Which Build - And how could it improve?

Right, I might think about the i5-2500K (OEM or standard) then and see what the prices are when I come to order - if the standard one is cheaper (or only marginlly more) then its probably worth it for the 3 year warranty - even if I don't use the cooler. But I'll have to see.

As to the case, I might buy that in a store where I can actually go and see it.

Sounds like the z68 is the way to go.

About the hard drives - general consensus is that the Samsung is better. I believe you guys, but would someone explain why?

Samsung: Samsung SpinPoint F3 500GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (HD502HJ) [HD502HJ]

- Capacity: 500GB
- Cache: 16MB
- Interface: SATA-II
- Spin Speed: 7200RPM
- Seek Time: 8.9ms

WD Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (WD5000AAKX) [WD5000AAKX]

- Backwards compatible with SATA-II
- Capacity: 500GB
- Cache: 16MB
- Interface: SATA 6Gb/s
- Spin Speed: 7200RPM
- Seek Time: 8.9ms

So, as far as I can see (not very far) they are the same except the WD is SATA 6Gb/s whereas the Samsung is only SATA II (3Gb/s).
 
OK, so (as usual) it's not as simple as I thought.

As the prices of things seem to fluctuate a lot - is there much difference between the different manufacturers of HD6870s? Or should I go with the cheapest at the time? I've read reviews but I don't understand parts of them.

Also, if, at the time I order, (probably a few weeks), a GTX 560 is cheaper, what should I go for? I mean, as a general rule (but obviously it depends on the make), what are the nVidia and AMD equivalents around this price point?

I've seen hierarchies online but not with these on.
 
YOUR BASKET
1 x intel core i5-2500k 3.30ghz (sandybridge) socket lga1155 processor - oem £156.98
1 x sapphire ati radeon hd 5850 extreme 1024mb gddr5 pci-express graphics card **ocuk exclusive** £116.99
1 x msi p67a-gd53 intel p67 (socket 1155) ddr3 motherboard - (sandybridge) ** b3 revision ** £107.99
1 x cooler master cm-690 ii lite dominator case - black £59.99
1 x antec high current gamer 620w power supply £49.99
1 x kingston hyperx genesis grey 4gb (2x2gb) ddr3 pc3-12800c9 1600mhz dual channel kit (khx1600c9d3x2k2/4gx) £34.99
1 x seagate barracuda 7200.12 500gb sata 6gb/s 16mb cache - oem (st3500413as) £26.99
1 x gelid tranquillo cpu cooler (socket 754/939/940/am2/am2+/am3/lga775/lga1155/lga1156/lga1366) £25.99
1 x ocuk 22x dvd±rw sata rewriter (black) - oem £14.99
total : £609.90 (includes shipping : £12.50).



reviews

graphics card (5850 vs 6870) : http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/295?vs=290
power supply : http://www.hardwareheaven.com/revie...er-620w-power-supply-review-introduction.html
case : http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/2010/02/18/cooler-master-cm-690-ii-case-review/1
motherboard : http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/motherboards/2011/05/26/msi-p67a-gd53-b3-review/1
cooler : http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2512
 
Last edited:
I'd assumed bigger number = better card, so thanks for the correction there. The 5850 and the 6870 seem so closely matched that I might as well go for the 5850 due to the massive prive difference (I am on a budget after all, and gaming will be still very good on that card - also, the Sapphire seems to be a good one).

Right, I'm really confused about mobo's now! What should I be looking for?

That case is 2x the price of mine! What can I expect from it that I can't from the Cooler Master 430? Ah, I read the review: better cooling. Possibly worth it then?

Is there some sort of PSU calculator? D'you reckon I should go for the 620W over the 530W? It's only £8 more...

I read a review comparing that HDD favourably with the two previously mentioned, so that looks like a good deal :)

That cooler looks good... Better than the Arctic Cooling Freezer 13?

I already have two DVD burners so that'll save me a few quid :)
 
Mobo is a little tricky. The gigabyte looks OK for your needs. I'd need to look further into that.

As for the case, the CM 690 II is just a better case but more expensive. I'm sure the 430 elite will do a fine job too. There are three cases favoured around here for that money. The two coolermasters, and the Antec 100. Either of these will do the job.


I'd recon the Antec for build quality and power. you may not need the full power of the antec, but given the price difference (£8), it's a no brainer. High efficiency, high build quality, loads of power, runs cool and quiet, and will run any single GPU setup you'll ever need, and it's Antec (big reputation). At £50, it would be criminal not to recommend it.

You may skimp on the case and mobo to save money, but I seriously recommend you pick up an Antec.

The build I did is purely up to the budget you supplied. If you want to save money on that, you can. The Gelid Tranquillo is probably the best budget cooler you can get in terms of performance and noise. YOu could save a fiver on a hyper 212+ or a Freezer 13, but I think a good, really quiet cooler is worth a fiver.

The caviar blues have been reviewed as 'not as quick' as the seagates and the F3 (probably the fastest), but how much real world difference does it make... If you like the brand, you might as well go for it. the 6GB/s is not meaningful on a mechanical hard drive. I picked up the cheapest, but it would be a toss between the Caviar Blue, the Seagate 7200.12, or the Samsung F3.

As for the memory, any 2x2GB 12800 16000MHz will fo the job. There is very little in performance between them, so pick the cheapest (kingston or corsair, dont like ocz).

I would pick up the 5850, the price difference don't justify the gap in performance, and I've had a 5850 for a while, it's been great really, plays everything without breaking a sweat. Now it's going to my brother. One word of warning, it doesn't have great connectivity. So you'll need a DVI and a HDMI monitor, 'but' you can get HDMI to DVI connectors, and then you have two DVIs. Could be one supplied with the graphics card.

Revised 'thirfty' build.

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - OEM £156.98
1 x Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 5850 Extreme 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card **OcUK Exclusive** £116.99
1 x Gigabyte Z68A-D3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £79.99
1 x Antec High Current Gamer 620W Power Supply £49.99
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/4GX) £34.99
1 x Cooler Master Elite 430 Windowed Case - Black £33.98
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (ST3500413AS) £26.99
1 x Gelid Tranquillo CPU Cooler (Socket 754/939/940/AM2/AM2+/AM3/LGA775/LGA1155/LGA1156/LGA1366) £25.99
1 x OcUK 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £14.99
Total : £553.50 (includes shipping : £10.50).




And now the 'hobbo' build.

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - OEM £156.98
1 x Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 5850 Extreme 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card **OcUK Exclusive** £116.99
1 x Gigabyte Z68A-D3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £79.99
1 x BeQuiet Pure Power L7 530W Power Supply £41.99
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/4GX) £34.99
1 x Cooler Master Elite 430 Windowed Case - Black £33.98
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (ST3500413AS) £26.99
1 x Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev 2 CPU Cooler (Socket 939 / AM2 / AM3 / 775 / 1155/ 1156 / 1366) £17.99
1 x OcUK 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £14.99
Total : £537.49 (includes shipping : £10.50).



But seriously, at least pick up the antec :D

And how it looks with the os.

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - OEM £156.98
1 x Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 5850 Extreme 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card **OcUK Exclusive** £116.99
1 x Gigabyte Z68A-D3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £79.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Bundle - Home Premium 64 Bit £68.40
1 x Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (WD5000AAKX) £29.99
1 x BeQuiet Pure Power L7 530W Power Supply £41.99
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/4GX) £34.99
1 x Cooler Master Elite 430 Windowed Case - Black £33.98
1 x Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev 2 CPU Cooler (Socket 939 / AM2 / AM3 / 775 / 1155/ 1156 / 1366) £17.99
1 x OcUK 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £14.99
Total : £609.79 (includes shipping : £11.25).

 
Last edited:
Thank you so much for your help :)

I think I'm gonna go for something similar to your £553.50 build, minus the DVD drive (I have two already which I can cannibalise from my current PC). Also, the Seagate looks good; I wouldn't say I really favour one make over another, when the last time I considered myself knowledgable about PCs was 8 years ago when I bought my last!
 
case review btw.

It's still cheap and nasty in places. Two main points. No dust filter on the front fan intake (but has some at the top? can they be moved at the front?), and the comical 'tooless' PCI covers. Cable management don't look great, and I think that's a common complain about the case.

EDIT : The front is dust filtered. the review must have missed that or it's a later improvement. the PCI slots should be OK as well, but a bit fragile.

cm_elite430_case15.jpg
 
Last edited:
I say ignore the Antec PSU and get this OCZ - http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-047-OC&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=1098

More Watts/Amps the OEM who makes it is good and at just £4 more you would be mad not to, will last longer too if you ever decide to upgrade.


So with this in mind,


Your basketProduct Name Qty Price Line Total
Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - OEM £156.98
(£130.82) £156.98
(£130.82)
Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 5850 Extreme 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card **OcUK Exclusive** £116.99
(£97.49) £116.99
(£97.49)
Gigabyte Z68A-D3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £79.99
(£66.66) £79.99
(£66.66)
Corsair XMS3 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMX8GX3M2A1600C9) £69.98
(£58.32) £69.98
(£58.32)
OCZ StealthXStream 2 700W Power Supply £52.98
(£44.15) £52.98
(£44.15)
Antec 100 One Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case - Black £41.99
(£34.99) £41.99
(£34.99)
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (ST3500413AS) £26.99
(£22.49) £26.99
(£22.49)
Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 High Performance CPU Cooler (Socket LGA775/1155/1156/1366/939/AM2/AM2+) £22.99
(£19.16) £22.99
(£19.16)
OcUK 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £14.99
(£12.49) £14.99
(£12.49)
Sub Total : £486.57
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 : £99.81
Total : £598.88


• 8GB of RAM is certainly needed for video editing.
• Much higher quality case.
• The Freezer 7 Pro is crap, so included a stronger cooler.
 
Last edited:
One more thing; I take it that, if I wanted to get a second 5850 in the future, the motherboad (Gigabyte Z68A-D3 Intel Z68) would be pretty useless, as the 2nd PCI-e is only 4X?

- Slightly more noobish - but would two graphics cards of 5850 size even fit on the mobo? And it there a way to provide addtional power to cards should I get a second?
 
The Antec High Current Gamer 620W PSU is a fantastic PSU and a bargain, as it is made by Seasonic and for that money it cannot be beaten.

The OCZ SXS 700W, on the other hand, is made by FSP and based on the Epsilon platform, which is widely regarded as being of questionable quality at best.

Also, the Freezer 7 Pro Rev 2 provides ample cooling provided we're not talking about suicide overclocks, and besides, the 13 provides next to no benefits above the 7.

Hope this helps.
 
Right, I used a PSU calculator and it recommended 350 Watts, so I can't see why I'd need any more than 620 - and if Antec is a reputable brand then all the better!

I was persuaded into getting the K and z68 (which are actually the same price as non-K and h67) but will not OC initially - and not much when I do - so I'm guessing the Freezer 7 should be entirely acceptable, for stock sppeds and only very mild overclocks.

Can anyone help me out with these questions?

One more thing; I take it that, if I wanted to get a second 5850 in the future, the motherboad (Gigabyte Z68A-D3 Intel Z68) would be pretty useless, as the 2nd PCI-e is only 4X? And it there a way to provide additional power to cards should I get a second?
Click to expand...
 
the 2nd slot being x4 only causes about 5% drop in performance vs x16 so its no major drama, obv x16 is better but I wouldnt be losing any sleep over it, though if future xfire is an option a 6 series card would be a better bet initially as they have much better performance (havent read rest of thread, apologies if u already have the 5850)
 
No, I don't, but the 6 series is an extra 40 quid or so, so cf would be £80 quid more. I'm not looking for ultimate performance in this build, just trying not to go over £550 or so. To be honest, if and when I want to upgrade a year or so down the line, I can look at what's available then and choose whether to go for the second 5850 or maybe a better single card, depending on price.

Am I right in thinking that when cf is used, it's only the slave card which is limited to 4X, and the main card remains at 16X?
 
you should be able to using two molex -> PCIE adapters for the second card. The cards should come with those adapters. Neither the OCZ or the Antec provide enough connectors natively. The next SLI/XFire ready PSU would be the XFX Pro Core 650W, which is another £15. So, the antec will do it, but with a bit of cable management. 5850 crossfire and 2500K is under 500W. Antec provides 576W @ 12V, the OCZ 700W has a lil more headroom. The XFX 650W would be perfect for the job since it has 6 x 4 PCIE connectors, and has loads of power on 12V.

XFX 650W review.

OCZ GameXStream 700W (same as the StealthXStream AFAIK).

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/303?vs=305

If this is to be believed, 5850CF is pretty impressive. Shave off 5-10% and it's still around a stock 570 / 580. Crossfire is a bit of a hassle though, but a cheap way to getting performance.

The motherboard is certified XFire, but not SLI. THe GD53 is designed to support 8x8x crossfire / SLI. Personally I never been a huge fan of xfire / SLI. It's up to you, but as you said you were 'moderate' gamer, are you now becoming greedy? :D

If you do a lot of video editing, then yes, 8GB would be preferable. Currently £70, which would push your budget towards £600. Can always add 4GB later if you feel it's holding you back, 4GB isn't so bad.

To be honest, that's a lot of power and performance for £550, that should give you everything you need. The only difference between that system and a top single GPU gaming rig, is the GPU power. While still plenty, swap the 5850 with a 570 or 6970 (which I prefer over crossfire), and you pretty much have a high performance gaming rig. The case and PSU should allow you to do that quite comfortably. So you have room for improvement if you want to get back to PC gaming for real. Still, a 5850 is really not shabby.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom