Please could I get some advice on an Intel vs AMD build?

T

Toto

Member
Hi all, I would really appreciate some advice on these two builds I am considering below: one is Intel and the other is AMD. I will be using these for gaming. I was initially only looking at Intel as I understand that the FPS in some games are slightly higher for Intel, and it's what I'm used to - but surfing this forum and Youtube have convinced me that AMD is also a possibility. My budget is up to around £3500. I am looking to purchase a monitor of between 27-35 inches at 1440p and 100-144hz alongside the computer.

I'd also appreciate recommendations and advice on any of the following:
* Monitors
* Whether the sound card and network cards I've selected are worth it (or whether the standard options are enough)
* Whether the systems require extra fans (and whether the liquid cooling systems below are enough)
* Which cases to go for

Intel Build:​
Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX TD500 MESH RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i9 Eight Core Processor i9-9900K (3.6GHz) 16MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX Z390-F GAMING: ATX, LGA1151, USB 3.1, SATA 6GBs - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
11GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA 120 2.5" SSD, (up to 560MB/sR | 540MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster® Audigy™ FX OEM
Wireless/Wired Networking
ASUS PCE-AX58BT Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) 2400Mbps/5GHz, 600Mbps/2.4GHz
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
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 Year Parts, 3 Year labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 18 to 20 working days
Price: £3,276.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z370-pc/847fRFZQmp/

AMD Build:​
Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX TD500 MESH RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12 Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.6GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB PRO DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
11GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA 120 2.5" SSD, (up to 560MB/sR | 540MB/sW)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i PRO Cooler w/ PCS Ultra Quiet Fans
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster® Audigy™ FX OEM
Wireless/Wired Networking
ASUS PCE-AX58BT Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) 2400Mbps/5GHz, 600Mbps/2.4GHz
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
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 Year Parts, 3 Year labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 18 to 20 working days
Price: £3,279.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/07PDkbfx3f/

Thank you in advance for any help.
 
C

Chris-Wenger

Active member
Currently, Ryzen is way ahead of Intel I suggest going with the Ryzen build. Your Power supply seems a little low for the build you are making it would be worth to upgrade it to a 750 or 850w as it would better suit the build. I don't know a lot about water cooling but it would be recommended to use it in this budget as you are using high-end components and water cooling them can give them higher performance and longer lifetime. For monitors, I wouldn't really go above 27inch in my opinion well for me above that is too big. I would suggest a 1440p 144hz monitor or even a 4k monitor because your build can easily handle a 4k monitor with max settings and get around 60-70fps. The standard sound cards are usually enough but you can always upgrade it if you want to. the only main issue i have with this build is the power supply i would get a 750w minimum.
 
T

Toto

Member
@Chris-Wenger Thanks for your speedy reply.

When you suggest the Ryzen build, is this because of future upgrade-ability as AMD seems to be producing both price and performance competitive chips?

Thank you for the advice about the power supply - I'll change that.
 
C

Chris-Wenger

Active member
Yeah ryzen cpus are much better for price to performance they are producing ones that are cheaper rn and pretty much same performance than Intel they are really making a comeback
 
C

Chris-Wenger

Active member
Yeah i have had bullguard issues before where i could not connect to my own Internet saying it was unsafe and uninstalled never had a problem since
 
Scott

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
For this sort of budget it has to be the 2080Ti IMO. I would also be looking at Super Ultrawide. This would take you a bit over budget but it would be a serious build.

The only thing I would have in the following build over what I've selected would be the 500D SE case. I went with the H500 as it's great value for money, performs excellent and has RGB Guessing that's something you want. The TD500 would be a fine choice also, it's just a bit cheaper made than the H500.

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERCASE H500 ARGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X Eight Core CPU (3.9GHz-4.5GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
11GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st Storage Drive
2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 256MB CACHE
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3200MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High 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
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 Year Parts, 3 Year labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 18 to 20 working days
Price: £2,802.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/YQuAkmK5zH/
 
T

Toto

Member
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate you all taking the time to answer. The monitor suggestions are especially helpful as there are so many different options that I'm a bit stuck on which to choose.

I've got a few questions:

AMD 3800x vs 3900x
@Scott,
Scott said:
This would take you a bit over budget
Click to expand...
The £3500 budget is solely for the computer. Would you still recommend the AMD 3800x or upgrade to the 3900x instead?

Intel vs AMD
Just a further question regarding the Intel vs AMD debate: AMD seems vastly superior to Intel in terms of everything but the i9-9900k edges out in 1080p gaming (but given I'm going for a 1440p gaming system, would you say the FPS and gaming performances are really similar due to GPU bottleneck? In pure gaming terms, would the Intel i9-9900k still perform better?

i9-10900k
Would anyone recommend waiting for the i9-10900k to be back in stock? For only £78 more than the i9-9900k, it seems to offer much better gaming performance than both the i9-9900k or the AMD 3900x.

32gb RAM
I understand that 32gb ram is a bit overkill for gaming currently but would getting it help future proof my computer?

M.2 SSD drives
For the M.2 SSD drives, is the Seagate Firecuda much superior to the Samsung Evo Pro? I've read that the Firecuda has faster file transferring speeds but the Samsung Evo Pro just edges out the Firecuda in the amount of time to load games (but I might be wrong).

850W power supply
Lastly, I wanted to ask about the power supply. You've all suggested 850W systems, but the PCS website suggests a 650W power instead. Is this because the systems require even more power than PCS suggest?

Thanks again.
 
Scott

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
Toto said:
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate you all taking the time to answer. The monitor suggestions are especially helpful as there are so many different options that I'm a bit stuck on which to choose.

I've got a few questions:

AMD 3800x vs 3900x
@Scott,

The £3500 budget is solely for the computer. Would you still recommend the AMD 3800x or upgrade to the 3900x instead?
Click to expand...

You won't really get any benefit from the bump to the 3900X but if it were my system I would actually choose it over the 3800X (it's a very special chip IMO). With the budget in mind, I would probably switch it out as well. It offers a slight frequency jump and it means that the multi-threaded gaming uses will never be in question.

Toto said:
Intel vs AMD
Just a further question regarding the Intel vs AMD debate: AMD seems vastly superior to Intel in terms of everything but the i9-9900k edges out in 1080p gaming (but given I'm going for a 1440p gaming system, would you say the FPS and gaming performances are really similar due to GPU bottleneck? In pure gaming terms, would the Intel i9-9900k still perform better?

i9-10900k
Would anyone recommend waiting for the i9-10900k to be back in stock? For only £78 more than the i9-9900k, it seems to offer much better gaming performance than both the i9-9900k or the AMD 3900x.
Click to expand...

There can be a significant performance increase with high FPS 1080p gaming, but it's like comparing flying at 600mph vs flying at 650mph..... all you are going to know is you're going fast. Basically, it's all paper talk and benchmark-bull.

The real key to the situation is the fact that the Intel platform is on borrowed time. It's been the same architecture since the end of 2014 and it's not going to change until after 2021 (I think it's looking like 2022). To that end, anything bought from Intel in this interim period is on borrowed time, as when the 7nm tech drops..... every single piece of Intel hardware becomes redundant. With AMD, the socket is alive and well. The technology has YEARS in front of it and you will have at least 1 future generation of CPU options to go for (AMD 4000). With the motherboard you have selected, it's actually HIGHLY likely (given the current B450 trend) that the next generation again will be supported (AMD 5000). This means that you can stay right on the cutting edge of tech with simply a CPU upgrade (Rather than motherboard etc as well).

The end conclusion is that for the very slim margin that Intel has over AMD, there are 10 widening margins that AMD has over them.

Toto said:
32gb RAM
I understand that 32gb ram is a bit overkill for gaming currently but would getting it help future proof my computer?
Click to expand...

RAM doesn't really offer any future proofing to be honest. By the time you are getting into the need for 32GB we will very likely be on DDR5 RAM, at which point we will be moving on anyway. If that day does hit though, you can add a further 16GB at any time with very little performance impact. It'll likely be cheap as chips too with the new DDR5 coming out. Also, there may have been advancements in timing and frequency, so it would be more relevant to drop the 16GB in favour of 32GB 4000mhz RAM (for example). You're not going to gain anything at all from 32GB other than a hole in your pocket. I would actually choose 16GB 3600mhz RAM over 32GB 3200Mhz right now.

Toto said:
M.2 SSD drives
For the M.2 SSD drives, is the Seagate Firecuda much superior to the Samsung Evo Pro? I've read that the Firecuda has faster file transferring speeds but the Samsung Evo Pro just edges out the Firecuda in the amount of time to load games (but I might be wrong).
Click to expand...

Firecuda 1TB+ can't be touched. The options I went for are the 500GB drive for primary storage (Windows, programs, a game or 2) and a 1TB firecuda purely for games. The rest of the storage was just generic storage. If you wanted to splash out and hammer the budget then my choice would be 1TB primary Firecuda and 2TB gaming FIrecuda.

Toto said:
850W power supply
Lastly, I wanted to ask about the power supply. You've all suggested 850W systems, but the PCS website suggests a 650W power instead. Is this because the systems require even more power than PCS suggest?

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

As above. RMx PSu is what you want at this level. The overhead doesn't matter in the slightest. Don't worry about that warning, it's just to let you know you don't need this power. It's still nice to have on tap for upgrades etc :)
 
T

Toto

Member
Thank you! You've all convinced me that AMD is definitely the way to go.

I've copied and pasted my final specs below for any more advice before I order.

I've got a last couple questions regarding the processor cooling:

1) I've switched to the TD500 case instead of the H500 as the H500 doesn't support the cooling system I've chosen. Is it worth getting the Corsair H115i over the H100i at the expense of the H500 case?

2) Are the "PCS Ultra Quiet Fans" that are paired with the Corsair liquid coolers worth it?

Case
COOLERMASTER MASTERBOX TD500 MESH RGB GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12 Core CPU (3.8GHz-4.6GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
11GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti - HDMI, 3x DP GeForce - RTX VR Ready!
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High 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
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Warranty
3 Year Platinum Warranty (3 Year Collect & Return, 3 Year Parts, 3 Year labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 20 to 22 working days
Price: £3,121.00 including VAT and Delivery

Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/amd-am4-gen3-pc/zwjpJ0S8w6/
 
Scott

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
Yeah that's pretty special.

Have a look at the 500D SE. It's a premium case for a premium build like this.

The TD500 is fine and the H115i RGB Platinum would be the optimal cooler regardless of selections. The Ultra-quiet fans are good, but not required on this cooler as the H115i RGB comes with Magnetic Levitation fans (they're silent). The only noise from the cooler is airflow noise...... which is good :D
 
Scott

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
500d_se_built_40.png
 
T

Toto

Member
Scott said:
Have a look at the 500D SE
Click to expand...
Thanks again Scott :D, I think I'll go with the 500D SE - it looks really good. Would you recommend getting any additional fans (like a rear fan) on top of the 3 front fans for additional cooling?
 
Scott

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
Toto said:
Thanks again Scott :D, I think I'll go with the 500D SE - it looks really good. Would you recommend getting any additional fans (like a rear fan) on top of the 3 front fans for additional cooling?
Click to expand...

I would just add that yourself when you receive it.

You could call PCS and ask if they have any of them, but they often only sell them in 3s. You would only need one for the rear. With the hardware you a wee bit of extra airflow probably wouldn't hurt.

I wouldn't go with the bog standard ones that they sell in singles. You want one of the aRGB fans on there.
 
T

Toto

Member
Cheers Scott! I'm very grateful. The Amazon link for the fan is extremely helpful.

I'll put in the PCS order today and fingers crossed it won't be too long before I receive it.

Have you got any recommendations for peripherals (especially keyboards and mice)?
 
W

WhiskyMac

Bronze Level Poster
Big fan of the logitech g pro keyboard / mouse. Amazon have both currently at great prices.

Keyboard particularly is excellent - customisable lighting - easy to switch between gaming and default modes etc.
 
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