New PC - New guy needs some help! - £3k budget

[ChrisCooney]

Hi there!

I'm new to custom PC builds. Ran this build past a few friends and did a bit of googling comparing the components to their market competitors. Would love some insight from the experts in this forum.

My budget is around £3000 with some flex if needs be! I haven't picked a monitor yet although I currently own a Acer Nitro VG270bmiix 27 Inch FHD Gaming Monitor. If this monitor isn't acceptable, I'm happy to add this in.

Case
FRACTAL DEFINE 7 BLACK QUIET MID-TOWER CASE

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i9 14 Core Processor i9-10940X (3.3GHz) 19.25MB Cache

Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X299-E GAMING II: ATX, USB 3.2, SATA 6 GB/s, Wi-Fi AC - ARGB Ready

Memory (RAM)
64GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (4 x 16GB)

Graphics Card
16GB AMD RADEON™ RX 6900 XT - HDMI, DP - DX® 12

1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA 120 2.5" SSD, (up to 560MB/sR | 540MB/sW)

DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM

Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET

Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)

Processor Cooling
Noctua NH-U14S Ultra Quiet Performance CPU Cooler

Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND

Sound Card
ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)

Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)

Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0

USB/Thunderbolt Options

MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS

Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]

 

[Martinr36]

Well I would suggest that you change it to an AMD build which will give you more bang for your buck and be a lot better future proofed.

Also a couple of questions:

1. What's your budget?
2. What monitor you using Resolution & refresh rate or make and model
3. What's it going to be used for (gaming, editing, streaming....)

 

[ChrisCooney]

Well I would suggest that you change it to an AMD build which will give you more bang for your buck and be a lot better future proofed.

Also a couple of questions:

1. What's your budget?
2. What monitor you using Resolution & refresh rate or make and model
3. What's it going to be used for (gaming, editing, streaming....)

Hi Martin,

I've updated the original post with budget + monitor.

I'll be using it for editing & gaming.

 

[Bigfoot]

Most games don’t need more than 16 GB of RAM. The GPU is way over the top for your current monitor. AMD are way better than Intel at the moment.

 

[Martinr36]

Hi Martin,

I've updated the original post with budget + monitor.

I'll be using it for editing & gaming.

With that Budget you can probably get a very nice PC with a nice 1440p or ultrawide system, I'm sure someone like @AgentCooper or @MrWilson could spec you something really nice

 

[Ash_]

£3000 will easily get you a 1440p monitor and a build capable of it. 4K... not too sure, so depends on your gaming use.

as stated above... AMD is better for your cpu, especially with an AMD card (6900xt looks like overkill to me). Also, you have a giant amount of slow ram, i’d suggest 2x8gb faster ram (3200+), or 2x16gb if you really want to.

Plus you’d be better off with a samsung SSD for windows etc and a larger HDD for storage.

 

[ChrisCooney]

Most games don’t need more than 16 GB of RAM. The GPU is way over the top for your current monitor. AMD are way better than Intel at the moment.

Is there a comparable AMD CPU I could use?

It was my belief that video editing software needs quite a bit of RAM. Given I'll be using this computer for the forseeable, it seemed wise to futureproof it. Is 64GB insanely over the top?

With that Budget you can probably get a very nice PC with a nice 1440p or ultrawide system

I'll be honest Martin. I don't know what an ultrawide system is. Any recommended reading material to help me alter my build?

 

[Bigfoot]

A 5900x would be a good starting point for an editing AMD build with your budget. You would need the ROG Strix motherboard and the Corsair H115i Platinum cooler with that CPU.

 

[Ash_]

Ram speed is more important than the amount. If something is only using 12gb of ram, 12gb of 3200 is far superior to the 12gb 2400. Plus if you need more ram in the future, you can literally just add it

 

[Martinr36]

Is there a comparable AMD CPU I could use?

It was my belief that video editing software needs quite a bit of RAM. Given I'll be using this computer for the forseeable, it seemed wise to futureproof it. Is 64GB insanely over the top?

I'll be honest Martin. I don't know what an ultrawide system is. Any recommended reading material to help me alter my build?

Have a read of this

Gaming Monitors Guide

The monitor is probably the most important component in any gaming build – it defines how you experience games and the hardware the PC should have. Overlooking the monitor can be the single biggest bottleneck to your gaming experience. With recent monitor and graphics card launches, and wider...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

and this

Monitor Recommendations (Work in progress)

Hi all Monitors are a very important subject with all PC's obviously, they're the final output of all that power you've configured in your PC / Laptop and it's important that the monitor pairs correctly with your build for optimum performance. There have been quite significant improvements...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

 

[AgentCooper]

Here we go, a cracking system and a monitor to go with it 👍

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500M GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 17 to 19 working days
Price: £2,411.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/TCmXCmZqpX/

Acer Nitro XV340CKP 34" 3440x1440 IPS 144Hz 1ms FreeSync Ultrawide LED Backlit Gaming Monitor

Acer Nitro XV340CKPbmiipphzx, Display Resolution 3440x1440, Display Size 34", Refresh Rate 144Hz, FreeSync, 1ms Response Time, Contrast Ratio 1000:1, Panel Type IPS, 2xHDMI(2.0) + 2xDP(1.4)

www.overclockers.co.uk

 

[Ash_]

Here we go, a cracking system and a monitor to go with it 👍

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500M GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 17 to 19 working days
Price: £2,411.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/TCmXCmZqpX/

Acer Nitro XV340CKP 34" 3440x1440 IPS 144Hz 1ms FreeSync Ultrawide LED Backlit Gaming Monitor

Acer Nitro XV340CKPbmiipphzx, Display Resolution 3440x1440, Display Size 34", Refresh Rate 144Hz, FreeSync, 1ms Response Time, Contrast Ratio 1000:1, Panel Type IPS, 2xHDMI(2.0) + 2xDP(1.4)

www.overclockers.co.uk

I’m just curious, would the rx6800 not be a better gpu choice?

 

[Martinr36]

Here we go, a cracking system and a monitor to go with it 👍

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500M GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 17 to 19 working days
Price: £2,411.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/TCmXCmZqpX/

Acer Nitro XV340CKP 34" 3440x1440 IPS 144Hz 1ms FreeSync Ultrawide LED Backlit Gaming Monitor

Acer Nitro XV340CKPbmiipphzx, Display Resolution 3440x1440, Display Size 34", Refresh Rate 144Hz, FreeSync, 1ms Response Time, Contrast Ratio 1000:1, Panel Type IPS, 2xHDMI(2.0) + 2xDP(1.4)

www.overclockers.co.uk

Thought you'd like a crack at this..........

 

[ChrisCooney]

Here we go, a cracking system and a monitor to go with it 👍

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500M GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12 Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.8GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Firefox™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 17 to 19 working days
Price: £2,411.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/TCmXCmZqpX/

Acer Nitro XV340CKP 34" 3440x1440 IPS 144Hz 1ms FreeSync Ultrawide LED Backlit Gaming Monitor

Acer Nitro XV340CKPbmiipphzx, Display Resolution 3440x1440, Display Size 34", Refresh Rate 144Hz, FreeSync, 1ms Response Time, Contrast Ratio 1000:1, Panel Type IPS, 2xHDMI(2.0) + 2xDP(1.4)

www.overclockers.co.uk

Wow, thank you for taking the time! I really appreciate it. You know this field far better than I do and I always like to learn so would you mind if I ask a few questions? I don't want to appear like I'm questioning your choices - more just looking to fill out my own understanding.

 

[AgentCooper]

I’m just curious, would the rx6800 not be a better gpu choice?

Just kidding 😜

Personally, I think the 6800 doesn’t do quite enough to fully justify the extra cost. The 3070 is a more well rounded card for the price.

 

[AgentCooper]

Wow, thank you for taking the time! I really appreciate it. You know this field far better than I do and I always like to learn so would you mind if I ask a few questions? I don't want to appear like I'm questioning your choices - more just looking to fill out my own understanding.

My pleasure, ask away 👍

 

[Ash_]

View attachment 20763

Just kidding 😜

Personally, I think the 6800 doesn’t do quite enough to fully justify the extra cost. The 3070 is a more well rounded card for the price.

Ah i see.

 

[AgentCooper]

Ah i see.

AMD have really begun to catch up with this latest batch of GPUs but Nvidia still have the edge this generation. It’s going to be very interesting to see what both companies come up in the next couple of years. Whatever happens, it’s a win for the consumer 👍

 

[ChrisCooney]

My pleasure, ask away 👍

If there was anywhere in this build you would spend a little more money to bleed a little more performance, what would you change? The 3k budget has some flex in it you see, and you've done a very good job of hitting the 3k number exactly!

The ultrawide monitor looks cool, but I've never really used one. Is there something of an adjustment period to get used to it? Always had one or two normal sized monitors so this would be a new experience for me!

£500 on a monitor made my blood pressure spike. I never imagined they'd be so expensive, but reading the material that @Martinr36 sent, I'm beginning to understand how important it is.

 

[ChrisCooney]

My pleasure, ask away 👍

Also, as a brief follow up question, I noticed that some of the components you've listed are pre-order only. Is the wait for these things typically a couple of days or would it add weeks onto the lead time?