Build Advice New Build - Comments And Advice Please

Hey guys!

I am finally planning my new PC build, which I hope to have up and running before Christmas, and thought I'd ask for some advice before I purchase it.

The system will be used for gaming quite intensively - MMOs mainly (SWTOR and GW2), but some casual racing games and perhaps the odd FPS, so I want it to be able to handle decent if not AAA gaming.

I've been reading through the Buyers Guide and also the feature in the December issue of CPC, so based on that this is what I've come up with:

Case: Antec One Hundred
CPU: Intel Core i5 2500k
MB: Asus Maximus IV Gene-Z
Memory: 8GB Corsair XMS3 PC3-12800
Cooler: Be Quiet! Dark Rock Advanced
GPU: Gainward GEForce GTX560 Ti Golden Sample
PSU: Corsair Pro Series HX650
SDD: 128GB Crucial M4
HDD: Advice on this please!*
Sound: Asus Xonar DX
Optical: Samsung DVD Re-Writer
OS: Windows 7
Monitor: Asus 24" VS247H LED

*I priced up a Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB, but as that was £95.96 on Scan I thought that maybe you guys could suggest an alternative?

Including the above, I've priced it all to just shy of £1300. Now, I'm reasonably happy with that, but if possible is there any way to bring that down without losing quality?

Also, I'm not entirely convinced with my choice of case - whilst I like Antec, I wonder if I have gone for the right one? I'm looking for a case that is a good air cooling case, reasonably quiet but not priority in that regard, with good upgrading potential.

Thankyou for your help in advance!

Kind Regards,

CB

 

I'd start by downgrading the motherboard to a MSI GD-53 and with that extra money upgrade to a 570.

Edit: Having looked, I didn't realise the maximus board was that cheap. I'd still look at cutting the cost somewhere and going for a 570 though.

Edit 2: The monitor you have selected really doesn't get very good reviews, although I've had no personal experience myself. Maybe look into the IPS panel LG monitors that are a similar price.

 

in contrast to what the guy above me said, i wouldnt downgrade anythhing in your build. especially keep the mobo if you plan to oc, which i assume you do or you wouldnt have picked the 'k' model i5

for hdd, get a spinpoint f3 1tb

however like the guy above said, i would look to get a better gfx card, because you said you pretty much want it for gaming, thus your gfx card should be pretty important to you. id go at least with a 570 perhaps a 580

maybe take the ssd out and see how it goes without one for the time being and use that money to buy the gfx card. with that saved youd be able to get a 580.

in fact, yes. that is what i recommend you do. i have been doing fine until i got my ssd a few weeks ago, it wasnt life changing for me. thereagain my system was fast anyway.

for case, the antec 100 is like their lowest end case. dont get me wrong, it is probably one of the better budget cases out there. but if you want my opinion id go with the haf 912, it has good cooling whilst being compact and not too expensive.

i have used all of antec's gaming lineup, and apart from the 1200 (which i own) i dont like the others. apart from the fact they dont come with dust filters, they are too cramped.

however the 'p' series i think are supposed to be quite good

 

For the HDD, I'd grab a HDD out of an old PC and use that until prices go back down - they've shot up due to the floods.

To be honest, I don't see the need for a 128GB SSD - I always prefer just to have a boot SSD, with a few essential programs, then get a whopping massive HDD.

TBH - the rest is pretty much fine. If you want an alternative to the Antec 100, may I recommend the Zalman Z9 Plus - I keep one rig in there (it's my dad's) and I must admit, I am quite jealous.

 

Fishlock - I did actually look at that MB but, as you stated, the Asus Maximus IV is a decent price at the moment and, as j4mi3 asked correctly, I am planning to OC. The monitor choice was based on the Best Sellers on Scan, so is definitely something I need to research more. Thanks for the links to the LG monitors.

j4mi3 - Spinpoint F3 1TB. Check. Thanks. As for the better GFX card, I totally agree with both of you, but that may be something that will need to wait till I can upgrade it. Thankfully, I will be building a system for my wife sometime next year that does not need to be as intensive graphics wise, so the 560 Ti will not go to waste. Any recommendations on 570/580 gfx cards?

Blazza181 - To be honest I'd thought about that with the SDD. As I mentioned earlier, however, my plan is to have the OS plus SWTOR (30gb) and possibly GW2 on the SSD. Saying that, however, I guess it wouldn't be a huge loss to put it on the HDD. I'll give that some thought, thankyou. As for the Zalman Z9 - you recommend it that highly?

 

The Gene-Z is a stonker of a board, I love mine. Definitely worth the purchase.

 

I don't think you'd notice much difference running an MMO on an SSD. I saw some tests recently running WoW on an SSD and there was such a small improvement that it didn't warrant it. I'll try and find the link.

The Gainward 570 Phantom gets good reviews. If budget could stretch I think you can get it in a 2.5GB version which would be nice...

 

I'd be interested in seeing that Fishlock, thankyou.

I took a look at that gfx card - very nice indeed. There is also a Golden Sample version of it as well, around the same price. Very tempting indeed. I need to persuade the wifey with that one I think

 

I really liked the Zalman Z9 Plus. The multiple ports, temperature ports and four provided fans made it a very good deal. I found the case to be very sturdy, and very easy to build in.

Make sure it's the Plus version - the other isn't such a great deal.

Not to mention is has this strange ash-tray like thing at the top!

Edit: Also, I have 2 1TB Samsung F3's. When they reduce back to reasonable prices, I can more than happily recommend them - they are very fast compared to some of my other experiences with other HDDs.

 

I just specced up a nice build for you, for around £1240, including an SSD and a 570, however I've got no idea how to link a Scan basket. Some one help!

 

I'd just screenprint with Picasa, upload to a BT photo album, and Bob's your uncle.

 

Fishlock, you are a scholar and a gentleman. Thankyou very much.

I will peruse the list fully in the morning, I like what I see so far however.

 

Nice one fishlock. I think that's a pretty fine list of components. Can I just recommend to the OP that he signs up to multiple tech shop newsletters. I've gained many a cheap component by having great deals just thrown at me. The two I'd recommend are aria.co.uk, and scan.co.uk.

Damn, being nice feels good...

 

Good morning guys!

As promised I've been looking through Fishlock's basket, which is excellent and basically the way I'm going to go. It has everything I need, apart from a couple of minor changes - I'll be going for the full version of Windows to cover me for upgrades, and after looking at reviews I may go for the Phantom version of the gfx card as previously suggested.

So, the only thing I'm still really wondering about is the case.

The Fractal Design R3 is awesome, no doubts, but it's focused more on noise reduction instead of cooling. I'm also concerned that it won't be as good for upgrading as I would like it to be. I'm still looking around - the Coolermaster HAF 932 and the Silverstone TJ08-E are two that I'm looking at, but I'm still open to suggestion.

Fishlock, once again - a massive thankyou.

 

Any reason for a M-ATX motherboard in an ATX case?

That would annoy me personally, but its not really an issue...

I would go for the Silverstone TJ08-E out of the two - M-ATX builds are sexy.

 

The haf 932 is a good case my friend has it when I built his pc.

Maybe look at the haf x as that has front dust filters where the 912 or 932 don't last time I recall.

 

This. The TJ08-E is a great air cooled case and will be of far better quality than the HAF's which are also cheap and ugly looking imo.

 

Just coming into this and i was going to say 'With spending that much on a fantastic set up I'd definitely be wanting to home in something better than an Antec100' but fishlock has specced up a beauty housed in an R3 so my point would have been moot anyway lol. The jump to a 570 is a lovely bonus too.

Let's just hope that HDD's prices come down sooner rather than later.

Happy building

 

No worries at all.

The one thing I did forget to mention is that build doesn't include a hard drive, due to current prices. As people have already mentioned, get a small one sourced for now and upgrade when the prices settle.

When you say about upgrade potential in a case, do you mean watercooling?