Hi guys, I have seen that the sandy bridge chipset seems to have shed its bugs and has got me quite excited. Bearing in mind that I am still running a single core 3.2Ghz P4 (best processor of all time IMO), It will be quite the jump for me. I really like the look of the i5-2500K, people talking about OC'ing to 5Ghz stable!?! Budget: 500-700 (ideally between 550-650) Main uses of intended build: I am a computer science undergrad, so that probably bears consideration, I enjoy gaming but would be more concerned with having a responsive machine that can multitask well. Parts required: The lot (dont need any fancy soundcards or firewire type stuff USB 3.0 would be good though) Previous build information (list details of parts): I will outline what I am running now (its old, so no mocking! XD) P4 w/ antec cooler runnin OC'd stable @ 3.8 1.5gb ddr2 80Gb sammy hdd for os and important programs 500gb sammy hdd for storage 7800GTX Asus p5-gle The things I like about the setup are the Overclock ability and the seperate hdds for software and storage. Monitor resolution: 1680x1050 Dell 22 widescreen Storage requirements: I love downloading things, plenty ideally. Will you be overclocking: yes Anyways, thanks for any info you guys can help me with!
I'd say something like this build right here would be just about perfect. links to stuff on scan: CPU: i5-2500k - £166 Mobo: MSI P67A-G45 - £103 (or the Asus boards) Memory: Cheapest 2x2GB kit - £40 GPU: 6850 - £150 PSU: Antec TP-650 - £90 (I like this power supply a lot it's great value but you can drop to a lower wattage one if necessary) Cooler: Coolermaster Hyper 212+ - £18 Case: Anything ~£50 ODD: Cheapest multidrive ~£15 HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB - £40 Total: £672 If you need to include the OS in the budget (another £73ish) you'll have to start cutting some stuff. One of the easiest cuts is to get a lower power PSU. The next thing to cut would be the GPU (maybe down to a 550). After that you may need to give up SLI support or even the P67 chipset (and consequently overclocking) to fit the OS in if it's still over budget. If you're trying to get a new monitor in there with everything else too then that's gonna signal you to not go with sandy bridge (at least not i5-2500k).
Beware of cheap PSUs, always get a name brand one. Like something made by corsair You get what you pay for in this area. A cheap PSU can and probably will set your computer on fire.
sorry had to have a little dig, Wait im gunna have to stop you right there, AMD opteron 144 was the best CPU of ALLLLLLLL TIIIIIMEEEE !
Knew someone was going to go all Kanye on me. Best processor I have had personally though for sure. When I rebuilt this behemoth the other day there was a significant scratch on the surface of it, its still running @ 38 degrees under load with no issues, that's quality for you. Okay then, anyone else care to pitch in on the PSU issue, I agree that quality is important but bulk at the thought of paying nearly 3 figures for one. Secondly, I have heard that the MSI board is harder to overclock with and can take longer to boot. Thirdly, if I was to get that board, would it be worth getting the MSI OC'd version of the HD6850? http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/1gb-...tion-oc-860mhz-core-gddr5-4400mhz-cyclone-fan
Okay, in addendum to my previous post (due to moderation it hasn't yet appeared for me to edit) This is what I'm going for currently, opinions? Also, if anyone can spot any duff prices or recommend anywhere cheaper, eternal gratitude will be delivered. Antec 300 Three Hundred £47.96 650W Antec TruePower £74.99 £89.99 1TB Samsung HD103SJ Spinpoint F3 £39.58 Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus £18.46 Intel Core i5 2500K Unlocked, £165.78 Pioneer DVR-S19LBK £16.98 MSI P67A-G45 (B3) £102.80 4GB (2x2GB) Corsair XMS3 Classic DDR3 PC3-12800 (1600), Non-ECC Unbuffered, CAS 9-9-9-24, 1.5V £39.74 1GB MSI HD6850 Cyclone Power Edition OC, 860MHz Core, GDDR5 4400MHz, Cyclone fan £142.42 £680.49
looks good personally im about about the gigabyte boards but each to their own haven't really heard anything bad about them. you could opt for a smaller PSU saving a bit of cash as a 500-550W will power that rig just fine.
Looks like you followed my outline pretty much to the letter so it'd be bad for me to say anything is wrong ^^. Not that I think anything is wrong with it b/c it looks fine. As I said earlier and as Adam also said if you want to cut some cost get a 550W power supply from a good brand (Antec, Corsair, Cooler Master, Seasonic, Enermax, PC Power & Cooling, and Silverstone are good brands). Check out reviews on the power supply you're looking at if you're unsure (it's good to check even with the good brands). You expressed some concern about the motherboard. I personally like MSI's LGA 1155 boards, but there is nothing wrong with the Asus or Gigabyte boards. One of them might actually be cheaper and have the same feature support that you may want. Look around the boards by those manufacturers and see if they've got something that'll suit your needs for less.
If you want clean power on a budget - Corsair Builder Series 500W will power that box nicely and comes in at a good value £45 inc VAT from Scan - although its 'old skool' and not modular. Caveat - depending on your OC, you may need a little more oomph, but I doubt it. Sandy's power draw vs. performance is phenomenal.
in my opinion you should go for the ASUS P8P67 mobo, the MSI OC'd 6850 is also a no-brainer in my opinion as it is barely more than the stock price. as far as the RAM is concerned i would personally go for a 8gb pair to start off with, as they are around for about £80 (corsair vengeance over xms3 imo)
