[SOLVED] $2200 budget (UK) clueless and need help

May 1, 2020
22
5
515
I haven't built my own PC since 2007 and I'm super clueless about everything nowadays. I've been making due on laptops because I've moved across the pond a few times. But I'm staying in the UK for a while and want to finally get a gaming PC. Budget is $2200 (1500-1600GBP). Stuff is way more expensive here in the UK, particularly with VAT. I remember when $2000 would get you near top of the line :(

I have time on my hands and I'm wondering if I should try to line up and get a GPU at MSRP and do a proper build, or if that's still really difficult, particularly in the UK.

Decided to go with one of these prebuilt websites that allows you to customize a bit, because it's been so long since I've built anything.

I want to get the most bang for my buck. I've been trying to do as much research as I can, but am a bit overwhelmed. Would greatly appreciate any help.

Customising this CyberPower PC UK: https://www.cyberpowersystem.co.uk/system/CODMW-Ryzen-Gaming-PC?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_id=

Went to 32gb of 3200mhz ram and upgraded to a faster, bigger SSD. Also upgraded the motherboard.


Apologies for the vomit of specs, but I genuinely really appreciate anyone's time. Thank you.


  • BLUETOOTH: None Selected
  • CAS: Cyberpower Onyxia II High Airflow Mid-Tower Black Gaming Case w/ USB 3.0, Front & Side Tempered Glass [-1]
  • CD: None Selected
  • COOL: None Selected
  • COOL2: None Selected
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 - 6-Core 3.60GHz, 4.2GHz Turbo - 32MB L3 Cache Processor, Pro OC Compatible (No On-board Graphics)
  • CS_FAN: None Selected
  • EXCD: None Selected
  • EXPAN: Built-in USB Ports
  • FAN: Cooler Master Masterliquid Lite 240 Liquid Cooling System w/ 240mm Radiator, Extreme OC Compatible [+8] (Cooler Master CPU Water Cooling, Extreme OC Compatible)
  • FLASHMEDIA: None Selected
  • FREEBIE_SSD: None Selected
  • HDD: 4TB Seagate BarraCuda SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 5400RPM Hard Drive [+47] (1 Drive)
  • KEYBOARD: None Selected
  • M2SSD: 1TB (1xTB) Intel 670P M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD - 3500MB/s Read & 2500MB/s Write [+92] (Single Drive)
  • M2SSD2: None Selected
  • MEMORY: 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4/3200mhz Dual Channel Memory [+85] (HyperX Fury w/Heat Spreader)
  • MONITOR: 23.8" MSI Optix G241V IPS 4ms 75Hz Full HD 1080p, DVI / HDMI, Flat Free-Sync Monitor [+73] (Single Monitor)
  • MOTHERBOARD: MSI B550M PRO-VDH: M-ATX w/ RGB, USB 3.2, SATA3, 2x M.2 [+39]
  • MOUSE: None Selected
  • NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT -- As standard on all PCs
  • OS: Windows 10 Home (64-bit Edition) Perfect for most people with all the core features of Windows 10 including: automatic updates, Cortana and DirectX 12 graphics support (No Recovery Media)
  • OVERCLOCK: No Overclocking
  • PCABLE: None Selected
  • POWERSUPPLY: InWin A55 550W 80+ Certified Gaming Power Supply
  • RAID: None Selected
  • RUSH: Standard Processing Time
  • SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD AUDIO
  • SPEAKERS: None Selected
  • SSD: None Selected [-18]
  • STREAMERGEAR: None Selected
  • USB1: Built-in USB Ports [+0]
  • VIDEO: GeForce® RTX 3060 12GB - Ray Tracing Technology, DX12®, VR Ready, HDMI, DP - 4 MIN. Monitor Support (Single Card)
  • VIDEOCAPTURE: None Selected
  • VIVE_HEADSET: None Selected
  • WARRANTY: DESKTOP STANDARD WARRANTY: 5 Years' Labour, 2 Years' Parts, 6 Months' Collect and Return plus Life-Time Technical Support
  • WNC: N300 Wireless PCI Express Adapter [+9]
  • XWNA: None Selected
 
Solution
Better case, better psu, better cpu, better motherboard, better monitor, etc .. Easy peasy to build yourself (youtube ftw) or have a local PC shop put it together after the parts arrive. Seriously though it's easier to build a PC these days then it was back in the day.

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...p400a-atx-mid-tower-pc-case-10205481-pdt.html
PHANTEKS Eclipse P400A ATX Mid-Tower PC Case £64.99

Exhaust fan for that case.

ARCTIC F12 PWM 120mm Case Fan £6.02

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/550...ngle-rail-fully-modular-45a-120mm-fan-atx-psu
Seasonic Focus GX 550w 80+ Gold...
I haven't built my own PC since 2007 and I'm super clueless about everything nowadays. I've been making due on laptops because I've moved across the pond a few times. But I'm staying in the UK for a while and want to finally get a gaming PC. Budget is $2200 (1500-1600GBP). Stuff is way more expensive here in the UK, particularly with VAT. I remember when $2000 would get you near top of the line :(

I have time on my hands and I'm wondering if I should try to line up and get a GPU at MSRP and do a proper build, or if that's still really difficult, particularly in the UK.

Decided to go with one of these prebuilt websites that allows you to customize a bit, because it's been so long since I've built anything.

I want to get the most bang for my buck. I've been trying to do as much research as I can, but am a bit overwhelmed. Would greatly appreciate any help.

Customising this CyberPower PC UK: https://www.cyberpowersystem.co.uk/system/CODMW-Ryzen-Gaming-PC?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_id=

Went to 32gb of 3200mhz ram and upgraded to a faster, bigger SSD. Also upgraded the motherboard.


Apologies for the vomit of specs, but I genuinely really appreciate anyone's time. Thank you.


  • BLUETOOTH: None Selected
  • CAS: Cyberpower Onyxia II High Airflow Mid-Tower Black Gaming Case w/ USB 3.0, Front & Side Tempered Glass [-1]
  • CD: None Selected
  • COOL: None Selected
  • COOL2: None Selected
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 - 6-Core 3.60GHz, 4.2GHz Turbo - 32MB L3 Cache Processor, Pro OC Compatible (No On-board Graphics)
  • CS_FAN: None Selected
  • EXCD: None Selected
  • EXPAN: Built-in USB Ports
  • FAN: Cooler Master Masterliquid Lite 240 Liquid Cooling System w/ 240mm Radiator, Extreme OC Compatible [+8] (Cooler Master CPU Water Cooling, Extreme OC Compatible)
  • FLASHMEDIA: None Selected
  • FREEBIE_SSD: None Selected
  • HDD: 4TB Seagate BarraCuda SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 5400RPM Hard Drive [+47] (1 Drive)
  • KEYBOARD: None Selected
  • M2SSD: 1TB (1xTB) Intel 670P M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD - 3500MB/s Read & 2500MB/s Write [+92] (Single Drive)
  • M2SSD2: None Selected
  • MEMORY: 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4/3200mhz Dual Channel Memory [+85] (HyperX Fury w/Heat Spreader)
  • MONITOR: 23.8" MSI Optix G241V IPS 4ms 75Hz Full HD 1080p, DVI / HDMI, Flat Free-Sync Monitor [+73] (Single Monitor)
  • MOTHERBOARD: MSI B550M PRO-VDH: M-ATX w/ RGB, USB 3.2, SATA3, 2x M.2 [+39]
  • MOUSE: None Selected
  • NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT -- As standard on all PCs
  • OS: Windows 10 Home (64-bit Edition) Perfect for most people with all the core features of Windows 10 including: automatic updates, Cortana and DirectX 12 graphics support (No Recovery Media)
  • OVERCLOCK: No Overclocking
  • PCABLE: None Selected
  • POWERSUPPLY: InWin A55 550W 80+ Certified Gaming Power Supply
  • RAID: None Selected
  • RUSH: Standard Processing Time
  • SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD AUDIO
  • SPEAKERS: None Selected
  • SSD: None Selected [-18]
  • STREAMERGEAR: None Selected
  • USB1: Built-in USB Ports [+0]
  • VIDEO: GeForce® RTX 3060 12GB - Ray Tracing Technology, DX12®, VR Ready, HDMI, DP - 4 MIN. Monitor Support (Single Card)
  • VIDEOCAPTURE: None Selected
  • VIVE_HEADSET: None Selected
  • WARRANTY: DESKTOP STANDARD WARRANTY: 5 Years' Labour, 2 Years' Parts, 6 Months' Collect and Return plus Life-Time Technical Support
  • WNC: N300 Wireless PCI Express Adapter [+9]
  • XWNA: None Selected
What will be your primary uses for this build .. gaming, photoshop, video editing, etc ....?
 
Last edited:
May 1, 2020
22
5
515
What will be your primary uses for this build .. gaming, photoshop, video editing, etc ....?

Literally all 3 of those. I felt like this was the best I could get within my budget in the UK, but I just want to make sure the parts are compatible and that I'm not missing something that might be a better bang for my buck. I make Minecraft videos and Minecraft requires a lot of decent memory. But I also play other games and use multiple Adobe software. Thanks for the reply!

Does the GPU need an extra fan on it, since the "water cooling" unit only gets the CPU?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Why_Me
Literally all 3 of those. I felt like this was the best I could get within my budget in the UK, but I just want to make sure the parts are compatible and that I'm not missing something that might be a better bang for my buck. I make Minecraft videos and Minecraft requires a lot of decent memory. But I also play other games and use multiple Adobe software. Thanks for the reply!

Does the GPU need an extra fan on it, since the "water cooling" unit only gets the CPU?
The gpu will be fine. Give me about 20 minutes or so and I believe I can get you more bang for your buck. I'll post a build on here.
 
Better case, better psu, better cpu, better motherboard, better monitor, etc .. Easy peasy to build yourself (youtube ftw) or have a local PC shop put it together after the parts arrive. Seriously though it's easier to build a PC these days then it was back in the day.

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...p400a-atx-mid-tower-pc-case-10205481-pdt.html
PHANTEKS Eclipse P400A ATX Mid-Tower PC Case £64.99

Exhaust fan for that case.

ARCTIC F12 PWM 120mm Case Fan £6.02

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/550...ngle-rail-fully-modular-45a-120mm-fan-atx-psu
Seasonic Focus GX 550w 80+ Gold Modular PSU £69.98

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/asu...pcie-40-sata3-2x-m2-25gbe-ax-wifi-usb-32-micr
ASUS TUF GAMING B560M-PLUS WIFI £139.98

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0883MBXZ7
Intel Core i7-10700F £255.46

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/be-...ipes-120mm-shadow-wings-2-pwm-fan-190w-tdp-in
be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 Single Tower CPU Cooler £44.99

https://www.ebuyer.com/1139773-klev...z-powerful-enhanced-desktop-kd4agu880-32a160u
KLEVV BOLT X 32GB (16GB x 2) 3200Mhz CL16 £143.30

https://www.ebuyer.com/947319-wd-blue-sn550-1tb-nvme-m-2-2280-pcie-gen3-ssd-wds100t2b0c
WD Blue SN550 1TB NVME M.2 2280 PCIe Gen3 SSD £83.98

https://www.ebuyer.com/791741-seaga...-3-5-sata-iii-6gb-s-5400rpm-256mb-st4000dm004
Seagate BarraCuda 4TB Desktop Hard Drive 3.5" SATA III 6GB's 5400RPM 256MB Cache £74.99

https://computerorbit.com/products/12gb-evga-geforce-rtx-3060-xc
EVGA GEFORCE RTX 3060 XC 12GB £599

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/mic...l-international-usb-pendrive-1-license-retail
Windows 10 Home Creators Edition 32/64-bit USB Drive £106.99

https://www.ebuyer.com/1136612-asus-tuf-vg259qr-24-5-full-hd-gaming-monitor-vg259qr
ASUS TUF VG259QR 24.5'' Full HD Gaming Monitor £226.98

Total: £1772 inc VAT

A better look at that board.

https://www.asus.com/Motherboards-Components/Motherboards/TUF-Gaming/TUF-GAMING-B560M-PLUS-WIFI/

A better look at that case.

http://www.phanteks.com/Eclipse-P400A.html
 
Last edited:
Solution
May 1, 2020
22
5
515
Better case, better psu, better cpu, better motherboard, better monitor, etc .. Easy peasy to build yourself (youtube ftw) or have a local PC shop put it together after the parts arrive. Seriously though it's easier to build a PC these days then it was back in the day.

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...p400a-atx-mid-tower-pc-case-10205481-pdt.html
PHANTEKS Eclipse P400A ATX Mid-Tower PC Case £64.99

Exhaust fan for that case.

ARCTIC F12 PWM 120mm Case Fan £6.02

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/550...ngle-rail-fully-modular-45a-120mm-fan-atx-psu
Seasonic Focus GX 550w 80+ Gold Modular PSU £69.98

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/asu...pcie-40-sata3-2x-m2-25gbe-ax-wifi-usb-32-micr
ASUS TUF GAMING B560M-PLUS WIFI £139.98

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0883MBXZ7
Intel Core i7-10700F £255.46

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/be-...ipes-120mm-shadow-wings-2-pwm-fan-190w-tdp-in
be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 Single Tower CPU Cooler £44.99

https://www.ebuyer.com/1139773-klev...z-powerful-enhanced-desktop-kd4agu880-32a160u
KLEVV BOLT X 32GB (16GB x 2) 3200Mhz CL16 £143.30

https://www.ebuyer.com/947319-wd-blue-sn550-1tb-nvme-m-2-2280-pcie-gen3-ssd-wds100t2b0c
WD Blue SN550 1TB NVME M.2 2280 PCIe Gen3 SSD £83.98

https://www.ebuyer.com/791741-seaga...-3-5-sata-iii-6gb-s-5400rpm-256mb-st4000dm004
Seagate BarraCuda 4TB Desktop Hard Drive 3.5" SATA III 6GB's 5400RPM 256MB Cache £74.99

https://computerorbit.com/products/12gb-evga-geforce-rtx-3060-xc
EVGA GEFORCE RTX 3060 XC 12GB £599

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/mic...l-international-usb-pendrive-1-license-retail
Windows 10 Home Creators Edition 32/64-bit USB Drive £106.99

https://www.ebuyer.com/1136612-asus-tuf-vg259qr-24-5-full-hd-gaming-monitor-vg259qr
ASUS TUF VG259QR 24.5'' Full HD Gaming Monitor £226.98

Total: £1772 inc VAT

A better look at that board.

https://www.asus.com/Motherboards-Components/Motherboards/TUF-Gaming/TUF-GAMING-B560M-PLUS-WIFI/

A better look at that case.

http://www.phanteks.com/Eclipse-P400A.html

I'm tempted to build one myself. I have done it in the past. So I know how to be careful with the processor and such, but finding all the right parts just felt rough, particularly here in the UK.

I really appreciate you posting all of these parts and taking the time to put it together. I feel like I'm really already stretching my budget though at 1650 GBP. Is there anywhere to save that? Do you think it's that worth it ? I mean obviously if the build is 2x as a good, I can find a way, but yeah.

Thank you very much for your time. It is valuable and appreciated.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Why_Me
I'm tempted to build one myself. I have done it in the past. So I know how to be careful with the processor and such, but finding all the right parts just felt rough, particularly here in the UK.

I really appreciate you posting all of these parts and taking the time to put it together. I feel like I'm really already stretching my budget though at 1650 GBP. Is there anywhere to save that? Do you think it's that worth it ? I mean obviously if the build is 2x as a good, I can find a way, but yeah.

Thank you very much for your time. It is valuable and appreciated.
The i7 is going to be a big plus in regards to video and photoshop editing. The psu has a 10 year warranty, etc ... You can slam this together in no time flat and Intel is pretty much plug & play. That monitor is G-Sync compatible so no worries about tearing issues while gaming, etc ..
 
May 1, 2020
22
5
515
Better case, better psu, better cpu, better motherboard, better monitor, etc .. Easy peasy to build yourself (youtube ftw) or have a local PC shop put it together after the parts arrive. Seriously though it's easier to build a PC these days then it was back in the day.

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...p400a-atx-mid-tower-pc-case-10205481-pdt.html
PHANTEKS Eclipse P400A ATX Mid-Tower PC Case £64.99

Exhaust fan for that case.

ARCTIC F12 PWM 120mm Case Fan £6.02

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/550...ngle-rail-fully-modular-45a-120mm-fan-atx-psu
Seasonic Focus GX 550w 80+ Gold Modular PSU £69.98

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/asu...pcie-40-sata3-2x-m2-25gbe-ax-wifi-usb-32-micr
ASUS TUF GAMING B560M-PLUS WIFI £139.98

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0883MBXZ7
Intel Core i7-10700F £255.46

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/be-...ipes-120mm-shadow-wings-2-pwm-fan-190w-tdp-in
be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 Single Tower CPU Cooler £44.99

https://www.ebuyer.com/1139773-klev...z-powerful-enhanced-desktop-kd4agu880-32a160u
KLEVV BOLT X 32GB (16GB x 2) 3200Mhz CL16 £143.30

https://www.ebuyer.com/947319-wd-blue-sn550-1tb-nvme-m-2-2280-pcie-gen3-ssd-wds100t2b0c
WD Blue SN550 1TB NVME M.2 2280 PCIe Gen3 SSD £83.98

https://www.ebuyer.com/791741-seaga...-3-5-sata-iii-6gb-s-5400rpm-256mb-st4000dm004
Seagate BarraCuda 4TB Desktop Hard Drive 3.5" SATA III 6GB's 5400RPM 256MB Cache £74.99

https://computerorbit.com/products/12gb-evga-geforce-rtx-3060-xc
EVGA GEFORCE RTX 3060 XC 12GB £599

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/mic...l-international-usb-pendrive-1-license-retail
Windows 10 Home Creators Edition 32/64-bit USB Drive £106.99

https://www.ebuyer.com/1136612-asus-tuf-vg259qr-24-5-full-hd-gaming-monitor-vg259qr
ASUS TUF VG259QR 24.5'' Full HD Gaming Monitor £226.98

Total: £1772 inc VAT

A better look at that board.

https://www.asus.com/Motherboards-Components/Motherboards/TUF-Gaming/TUF-GAMING-B560M-PLUS-WIFI/

A better look at that case.

http://www.phanteks.com/Eclipse-P400A.html


What about this monitor https://www.ebuyer.com/974333-lenovo-g24-10-23-6-full-hd-1ms-144hz-gaming-monitor-65fdgac2uk . That will get me closer to my budget. I'm okay with a less decent monitor for the time being, because I'll want a 2nd one when budget allows anyways. I wonder if there's some way for me to pull my old windows 7 key from an old system and use that to upgrade to 10 to save another 100 or if it isn't worth the hassle.

Really trying to get down to 1600ish, particularly because there might be some shipping costs with some of those sites.

How much % better would you say this system is than the original one linked with the upgrades I linked?

Thank you :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Why_Me
What about this monitor https://www.ebuyer.com/974333-lenovo-g24-10-23-6-full-hd-1ms-144hz-gaming-monitor-65fdgac2uk . That will get me closer to my budget. I'm okay with a less decent monitor for the time being, because I'll want a 2nd one when budget allows anyways. I wonder if there's some way for me to pull my old windows 7 key from an old system and use that to upgrade to 10 to save another 100 or if it isn't worth the hassle.

Really trying to get down to 1600ish, particularly because there might be some shipping costs with some of those sites.

How much % better would you say this system is than the original one linked with the upgrades I linked?

Thank you :)
That works although try and find an IPS panel if you can. You can find one for around 120 quid.

Here's another cost cutter.

https://www.awd-it.co.uk/intel-core...ke-socket-lga1200-processor-bx8070811400.html
Intel Core i5-11400 £199.99

Reviews of that cpu w/benchmarks.

https://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/intel-core-i5-11400f-processor-review,1.html

 
May 1, 2020
22
5
515
That works although try and find an IPS panel if you can. You can find one for around 120 quid.

Here's another cost cutter.

https://www.awd-it.co.uk/intel-core...ke-socket-lga1200-processor-bx8070811400.html
Intel Core i5-11400 £199.99

Reviews of that cpu w/benchmarks.

https://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/intel-core-i5-11400f-processor-review,1.html


How big of a deal is L3 cache size? My instinct tells me to stick with an i7 or better. Although with the cheaper monitor, I'm back within budget. I just have to decide if I'm up for the challenge and make sure all the parts are definitely in stock. I tried to call the GPU place, but they were closed by the time I could call. Looks like they ship them though. Looks like most of the places offer free shipping and the rest is about 25 in total.

I also haven't started from scratch in so many years. I remember it being a bit annoying to get the OS and hard drives up and running a long time ago. How much setup is that nowadays? How is the Windows installed, and how much BIOS (uefi, I guess, nowadays) stuff will I have to mess with. what about SSD/HDD setup?

Thank you!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Why_Me
How big of a deal is L3 cache size? My instinct tells me to stick with an i7 or better. Although with the cheaper monitor, I'm back within budget. I just have to decide if I'm up for the challenge and make sure all the parts are definitely in stock. I tried to call the GPU place, but they were closed by the time I could call. Looks like they ship them though. Looks like most of the places offer free shipping and the rest is about 25 in total.

I also haven't started from scratch in so many years. I remember it being a bit annoying to get the OS and hard drives up and running a long time ago. How much setup is that nowadays? How is the Windows installed, and how much BIOS (uefi, I guess, nowadays) stuff will I have to mess with. what about SSD/HDD setup?

Thank you!
The windows I linked comes with a USB flash drive stick to boot off of. Every board manufacture has a different bios set up but Asus is pretty easy to figure out.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/wi...esktop/install-windows-from-a-usb-flash-drive
 
May 1, 2020
22
5
515
The windows I linked comes with a USB flash drive stick to boot off of. Every board manufacture has a different bios set up but Asus is pretty easy to figure out.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/wi...esktop/install-windows-from-a-usb-flash-drive

Alright, I think I'm gonna do it. The only last thought I'm having is if I should try to check any UK distributors in London to see if there is any time in the near future I might be able to camp out overnight to pick up a GPU at msrp. I wonder if I'm being stupid, not maximizing the fact that I have the time and ability to go get a card if possible.

If I hypothetically could get a card at MSRP, any idea what it might be for my price range, and what cards are still being restocked? No worries if you don't know. And once again I thank you for your valuable time.

Edit: Seems like nobody sells GPUs at MSRP here in the UK, the way places like Best Buy do in the US.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Why_Me
Alright, I think I'm gonna do it. The only last thought I'm having is if I should try to check any UK distributors in London to see if there is any time in the near future I might be able to camp out overnight to pick up a GPU at msrp. I wonder if I'm being stupid, not maximizing the fact that I have the time and ability to go get a card if possible.

If I hypothetically could get a card at MSRP, any idea what it might be for my price range, and what cards are still being restocked? No worries if you don't know. And once again I thank you for your valuable time.

Edit: Seems like nobody sells GPUs at MSRP here in the UK, the way places like Best Buy do in the US.
Curry's UK sells cards at MSRP but they last less than a minute once they're in stock.
 

TRENDING THREADS