PC arrived and it's not the parts I expected

[ChlBro]

So I literally just got my PC setup and everything seems to be here but the 10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP, LHR GPU that I bought has 'Zotac Gaming' on the front. I queried this with someone over the phone and she basically told me that "the difference is only minimal and I'd never be able to tell" which was only one of the really rude and dismissive things she said to me. She then went on to say it was my fault that I didn't specify I didn't want the Zotac version, which is insane because until I looked at my PC infront of me I'd never heard of Zotac before. From what I understand and what I've been told, Zotac is a worse version of Asus (what everyone thought I'd be getting).

I ordered Corsair iCUE H115i RGB PRO XT Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler which are at the top of my case however only the pump is RGB. When I selected the fans I was going off of the pictures not the text and I'm sure that the picture I selected was actually the one belonging to the Elite series, which do have RGB fans. The support woman's argument to this was "how often are you going to look at the fans?" Well, when I'm spending a couple thousand on a build like this, yeah I want to look at all of it. There's no reason I would have everything else RGB and not have RBG coolers when they were a possibility. I know I should have done my own research on the fans but similarly I do feel really upset because it was misinformation on their configurator.

And lastly, although I know I can fix this one myself but it does still upset me, I ordered 2x 50cm LED strips - this was the max number you can order and I was advised by PCS live chat that they'd be fit everywhere you'd want them - but for some reason the strip starts next to the front of the case (which you can't see when you're sat down with it next to you), goes across the top and then randomly ends at the back by the case fan. The woman I was speaking to on support doesn't understand why the builders didn't start at the top and cover just the top and that back side, either.

All in all, I'm super disappointed in PCS from the start of placing my order to receiving it - there were delays which they blamed me for on the cable, then there was misinformation on the stock of the case (5000D Airflow) and now this and I'm not really sure how to go about resolving it. It's watercooled and either way I don't feel confident swapping out the processor fans myself - hence why I paid someone else to build it.

I know I'm having a bit of a grumble, but like I said, you pay this much for something you expect it to be as close to perfect as possible.

 

[Martinr36]

Can you post the spec from your orders page

 

[ChlBro]

Full spec:
Case
CORSAIR 5000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700K (3.6GHz) 25MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z690-F GAMING WIFI (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair DOMINATOR PLATINUM RGB DDR5 5200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP, LHR
Graphics Card Support Bracket
PCS ARGB GRAPHICS CARD SUPPORT BRACKET
1st Storage Drive
2TB Samsung 870 QVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (up to 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
USB 3.0 EXTERNAL SD/MICRO SD CARD READER
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Braided Power Supply Cables
CORSAIR Premium Individually Sleeved PSU Cable Kit Pro - Blue/Black
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H115i RGB PRO XT Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
LED Lighting
2x 50cm ARGB LED Strip
Extra Case Fans
3x Corsair LL120 RGB LED Fan + Controller Kit

 

[SpyderTracks]

but for some reason the strip starts next to the front of the case (which you can't see when you're sat down with it next to you), goes across the top and then randomly ends at the back by the case fan. The woman I was speaking to on support doesn't understand why the builders didn't start at the top and cover just the top and that back side, either.

They're simply magnetic, so builders just slap them in, it's down to the user to place them where they want. But there's no adhesive, it's literally just lift it off and it magnetically snaps in wherever you want it.

She then went on to say it was my fault that I didn't specify I didn't want the Zotac version, which is insane because until I looked at my PC infront of me I'd never heard of Zotac before. From what I understand and what I've been told, Zotac is a worse version of Asus (what everyone thought I'd be getting).

When you say everyone thought you'd be getting Asus who do you mean?

10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP, LHR GPU

All this is stating is that you're ordering an NVidia GPU. That's just the actual GPU chip that all manufacturers then build cards around. So it's not specifying any model, certainly no mention of Asus. There is a separate listing if you specifically wanted an Asus card:

It's clearly stated in the terms and conditions also:

7.3 If you order a dedicated graphics card and the AIB (add-in-board) manufacturer name is not specified in the product description or on the final invoice, then you will receive a graphics card that meets the specification of the model/version stated. If the graphics card is exchanged under the warranty, then we will supply a graphics card that meets or exceeds the specification of the model/version stated. This model may be from a different AIB manufacturer and as a result the actual performance may be slightly higher or lower than the original model.

PCSPECIALIST - Terms & Conditions

General Terms & Conditions of business.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

It's one of those things, unless you understand components, you wouldn't necessarily realise that an NVidia Geforce is not a card itself, but just the chip. It's generally recommended to get advice if you're unsure of hardware terminology. The two makes that PCS normally supply for generic selections are Zotac and Palit

But Zotac are a very good brand and have been around for a long time, they often have the fastest models on the market with the Amp Extreme range, and the GPU is the same across all manufacturers cards, it's just the cooling and board design that's different, so at stock performance is the same across any card within margin of error. Asus cards have a huge premium so cost a good few hundred pounds more than other brands for the equivalent model.

I can't comment on the cooler, have you tried putting through a similar config to see if it adds the incorrect selection again? It seems to be working ok for me.

But you have 14 days no questions asked after delivery to return the PC for a full refund if you're not happy with it, standard UK returns policy.

 

[Martinr36]

ok you got the cooler you ordered and it only does have 16 led on the pump head

Here's the full description from the corsair site

https://www.corsair.com/uk/en/Categories/Products/Liquid-Cooling/iCUE-RGB-PRO-XT-Coolers/p/CW-9060044-WW

 

[SpyderTracks]

Oooo, there's also a bit in the FAQ section about GPU's

PCSPECIALIST - Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions when buying a new PC or laptop.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

 

[SpyderTracks]

So just for a bit of understanding for the future.

This is what 10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP, LHR GPU is at a physical level: it's just a silicon processor just like a CPU

The Graphics Card itself is as you know the circuitry and power delivery and cooling built around the processor much like a motherboard to a CPU

 

[AgentCooper]

I ordered Corsair iCUE H115i RGB PRO XT Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler which are at the top of my case however only the pump is RGB. When I selected the fans I was going off of the pictures not the text and I'm sure that the picture I selected was actually the one belonging to the Elite series, which do have RGB fans. The support woman's argument to this was "how often are you going to look at the fans?" Well, when I'm spending a couple thousand on a build like this, yeah I want to look at all of it. There's no reason I would have everything else RGB and not have RBG coolers when they were a possibility. I know I should have done my own research on the fans but similarly I do feel really upset because it was misinformation on their configurator.

You’ve kinda answered your own query with this. If you’re going to spend a couple of thousand, it pays to research what you’re getting. There is no misinformation on the configurator with regards to that cooler, please be careful when making such bold statements.

As stated, if you’re not satisfied you can return it. But you’ve been supplied with a working system so if I were in your position I’d chalk this one off as a learning experience and move on.

The six P’s are your friend, proper preparation and planning prevents poor performance (there’s actually seven P’s but I can’t say one of the words here)

 

[SimonPeters116]

You’ve kinda answered your own query with this. If you’re going to spend a couple of thousand, it pays to research what you’re getting. There is no misinformation on the configurator with regards to that cooler, please be careful when making such bold statements.

As stated, if you’re not satisfied you can return it. But you’ve been supplied with a working system so if I were in your position I’d chalk this one off as a learning experience and move on.

The six P’s are your friend, proper preparation and planning prevents poor performance (there’s actually seven P’s but I can’t say one of the words here)

I thought the 7 P's were Prior Planning and Preparation etc, but your version works just as well. I expect mine has the same unmentionable word in it as well 😂

 

[ChlBro]

ok you got the cooler you ordered and it only does have 16 led on the pump head

View attachment 34591

Here's the full description from the corsair site

https://www.corsair.com/uk/en/Categories/Products/Liquid-Cooling/iCUE-RGB-PRO-XT-Coolers/p/CW-9060044-WW

Yeah so the cooler I got matches the text of what I picked, but when I picked it in the config tool it was a different image and I went with the image of it instead of the text. All I'm saying is that there was a mix up with the site displaying the correct image over the correct text. Obviously if I'd have realised / looked into it more myself, I would have gone with the Elite to get the RGB fans. They are fine, it's just a shame as the inside is pretty dark and obviously not what I expected

 

[ChlBro]

They're simply magnetic, so builders just slap them in, it's down to the user to place them where they want. But there's no adhesive, it's literally just lift it off and it magnetically snaps in wherever you want it.


When you say everyone thought you'd be getting Asus who do you mean?


All this is stating is that you're ordering an NVidia GPU. That's just the actual GPU chip that all manufacturers then build cards around. So it's not specifying any model, certainly no mention of Asus. There is a separate listing if you specifically wanted an Asus card:

View attachment 34590

It's clearly stated in the terms and conditions also:

7.3 If you order a dedicated graphics card and the AIB (add-in-board) manufacturer name is not specified in the product description or on the final invoice, then you will receive a graphics card that meets the specification of the model/version stated. If the graphics card is exchanged under the warranty, then we will supply a graphics card that meets or exceeds the specification of the model/version stated. This model may be from a different AIB manufacturer and as a result the actual performance may be slightly higher or lower than the original model.

PCSPECIALIST - Terms & Conditions

General Terms & Conditions of business.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk

It's one of those things, unless you understand components, you wouldn't necessarily realise that an NVidia Geforce is not a card itself, but just the chip. It's generally recommended to get advice if you're unsure of hardware terminology. The two makes that PCS normally supply for generic selections are Zotac and Palit

But Zotac are a very good brand and have been around for a long time, they often have the fastest models on the market with the Amp Extreme range, and the GPU is the same across all manufacturers cards, it's just the cooling and board design that's different, so at stock performance is the same across any card within margin of error. Asus cards have a huge premium so cost a good few hundred pounds more than other brands for the equivalent model.

I can't comment on the cooler, have you tried putting through a similar config to see if it adds the incorrect selection again? It seems to be working ok for me.

But you have 14 days no questions asked after delivery to return the PC for a full refund if you're not happy with it, standard UK returns policy.

Thanks for all of this, I really appreciate the time taken and in-depth responses.

Like you said, I thought that a GTX 3080 would look the same across the board so when it didn't it threw me a little bit. All the people I'd asked separately about my build and what parts they'd suggest etc. weren't too impressed with the Zotac thing - maybe they thought the same as me, although I thought I'd been asking people who know their stuff when it came to PCs, so I'm not sure. Strange that it says it in their T&Cs but the woman I spoke to on the phone earlier was saying how it was just a toss up between Zotac and Asus.

The LED strips, she'd told me they were stuck in with adhesive and she strongly recommended me not messing with them but I did lift them off and they are mostly magnetic with just a little bit of sticky, so I've moved them into a better placement now - thanks again for that

 

[Rakk]

weren't too impressed with the Zotac thing

Just as a note, my GTX1070 card from PCS was a Zotac, it worked perfectly fine til I retired it last year by which time it was 5 years old and it only got retired cos I wanted something beefier - it still works afaik
ie. I had absolutely no problems and its lived well past its warranty

 

[ChlBro]

Hello all,

TLDR; really weird little beep in my PC, wondering if anyone knows what causes it?

I've had my PC since September this year but since I can remember there's been a very small beep happening somewhere inside the case. I can't figure out what causes it so it's really difficult for me to get a recording of it and up until recently I genuinely thought it was in my head, but I managed to grab snippets of it happening and here we are. On recordings it doesn't sound super loud because of interference but it's loud enough to be problematic for me and obviously I'm worried that it's going to cause issues further down the line when it's out of warranty. My preference would be to not have to send it back for obvious reasons, also

Performance wise, I've not seen any issues with anything when it's doing the beep other than the little noise that's super irritating. None of my RGB lights go off, I don't lose input from mouse or keyboard, my screens don't flicker, I don't miss audio, games don't lag.

- I've muted my speakers, both on the speakers themselves and in Windows, as I was told if the beeping stopped then then it was a BIOS thing however it didn't stop.
- I then reseated my RAM, turned it on, had the RAM error boot up code (1 long 3 short), turned it off, reseated it again, and it was fine.
- The beeping was still happening so I called up PCS yesterday and the guy I spoke to said he's never heard this beep come from a PC before and it almost sounds more like servers or something. He walked me through updating my BIOS and said he'd move my query on to the second line in the meantime. After the BIOS updated, it restarted a couple times and both times the RAM error boot up code happened but still turned on fine except for the fact that my RAM wasn't lighting up and iCUE couldn't detect it. While trying to figure out why that was happening, this little beep I'm asking about was happening pretty often with just iCUE running.
- A friend figured out it was because updating the BIOS reset the SPD Write Access to True and it needed to be False for the DRAM to do the thing. Did that, turned it back on, no RAM error boot up code and the RAM is lighting up again. The beep still happens.

The PCS guy said that there's 4 things they look at and one of them is environmental but he's pretty sure this beep isn't to do with anything I've got plugged in (USB switcher to switch my keyboard between my work laptop and home PC, Razer mouse charger, Razer mouse dongle, Corsair mouse/keyboard mat, Corsair headphone stand, Steelseries headset, Logi speakers, 2 monitors - 1 HDMI 1 DP). We said that I could unplug everything but the core 3 and slowly introduce stuff back into it but because the beep happens so seemingly randomly, that probably wouldn't be a good test.
He also mentioned that this doesn't sound like an error beep code because it's so faint.

When I'm playing Destiny 2 via Steam it seems to for sure beep but I've tried launching everything I can at the same time and sometimes it won't beep at all, other times it just beeps on Netflix and then obviously yesterday it was doing the beeps after it had turned on and just iCUE was running.
Someone suggested getting MSI Afterburner and setting my fans to 30% but Firestorm was already installed and it seems to override MSI for some reason, but the temperature is the same across both programs, as seen below. I have 3 fans on my GPU though so I don't know why Firestorm only shows 2 (circled).

.

Here's a link to it happening while watching my GPU fans with the PC case off. The left one does spin, just not in the clip. The beep is super faint on recording but it happens when the middle fan starts to spin which I'm 99% sure was just coincidence because I've watched them like a hawk since and the beep happens when they're already spinning or when they don't at all.

Thanks in advance

Full spec:
Case
CORSAIR 5000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 12-Core Processor i7-12700K (3.6GHz) 25MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z690-F GAMING WIFI (LGA1700, USB 3.2, PCIe 5.0) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair DOMINATOR PLATINUM RGB DDR5 5200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP, LHR
Graphics Card Support Bracket
PCS ARGB GRAPHICS CARD SUPPORT BRACKET
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
1st Storage Drive
2TB Samsung 870 QVO 2.5" SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (up to 560MB/sR | 530MB/sW)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Braided Power Supply Cables
CORSAIR Premium Individually Sleeved PSU Cable Kit Pro - Blue/Black
Processor Cooling
Corsair iCUE H115i RGB PRO XT Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
LED Lighting
2x 50cm ARGB LED Strip
Extra Case Fans
3x Corsair LL120 RGB LED Fan + Controller Kit
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 11 Home 64 Bit
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

 

[B4zookaw]

At what point in the 8 sec clip is the beep you’re hearing?

 

[ChlBro]

At what point in the 8 sec clip is the beep you’re hearing?

"The beep is super faint on recording but it happens when the middle fan starts to spin which I'm 99% sure was just coincidence"

You're gonna need to turn your volume all the way up, though

 

[B4zookaw]

What timestamp on the video please?

 

[ubuysa]

"The beep is super faint on recording but it happens when the middle fan starts to spin which I'm 99% sure was just coincidence"

You're gonna need to turn your volume all the way up, though

Could this 'beep' possibly be a squeak? I'm wondering whether you're hearing a fan bearing squealing softly - especially since it might be linked to the middle fan. Is it possible (and do you feel confident to do this) to disconnect the middle fan to see whether the 'beep' stops?

 

[ChlBro]

Update on this - I sent some clips of the noise to PCS support and they agreed that the beeping was a fault with the Zotac GPU. They then proceeded to send out a new one, having told me they were going to send out a Palit which is the exact same dimensions as the Zotac, except DPD almost stole it so it was further delayed.

Then, when it eventually got here, it was a Gainward Phantom that felt insanely different in weight, was notably different in dimensions and more importantly had 3 PCIe connectors instead of 2. I called up to get it swapped because I've been completely unable to even try it in my computer and it's way too heavy for the sag bracket they provided and they told me they didn't have any other 3080s in stock and to wait till just after Christmas when they'd get a delivery.

I called up last Saturday and got told that this guy couldn't see the SKUs of what GPUs they had in stock and as they run a skeleton staff on weekends, I'd have to wait till Tuesday at the latest but "rest assured", he's escalated it and I'll definitely get a call back. I'm trying once again to get through to them but they're adamant that they're not going to send another card out.

I'm not really sure what to do now as their customer service is clearly atrocious and I've been without a PC for over a month as a result of this.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Update on this - I sent some clips of the noise to PCS support and they agreed that the beeping was a fault with the Zotac GPU. They then proceeded to send out a new one, having told me they were going to send out a Palit which is the exact same dimensions as the Zotac, except DPD almost stole it so it was further delayed.

Then, when it eventually got here, it was a Gainward Phantom that felt insanely different in weight, was notably different in dimensions and more importantly had 3 PCIe connectors instead of 2. I called up to get it swapped because I've been completely unable to even try it in my computer and it's way too heavy for the sag bracket they provided and they told me they didn't have any other 3080s in stock and to wait till just after Christmas when they'd get a delivery.

I called up last Saturday and got told that this guy couldn't see the SKUs of what GPUs they had in stock and as they run a skeleton staff on weekends, I'd have to wait till Tuesday at the latest but "rest assured", he's escalated it and I'll definitely get a call back. I'm trying once again to get through to them but they're adamant that they're not going to send another card out.

I'm not really sure what to do now as their customer service is clearly atrocious and I've been without a PC for over a month as a result of this.

Unfortunately this is all clearly stated in their terms and conditions, they can supply any card that's in stock.

Why can't you add it to the system? What's preventing you?

I'm not certain that PSU is large enough IMHO, but nevermind.

 

[ChlBro]

Unfortunately this is all clearly stated in their terms and conditions, they can supply any card that's in stock.

Why can't you add it to the system? What's preventing you?

I'm not certain that PSU is large enough IMHO, but nevermind.

Kind of. The original terms and conditions said they supply Zotac or Palit if it isn't otherwise stated and then with all of this faff, they've read the t&cs out to me on the phone and it states the card has to be "fit for purpose" and "within reasonable similarity to specifications and dimensions" or something like that.

The card's insanely bulky in comparison so the bracket doesn't support it properly without pressing on the fans, even with moving the bracket closer to the glass on the case (to allow for a deeper GPU) - I know that you don't always need brackets but it doesn't feel stable at all without it. I can't get the PCIes to reach because of the excess depth to the card (I can take the zipties off and pull more cable through so that's a bit moot) but the main issue is that the Phantom needs 3 connectors instead of the previous 2 but everyone I've mentioned it to (except PCS, now) has said that the GPU x PSU isn't very compatible.

I'm asking if they could just do a partial refund of the graphics card so I can buy my own but they're kind of kicking off about that now for some reason.