Build Spec Advice for 1440p Gaming/Home £2500 Budget

[Grombrindal]

I've built a sample PC below. It's for playing games (strategy Total War etc, not first person shooter), some productivity (spreadsheets), web browsing, music, video. I'd like to play on a 27" 1440p 144Hz monitor at ultra/very high settings for new games. I won't be overclocking and want a safe, stable system.

I'm disabled so it's important the tower isn't too big or heavy so I can move it when needed. I don't like RGB and need the PC to be as quiet as possible. I wanted the Fractal Meshify 2 Compact but this isn't available. I could buy this and send it in or send it directly from the seller? The Corsair Carbide 275Q is small and very light but I'm not sure about airflow.

I'm concerned about heat and noise. I chose the motherboard because it has heatsinks for M.2 SSD's. I've also selected two additional Thermaltake fans. The cooler is PCS own so I don't know how effective it is. I'd like a Noctua but PCS don't have them. I'm not sure about the Corsair water coolers as the reviews I've read for them aren't positive. PCS don't offer anti-vibration gaskets for fans to help with noise.

My budget is £2500. The quote below is £2346.00. Any advice would be appreciated.

Case
CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ 275Q QUIET CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700 (2.1GHz) 25MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 530 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 7300MB/R, 6000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 200 Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Extra Case Fans
2x 120mm Thermaltake TOUGHFAN 12 Case Fans
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00003]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 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 12 to 14 working days

 

[Scott]

I've built a sample PC below. It's for playing games (strategy Total War etc, not first person shooter), some productivity (spreadsheets), web browsing, music, video. I'd like to play on a 27" 1440p 144Hz monitor at ultra/very high settings for new games. I won't be overclocking and want a safe, stable system.

I'm disabled so it's important the tower isn't too big or heavy so I can move it when needed. I don't like RGB and need the PC to be as quiet as possible. I wanted the Fractal Meshify 2 Compact but this isn't available. I could buy this and send it in or send it directly from the seller? The Corsair Carbide 275Q is small and very light but I'm not sure about airflow.

I concerned about heat and noise. I chose the motherboard because it has heatsinks for M.2 SSD's. I've also selected two additional Thermaltake fans. The cooler is PCS own so I don't know how effective it is. I'd like a Noctua but PCS don't have them. I'm not sure about the Corsair water coolers as the reviews I've read for them aren't positive. PCS don't offer anti-vibration gaskets for fans to help with noise.

My budget is £2500. The quote below is £2346.00. Any advice would be appreciated.

Case
CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ 275Q QUIET CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700 (2.1GHz) 25MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 530 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 7300MB/R, 6000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 200 Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Extra Case Fans
2x 120mm Thermaltake TOUGHFAN 12 Case Fans
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00003]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 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 12 to 14 working days

Welcome, could you copy over the unique URL from the bottom of your quote so that we can go into suggest amendments?

Some info here:

Please read before posting:- Collaboration of Helpful Hints

NB: These forums are not an official support channel. None of us work for PCS, we're all either customers or techies who just like to help out where possible. For any official support, you need to contact PCS directly either through your PCS account, or via the contact details on the main...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

I wouldn't recommend the case you have chosen, it's reasonably quiet but it comes at quite a large cost of airflow. The Define 7 would be the best option of silence is the real aim. Unfortunately it's quite a heavy bit of kit (I have the Define 6). You do have the option to send your own case in so if you preferred to do so, you can.

Your main choices are fine but you have selected RGB RAM, where you said you didn't want it... just a heads up.

With the storage I would opt for a 500GB primary (980 pro) and for the secondary I would opt for the 1TB Firecuda 530. The future is direct drive storage which having a fast games drive will make a difference to. Having a smaller primary drive means you will keep it slim & trim and performing perfectly. You don't want to use more than 50% of the primary and any time you want or need to reformat the drive it will mean far less backing up.

I would increase the PSU. It's not really powerful enough for any upgrades or future endeavours. I would genuinely recommend the 1000w PSU as it's not that large an increase but it covers you for anything you wish to do in the future (GPU Upgrades).

For the cooler there should be no choice other than a Corsair AIO. Not sure what reviews wouldn't be favourable to be honest. There's just no comparison in a case, especially a quiet case.

 

[DarTon]

Hi. You can purchase your desired case and get the seller to send it direct to PCS. You don't want the Carbide case. I'd look at the Lancool case since it has good fans and airflow. Just turn the damned disco lights off!

Your build is solid in many areas. The 12700 is a good choice since it's almost same performance as 12700K for most games and it's cooler. For TW, you want a good GPU since it's more intensive than most games (badly optimized game engine) so the 3070 Ti is probably correct. I'd look to use a better cooler, such as a H115i AIO, drop the 2 extra fans, and up the PSU a bit more. It should make it run quieter. AIO coolers are very reliable and Corsair produces excellent ones so not sure where you are seeing those reviews.

You could drop the 530 to 500GB since that is enough for OS/main programs and you have 4 heatsinked M2 slots in total so you can add more later.

I'd tweak your build to something like this

Case
LIAN LI LANCOOL 215 GAMING CASE - If you don't want to send a case in to PCS, this would be ideal
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700 (2.1GHz) 25MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB) - Dropped the RGB you chose
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 980 PRO M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 6900MB/R, 5000MB/W) - Put back the 1GB if necessary
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET - 1000W might future proof it better
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H115i RGB PRO XT Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler - Best cooler for the money and quiet
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING - AIO has it's own high quality paste preapplied
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00003]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 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 12 to 14 working days
Price: £2,306.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z690-pc/fYuVJsHa4p/

 

[Grombrindal]

Welcome, could you copy over the unique URL from the bottom of your quote so that we can go into suggest amendments?

Some info here:

Please read before posting:- Collaboration of Helpful Hints

NB: These forums are not an official support channel. None of us work for PCS, we're all either customers or techies who just like to help out where possible. For any official support, you need to contact PCS directly either through your PCS account, or via the contact details on the main...

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

I wouldn't recommend the case you have chosen, it's reasonably quiet but it comes at quite a large cost of airflow. The Define 7 would be the best option of silence is the real aim. Unfortunately it's quite a heavy bit of kit (I have the Define 6). You do have the option to send your own case in so if you preferred to do so, you can.

Your main choices are fine but you have selected RGB RAM, where you said you didn't want it... just a heads up.

With the storage I would opt for a 500GB primary (980 pro) and for the secondary I would opt for the 1TB Firecuda 530. The future is direct drive storage which having a fast games drive will make a difference to. Having a smaller primary drive means you will keep it slim & trim and performing perfectly. You don't want to use more than 50% of the primary and any time you want or need to reformat the drive it will mean far less backing up.

I would increase the PSU. It's not really powerful enough for any upgrades or future endeavours. I would genuinely recommend the 1000w PSU as it's not that large an increase but it covers you for anything you wish to do in the future (GPU Upgrades).

For the cooler there should be no choice other than a Corsair AIO. Not sure what reviews wouldn't be favourable to be honest. There's just no comparison in a case, especially a quiet case.

Here's the quote link as requested.

PCSPECIALIST - Top Spec Custom PCs & Laptops Built to Order

Manufacturer of performance custom computers and laptops. Customise your ideal gaming PC or laptop using our advanced configurator.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

 

[Grombrindal]

Based on your suggestions, I've come up with the updated build below. Scott said to have one drive for OS and one for games but I need a 2TB for my work and personal storage. It would be over my budget to have 3 drives. I've upped the PSU this will help with upgrades and noise. I've gone with your suggestion for Corsair iCUE H115i RGB PRO XT. I made a mistake initially and selected the i7-12700 instead of i7-12700K. I actually wanted the i5-12600K and 3070 but these aren't in stock. I removed the fans; I had read that more fans meant they could run more slowly and reduce noise as well as improve longevity?

The only issue I still have is with the case. I currently have a Fractal Define 5 (10.5kg net) which is a struggle for me to lift. The Define 7 is 15.9kg. I don't know what weight the LIAN LI LANCOOL 215 is. It doesn't say on the manufacturers website, just the HxWxL.

I'm going to email PCS and ask if the Fractal Meshify 2 Compact (7.7kg) would be suitable for this build. I think it has similar airflow to the LANCOOL 215. It has gotten great reviews at tomshardware. The cost would be almost exactly my budget £2500.


Case
Send In Your Own Case
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700K (3.6GHz) 25MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 530 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 7300MB/R, 6000MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2700MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H115i RGB PRO XT 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
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00003]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 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 12 to 14 working days
Promotional Item
Get Monster Hunter: Rise & more with select Intel® Core™ Processors
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Price: £2,384.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z690-pc/eZ7jq0MdbB/

 

[DarTon]

With regard to the case, the Meshify 2 Compact is a very good case. A possible fly in the ointment is that it cannot take a 280mm radiator such as the H115i mounted at the top. The maximum is 240mm, so a H100i is fine but not the H115i. Now, it can take a 280mm at the front of the case but that then limits the GPU card length to 305mm. The issue is that many 3070 Ti cards are 3 fan and are above 305mm in length. PCS are likely to to try to fit either a Palit (294mm, tight but ok) or Zotac Trinity (316mm, not ok). So it might be safer to select a H100i AIO to reduce this risk.

 

[Grombrindal]

I contacted PCS for advice regarding a case. They suggested selecting a mini case and they would copy my build into it. I found this strange as I don't think it would fit.

I'm going to wait for the i5-12600K and GTX 3070 to come back in stock ETA 1/3/22. This will be cheaper, reduce heat and space taken in case and still be solid for 1440p. From the savings I can install 3 drives a 500GB M.2 for OS, a 1TB M.2 for Games and a 2TB SSD for storage.

For a case I can go for the Lian Li 215 (8kg), the Cooler Master TD500 Mesh (6.5kg) or the Fractal Meshify 2 Compact (7.7kg). They all have their strengths and weaknesses. The 215 is heavier but is spacious for components and is excellent for thermals. The TD500 is the lightest and is a good all round case (Scott). The Meshify 2 Compact is expensive but well made a little tighter for space but not by much.

Thank you to DarTon for information regarding component sizes. I've never built a PC so I don't know how all the pieces fit together. Thanks to Scott for his links to component parts and reviews.

 

[BlessedSquirrel]

I contacted PCS for advice regarding a case. They suggested selecting a mini case and they would copy my build into it. I found this strange as I don't think it would fit.

I'm going to wait for the i5-12600K and GTX 3070 to come back in stock ETA 1/3/22. This will be cheaper, reduce heat and space taken in case and still be solid for 1440p. From the savings I can install 3 drives a 500GB M.2 for OS, a 1TB M.2 for Games and a 2TB SSD for storage.

For a case I can go for the Lian Li 215 (8kg), the Cooler Master TD500 Mesh (6.5kg) or the Fractal Meshify 2 Compact (7.7kg). They all have their strengths and weaknesses. The 215 is heavier but is spacious for components and is excellent for thermals. The TD500 is the lightest and is a good all round case (Scott) but a little compact. The Meshify 2 Compact is expensive but well made.

Thank you to DarTon for information regarding component sizes. I've never built a PC so I don't know how all the pieces fit together. Thanks to Scott for his links to component parts and reviews.

The Lian Li or Meshify are superb cases. I'm not such a huge fan of Coolermasters, but that's more of a personal thing. I just think it's a far lower tier of quality compared to the other two.

 

[Scott]

Given your needs I would go with the TD500. I didn't realise it was so light. It is a cheaper case but it's great value bang for buck. It's not to everyone's liking for aesthetics but performance wise it is excellent.

Check out the reviews for it, I don't think there are any cases that compete with it for value.

 

[Grombrindal]

I've decided on the Fractal Meshify 2 Compact (£77 or £80 glass). Will get non-glass version, safer and I don't like RBG. I looked at a several reviews and the Lian Li 215 (£61) and Cooler Master TD500 (£76) were all highly rated with similar performance, as they are all mesh cases. It comes down to personal preference. The Meshify 2 seems better built, has a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port and I like the appearance. With no HDD, optical drive or heavy air cooler there will be at least a 4kg reduction in weight from my current PC.

DarTon raised some queries about radiator and GPU sizing for the Meshify 2. Here is a build using an ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 3080 and Fractal Design Celsius+ S24 Prisma CPU Cooler (240mm radiator). The radiator was fitted on top. Front fitting is better for cooling and noise but the builder didn't like the look. Apologies, I misunderstood the videos so have edited this paragraph. If you remove the storage racks it increases the room within the case.

My 8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 (242mm) or even 3070 Ti (304mm/318mm) and Corsair iCUE H115i RGB PRO XT (280mm) should be fine front fitted. If not I can reduce to a H100i (240mm). I've sent my spec to PCS for a final check and once the 3070 is in stock I'll place my order. £2211 + £77 for case.

 

[Grombrindal]

I've specced a build with assistance from forum members. I'm sending in my own case so the configurator can't tell me it there are any issues; I emailed this build to PCS to check if it would be ok. PCS said they can't say because components sometimes don't match. This sounds reasonable. However, in the FAQ section it states that "It is your responsibility to ensure that your spec will fit into your case". The FAQ also states that "NVIDIA graphics cards we stock are either from Zotac or Palit - however, we do sometimes stock alternative brands". GPU sizes vary between brands.

Given the above statements, if PCS can't tell me if components can fit into a case, how is customer supposed to know, particularly when we don't which GPU brands will be used? From reading the forums I understand the customer will be contacted if the spec doesn't fit and the order can be changed or cancelled? Will the case be returned?

Also, a minor point FAQ state that "the only operating systems we offer and support are Windows 10 Home and Professional". PCS supply Windows 11 now.

 

[BlessedSquirrel]

Also, a minor point FAQ state that "the only operating systems we offer and support are Windows 10 Home and Professional". PCS supply Windows 11 now.

They mean windows whatever version is currently in support. They don't support Linux.

Given the above statements, if PCS can't tell me if components can fit into a case, how is customer supposed to know, particularly when we don't which GPU brands will be used?

You need to basically allow for any gpu.

From reading the forums I understand the customer will be contacted if the spec doesn't fit and the order can be changed or cancelled?

Yes, you would be contacted if any issues and can amend at any time. You can cancel any time until 14 days after receiving it.

 

[Grombrindal]

They mean windows whatever version is currently in support. They don't support Linux.


You need to basically allow for any gpu.


Yes, you would be contacted if any issues and can amend at any time. You can cancel any time until 14 days after receiving it.

Thanks for your response. I think I've done as much as I reasonably can to spec my build to ensure it fits. I'm just looking for a trouble free experience. Because of my disability it would be arduous to have to send back the build so that's why I've been asking so many questions.

I posted this in the Website & Forum Feedback/Suggestions section as I thought clarifying this in the FAQ would help all customers. Another suggestion would be to offer extra checks for software and cabling, for a charge, as many other companies do, to ensure there are no issues with the build. It would give vulnerable customers like myself peace of mind.