Hey folks,
Firstly, a thank you. 8 years ago (perhaps even longer) I posted on here looking for advice on a Pentium 4 build. Following said advice, I'm pleased (and astonished) to say that the bare bones of that build lasted me right up until the end of last year (the PSU and/or motherboard conked out just before Christmas). So cheers!
Technology has obviously moved on a lot since then, so I've spent the past 1-2 weeks trying to get up to scratch in prep for a new build. I think I've got to grips with most of it, and have some areas pinned down, but I'd still appreciate as much spec advice as possible.
Anyway, on to the build...
The Brief
I have a budget of around £900-1000. I've recently bought a Panasonic HC-V700 camcorder, so will be using the computer for HD video editing. I'd like to play the latest games, although ultra graphics settings/high FPS rates aren't of importance to me. I'm not looking to overclock (at least, not in the immediate future), although stability is important.
I require a CPU, MOBO, RAM, SSD, HDD, GPU, PSU and DVD±RW. I also require Windows 7.
I already have a monitor, case (Fractal R4) and peripherals.
So far, the components I'm 99% sure on:
- Intel Core i7-3770K 3.50GHz
- Gigabyte Z77X-D3H
- Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM (for video/basic storage)
I did debate whether the i7-3770K was worth the extra £70 over the i5-3570K. Whilst in the short term the i5 would probably suffice, I think in the long run I'd regret not going for the i7. The main attraction of the Gigabyte Z77X-D3H is that its additional 2x SATA 6Gb/s connectors (Marvell 88SE9172 chip) support raid - which will come in handy should I need extra/faster video storage later down the line.
As for the rest...
RAM - I'd prefer to go with 16GB off the bat, but unsure of which make/speed.
SSD - 128GB or 256GB. Would ideally love a 256GB, but I can't imagine one falling within budget.
In terms of a GPU, I don't think I'll need anything too flashy. Generally, my adventures in PC gaming seem to be winding down. I still play a few Source engine-based games (Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead 2), and whilst I wouldn't mind a bash at newer titles (Battlefield 3, Guild Wars 2), as mentioned above, I'm not that bothered about ultra high graphical settings. I was initially looking at Nvidia cards due to the boosts CUDA gives to video editing, but I've since learnt that the NLE software I've bought (PE11) doesn't support CUDA/GPU acceleration. Part of me is still tempted to go with Nvidia anyway in case I make the leap to more professional editing software in the future, but I guess future-proofing in this area would take me beyond my budget. So perhaps AMD is the best bet for now.
PSU - Either full or semi-modular. I was looking at the Seasonic M12II 750W, but OcUK no longer seem to stock it.
DVD±RW - I plan to buy a Blu-ray writer once I've saved a few more pennies, so a bog-standard DVD±RW is all that's required for now.
Anything else I seem to be missing?
I'm looking to order within the next day or two, so any speedy thoughts, suggestions or potential build-specs would be very much appreciated!
Many thanks.
Firstly, a thank you. 8 years ago (perhaps even longer) I posted on here looking for advice on a Pentium 4 build. Following said advice, I'm pleased (and astonished) to say that the bare bones of that build lasted me right up until the end of last year (the PSU and/or motherboard conked out just before Christmas). So cheers!
Technology has obviously moved on a lot since then, so I've spent the past 1-2 weeks trying to get up to scratch in prep for a new build. I think I've got to grips with most of it, and have some areas pinned down, but I'd still appreciate as much spec advice as possible.
Anyway, on to the build...
The Brief
I have a budget of around £900-1000. I've recently bought a Panasonic HC-V700 camcorder, so will be using the computer for HD video editing. I'd like to play the latest games, although ultra graphics settings/high FPS rates aren't of importance to me. I'm not looking to overclock (at least, not in the immediate future), although stability is important.
I require a CPU, MOBO, RAM, SSD, HDD, GPU, PSU and DVD±RW. I also require Windows 7.
I already have a monitor, case (Fractal R4) and peripherals.
So far, the components I'm 99% sure on:
- Intel Core i7-3770K 3.50GHz
- Gigabyte Z77X-D3H
- Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM (for video/basic storage)
I did debate whether the i7-3770K was worth the extra £70 over the i5-3570K. Whilst in the short term the i5 would probably suffice, I think in the long run I'd regret not going for the i7. The main attraction of the Gigabyte Z77X-D3H is that its additional 2x SATA 6Gb/s connectors (Marvell 88SE9172 chip) support raid - which will come in handy should I need extra/faster video storage later down the line.
As for the rest...
RAM - I'd prefer to go with 16GB off the bat, but unsure of which make/speed.
SSD - 128GB or 256GB. Would ideally love a 256GB, but I can't imagine one falling within budget.
In terms of a GPU, I don't think I'll need anything too flashy. Generally, my adventures in PC gaming seem to be winding down. I still play a few Source engine-based games (Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead 2), and whilst I wouldn't mind a bash at newer titles (Battlefield 3, Guild Wars 2), as mentioned above, I'm not that bothered about ultra high graphical settings. I was initially looking at Nvidia cards due to the boosts CUDA gives to video editing, but I've since learnt that the NLE software I've bought (PE11) doesn't support CUDA/GPU acceleration. Part of me is still tempted to go with Nvidia anyway in case I make the leap to more professional editing software in the future, but I guess future-proofing in this area would take me beyond my budget. So perhaps AMD is the best bet for now.
PSU - Either full or semi-modular. I was looking at the Seasonic M12II 750W, but OcUK no longer seem to stock it.
DVD±RW - I plan to buy a Blu-ray writer once I've saved a few more pennies, so a bog-standard DVD±RW is all that's required for now.
Anything else I seem to be missing?
I'm looking to order within the next day or two, so any speedy thoughts, suggestions or potential build-specs would be very much appreciated!
Many thanks.
