Perfecting the £1600 build

Rynno

Rynno

Rynno

Associate
Joined
10 Jan 2011
Posts
35
Hello, since the graphics card in my very over used Asus G50vt finally gave up the fight on no other then Christmas day (I know shouldnt have been on the laptop on xmas ;)) ive spent the last couple of weeks looking at many different websites and custom pre built computers to replace it now that I have enough room for a desktop.

The pc will be used mainly for gaming. Id almost settled on a Intel i950 custom build when I heard about the new sandy bridge cpu's and decided id better wait and see what thats all about.
Now that the time has come ive spent the last 3/4 days (literally apart from sleeping) looking through what must be 100's of posts trying to put together the perfect build for £1600 that must include a monitor, keybored and OS as im upgrading from a laptop. I am willing to go a little over my budget for a noticeable improvement.

This is what ive come up with at a total of £1582.93 with DPD Next Day shipping. I have tried to give reasons for each component using my very limited know-how.

Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor with FREE Lost Planet 2 PC Game - Retail £191.99
Dont see any reason why I would need the 2600k version over this with gaming in mind. Planing to overclock to 4.6-4.8GHz depending on how easy it is (I know nothing).

Asus P8P67 PRO Intel P67 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard - (Sandybridge) £147.98

OcUK ATI Radeon HD 6950 Crossfire Bundle with FREE Stuff! £453.96
Buying 2 cards via this bundle looks to be the best option. I have considered 2 of the OcUK (VTX) cards at 224.99 each which is ever so slightly cheaper however the 2 cards in the bundle are HIS branded + 2 games and a flash drive, cant go wrong with that.

NZXT Phantom Enthusiast Full Tower Case - Black £112.33
I see that a lot of people are going for the HAF X in their builds and with good reason it is an excellent case however, I prefer the sleek and “futuristic” looks of the Phantom not to mention its a lot cheaper. Im hoping that it will be on par with the cooling the HAF X offers and it will need to be with 2 6950's. I have included in my build an extra fan that I will mount as an intake in the front of the case I plan to add a 200mm fan to the side of the case if the cpu cooler will allow for it later. If the HAF X is a far better option performance wise then the Phantom then ill consider it so please advise me on that.

Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMX4GX3M2A1600C9) £44.99
The reason ive gone for the XMS3 over the slightly cheaper (£6 less) GeIL 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 is the XMS3 is very well known and has been tried, tested and proven to be excellent RAM where as GeIL is a brand I hadnt heard of (not that I know much about computers) before putting this build together. Im happy to pay the little extra for the Corsair even if it is only for peace of minds sake as im sure theres no difference between them. Is there any point at all in looking at more expensive Memory such as the G.Skill RipJaw 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C7 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit £65.99?

Antec TruePower New Modular 750W Power Supply £109.99
I have read good things about this power supply and it should be more then enough for what ill need it for there is only 1 left as of now but im not going to rush into anything just yet. I like the idea of it being modular should make things easier given that this is my first pc-build. The Corsair HX 750W costs a little more but ill go for that one should the stock of the Antec run out.

OCZ Vertex 2E 60GB 2.5" SATA-II Solid State Hard Drive (OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G) £99.98
I wouldnt have bothered with one of these if it wasnt for the amount of times ive read on this forum what a difference it makes. I know little/nothing about them so any suggestions on a better (without costing to much more) and/or cheaper one are welcome.

Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (HD103SJ) £44.99
Read good things about this here on the forum and seen it recommended often, cant imagine I will need anything bigger ive managed fine with 500GB for a long time.

Akasa AK-CCX-4002HP Venom CPU Cooler (Socket LGA775/LGA1155/LGA1156/LGA1366/AM2/AM3) £35.74
This is my main concern while im sure it will do a fine job on its own at keeping the cpu cool, what about the added heat that will be in the case given off by the 2 6950's? Or is that not an issue? I will add another fan once the Akasa AK-FN059 120mm's are back in stock (id like a matching one ofc) Would I be better off with something a little more expensive? Such as the Prolimatech Megahalems Rev B CPU Cooler (£47.86 + fans) or Noctua NH-U12P SE2 Dual Fan Quiet CPUCooler (£56.16). Im open to suggestions on any cooler between £40-£60(+ if needed) if the Akasa Venom ive picked wont cut it.

LG GH22NS50 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - Retail £16.79
I picked this out of the list of drives rather randomly as I cant tear them apart this one does have a couple of small reviews here on the site. I dont remember the last time I copied anything to a disk so I need it only to play disks but dont want anything that will fall apart either.

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-00599) £83.99

Samsung P2450H 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Glossy Black £177.59
This monitor has received 5 star ratings across the web and looks to be the very best available for sub (and even beyond) the £200 mark for gaming.

Scythe Kaze Jyuni 1900RPM Slip Stream 120mm Fan £8.16
This is the fan I plan to add to the front my case (NZXT Phantom Enthusiast Full Tower Case)

Microsoft SideWinder X4 Gaming Keyboard - Retail (JQD-00006) £36.76
Unfortunately its out of stock atm so I may have to look else where for it. I dont want to spend more then £50 on a keybored.

To summarize ;

Will the NZXT Phantom offen enough cooling for my build or should i look at the HAF X even though i prefer the look of the Phantom?

Is there any point in spending more on Memory; G.Skill RipJaw 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C7 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit £65.99 for example.

Is there anything wrong with OCZ Vertex 2E 60GB 2.5" SATA-II Solid State Hard Drive (OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G) £99.98, is there a better one for around the same price?

Will the Akasa AK-CCX-4002HP Venom CPU Cooler (Socket LGA775/LGA1155/LGA1156/LGA1366/AM2/AM3) £35.74 offer enough cooling for this build?

Anything wrong with LG GH22NS50 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - Retail £16.79, should i spend more/less as i only need one to play disks but it needs to last.

Is there anything i should change?

Thanks for reading.
 
I cant comment on most of that - I am also looking to upgrade to a sandybridge so would be interested in the replies you got.

I would say, regarding the SSD, that i bought a 60GB one and by the time I put Windows 7 on it (with no modifications, you can reduce the size if you want by using various online guides to create an alternative boot disk) and my fave game (WOW) I was out of space. It made enough of a difference in boot times and loading the game as well as cutting down on cut scenes, that I immediately bought a 120GB version, wishing I had just done that in the first place. I would recommend upgrading this for the small (comparative) cost.
 
Rynno said:
Hello, since the graphics card in my very over used Asus G50vt finally gave up the fight on no other then Christmas day (I know shouldnt have been on the laptop on xmas ;)) ive spent the last couple of weeks looking at many different websites and custom pre built computers to replace it now that I have enough room for a desktop.

The pc will be used mainly for gaming. Id almost settled on a Intel i950 custom build when I heard about the new sandy bridge cpu's and decided id better wait and see what thats all about.
Now that the time has come ive spent the last 3/4 days (literally apart from sleeping) looking through what must be 100's of posts trying to put together the perfect build for £1600 that must include a monitor, keybored and OS as im upgrading from a laptop. I am willing to go a little over my budget for a noticeable improvement.

This is what ive come up with at a total of £1582.93 with DPD Next Day shipping. I have tried to give reasons for each component using my very limited know-how.

Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor with FREE Lost Planet 2 PC Game - Retail £191.99
Dont see any reason why I would need the 2600k version over this with gaming in mind. Planing to overclock to 4.6-4.8GHz depending on how easy it is (I know nothing).

Asus P8P67 PRO Intel P67 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard - (Sandybridge) £147.98

OcUK ATI Radeon HD 6950 Crossfire Bundle with FREE Stuff! £453.96
Buying 2 cards via this bundle looks to be the best option. I have considered 2 of the OcUK (VTX) cards at 224.99 each which is ever so slightly cheaper however the 2 cards in the bundle are HIS branded + 2 games and a flash drive, cant go wrong with that.

NZXT Phantom Enthusiast Full Tower Case - Black £112.33
I see that a lot of people are going for the HAF X in their builds and with good reason it is an excellent case however, I prefer the sleek and “futuristic” looks of the Phantom not to mention its a lot cheaper. Im hoping that it will be on par with the cooling the HAF X offers and it will need to be with 2 6950's. I have included in my build an extra fan that I will mount as an intake in the front of the case I plan to add a 200mm fan to the side of the case if the cpu cooler will allow for it later. If the HAF X is a far better option performance wise then the Phantom then ill consider it so please advise me on that.

Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMX4GX3M2A1600C9) £44.99
The reason ive gone for the XMS3 over the slightly cheaper (£6 less) GeIL 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 is the XMS3 is very well known and has been tried, tested and proven to be excellent RAM where as GeIL is a brand I hadnt heard of (not that I know much about computers) before putting this build together. Im happy to pay the little extra for the Corsair even if it is only for peace of minds sake as im sure theres no difference between them. Is there any point at all in looking at more expensive Memory such as the G.Skill RipJaw 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C7 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit £65.99?

Antec TruePower New Modular 750W Power Supply £109.99
I have read good things about this power supply and it should be more then enough for what ill need it for there is only 1 left as of now but im not going to rush into anything just yet. I like the idea of it being modular should make things easier given that this is my first pc-build. The Corsair HX 750W costs a little more but ill go for that one should the stock of the Antec run out.

OCZ Vertex 2E 60GB 2.5" SATA-II Solid State Hard Drive (OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G) £99.98
I wouldnt have bothered with one of these if it wasnt for the amount of times ive read on this forum what a difference it makes. I know little/nothing about them so any suggestions on a better (without costing to much more) and/or cheaper one are welcome.

Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (HD103SJ) £44.99
Read good things about this here on the forum and seen it recommended often, cant imagine I will need anything bigger ive managed fine with 500GB for a long time.

Akasa AK-CCX-4002HP Venom CPU Cooler (Socket LGA775/LGA1155/LGA1156/LGA1366/AM2/AM3) £35.74
This is my main concern while im sure it will do a fine job on its own at keeping the cpu cool, what about the added heat that will be in the case given off by the 2 6950's? Or is that not an issue? I will add another fan once the Akasa AK-FN059 120mm's are back in stock (id like a matching one ofc) Would I be better off with something a little more expensive? Such as the Prolimatech Megahalems Rev B CPU Cooler (£47.86 + fans) or Noctua NH-U12P SE2 Dual Fan Quiet CPUCooler (£56.16). Im open to suggestions on any cooler between £40-£60(+ if needed) if the Akasa Venom ive picked wont cut it.

LG GH22NS50 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - Retail £16.79
I picked this out of the list of drives rather randomly as I cant tear them apart this one does have a couple of small reviews here on the site. I dont remember the last time I copied anything to a disk so I need it only to play disks but dont want anything that will fall apart either.

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-00599) £83.99

Samsung P2450H 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Glossy Black £177.59
This monitor has received 5 star ratings across the web and looks to be the very best available for sub (and even beyond) the £200 mark for gaming.

Scythe Kaze Jyuni 1900RPM Slip Stream 120mm Fan £8.16
This is the fan I plan to add to the front my case (NZXT Phantom Enthusiast Full Tower Case)

Microsoft SideWinder X4 Gaming Keyboard - Retail (JQD-00006) £36.76
Unfortunately its out of stock atm so I may have to look else where for it. I dont want to spend more then £50 on a keybored.

To summarize ;

Will the NZXT Phantom offen enough cooling for my build or should i look at the HAF X even though i prefer the look of the Phantom?

Is there any point in spending more on Memory; G.Skill RipJaw 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C7 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit £65.99 for example.

Is there anything wrong with OCZ Vertex 2E 60GB 2.5" SATA-II Solid State Hard Drive (OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G) £99.98, is there a better one for around the same price?

Will the Akasa AK-CCX-4002HP Venom CPU Cooler (Socket LGA775/LGA1155/LGA1156/LGA1366/AM2/AM3) £35.74 offer enough cooling for this build?

Anything wrong with LG GH22NS50 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - Retail £16.79, should i spend more/less as i only need one to play disks but it needs to last.

Is there anything i should change?
Click to expand...
Most thing seem fine, but I would recommend you change the Scythe Kaze Jyuni 1900RPM Slip Stream 120mm Fan to something else. I've got one in my dad's PC as the extaust fan, and while it does shift huge amount of air, I can hear it at 4-5 metres away. I certainly wouldn't put it into a PC that's sitting close to me.

If you want a 120mm fan that shift good amount of air but not annoyingly loud, you should have a look at Xigmatek Crystal series, or the Yate Loon D12SL-12 if you want even quieter and still shift decent amount of air (but slightly less than the Xigmatek)
 
I cant comment on most of that - I am also looking to upgrade to a sandybridge so would be interested in the replies you got.

I would say, regarding the SSD, that i bought a 60GB one and by the time I put Windows 7 on it (with no modifications, you can reduce the size if you want by using various online guides to create an alternative boot disk) and my fave game (WOW) I was out of space. It made enough of a difference in boot times and loading the game as well as cutting down on cut scenes, that I immediately bought a 120GB version, wishing I had just done that in the first place. I would recommend upgrading this for the small (comparative) cost.
Click to expand...

That is an interesting point and i also play WoW although i was planing to only install windows on the SSD and was wondering what the rest of the space would best be used for, ofc with that in mind i could get away with a 40GB SSD..hmm

Most thing seem fine, but I would recommend you change the Scythe Kaze Jyuni 1900RPM Slip Stream 120mm Fan to something else. I've got one in my dad's PC as the extaust fan, and while it does shift huge amount of air, I can hear it at 4-5 metres away. I certainly wouldn't put it into a PC that's sitting close to me.

If you want a 120mm fan that shift good amount of air but not annoyingly loud, you should have a look at Xigmatek Crystal series, or the Yate Loon D12SL-12 if you want even quieter and still shift decent amount of air (but slightly less than the Xigmatek)
Click to expand...

Im more concerned with cooling then noise level, i always have headphones on (purely out of haddit most of time) this case also comes a fan Controller and i think i need 3 pin sockets to fit fan(s) to it. The case can take a 140mm fan in the front but there wasnt a great deal to pick from ill take a look at your suggestions. maybe Sharkoon System Designed 140mm Fan - 3/4 Pin is another option.
 
Looks very nice.

If you have a few more pennies to spend - I would go for the Corsair HX 750W, which is £10 more. This gives you a higher efficiency PSU and a 7 year warranty.

You may also want to consider removing one of the 6950s (tbh one is plenty for modern games - can always add another later when they are cheaper) and go for an IPS monitor like this (here is a review). With the money left over you could go for a 128GB SSD instead of the 60GB.
 
cmndr_andi said:
Looks very nice.

If you have a few more pennies to spend - I would go for the Corsair HX 750W, which is £10 more. This gives you a higher efficiency PSU and a 7 year warranty.

You may also want to consider removing one of the 6950s (tbh one is plenty for modern games - can always add another later when they are cheaper) and go for an IPS monitor like this (here is a review). With the money left over you could go for a 128GB SSD instead of the 60GB.
Click to expand...

ill take your advise and get the corsair psu instead. I like the idea of getting the 2 cards off the bat, building it and then being able to leave it for a good while without having to worry about upgrades in the near future.
As for the monitor i really like the look of the dell you suggested, the stand is certainly a lot better as for pictue quality would there be a real noticable difference over the Samsung?
if so im tempted to go well over budget and get the dell instead and leave the 2 cards in there too i can go with a 40GB SSD instead of the 60GB to help lower the extra cost and only use it to install the OS.
 
I'd recommend a larger SSD also, mines large enough to have a few games and apps installed on it and it makes a difference to overall system performance. WoW is installed on my spinny disks, and don't really notice problems with that but stuff like Steam / Photoshop etc are all installed on the SSD. There's a shell extension called "Move Folder then Create Junction here" that I use to make everything seem like one big C drive.

I'd also recommend doubling up RAM to 8GB. It helps with multitasking if you are anything like me and have many many programs open at once. :) Task Manager says i'm currently using 6.5GB RAM.
 
Definitely agree on the SSD as for me it needs to be 120gb minimum. I dont have anything to store other than games and some music so 60gb is too little. 120 is still a bit low for me personally but going higher obviously incurs a much larger cost.

With the suggestions above you wont go wrong mate, it looks like a sexy build :)
 
100% agree with the above comments about a larger SSD. Mine is 120 GB and is effectively half filled just by WoW and Win7. If you play WoW an SDD makes a huge improvement to the loading times.

The NZXT Phantom is an awesome case! Like you I thought it looked a lot cooler than the HAF, plus its nice to have something more unique.

You mentioned you weren't sure about a CPU cooler, the H50 is pretty awesome and you can use one of the supplied NZXT fans to set up push/pull on it, which makes things even better.

I'll try to post some pics soon of my build, maybe they'll be helpful for you in some way. :)
 
Ive stuck with my original build other then the display that i changed to the Dell Ultrasharp U2311H (thanks to cmndr_andi for that) i kept the 2 6950's so the change of screen alone went over my budget.

i stuck with the 60GB SSD simply because i cant justify spending another £100 for a 120GB one that still wouldnt be big enough for all my games. its something i may add later on. ill survive :)

I'd also recommend doubling up RAM to 8GB. It helps with multitasking if you are anything like me and have many many programs open at once. Task Manager says i'm currently using 6.5GB RAM.
Click to expand...

ill only use the computer for games and web browsing so 4GB will be fine for the time being if/when games start needing more its an easy/cheap upgrade to do later on.

You mentioned you weren't sure about a CPU cooler, the H50 is pretty awesome and you can use one of the supplied NZXT fans to set up push/pull on it, which makes things even better
Click to expand...

I stuck with the Akasa AK-CCX-4002HP Venom cooler again it comes down to cost. ive not read a bad word about the Venom so im sure it will be fine.

I'll try to post some pics soon of my build, maybe they'll be helpful for you in some way.
Click to expand...

id love to see those pics ;)

Thanks for the replies, I placed my order earlier today.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom