£2500 budget

[stueng]

if I spent £2500 on a machine and it only had a 24" screen I'd be peeved

£2500 is too much to spend on cpu/ram/motherboard etc... spend a bit less like £1500-£2000 and spend the additional cash on a top end monitor (or even three) some quality speakers, headset, microphone etc

 

[mp260767]

with 32gb you'll need a higher level of the o/s iirc.

only personal preference but i'd stick with the 1155 ivybridge.

psu is overkill unless you plan to double up on the 680 gfx cards.

are you looking to go 3D ?, not experienced it myself, but i don't see the point of it.

 

[Bezzaboy1234]

Wouldn't pick that Mobo/CPU combo just for gaming? Ivy bridge would be a better way to go and you'd save money which you could spend on a 27" monitor or 3 24" and a nice headset or something?

 

[olivier renault]

what about this setup or are some of the components a bit overkill?

- System build fan. Sharkoon 2000rpm Golf Ball
- Full Cable Management
- Networking Not Selected
- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050)
- Corsair Professional Series AX850 High Performance 850W Modular '80 Plus Gold' Power Supply (CMPSU-850AXUK)
- Asus Xonar D2X 7.1 PCI-E Sound Card
-Samsung SH-B123L/RSBP 12x BluRay ROM / DVDRW DL & RAM Lightscribe SATA-II Optical Drive
- No RAID Option (ZERO Cost)
- Sandisk Extreme SSD 240GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Hard Drive - (SDSSDX-240G-G25)
- Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003)
- Gainward GeForce GTX 680 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card
- G.Skill RipJawsZ 32GB (8x4GB) DDR3 PC3-14900C9 1866MHz Quad Channel Kit (F3-14900CL9Q2-32GBZL)
- Asus Rampage IV Extreme Intel X79 (Socket 2011) DDR3 Motherboard
- OcUK H²Flo Extreme Liquid Dual Fan CPU Cooler (Socket LGA1366/1155/1156/775/AM2/AM3)
- Stage 5: MAX OC OF ENTIRE SYSTEM - (CPU, RAM, Graphics all OC'd to Maximum 24/7 Stability)
- Intel Core i7-3820 3.60GHz (Sandybridge-E) Socket LGA2011 Processor - Retail
- Corsair Obsidian 650D Gaming Midi Tower - Black
- No Security Software
- Benq XL2420T 24" TRUE 120Hz 3D Vision 2.0 Widescreen LED Monitor - Black/Red

comes to £2665

x79 : Yeah fair enough with a 3820, but really dont need the Rampage Extreme.
32GB : Waaaay overkill. And Windows 7 Home will restrict you to 16GB anyway.

As stated, you should be able to spec a base config for £1800-£1500, that would be more than enough.

I think this is the one I will go for
"Ultima 9550i Tyrannosaur MKIII" Intel Core i7 3770K 3.50GHz @ 4.50GHz DDR3 Quad Core Ivybridge Nvidia GTX 680 System

This would be your better option. It's got good components, and pretty much the best CPU you can get at the moment.

A config like that anyway. No nonsense, very powerful.

 

[BigDeano]

if I spent £2500 on a machine and it only had a 24" screen I'd be peeved

£2500 is too much to spend on cpu/ram/motherboard etc... spend a bit less like £1500-£2000 and spend the additional cash on a top end monitor (or even three) some quality speakers, headset, microphone etc

i chose that monitor as it has fantastic reviews!

What would be your choice of monitor instead?

 

[BigDeano]

"Ultima 9550i Tyrannosaur MKIII" Intel Core i7 3770K 3.50GHz @ 4.50GHz DDR3 Quad Core Ivybridge Nvidia GTX 680 System

is the memory this one comes with a good quality one? as i always here people talking about corsair ram but it doesnt tell you which brand of memory it comes with

 

[mp260767]

the memory will be suitable enough for it to run at 4.5ghz, so it should be fine.

can always check with them, but no real need to imho.

depending on what you want the monitor to do, have a look at the 27" monitors.

 

[BigDeano]

ok i think i have finally managed to choose the right system, let me know what you guys think, i am also gonna purchase these to go with it

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SC-016-AS&groupid=701&catid=11&subcat=

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-051-BQ


Ultima 9550i Tyrannosaur MKIII" Intel Core i7 3770K 3.50GHz @ 4.50GHz DDR3 Quad Core Ivybridge Nvidia GTX 680 System

£1554.98
(£1295.82)

Options applied to the above product:
Gainward GeForce GTX 680 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card
£449.99
(£374.99)

Options applied to the above product:
System 12 Months Standard Warranty
£0.00
(£0.00)


Options applied to the above product:
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050)
£79.98
(£66.65)

Options applied to the above product:
Corsair Obsidian 650D Gaming Midi Tower - Black
£149.99
(£124.99)

Options applied to the above product:
Intel 330 Series 180GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Hard Drive - Retail
£167.99
(£139.99)


Total :

£2,912.59

 

[olivier renault]

"Ultima 9550i Tyrannosaur MKIII" Intel Core i7 3770K 3.50GHz @ 4.50GHz DDR3 Quad Core Ivybridge Nvidia GTX 680 System

is the memory this one comes with a good quality one? as i always here people talking about corsair ram but it doesnt tell you which brand of memory it comes with

You can call OcUK for little things like that. Just don't take the mickey and ask to change everything.

 

[olivier renault]

Ouch that sound card is pretty extreme. IMO completely OTT.

Anyway, it looks like this (ish)?

YOUR BASKET
1 x "Ultima 9550i Tyrannosaur MKIII" Intel Core i7 3770K 3.50GHz @ 4.50GHz DDR3 Quad Core Ivybridge Nvidia GTX 680 System £1554.98
1 x Intel 330 Series 180GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Hard Drive - Retail £167.99
1 x Corsair Obsidian 650D Gaming Midi Tower - Black £149.99
1 x Opt Out of FREE AV Software £0
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-Bit - OEM (FQC-04649) £114.98
1 x System 12 Months Standard Warranty £0
1 x No Graphics Card Upgrade £0
1 x Benq XL2420T 24" TRUE 120Hz 3D Vision 2.0 Widescreen LED Monitor - Black/Red £299.99
1 x Asus Xonar D2X 7.1 PCI-E Sound Card £89.99
Total : £2,401.62 (includes shipping : £19.75).

 

[BigDeano]

this one actually works out a hell of a lot cheaper, what do you guys think? is the mobo i have selected needed or should i choose something different?


Intel Z77 Ivybridge 10100i Configurator - Gaming System


£2295.65
(£1913.04)
Options applied to the above product:
- Benq XL2420T 24" TRUE 120Hz 3D Vision 2.0 Widescreen LED Monitor - Black/Red
- System build fan. Sharkoon 2000rpm Golf Ball
- Networking Not Selected
- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050)
- Corsair Professional Series AX850 High Performance 850W Modular '80 Plus Gold' Power Supply (CMPSU-850AXUK)
- Onboard Sound Card (ZERO COST)
- Samsung SH-B123L/RSBP 12x BluRay ROM / DVDRW DL & RAM Lightscribe SATA-II Optical Drive - Black (Retail)
- Sandisk Extreme SSD 240GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Hard Drive - (SDSSDX-240G-G25)
- Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003)
- Gainward GeForce GTX 680 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card
- Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C10 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10)
- Asus P8Z77-V DELUXE Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard
- Prolimatech Genesis Mega Performing CPU Cooler (Socket LGA775/1366/1155/1156/AMD AM2/ AM2+/AM3)
- Stage 4: Overclock of CPU/Memory - 25% Overclock (Proceesor speed x1.25 / Max Attainable RAM SPEED)
- Intel Core i7-3770K 3.50GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - Retail
- Corsair Obsidian 650D Gaming Midi Tower - Black

 

[BigDeano]

Ouch that sound card is pretty extreme. IMO completely OTT.

Anyway, it looks like this (ish)?

YOUR BASKET
1 x "Ultima 9550i Tyrannosaur MKIII" Intel Core i7 3770K 3.50GHz @ 4.50GHz DDR3 Quad Core Ivybridge Nvidia GTX 680 System £1554.98
1 x Intel 330 Series 180GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Hard Drive - Retail £167.99
1 x Corsair Obsidian 650D Gaming Midi Tower - Black £149.99
1 x Opt Out of FREE AV Software £0
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-Bit - OEM (FQC-04649) £114.98
1 x System 12 Months Standard Warranty £0
1 x No Graphics Card Upgrade £0
1 x Benq XL2420T 24" TRUE 120Hz 3D Vision 2.0 Widescreen LED Monitor - Black/Red £299.99
1 x Asus Xonar D2X 7.1 PCI-E Sound Card £89.99
Total : £2,401.62 (includes shipping : £19.75).

oops just realised i included the SLI upgrade in mine which i didnt want! no wonder yours works out cheaper! lol

 

[BigDeano]

this one actually works out a hell of a lot cheaper, what do you guys think? is the mobo i have selected needed or should i choose something different?


Intel Z77 Ivybridge 10100i Configurator - Gaming System


£2295.65
(£1913.04)
Options applied to the above product:
- Benq XL2420T 24" TRUE 120Hz 3D Vision 2.0 Widescreen LED Monitor - Black/Red
- System build fan. Sharkoon 2000rpm Golf Ball
- Networking Not Selected
- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050)
- Corsair Professional Series AX850 High Performance 850W Modular '80 Plus Gold' Power Supply (CMPSU-850AXUK)
- Onboard Sound Card (ZERO COST)
- Samsung SH-B123L/RSBP 12x BluRay ROM / DVDRW DL & RAM Lightscribe SATA-II Optical Drive - Black (Retail)
- Sandisk Extreme SSD 240GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Hard Drive - (SDSSDX-240G-G25)
- Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003)
- Gainward GeForce GTX 680 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card
- Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C10 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10)
- Asus P8Z77-V DELUXE Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard
- Prolimatech Genesis Mega Performing CPU Cooler (Socket LGA775/1366/1155/1156/AMD AM2/ AM2+/AM3)
- Stage 4: Overclock of CPU/Memory - 25% Overclock (Proceesor speed x1.25 / Max Attainable RAM SPEED)
- Intel Core i7-3770K 3.50GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - Retail
- Corsair Obsidian 650D Gaming Midi Tower - Black

Would this be a better choice than the tyrannosaur?

 

[olivier renault]

sure. This comes about the same as the Tyranosaur.

EDIT : No other cooler option. I assume the system builder will provide fans for it (the sharkoons?). It's a decent cooler anyway.

EDIT 2 : They are about the same. The SSD is different, but either will do. The SanDisk extreme isd faster, the Intel SSDs have the best reputations. Maybe not the fastest. The AX850 is a great PSU. I prefer the UD5H. The Asus is a good board.

 

[BigDeano]

I have changed the mobo to the UD5H and added these two components, what do you think mate? Total comes too £2497

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SC-016-AS

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=NW-043-AS

Also is my choice of case a good one or would you recommend something better?

 

[olivier renault]

Yeah it's all good. I don't think you need that sound card. almost £200 for a sound card. jeez... And no 5.25'' front bay panel :/ Pass.

I think the Asus board has Wifi. Shame OcUK doesn't have the UD5H wifi. Maybe worth asking them, if they do in case. Can always add a PCIE card anyway.

Choices, imo, the 650D, the 600T (gorgeous in white, if you're into Star Wars themes), the Fractal R3, the Fractal Define XL, The Lian Li PC-A71FB (always regretted selling my old PC-A71), The Antec P280, the Silverstone FT02 (both not in the list).

If you want quiet and understated, the Fractal R3 / Antec P280. Bit funky, the 600T / Silverstone FT02 (maybe a pain with a wifi card), if you want a big case but sleek looking, the Fractal XL and the A71FB, and the FT02 / 650D / 600T (comes with a clear panel) if you want a window.

I'm sure OcUK would build your rig in any case you want given the money you're throwing at it, you may have to wait for availability. Pick the one you prefer, any of them, and the 650D is definitely not a bad choice (loads of builders use that case).

If you want to keep the costs down, look at the GTX670. But the rest looks golden.

The display is very good, but very expensive. I suppose you get what you paid for.

 

[BigDeano]

Yeah a suppose the card is a bit OTT, which card would you recommend mate?

What should I do about the wifi, should I ask OCUK for the one you suggested and just go with the ASUS one if not?

Thanks for the choice of cases I'll have a look at those

Sorry about all the questions I'm just completely new to all this and don't want do buy the wrong components

 

[olivier renault]

Either the Asus or the Gigabyte will do the job tbh. Go with Asus if you want the Wifi, it's a good board.

I would pick up a Xonar D2X. Or none at all. It depends if you are picky about your sound (i.e. using the PC as an entertainment centre with a quality sound system).

 

[BigDeano]

Can you recommend a good gaming keyboard and mouse and also a surround sound speaker setup?

 

[olivier renault]

For keyboards, depends on budget, and if noise is a problem or not. If noise and budget don't matter, then the Corsair K90. It's also quite big due to the extra macro keys.

Review.

If you want something quiet and backlit, then a Sidewinder X4. Else, I'm not too sure tbh. I've used a Logitech Illuminated Keyboard which was fine for gaming, very nice typing, quiet, but some versions have key ghosting problems in games (some key combinations don't register). I think the K800 has a similar issue. No idea why Logitechs didn't make them gaming friendly (mainly shooter games), it's not a hard thing to do.

For a mouse, I'd get a G400. Simple, elegant and versatile.

For speakers I use a set of Logitech S-220. Very cheap, but I use wireless headphones 99% of the time. So I really dunno about Surround speakers.