Building a PC/Buying a pre-built PC.

Reficx

Reficx

Reficx

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15 Feb 2011
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73
Okay so I need some help/advise.

I've got a laptop which is old, got it like 5 years ago.

Gateway, dual core, 1Gb RAM, 320GB HD, not sure on exact components as I'm not at home at the moment but that's not the point.

Looking for a PC for multimedia/gaming.

I use Adobe products, Photoshop, after effects etc also looking to start PC gaming, converting from Xbox to PC for professional gaming. Mostly COD 4, black ops.

Basically I'm looking for a computer that will run these fine.
So that I can play COD or whatever game, record it fine. No lag or anything.
Anything is gonna be better then my laptop, so slow when I use Adobe products not even bothered to try games like COD lol.

Not really sure on my current budget as I'll probably get my mum to buy it and then pay her back or whatever.

Any ideas on what I'll need?

Thanks in advance. :).
 
If you can afford it, what you really want to go for is something akin to the Titan Spinosaur on the site, with the GTX 460 1GB upgrade. An Athlon II X4 based system with the GTX 460 1GB will also be fine, but the i5-2500K is far more powerful.

If you know how to build PCs, selecting a similar set of parts separately and putting them together yourself will save you a bit of money.
 
Yeh a typical budget is around £400-£600.
Looks good Hybrid but expensive.
As that what I'll need though.
Yeh I can build one but how much would you reckon I'll save.
I want it last about 4 years so till the end of Uni and then I'll upgrade or one that I can upgrade quite easily along the one.
 
Does that £400-600 include operating system and monitor? If you're a student you might be able to get a discounted copy of Windows 7.
 
Go on then seen as no one else as done it:

OcUK Motherboard Bundle - Intel Core i5 2500K & Asus P8P67 Intel P67 Mainboard £289.99
(£241.66) £289.99
(£241.66)
MSI ATI Radeon HD 5850 Twin FrozR II 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £137.99
(£114.99) £137.99
(£114.99)
Coolermaster Elite 430 Windowed Case - Black (with 500w Elite Power PSU) £64.33
(£53.61) £64.33
(£53.61)
Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMX4GX3M2A1600C9) £46.99
(£39.16) £46.99
(£39.16)
Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (HD103SJ) £40.99
(£34.16) £40.99
(£34.16)
Samsung SH-S223C/BEBE 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £13.99
(£11.66) £13.99
(£11.66)
Sub Total : £495.24
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £10.50
VAT is being charged at 20.00% VAT : £101.15
Total : £606.89

This is without O/S, Monitor, Keyboard & Mouse
Like Redmint says you may be able to get student version of Windows so a lot cheaper.
Monitor your talking £80 - £150 for an decent/good full HD one
Keyboard & Mouse if you not botherd about extreme gaming ones £15 or £20 for a set will do.

This is a good high end CPU and the lot will last easy 4/5 years...
VGA card is a good one or you could opt for an Nvidia similar cost and performance....
if it's a little over budget and your £600 needs to include Monitor, O/S Key & Mouse then you are talking a lower CPU, Motherboard & VGA card or for CPU an AMD alternative will be cheaper.

Hope this helps?
 
I would definately go for a self build, as you will save a small amount by doing this, and can build it to your specification depending on your needs.

If it helps, I'll donate a new black optical mouse to the cause!...

Paul
 
Just done this to see if this tickles ya fancy? Not a bad system for the total cost?

Samsung BX2235 21.5" Widescreen LED Monitor - Mystic Black £134.39
(£111.99) £134.39
(£111.99)
HIS ATI Radeon HD 5770 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £99.98
(£83.32) £99.98
(£83.32)
Intel Core i3 550 3.20GHz (Clarkdale) (Socket LGA1156) - Retail £99.98
(£83.32) £99.98
(£83.32)
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-00599) £81.98
(£68.32) £81.98
(£68.32)
Asus P7H55-M Intel H55 (Socket 1156) DDR3 microATX Motherboard £67.99
(£56.66) £67.99
(£56.66)
Coolermaster Elite 430 Windowed Case - Black (with 500w Elite Power PSU) £64.33
(£53.61) £64.33
(£53.61)
Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMX4GX3M2A1600C9) £46.99
(£39.16) £46.99
(£39.16)
Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (HD103SJ) £40.99
(£34.16) £40.99
(£34.16)
Blaze BL-6400 2.4GHz Wireless Desktop £18.98
(£15.82) £18.98
(£15.82)
Samsung SH-S223C/BEBE 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £13.99
(£11.66) £13.99
(£11.66)
Sub Total : £558.02
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £12.50
VAT is being charged at 20.00% VAT : £114.10
Total : £684.62

i3 CPU should do the trick ok
 
Asus GeForce GTX 460 1024MB DirectCU GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £129.98
(£108.32) £129.98
(£108.32)
BenQ G2222HDL 21.5" Widescreen LED Monitor - Black £107.99
(£89.99) £107.99
(£89.99)
AMD Athlon II X4 Quad Core 640 3.00GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail £74.39
(£61.99) £74.39
(£61.99)
Coolermaster Elite 430 Windowed Case - Black (with 500w Elite Power PSU) £64.33
(£53.61) £64.33
(£53.61)
Foxconn A7DA-S 3.0 AMD 790GX (Socket AM3) DDR3 Motherboard £54.98
(£45.82) £54.98
(£45.82)
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (ST3500418AS) £31.99
(£26.66) £31.99
(£26.66)
OCZ Platinum 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Ultra Low Voltage Dual Channel Kit (OCZ3P1600C9ELV4GK) £28.79
(£23.99) £28.79
(£23.99)
Saitek Cyborg V3 Gaming Mouse £20.99
(£17.49) £20.99
(£17.49)
Samsung SH-S223C/BEBE 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £13.99
(£11.66) £13.99
(£11.66)
Logitech Deluxe USB Keyboard (Black) - OEM (967738-0120) £7.99
(£6.66) £7.99
(£6.66)
Sub Total : £446.19
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £12.50
VAT is being charged at 20.00% VAT : £91.74
Total : £550.43

Cheap AM3 build with everything apart from operating system.
 
My two cents

Product Name Qty Price Line Total
OcUK Motherboard Bundle - Intel Core i5 2500K & Asus P8P67 Intel P67 Mainboard £289.99
(£241.66) £289.99
(£241.66)
MSI ATI Radeon HD 5850 Twin FrozR II 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £137.99
(£114.99) £137.99
(£114.99)
Antec 100 One Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case - Black £43.99
(£36.66) £43.99
(£36.66)
BeQuiet Pure Power L7 530W Power Supply £42.98
(£35.82) £42.98
(£35.82)
Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (HD103SJ) £40.99
(£34.16) £40.99
(£34.16)
OCZ Special OPS 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C8 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (OCZ3SOE1600LV4GK) £35.99
(£29.99) £35.99
(£29.99)
OcUK 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £13.19
(£10.99) £13.19
(£10.99)
Sub Total : £504.27
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £10.50
VAT is being charged at 20.00% VAT : £102.95
Total : £617.72

It's slightly over, doesn't have mouse/keyboard/OS but is a very nice Intel build, I'll quickly spec an AMD build up for you

AMD without OS/mouse/keyboard

Product Name Qty Price Line Total
MSI ATI Radeon HD 5850 Twin FrozR II 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £137.99
(£114.99) £137.99
(£114.99)
AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 955 Black Edition "125W Edition" 3.20GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail £107.99
(£89.99) £107.99
(£89.99)
MSI 870A-G54 AMD 870 (Socket AM3) DDR3 Motherboard £72.98
(£60.82) £72.98
(£60.82)
Antec 100 One Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case - Black £43.99
(£36.66) £43.99
(£36.66)
BeQuiet Pure Power L7 530W Power Supply £42.98
(£35.82) £42.98
(£35.82)
Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (HD103SJ) £40.99
(£34.16) £40.99
(£34.16)
OCZ Special OPS 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C8 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (OCZ3SOE1600LV4GK) £35.99
(£29.99) £35.99
(£29.99)
OcUK 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £13.19
(£10.99) £13.19
(£10.99)
Sub Total : £413.42
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £10.50
VAT is being charged at 20.00% VAT : £84.78
Total : £508.70

AMD is obviously cheaper, but it does make a difference to performance...

kd
 
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Go for a self build if you feel confident that you can build and support it afterwards which is where a lot of people come unstuck. They are cheaper and great fun to get involved in. Providing you are willing to invest the time.

If you don't have the time for a self build and would rather "Unwrap and go" then a pre built system maybe your best choice.

Bear in mid warranty too. Although all parts under a self build are under warranty, a pre-build system will always give you after sales comfort but as i said, it really depends on the investment of time you wish to throw at it :)
 
I don't mind putting in the time, I can build the PC fine as I can get help from my brother or step dad if I get stuck anyway. Should be fine.
The AMD prices look promises, already got a monitor + Windows 7 with my student discount ages ago. Was gonna sell it but now I want a PC glad I kept it.
Why is AMD so much cheaper? Would I notice it that badly?
Will I only need 4GB Ram? As I know you can obviously get a lot more nowadays.
What are people's views on an iMac for gaming? Prices in comparison?
 
One thing to note - if you buy pre-built with a i5 2500K cpu and Asus P8P67 Intel P67 motherboard, you can save money by not having the builders overclock it. The new Asus Sandybridge boards come with an automatic overclocking ability which on the test in the link below ramped a i7 2600K 3.4Ghz up to 4.8Ghz. Have a look at this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_887554&feature=iv&v=3vBN-cBPs98 - watch from 20mins 10sec.

It shows the automatic OC in action. You can also do this manually if you are happy. Just make sure you get a good cpu cooler. I looked on one site and it was £79 for an extreme overclock!
 
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All those prices seem good even with a monitor.
So as I already have a monitor + Windows 7.
Also I can just use one of my brothers old cases.
What could I get for around £500 give or take a few bob do you reckon?
Also can someone explain the performance comparison of AMD and Intel?
Would I notice it that badly?
 
go with a custom built pc. I already had harddrives laying about, a case to do with for now and my own keyboard and mouse along with 2 monitors. came to 260 quid for a core i3 3.06 Ghz I just need to add a gfx card maybe more ram in the future but the intel hd handles 1080p fine
 
Reficx said:
So as I already have a monitor + Windows 7.
Also I can just use one of my brothers old cases.
What could I get for around £500 give or take a few bob do you reckon?
Click to expand...

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560Ti OC 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £197.99
(£164.99) £197.99
(£164.99)
AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 955 Black Edition "125W Edition" 3.20GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail £109.99
(£91.66) £109.99
(£91.66)
MSI 870-C45 AMD 770 Chipset (Socket AM3) DDR3 Motherboard £54.98
(£45.82) £54.98
(£45.82)
BeQuiet Pure Power L7 530W Power Supply £41.99
(£34.99) £41.99
(£34.99)
OCZ Special OPS 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C8 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (OCZ3SOE1600LV4GK) £31.19
(£25.99) £31.19
(£25.99)
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (ST3500418AS) £28.99
(£24.16) £28.99
(£24.16)
Samsung SH-S223C/BEBE 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £11.99
(£9.99) £11.99
(£9.99)

Sub Total : £397.60
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £10.00
VAT is being charged at 20.00% VAT : £81.52
Total : £489.12

Essentially the Intel (i5/i7/Sandy Bridge) chips will be faster, however in the majority of games the GPU is more important and the Phenom 955 is a good choice of chip for this kind of budget.

Also I don't think he meant 'professional gaming' literally considering he's a student. :p
 
Sorry, was tired when I made this thread obviously.
I didn't mean professional gaming lol, competitive gaming.
Leaning towards AMD to be honest, seems cheapest and can get a decent quad core cheap. Btw, cheapest place to buy an iMac (not for me) or best to just buy directly from Apple?
 
Can't really discuss the best place to sell iMacs here I'm afraid as Overclockers don't sell them and anywhere who did sell them would be considered a competitor (not allowed to talk about rival retailers on these forums).
 
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