My new build - £650~ budget

Triggered · 1 Apr 2013 at 19:44

Hi all!

I'm looking to upgrade my system and rather than just upgrading a few bits, I want a completely new system.

I was wondering what you guys would recommend I get for around the £650 - £700 mark.

The computer is going to be used mainly for gaming and a bit of photo/video editing and 3D design.

Please don't include peripherals like monitors etc or any software/OS.

The main thing I would like to get a grasp on is whether I should choose AMD or Intel, so please give me your recommendations!

Thanks in advance guys!

Idleman · 1 Apr 2013 at 19:48

Can you post your current system spec, so we can see what, if anything can be reused.

honosuseri · 1 Apr 2013 at 19:48

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - OEM £187.99
1 x Gigabyte ATI Radeon HD 7850 OC Windforce 2X 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card with Tomb Raider & Bioshock PC Games £161.99
1 x Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £89.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £55.99
1 x Zalman Z9 USB 3.0 Midi Tower Case - Black £54.98
1 x Corsair Builder Series CX 500w Modular '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply (CP-9020059-UK) £54.98
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £39.95
1 x Thermalright True Spirit 120 REV A (BW) Performance CPU Cooler (Socket 775 / 1155 / 1156 / AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / FM1 / FM2) £24.98
1 x OcUK 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £704.84 (includes shipping : £12.50).

Paying the extra for the 7870XT would be nice. The 2TB version of the HDD isn't much more either but you have to draw a line somewhere

snips86x · 1 Apr 2013 at 19:51

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - Retail £199.99
1 x HIS HD 7850 IceQ X 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card (H785QN2G2M) with Tomb Raider & Bioshock PC Games £161.99
1 x Asus P8Z77-V LX Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £85.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £55.99
1 x BeQuiet Pure Power L7 530W '80 Plus' Power Supply £54.95
1 x TeamGroup Xtreem LV 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-17000C11 2133MHz Dual Channel Kit (TXD38G2133HC11DC01) £49.99
1 x NZXT Source 210 Elite Midi Tower Case - Black £39.95
1 x Thermalright Macho 120 CPU Cooler (Socket 775 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366 / 2011 / AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / FM1 / FM2) £29.99
Total : £692.94 (includes shipping : £11.75).

Intel is better for gaming, but the QuickSync on the Intel chip will be more than enough for your encoding & editing. 2133RAM has been spec'd for this purpose.

Triggered · 1 Apr 2013 at 19:53

Idleman said:
Can you post your current system spec, so we can see what, if anything can be reused.

I've already agreed to sell it to a friend as it is so no parts are being reused.

Triggered · 1 Apr 2013 at 19:54

snips86x said:
YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - Retail £199.99
1 x HIS HD 7850 IceQ X 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card (H785QN2G2M) with Tomb Raider & Bioshock PC Games £161.99
1 x Asus P8Z77-V LX Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £85.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £55.99
1 x BeQuiet Pure Power L7 530W '80 Plus' Power Supply £54.95
1 x TeamGroup Xtreem LV 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-17000C11 2133MHz Dual Channel Kit (TXD38G2133HC11DC01) £49.99
1 x NZXT Source 210 Elite Midi Tower Case - Black £39.95
1 x Thermalright Macho 120 CPU Cooler (Socket 775 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366 / 2011 / AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / FM1 / FM2) £29.99
Total : £692.94 (includes shipping : £11.75).

Intel is better for gaming, but the QuickSync on the Intel chip will be more than enough for your encoding & editing. 2133RAM has been spec'd for this purpose.

honosuseri said:
YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - OEM £187.99
1 x Gigabyte ATI Radeon HD 7850 OC Windforce 2X 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card with Tomb Raider & Bioshock PC Games £161.99
1 x Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £89.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £55.99
1 x Zalman Z9 USB 3.0 Midi Tower Case - Black £54.98
1 x Corsair Builder Series CX 500w Modular '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply (CP-9020059-UK) £54.98
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £39.95
1 x Thermalright True Spirit 120 REV A (BW) Performance CPU Cooler (Socket 775 / 1155 / 1156 / AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / FM1 / FM2) £24.98
1 x OcUK 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £704.84 (includes shipping : £12.50).

Paying the extra for the 7870XT would be nice. The 2TB version of the HDD isn't much more either but you have to draw a line somewhere

So you would both recommend the i5 for my needs?

Thanks a lot for the help, both of you.

dacads · 1 Apr 2013 at 19:56

Easy when you know how

Better cooler and PSU

Or you could stick with the suggested and grab yourself a better GPU

I would be aiming for a VTX3D 7870 Black / Sapphire 7870XT or a B-Grade Radeon 7950 when they come about in the clearance lines

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - OEM £187.99
1 x **B Grade** Gigabyte ATI Radeon HD 7850 OC Windforce 2X 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card w/ Nexuiz, Sleeping Dogs & Dirt Showd (GX-100-GI) £129.95
1 x Seasonic G series 550w '80 Plus Gold' Modular Power Supply £76.99
1 x Phanteks PH-TC14PE CPU Cooler - Silver (Socket 775 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366 / 2011 / AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / FM1 / FM2) £66.98
1 x **B Grade** Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £60.00
1 x Zalman Z9 USB 3.0 Midi Tower Case - Black £54.98
1 x Adata XPG Gaming v1.0 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory Kit (AX3U1600GC4G9-2G) £49.99
1 x **B Grade** Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (S (HD-257-SE) £45.00
1 x OcUK 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £705.88 (includes shipping : £12.50).

Triggered · 1 Apr 2013 at 19:57

Also, what's the difference between the OEM and Retail versions of the processor? I'm assuming the OEM version comes without some extras? Fan maybe?

dacads · 1 Apr 2013 at 20:00

OEM comes with 1 year warranty as opposed to 3 with Retail which also includes a HSF

snips86x · 1 Apr 2013 at 20:01

Jack_Adam said:
So you would both recommend the i5 for my needs?

Thanks a lot for the help, both of you.

On your budget, yes!

If you can push another £150, with that and some grade-b parts, you may just get a 3770k in there.

Triggered · 1 Apr 2013 at 20:05

Thanks a lot for the help guys; since I'm not buying the computer yet, it all depends how long I can resist getting a new machine to save up a bit more cash for better parts!

dacads · 1 Apr 2013 at 20:05

Or here is my 2nd attempt with a better graphics card but cheaper cooler. Also different RAM and case but they are still good

But as I said a Radeon 7950 would well be worth it

YOUR BASKET
1 x VTX3D HD 7870 Black Boost Edition 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £189.95
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - OEM £187.99
1 x Seasonic G series 550w '80 Plus Gold' Modular Power Supply £76.99
1 x **B Grade** Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £60.00
1 x BitFenix Shinobi USB3.0 Gaming Case - Black £49.99
1 x **B Grade** Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (S (HD-257-SE) £45.00
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £39.95
1 x Alpenföhn Matterhorn Pure Edition CPU Cooler (Socket 775 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366 / AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / FM1 / FM2) £29.99
1 x OcUK 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £712.94 (includes shipping : £11.75).

Some variation in colour with the case

Also some others available and side window versions for £10 more

YOUR BASKET
1 x BitFenix Shinobi USB3.0 Gaming Case - White/Blue £49.99
1 x BitFenix Shinobi USB3.0 Gaming Case - White/Black £49.99
1 x BitFenix Shinobi USB3.0 Gaming Case - OcUK Edition £49.99
Total : £168.70 (includes shipping : £15.60).

Idleman · 1 Apr 2013 at 20:07

YOUR BASKET
1 x Sapphire HD 7870 XT rev2.0 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card with Tomb Raider & Bioshock PC Games £203.99
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - OEM £187.99
1 x **B Grade** Gigabyte Z77X-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £80.99
1 x BeQuiet Pure Power L7 530W '80 Plus' Power Supply £54.95
1 x Corsair Carbide 200R Compact ATX Case - Black £49.99
1 x **B Grade** Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (S (HD-257-SE) £45
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £39.95
1 x Thermalright True Spirit 120 REV A [BW] Performance CPU Cooler (Socket 775 / 1155 / 1156 / AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / FM1 / FM2) £24.98
Total : £700.44 (includes shipping : £10.50).

Triggered · 1 Apr 2013 at 20:08

I should have said in the original post that I don't plan to overclock the machine, purely because I don't have any experience and do not want to risk any damage.

honosuseri · 1 Apr 2013 at 20:11

RAM faster than 1600mhz makes so very little difference on the 1155 socket, save your cash

YOUR BASKET
1 x Sapphire HD 7870 XT rev2.0 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card with Tomb Raider & Bioshock PC Games £203.99
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - OEM £187.99
1 x **B Grade** Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £60.00
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £55.99
1 x Zalman Z9 USB 3.0 Midi Tower Case - Black £54.98
1 x Corsair Builder Series CX 500w Modular '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply (CP-9020059-UK) £54.98
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £39.95
1 x Thermalright True Spirit 120 REV A (BW) Performance CPU Cooler (Socket 775 / 1155 / 1156 / AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / FM1 / FM2) £24.98
1 x OcUK 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £716.86 (includes shipping : £12.50).

Mobo is B grade (you might need some sata cables). Squeezed in the 7870XT I mentioned which is closely related to a 7950. There are cheaper cases but the Z9 U3 is packed with kit for the price. A modular PSU will make life easier for cable management and in turn improve airflow. Don't be scared of overclocking it is dead easy and can gain you more performance with minimum effort

Triggered · 1 Apr 2013 at 20:25

(Can someone tell me how to do the 'your basket' thing? Yeah I'm new)

snips86x · 1 Apr 2013 at 20:25

honosuseri said:
RAM faster than 1600mhz makes so very little difference on the 1155 socket, save your cash

YOUR BASKET
1 x Sapphire HD 7870 XT rev2.0 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card with Tomb Raider & Bioshock PC Games £203.99
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - OEM £187.99
1 x **B Grade** Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £60.00
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £55.99
1 x Zalman Z9 USB 3.0 Midi Tower Case - Black £54.98
1 x Corsair Builder Series CX 500w Modular '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply (CP-9020059-UK) £54.98
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £39.95
1 x Thermalright True Spirit 120 REV A (BW) Performance CPU Cooler (Socket 775 / 1155 / 1156 / AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / FM1 / FM2) £24.98
1 x OcUK 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £716.86 (includes shipping : £12.50).

Mobo is B grade (you might need some sata cables). Squeezed in the 7870XT I mentioned which is closely related to a 7950. There are cheaper cases but the Z9 U3 is packed with kit for the price. A modular PSU will make life easier for cable management and in turn improve airflow. Don't be scared of overclocking it is dead easy and can gain you more performance with minimum effort

This is why I added it in...

Jack_Adam said:
*snip*

The computer is going to be used mainly for gaming and a bit of photo/video editing and 3D design.

dacads · 1 Apr 2013 at 20:29

Jack_Adam said:
(Can someone tell me how to do the 'your basket' thing? Yeah I'm new)

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18371076

Triggered · 1 Apr 2013 at 20:37

Here's what I've decided so far:

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - OEM £187.99
1 x HIS HD 7850 IceQ Turbo 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card (H785QT2G2M) with Tomb Raider & Bioshock PC Games £169.99
1 x Asus P8Z77-V LX Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £85.99
1 x Corsair Builder Series CX 750w Modular '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply (CP-9020061-UK) £78.98
1 x Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST2000DM001) HDD £67.99
1 x BitFenix Shinobi USB3.0 Gaming Case - White/Blue £49.99
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £39.95
1 x Thermalright Macho 120 CPU Cooler (Socket 775 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366 / 2011 / AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / FM1 / FM2) £29.99
1 x OcUK 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £744.86 (includes shipping : £12.50).

Ethermaster · 1 Apr 2013 at 21:08

I will just leave my 2 pence here,

YOUR BASKET
1 x Sapphire HD 7870 XT rev2.0 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card with Tomb Raider & Bioshock PC Games £203.99
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - Retail £199.99
1 x Samsung 250GB SSD 840 SATA 6Gb/s Basic - (MZ-7TD250BW) £133.99
1 x Gigabyte Z77-HD3 Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £79.99
1 x Corsair Builder Series CX 500W V2 '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply (CP-9020047-UK) £49.99
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £39.95
1 x BitFenix Merc Alpha Gaming Case - Black £26.99
1 x OcUK 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £767.98 (includes shipping : £11.75).

SSD for quick loading times, Intel Core i5 3570K for gaming and allows overclocking (if you wanted to do it)

or another idea,

YOUR BASKET
1 x Sapphire HD 7870 XT rev2.0 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card with Tomb Raider & Bioshock PC Games £203.99
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - OEM £187.99
1 x Plextor M5S 128GB Solid State Drive - (PX-128M5S) £82.99
1 x Asus P8Z77-V LX2 Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £82.99
1 x Corsair Builder Series CX 500W V2 '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply (CP-9020047-UK) £49.99
1 x Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £39.95
1 x Alpenföhn Matterhorn Pure Edition CPU Cooler (Socket 775 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366 / AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / FM1 / FM2) £29.99
1 x BitFenix Merc Alpha Gaming Case - Black £26.99
1 x OcUK 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £738.86 (includes shipping : £12.50).