[SOLVED] Advice on building a system - build myself or use PCSpecialists?

[northumbria82]

UPDATE: I've decided to order one from PCSpecialists. I'll let you know how it goes

Hi guys,

I'm hoping you can advise me.

I need a new computer for my work, which is going to involve using multiple applications (such as Adobe and OBS), live-streaming and creating YouTube videos and online courses. So, it needs to be powerful, and pretty quiet (since I'll be recording videos).

My current laptop (HP Pavillion Notebook 15) gets very noisy and overheats when I try to use OBS whilst using other applications. So, I need something more powerful.

I was thinking a gaming tower might be best, since they need a lot of power, and because many YouTubers who stream and create online videos have them.

But, I've read that they can be pretty noisy.

I then stumbled across a company in the UK called PCSpecialists, who can make custom computers based on individual needs. So I told them what I'm needing and was advised to get the following:

• Case CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIESTM 275Q QUIET CASE
• Processor (CPU) AMD Ryzen 7 2700X Eight Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.35GHz/20MB CACHE/AM4)
• Motherboard ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
• Memory (RAM) 32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (2 x 16GB)
• Graphics Card 8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2070 SUPER - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
• 1st Storage Drive NOT REQUIRED
• 1st M.2 SSD Drive 1TB INTEL® 660p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (upto 1800MB/sR | 1800MB/sW)
• DVD/BLU-RAY Drive NOT REQUIRED
• Power Supply CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIESTM SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
• Power Cable 1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
• Processor Cooling Noctua NH-U14S Ultra Quiet Performance CPU Cooler
• Thermal Paste STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
• Sound Card ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
• Wireless/Wired Networking WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
• USB/Thunderbolt Options MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
• Operating System Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
• Operating System Language United Kingdom - English Language
• Windows Recovery Media Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
  
  I was told this will be super powerful and quiet, which sounds great.
  
  The trouble is, I've read some worrying reviews on Trustpilot about systems arriving broken, or breaking down on people.
  
  Because it's going to be so expensive, and because I really need this for my work, I'm hoping you guys might be able to advise me which route to take.
  
  Having one built sounds great, mostly because of the warranty, but that said, I don't want to be going back and forth for months if something goes wrong with it.
  
  I'm pretty good at learning things from YouTube videos... do you think I would be able to make this system myself? Would it be very difficult?
  
  And where would be the best places to buy the parts from?
  
  Or, do you think I should go with PCSpecialists?
  
  They were very helpful on the phone, it's just some of the reviews that are niggling me (that said, they do have a lot of positive reviews too).
  
  Look forward to your replies!
  
  Zoe.

 

[logainofhades]

Building yourself is not a difficult task. It's like legos for adults. There are many how to guides out there. What is the budget, for just your PC?

 

[CosmicDance]

I have used pcspecialists.co.uk 3 times now over the years and always found their build quality, build time, delivery and after service to be fantastic.


Andy

 

[northumbria82]

Hi guys,

I'm hoping you can advise me.

I need a new computer for my work, which is going to involve using multiple applications (such as Adobe and OBS), live-streaming and creating YouTube videos and online courses. So, it needs to be powerful, and pretty quiet (since I'll be recording videos).

My current laptop (HP Pavillion Notebook 15) gets very noisy and overheats when I try to use OBS whilst using other applications. So, I need something more powerful.

I was thinking a gaming tower might be best, since they need a lot of power, and because many YouTubers who stream and create online videos have them.

But, I've read that they can be pretty noisy.

I then stumbled across a company in the UK called PCSpecialists, who can make custom computers based on individual needs. So I told them what I'm needing and was advised to get the following:

• Case CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIESTM 275Q QUIET CASE
• Processor (CPU) AMD Ryzen 7 2700X Eight Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.35GHz/20MB CACHE/AM4)
• Motherboard ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
• Memory (RAM) 32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (2 x 16GB)
• Graphics Card 8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2070 SUPER - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
• 1st Storage Drive NOT REQUIRED
• 1st M.2 SSD Drive 1TB INTEL® 660p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (upto 1800MB/sR | 1800MB/sW)
• DVD/BLU-RAY Drive NOT REQUIRED
• Power Supply CORSAIR 550W TXm SERIESTM SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
• Power Cable 1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
• Processor Cooling Noctua NH-U14S Ultra Quiet Performance CPU Cooler
• Thermal Paste STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
• Sound Card ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
• Wireless/Wired Networking WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
• USB/Thunderbolt Options MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
• Operating System Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
• Operating System Language United Kingdom - English Language
• Windows Recovery Media Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
  
  I was told this will be super powerful and quiet, which sounds great.
  
  The trouble is, I've read quite a lot of worrying reviews on Trustpilot about systems arriving broken, or breaking down on people. And lots of people have said they've had to wait a long time for them to arrive.
  
  Because it's going to be so expensive, and because I really need this for my work, I'm hoping you guys might be able to advise me which route to take.
  
  Having one built sounds great, mostly because of the warranty, but that said, I don't want to be going back and forth for months if something goes wrong with it (they seem to be very busy and there's a lot of wait time).
  
  I'm pretty good at learning things from YouTube videos... do you think I would be able to make this system myself? Would it be very difficult?
  
  And where would be the best places to buy the parts from?
  
  Or, do you think I should take a chance with PCSpecialists?
  
  They were very helpful on the phone, it's just the reviews that are niggling me.
  
  Look forward to your replies!
  
  Zoe.

 

[jay32267]

I'm not going to comment on how good or bad the system is....but as far as doing it yourself or having them do it.....here's what I think.....

I have built lots of computers and electronics is my living.

My last gaming machine.....I bought a prebuilt....as I just didn't want the headache if something went wrong or I got a bad component.

Although, if the place you intend to buy it from has a lot of wait time....I might look at purchasing elsewhere.

 

[northumbria82]

Building yourself is not a difficult task. It's like legos for adults. There are many how to guides out there. What is the budget, for just your PC?

£1350

 

[northumbria82]

I'm not going to comment on how good or bad the system is....but as far as doing it yourself or having them do it.....here's what I think.....

I have built lots of computers and electronics is my living.

My last gaming machine.....I bought a prebuilt....as I just didn't want the headache if something went wrong or I got a bad component.

Although, if the place you intend to buy it from has a lot of wait time....I might look at purchasing elsewhere.

As computers and electronics is your living, I don't suppose you could give me your opinion on this?

 

[jay32267]

As computers and electronics is your living, I don't suppose you could give me your opinion on this?

I gave you my opinion.

Now I see Andy saying....

"I have used pcspecialists.co.uk 3 times now over the years and always found their build quality, build time, delivery and after service to be fantastic"

If this is true....I would buy the PC from them.

Just my opinion.

 

[sdedu77]

My current laptop (HP Pavillion Notebook 15) gets very noisy and overheats

It's likely that the laptop needs a dust cleaning and/or thermal paste reapplication.

Regarding the prebuilt/diy dilema, it comes down to the warranty: standard 2-3 years per computer or 2 to even lifetime warranty (e.g. the RAM) for single components. You also have more case options, if you mind the look of it.

 

[northumbria82]

I have used pcspecialists.co.uk 3 times now over the years and always found their build quality, build time, delivery and after service to be fantastic.


Andy

I gave you my opinion.

I meant about the system itself.
Never mind though, I think it's a good one, from the research I've done.

 

[northumbria82]

It's likely that the laptop needs a dust cleaning and/or thermal paste reapplication.

Regarding the prebuilt/diy dilema, it comes down to the warranty: standard 2-3 years per computer or 2 to even lifetime warranty (e.g. the RAM) for single components. You also have more case options, if you mind the look of it.

Plus, I wouldn't have to wait 3-4 weeks for it to be made/arrive.

Is it very difficult though to build a PC though?

For example, if I try building the system mentioned above?

I've tried looking for a system of that spec that's prebuilt but can't seem to find one.

 

[jay32267]

I meant about the system itself.
Never mind though, I think it's a good one, from the research I've done.

I tend to shy away from arguing the merits or demerits of systems as it can become a pissing match.

 

[sdedu77]

Plus, I wouldn't have to wait 3-4 weeks for it to be made/arrive.

Is it very difficult though to build a PC though?

For example, if I try building the system mentioned above?

I've tried looking for a system of that spec that's prebuilt but can't seem to find one.

Not really. Just ground yourself before touching sensitive components (like the motheboard, golden RAM pins etc.).
Also (especially for an Intel build), DON'T PUSH THE CPU INTO THE SOCKET. Just let it drop in there.
The trickiest part is likely going to be the cable management in the back. It shouldn't be very hard, though. Just time consuming.

 

[northumbria82]

I tend to shy away from arguing the merits or demerits of systems as it can become a pissing match.

Oh I see, fair enough

 

[sdedu77]

Also, use a power supply calculator, to make sure it can power all your components.
Coolong-wise, check if the case has good airflow. The ones with mesh front panel are mostly a safe bet.

 

[logainofhades]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor (£259.00 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H5 Universal 65 CFM CPU Cooler (£44.99 @ Currys PC World)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard (£98.99 @ Box Limited)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory (£89.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive (£94.49 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£32.09 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB VENTUS OC Video Card (£449.98 @ Ebuyer)
Case: Metallic Gear Neo Air ATX Mid Tower Case (£55.99 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair TXM Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply (£73.98 @ Aria PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit (£92.99 @ AWD-IT)
Custom: Ubit ax200 WiFi 6 Card 2974Mbps Pcie Network Card with Bluetooth 5.0 Gigabit Dual Band Network Card Wifi 6 AX200 802.11ax Dual band 2x2 160MHz Wireless Adapter for Desktop (£29.95 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £1322.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-26 13:17 GMT+0000

 

[northumbria82]

Not really. Just ground yourself before touching sensitive components (like the motheboard, golden RAM pins etc.).
Also (especially for an Intel build), DON'T PUSH THE CPU INTO THE SOCKET. Just let it drop in there.
The trickiest part is likely going to be the cable management in the back. It shouldn't be very hard, though. Just time consuming.

I've replaced lots of laptop screens and changed a fair few hard drives from laptops in the past (using YouTube). Never tried tackling a whole computer though!

I might see if I can find a YouTube video to see what I'd be in store for, before going down this route.

If I think I can handle it, I'll do it. Mostly, because I need the computer a.s.a.p.

Thanks for taking the time to help me out

 

[northumbria82]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor (£259.00 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H5 Universal 65 CFM CPU Cooler (£44.99 @ Currys PC World)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard (£98.99 @ Box Limited)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix RGB 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory (£89.99 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive (£94.49 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£32.09 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB VENTUS OC Video Card (£449.98 @ Ebuyer)
Case: Metallic Gear Neo Air ATX Mid Tower Case (£55.99 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair TXM Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply (£73.98 @ Aria PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit (£92.99 @ AWD-IT)
Custom: Ubit ax200 WiFi 6 Card 2974Mbps Pcie Network Card with Bluetooth 5.0 Gigabit Dual Band Network Card Wifi 6 AX200 802.11ax Dual band 2x2 160MHz Wireless Adapter for Desktop (£29.95 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £1322.44
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-26 13:17 GMT+0000

Thanks for this, it's much appreciated!

So, this would be a fast computer that can handle lots of apps being used at once without overheating, or slowing down and getting really noisy?

Are the case and power supplies the quiet kind? And just one more thing... the ram here is 16 GB (instead of the 32GB that was recommended) will the computer still be as fast?

 

[northumbria82]

Also, use a power supply calculator, to make sure it can power all your components.
Coolong-wise, check if the case has good airflow. The ones with mesh front panel are mostly a safe bet.

So, I need to check the power of my plug socket? Or, do you mean the power of my plug extension?

 

[northumbria82]

Hi Guys,

I'm wondering if you can recommend any prebuilt PCs (towers, not laptops) that would be able to handle opening and using lots of appications at once, including OBS, Adobe, Powerpoint, Word etc, whilst screen capturing, recording videos and web browsing.

I'm looking for something with lots of power - that can handle serious multitasking - and that's quiet (since I'll be recording videos for YouTube and online courses)

Can't make my mind up whether to have one custom built, build one myself, or opt for a pre-built one.

All recommendations appreciated!

Thanks,

Zoe.

 

[WildCard999]

Budget?

Monitor(s) resolution/refresh rate?

You'll get much better quality parts if you built it yourself over buying a prebuilt.

 

[adamgrant520]

building a computer you self is almost always the better option, you will get MUCH more bang for your buck and you will be able to spec out the computer to your exact personal needs, listed below is a list of parts which i think would work best for your needs whilst keeping the price down!

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/FTpZXv

a question above "monitor(s)?" would be nice to know, if you plan on running multiple displays, buying a budget gpu would go a long way, if you plan on using a single monitor, what i listed above would work fine

 

[northumbria82]

Budget?

Monitor(s) resolution/refresh rate?

You'll get much better quality parts if you built it yourself over buying a prebuilt.

Budget, around £1350, I'm not sure about my monitor's refresh rate?

I'll need to create videos for YouTube, and livestream, also I 'might' let my son use it for gaming... if that helps?

 

[northumbria82]

building a computer you self is almost always the better option, you will get MUCH more bang for your buck and you will be able to spec out the computer to your exact personal needs, listed below is a list of parts which i think would work best for your needs whilst keeping the price down!

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/FTpZXv

a question above "monitor(s)?" would be nice to know, if you plan on running multiple displays, buying a budget gpu would go a long way, if you plan on using a single monitor, what i listed above would work fine

I plan to use two monitors, because to create videos I'm going to need to use a split screen. So, does this mean I'm going to need a gpu as well?

 

[WildCard999]

The 3900X does not have a iGPU which is why I added the 1650S into the build however it may be a bit overkill for your needs. The stock cooler should be fine however if it's too loud then there are aftermarket coolers which would be much quieter.

PCPartPicker Part List
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor (£409.00 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: ASRock X570M Pro4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard (£179.99 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory (£142.38 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive (£107.58 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£50.26 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4 GB Twin Fan Video Card (£155.47 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C ATX Mid Tower Case (£89.99 @ Currys PC World)
Power Supply: SeaSonic FOCUS Plus Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (£88.99 @ Amazon UK)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit (£92.99 @ AWD-IT)
Total: £1316.65
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-26 14:00 GMT+0000