Opening the wallet wide for a new rig

connolld01

Hi all,

I'm looking to replace my current gaming machine which has a led a good but hard life. I got that machine from CustomPC.ie (which I've since learned is a curse word around these parts) but I've luckily had no issues with the machine other then it naturally aging out.

1. What is your budget? 2500 (can go higher or lower but that's the current target)
2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? Gaming only.
3. Do you need a copy of Windows? Yes.
4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? No .
5. Do you need a monitor? No.
6. Do you need any of the peripherals? No.
7. Are you willing to try overclocking? Maybe - I'm a little hazy on the need for overclocking if the machine is powerful enough without it which is what I'm aiming for.
8. How can you pay? Credit Card
9. When are you purchasing? As soon as possible - Ideally I'd like to have something in place for the new Far Cry.

As much as anything, I'm interested in what's possible for that kind of budget but I could still just settle for something off the shelf - I use PCspecialist.co.uk for work requirements and they've been top-notch. Having more money then sense and being lazy after work means the expensive but expedient option is always quite attractive.

K.O.Kiki

What's your monitor resolution/frame rate?

With that budget you're looking for Intel i5-8600 / i7-8700, nice case, 16GB fast RAM, 500GB SSD + 4Tb HDD, 600W-ish Gold PSU, Nvidia GTX 1070 Ti / 1080.

connolld01

Firstly - thanks for the input, it's much appreciated.

To answer your question, I have an average monitor at the moment which does the job - but I certainly plan to get a new one sooner rather then later. With the current machine on its last legs, that's the priority at the moment. I can stomach an average monitor for a little bit so long as I can still play whatever I'd like.

Shanegggg

Pretty decent computer here, posted on Hotukdeals today
https://www.box.co.uk/Stormforce-Tabular_2198381.html

Slightly over the 2500 budget but only just!

K.O.Kiki

Shanegggg wrote: »

Pretty decent computer here, posted on Hotukdeals today
https://www.box.co.uk/Stormforce-Tabular_2198381.html

Slightly over the 2500 budget but only just!

Complete overkill but also the best you can get for that price, probably :pac:

the_syco

Shanegggg wrote: »

Pretty decent computer here, posted on Hotukdeals today
https://www.box.co.uk/Stormforce-Tabular_2198381.html

Slightly over the 2500 budget but only just!

Couldn't the OP could sell one of the two 1080's to be under budget?

TerrorFirmer

I would say that is pointless completely. Why paid that much for twin GTX1080's when you can get a single GTX1080Ti for way cheaper in a pre-build and it will be way more reliable. Eg this is a way better balanced PC.

connolld01

Thanks for all the input guys - even if some of it flies way over my head - twin GTX1080's versus single GTX1080Ti for example.

If I do get a pre-built PC, the only time I would ever want to open it up is when it's life is over and I have to get at the hard drives to hit them with a hammer to remove all evidence of whatever drunken browsing I may have done during its lifetime ;-)

Gaming is my principle pastime so I'm not going to quibble over a few quid higher or lower - I just want to get the best I can and be as future proofed as possible - Half Life 3 might happen!

The two pre-built PCs looked pretty spot on to me but the reviews for the site left me a little nervous. At the very least, I feel that I can at least use them as templates for what's possible.

BloodBath

Spending 2500 on a pc in 2018 and it's a quad core? I don't think so. That thing is a hot pile of garbage.

You don't want SLI either. Maybe it's just me but that case is ugly as hell as well.

It's clearly designed for custom water loops. Instead it looks half empty. Probably weights a ton as well as being massive.

There's a good 8700k/1080ti build on adverts.ie that you could snap up for around under 2k.

https://www.adverts.ie/desktops/coffee-lake-i7-8700k-gtx-1080ti-11gb-ssd-16gb/14902310

I'd offer 1900 and use the other 600 to get a good 27" 1440p/144hz monitor.

connolld01

I hope you're on commission because I think I might give that one on adverts a shot. If he sticks a wi-fi card in it, we're laughing.

BloodBath

I've linked it twice now but I have no affiliation with the seller. I just think it's a pretty good deal with the current gpu prices.

You're looking at over a grand just for a decent 1080ti atm.

K.O.Kiki

I found one for €800 in an Irish shop (didn't buy it though)

irishchris

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

I found one for €800 in an Irish shop (didn't buy it though)

Which shop was that then?

K.O.Kiki

irishchris wrote: »

Which shop was that then?

PM sent.

AirsoftAndy

Hi,
I put a build together from scan.co.uk - works out at €2600 shipped,

Case : Fractal Design Define R6
Mobo : MSI Z370 GAMING PLUS
CPU : Intel Core i7 8700K
Ram : 16gb Corsair DDR4 Vengeance LPX 3200 mhz
GPU : GTX 1080 Ti ROG STRIX
CPU cooler : NZXT Kraken X62
SSD : 500GB Samsung 960 Evo NVMe (ridiculously fast)
HDD : 4TB WD Black
RGB LED: Akasa vegas rgb strip

https://secure.scan.co.uk/web/savedbasket/details/a8ca697f-bd4a-4f1c-b96c-c26b537b1672

Intel 8700k with this motherboard can be overclocked (Safely) with 1 click
CPU cooler looks very nice and preforms well (google it)
The SSD is basically the fastest on the market (bar the Samsung Pro series)
RGB LED Strip can be plugged directly into the motherboard and controlled with your phone (turned on/off , Colours , patterns etc)
at this budget it would be a sin to buy a pre-built in my honest opinion!

K.O.Kiki

That SSD is overkill TBH; you don't need bleeding-edge ones for gaming. It's really for video editing professionals.

AirsoftAndy

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

That SSD is overkill TBH; you don't need bleeding-edge ones for gaming. It's really for video editing professionals.

True. But at €2500 almost every part in this build is "Overkill" for the OP's use-case, At least with the fast NVMe drive it will keep up the overall high-spec of the build.

For others posting pre-built's with last gen's Intel CPU's, at this price range a 7th gen CPU is really a shame.
The New chips have 50% extra cores/threads with higher OC potential - Paying €2500 for a build and getting last gen would be a pity

TerrorFirmer

Only because you're made them overkill. For the average person, all that matters is the CPU and GPU from a performance POV.

Most people buy that high-end stuff in pre-builts because they conflate increased price with better quality.

Personally I've a GTX1080Ti and 8600K in a nice case, but everything else is fairly basic - €50 PSU, €90 motherboard, standard RAM, etc.

For 90% of people who are pushed towards buying these 'high end' parts, they've zero actual use for them or the benefits offered ergo they are pretty much a waste of money.

Also only one person posted a 7700 based build and everyone else pointed out it was a bad build (overall not solely because of the 7700).

AirsoftAndy

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Only because you're made them overkill. For the average person, all that matters is the CPU and GPU from a performance POV.

Most people buy that high-end stuff in pre-builts because they conflate increased price with better quality.

Personally I've a GTX1080Ti and 8600K in a nice case, but everything else is fairly basic - €50 PSU, €90 motherboard, standard RAM, etc.

For 90% of people who are pushed towards buying these 'high end' parts, they've zero actual use for them or the benefits offered ergo they are pretty much a waste of money.

Also only one person posted a 7700 based build and everyone else pointed out it was a bad build (overall not solely because of the 7700).

Well I didn't set the budget at €2500 myself, if you see OP's original post he set the budget, (If you can put together a €2500 PC that isn't overkill to the average PC gamer be my guest )

OP doesn't exactly set out current/future resolutions and fps requirements for one of us to tailor a build to suit at the best price, merely set the price.

As the build I posted is basically top spec for gaming with a budget of ~€2500 I just didn't see the need not to go high end with the SSD also.

I do agree that many do have an inflated view of what sort of specs they actually need more their use-case - I have, like yourself a 8600k at 5ghz - 16gb 3000mhz ram and a gtx 1070 and at 1080p 60hz I wouldn't think that anybody would need more. 4k is a different ball game and diminished returns kick in etc.

TerrorFirmer

Yes but individual component price, assuming the same core components, has little to no bearing on performance for the average user.

Compare a 1.5K PC with a i5-8600K, 16GB DDR4, GTX1080Ti - with a basic motherboard, ram, mid-range PSU, normal SSD, etc.

To a 2.5K PC with the same i5-8600K, 16GB DDR4, GTX1080Ti - but very high-end motherboard, ram, PSU, SSD, etc.

Even with overclocking the different is minimal - let's say for arguments sake, there's a good 10% difference in performance in games.

You've still spent €1,000 to gain a 10% boost.

If someone has to come for advice on how to spend 2.5k, super high end motherboards, SSDs, ram etc are not for them and are genuinely a waste of their money.

I'd tell an average user to save their money, spend 1.7K on the PC itself and put the other €800 into a fantastic monitor - 27" 1440p, 165hz, G-Sync.