AdviceNew Gaming PC Build - First Time - £1500-£2000
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AdviceNew Gaming PC Build - First Time - £1500-£2000Posted:

ijb1989
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Hi guys,

First time posting - thanks in advance for any help and advice you can give me. This post might well be a bit long but I want to cover everything in it!

Im looking to build a PC to game on.. play on Xbox currently, mainly FPS (COD Warzone atm).

I have an LG Ultragear 27-GL850-B monitor already so unless there's grounds for upgrading that, I'd rather focus on the processing etc.

Budget is £1.5-2k (I know it's normal to want to reduce this where possible, and I'm grateful to have a good value for money list but i'm equally happy to spend a bit more for a rig that is futureproofed & built to last)

I had my eye on the Ryzen 7 3800X originally, and really wanted an RTX 3070 or 3080 then perhaps the Corsair 32GB 3600 CL18 but when I posted my original list on Reddit, one of the guys that came back to me advised that I was dramatically overspending and helped calm the parts list down.

The build i've got to is this:

[Minimum post requirement for links]

I know I want a really strong GPU and processor, and the RAM & either 500GB or 1TB SSD are preferred also

Could someone have a look over this and let me know where i'm going wrong, whether it looks stable and whether it looks good value for what it is (and also wish me luck trying to find an RTX 3070 or 3080!)

Thanks again,
#2. Posted:
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PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor (£289.98 @ Ebuyer)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Mugen 5 Black RGB Edition 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler (£52.73 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Motherboard: Asus ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING (WI-FI) ATX AM4 Motherboard (£174.99 @ AWD-IT)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory (£134.47 @ Scan.co.uk)
Storage: Sabrent Rocket Q 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive (£109.89 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Asus GeForce RTX 3070 8 GB DUAL Video Card (£470.99 @ Aria PC)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P400A Digital ATX Mid Tower Case (£79.82 @ CCL Computers)
Power Supply: BitFenix Whisper M 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (£84.42 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £1397.29

If you want the extra 2 cores, then you can spend an extra £150 for an R7 5800X over the R5 5600X. Or, alternatively, save the 100 quid and just grab an R5 3600. If you're spending this much though, then I think the R5 5600X is worth it tbh.

If you want cheaper RAM, then get this;
uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/TLvbt...0hc16cdc01

If you don't need the Wi-Fi or additional headers on the Strix mobo, then this is still a perfectly good mobo and saves you a bit of cash;
uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/TR848...-b550-plus

Sabrent Rocket Q > ADATA SX8200 Pro. Add whatever capacity 7200RPM HDD you want/need.

Meshify C is a fine case, P400A is just an alternative option for you. Cooler Master NR600 is another good options for a similar price, or you can get the P400A without RGB fans and save £20.

If you like the Be Quiet! cooler instead of the Scythe one, then the Dark Rock Pro 4 is too big for the P400A, but the Dark Rock 4(non Pro) will fit fine and is still perfectly adequate for cooling an R5 5600X;
uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/FRYLr...oler-bk021
The Scythe Mugen 5 will perform somewhere in between the Dark Rock 4 and Dark Rock Pro 4, any of the 3 options are great IMO.
Just that the Pro 4 won't fit in the P400A. If you get the Meshify C, or CM NR600 though, then the Dark Rock Pro 4 will fit just fine.

Lastly, I'd hold off another 2 weeks on the GPU. RX 6800 might be a pretty good option over an RTX 3070 if you can get one for £550ish, so long as you don't require any NVidia specific features.
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ijb1989
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Thanks so much for the response - great feedback!

    Considering i'll likely play Warzone & similar FPS BR games rather than move to intense race or flight sims, do you think i'd need those extra 2 cores?

    Happy with the price of the RAM

    WiFi is preferable, but I'm unsure what the reduction in headers would practically impact - if you could shed some light?

    Is the Sabrent just a better unit/manufacturer?

    I note you've added an ASUS GeForce RTX 3070 - does it not matter that this isn't made by NVIDIA?

    I'm happy to hold off on the GPU - how will I know whether it's a better option once it's out - just by checking back here?

    Do you think it's wise for me to buy everything BUT the GPU now? I'm UK based and am just worried parts will become scarce when people are locked down and have nothing to do but shop online again!


Sorry for all the questions - just wanting to make the right choices, and once again, thanks sincerely - you're really helping me decide how I go forward
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ijb1989 wrote Considering i'll likely play Warzone & similar FPS BR games rather than move to intense race or flight sims, do you think i'd need those extra 2 cores?

In Warzone and MS Flight Sim 2020 specifically, no, you won't notice any difference with the extra 2 cores.
There may come a time in the future that you'd be held back by core count, but I think it's rather unlikely since by then, you'll probably have upgraded at least once anyway.
Either way, right now, you are absolutely better off with the increased single core performance of the 5600X, as opposed to the extra 2 cores in a 3700X. If you want to spend the extra £150 for a 5800X, you can, but I'd only do that if you're actually going to make use of the 8 cores right now.

ijb1989 wrote WiFi is preferable, but I'm unsure what the reduction in headers would practically impact - if you could shed some light?

Mainly RGB headers, so cheaper mobo's won't let you plug in as many RGB strips/fans without a splitter or controller of some sort. If you're going to use Wi-Fi anyway, then that B550 Strix is a solid option tbh.
The Prime B550 Plus is just a good cheaper alternative which will perform the same as the Strix, but with less features/niceties.

ijb1989 wrote Is the Sabrent just a better unit/manufacturer?

Yeah, the Sabrent Rocket Q is a faster, more reliable choice than the A-DATA SX8200.

ijb1989 wrote I note you've added an ASUS GeForce RTX 3070 - does it not matter that this isn't made by NVIDIA?

It is an NVidia GPU. All RTX 3070s are NVidia GPU's. I've just included an Asus designed cooler. You do not have to buy NVidia's Founders Edition cooler, and you don't have to buy directly from NVidia. Any RTX 3070 will perform about the same, so long as the cooler isn't terrible. So, just buy the cheapest RTX 3070 that you like the look of, if you end up buying an RTX 3070.

ijb1989 wrote I'm happy to hold off on the GPU - how will I know whether it's a better option once it's out - just by checking back here?

Yeah, RX 6800 and 6800XT will launch on November 18th, so we'll have accurate performance benchmarks and pricing by the 18th, if not earlier.

Once I know actual performance and pricing, I can make a proper recommendation if you want to check back here.
Alternatively, watch out on YouTube for Gamers Nexus and Hardware Unboxed to upload their RX 6800/6800XT reviews.

ijb1989 wrote Do you think it's wise for me to buy everything BUT the GPU now? I'm UK based and am just worried parts will become scarce when people are locked down and have nothing to do but shop online again!

You might want to buy the CPU asap, if you're going for the 5600X. The R5 5600X launches tomorrow and will be pretty popular. Lots of people waiting for one, so Id just get one whenever you can. If you miss the first round of 5600X's though, more will be back in stock, and it shouldn't take too long.

For the rest of the system, doesn't matter. It's unlikely they'll go completely out of stock. IF anything does go out of stock though (like case or PSU), then there are plenty of alternative options anyway
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ijb1989
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Thanks for your responses,

I'm slowly starting to settle on the following build, which is broadly the same as the one you have posted and will be holding off until the release of the Radeon on 18th November before buying the GPU. I will also buy a non-SSD HDD at a later stage.

If you could perhaps provide feedback on this slightly tweaked build, that would be appreciated. I've kept the ROG Strix Mobo on the basis i've heard of Asus, but not of the other manufacturer.

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X (£289.98)
Scythe Mugen 5 Black RGB 51.17 Cooler (£52)
Asus ROG Strix B550-F Gaming (Wifi) ATX AM4 Mobo (£183)
Corsair Vengeance 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 (£134)
Sabrent Rocket Q 1TB M.2-2280 NVME SSD (£109)
Phanteks Eclipse P400A Digital ATX Mid-Tower Case (£79)
Corsair RM (2019) 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (£99.99)

The site i'm using to compile my list has listed the following as a potential problem too.. do you know whether this is right?

Some AMD B550 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Vermeer CPUs. Upgrading the BIOS may require a different CPU that is supported by older BIOS
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ijb1989
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Just been told that the compatibility error just means i'll need to update the bios when I've got everything in order, hence the flashback button on the back of the Mobo (hopefully not too complicated!)

Looking to buy tomorrow if I'm lucky with the release of the 5600x , so any feedback I get through overnight would be appreciated. Otherwise, thanks sincerely once again for all your help guys!
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ijb1989 wrote I've kept the ROG Strix Mobo on the basis i've heard of Asus, but not of the other manufacturer.

This is the other motherboard I was talking about;
uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/TR848...-b550-plus
It is still an Asus motherboard. In fact, it's the same motherboard as the B550 Strix, just slightly cut down to lower price. So it's basically a B550 Strix with I think, one less RGB header and maybe a few less fan headers. That said, the Prime does not have BIOS flashback, which the Strix does have. So, that could be a beneficial feature.

It is fine to stick with the B550 Strix, especially if you'll be using the Wi-Fi and BIOS flashback features.


ijb1989 wrote Corsair RM (2019) 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (£99.99)

You won't need anywhere near 750W. 100 quid is a fine price for this though, so I guess buy it if you want. Definitely wouldn't pay more than £100 for it though.

ijb1989 wrote Some AMD B550 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Vermeer CPUs. Upgrading the BIOS may require a different CPU that is supported by older BIOS

Just been told that the compatibility error just means i'll need to update the bios when I've got everything in order, hence the flashback button on the back of the Mobo (hopefully not too complicated!)

Yeah, BIOS flashback on the B550 Strix will get around this issue. It's not complicated really, just make sure you know exactly what you're doing before you start messing around.
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ijb1989
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21 wrote
ijb1989 wrote I've kept the ROG Strix Mobo on the basis i've heard of Asus, but not of the other manufacturer.

This is the other motherboard I was talking about;
[Minimum post requirement for links]
It is still an Asus motherboard. In fact, it's the same motherboard as the B550 Strix, just slightly cut down to lower price. So it's basically a B550 Strix with I think, one less RGB header and maybe a few less fan headers. That said, the Prime does not have BIOS flashback, which the Strix does have. So, that could be a beneficial feature.

It is fine to stick with the B550 Strix, especially if you'll be using the Wi-Fi and BIOS flashback features.


ijb1989 wrote Corsair RM (2019) 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (£99.99)

You won't need anywhere near 750W. 100 quid is a fine price for this though, so I guess buy it if you want. Definitely wouldn't pay more than £100 for it though.

ijb1989 wrote Some AMD B550 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Vermeer CPUs. Upgrading the BIOS may require a different CPU that is supported by older BIOS

Just been told that the compatibility error just means i'll need to update the bios when I've got everything in order, hence the flashback button on the back of the Mobo (hopefully not too complicated!)

Yeah, BIOS flashback on the B550 Strix will get around this issue. It's not complicated really, just make sure you know exactly what you're doing before you start messing around.


Thanks so much for all your help thus far - I can confirm I went with the B550 which I now have in hand, along with the RAM, SSD and 7200RPM HDDs and 750W Power Supply. I also ordered a 5600X although i'm 239th in a queue for that (moving down from 255th a week ago) so I expect I'll still be waiting a month or two for delivery.

It might be too early to tell just yet, but I've started to see some tentative reviews pop up for the Radeon series now and I know earlier in the thread, you mentioned I could pop back here closer to release day so I thought I'd see whether you had any more information on the releases to comment at all on which might be a better fit?

[Minimum post requirement for links] <-- this is my build.. the CPU i've bought comes with a built in fan which I;m going to test before deciding on another cooler

Any further help appreciated
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ijb1989
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I should make clear I was originally looking at a 3070 but waiting for the radeon series to release felt like a smarter move. Both the 3080 and the 6800XT would be within budget for me too.

Thanks!
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