzy]

AMD and ATI over Intel and Nvidia or is it just down to personal preference?

depends.

with respect to:
1) CPU:
intel has the single-core lead due to its clockspeed advantage. as @orbitalwalsh has said, an overclocked intel would be better for gaming workloads. (intel 9900k vs ryzen 2700x = ~12% in favour of intel).
however, as intel likes to change its CPU sockets frequently, you're (potentially) buying into a dead end route. though granted the future upgrade options you have are the 9700k and the 9900k.
whereas with AMD, they're going to support their AM4 platform until 2020. what this means is that ryzen 3000 (which is going to be released in 3-4 months) and potentially ryzen 4000 are going to be supported. now with ryzen 3000 series, AMD are gunning for intel's single-core lead and also piling on the cores on their CPU - so expect to see a 16 core chip for ryzen 3000.

2) GPU:
2080 is cooler running and less power hungry; but there is issues with its gddr6 vram (in some batches). i'd suggest getting the evga instead, so you can buy the extended warranty ($30 to extend to 5 years). comes with 1 free game.
radeon 7 has double the vram, and as far as we know, there isn't any reliability concerns currently. but it's hot and power hungry, and requires tweaking to get the best performance out of it. comes with 3 free games.
at stock and without tweaking, the 2080 is slightly ahead of the radeon7 - but not by much.

 

[Colin_M]

Thanks Tamzzy, interesting read and very informative.

I think i'm still swaying towards Intel and Nvidia but i'll look into it further.

 

[orbitalwalsh]

Thanks Tamzzy, interesting read and very informative.

I think i'm still swaying towards Intel and Nvidia but i'll look into it further.

Tamzzy list is solid as a rock for AMD rigs. Only problem is case and card isn't silent but easy to change. Case is all Down to personal tastes as well but another good silent case is Bequiet Base 601 with or without window.
Vega 7 is a hot and loud card ! Even with undervolting fans aren't the best but it's a solid performer and would work perfect with that Freesync version of the monitor . Incase it in a silent case as the 350X would allow sound to escape easily and vega7 should be changed.

2080 is a beast of a card and can touch on 4k gaming as well, though not as good as 2080ti but price range is different . Would drive that screen harder then vega7 could .
Rtx also comes with 2 or 3 free games. Went under the radar from Nvidia, went from offer 1 out of 2 or 2 out of 3 now to higher models getting more free games.

Evag is a good shout. Gigabyte 2.5 slot Gaming card with 4 year warranty was too £££

 

[Colin_M]

Hi Guys, just looking at where I might be able save some money.

What are you thoughts on the 2070 models which I see are around £200 cheaper. Would I notice a significant difference between the two and do you think it's worth the additional cost?

 

[tamzzy]

2070 is a bit anaemic for high fps ultrawide 1440p gaming at ultra settings.
minimum i'd recommend is a 2080.

 

[aoaaron]

Hi Guys, just looking at where I might be able save some money.

What are you thoughts on the 2070 models which I see are around £200 cheaper. Would I notice a significant difference between the two and do you think it's worth the additional cost?

I think a 2070 would suffice as long as you don't ultra every setting.
I have a 2080 and in all honesty, it can for the most part handle 4k aslong as I lower settings for the more demanding titles.
Therefore the £200 you save on the 2070 you can probably put towards your next GPU purchase where performance gains are expected to be much better on 7nm.


If you're wanting to hit the 144hz though, then a 2080 or more realistically a 2080ti is going to get you close to 144hz. I don't see a 2080 or 2070 doing it consistently.

 

[Colin_M]

Thanks guys, I think I'll stick with the 2080 and have changed to the EVGA model for the extended warranty option.

Unfortunately the memory and motherboards are both out of stock but I can wait until they are back in unless there are other models I should consider?

Is there anything else I need such as fans, cables or thermal paste?

Also found out that due to the recent firmware changes I am best to go with the 34GK950F Freesync 2 version which also has the bonus of being cheaper.


My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x TeamGroup 1TB L5 Lite SSD 2.5" SATA 6Gbps 3D NAND Solid State Drive= £99.95
• 1 x be quiet! Dark Rock 4 CPU Cooler= £61.99
• 1 x Corsair Carbide 275Q Silent Midi Tower Case - Black (CC-9011164-WW)= £69.95
• 1 x Intel Core i5-9600K 3.7GHz (Coffee Lake) Socket LGA1151 Processor - OEM= £259.99
• 1 x Bitfenix Formula Series 650W 80 Plus Gold Power Supply= £74.99
• 1 x Logitech G305 Lightspeed Next-Generation Wireless USB Optical Gaming Mouse (910-005283)= £44.99
• 1 x Logitech G213 Prodigy RGB Gaming Keyboard (920-008091)= £49.99
• 1 x LG 34GK950F 34" 3440x1440 NANO IPS FREESYNC HDR 144Hz 1ms Curved Widescreen LED Monitor= £1,099.99
• 1 x OcUK Mega Mat XXL Premium Elite Tactical Gaming Surface= £16.99
• 1 x EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Black Edition 8192MB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card= £679.99

Total: £2,479.64 (includes shipping: £20.82)
​

 

[lee32uk]

Thanks guys, I think I'll stick with the 2080 and have changed to the EVGA model for the extended warranty option.

Unfortunately the memory and motherboards are both out of stock but I can wait until they are back in unless there are other models I should consider?

Is there anything else I need such as fans, cables or thermal paste?

Also found out that due to the recent firmware changes I am best to go with the 34GK950F Freesync 2 version which also has the bonus of being cheaper.


My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x TeamGroup 1TB L5 Lite SSD 2.5" SATA 6Gbps 3D NAND Solid State Drive= £99.95
• 1 x be quiet! Dark Rock 4 CPU Cooler= £61.99
• 1 x Corsair Carbide 275Q Silent Midi Tower Case - Black (CC-9011164-WW)= £69.95
• 1 x Intel Core i5-9600K 3.7GHz (Coffee Lake) Socket LGA1151 Processor - OEM= £259.99
• 1 x Bitfenix Formula Series 650W 80 Plus Gold Power Supply= £74.99
• 1 x Logitech G305 Lightspeed Next-Generation Wireless USB Optical Gaming Mouse (910-005283)= £44.99
• 1 x Logitech G213 Prodigy RGB Gaming Keyboard (920-008091)= £49.99
• 1 x LG 34GK950F 34" 3440x1440 NANO IPS FREESYNC HDR 144Hz 1ms Curved Widescreen LED Monitor= £1,099.99
• 1 x OcUK Mega Mat XXL Premium Elite Tactical Gaming Surface= £16.99
• 1 x EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Black Edition 8192MB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card= £679.99

Total: £2,479.64 (includes shipping: £20.82)
​

Either of these boards would be fine. Slightly more expensive Ram. All showing as in stock though.


My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-24000C16 3000MHz Dual Channel Kit - Black (CMK16GX4M2D30= £98.99
• 1 x Gigabyte Z390 UD Intel Z390 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £119.99
• 1 x Gigabyte Z390 Gaming SLI Intel Z390 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £154.99

Total: £385.07 (includes shipping: £11.10)​

​

 

[Colin_M]

Final check before I order so any feedback appreciated.

Is there anything I've missed such as fans or cables? Is thermal paste still used?

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x Gigabyte Z390 UD Intel Z390 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £119.99
• 1 x Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-24000C16 3000MHz Dual Channel Kit - Black (CMK16GX4M2D30= £98.99
• 1 x Bitfenix Formula Series 650W 80 Plus Gold Power Supply= £74.99
• 1 x Intel Core i5-9600K 3.7GHz (Coffee Lake) Socket LGA1151 Processor - OEM= £259.99
• 1 x Corsair Carbide 275Q Silent Midi Tower Case - Black (CC-9011164-WW)= £69.95
• 1 x be quiet! Dark Rock 4 CPU Cooler= £61.99
• 1 x TeamGroup 1TB L5 Lite SSD 2.5" SATA 6Gbps 3D NAND Solid State Drive= £99.95
• 1 x MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ventus 8192MB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card= £659.99
• 1 x Microsoft Windows 10 64-Bit DVD - OEM (MS-KW9-00139)= £109.99
• 1 x OcUK Mega Mat XXL Premium Elite Tactical Gaming Surface= £16.99
• 1 x LG 34GK950F 34" 3440x1440 NANO IPS FREESYNC HDR 144Hz 1ms Curved Widescreen LED Monitor= £1,099.99
• 1 x Logitech G213 Prodigy RGB Gaming Keyboard (920-008091)= £49.99
• 1 x Logitech G305 Lightspeed Next-Generation Wireless USB Optical Gaming Mouse (910-005283)= £44.99
• 1 x Steelseries Arctis 7 7.1 Surround Lag Free Wireless Gaming Headset - Black (61505) 2019 Edition= £139.99

Total: £2,928.60 (includes shipping: £20.82)​

​

 

[aoaaron]

Final check before I order so any feedback appreciated.

Is there anything I've missed such as fans or cables? Is thermal paste still used?

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x Gigabyte Z390 UD Intel Z390 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £119.99
• 1 x Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-24000C16 3000MHz Dual Channel Kit - Black (CMK16GX4M2D30= £98.99
• 1 x Bitfenix Formula Series 650W 80 Plus Gold Power Supply= £74.99
• 1 x Intel Core i5-9600K 3.7GHz (Coffee Lake) Socket LGA1151 Processor - OEM= £259.99
• 1 x Corsair Carbide 275Q Silent Midi Tower Case - Black (CC-9011164-WW)= £69.95
• 1 x be quiet! Dark Rock 4 CPU Cooler= £61.99
• 1 x TeamGroup 1TB L5 Lite SSD 2.5" SATA 6Gbps 3D NAND Solid State Drive= £99.95
• 1 x MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ventus 8192MB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card= £659.99
• 1 x Microsoft Windows 10 64-Bit DVD - OEM (MS-KW9-00139)= £109.99
• 1 x OcUK Mega Mat XXL Premium Elite Tactical Gaming Surface= £16.99
• 1 x LG 34GK950F 34" 3440x1440 NANO IPS FREESYNC HDR 144Hz 1ms Curved Widescreen LED Monitor= £1,099.99
• 1 x Logitech G213 Prodigy RGB Gaming Keyboard (920-008091)= £49.99
• 1 x Logitech G305 Lightspeed Next-Generation Wireless USB Optical Gaming Mouse (910-005283)= £44.99
• 1 x Steelseries Arctis 7 7.1 Surround Lag Free Wireless Gaming Headset - Black (61505) 2019 Edition= £139.99

Total: £2,928.60 (includes shipping: £20.82)
​

I've been researching audio.. think u might be better off with a non gaming set of headphones

 

[tamzzy]

i'd honestly recommend that you get windows for a fiver. and put the extra cash into getting a 9700k instead.
and those peripherals seem awfully expensive.
and i'd get the WD blue 1tb for an extra tenner.

tl;dr: for the best part of 3 grand, you could do better.

 

[Colin_M]

Thanks, I certainly don't want to waste money so please feel free to suggest a different spec as I'd rather spend less if possible.

I have no attachment to those peripherals other than the monitor. It's going to be predominately for sim racing and i'd prefer one large monitor over a multi screen setup and this fits the bill. I would also prefer a wireless mouse but this along with the keyboard and headset do not need to be gaming specific.

How do I go about getting Windows for £5?

 

[tamzzy]

alternative screen. has gsync (rather than freesync)
best headset sub-£100
very decent kb/mouse combo
get the mousemat with the braided edges for an extra £2
9700k rather than 9600k (2 extra cores)
better mobo
better PSU
better ssd
better case
better cooler
2 extra fans to mount as intakes at the front.

note that cooler is out of stock at ocuk. can get it for £9 cheaper at the site named after a rainforest
also that the mobo is also £10 cheaper at the abovementioned site. so i'd get those 2 items there. also have a £5 discount off >£25 spend today

How do I go about getting Windows for £5?

#google
not really allowed to say as you're buying grey (ie semi-legit) keys. hence why it's so cheap.

tl;dr better spec below and costs £200 less.

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x Acer Predator X34P 34" 3440x1440 IPS G-Sync 120Hz Curved 1900R Widescreen LED ZeroFrame Monitor= £949.99
• 1 x Corsair Gaming K55 + HARPOON RGB Gaming Keyboard and Mouse Combo= £74.99
• 1 x HyperX Cloud Alpha Pro Gaming Headset, Black/Red (HX-HSCA-RD/EM)= £69.95
• 1 x OcUK Mega Mat XXL Premium Elite Tactical Gaming Surface= £16.99
• 1 x Intel Core i7-9700K 3.6GHz (Coffee Lake) Socket LGA1151 Processor - OEM= £349.99
• 1 x Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Elite Intel Z390 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £179.99
• 1 x MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ventus 8192MB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card= £659.99
• 1 x Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-24000C16 3000MHz Dual Channel Kit - Black (CMK16GX4M2D30= £98.99
• 1 x Antec EarthWatts Gold Pro 650W 80 Plus Gold Modular Power Supply= £79.99
• 1 x WD Blue 3D NAND 1TB 2.5" SATA 6Gbps Solid State Drive (WDS100T2B0A)= £109.99
• 1 x NZXT H500 Midi Tower Gaming Case - Black Window= £74.99
• 1 x be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 CPU Cooler= £73.99
• 2 x Arctic Cooling P14 PWM PST Black Fan - 140mm= 2 x £6.95

Total: £2,769.64 (includes shipping: £15.90)

​

[edit: added 2 extra fans]

 

[aoaaron]

I'd go for the new LG screen over the X34P. Its making me think about building a whole new rig again..