TR Forums

Budget: 1500GBP at the absolute max, though less is of course better; preferably nearer to 1200

Country: UK

Usage: Mostly gaming (think games along the lines of Metro Exodus, Cyberpunk, RDR2, Anthem), but some software development too (nothing crazy though)


Hello folks! Just another i5-6600K/GTX970 build that's due for a nice upgrade. Missing my second screen while WFH, so I have decided to take the plunge and get a nice ultrawide for the home office, and of course that requires a hardware upgrade too!  



This is what I'm currently working with:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212X 82.9 CFM CPU Cooler 
Motherboard: Asus Z170 PRO GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2400 CL15 Memory
Storage: Crucial MX200 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive 
Storage: Crucial MX200 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive 
Storage: Crucial MX500 2 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive 
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4 GB GAMING Video Card 
Case: Cooler Master Silencio 652S ATX Mid Tower Case 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply 
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224FB/RSMS DVD/CD Writer 
Monitor: AOC i2369V 23.0" 1920x1080 60 Hz Monitor 
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-11-23 18:20 GMT+0000



So four major components to upgrade would be:
GPU: I'm leaning towards the RTX3080 as the more value/futureproof of the new lineup. Granted, I know I'll probably have to wait a few weeks before I can get my hands on one. From the looks of it, the current Radeons just don't stack up, especially once NVIDIA gets the software update for SAM compatibility. Am I wrong in my thinking? Also, there are way too many variants, but since I don't mind waiting to avoid the "getting the first one that's available" situation, are there any standouts among them?
CPU: Since I'm upgrading to a nice powerful GPU, it'd be a shame to bottleneck it with an old CPU. Not to mention my poor old i5-6600k might jump out of the case screaming if I ask it to drive 3440:1440 at 144Hz  It looks like this round has once again gone definitively to AMD, but I'm unsure what to pick between 5(6/8/9)00. Yes, considering this is mostly for gaming the 5600 would be just fine, but that's the thinking that led me to get the i5 (since multiple threads weren't game optimal at the time), so I'm trying to do better about futureproofing this time.
Mobo: Going Zen of course means my old mobo is useless. I am completely clueless about the different AMD-compatible models though. I would ideally like it to have 5 SATA connectors (4 hard drives and 1 DVD drive), but can probably get a PCIe  extension module. I'm not at all fussed about RGB (as my case would probably tell you).
RAM: As with mobos, I haven't followed the latest RAM developments over the last 5 years. Thinking of going for the full 32GB this time round though. I would consider keeping my current sticks, but something tells me the Zen 3 would appreciate faster memory.



Secondary concerns:
Cooler: The Hyper has actually been quite good for me, can't complain about its performance. Was thinking of maybe upgrading to a Noctua though?
PSU: Is my 650W Nova still ok for the above? The 3080 has been shown to be quite power hungry.
Storage: NVMe SSDs seem really cheap right now. Should I consider getting one? I mean, I already have 3.5TB in SSD space, but I seem to recall reading somewhere that Ryzens will eventually be able to use NVMes for a speed boost?



Lastly, the monitor. This is where I'm really lost; there are waaaaay too many options. My separate budget for this is ~1000GBP, preferably under.

Definite wants:
Ultrawide - At least 34in, though I'm quite tempted by the 49in behemoths. I'm quite aware of the fact that there aren't any 1440p 144Hz super-ultrawides for under 1000 pounds though
1440p - It's a big screen, and 1080 ain't gonna cut it. 4K just seems too ambitious considering the budget and screen size.
High refresh rate - 144Hz seems to be the most popular milestone, but I'm not sure that I'd see a lot of difference between 120 and 144? Am I mistaken?

Nice to haves:
Built-in KVM - I would connect my work laptop to the screen as well, and I'd like to be able to use my keyboard and mouse to control both the laptop and my desktop. I currently have a USB switch selector, but it doesn't always work great, so a proper KVM would be nice.


Thank you for taking the time to read all this, you rock  If I've forgotten to add something or something is unclear, please let me know and I'll fix it!

Now sure how much it is on that side of the pond, but if going ultrawide for gaming with your rough monitor budget, I'd go with the Samsung Odyssey G9.

I'd consider the 6800 and 3080 as starting points to drive a 1440p ultrawide. Depend on what you get and what else you decide to upgrade, you may end up stretching your computer budget. but it may be moot right now, since both 6800 and 30x0 video cards seem to be unobtainable as of yet at any non-scalper price. Re the CPU, I wouldn't be too focused on 'future proofing', as going down that path could lead you spending far more $$$ than the performance return you receive, particularly for a gaming build vs rendering, etc. where otherwise excessive threads are desirable.

Your current PSU may be OK depending on what you end up going with.

Re heatsink, I'm partial to the Le Grand Macho RT, if that can make it past budget approval.

I'd put a storage upgrade at the bottom of the list in terms of budget priority / bang for your buck.

You might be surprised at how little CPUs bottleneck GPUs, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU is the more heavily loaded part.

My recommendation would be to only upgrade the monitor, GPU, and PSU first: the PSU you will need because the 3080 and 6800XT both require a lot more juice than the 970 did, and the GPU and monitor because that's the improvement you're after.

Once you get those, try living with it for a few months and see if the performance is acceptable. If it is, you can hold off on the CPU / Mobo / RAM / storage etc. for another generation. If it turns out the 6600 really is bottlenecking you, order the remaining components.

K-L-Waster wrote:

My recommendation would be to only upgrade the monitor, GPU, and PSU first: the PSU you will need because the 3080 and 6800XT both require a lot more juice than the 970 did, and the GPU and monitor because that's the improvement you're after.
Once you get those, try living with it for a few months and see if the performance is acceptable. If it is, you can hold off on the CPU / Mobo / RAM / storage etc. for another generation. If it turns out the 6600 really is bottlenecking you, order the remaining components.

This is good advice. It's also true that the graphics card, power supply and monitor can easily be re-used in a new build later.

For your monitor, you should look at the list of Freesync (aka "GSync Compatible") monitors that AMD maintains here:
https://www.amd.com/en/products/freesync-monitors
Freesync Premium includes Freesync + LFC (which are definitely features that you want) and at least 120 Hz refresh rate. You could probably live with 100 Hz refresh if you aren't an e-sports gamer, but 120+ Hz is nice to have.
Freesync Premium Pro adds HDR to that.

Are you really sure about the ultra-wide aspect ratio? I tried a BenQ EX3501R and ended up sending it back because the ultra-wide view wasn't for me. I'm much happier now with the Dell S3220DGF.

Take a look at the components on this list and see how they inspire you.
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/tyLfp2

In regards to your other questions:

GPU: Which one is better between the 3080 and 6800XT may come down to which games and what resolution you play at. The 3080 seems to scale better at 4K, but at 1440p and lower the 6800XT is faster in a lot of the benchmarks I've seen. The 3080 so far does have a big advantage at Ray Tracing performance, so if that is important to you it would be a better choice. On the whole, I don't think you can go wrong with either one.
Having said all that, both look like they will be very hard to get ahold of until early 2021 by the sounds of things (NVidia said on an investor conference call last week they didn't expect availability to improve until January or February due to high demand.... some of that may also be due to yields too, but regardless, don't expect them to be easy to find soon).

CPU: The 5600X should be more than sufficient for quite some time. It isn't nearly as limited as the i5 6600K relative to everything else -- it's a 6 core, 12 thread part with very good clock speeds and IPC. If you're really worried about running out of cores in a few years you could look at the 5800X, but IMO it's priced a little too high relative to the rest of the lineup to be attractive. So far no one has released a game that comes close to tapping out the 5600X for CPU usage, so it should have enough headroom for the next 3 - 5 years.

PSU: 650 Watts may technically work, but you'll be pushing it out of its comfort zone with the 3080, and the 6800XT is only a little less power-hungry. Moving to a 750 or 850 would be safer.

So in other words you can go ahead and buy a monitor now. And then wait a a month or two for everything else. (:

Thanks for the responses folks, I really appreciate you taking the time

Now sure how much it is on that side of the pond, but if going ultrawide for gaming with your rough monitor budget, I'd go with the Samsung Odyssey G9.

I had seen the G9 when I first starting looking for a screen. It absolutely looks like the god of all screens right now, and ticks all the boxes. I can get it for just under 1200 pounds (~1500USD), which is the only thing holding me back, as that is a decent chunk of cash to throw at a screen. I can get the Samsung LC49RG90SSUXEN for 900 pounds (1200 USD), but that 'only' gets 120Hz and Freesync 2. On the other hand, given that a screen like the G9 will probably last me another 6-7 years at the very least, I am quite tempted. Especially if I snag a decent Black Friday deal. Can't I just win the lottery in the next couple of days? JustAnEngineer, thanks for sharing that AMD page, that's gonna be really useful!

My recommendation would be to only upgrade the monitor, GPU, and PSU first: the PSU you will need because the 3080 and 6800XT both require a lot more juice than the 970 did, and the GPU and monitor because that's the improvement you're after.

This is actually really really good advice. The only 'fault' I'd find with it is that while there isn't a snowball's chance in hell the CPU or GPU would get any price reduction this weekend, the other components might. And if in a few months' time I realise that I do in fact need the other components, I'll have to pay slightly more for them. It really is a risk balancing exercise though, so I really appreciate this recommendation.

So in other words you can go ahead and buy a monitor now. And then wait a a month or two for everything else. (:

The issue with that is that if I connect an Odyssey G9 (for example) to my current PC, the next town over might hear my computer scream :joy: Though as with the point above, there is a lot of merit in getting the more expensive (but available) necessary components now on Black Friday discounts and getting the rest as they become available and I find I need them.

Are you really sure about the ultra-wide aspect ratio? I tried a BenQ EX3501R and ended up sending it back because the ultra-wide view wasn't for me.

I admit I'm not 100% sure about the super ultrawide. I do really like having two screens for productivity, and I'm sure I'd love it for gaming, but I'm not quite certain how the lack of vertical space (relatively) would feel. I would have ideally liked to go and use one in store, but since all the stores are closed until after next week due to Covid, that's unfortunately not an option. What did you not like about it?

Since you all made the rest of these points more or less, I'll respond point by point instead of quoting.

GPU: I think I've pretty much settled on the 3080, mostly because I expect the games I'll be playing will involve ray tracing. Though given the fact that I'll probably have to wait a couple of months before being able to get one, I still have time to change my mind as more comparisons get done. Last time I bought a GPU, different manufacturers' variants had significant differences in performance, though my research so far has not shown the same thing for the RTX30x series? Or am I wrong and there are some that have been shown to be better and therefore worth specifically hunting for?

CPU: As much as I want to deny the collective wisdom on the 5800X being weirdly priced, I really can't do so. The 150 pound price bump really isn't justified, especially with how much better the 250 pound bump to the 5900X is. The reason I'm slightly hesitant is that if I had gone against the collective wisdom 5 years ago, I would have bought the i7 whose hyperthreading would have been quite useful now. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20. And who knows, by the time these are widely available, AMD might have given the 5800X a price reduction when they introduce the lowest cost Zen 3 option!

PSU: I hear you, and agree that this needs to be bumped up to priority upgrade too. I assume a Gold rated 850W will suffice? Since the 3080 seems to be slightly prone to power draw spikes in some of the reviews I've seen.

Storage: The only reason I asked about NVMe storage despite already having 3.5TB of SSD is that there are some decent BF deals already and that I read somewhere that Zen 3 will eventually get an update that would leverage PCIe 4 NVMe sticks for an uplift in performance. If the latter isn't actually true, I'm quite happy to forego NVMe for now.

RAM: Similar to storage above, there are already some BF deals on RAM, which is why I'm tempted to buy some now. My other question is: I've found conflicting reports on whether two sticks vs four sticks are better for Zen3. I do appreciate that this a new platform so this is bound to happen, but if you have any sources/knowledge to share, I'm all ears (eyes?). Are there any other features I should look out for?

Mobo: JustAnEngineer, I'm intrigued by your recommendation of a microATX here. Given the size of the GPU alone, should I not aim for a full ATX to have more slots/room? Or is there something I'm missing?

Case: I was hoping to keep my current case, since it's decently quiet. Granted, it's annoying that I can't add 240 fans (let alone 360) without compromising the front or top soundproofing areas. But if a new case would actually help with this new build, I'll look into it.

Once again, thanks for taking the time folks. I haven't been following this space over the last 5 years beyond general interest, so this is all really helpful.

Zen2 (e.g.: Ryzen 5 3600X) and Zen3 (e.g. Ryzen 5 5600X), when paired with a B550 or X570 motherboard, support PCIe 4.0. Current generations of graphics cards (Radeon RX 5000 or 6000 series or GeForce RTX 3000 series) also support PCIe 4.0, but the extra PCIe speed doesn’t do much for graphics.

However... there are a few PCIe 4.0 SSDs appearing that top the drive benchmark charts. Realistically, the XPG SX8200Pro SSD that I linked performs well enough at PCIe 3.0 and is priced more attractively, but eventually PCIe 4.0 will be standard for SSDs.

Shopping for a new graphics card, I was up against a length limit with the front-mounted radiator in my case. Of all of the GeForce RTX 3080 models announced and sent to reviewers, the only ones that are less than 304 mm long are the founder's edition from NVidia, the three XC3 and two FTW3 models from EVGA, the two TUF models from ASUS and the Revel model from PNY. I ended up with the EVGA FTW3 Ultra because that's what EVGA e-mailed me that they had available for purchase in the middle of the hurricane. None of my other stock requests to six retailers were answered in the two months after NVidia's mostly-paper launch.

Which add-in cards will you use after you’ve installed a graphics card? The motherboard has 2.5 Gb/s Ethernet, USB 3.2 type C, sound, etc. integrated. Micro-ATX’s four PCIe slots are sufficient for most gaming PCs. If you want X570, you’re probably going to end up with ATX, but I don’t know what you’ll do with the seven PCIe slots.

If you like your existing case, then by all means, continue to use it if you don't intend to re-purpose your existing system intact. I just gave my mom a new PC with a Zen 2 CPU in an Antec P160 case that's 16 years old.

Is the short upgrade path to an i7-7700K even worth considering, in an (unlikely) case that the OP could get one on the cheap?

On which 3080 to try to get, the two review sites I find most credible these days (now that TR is basically a ghost town ) are Gamer's Nexus and Hardware Unboxed. Both of those gave good reviews to the Asus TUF model. Not to say that's the only good one out there, but it would be my first choice if I was buying today.

I agree with JAE that unless you actually have add-in cards you want to put in the other slots, there's no real benefit to going ATX over mATX. On the other hand, there's also no real disadvantage to ATX either. In a rational world you would expect the motherboard with fewer slots and a smaller size / bill of materials would also be cheaper, but sadly in the world we live in that's rarely the case (typically it's a wash, or if the mATX is cheaper it's by a miniscule amount). On top of that, with mATX there is a much smaller selection of models to choose from. If you can find a good one at a good price it would certainly make sense, but at the same time I wouldn't forgo a good ATX at a good price solely because the extra slots are superfluous.

Is the short upgrade path to an i7-7700K even worth considering, in an (unlikely) case that the OP could get one on the cheap?

The problem there is whether you can find a good price on one. A quick look on Ebay finds 7700Ks going for around 2/3s of what a new R5 3600 would cost. That's for a chip that's a) 4 cores vs. 6, b) 4+ years old, and worst c) used vs. new. I can't see it being a good idea. If you could find them for less than half the price of a new 3600 it may be another story.

If you could get a Core i7-7700K for £60-ish, the 15% increase in boost frequency might add sufficient oomph to let you live with your existing motherboard for a while longer. The performance difference between the i5-6600K and the i7-7700K is probably just significant enough to be perceptible outside of a tabulated benchmark.

If you get the new monitor, graphics card and power supply and you find that your existing Core i5-6600K processor is very noticeably holding you back, then a Core i7-7700K is not likely to be enough better to feel like a huge upgrade. Anything that you spend on a used i7-7700K to hold you over for a year should be weighed against the cost for the faster Ryzen 5 5600X CPU and AM4 motherboard.

A year from now, we'll be seeing more games that really want better CPU performance, not just because Zen 3 and "12th gen" Alder Lake will be raising the bar on the desktop, but also because PlayStation 5 and XBox Series X have massively improved the target CPU performance level compared to the wimpy processor capabilities that constrained game developers on previous generation consoles.