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Build Advice [parts received, build done, PICS UP!] Gaming rig, 4 year old machine has got to go..

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by Digi, 8 May 2012.

  1. Digi

    Digi The not-so-funny Cockney

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    Hi guys,

    It's been a long, long time since I upgraded anything. Money has been tight and priorities have been elsewhere, you know how it goes. IT STOPS HERE!

    I have had some money I wasn't expecting (not a death, the government!) so before it disappears in to the black holes I have surrounding my bank account, in the form of debts, I'm going to splash the cash on new gear.

    Current gear that I'll save:

    - Fractal R3, filled up with gentle typhoons.
    - 24'' 1920x1080 monitor (Acer S242HL)
    - Saitek Eclipse k/b, Razer Deathadder, Razer Carcharararararais headset.
    - 2x 1tb Samsung F3's
    - X-Fi Fatality soundcard.
    - DVD burner

    The essentials:

    Budget:Between £750-1k (I'm converting from Danish Krones as I've lived here for 7 years)

    Main uses of intended build:Gaming, DVD creation (from .avi etc), movie making (fraps + youtube, not going for any awards)

    Parts required: CPU, MB, RAM, GFX, SSD, closed water cooling solution.

    Monitor resolution:1920x1080

    Storage requirements:Nothing special, taken care of with 2x 1tb F3's.

    will you be overclocking: yes.. Looking for 4.5+ on CPU.

    Any motherboard requirements (no. of USB, Xfire/SLI, fan headers):Nah

    Currently I'm looking at something like:

    - CPU: 3750K
    - MB: Asus Sabertooth Z77
    - RAM: 16gb Corsair Vengeance
    - GFX: 7950/7970
    - SSD: OCZ Agility 120gb
    - Closed Loop: H80/H100
    - PSU: Corsair HX 750

    What you reckon then?
     
    Last edited: 16 May 2012
  2. Somer_Himpson

    Somer_Himpson What's a Dremel?

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    Looks like some decent choices. I would swap the graphics card for a GTX 680.
     
  3. Digi

    Digi The not-so-funny Cockney

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    Ah, I wondered when that would come up. I'm not anti-Nvidia but I've had 2 cards previously and both have gone bang in a year, I'd prefer to support 'the little guys' and go with AMD. Not to mention the price difference.

    I'm not averse to buying a 680 if they came down maybe 20-30 quid or so.
     
  4. Sketchee

    Sketchee Suddenly, looters! Hundreds of 'em!

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    Looks good though if it were me I'd definitely wait until the GTX 670 drops in 2 days. Looks like it could come in at a very competitive price and give the 7950 and even the 7970 a lot to worry about. That and the fact it should be pretty frugal with power may mean you can save a bit on the PSU. Still get a quality one but maybe not a 750 watt.

    Also I assume you mean 16gb rather than 12gb ram?

    Going off your budget and depending on Danish prices you may have enough to afford a 256gb SSD, especially with the way prices are at the moment. A Samsung 830 would be my choice, but a Crucial M4 would be a close second depending on what you can get them for.

    everything else looks good! :thumb:
     
  5. Chicken76

    Chicken76 Minimodder

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    RAM

    12GB RAM on a dual-channel system? Why?
    Go 2x4GB, or 4x4GB. (or 2x8GB if you can find in stock and at a decent price)
    Since you mentioned Corsair RAM, check it's rated voltage, because some Corsair kits are running at 1.65v. While they would work, 1.5v DIMMs are recommended.
     
  6. Digi

    Digi The not-so-funny Cockney

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    Ak yes, 16gb was the real figure. Not sure why I typed 12..

    The 670 is worth a wait, I think you're right about that. Let's hope the price is right.

    What about the cooler? Is the H80 sufficient or should I go for the 100 for extra cooling and overhead?
     
  7. Sketchee

    Sketchee Suddenly, looters! Hundreds of 'em!

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    Whichever you can afford, though I don't think the high thermals with IB are down to the cooler so much. The temperatures seem to be internal and not transferred that well to the IHS (maybe due to the use of TIM rather than solder). I seem to remember the bit-tech article stating how the cooler remains reasonably cool to the touch, despite the temperatures reading ~90 degrees. Regardless, I reckon a H80 should be fine for 4.5 ghz.
     
  8. Digi

    Digi The not-so-funny Cockney

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    Right, ta. I'll price it all up when I get home and post here to see if it's reasonable.
     
  9. sandys

    sandys Multimodder

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    Do you need all the features of the Sabretooth board as I picked up a Asus P8Z77M Pro for just over 100quid and it seems to do the business.

    A saving of over £70 which could net you a 3770K for example instead or an SSD. The board overclocks well enough, certainly upto the task of taking my 3770 to 4.8Ghz.

    It does say you have no requirements for stuff like SLI, you could probably go even cheaper.

    As others have said if a 670 comes in at a good price point might be worth picking up.
     
  10. Digi

    Digi The not-so-funny Cockney

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    Right, have a gander at this, I'm willing to swap the board as Sandys might be right but I went for things that were in stock.

    Not sure if my 650 80+ Seasonic is up to the task so may need to put 100 quid on the below for the Corsair HX750 modular.

    [​IMG]

    equates to: £957

    What's the price like compared to UK?

    And what do people reckon, is the Asus P8Z77-V have enough grunt for aggressive overclocks, considering I've bought the cooler for that reason.
     
    Last edited: 9 May 2012
  11. Digi

    Digi The not-so-funny Cockney

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    Pulled the trigger on a EVGA 670 2gb 'Superclocked' for ~£320 from a Danish site.. Small upgrade from my 4870 but meh, I deserve it!

    That's one less part needed.. ;)
     
  12. Digi

    Digi The not-so-funny Cockney

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    Well, I went mad and got the whole lot yesterday.. here's what I went for:


    Intel® Core i5-3570K Processor
    Socket-LGA1155, Quad Core, 3.4Ghz, 6MB, Boxed w/fa

    Corsair H100 Hydro Series CPU Køler
    Socket 775/1155/1156/1366/2011, AM2/AM2+/AM3, 2600

    ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77, Socket-1155
    ATX, Z77, DDR3, 2xG3+1xG2-PCIe-x16,SLI/CFX, Lucid

    Corsair XMS3 1866MHz 8GB Vengeance CL9
    Kit w/2x 4GB XMS3 modules, CL9-9-9-24, 1.5V, Venge

    Crucial m4 SSD 2.5" 128GB
    SATA 6 Gb/s (SATA3.0), 500MB/175MB/s read/write

    <--- Is a happy man.. :rock: :clap:
     
  13. Sketchee

    Sketchee Suddenly, looters! Hundreds of 'em!

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    Very nice!
     
  14. Digi

    Digi The not-so-funny Cockney

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    Got all the parts and assembled and working, pictures to follow including a ghetto mounting of the H100 with cable ties 'cos Sabertooth shrouding was too damn big... (of course, only temp)
     
  15. Digi

    Digi The not-so-funny Cockney

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    Ok, here goes with some pics..

    Old faithful (previous build) - AMD x3 450, 4870, 4gb 1333, 2x 1tb F3s:

    [​IMG]

    New parts:

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Finished (partly.. new PSU on route and case needed as well, but it ran perfectly first time!):

    [​IMG]

    Notice the ghetto mounting of the H100? Cable ties were only option as the Sabertooths heat shroud sitting on top of the VRM's means there's no space to mount in the pre-existing mounting holes Fractal provides.

    Nevermind, I'll be getting a new PSU in the next few weeks and I'll see about modding options or a whole new case.

    Thanks for the help those that contributed!
     
  16. T2I3M

    T2I3M Minimodder

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    Nice looking build! Will you be going modular with the new PSU? The white on the 670 goes well with the case :)
     
  17. docodine

    docodine killed a guy once

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    I like how the SSD is just sitting there :lol:
     
  18. Sheiken

    Sheiken Wat?

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    Chillin like a villain! :thumb:
     
  19. Digi

    Digi The not-so-funny Cockney

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    Hehe, due to the wiring and the fact I'll be changing it, I couldn't get it in properly and so it's gonna be chilling there till the new PSU comes along.. :)
     
  20. j4mi3

    j4mi3 What's a Dremel?

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    i hate how the 670 power sockets are in the middle of the card almost
     

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