£1000 + PC spec, advice please

Dave M_taken · 9 Nov 2008 at 12:48

Hi,

I am looking to get a PC from *oi no competitors!* for £1k to £1.5k.

My 2 main uses are gaming and development, I want to play the latest games on very high resolution although I am a long way from being a hardcore gamer. Longevity is my next priority, would be nice not to have to upgrade anything for a couple of years and then have the mobo in place to accept updates with minimum of hassle when needed.

I've done a couple of specs and put them below. I guess my main questions are, should I go latest nvidia or latest ati. Is it worth paying for 8mb ram, should I upgrade the mobo etc.

All advice greatly appreciated.

Spec 1 - £1318.00
Intel® Core™2 Quad Q9650 (4 X 3.00GHz) 1333MHz FSB/12MB Cache
4GB CORSAIR XMS2 800MHz - LIFETIME WARRANTY! (2x2GB)
ASUS® P5N-D: DDR2, SATAII, 2 x PCI-e x16, 2 PCI, 2 x PCI-e x1
1024MB GEFORCE GTX280 PCI Express + DVI + TV-OUT

Spec 2 - £1406
Intel® Core™2 Quad Q9650 (4 X 3.00GHz) 1333MHz FSB/12MB Cache
8GB CORSAIR XMS2 800MHz - LIFETIME WARRANTY! (4x2GB)
ASUS® P5Q DELUXE: DUAL DDR2, S-ATA II,2 x VGA, 2 x PCI, 2 PCI-E x1
2048MB RADEON HD 4870X2 PCI Express + 2 x DVI

psychas · 9 Nov 2008 at 12:49

hey and welcome to forums u cant link competitors im afraid u should remove link before u get perm banned

Dave M_taken · 9 Nov 2008 at 12:53

didn't actually mean to link

Chimerical · 9 Nov 2008 at 13:36

Why not buy from OcUK? Much better service, you could still get a prebuilt and if something goes wrong, you're in a better position to get it fixed.

Glaucus · 9 Nov 2008 at 13:38

you need to remove the competitors name.
You might also want to read the FAQ before you get banned.
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/faq.php

Dave M_taken · 9 Nov 2008 at 14:04

AcidHell2 said:
you need to remove the competitors name.
You might also want to read the FAQ before you get banned.
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/faq.php

cheers for doing that.

I've had a look through the OC site and it's not as configurable, you also don't seem to have as many graphics cards.

Chimerical · 9 Nov 2008 at 14:05

Dave M said:
I've had a look through the OC site and it's not as configurable, you also don't seem to have as many graphics cards.

PC Configurator

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/syscon_category.php?groupid=43&catid=1077

Dave M_taken · 9 Nov 2008 at 14:13

Ok fair enough, it is configurable, just a bit differently.

Anyone got any advice on the questions in my first post they still apply to buying PCs from here too

Chimerical · 9 Nov 2008 at 14:17

Yeah, scrap the Q9650 for a Q9550 (pointless paying near £150 extra just for a couple of hundred Mhz).

Stick to buying DDR2 instead of DDR3 (as you have done). 8GB isn't worth it.

What size is your monitor & do you have OS, kb + mouse already, etc?

Dave M_taken · 9 Nov 2008 at 14:20

I've got a samsung 205bw, handles 1680 x 1050. I don't need an OS, I was looking to buy keyboard, mouse and new speakerr too.

I have just noticed the spec me thread so I wll post there too.

Any ideas on the graphics card, is it worth going for the 2048mb ati configuration?

Chimerical · 9 Nov 2008 at 14:41

Dave M said:
I've got a samsung 205bw, handles 1680 x 1050.
Any ideas on the graphics card, is it worth going for the 2048mb ati configuration?

The 4870X2 is a waste of money for that 22" screen. Buy a 1024Mb 4780 instead.

ro55o · 9 Nov 2008 at 14:43

Dave M said:
I've got a samsung 205bw, handles 1680 x 1050. I don't need an OS, I was looking to buy keyboard, mouse and new speakerr too.

I have just noticed the spec me thread so I wll post there too.

Any ideas on the graphics card, is it worth going for the 2048mb ati configuration?

An X2 would be wasted at that resolution, a 4870 would be more than enough. If you want to go for a more powerful card then get a bigger monitor, up the resolution to 1920x1200, otherwise a waste of power and money.

edit: too slow

Dave M_taken · 9 Nov 2008 at 14:43

cheers so basically I can cane the latest games on highest or near enough settings on my res with a single card.

I assume that means going for crossfire or sli is also a waste of time

ro55o · 9 Nov 2008 at 14:45

Yeah the 4870 will be enough at that resolution, again going crossfire or SLi would be a waste. Stick with the one and you should have no problems

Dave M_taken · 9 Nov 2008 at 14:47

Thanks for all the help