Any suggestions for improvements

T

TGP

Member
Basically trying to get a decent performance. Not anything heavyweight, mostly strategy games Civ/TW stuff .... also tried to keep the noise down with the quiet fan options.

Any tweaks that could improve for around the same price....or balance the GPU/CPU/Memory better etc etc

PCSPECIALIST - Login

Login to your account.
www.pcspecialist.co.uk www.pcspecialist.co.uk

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT Six Core CPU (4.5GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B550-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB AMD RADEON™ RX 5600 XT - HDMI, DP, DX® 12
1st Storage Drive
512GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 450MB/W)
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
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
Noctua NH-U14S Ultra Quiet 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 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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Monitor
AOC Q3279VWFD8 31.5" QHD Monitor - 2560 x 1440, 5MS, HDMI, DVI, DP
Headsets
Corsair HS50 Pro Stereo Gaming Headset
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 22 to 24 working days
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Logo Branding
PCSpecialist Logo

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 www.pcspecialist.co.uk


Budget is "around 1300-1500" and this one comes in at 1420. FPS/Refresh rate on the monitor is not a big deal because, as I said, its mainly for strategy gaming and not FPS or other high reaction gaming.

Just really trying to see if it all "hangs together" relatively well..... and I'm not creating a car with "the engine of a ferrari but the gearbox of a Ford Fiesta" type thing. Also would be interested if its absurdly over/under specced for reasonable strategy games, with a bit of future proofing in there.

Things lie the motherboard vs cpu.... and cpu vs gpu.... and GPU to Monitor (which I understand will need 1440 ppi. Refresh rate I think goes up to about 70, but thats not so much an issue as I'm not a big FPS gamer or anything).....and also whether the memory is appropriate is the first concern.

The second might be "have I done everything I can to keep it quiet" because its going to be in the living room, and I'm trying not to create a PC that sounds like a vacuum cleaner on full blast.
 
Last edited:
Bhuna50

Bhuna50

Author Level
Hi, a few things that would help people advise on your build:

- what is your budget,
- what monitor do you use or are getting (make/model or resolution / refresh rate)

Also if you could post the full spec and configuration link as per that attached:

How to Post Your Specification to the Forum - Check this Spec

Just a first note, if you've been provided this link, don't amend your first post as it won't update the queue, please add an additional comment to the thread, that way it will go back to the front of the queue. Otherwise we don't know it's been updated. When creating a forum post looking to...
www.pcspecialist.co.uk www.pcspecialist.co.uk
 
T

TGP

Member
Well the full spec is.....

PCSPECIALIST - Login

Login to your account.
www.pcspecialist.co.uk www.pcspecialist.co.uk

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT Six Core CPU (4.5GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® STRIX B550-F GAMING (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB AMD RADEON™ RX 5600 XT - HDMI, DP, DX® 12
1st Storage Drive
512GB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 450MB/W)
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
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
Noctua NH-U14S Ultra Quiet 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 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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Monitor
AOC Q3279VWFD8 31.5" QHD Monitor - 2560 x 1440, 5MS, HDMI, DVI, DP
Headsets
Corsair HS50 Pro Stereo Gaming Headset
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 22 to 24 working days
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Logo Branding
PCSpecialist Logo

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 www.pcspecialist.co.uk

But I didn't think any of the rest was really relevant. The cost is 1427.00 (inc VAT) .... but budget isn't so much an issue. don't mind going up or down with it reasonably.

Just really trying to see if it all "hangs together" relatively well..... and I'm not creating a car with "the engine of a ferrari but the gearbox of a Ford Fiesta" type thing. Also would be interested if its absurdly over/under specced for reasonable strategy games, with a bit of future proofing in there.

Things lie the motherboard vs cpu.... and cpu vs gpu.... and GPU to Monitor (which I understand will need 1440 ppi. Refresh rate I think goes up to about 70 fps, but thats not so much an issue as I'm not a big FPS gamer or anything).....and also whether the memory is appropriate is the first concern.

The second might be "have I done everything I can to keep it quiet" because its going to be in the living room, and I'm trying not to create a PC that sounds like a vacuum cleaner on full blast.
 
Last edited:
Cobblers

Cobblers

Enthusiast
@ TGP. Read the first reply to your first post, it has a link showing you how to link your full spec.

What this means is it can be clicked on and visited, not just looked at. This in turn means people here will be able to edit your original spec with different components that may, or may not, be better for you spec wise or by budget.

Then... once the people here have a "suggestive spec" for you to consider, you too can click on that spec and adopt it as your own to then purchase if you so wish it. Actually a really cool system.

Again, check out the first reply to your thread here and click on the link, see image below:

1611608546814.png
 
Citrus_9

Citrus_9

Expert
TGP said:
OK, I've used the "copy your spec" link. Thats everything it gave me.
Click to expand...
So please have a look again and look until you find a link in the very bottom of the whole list of you specs. If you don't see, it means you haven't followed the instructions well and are in the wrong page.
 
T

TGP

Member
Citrus_9 said:
The monitor you've chosen is 1440p but 5ms. You can get a much better monitor:

Samsung Odyssey G5
or
Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ

5600XT may struggle at 1440p, it's more for 1080p gaming. You'd be looking for Nvidia 3060Ti for 1440p monitor.
Click to expand...
Thanks this is the kind of thing I was looking for. I had a look at both of these..... Both seem to be more expensive and smaller.

I was looking to go as large as I reasonably could, because I've found that works better with the strategy games. And if I give up refresh rate for that, it should be fine as long as it doesn't get so bad its clunky.

I was aware this was on the edge of the GPU's performance (at 1440) but the next step up added a big chunk more in price. Any suggestions for a GPU that won't add too much more to the price, but may handle the 1440 a little better ? That Nvidia adds 160 quid AND is only on pre-order. (also I was assuming that keeping the CPU+GPU AMD might work slightly better than stepping across brands ?)
 
Martinr36

Martinr36

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
the g5 runs great on nvidia cards, I've got mine hooked up to a rtx2070 super & crack a nice steady 120fps playing halo
 
Citrus_9

Citrus_9

Expert
This is for 1440p without a monitor and peripherals as you can find a better choice of them somewhere else. Changed to a newer CPU, mobo with wifi, 3060Ti for 1440p and maybe even ultrawide if games aren't graphically demanding. Upped PSU for future. Dropped an antivirus.

Unfortunately, for your budget at this moment and probably most of this year, you are looking really to stretch the budget for 1440p. For an ultrawide monitor ideally you'd be looking for even better GPU - RTX 3070 which is around 200 more money.

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS WiFi (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP
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)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RM 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
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)
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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
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 22 to 24 working days
Price: £1,375.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/a2qGydyC!P/
 
Last edited:
T

TGP

Member
Citrus_9 said:
This is for 1440p without a monitor and peripherals as you can find a better choice of them somewhere else. Changed to a newer CPU, mobo with wifi, 3060Ti for 1440p and maybe even ultrawide if games aren't graphically demanding. Upped PSU for future. Dropped an antivirus.

Unfortunately, for your budget at this moment and probably most of this year, you are looking really to stretch the budget for 1440p. For an ultrawide monitor ideally you'd be looking for even better GPU - RTX 3070 which is around 200 more money.

Case
CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS WiFi (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP
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)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RM 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
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)
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 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
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 22 to 24 working days
Price: £1,375.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/a2qGydyC!P/
Click to expand...
Thanks. Really appreciate the input.

I was aware I was stretching on the 1440.... but the idea really was that with strategy gaming rather than FPS I'm not really pushing it the GPU to the max eith lots of visual change/requiring high response rates.... and the extra 200 quid or more seemed to far to go to up it for "high visual change" games I rarely if ever play. To be honest, its been a looooooong time since I've had a spec'd up gaming PC (over a decade).

The responses seem to indicate I'm getting a high bang to the buck here, if nowhere near top performance, and thats what I was after. Other than the 1440 which a couple of you have mentioned (and I was aware of), no-one seems to be saying I've ridiculously over specced one item and under specced another which was my main concern.... or that the cooling may be a problem, which was the other.
 
Citrus_9

Citrus_9

Expert
TGP said:
Thanks. Really appreciate the input.

I was aware I was stretching on the 1440.... but the idea really was that with strategy gaming rather than FPS I'm not really pushing it the GPU to the max eith lots of visual change/requiring high response rates.... and the extra 200 quid or more seemed to far to go to up it for "high visual change" games I rarely if ever play. To be honest, its been a looooooong time since I've had a spec'd up gaming PC (over a decade).

The responses seem to indicate I'm getting a high bang to the buck here, if nowhere near top performance, and thats what I was after. Other than the 1440 which a couple of you have mentioned (and I was aware of), no-one seems to be saying I've ridiculously over specced one item and under specced another which was my main concern.... or that the cooling may be a problem, which was the other.
Click to expand...
For strategy games 5600X is really much better than 3600/3600X/3600XT. I wouldn't recommended 3600XT as it's a bad price per performace balance. If you see the price difference of 3600XT and 5600X and search for the benchmarks of 5600X you'll get very surprised.

You could use even a stock cooler from 5600X but if you're concerned, a Noctua cooler will be very good! Intel CPUs are running hotter, but AMD doesn't have this much of the problem here. If the case is open enough for airflow (and CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW indeed is very good for airflow, OR you could get an iCUE 465X RGB Mid-Tower and send to PCS if you want), then you'll be fine regarding the temps!

Before buying, I recommend to Google a bit how 3060Ti works with 5600X with your favourite games regarding the benchmarks and also research on how your picked monitor will work on the 3060Ti to have an idea of what performance you'll be getting for your money.

There's nothing unbalanced in your build apart that you could pick a better PSU and you can either have a mobo with wifi or mobo without wifi but a separate wifi AX (not N which you originally picked) card, and, obviously, the GPU you picked is not for 1440p.
 
Last edited:
T

TGP

Member
Citrus_9 said:
For strategy games 5600X is really much better than 3600/3600X/3600XT. I wouldn't recommended 3600XT as it's a bad price per performace balance. If you see the price difference of 3600XT and 5600X and search for the benchmarks of 5600X you'll get very surprised.

You could use even a stock cooler from 5600X but if you're concerned, a Noctua cooler will be very good! Intel CPUs are running hotter, but AMD doesn't have this much of the problem here. If the case is open enough for airflow (and CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW indeed is very good for airflow, OR you could get an iCUE 465X RGB Mid-Tower and send to PCS if you want), then you'll be fine regarding the temps!

Before buying, I recommend to Google a bit how 3060Ti works with 5600X with your favourite games regarding the benchmarks and also research on how your picked monitor will work on the 3060Ti to have an idea of what performance you'll be getting for your money.

There's nothing unbalanced in your build apart that you could pick a better PSU and you can either have a mobo with wifi or mobo without wifi but a separate wifi AX (not N which you originally picked) card, and, obviously, the GPU you picked is not for 1440p.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I upgraded to the 5600X.... the additional 30 quid seemed worth it, although that now means I am on pre-order and may have to wait longer to get it. Springing the extra 160 quid for the 3060Ti was a step too far.

I did also have another look at the 1440 issue.... and most sites seem to tell me that as a combo either the 3600XT or 5600X will run 1440 with a 56000XT. The latest total war would apparently run at 63 fps even at high settings and 40 fps at ultra-high.... and as I've got a decade of catching up to do, older ones like TW-Warhammer II go up to 63 fps at ultra high at 1440. Civ VI is about the same.

Guess I just won't be playing cyberpunk unless I turn the resolution down to 1080p or quality to "potato". As I said though, got a LOT of older games to catch up on which this rig would be able to run at top whack even at 1440. By the time I get through all them I could replace the GPU or just shove another 5600 XT in there (at the 2025, hopefully lower, price).

The PSU was chosen because its the smallest quiet PSU, and does offer plenty of headroom as it is if I want to shove that 2nd GPU in.
 
Citrus_9

Citrus_9

Expert
TGP said:
Thanks, I upgraded to the 5600X.... the additional 30 quid seemed worth it, although that now means I am on pre-order and may have to wait longer to get it. Springing the extra 160 quid for the 3060Ti was a step too far.

I did also have another look at the 1440 issue.... and most sites seem to tell me that as a combo either the 3600XT or 5600X will run 1440 with a 56000XT. The latest total war would apparently run at 63 fps even at high settings and 40 fps at ultra-high.... and as I've got a decade of catching up to do, older ones like TW-Warhammer II go up to 63 fps at ultra high at 1440. Civ VI is about the same.

Guess I just won't be playing cyberpunk unless I turn the resolution down to 1080p or quality to "potato". As I said though, got a LOT of older games to catch up on which this rig would be able to run at top whack even at 1440. By the time I get through all them I could replace the GPU or just shove another 5600 XT in there (at the 2025, hopefully lower, price).

The PSU was chosen because its the smallest quiet PSU, and does offer plenty of headroom as it is if I want to shove that 2nd GPU in.
Click to expand...
For PSU, if you ever be upgrading your GPU, I would strongly recommend PSU 750w or 850w to have enough power as in time PSU power degrades. Also, 750 and 850W modular ones are much more quiet. Your PSU is only semi-modular - for a better cable management and airflow modul is better.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top