Looking to upgrade Gaming PC

Macker1

As per title I'm looking to upgrade current PC which has served me well over the years. Here are my current specs......


CPU I7 3770K
RAM 16GB Dual-Channel DDR3
MOBO ASUS Maximus V GENE
Graphics CArd EVGA FTW GTX 1080 8GB
Monitor Predator Z35P


I bought the Graphics Card and Monitor during 2018 so they will most likely still be a part of the new setup unless the newer Graphics Card would deliver a substantial improvement. I also have have a 1TB 860 EVO SSD that I got at Xmas for new system.

I'm thinking of adding an M.2 drive to be used for booting the PC and a larger mechanical drive for games storage.

I've been out of the loop on PC hardware for many years so looking for some potential options / suggestions on what I should be looking at.

Budget is around 1500 Euro

Any helpful advice welcomed

K.O.Kiki

Macker1 wrote: »

As per title I'm looking to upgrade current PC which has served me well over the years. Here are my current specs......


CPU I7 3770K
RAM 16GB Dual-Channel DDR3
MOBO ASUS Maximus V GENE
Graphics CArd EVGA FTW GTX 1080 8GB
Monitor Predator Z35P


I bought the Graphics Card and Monitor during 2018 so they will most likely still be a part of the new setup unless the newer Graphics Card would deliver a substantial improvement. I also have have a 1TB 860 EVO SSD that I got at Xmas for new system.

I'm thinking of adding an M.2 drive to be used for booting the PC and a larger mechanical drive for games storage.

I've been out of the loop on PC hardware for many years so looking for some potential options / suggestions on what I should be looking at.

Budget is around 1500 Euro

Any helpful advice welcomed

PCPartPicker Part List: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/6mwssk

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor (£305.46 @ Scan.co.uk)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Freezer 34 CO CPU Cooler (£27.69 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Motherboard: MSI X470 GAMING PLUS MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard (£99.99 @ CCL Computers)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£79.17 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive (£101.49 @ CCL Computers)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB WINDFORCE OC 3X Video Card (£525.46 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P400A Digital ATX Mid Tower Case (£83.99 @ CCL Computers)
Power Supply: SeaSonic Core GC 650 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply (£70.62 @ CCL Computers)
Total: £1293.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-04-05 12:59 BST+0100

2070 Super is ~30% faster, helpful as you will be GPU bottlenecked.

Alternatively just buy a 2080 Super (and maybe a big cooler) and be CPU bottlenecked

Also, tbh there's not a substantial difference between SATA & NVMe in Windows and games right now/ever.

Homelander

Yeah just sell the current PC and get the new one with the 3700X and 2070 Super, makes the most sense. The 1080 was a great card but for a 3440x1440 100hz monitor, it really doesn't cut it......the 2070S is significantly better.

Should still get a good price for the 3770K + GTX1080 build to cover a good portion of it.

Macker1

Can I ask what may be a few silly questions......

If I was to go ahead and purchase the new graphics card say the 2070 Super and replace the 1080, it's fair to say that other components like the CPU and the RAM would bottleneck the over performance.

The I7 3770k was a great chip but I would expect is quite dated nowadays. How much of a performance increase would getting AMD Ryzen 7 3700X result in.

Additionally replacing the old DDR3 Ram with DDR4 Ram, I expect this would also be a big improvement.

In regards to the MOBO what is the difference between B450 v X470 v X570 are these chipsets ?? I don't mind spending extra money if it would mean better performance and features........

Thanks in advance for any suggestions / advice

K.O.Kiki

Hard to say exactly as it depends on the game, but you should see at least 20% CPU performance increase. In addition, the 3700X is slightly better than the CPUs going into Xbox Series X/PS5 so very future-proof for the next 5 years.
Also the 1% lows would be better, resulting in less micro-stuttering.

No point comparing RAM - Ryzen doesn't work on DDR3 after all. As long as it's low-CAS (below CAS16) and fast (above 3200) it's good. Sweet spot is 3600 MHz @ CAS 16 or CAS 17.

B450's disadvantage is that it loses SATA lanes as you add more PCIe devices, e.g. on my B450 Carbon Pro AC I can only connect 4x SATA drives, 2x NVMe drives & 1 GPU at PCIe x16.
On X470/X570 you could connect another 2-4 SATA drives or a 3rd NVMe drive.

Macker1

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

Hard to say exactly as it depends on the game, but you should see at least 20% CPU performance increase. In addition, the 3700X is slightly better than the CPUs going into Xbox Series X/PS5 so very future-proof for the next 5 years.
Also the 1% lows would be better, resulting in less micro-stuttering.

No point comparing RAM - Ryzen doesn't work on DDR3 after all. As long as it's low-CAS (below CAS16) and fast (above 3200) it's good. Sweet spot is 3600 MHz @ CAS 16 or CAS 17.

B450's disadvantage is that it loses SATA lanes as you add more PCIe devices, e.g. on my B450 Carbon Pro AC I can only connect 4x SATA drives, 2x NVMe drives & 1 GPU at PCIe x16.
On X470/X570 you could connect another 2-4 SATA drives or a 3rd NVMe drive.

Really appreciate the helpful advice....

In relation to RAM is 16GB enough or would you recommend going up to 32GB

Its given me a good indication of the list I should start drafting up.....

I have bought in the past from a number of online stores like Overclockers and Scan and sometimes off Amazon so it there are other stores that are highly recommended both on price, service and support if things go wrong.

K.O.Kiki

CCL are supposed to be decent, Scan have good prices but iffy customer support.

16Gb is sufficient for gaming IMO - get a motherboard with 4 slots and you can buy another dual kit if needed.

Macker1

Few more questions so please bear with me.

In the case of the CPU is it worth moving from the recommended AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor priced at £270 to the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X Processor (12C/24T, 70MB Cache, 4.6 GHz Max Boost) priced at £420

A difference of £150 for obviously a more powerful CPU but would it mean a much better perforamance in gaming and be more future proofed.

In the case of the RAM I really appreciate the advice about higher speed and lower latency being the ideal target.

Is it worthwhile going for 32GB ( 2x16GB sticks) over 16GB ( 2x8GB sticks )

I was looking at CORSAIR VENGEANCE RGB PRO 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3600 (PC4-28800) C18 Desktop memory – Black Priced at £105

or Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 3600MHz C18, High Performance Desktop Memory Kit (AMD Optimised) - Black Priced at £190


I'm not saying money's not an issue but I am willing to spend a decent amount on what I hope would be a high end gaming PC. Looking for the sweet spot with price and performance

I plan to start buying my components within the next few weeks

wotzgoingon

The 3700x is enough no need for the 12 core CPU.

Those 3600MHz ram you posted have loose timings.

Best RAM is 3600MHz cl16. It's more expensive but worth it. I have a 8pac kit from ocuk paired with my 3700x.

wotzgoingon

This is the kit I have.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/team-group-8pack-edition-16gb-2x8gb-ddr4-pc4-28800c16-3600mhz-dual-channel-kit-black-my-08q-tg.html

Macker1

Obviously putting together a PC can be very much down to budget and personal preferences. It's great to have the input from people on this site that have a great deal of knowledge and experience so hopefully my questions don't wear thin.

Looking at going with the following Motherboard
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07TNMC2R4/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_2?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1

along with following CPU

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07SXMZLPJ/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_3?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1

I was looking at the following RAM but this is were I'm starting to be puzzled given the huge amount of choice

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07TC4TPCN?tag=amz-mkt-fox-uk-21&ascsubtag=1ba00-01000-yop01-win10-dsk00-smile-uk000-pcomp-feature-scomp-wm-5&ref=aa_scomp_srdg2&th=1

or

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07GSKGSM6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1

Any thoughts on the RAM Puzzle and choices on CPU/Mobo welcomed.

wotzgoingon

On RAM you cannot beat the set I posted two posts up 3600Mhz and tight timings and it's even on sale atm.

The stuff you posted has loser timings.

Macker1

wotzgoingon wrote: »

On RAM you cannot beat the set I posted two posts up 3600Mhz and tight timings and it's even on sale atm.

The stuff you posted has loser timings.

It's on pre-order at the moment....... Not grabbing me visually but it certainly seems to be getting very good reviews.

Is this ram compatible with the Mobo / CPU choices.

Any thoughts on the Mobo /CPU options that I listed ??

Thanks for response

wotzgoingon

The CPU is good not sure on MB as I have the Gigabyte X570 ultra. I've had zero issues with my board.

I know the RAM is plain looking but the same Samsung B-die and specs as that RAM from Gskill or corsair etc... will cost a lot more.

Macker1

wotzgoingon wrote: »

The CPU is good not sure on MB as I have the Gigabyte X570 ultra. I've had zero issues with my board.

I know the RAM is plain looking but the same Samsung B-die and specs as that RAM from Gskill or corsair etc... will cost a lot more.

Really trying to go with a predominantly white themed build hence my possible choices.

Certainly the RAM you have posted looks like a great option. I take it it would be an option to go with 2 sets for 32GB if I decided.

I did come across the following

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/32gb-4x8gb-corsair-ddr4-vengeance-rgb-pro-white-pc4-28800-3600-non-ecc-unbuff-cas-18-19-19-39-rgb-le

Can you please advise what would be considered to be good timings when it comes to making a choice.

Whilst I'm at it......... bearing in mind I looking to go for a white build (just for something different after all there years of standard black) Can you recommend a case which has to have a window and also recommend an upgrade for my current GPU below. I am using a Acer Predator Z35P Ultrawide monitor which I will be keeping as I very happy with it.

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/35-acer-predator-z35p-ultra-wide-qhd-curved-100hz-nvidia-g-sync-monitor-va-3440x1440-219-4ms-100m1-d

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/evga-geforce-gtx-1080-ftw-gaming-acx-30-8gb-gddr5x-vr-ready-graphics-card-2560-core-1721mhz-gpu-1860

in line with the white build theme.

Just to be clear I don't tinker with my PC's typically so when there built I expect them to keep me going for at least 5 years before needing to be upgraded again.

K.O.Kiki

No that 32Gb kit is overpriced & has very loose timings (CAS 18-19-19-39).

Here's a much better kit:
Crucial Ballistix RGB BL2K16G36C16U4WL 3600 MHz - CAS 16-18-18-38

Macker1

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

No that 32Gb kit is overpriced & has very loose timings (CAS 18-19-19-39).

Here's a much better kit:
Crucial Ballistix RGB BL2K16G36C16U4WL 3600 MHz - CAS 16-18-18-38

Would that Ram be compatible with mobo I have suggested that I might be going with. Certainly fits in aesthetically...lol

I would be correct in saying then that the RAM that Wotzgoingon posted would be better again due to its better timings.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/team-group-8pack-edition-16gb-2x8gb-ddr4-pc4-28800c16-3600mhz-dual-channel-kit-black-my-08q-tg.html?campaign=affiliate/tag

Obviously to have 32GB it would be a lot dearer.

K.O.Kiki

It would be better but not by an appreciable amount, plus you can probably tune the Crucial Ballistix to faster timings manually.

Macker1

Started the ball rolling by ordering

ASUS Prime X570-PRO ATX Motherboard
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X Processor (8C/16T, 36MB Cache, 4.5 GHz Max Boost)
Crucial Ballistix RGB BL2K16G36C16U4WL 3600 MHz, DDR4, DRAM, Desktop Gaming Memory Kit, 32GB (16GB x2), CL16, White

so thanks for advice so far...

I was looking at getting this case,

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07WLNSSBW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1

Case fits the bill and gets decent reviews

extra fan for rear exhaust

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07LF75PJ8/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

I was also contemplating an AIO Cooler for CPU but is that overkill. Will the stock cooler that comes with the 3800x suffice

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-Platinum-Radiator-Advanced-Lighting/dp/B07R6YLDDS/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/257-4487389-8587250?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07R6YLDDS&pd_rd_r=8017230f-0391-4f54-b1f8-3f3769991792&pd_rd_w=wt8xz&pd_rd_wg=2jXmF&pf_rd_p=bcc6ee6c-1312-40e0-9bbc-73cdfce7786a&pf_rd_r=DRR95T0PCQ6EPS71BT0B&psc=1&refRID=DRR95T0PCQ6EPS71BT0B

Still looking to pick a PSU so advice welcome on all fronts

I will be upgrading GPU from the 1080 that I have to something a bit better like at 2070 Super so I was thinking of getting a 750W PSU something like

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07HFKST91/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1

Thanks