Gaming PC advice?

[Scruples]

I would suggest you have a look at PC Specialist - they have standard set-ups that can be customised to your own preference and of course budget. They also have a good forum with a lot of helpful, knowledgeable members. I recently bought a four screen set-up from them which I'm very happy with.

PS. I don't game, so can't help you with any specifics for gaming.

I used PC Specialist for 2 PCs over the years. They're good. Now, I have a local high street company called Computer Cabin who can advise and put together a system that suits my needs.

 

[Scruples]

My 15yr old son wants to buy himself a PC for gaming, so far he has saved about £1000 for it.

It's a subject I know nothing about so hoping someone can give a bit of advice or point me towards a suitable model (wouldn't know where to start building one), my son would just go to Currys or somewhere and buy one tomorrow but I like to do a bit of research first.

We already have a PS5 and Xbox series X in the house but he says he would like a PC, I don't know what he will be gaining with a PC, not sure if it's just because a couple of his friends have them.

I'd rather he didn't get one but that's probably because I don't know anything about them, it's his money and he has been talking about it for probably 2 years now so it's not just a passing fad.

Any advice appreciated.........and keep it simple.

The main requirements for speed, for me, is a high end processor, the largest SSD (Solid state drive) you can get within your budget and a mid-top end graphics card. Obviously, the monitor is important too and needs a high refresh rate (144Hz) if he's going to play for prolonged periods without eye-strain. A quiet cooling systems would be an advantage.
Most PCs come with the usual sockets for USB, network etc...
Again, if you can find a good local company with recommends from customers, that would be good, but remember, if it looks like a fantastic deal it probably isn't, in the long term.
Good luck.

 

[thanos999]

i recently built a new pc for myself in november but it cost about £2500 my most expensive pc build ever never bought an off the shelf pc in the last 20 years always built my own .

i would start buy buying a a good quality motherboard around the £200 price point you dont need the top off the line motherboard neither do you want bottom off the line motherboard.

you need a mid range cpu costing around £200 the most expensiv part will be the gpu and coincedently nvidea are releasing a new series off gpu today and i believe scan are doing a special launch event anyway back to your build you could go with a cheap gpu for now like a 4060 or amd radeon 7600 for about £300 and upgrade the gpu if need be in 6 mounths.

one think i forgot get the best powersupply you can afford in fact that is the only thing i wouldnt cheap out on most reputable manufactorers have a 10 or 12 year garantee on there power supplys i would also suggest getting a 1000 watt power supply or hihger as opessed to the recomended power supply that should cost about £100 to £150 reason is for upgrades in the future.

get 32gigs off ram for about £100 and finaly a ssd for about £50 to £200.

 

[Agent_zed]

the largest SSD (Solid state drive) you can get within your budget

Just for clarity for the OP, there are 2 different types of SSD's. The older type is just a direct replacement for HDD's and plug in using SATA connections. The more modern version is NVME and these plug directly into the motherboard a bit like RAM.

NVME is faster than SATA so you'll want to go this route for gaming. I'd imagine all higher spec motherboards will have NVME connections these days.

When I built mine NVME was expensive so I opted for a smaller NVME to run the OS and then have Sata SSDs to store the games as they can be 10's of GBs. Others can advise as this may not be the best way of doing it. I don't play many modern games but things like Tomb raider - shadow of the tomb raider (2018) run fine, and also happen to be dirt cheap in the steam sales.

 

[Scruples]

Just for clarity for the OP, there are 2 different types of SSD's. The older type is just a direct replacement for HDD's and plug in using SATA connections. The more modern version is NVME and these plug directly into the motherboard a bit like RAM.

NVME is faster than SATA so you'll want to go this route for gaming. I'd imagine all higher spec motherboards will have NVME connections these days.

When I built mine NVME was expensive so I opted for a smaller NVME to run the OS and then have Sata SSDs to store the games as they can be 10's of GBs. Others can advise as this may not be the best way of doing it. I don't play many modern games but things like Tomb raider - shadow of the tomb raider (2018) run fine, and also happen to be dirt cheap in the steam sales.

Indeed. This is why it's good to seek advice and then do some research before putting down the money. Google is your friend, as they say. A local, trustworthy PC shop is even better, as long as there's no conflict between what you researched and what the shop is saying.

 

[Spectric]

so I opted for a smaller NVME to run the OS and then have Sata SSDs to store the games

That is how I have my Pc, the SSD for the OS and programs with all work files on a WD Sata drive. I think SSD's are much improved now with higher read write cycles but not good for long term data storage unless things have changed.

 

[ey_tony]

That is how I have my Pc, the SSD for the OS and programs with all work files on a WD Sata drive. I think SSD's are much improved now with higher read write cycles but not good for long term data storage unless things have changed.

In 2019 I built this computer and I installed two regular 1tb + 500gb HDDs and two SSDs (WD Blue 500gb and 250) ... the smaller of the SSDs still runs the operating system today and the important games files are located in the 500Gb SSD and both SSDs have worked flawlessly since installation and this computer really does get some hammer.
The regular HDDs house the majority of my games and other non-game files. The 500Gb HDD also housed my now redundant Windows 7 operating system as I was running both Win 7 as well as Win 10 for a while.

The only issue now is that the 500gb SSD is just about full so I will add an NVMe drive and transfer the contents of my 500Gb SSD drive to the NVME.

The computer is old by today's standards so I was considering building another but it's still pretty fast and boots from switch on in around 10-12 seconds plus it runs the games I play with the graphics maxed out so I'll probably get another year from it by installing an NVMe drive and wait until todays higher spec components (processor, mobo and DDR 5 RAM) drop in price and then build another as that is how I built this computer.

 

[DrPhill]

Hi all, as luck would have it my 'puter died at the weekend. Since I use it for work (and don't want to be stuck on my laptop) I contacted PCSpecialist who suggested the following setup (I do high end software development and wanted plenty of cores/threads). I have 32G of crucial memory from the machine that died (and 1T m.2, 2T ssd).
No windows as I will install Linux anyway.....

For those that know does this look like a reasonable spec - I am clueless about motherboard and cooling choices.....

Case PCS AEGIS BLACK ARGB MID TOWER CASE
Promotional Item Get a discount code for 20% off select peripherals at Corsair.com
Processor (CPU) AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 16 Core CPU (4.5GHz-5.7GHz/80MB CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard ASUS® PRIME B650-PLUS (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0)
Memory (RAM) 16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5200MHz CL40 (1 x 16GB)
Graphics Card INTEGRATED GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR (GPU)
1st M.2 SSD Drive 1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (3500 MB/R, 3200 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply CORSAIR 550W CX SERIES™ CX-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable 1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling PCS FrostFlow 150 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 ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6E AX210 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

 

[Spectric]

I do high end software development and wanted plenty of cores/threads).

Do you know that the software you are using actually makes use of multiple cores ?

Memory (RAM) 16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5200MHz CL40 (1 x 16GB)

You should use memory sticks in pairs, so two of these to give 32Gb.

Having a graphics card is often better than having the graphics integrated into the cpu, it keeps things individual and must help with keeping the cpu cooler. Also note high end graphic's cards are power hungry and some need a power supply direct from the psu, so having it in the cpu must be restrictve.

Motherboard ASUS® PRIME B650-PLUS (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0)

Maybe look at a later chipset than the 650, the 870 gives PCIe 5.0 and faster WiFi.

This is only £200

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/gig...pcie-50-3x-m2-25gbe-wifi6-usb-40-amd-expo-atx

I find the Gigabyte boards have really good power supply components and they supply a good interface for configuring the BIOS.

 

[DrPhill]

Do you know that the software you are using actually makes use of multiple cores ?


You should use memory sticks in pairs, so two of these to give 32Gb.

Having a graphics card is often better than having the graphics integrated into the cpu, it keeps things individual and must help with keeping the cpu cooler. Also note high end graphic's cards are power hungry and some need a power supply direct from the psu, so having it in the cpu must be restrictve.


Maybe look at a later chipset than the 650, the 870 gives PCIe 5.0 and faster WiFi.

This is only £200

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/gig...pcie-50-3x-m2-25gbe-wifi6-usb-40-amd-expo-atx

I find the Gigabyte boards have really good power supply components and they supply a good interface for configuring the BIOS.

Thanks - it is a confusing world for me. Yes, I do know the software uses the threads - I am writing the software ;-)
PCS now suggesting the ASUS® TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI.

I have no real need for graphic capabilities. More like raw power and plenty of storage (which I can easily add later).

Maybe I will contact scan next.

 

[Agent_zed]

Thanks - it is a confusing world for me. Yes, I do know the software uses the threads - I am writing the software ;-)
PCS now suggesting the ASUS® TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI.

I have no real need for graphic capabilities. More like raw power and plenty of storage (which I can easily add later).

Maybe I will contact scan next.

Be aware that some CPU options don't have an inbuilt GPU, you need to have a separate graphics card. Oh course if a company is spec'ing this for you I would imagine they would suggest one with a GPU if you aren't having a separate one, but if you are choosing components yourself it's just something to be aware of.

 

[DrPhill]

Be aware that some CPU options don't have an inbuilt GPU, you need to have a separate graphics card. Oh course if a company is spec'ing this for you I would imagine they would suggest one with a GPU if you aren't having a separate one, but if you are choosing components yourself it's just something to be aware of.

Thanks Agent-Zed, this is suggestion from PCSpecialists that I am working on. The chip has on-board graphics (which should be good enough for me - it always has been so far).

 

[Agent_zed]

To be fair I don't understand half of this but you can compare processors with websites like this https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i5-9600K-vs-AMD-Ryzen-9-9950X/4031vs4172

If you have a starting point you can then compare and see if another one is better for your specific needs and balance that against cost.

 

[Spectric]

Thanks - it is a confusing world for me.

Yes I know the feeling, for years a Pc upgrade for me was really not that hard, new mobo and CPU with more memory and job done. My last upgrade took more time in doing my homework than the actual assembly because so much had changed, especially in interfaces and so rather than take my old Pc offline I went for a new case and everything required. When looking at cases that is also more difficult unless you want one that lights up like a disco with transparent side panels. It is worth spending the time on doing comparisons, I start with a spreadsheet and it gives a good starting point as you can soon dismiss the ones with features you don't require or ones that don't have what you do require so you can boil it down until the right one is left. It is to easy to overspend on a high end mobo with perfomance aimed at gaming yet might be lacking those features not required for gaming.

EG my last upgrade comparison, this was nearing the end with the X570S being my final choice.

 

[DrPhill]

Yes I know the feeling, for years a Pc upgrade for me was really not that hard, new mobo and CPU with more memory and job done. My last upgrade took more time in doing my homework than the actual assembly because so much had changed, especially in interfaces and so rather than take my old Pc offline I went for a new case and everything required. When looking at cases that is also more difficult unless you want one that lights up like a disco with transparent side panels. It is worth spending the time on doing comparisons, I start with a spreadsheet and it gives a good starting point as you can soon dismiss the ones with features you don't require or ones that don't have what you do require so you can boil it down until the right one is left. It is to easy to overspend on a high end mobo with perfomance aimed at gaming yet might be lacking those features not required for gaming.

Yeah, too many choices.
While I don't need 16 core that's a big draw. But I don't know how to assess if the Mobo, PSU and cooling match the high spec processor. The ram/storage can easily be adjusted after the fact (though more £ efficient to get it right first time).

 

[Agent_zed]

Yeah, too many choices.
While I don't need 16 core that's a big draw. But I don't know how to assess if the Mobo, PSU and cooling match the high spec processor. The ram/storage can easily be adjusted after the fact (though more £ efficient to get it right first time).

when I built mine I had a rough budget for the CPU and looked to see what I could get. Once I knew what processor I wanted I looked at reviews for Mobos that would work with that processor.

It can be a bit chicken and egg as you need to know which processor to know which mobo but you might find a mobo that doesn't work with the processor you want. The mobo might then also dictate the type of RAM so you'll need to check that fits in the budget also.

I'd set a budget and see what you can put together for that or if you need to amend it.

 

[Spectric]

With the PSU it is better to have more power than you need rather than working on the limit. As for CPU coolers, if not overclocking then a stock cooler is adequate but keeping a cpu as cool as possible will help long term so maybe something to consider. I use a be quite cooler on an AM4 socket and they do many for the AM5.

 

[Gary B]

By coincidence my 15 year old daughter has just asked to buy a gaming PC with the same budget! I know nothing about them but asked our IT guy at work and he specced one up for me. Ignore the product description - this was for the base spec, but most of it has been upgraded in the options list below.

https://www.awd-it.co.uk/awd-it-mes...506328,47517-509803,48360-516966,48363-516999

An almost identical spec is available on the Overclockers site but is £300 more, so this seems like a good deal. I know nothing about the website/supplier either so I need to check them out more myself, but hopefully the spec list can help you

 

[Ollie78]

Hi all, as luck would have it my 'puter died at the weekend. Since I use it for work (and don't want to be stuck on my laptop) I contacted PCSpecialist who suggested the following setup (I do high end software development and wanted plenty of cores/threads). I have 32G of crucial memory from the machine that died (and 1T m.2, 2T ssd).
No windows as I will install Linux anyway.....

For those that know does this look like a reasonable spec - I am clueless about motherboard and cooling choices.....

Case PCS AEGIS BLACK ARGB MID TOWER CASE
Promotional Item Get a discount code for 20% off select peripherals at Corsair.com
Processor (CPU) AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 16 Core CPU (4.5GHz-5.7GHz/80MB CACHE/AM5)
Motherboard ASUS® PRIME B650-PLUS (AM5, DDR5, PCIe 4.0)
Memory (RAM) 16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5200MHz CL40 (1 x 16GB)
Graphics Card INTEGRATED GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR (GPU)
1st M.2 SSD Drive 1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (3500 MB/R, 3200 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply CORSAIR 550W CX SERIES™ CX-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable 1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling PCS FrostFlow 150 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 ONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6E AX210 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

The ryzen 97950x does not have built in graphics so saying onboard graphics makes no sense. There are similar chips that do have graphics built in.
Running 3 sticks of ram is not good they work in pairs.
For a motherboard these days you can get some with up to 3 m.2 slots which is nice because they are fast and cheap so you can just pop one in when you need more.
That power supply is only an 80 plus bronze so not super efficient and pretty low powered. Sometimes a bigger power supply can be cheaper or the same price, it will only use what it needs so shop around, Seasonic are known to be excellent and have a 12 year warranty.

 

[Ollie78]

With the PSU it is better to have more power than you need rather than working on the limit. As for CPU coolers, if not overclocking then a stock cooler is adequate but keeping a cpu as cool as possible will help long term so maybe something to consider. I use a be quite cooler on an AM4 socket and they do many for the AM5.

View attachment 197118

While I have a be quiet case and fans etc. which i can`t fault. When I upgraded to a new cpu I got a cheap Thermalright peerless assasin cooler from Amazon, I think it was 25 quid, bloody brilliant. Probably not as quiet as a noctua or be quiet but for 25 quid, its huge and certainly overkill.