Intermediate Build

Vaio · May 10, 2020

So I purchased a custom PC a few years ago and have since sold it on, ive been using a laptop for a good few years now and since the lockdown I’ve re built my desk set up and now after either a tower pc or mini pc. anyways this is the build ive come up with, generally I will not be hardcore gaming, maybe MW2 and WoW.

im not really clued up on fans etc etc so any help is welcomed and let me know if this build is overkill for my usage. Thanks

Case
CIT DARK SOUL BLACK CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-9600 (3.1GHz) 9MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF H310M-PLUS GAMING R2.0: Micro-ATX, DDR4, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 - HDMI
1st Storage Drive
256GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (500MB/R, 400MB/W)
2nd Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 350W VS SERIES™ VS-350 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
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
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® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month 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: £771.00 including VAT and Delivery

Stephen M · May 10, 2020

You will get better performance and probably value for money with an AMD build.

Vaio · May 10, 2020

Stephen M said:
You will get better performance and probably value for money with an AMD build.

Any suggestions? I've never really looked into AMD processors.

Scott · May 10, 2020

What is your maximum budget and is it purely for the tower? What monitor are you pairing the system with? Either the model number or the resolution & refresh rate would be fine

Vaio · May 10, 2020

What do you guys think of this monitor? Im not a serious gamer, just a casual player.

Ideally i dont want to spend anymore than £250.

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Vaio · May 10, 2020

Scott said:
What is your maximum budget and is it purely for the tower? What monitor are you pairing the system with? Either the model number or the resolution & refresh rate would be fine

Hmm this is a tough question, because my budget originally started at around £600, now it's at £800 haha. I think if it's going to last for a good 3-4 years then I'll happily spend 1k as a budget and that's purely for tower alone

I'm currently looking at this monitor DELL S2719H it's an IPS monitor only 60hz refresh rate.

Vaio · May 10, 2020

I guess this would be a spec at the very top of my budget. Pretty sure I started this quest for a new PC saying I wouldn't need it for gaming haha.

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H100 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-9600 (3.1GHz) 9MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B360-I GAMING: Mini-ITX, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2060 - HDMI, DP - VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
128GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (500MB/R, 400MB/W)
2nd Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W CV SERIES™ CV-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Noctua NH-L9i Low Profile, Super Quiet CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
GIGABIT LAN PORT + Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi excluded on H310I-PLUS)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
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® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month 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: £1,083.00 including VAT and Delivery

Scott · May 10, 2020

This is a much better all-round system. It should pair nicely with the monitor you have selected. I would probably go down a different route personally but it depends on your usage.

With a 60hz monitor there's no need to go above the 1650 Super. If you wanted to splash out and go for a 144hz monitor then the 1660 Super would be more fitting

Case
CORSAIR 275R AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 SUPER - HDMI
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
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
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Supplied on USB Drive
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 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: £944.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/PgfC0Gqf8u/

Vaio · May 10, 2020

Scott said:
This is a much better all-round system. It should pair nicely with the monitor you have selected. I would probably go down a different route personally but it depends on your usage.

With a 60hz monitor there's no need to go above the 1650 Super. If you wanted to splash out and go for a 144hz monitor then the 1660 Super would be more fitting

Case
CORSAIR 275R AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 SUPER - HDMI
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
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
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Supplied on USB Drive
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 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: £944.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/PgfC0Gqf8u/

Cheers mate, although any particular reason why the AMD over Intel? I don't know much about the differences in CPU's only the Ghz means faster and there's more threads in one CPU than the other lol.

Scott · May 10, 2020

AMD is on a newer platform with the next generation of chips being supported on the socket. Intel is pretty much at the end of the line, they are re-hashing old technology and the next big jump from them will need an all new motherboard etc. AMD is the wise choice right now, far better bang for your buck

Vaio · May 10, 2020

And if I wanted to get a mini PC set up other than the actual size, is there a disadvantage there? I'm tempted by a small rig as it's going to go to the side of my tucked away, rather than a tower thinking about it now.

Below rig comes to £839 which is a great price IMO. My only question is, is the MB adequate? and I will be using WiFi for the PC until I can be bothered to run an ethernet wire into my living room, so will this set up include WiFi? Thanks.
Are the fans amounts okay? and
And finally, I realised I have windows 10 activation code already so I don't need a pre-installed OS. I'm assuming it will come with an unactive windows 10 and I can use my code?

Cheeers.

Case
CORSAIR 275R AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 SUPER - HDMI
1st Storage Drive
512GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 450MB/W)
2nd Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W CV SERIES™ CV-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Cooler master masterliquid lite 120
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Extra Case Fans
1x 120mm Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
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
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
TIMED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND - MON-FRI (BEFORE 2PM)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 12 to 14 working days
Price: £839.00 including VAT and Delivery

Scott · May 11, 2020

You had lowered the RAM, which isn't a good idea.

The system comes with well balanced airflow thanks to the already installed fan configuration.

I wouldn't recommend a micro-build. They compromise heat massively. You cannot tuck them away as they always need airflow (as does any system). You risk components overheating.

The motherboard is excellent, the next level up is quite an expensive jump (X570).

You can use your own Windows license, no issue there at all.

Here is the build as I would recommend it...

Case
CORSAIR 275R AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 SUPER - HDMI
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
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
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
NO RECOVERY MEDIA REQUIRED
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 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: £854.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/gYv9a4uxmF/

Vaio · May 11, 2020

So... I'm very close to pulling the trigger and probably will tonight.. then I'll tell the wife after

I tried to add a DVD drive but the case I've chosen doesn't support a drive and as I'm not getting the OS activated, will I have any issues with connecting to the Internet once I get the PC? if the drivers may not be installed?

SpyderTracks · May 11, 2020

you just need to attach the WiFi antenna and connect via cable to install windows.

ubuysa · May 12, 2020

Vaio said:
So... I'm very close to pulling the trigger and probably will tonight.. then I'll tell the wife after
I tried to add a DVD drive but the case I've chosen doesn't support a drive and as I'm not getting the OS activated, will I have any issues with connecting to the Internet once I get the PC? if the drivers may not be installed?

It depends on which OS you plan to install. Windows and most Linux distros contain basic wireless card drivers that will at least let you connect to complete the install. If not, they all have LAN drivers, so cable attaching to complete the install will work.

What OS will you be installing?

Vaio · May 12, 2020

ubuysa said:
It depends on which OS you plan to install. Windows and most Linux distros contain basic wireless card drivers that will at least let you connect to complete the install. If not, they all have LAN drivers, so cable attaching to complete the install will work.

What OS will you be installing?

Windows 10 pro, but I already have an activation code so didn't see any point spending another £100

ubuysa · May 12, 2020

Vaio said:
Windows 10 pro, but I already have an activation code so didn't see any point spending another £100

Then you should be fine connecting at install time. Have a cable handy though, just in case.

Vaio · May 12, 2020

Yeah that's the next step I am dreading.. I need to run an ethernet wire from my router which is located upstairs and my PC will sit in the living room

SpyderTracks · May 12, 2020

Vaio said:
Yeah that's the next step I am dreading.. I need to run an ethernet wire from my router which is located upstairs and my PC will sit in the living room

May be easier to temporarily move the PC closer to the router just for install.

andjac · May 12, 2020

Get yourself some homeplugs (aka powerline)
It'll save you trailing cables all over the house and better than wifi imo

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