Build Advice New PC Required for Skyrim/Diablo 3

Hi All,

Its been a while since I have used these forums, but again I find myself in need of some expert advice. My last PC was given to my son so now I'm PC-less with imminent release of Diablo 3. Gaming will be the main purpose of the system, but I would like to be able to play more demanding games such as Skyrim on max without any issues. The 7850 cards appeal, but not sure how this would hold up with the monitor selection below.

A complete system is required including monitor. The Dell ultrasharp U2412M looks decent so I have based my resolution on this panel (Although this is in no way fixed).

I Live in the UK so all parts must be available for delivery and please use sterling as currency

I do have a 650w seasonic PSU and 1TB HDDs that may be useful (but they are SATA II).

Budget: £800-£1000
Main uses of intended build: Gaming (Diablo 3, Skyrim, COD)
Parts required: Complete system including monitor
Previous build information: 650w Seasonic PSU, Various 1TB HDDs
Monitor resolution: 1920x1200
Storage requirements: Possible SSD, I have some 1TB Sata II drives for storage if usable.
Will you be overclocking: no
Any motherboard requirements: USB 3.0 Header for case
Extra information about desired system:

Thanks for you help in advance.

If you require any further information then please let me know.

 

Yes reuse your 1TB HDDs, mechanical harddrives barely saturate the SATA 1.5Gb/s (SATA I) spec, so it's definitely not a disadvantage that they are not SATA 6Gb/s.

Intel i5-2400 3.1GHz £144
http://www.ebuyer.com/search?limit=50&store=2&cat=22&filtersubcat=3333|3519&sort=pricelow&page=1

MSI Z77A-G45 £95
www.dabs.com/products/msi-z77a-g45-s1155-intel-z77-ddr3-atx-80KQ.html

Crucial 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz Ballistix Sport Memory Kit CL9 (9-9-9-24) 1.5V BLS2CP4G3D1609DS1S00CEU £35
http://www.ebuyer.com/342352-crucia...ort-memory-kit-cl10-1-5v-bls2cp4g3d1609ds1s00

SAPPHIRE HD 7870 2GB GHz Edition £250
www.dabs.com/products/sapphire-technology-ati-radeon-7870-1000mhz-2gb-pci-express-3-0-hdmi-80T7.html

Antec Three Hundred Two £55
http://www.ebuyer.com/341398-three-hundred-two-tower-case-incl-usb3-0-connector-in-0-761345-15320-1
Or whatever other case you like.

Samsung SSD 830 series 128GB Basic kit/bare drive £115
www.dabs.com/products/samsung-128gb-830-series-sata-6gb-s-2-5--ssd-basic-kit-819N.html
There is also a destkop upgrade kit available, more expensive, which comes with Norton Ghost software, a SATA cable and an adapter to install it into a 3.5" drive bay.

Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit SP1 £65
http://www.ebuyer.com/259863-microsoft-windows-7-home-premium-w-sp1-licence-and-media-1-gfc-02050

Total: £744

Dell Ultrasharp U2412M £218
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-Ultrasharp-U2412M-Widescreen-Monitor/dp/B005LNDPPS

Total: £962

I haven't included peripherals because I didn't know if you wanted them included in the budget or not and I'm not one for recommending them anyway because they are personal choice items, but if they are to be included then you still have space left in the budget.

 

i would go for ivybridge

Intel CPU Core i5 3450 Quad Core IvyBridge £145.38

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/nda-=-29-april-2012-intel-core-i5-3450-s2011-retail

 

128gb ssd's can be had new for cheaper now. £90-100.

 

Graphics-wise, Skyrim is fine on my 6870 at 1080p. I'm playing with everything maxed except AA, which is set to 2x. I'd say a 7850 is probably about perfect, as you can get one for under £200.

Then go Ivy Bridge i5 and get a decent cooler for it to give you some overclocking headroom.

 

diablo is not difficult to run at all. Skyrim though i manage high settings and get around 40-50FPS with some dips down to the 30's when it gets tense.

in the D3 beta i maxed it @ 1920x1080 and had no issues.

i7 920@ 3.8Ghz with 6 GB of 1600mhz + 1GB 4870.

 

Thanks for the help

I have purchased some components (enough to get me started with the odds and ends I have lying about)

I went for i5-3570k, Asus P8Z77-V LX, 8gb Corsair Vengeance, 128gb Crucial M4 SSD and an Antec one case.

Still need GPU and monitor so will probably go with 7850/7870 and the Dell U2412M.

Thanks again