[SOLVED] Adequate build for gaming CoD? Suggested / necessary upgrades?

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tommyarra

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Hi all,

20190202-125009.jpg


I built a gaming PC last year, after lots of solid advice on here (thanks guys!)

I have attached a picture of my build components.

Stupidly , I haven't really used it.. and I have been playing CoD on my PS4. However, I'm thinking about switching to PC.

My questions :

  • Is this build adequate for CoD Warzone?
  • Should I upgrade / add anything else?
  • What performance can I expect?
Any other advice? Really really do appreciate all help, as I am a total tech noob.

Thanks in advance,
Tom
 
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Solution
Honestly, it's kind of overkill, and besides which, those CPUs tend to have some thermal concerns that you probably won't encounter with the 3700x. If you get the 3900x or 3950x, then you'd better plan for a top shelf, twin finstack, flagship cooler like the Noctua NH-D15, Cryorig R1 Ultimate, Deepcool Assassin III, Thermalright Silver arrow ibe extreme or some form of 280mm or higher AIO liquid cooling, or a custom loop. They get hot and don't maintain their boost profiles very well without top shelf cooling.

The 3700x is very capable, and a lot more forgiving. The 3700x is also going to give you a LOT more performance than you were going to get with the Ryzen 7 1700...
Ok, so let's clarify some things and put some recommendations in place.

This is going to be a high end system. Big GPU card. Big CPU. You want airflow. You want an "airflow" type case. That generally means you want something with either significant surface area openings on both sides of the front panel AND the bottom, or a full mesh front. I prefer a full mesh front in most cases, but sometimes there is a case, like the Define R6 or S2, that has good enough airflow as designed. Those do have meshify options, but I DON'T personally like the angled design of the meshify front panels. Supposedly it is engineered so that the specifics of the geometric angles on the mesh significantly cut down on noise levels but I am skeptical and having custom modified my own older Define S, I really don't think it's necessary anyhow.

So, that case, the 275r, is really NOT a good choice anyhow no matter how you look at it. Yes, it LOOKS ok, and it's inexpensive, but it's a turd if I'm being honest. It has very little aiflow through the front panel and that is going to make a huge difference because no matter how many fans you put up front, in back or up top, it's still going to be seriously limited when it comes to the air path.

If you are committed to a case swap, then you need to convince yourself that it's going to cost more than you wanted. Otherwise, you are wasting your time and money. You are not going to find a case that is REALLY suitable for the specifics of this build for less than 75 bucks really.

If you want a cheap case, this is by far the best "cheap" case out there.


Otherwise, plan to spend a bit more. Consider, the case is just about the ONLY piece of hardware in your entire build that for the most part is likely to be used from build to build, through many upgrades, regardless of age. Unless you grow bored of the case design there is rarely a reason to change cases later on, ever, so long as you make sure you get a case you REALLY like from the start that has ALL the features you might ever need or want, and the priority for a case should be

1. Quality. Cheap cases tend to warp, break, fall apart, bend or just plain deteriorate over time. Good ones don't.

2. Features. Cases with acrylic side panels tend to end up scratched, cloudy, cracked, warped or otherwise discolored over time. Tempered glass does not. Short of breaking it, it will pretty much look the same in ten years as it does now. Also, airflow restrictions, internal impediments to airflow like drive cages that are directly in the air path, few grommeted pass throughs for cable management or very little room on the backside of the motherboard tray for cables to be arranged and layed out of the way and also for drive mounting which has become common on a number of cases, are all considerations. Filtration is another. There is little need for filtration to be anywhere other than in the front and under the power supplies intake vent. Top filters are mostly just unnecessary because you have no reason or need to filter dust out of air that is LEAVING the case, unless you are simply trying to purify the air in the room. LOL.

3. Looks. You're going to (Probably) be living with this case for a long time. Make SURE it is what you want. These days, there is more than just tempered glass, construction materials and how it actually "looks" to consider. Many cases might have integrated RGB lighting, specific fans, etc., but I wouldn't base my case choice on that. Most included fans for practically all cases, are lower end models. And RGB can always be added if desired.

That 275r is a fairly old model. It lacks a lot of modern features and has poor airflow. My advice would be to avoid it.

I'd look at some of these, for starters. Should probably add Be Quiet to the list of halfway decent case manufacturers as well. I don't particularly like Antec. They used to be good, back in the day, now they just copy everybody else and use cheap gimmicks. I'm not a fan of NZXT either.

Primarily, newer models by Corsair, Fractal Design, Phanteks, Lian Li, Be Quiet, few others. I'll make some specific recommendations for you to at least give you an idea of what is a good choice these days when I get back after while. Gotta go see the orthopedic surgeon about my suddenly hurting knees. LOL.
 
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tommyarra

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Darkbreeze - I just want to say thank you again for your reply. The detail and time / effort you put into your advice is amazing, thank you so much. You really help us noobs!

I guess your right, best not to save on such an important part of the build.

I'm browsing as we speak.
 

tommyarra

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I also like the looks of this one by Be Quiet.

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...e-801-atx-mid-tower-pc-case-10192576-pdt.html

Thoughts on this one?

As an extra bit of info - it would be nice for the case to contain an optical output for audio. My graphics card doesn't as far as I'm aware - and I have a decent set of Astro A40 headset with MixAmp. There are workarounds, like a HDMI - optical splitter, but that's not ideal.
 
Be Quiet does make good quality cases. I think however that in most cases (No pun intended), their cases tend to ignore good airflow in favor of reducing noise. Noise reduction is something that I think IS important, but I also think it is better done with low noise producing fans than changes to case design. Not sure that case has the kind of airflow you want to see with a big graphics card and CPU. It's an option though. I'd find and read some professional reviews on it as I have not, for that particular case. I have for other Be Quiet cases though.

These are cases that I think fit the bill, but they may not be models that YOU are willing to live with, and that's more important than what I think.

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...-tg-e-atx-mid-tower-pc-case-10202281-pdt.html

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...glass-atx-mid-tower-pc-case-10186703-pdt.html

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fractal-De...s=Define+R6&qid=1595437863&s=computers&sr=1-8

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Meshify-S2...ine+meshify&qid=1595437941&s=computers&sr=1-2

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CC...ds=corsair&qid=1595438068&s=computers&sr=1-23

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CC...ds=corsair&qid=1595438130&s=computers&sr=1-28

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CC...corsair+air&qid=1595438268&s=computers&sr=1-1


Many others out there too. XPG is a third tier company as far as I'm concerned. From what I can tell they are a subsidiary of Adata, and Adata mostly makes cheaper budget products although they do recently have a reputable PSU series, if you can find it, but they are too proud of it for what it is.

I think that for a system that needs a good amount of airflow, if there are not SIGNIFICANT openings on the sides and a fully open bottom, on the front panel, then it is going to be too restricted.
 

tommyarra

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Soooo, you'll be glad to hear, after following your advice - I went for the Meshify S2 -

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/fra...s-3x-140mm-fans-e-atx-atx-microatx-miniitx-us

Collected it before... My CPU and CPU cooler still hasn't arrived yet, but I'm assured they will be here tomorrow.

I have a local respectable tech geek ready to rebuild for me into the new case with the new CPU (don't trust myself just yet with such a build). So with a bit of luck I'll have my new machine up and running within 48 hrs or so..

Now just to learn how to game with PC and KB 😳😤🤣
 
Gaming with a PC keyboard really isn't hard. There will be a bit of a learning curve at first, but once you get used to it you'll like it better. You can sure as heck be a lot more precise with a mouse than you can with a lever. However, they DO make console style controllers for PC, and I have one, if you end up where you can't get used to the keyboard. Some people can't get used to not having both hands together on the same device while gaming. I don't understand why, but I guess just too used to it or something.

Nice choice on the case. Fractal Design makes very nice cases, and I've very tempted to buy that S2 myself, except that I already have the original Define S which I put a lot of time into modifying and customizing. I might use it in my garage though for my shop applications and stuff and get an S2 for my main rig. IDK yet. If I do, I will definitely be replacing the mesh on the front panel with standard mod mesh. But that's just me, and my preference.

Yes, I haz mad skillz wit Photoshop. LOL.

Example.

What it looks like.

Gctr0qR.jpg




What it would look like when I get done with it, assuming I don't add any color accents.


tRFGDwZ.png
 
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tommyarra

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Yeah, I'm hoping the learning curve isn't too long. I tried it once and it felt so strange, I'm hoping to grind it out and learn how to play with M + K properly over time... But if it fails, I may use my PS4 controller.

I kind of like the funky mesh front as it is.. but I've yet to see it in person yet. Can't wait to pick it up tomorrow and give it a go 🎮🕹️
 
I don't know about M+K, never heard of or used that before. W+A+S+D are the primary keys used for gaming on a PC keyboard along with additional keys you can program yourself based on preference. And actually, you can program whatever keys you want to be for whatever you want for that matter. If you prefer the 1,2,3 and 4 keys, you can use those for the four primary keys. Whatever you prefer, you can set, but by default, WASD are the four primary functional keys for keyboard gaming.
 

tommyarra

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Sorry I meant M and K as in Mouse and Keyboard, not literally the letters M and K haha... My laziness is to blame for that miscommunication 🤣🤓

Good news - the PC is home and up and running.. really happy with it. But the case seems HUGE after my last one 🤣

Now it's time to upgrade my monitor.. the limited 60 FPS refresh rate on my Dell S2817Q doesn't quite cut it... A shame, as it's an awesome monitor for other tasks.

Any suggestions?!!
 

tommyarra

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Honestly.. I don't even know what G sync is... I really should read up.

Size isn't an issue, but I guess around 24 is going to be optimal for gaming.

Budget sort of £3-400, not really too strict.

And Im thinking I'd be better pushing for a 1440 resolution, to future proof the monitor for when / if / as I upgrade my GPU etc .
 
24 inch is WAY too small for 1440p. Most of us run 27-32" monitors for 1440p or 4k. The monitor I have is extremely hard to beat for the price, normally. It has a 5ms GTG response time and a 144hz refresh rate. Also has a VA panel so it has none of the light bleed problems associated with IPS panels and has far better viewing angles and color accuracy than almost all TN panels. Right now, again, everything is more expensive than it would normally be.

This would be my first choice and primary recommendation IF you can deal with having a much larger screen that you were thinking of. Honestly, after switching from a 27" to this 32", I don't know how I ever got along with a smaller display. So I bought two more. LOL.

PCPartPicker Part List

Monitor: LG 32GK650F-B 32.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor (£328.99 @ Currys PC World Business)
Total: £328.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-25 04:24 BST+0100




And here is a review of that unit.



Here is an explanation of G-sync. The monitor I recommended above, should you decide that it would work for you, has G-sync compatible Freesync.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nvidia-gsync-monitor-glossary-definition-explained,6008.html
 

tommyarra

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Awesome, thanks for the reply again.

Pardon my ignorance.. isn't 5ms response time pretty bad? A lot seem to advertise 1ms - whether this is genuine performance levels, I don't know..

I was looking at an LG model last night, but the LG27GL850. Its a little over budget, but looks really good.

Decisions , decisions .. also, early signs are that I do need a GPU upgrade too 🙈 only averaging 80-100 FPS in game, occasionally peaking above 120..not tooooo bad I suppose.
 
Awesome, thanks for the reply again.

Pardon my ignorance.. isn't 5ms response time pretty bad? A lot seem to advertise 1ms - whether this is genuine performance levels, I don't know..

I was looking at an LG model last night, but the LG27GL850. Its a little over budget, but looks really good.

Decisions , decisions .. also, early signs are that I do need a GPU upgrade too 🙈 only averaging 80-100 FPS in game, occasionally peaking above 120..not tooooo bad I suppose.




Drop your game resolution to 720p to see what your cpu is actually capable of fps wise, that will remove the GPU as a limitation when it comes to fps.

The 580 is still a decent card considering its age nd it has aged way better than comparable nvidia cards.

Weirdly found myself in a similar position to you, I had a load of components including a ryzen 1700 and a rx 580 2 years back, went through a split with the partner so was pretty much living out of a bag , these remained boxed and I only built them during the lockdown earlier this year once I got settled properly.

Fairly happy with performance but I have recently replaced the 580 with a 5700xt.

The difference is night and day, possibly my best ever purchase at £350, its a GPU that deserves consideration.


https://www.overclockers.co.uk/AOC-...medium=referral&utm_campaign=affiliategateway

Stunning monitor at that price.
 
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And I won't refute that as good advice, potentially, because some people have had good success with the Navi cards, however we've also had a number of members, and a handful of moderators, who have had nothing but problems with even the very best Sapphire models on multiple cards that were clearly definable as electromigration issues since a further increase in voltage would temporarily stabilize the cards. I'm sure not everybody has this problem, but this problem exists and for me when making recommendations it's pretty easy to stay on the green side of the line for this generation.

We're pretty sure this is another Raja Koduri related issue, since Navi was the last architecture he worked on before leaving for Intel and we already know that all of his cards tended to be over-volted and hot. Anyhow, still an option but not for me.

As far as the response time is concerned, there's nothing wrong with a 5ms response time. Keep in mind, MUCH of what you commonly see get pounded when it comes to hardware is nothing more than hardcore marketing.

For any modern display, 5ms or less is good. Obviously, given two identical QUALITY displays with all other things being equal, then a 1ms response time would be better than 5ms. But there's a lot, a LOT more to it than that. Overall you just want a good monitor, with a 5ms or less response time, decent refresh rate and appropriate resolution that uses a quality panel. If you get all of those things, you'll get a good product that doesn't have ghosting problems, problems with deep blacks like many IPS panels have or color accuracy issues like most TN panels.

My advice, don't necessarily buy the monitor that I like. Find one that you like BUT, no matter what model you decide to go with make sure there is a review for it on rtings.com, techspot.com, TFT central or pcmonitors.info. Those are the sites I trust primarily for reviews of displays and they are pretty much doing the best, most accurate ones out there.
 

tommyarra

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Solid advice again. Thanks so much...

Nice to hear about the improvements you received with your GPU upgrade. That's definitely on the list after the monitor - but it may have to wait a month or so.

I'll definitely try at 720p tonight and see what the CPU can deliver. The thing is, I'm hardly noticing a difference, as the monitors refresh rate is the limiting factor at the minute.. so the game basically looks the same as what the PS4 delivered.

I'll research research research monitors over the next day or two. Check for trusted reviews and get one ordered. Looking forward to it!
 
Solid advice again. Thanks so much...

Nice to hear about the improvements you received with your GPU upgrade. That's definitely on the list after the monitor - but it may have to wait a month or so.

I'll definitely try at 720p tonight and see what the CPU can deliver. The thing is, I'm hardly noticing a difference, as the monitors refresh rate is the limiting factor at the minute.. so the game basically looks the same as what the PS4 delivered.

I'll research research research monitors over the next day or two. Check for trusted reviews and get one ordered. Looking forward to it!

I'm aware you won't actually 'see' that fps difference, an argument I've had numerous times with people running 100fps+ on a 60htz monitor.

It will give you an idea of what to expect from your cpu when/if you upgrade to a 100htz+ screen though.

Run at 720p, enable your radeon screen overlay (built into radeon settings) and you get an idea of what your cpu can manage without the limitation of a weaker gpu.
 
Seems to also be G-sync compatible, so if you decide to go with an Nvidia card in the future you shouldn't have problems getting G-sync to work with it.

Also seems to be a VA panel, using a similar panel as some others in this category that are fairly decent. Not the worst choice you could make. I don't see any professional reviews of that unit though, which always tends to make me hesitant unless it's a fairly new model, which that isn't.

Still, that alone doesn't exempt the model from consideration, it just means there are a few more question marks than what we normally like to see before spending that kind of money.

Do you have this monitor Matt?
 

tommyarra

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I got a quick half an hour in the computer last night.

I played on 720p settings and the FPS were consistently 100+ , sometimes peaking at 300+ 😳 so it appears the CPU can deliver decent frame rates.

I then tried 1440p out of interest and the GPU clearly couldn't cope, FPS was bouncing 30-60 and I'd get occasional blackouts of the screen for 1-2 seconds.

I think I might as well go the "whole hog" so to speak and upgrade the GPU - before / at the same time as ordering my monitor.

Its been an expensive upgrade, all in, but I'm sure it will be worth it.
 

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