Somewhat future proofed gaming rig

K

Kageniru

Member
Hi guys,

First time posting here. I'm attempting to get a decent gaming rig that will last me for several years, something like 5+ ideally. I've avoided going too deep on graphics card and monitor as the price spirals out of control on cards and monitors twards the top end. As I can't really afford a 4K monitor it seemed ill advised to go higher than a 3070.

The areas in particular I'm not concrete on are the motherboard, PSU, cooling and case.

I'd appreciate any feedback on the spec. Thanks!

pcs_logo.jpg


PCSPECIALIST.CO.UK SPECIFICATION

The specification below has been formatted so you can easily copy and paste this to our forums when discussing your specification. Once you've copied the specification, please click here to continue.
Case
PCS 3601 CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-11700 (2.5GHz) 16MB Cache
Motherboard
GIGABYTE B560 HD3 (rev. 1.0) : LGA1200, DDR4, USB 3.2, PCIe 4.0
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3070 - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3000MB/sR | 1600MB/sW)
1st Storage Drive
1TB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 470MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 100 V3 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
Wireless Network Card
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 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
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge
Monitor
IIYAMA G-MASTER GB2760QSU-B1 27"
Monitor Cables
1 x 2m DisplayPort Cable - DP (M) to DP (M)
Keyboard & Mouse
Corsair Bundle - K55 RGB PRO Keyboard & M55 PRO Mouse
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 7 to 9 working days
Price: £1,975.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z590-pc/7nte924Ygv/
 
S

Steveyg

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Yeah we can do much better than that in this budget mate, assuming a 1440p build including monitor for around £2k

Let's see what I can come up with
 
S

Steveyg

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
This is where I would be aiming mate, I have a 3060Ti and it's handling everything at 1440p 144Hz no problem what so ever

I didn't include the monitor you selected because there are better options at similar prices elsewhere. You want a 27" 1440p 144Hz IPS monitor like this to suit the build

www.overclockers.co.uk

AOC 27" Q27G2S/EU 2560x1440 IPS 165Hz 1ms FreeSync/G-Sync Widescreen Gaming Monitor

Order AOC 27" Q27G2S/EU 2560x1440 IPS 165Hz 1ms FreeSync/G-Sync Widescreen Gaming Monitor now online and benefit from fast delivery.
www.overclockers.co.uk www.overclockers.co.uk

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-12600 (3.3GHz) 18MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3000MB/sR | 1600MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2200 MB/R, 1500 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H100i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB 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 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
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
Microsoft® Edge
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 7 to 9 working days
Price: £1,756.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z690-pc/uC28cFBR4R/
 
K

Kageniru

Member
Steveyg said:
This is where I would be aiming mate, I have a 3060Ti and it's handling everything at 1440p 144Hz no problem what so ever

I didn't include the monitor you selected because there are better options at similar prices elsewhere. You want a 27" 1440p 144Hz IPS monitor like this to suit the build

www.overclockers.co.uk

AOC 27" Q27G2S/EU 2560x1440 IPS 165Hz 1ms FreeSync/G-Sync Widescreen Gaming Monitor

Order AOC 27" Q27G2S/EU 2560x1440 IPS 165Hz 1ms FreeSync/G-Sync Widescreen Gaming Monitor now online and benefit from fast delivery.
www.overclockers.co.uk www.overclockers.co.uk

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-12600 (3.3GHz) 18MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3000MB/sR | 1600MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2200 MB/R, 1500 MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H100i ELITE CAPELLIX RGB 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 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
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
Microsoft® Edge
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 7 to 9 working days
Price: £1,756.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z690-pc/uC28cFBR4R/
Click to expand...
Ok so I have a few questions if you don't mind?

I see you've opted for an i5 12th gen over the i7 11th gen is that an improvement or a budget saving. I was concerned I might bottleneck peformance of the system with the wrong processor.

I think the main change is the graphics card swapping to a 3060ti over a 3070. I've done a fair bit of research on the cards available and 3060ti looks close to 3070 but seems to lack potential 4K support in the future and is that extra step down in quality compared to the 3070 so I'm worried it won't hold up for as long as the 3070.

I've been avoiding liquid cooling in my setups as I'm not too keen on the idea of liquid inside my system generally and I've heard buying top ups and draining and re-filling the system can be a timely and fiddly procedure. Is it worth the risk versus traditional fans? Possibly related to the subject of cooling is that why you've chosen this particular case over others?

The monitor you've selected does look better than the one I've had. IPS not TN and a better refresh rate for ~£15 more so I think I'll definitely be looking at that.

Thanks again!
 
S

Steveyg

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Yeah no worries mate so to answer the questions

12th gen 12600 is very admirable. Can't see a reason you would need more than this for a long time, the 12600K offers ever so slightly more that I would want to recommend the but the budget started creeping up and I wanted to leave room for the monitor. The 12600 is still more than enough for gaming and certainly wont be a bottleneck any time soon

As for the 11th gen Intel CPU's they are quite frankly complete and total trash. They are just bad on every single metric not a single person here will recommend them. So no going 11th gen anything is just a bad idea

If you're planning for 4K in the future then yes the 3070 is the card you want to be aiming for. We pair GPU's to monitors though and seeing as the GPU is both the component that you'll change first and the component that gets changed the most it's pointless trying to plan for 5 years time in a GPU now. Make the savings on the GPU as you'll likely change it anyways when it's time to go to 4K

The CPU cooler I selected is what's known as closed loop AIO. There is no way to get the fluid out unless you break it, you don't need to replace any liquids and all the maintenance they require is to dust off the fans and radiator now and then. Been using them for over 10 years without an issue mate. Seriously they are super reliable and nothing something to worry about

There is more to a case than looks, the Corsair 4000D is one of the best on the market at it's price range. It'll do a brilliant job of promoting airflow through the parts and helping keep everything cool passively. If you don't have adequate airflow then you risk thermal throttling your entire system and the higher temps will shorten the lifespan of the parts inside
 
K

Kageniru

Member
Steveyg said:
Yeah no worries mate so to answer the questions

12th gen 12600 is very admirable. Can't see a reason you would need more than this for a long time, the 12600K offers ever so slightly more that I would want to recommend the but the budget started creeping up and I wanted to leave room for the monitor. The 12600 is still more than enough for gaming and certainly wont be a bottleneck any time soon

As for the 11th gen Intel CPU's they are quite frankly complete and total trash. They are just bad on every single metric not a single person here will recommend them. So no going 11th gen anything is just a bad idea

If you're planning for 4K in the future then yes the 3070 is the card you want to be aiming for. We pair GPU's to monitors though and seeing as the GPU is both the component that you'll change first and the component that gets changed the most it's pointless trying to plan for 5 years time in a GPU now. Make the savings on the GPU as you'll likely change it anyways when it's time to go to 4K

The CPU cooler I selected is what's known as closed loop AIO. There is no way to get the fluid out unless you break it, you don't need to replace any liquids and all the maintenance they require is to dust off the fans and radiator now and then. Been using them for over 10 years without an issue mate. Seriously they are super reliable and nothing something to worry about

There is more to a case than looks, the Corsair 4000D is one of the best on the market at it's price range. It'll do a brilliant job of promoting airflow through the parts and helping keep everything cool passively. If you don't have adequate airflow then you risk thermal throttling your entire system and the higher temps will shorten the lifespan of the parts inside
Click to expand...
If you'd asked me if I could be persuaded to use water cooling with a single paragraph before I read your reply I'dve said no chance, yet somehow you managed to address my concerns and explain your reasoning very concisely.

I think I'm actually going to go with all your suggested changes. Your logc is sound with all the changes you've made. Once I add on the monitor and an equivalent keyboard it's pretty much bang on £100 more but again all your reasoning makes sense so I think it's probably worth it.

Thank you again for your advice, you've been very helpful!
 
S

Steveyg

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Kageniru said:
If you'd asked me if I could be persuaded to use water cooling with a single paragraph before I read your reply I'dve said no chance, yet somehow you managed to address my concerns and explain your reasoning very concisely.

I think I'm actually going to go with all your suggested changes. Your logc is sound with all the changes you've made. Once I add on the monitor and an equivalent keyboard it's pretty much bang on £100 more but again all your reasoning makes sense so I think it's probably worth it.

Thank you again for your advice, you've been very helpful!
Click to expand...
No worries mate the idea is to try and get you the most possible for your cash but to also try to get you a machine that will most importantly last many years, while being tailored to your needs. Not always easy but your budget is just in that nice spot where we can get something really solid. No reason that build I posted above wouldn't get 5-7+ years with some general maintenance and couple GPU upgrades over the lifespan
 
K

Kageniru

Member
Steveyg said:
No worries mate the idea is to try and get you the most possible for your cash but to also try to get you a machine that will most importantly last many years, while being tailored to your needs. Not always easy but your budget is just in that nice spot where we can get something really solid. No reason that build I posted above wouldn't get 5-7+ years with some general maintenance and couple GPU upgrades over the lifespan
Click to expand...
Ok final question for the day before I disappear to consider my choices. If I did opt into an i5 12600K over the i5 12600 would I need to change anything else like the motherboard or PSU to support it? If not would you recommend it for the extra £55?
 
S

Steveyg

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Kageniru said:
Ok final question for the day before I disappear to consider my choices. If I did opt into an i5 12600K over the i5 12600 would I need to change anything else like the motherboard or PSU to support it? If not would you recommend it for the extra £55?
Click to expand...
You wouldn't need to change anything else in the build to include a 12600K

Now to say whether it's worth £55 that more difficult to say. To me yes it's worth it for 4 more e cores and 2mb large cache but it's down to how much those things are good for you? Personally I would say yes for me it's worth it
 
K

Kageniru

Member
I've just been reviewing the specs and I noticed that the monitor suggested doesn't have speakers which is a real shame as everything else about it looked ideal.
The closest equivalent I was able to find was the ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQZ 27" which is listed on the site. Would you recommend this monitor? It's pretty much the same price as the previously listed AOC Gaming Q27G2S - 27" but with the addition of speakers for £5 more on the PC Specialist site.
 
S

Steveyg

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Kageniru said:
I've just been reviewing the specs and I noticed that the monitor suggested doesn't have speakers which is a real shame as everything else about it looked ideal.
The closest equivalent I was able to find was the ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQZ 27" which is listed on the site. Would you recommend this monitor? It's pretty much the same price as the previously listed AOC Gaming Q27G2S - 27" but with the addition of speakers for £5 more on the PC Specialist site.
Click to expand...
Mate you don't want a monitor with in built speakers they are almost all completely terrible, you want separate external speakers or a good headset for sound

There isn't a single monitor I would recommend for it's speakers
 
B4zookaw

B4zookaw

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Steveyg said:
Mate you don't want a monitor with in built speakers they are almost all completely terrible, you want separate external speakers or a good headset for sound

There isn't a single monitor I would recommend for it's speakers
Click to expand...
100% agree. Monitor speakers are fine for the odd youtube, but I'd never rely on them as the principle source of sound. Don't priortise a monitor with speakers over a monitor with better image quality!
 
K

Kageniru

Member
I use a decent gaming headset most of the time but just for the ease of use when I don't have standalone speakers the specs of the ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQZ 27" look comparable to the AOC Gaming Q27G23 - 27" that was linked previously, at least to my eyes. I'm only learning about the current state of monitors over the last few days so I wasn't sure if ASUS was a decent brand or had any known problems or that even the specs of the second monitor are comparable to the AOC monitor that was originally recommended.
 
Scott

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
The Asus is actually a better monitor but it's priced accordingly. I think the one you are referring to is the B-Grade refurb, which you will take your chances with.
 
MrWilson

MrWilson

Godlike
I've tried to do a bit of research on the VG27AQZ. It's advertised on one site as 165hz IPS and has the same I/O as a VG27AQ1LA, although the latter is a 170hz panel. All in all it's a very solid pick from PCS at this price, especially when getting a 1440p gaming rig on Finance.
 
B4zookaw

B4zookaw

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Based on my reseach when buying my VG27AQ:

VG27AQ = First iteration of the monitor. Initially when announced it had a lower refresh rate, but when released it was upped to 165Hz with overclock
VG27AQL1A = VG27AQ replacement, and can overclock to 170Hz. Different panel manufacturer. And has USB
VG27AQ1A = Similar to VG27AQL1A, but no usb.

Comparison between: 27" Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ, 27" Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ1A, 27" Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQL1A

Comparison between: 27" Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ, 27" Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ1A, 27" Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQL1A
www.displayspecifications.com

Bar USB, I don't think the average user will be able to tell the difference between the three, they're all solid 1440p monitors.
 
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