Prebuilt ideas and recommendations? Yes, my spouse would be devastated if I attempted to create another one...
Prebuilt ideas and recommendations? Yes, my spouse would be devastated if I attempted to create another one...
Hi everyone,
It's been roughly six to seven years since I assembled my present setup. After dealing with the usual worries about posting and the effort involved in setting everything up, I made a promise to myself—especially to my wife—that if I ever upgraded, I'd opt for a prebuilt system rather than handling it myself!
I used to believe I was well-informed about components, but seeing the vast array of options today makes me question whether you could suggest a better path.
In essence, this will be a complete overhaul—my mouse, keyboard, monitor would likely be replaced, and I’d keep my gaming SSD. The rest would probably be discarded and sent back to my family. Things like power supply, case, and everything else would be scrapped.
I’m open to advice on parts, but I’m not after something that costs significantly more just to get marginally better performance. I want something reliable enough to handle the current games for years to come.
One more point, no worries for those who prefer it: I have no interest in RGB lighting. I’d be happy with a standard black case.
I’m based in the UK and have mostly relied on Scan for purchases in the past, but I’m open to any other trusted supplier.
Approximate purchase date:
I’m ready to move forward now, though I still feel the system might drop in value as new technology emerges—happy to wait.
Budget range:
To be honest, I have no specific target. If I don’t need it, I won’t pay extra. I’m content with something average. Around £1500 would be sufficient.
System usage from most to least important:
Gaming
Monitor: No
Parts to upgrade: Almost everything
OS: Yes, I’d need a new one if using an OEM Windows license and buying a new motherboard.
Preferred website(s) for parts: Scan has worked well in the past, but I’m open to others.
Location: UK
Parts preferences: No issues
Overclocking: Possibly
SLI or Crossfire: Possibly
Monitor resolution: 1920x1080 (current setup), comfortable with it.
Thanks for your support,
Q
you really need to secure a monitor with a minimum of 1080p at 60hz, as they are readily available for under $100. Regarding the components, I suggest a Ryzen 7 7700x and an RX 6800 XT (or a non-XT model based on pricing), 16 or 32 GB of RAM, and a power supply with at least 700W. This setup should meet your requirements effectively.
Do you have any particular preference for case design? A brief review of pre-built gaming setups from sites such as Scan.co.uk, Chillblast.com, Novatech.co.uk, Cyberpowersystem.co.uk and Overclockers.co.uk indicates a tendency toward modern cases equipped with several fans across the entire front panel. This setup is ideal for efficiently cooling high-performance graphics cards, though it lacks space for outdated elements like optical drives or extra connector panels.
Occasionally, you can opt for fans without LED accents, but locating a ready-made system that completely eliminates any lighting from the GPU, RAM, CPU cooler, motherboard, etc., can be challenging. A glass side panel is generally discouraged if you want to avoid any LED distractions that can't be switched off.
It’s unlikely you’ll find many pre-built SLI or Crossfire configurations these days. With the introduction of the RTX 4090 series (priced between £1599 and £2099 on Scan), it’s usually unnecessary to pair multiple GPUs for additional gaming performance.
Avoid purchasing gaming systems from major brands like Dell or Currys if you anticipate needing to upgrade components in the future. Using proprietary, non-standard parts often makes hardware updates difficult. It’s best to buy from a supplier that clearly lists the exact model numbers and manufacturers of each motherboard, RAM, GPU, and power supply used.
The decision to customize individual components before purchase is yours. You might be able to select non-LED fans, LED-free GPUs, case panels without windows, etc.
You may also notice that the default build tends to have insufficient RAM, which helps keep costs lower. A minimum of 16GB is recommended. Unless you plan to run high-end rendering software, 32GB should suffice. It’s usually better to install two DIMMs initially. If you later decide to add another DIMM, you may need to significantly reduce XMP overclocking for stability. Stick with two DIMMs.
If you expect to upgrade to a more powerful GPU in the future, consider upgrading your power supply to handle the increased load.
Review the recommended RAM for your chosen games and applications—don’t just stick to minimum requirements—and increase it by at least 25% to ensure better long-term compatibility.
Some users replace their GPUs every 12 to 24 months due to increasing software demands. If you’re not among them, make a thoughtful choice from the start. Buying a system that struggles to run at 240 FPS on a 60Hz display now might feel adequate in a year or two.
The 120mm fan is positioned inside the rear compartment of that case for a rear exhaust fan.
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU:
- Intel Core i5-12600KF 3.7 GHz 10-Core Processor (£219.96 @ Box Limited)
- CPU Cooler: Deepcool AG620 67.88 CFM CPU Cooler (£57.98 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
- Motherboard: MSI PRO B760-P WIFI DDR4 ATX LGA1700 (£139.00 @ Computer Orbit)
- Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 (£59.99 @ Amazon UK)
- Storage: ADATA Legend 800 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD (£71.48 @ Amazon UK)
- Video Card: PowerColor Fighter OC Radeon RX 7700 XT 12 GB (£429.98 @ Scan.co.uk)
- Case: Fractal Design Focus 2 ATX Mid Tower Case (£64.99 @ Scan.co.uk)
- Power Supply: Corsair RM750e (2023) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX (£97.99 @ Amazon UK)
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM - DVD 64-bit (£112.99 @ AWD-IT)
- Case Fan: ARCTIC P12 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fan (£9.00 @ Amazon UK)
- Monitor: Asus TUF Gaming VG249Q1A 23.8" 1920 x 1080 165 Hz (£159.98 @ Scan.co.uk)
Total: £1423.34
Prices encompass shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts
*Selected components based on predefined criteria*
Generated by PCPartPicker
2023-09-13 08:49 BST+0100
A closer inspection of these parts.
TUF GAMING VG249Q1A | Monitors | ASUS USA
TUF Gaming VG249Q1A Gaming Monitor – 23.8 inch Full HD (1920 x 1080), Overclockable 165Hz, Extreme Low Motion Blur™, FreeSync™ Premium, 1ms (MPRT), Shadow Boost
www.asus.com
https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/PRO-B760-P-WIFI-DDR4
https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...60...0-ghz.html
https://www.deepcool.com/products/C...al...5900.shtml
https://www.corsair.com/uk/en/p/psu...ul...9020262-uk
https://www.fractal-design.com/products/...lear-tint/
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIG4vFQbDn4
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LEBEqsCwiM
Thanks this is a great list to work from, I am back sitting on the fence as to building myself or taking a prebuilt, but in either case this is great information and I appreciate you taking the time to put it together.
Scan presents the following items for £1580
Chassis
Corsair 3000D RGB Airflow
Motherboard
ASUS TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI
Processor
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X, 6C/12T, 4.7GHz – 5.3GHz
CPU Cooler
3XS 240mm ARGB AIO Liquid Cooler
Memory
32GB (2x16GB) Corsair Vengeance RGB 5600MHz DDR5
Graphics Card
16GB AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT
Power Supply
Corsair RM750 - 80PLUS GOLD
System Drive
2TB Corsair MP600 CORE XT M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 11 Home
Recovery Media
Recovery USB drive with system image and diagnostic software
Warranty & Support
3 Year Premium (Parts & Labour) Warranty - 1st Year Onsite, 2nd & 3rd Return to Base, including lifetime support
Accessories
3XS Branded Corsair MM300 Mouse Pad, 3XS Mug & Cable Tie
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/3xs...-1...ssd-win-11
Your feedback is greatly appreciated