Is this a decent PC?

[JamesH]

Hi,

I'm wanting to move over to PC after having played console forever, I have no pc experience or proper knowledge, is this set up decent enough to smoothly play games such as GTAV? Or could y'all recommend specs that aren't too expensive probably between £800-1,100?

Current specs:
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Six Core Processor i5-9400F (2.9GHz) 9MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z390-F GAMING: ATX, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs - RGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
8GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2400MHz (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB ADATA SX6000 Pro PCIe M.2 2280 (2100 MB/R, 1500 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 450W VS SERIES™ VS-450 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster Hyper 212X (120mm) Fan CPU Cooler Black Edition
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
50cm Blue LED Strip
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
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
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode

Thanks in advance.

 

[Zoid]

Short answer up top: yes, that computer will give you a good experience in GTA V. However, I don't think it's the best you can do for your budget.

This looks like a pre-built system. Do you only want to look at pre-built systems or are you open to building your own? Building a custom PC can seem intimidating to someone new to the PC gaming world, as you say you are, but if you like putting things together (like building with legos), I would consider it. It's not a difficult process, and you'll end up with something that is both better value for money and more rewarding since you made it yourself.

That said, if putting together a custom PC is just not your speed, pre-builts are totally fine. Let's dive into the specs you have here.

CPU: An i5-9400F will give you good gaming performance, but I think a Ryzen 5 3600 is the way to go at this price point. The Ryzen 5 3600 has double the number of processing threads (12 vs 6), so it is much better at multitasking while still having single-core performance strong enough to tackle any games you throw at it. AMD's current AM4 platform is also a better ecosystem to be on in 2020 if you ask me.

Memory: For a new gaming PC, I would recommend 16GB of RAM. 8GB will work, in most cases, but I regularly exceed 8GB of usage on my system. 2400MHz is also at the slow end of DDR4 RAM, but that's not so crucial.

GPU: The GTX 1660 Super is a good card, but in your price range you can easily get into an RTX 2060 instead, which will perform better across the board.

Storage: Prebuilt systems love to do SSD + HDD combo setups. I personally do not recommend mechanical HDDs anymore unless you need a ton (multiple terabytes) of bulk storage. Stick with at least a 500GB SSD (which this system has), but 1TB of solid state storage would be better.

Power Supply: The Corsair VS-450 is not great. It would probably be fine, but it's not what you would buy if you got to choose.

The important question I think is whether or not you're set on a pre-built machine or open to putting one together yourself. Let us know and we can fine-tune recommendations from there!

 

[Topher]

What is the price of the PC you have listed there?

 

[Oussebon]

Agreed with the above, You can (and ideally should) do better for the money It's not particularly well balanced.

This looks like a spec formatted off PC Specialist's website (a UK custom PC builder). You can get advice from the community there as they have an active forum as well as here. Hardly anyone on the PCS forums works for PCS, and the advice tends to be impartial.

As it's from a system builder there are only certain options to pick from.

You didn't say what case you were choosing. Don't neglect the case - a lot of cheaper cases have very closed off fronts with poor ventilation that will limit airflow and cooling.

Assuming this is indeed a PCS build, something like:

Case
FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB ADATA SX6000 Pro PCIe M.2 2280 (2100 MB/R, 1500 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W CV SERIES™ CV-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
50cm RGB LED Strip
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
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 13 to 15 working days
Price: £967.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/qrVbTBdSRv/

R5 3600 rather than i5 9400F. And a B450 mobo.
3200 MHz RAM. And 16gb of it.
550W and better quality PSU, will keep open more GPU upgrade options down the line
Slightly better wifi card with more features for little extra cash. if you're not using wifi, drop the card and save a few quid.
RGB LED strip - so you can pick the colours you want
Stock AMD cooler is fine, and claws back a few quid to pay for things like faster RAM.

Fractal Focus G as a solid budget case, without knowing what you'd picked.

This should be about the same price as your spec (it was when I put your spec into their configurator)

 

[JamesH]

Short answer up top: yes, that computer will give you a good experience in GTA V. However, I don't think it's the best you can do for your budget.

This looks like a pre-built system. Do you only want to look at pre-built systems or are you open to building your own? Building a custom PC can seem intimidating to someone new to the PC gaming world, as you say you are, but if you like putting things together (like building with legos), I would consider it. It's not a difficult process, and you'll end up with something that is both better value for money and more rewarding since you made it yourself.

That said, if putting together a custom PC is just not your speed, pre-builts are totally fine. Let's dive into the specs you have here.

CPU: An i5-9400F will give you good gaming performance, but I think a Ryzen 5 3600 is the way to go at this price point. The Ryzen 5 3600 has double the number of processing threads (12 vs 6), so it is much better at multitasking while still having single-core performance strong enough to tackle any games you throw at it. AMD's current AM4 platform is also a better ecosystem to be on in 2020 if you ask me.

Memory: For a new gaming PC, I would recommend 16GB of RAM. 8GB will work, in most cases, but I regularly exceed 8GB of usage on my system. 2400MHz is also at the slow end of DDR4 RAM, but that's not so crucial.

GPU: The GTX 1660 Super is a good card, but in your price range you can easily get into an RTX 2060 instead, which will perform better across the board.

Storage: Prebuilt systems love to do SSD + HDD combo setups. I personally do not recommend mechanical HDDs anymore unless you need a ton (multiple terabytes) of bulk storage. Stick with at least a 500GB SSD (which this system has), but 1TB of solid state storage would be better.

Power Supply: The Corsair VS-450 is not great. It would probably be fine, but it's not what you would buy if you got to choose.

The important question I think is whether or not you're set on a pre-built machine or open to putting one together yourself. Let us know and we can fine-tune recommendations from there!

I am open to building my own PC. And thanks for those recommendations!

 

[JamesH]

Agreed with the above, You can (and ideally should) do better for the money It's not particularly well balanced.

This looks like a spec formatted off PC Specialist's website (a UK custom PC builder). You can get advice from the community there as they have an active forum as well as here. Hardly anyone on the PCS forums works for PCS, and the advice tends to be impartial.

As it's from a system builder there are only certain options to pick from.

You didn't say what case you were choosing. Don't neglect the case - a lot of cheaper cases have very closed off fronts with poor ventilation that will limit airflow and cooling.

Assuming this is indeed a PCS build, something like:

Case
FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.2GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME B450-PLUS (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s) - RGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
6GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1660 SUPER - HDMI, DP - GeForce GTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
512GB ADATA SX6000 Pro PCIe M.2 2280 (2100 MB/R, 1500 MB/W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W CV SERIES™ CV-550 POWER SUPPLY
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
50cm RGB LED Strip
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
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 13 to 15 working days
Price: £967.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/qrVbTBdSRv/

R5 3600 rather than i5 9400F. And a B450 mobo.
3200 MHz RAM. And 16gb of it.
550W and better quality PSU, will keep open more GPU upgrade options down the line
Slightly better wifi card with more features for little extra cash. if you're not using wifi, drop the card and save a few quid.
RGB LED strip - so you can pick the colours you want
Stock AMD cooler is fine, and claws back a few quid to pay for things like faster RAM.

Fractal Focus G as a solid budget case, without knowing what you'd picked.

This should be about the same price as your spec (it was when I put your spec into their configurator)

Will this kind of spec work for pretty much any kind of gaming? I.e. online and that kind of thing?

 

[Oussebon]

Will this kind of spec work for pretty much any kind of gaming? I.e. online and that kind of thing?

Yes, it should do well in any modern titles at 1080p

Whether you buy custom or you self build, R6 3600 + B450 + 16gb fast RAM is a solid starting point for you to form a spec around.

 

[Zoid]

I am open to building my own PC. And thanks for those recommendations!

I suggest you build your own if you think you might enjoy it. It can be a really fun hobby and there are tons of resources out there to help you. I'm happy to help with anything you need, just shoot me a PM. Here are my general suggestions to start with:

As mentioned above, at your budget I would recommend building off of a Ryzen 5 3600 paired with a B450 chipset motherboard and 16GB (2 x 8GB) of RAM. 3600MHz is the sweet spot for RAM speed, but 3200MHz is also good if you're finding 3600 to be too expensive.

Power supplies aren't exciting components because they don't give you higher framerates, but they are what keeps your entire computer alive, so don't cut corners on them. This PSU tier list is a good reference to have while you're shopping around, but always do a little of your own research before buying. I would look at units that are 550 or 650 watts, semi or fully modular, and 80+ gold cert. I particularly like the Corsair RMx (2018) 650 W or the SeaSonic FOCUS 650 W or Prime Ultra Gold right now.

The choice of computer case is largely an aesthetic one, but don't overlook function. Good airflow is important for keeping things cool, and a well-built case with good cable management options will make building in it a more enjoyable experience.

As for GPU, you can throw as much money at one as you feel like. In the £230 range, a GTX 1660 Super will do well at 1080p. At about £300 I'd look at an RX 5700 or an RTX 2060. Above that you won't be getting much additional usable performance at 1080p, but an RX 5700XT would be the next step at about £340.

 

[Topher]

To me, building your own is much more satisfying than buying a pre-built. And I've done both. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with buying a prebuilt especially if someone isn't comfortable with or just doesn't want to build. It is fine.

If you do build, find a good youtube channel (one not called the verge) to walk you through the process.

Recommendations:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM6kIWJAW-I

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHY6ygHj80c

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK51upU5bkU

The choice of computer case is largely an aesthetic one, but don't overlook function. Good airflow is important for keeping things cool, and a well-built case with good cable management options will make building in it a more enjoyable experience.

Going to double-down on that comment from Zoid. Very important to have good airflow. Gamer Nexus on youtube has some very good case reviews and he goes in-depth on thermals and case designs for cable management. But don't feel like you have to break the bank on a case. You can find cable friendly cases that are not ridiculously expensive. If possible, try to find a local store to actually see the case in person.