Pre-built systems have been one of the best ways of getting decent graphics cards in these silicon-starved times. You still have to be careful what you drop on a system, though, as it's all too easy to end up overpaying out of gaming desperation. It's all too easy for box shifters to mark up prices so that deals don't actually represent such great value for money.
Don't worry about this AlphaSync Pure Base RTX 3070 on that front, though, as it genuinely represents a decent deal with a hefty £250 saving off its normal price. With the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 at its heart, you get a well-rounded spec that focuses on providing a solid gaming experience. You're looking at the thoroughly impressive AMD Ryzen 5 5600X for the brains of the operation, backed up by 16GB of RAM and plenty of storage for your Steam library—with a 1TB FireCuda 510 SSD as the main boot drive and a 2TB hard drive for more basic storage.
As AlphaSync points out, it only uses branded components in its builds, which brings with it plenty of peace of mind for the build's longevity and affords room for expansion later on. Every component here is from a brand that you'll have heard of, and you're not looking at the cheapest kit either, with the chunky 750W Corsair TX750M being a good case in point—it's more than's needed by this build and gives you plenty of capacity for expansion down the line.
The one unknown here is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070. Inventory limitations mean you won't know what you're getting until it arrives—a common practice right now due to GPU stocks. There isn't that much difference between the various brands, at least in terms of actual performance, although different coolers can mean some run cooler or quieter than others. But honestly, any RTX 3070 for this much money is welcome.
This machine is an excellent option if you're looking for a 1440p gaming PC. You should be able to throw all the settings to max and enjoy silky-smooth frame rates in all the latest games. Even 4K gaming isn't entirely out of the question, although some massaging of those settings may be needed, especially on more demanding titles.
It's worth noting that this machine lacks Wi-Fi, so this is one for wired gamers only. Also, the Asus Prime B550M-K is one of the more basic B550s out there, so the feature list is a bit light. But it does cover what you need from a gaming motherboard and isn't too expensive.
All this is encased in a Be Quiet! Pure Base 500 chassis, which is reasonably understated, apart from the large side window that shows off your almost impossible-to-find graphics card. You also get a splash of colour from the Coolermaster Hyper 212 RGB CPU cooler.
Overall, this is a well-thought-out machine that is hard to beat when it comes to value for money, particularly with that £250 saving. You're looking at free next day delivery as well, as an added bonus.
