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

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northumbria82

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Feb 26, 2019
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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.
 
Last edited:

northumbria82

Prominent
Feb 26, 2019
35
1
535
Thanks for this, so this will be super fast and quiet?

Can I ask, do I need cooling? Because it was recomended: Noctua NH-U14S Ultra Quiet Performance CPU Cooler

... would I not need one of those?

Thanks -
Zoe
 
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.
Actually you wont need that much of graphics power for that workload. Also each part should have its own warranty. Get it built by a professional if you are not confident. They will charge you a nominal fee. Building is easy though and super fun...

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 3800X 3.9 GHz 8-Core Processor | £282.02 @ Amazon UK
CPU Cooler | Scythe Mugen 5 Rev. B 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler | £48.94 @ Overclockers.co.uk
Motherboard | MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard | £98.99 @ Box Limited
Memory | G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory | £179.17 @ Amazon UK
Storage | Sabrent Rocket Q 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive | £99.99 @ Amazon UK
Video Card | MSI GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB VENTUS OC Video Card | £349.99 @ Amazon UK
Case | Phanteks Eclipse P300A Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case | £50.99 @ AWD-IT
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
Wireless Network Adapter | Asus PCE-AC56 PCIe x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter | £36.59 @ Aria PC
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | £1313.65
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-26 14:12 GMT+0000 |
 

WildCard999

Titan
Moderator
Thanks for this, so this will be super fast and quiet?

Can I ask, do I need cooling? Because it was recomended: Noctua NH-U14S Ultra Quiet Performance CPU Cooler

... would I not need one of those?

Thanks -
Zoe
Depends on what you consider quiet, the higher end Ryzen CPU's (imo) come with a fairly quiet stock cooler but it depends on what your tolerance of quiet is. I'd suggest trying it out and if it's too loud then replace the cooler with a better one. And yes, the Noctua would be quieter.
 
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northumbria82

Prominent
Feb 26, 2019
35
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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

I do have one question for you, hope you can help me with...

You've recommended the Zotac GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4 GB Twin Fan Video Card , whenever I've looked at gaming towers that say they can handle livestreaming and OBS really fast, they always seem to say they use Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060... is this graphic card you've recommended as good?

Thanks,
Zoe
 
Last edited:

WildCard999

Titan
Moderator
It depends on how you stream through OBS, you can utilize the CPU or GPU so for those with weaker CPU's they'll utilize the GPU but with the 3900X it would handle streaming better then most GPU's due to the high amount of cores/threads.

If the monitor resolution is 1080P then the 1650S would work well.
 
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logainofhades

Titan
Moderator
Looking over this thread, and suggestions, I agree that you probably don't need much, GPU wise. It might be worthwhile to up the CPU core count, instead. Changed the case and cooler, for more, yet quieter, airflow.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor (£409.00 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler (£67.48 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE ATX AM4 Motherboard (£182.99 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory (£183.32 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive (£94.49 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 570 4 GB PULSE Video Card (£125.47 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase H500 ATX Mid Tower Case (£95.99 @ Box Limited)
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: £1355.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-26 15:07 GMT+0000
 
Last edited:
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northumbria82

Prominent
Feb 26, 2019
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535
Looking over this thread, and suggestions, I agree that you probably don't need much, GPU wise. It might be worthwhile to up the CPU core count, instead.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core Processor (£409.00 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler (£67.48 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE ATX AM4 Motherboard (£182.99 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory (£183.32 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive (£94.49 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 570 4 GB PULSE Video Card (£125.47 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: Cooler Master MasterCase H500 ATX Mid Tower Case (£95.99 @ Box Limited)
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: £1355.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-02-26 15:07 GMT+0000

Thanks, this is great :)

Can I ask...

Is there a big difference between this graphic card and the Nvidia GeForce 2060?

Since I'll be creating videos, video editing, and using Adobe... I'll be honest, I don't know exactly the part that a graphic card plays... is it just to give sharper graphics?

Thanks in advance, your help is much appreciated!
 
Thanks, this is great :)

Can I ask...

Is there a big difference between this graphic card and the Nvidia GeForce 2060?

Since I'll be creating videos, video editing, and using Adobe... I'll be honest, I don't know exactly the part that a graphic card plays... is it just to give sharper graphics?

Thanks in advance, your help is much appreciated!
You will need a reasonably balanced PC. This should be good read...
https://www.punchtechnology.co.uk/video-editing-pc-builds/
 
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Feb 26, 2020
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I would recommend Dell Alienware Aurora Ryzen edition. While assembling would be more cost effective. I like the multi year support branded vendors provide. With dell you can go upto 4 years. While most assembled will top at 1 year and in most cases the hardware warranty would be through different vendors. Not easy.
 

northumbria82

Prominent
Feb 26, 2019
35
1
535
I would recommend Dell Alienware Aurora Ryzen edition. While assembling would be more cost effective. I like the multi year support branded vendors provide. With dell you can go upto 4 years. While most assembled will top at 1 year and in most cases the hardware warranty would be through different vendors. Not easy.

I think this is out of my price range; I've just Googled it and it's showing up at around £3,000.
 

northumbria82

Prominent
Feb 26, 2019
35
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535
Make sure to post on their forums for advice/feedback, as even if you're very confident selecting components, their configurators can benefit from a 2nd pair of eyes. Including your budget and intended uses when you do :)

Thanks for the advice.

The guys I spoke to on the phone at PCS know what I need the computer for, so know it needs to be fast and pretty quiet. They sounded confident in the system they've recommended. So, hopefully all should be good when it arrives.
 

Oussebon

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Feb 17, 2020
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I would strongly recommend getting a once-over of the spec from the forum community. There are plenty of instances where the advice of PCS sales staff and the forum community differs, and I can't remember an instance of the sales staff having the better of it.

The enthusiasts on the forum often have better product knowledge than the frontline sales staff.

I can't emphasise enough the potential benefits of posting the spec to their forum for some advice. And it costs you nothing but a little time.
 

northumbria82

Prominent
Feb 26, 2019
35
1
535
I would strongly recommend getting a once-over of the spec from the forum community. There are plenty of instances where the advice of PCS sales staff and the forum community differs, and I can't remember an instance of the sales staff having the better of it.

The enthusiasts on the forum often have better product knowledge than the frontline sales staff.

I can't emphasise enough the potential benefits of posting the spec to their forum for some advice. And it costs you nothing but a little time.

I ordered it this morning. So, I can't change it at this point!

Hopefully PCSpecialists have recommended a good system/specs.

Will keep this thread updated.