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Build Advice New gaming PC - Thoughts?

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by Srcr. Maligree, 30 Mar 2011.

  1. Srcr. Maligree

    Srcr. Maligree What's a Dremel?

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    Hello all.

    My current PC has been pants for years: It struggled greatly with Bioshock. My finances are improving, so it's high time for an all-new rig!

    I'm aiming for around the end of April, for Portal 2 and the Easter parts sales. How is this spec?

    Budget: Around £600 (£650 max)

    Main Uses: Gaming, local media playback / online media streaming

    Old & Busted PC Spec:
    Intel Pentium 4 2.53GHz
    2GB DDR-200 RAM
    ATi Radeon x1650 (512MB AGP)
    Gigabyte GA-8S661FXMP-RZ Motherboard
    80GB Maxtor HDD (IDE)
    160GB Maxtor HDD (SATA)
    HL DVD-ROM Drive (IDE)
    NEC DVD±RW Drive (IDE)
    Hercules Fortissimo III Sound Card (PCI)
    D-Link AirPlus DWL-520+ Wireless PCI Adapter (PCI)
    Microsoft Windows XP Home SP3

    Re-using parts:
    Monitor (HDTV)
    Keyboard & Mouse
    SATA HDD
    (so barely anything)

    Native res of monitor: 720p HDTV (1366x768)

    Overclocking: No

    Any motherboard requirements: Nothing special

    Storage space: Will use my current slave drive (160GB) as a master drive for the OS & some programs. A new drive for everything else.

    Special requirements: The case can't be too huge, as it sits under a smallish desk. The current case is a good size: It's a Packard Bell iMedia case (385mm deep, 183mm wide, 360mm high). The case in the below list was plucked at random.

    New Hotness PC spec:
    *AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Socket AM3 3.2 GHz 6MB L3 Cache Processor
    *Gigabyte GTX460 1GB GDDR5 PCI-E Graphics Card
    *Kingston 2GB DDR3 1600MHz Memory (x2)
    *MSI 870-C45 AMD 770 Socket AM3 ATX Motherboard
    *Samsung HD103SJ Spinpoint F3 1TB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 32MB Cache
    *Arctic Power 500W PSU
    *Sony Optiarc AD-5260S 24x DVD±RW & DL SATA Optical Drive
    *Edimax Wireless N-150 PCI Adapter
    *Xigmatek Asgard All Black Mid Tower Case
    *Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium - OEM - 64-bit

    Total = ~£560


    Doesn't have to all be from eBuyer, that's just where I made my list.

    4GB or 6GB of RAM?
    Does the MHz value on RAM matter?
    Can you connect PCs to HDTVs by HDMI? (I've been using D-Sub).
     
    Last edited: 2 Apr 2011
  2. markbrett64

    markbrett64 thanks to denial I am now immortal

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    I would definitely consider an alternative PSU brand, something from Antec or Corsair. Not too familiar with Arctic Power, but in general PSUs lacking a mainstream reputation are to be avoided.

    Also you will probably get better wi-fi results with an internal card as opposed to a USB adaptor.

    4Gb of RAM will be plenty.

    Have built a couple of pcs using the Asgard and found them to be perfectly ok.
     
  3. faugusztin

    faugusztin I *am* the guy with two left hands

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    FYI 1366x768 is not 1080p, but only 720p. Don't use your 160GB hard drive as OS drive. The 1TB will provide you 2-3x sequential read speed of that old Maxtor drive.

    Arctic Power 500W = Seasonic S12II-430W Bronze, with very short cables.

    N-150 Wifi card is a big NO. Get a ethernet cable or N-300 WiFi card.
     
  4. chrismarkham1982

    chrismarkham1982 Multimodder

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  5. markbrett64

    markbrett64 thanks to denial I am now immortal

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    Unless my eyes are paying tricks, I don't see a CPU cooler in the list, are you planning on using the stock cooler? I see you noted you wouldn't be overclocking, but might you consider that in the future?
     
  6. murraynt

    murraynt Modder

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    Have to agree with everything here.

    Buy one of the above PSU's my choice would be the bequite.
    A decent HSF llike the Coolermaster 212 Hyper Plus should be just fine.
    I would go for a Samsung F1 boot drive as it will be alot faster.

    You can only really go with 4hb or else up it to 8gb as it's dual channel ram not tripple.

    If you need to save some money after that look at dropping the GFX to the 786mb version.
     
  7. EvoDOOM

    EvoDOOM What's a Dremel?

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    +1 change the psu to the bequiet one and get the hyper 212+ cooler
     
  8. Srcr. Maligree

    Srcr. Maligree What's a Dremel?

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    Argh, USB wifi! It said PCI, I thought it was just a longer aerial or something. I have no Ethernet socket in my room, so WiFi is a must, but that thing's coming off the list.
    N150 / N-300 = new to me. I assume that's Wireless N, and obviously 300 is faster than 150.

    I'll bin the Arctic Power, and go for the BeQuiet PSU.

    I was planning on using the stock cooler - not interested in overclocking at all. Plan is to stick a fan or two in the case, but would sticking one fan on the CPU itself be better? I'd rather not have a jet plane!

    So I should use the Spinpoint 1TB hard drive as the primary / sole drive (or get a similar but smaller capacity one for that). For comparison, my current SATA is a Maxtor 6L160M0.

    I've noticed there's a GTX560 now, but considering my screen res I doubt it's worth the extra £50 bumping up from the 460.
     
  9. Srcr. Maligree

    Srcr. Maligree What's a Dremel?

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    How super-fantastic are these new Sandy Bridge processors?

    This article on the main site says that an Intel Core i3-2100 (dual-core 3.1GHz) and AMD X4 955 (quad-core 3.2GHz) are on equal par in price and performance, with the Intel edging ahead on gaming!

    And here I thought the i3 was the "budget" end of the the 3/5/7 line. Or maybe the i5 and i7 now have phenomenal cosmic power in comparison.

    I'm not even sure games can use quad cores, I just assumed that point one more GHz and twice as many cores = better.

    So, should I stick with the quad AMD, or switch to the dual Intel?
     
  10. chrismarkham1982

    chrismarkham1982 Multimodder

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    believe me games can use quad cores, sandybridge cpu's are blindingly quick and i would personally go for 955 over the i3 purely because more intensive tasks will fare better with the quad core BUT if you can stretch to it get an i5
     
  11. murraynt

    murraynt Modder

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    +1 in the up coming year expect most of the new releases to utilize four cores.
    Cyrsis 2 and BF love quad cores.
    I've noticed a huge jump from my core 2 duo to the 2500K the difference is night and day.
     
  12. N17 dizzi

    N17 dizzi Multimodder

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    + 1, if you can stretch to a sandybridge i5 build you will reap the rewards in the long run

    edit: take look at the bittech buyers guide and play around at Scan or wherever you prefer, see what you can save on to bring it within your budget
     
    Last edited: 2 Apr 2011
  13. sonicgroove

    sonicgroove Radical Atheist

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    ok, try this for size!! no compromise!!!

    Coolermaster Elite 330 Case With Coolermaster eXtreme Power 500W PSU
    Asus P8P67-M iP67 Socket 1155 8 Channel Audio mATX Motherboard
    Crucial 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz/PC3-10600 Memory Kit CL9 1.5V
    Intel Core i5 2500K 3.3GHz Socket 1155 6MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor
    MSI GTX 460 SE Cyclone OC Edition 1GB GDDR5 Dual DVI Mini HDMI PCI-E Graphics Card
    Hitachi Deskstar 1TB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 32MB Cache - OEM
    Crucial 64GB Real SSD C300 2.5" - SATA 6Gb/s Interface - Read 355MB/s Write 75MB/s
    LG CH10LS20 10x BD-ROM with DVD±RW & LightScribe SATA Blu-Ray Drive - OEM Black
    Cart total inc vat:

    £634.08

    within budget and it'll fly. Case is good, PSU is good, CPU is the nuts, SSD boot drive, Blu Ray, GTX460. what more can you ask for?
     
  14. 3lusive

    3lusive Minimodder

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    You're better off going with an i5 sandybridge system if you're spending £600

    Look at the difference between the i5 2500k vs x4 955: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/288?vs=88

    Sonicgroove's system is a great starting point and you'd defo benefit from an SSD if you can afford it. Maybe add a gelid tranquillo cooler.
     
  15. mucgoo

    mucgoo Minimodder

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    Smart edition 460, avoid that card.
     
  16. sonicgroove

    sonicgroove Radical Atheist

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    MSI GTX 460 Cyclone OC Edition 1GB GDDR5 Dual DVI Mini HDMI Out PCI-E Graphics Card

    that can be added but it takes the total to just over a pound over the OP max budgrt
     
  17. Srcr. Maligree

    Srcr. Maligree What's a Dremel?

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    Back to Intel then, and a couple of parts shuffled round:

    *Intel Core i3 2100 3.10GHz Socket 1155 3MB L3 Cache Retail Boxed Processor
    *Gigabyte GA-H61M-D2-B3 H61 Socket 1155 7.1 Channel Audio mATX Motherboard
    *Gigabyte GTX460 1GB GDDR5 PCI-E Graphics Card
    *Crucial 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz/PC3-10600 Memory Kit CL9 1.5V
    *Samsung HD103SJ Spinpoint F3 1TB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 32MB Cache
    *Be Quiet 530W Pure Power PSU
    *Sony Optiarc AD-5260S 24x DVD±RW & DL SATA Optical Drive
    *TP-Link TL-WN951N Wireless N PCI Adapter
    *Xigmatek Asgard All Black Mid Tower Case
    *Windows 7 Home Premium (taking 1 from a friend's family pack for £57.50)
    *Plexus SATA 2.0 to right angle SATA 7-pin Cable (Red) 46cm / 18" x2
    *80mm Black Case Fan - 3pin Connector - Screws Included x2

    Total = £547.46

    That i3 performs and costs the same as the AMD X4 955, but leaves an upgrade path open.
    It also costs £70 less than the i5 2500K - The i3 should do the job nicely for now, and can always be replaced by an i5 when prices come down.
    However, it is tempting to bung in the 2500 now if awesome enough.

    Conversely, I don't think I can bring myself to spend £60 on a 30GB SSD - I could get another TeraByte for that!
    No decision yet on whether to just use 1 drive, or get a smaller 2nd drive to use as boot drive.

    I don't know how many side/rear case-fans are needed, but 1 included with the case and 2 on the list should be more than enough. Using those instead of a CPU cooler, as no overclocking.

    I took the Asgard case measurements from the online description, then measured the other cases in my house to get a real-world idea of scale.
    Height and width are OK, but it seems quite deep - 185mm W x 475mm D x 408mm H - so will probably stick out from under my desk. I'm guessing this *ahem* length is to fit those massive über-GPUs in!
     
  18. Srcr. Maligree

    Srcr. Maligree What's a Dremel?

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    Back to cases.
    I've already said that space is limited under my desk, but don't want to cut a hole in the back of a case to fit a long GPU in!

    CCL was a wide range to choose from - My current choice is the Inwin EM002. Despite being short & small, it looks like the GTX460 will fit inside. The Inwin won't melt from parts being packed in will it?

    Oh yes, and i've never heard of Inwin. Are there any case manufacturers to avoid like the plague, or flock to like a messiah?
    Anything better around the same size, in the £30-£35 price range?



    I've compiled a list on CCL as well as eBuyer. It's mainly the same, though the PSU is now the 550W Powercool High Efficiency Power Supply, the case is the above, and the motherboard is the Asus P8H61-M LE Socket 1155 Motherboard (AKA The Cheapest LGA1155 mATX)... though I just noticed it doesn't say B3 on that one...
     
  19. Srcr. Maligree

    Srcr. Maligree What's a Dremel?

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    Is there an online calculator / something in component specs that tells you how much wattage you need for a PSU?

    I have either a 530 watt or 550 watt PSU depending on which shop I go for.
     
  20. NethLyn

    NethLyn Minimodder

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