Advice for a new mini power house

Bacon? said:
No point having more than 8GB RAM for gaming, if you were doing video editing or CAD work then it would make sense but not for gaming.

The 3570K is a chip than can be overclocked by raising the multiplier, you can easily get a 1Ghz overclock on it but you will need a CPU cooler, which is hard because of the case.

On board audio is fairly decent these days and I use the onboard audio for my surround headphones (Corsair 1500's and its good quality).
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Thanks bacon,
So basically more/faster ram won't make a "huge" difference.
The CPU upgrade will make a difference, but cost vs noise vs performance gain = maybe not worth it... (out of curiosity how many FPS increase do you think I'd get by upgrading to this CPU @ 1080p on Crysis 2/3 Dirt3 / Tomb Raider for example) if its like 4 fps etc I'm not that fussed but if it was 10/15 fps well that me be worth the upgrade...

With regards to on board audio, I would usually disable the on board audio and just use my HDMI on the GPU card.

Will games be ok with me having no sound card and just spitting out pure 7ch PCM or bitstream DTS or DD HD formats etc via the HDMI on the 7950 to my AVR... or is a sound card required for some games to activate certain options etc? (console gamer here used to 1 HDMI no additional sound card and full HD audio support (ps3) type scenario) :)

Sorry for the questions guys but this helps me incredibly!

I don't want to eff up this build and make a mistake :(
 
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Orcvader said:
The 2500K will be a good cheaper alternative and will perform very similiar to the 3570K, both are based off the same architecture, with the 3570K on a smaller process and slightly tweaked for more a little more performance: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-360-IN&groupid=701&catid=6&subcat=1275

You need a P67/Z68/Z77 board however to overclock these CPUs.
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Hey,
Thanks orcvader :)

So in essence the 2500k should be a very similar performer to the 3570k (if not over clocking) and the difference in purely 1080p gaming should be negligible?

Is there a difference between a 2500 and a 2500k? Or is that just missing from the name in the link?

Thanks everyone,
This is truly appreciated and unbelievably helpful.
Do you think then that the £350 build with a 3GB 7950 thrown in to make it £500 is a good 1080p gaming machine, will it old up, will it do 60fps, will it be as good as the next gen consoles or will it not hold up?
 
Sound will be fine, so no need to worry about that.

Any Intel chip with a "K" at the end means they can be overclocked. They also have better inbuilt GPUs as well, but for a gaming build that doesn't really matter since you will be using a discrete card.

Overall the system should easily do 60fps on most games. As for how it will perform compared to next gen consoles, hardware wise the PC will be better, but seeing as consoles will have better developer support, this will make games more optimized for them. But the PS4 is also x86 based just like PCs... so... I have no idea :p.
 
Oversight on my part, the case I spec does`nt come with any fans installed, so you would also need to buy 2 or 3 80mm fans.
The drawback with using these sort of cases with high end gaming components is cooling. And I think this case will struggle with adequate ventilation, especially when you start overclocking Cpu and Gpu and running games at max settings.
 
Orcvader said:
Sound will be fine, so no need to worry about that.

Any Intel chip with a "K" at the end means they can be overclocked. They also have better inbuilt GPUs as well, but for a gaming build that doesn't really matter since you will be using a discrete card.

Overall the system should easily do 60fps on most games. As for how it will perform compared to next gen consoles, hardware wise the PC will be better, but seeing as consoles will have better developer support, this will make games more optimized for them. But the PS4 is also x86 based just like PCs... so... I have no idea :p.
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That's cool,
Thanks again for all the info,
As long as I won't be left in the dark with newer games thts ok :)
Im looking to play future games such as watchdogs etc at good frame rates (console level or better) without loosing shed loads of detail etc

If this box will do that, then I'm happy!
So,I've made a Basket I'll post it in a second and see what everyone thinks and if anyone thinks it can be improved dramatically in any particular way :)

Edit:
Your basket
Product Name

Gigabyte ATi Radeon HD 7950 Windforce 3X 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card with Crysis 3 & Bioshock PC Games £239.99

**B Grade** Intel Core i5-2500 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £125.99

Silverstone Sugo SG02B-F Case - Black (SST-SG02B-F USB 3.0) £59.99

Asus P8H61-MX USB 3.0 Intel H61 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard - OEM ** £43.99

XFX Pro 450W Core Edition '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £39.95

Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £39.95

**B Grade** Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (HD-252-SE) £30.00

Total £593.95 (inc vat and shipping)
Total £543.95 (Inc vat and shipping and buying 7950 card from pcworld instead)

Ignore the price of the 7950 card as it £50 cheaper at pcworld so I'll grab it from there, but the general spec is the same as above.

How's that seem to you all for a M-ATX gaming pc?

Note:
Spec above is all thanks to everyone in this thread helping me out! Full marks to them for helping me solve my issue and caring enough to actually help seek out parts! I can't thank everyone enough!
 
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I built an internet pc with the sugo case and you definately want the smallest length psu as space is at a premium. The one below is only 140mm deep. Also as there is not really any cable management so the fully modular design will make it a bit easier.

YOUR BASKET
1 x Silverstone Strider Plus 500W Modular '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply (SST-ST50F-P) £67.99
Total : £77.89 (includes shipping : £8.25).

 
lee32uk said:
I built an internet pc with the sugo case and you definately want the smallest length psu as space is at a premium. The one below is only 140mm deep. Also as there is not really any cable management so the fully modular design will make it a bit easier.

YOUR BASKET
1 x Silverstone Strider Plus 500W Modular '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply (SST-ST50F-P) £67.99
Total : £77.89 (includes shipping : £8.25).

Click to expand...

Hi,
Thanks for the advice, hearing from actual users of all this stuff really makes it easier. I appreciate everyone taking time to post advice.

Do you think your PSU would be more suited than the one I have in my basket above?
 
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The XFX has the same dimensions as the Silverstone.
RetroFan, don`t forget to include some 80mm fans in your spec, as I mentioned before, no fans supplied with the case.
 
Idleman said:
The XFX has the same dimensions as the Silverstone.
RetroFan, don`t forget to include some 80mm fans in your spec, as I mentioned before, no fans supplied with the case.
Click to expand...

Will I definetly need them. Im doing no over clocking, default spec on all products.

If so, how many, just 2 or something you think maybe?

Would I need anything else at all, to ensure that this package was all ready to go on arrival? Have I missed anything at all?

DVD not required (USB version here)
OS not required (will move my revo win 7 licence over)
No wifi required (on board nic)
No sound card needed (using HDMI to AVR to tv)
No keyboard/mouse needed (got plenty)
No monitor needed (going to tv)

This will be a gaming box only... Nothing else, just gaming :D
 
You will need a couple of fans to circulate the airflow, 1 intake and 1 outtake.. Also check with Customer Services to ensure the 2500 comes with a stock cooler, as it is "B" grade best to check before pulling the trigger on your credit card.
 
Well, as luck would have it, this case won't fit in my cabinet, it's too high for my self :(

Is there any other (smaller case) that this exact build will fit into... I have ATX 6" in height for the case...

Any ideas guys?
 
I am not sure what spec you wanted to go for but you will need a ITX board and look for a power Brick rather than the std ATX PSU.

Also that won't take a external GPU.
 
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Dammit!

Thanks RJC,
Any idea what the smallest case I can fit my spec into.. I'll post the spec here, I only have bout 6.5" height Clarence MAX including feet etc ...
 
Gigabyte ATi Radeon HD 7950 Windforce 3X 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card with Crysis 3 & Bioshock PC Games £239.99

**B Grade** Intel Core i5-2500 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £125.99

Silverstone Sugo SG02B-F Case - Black (SST-SG02B-F USB 3.0) £59.99

Asus P8H61-MX USB 3.0 Intel H61 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard - OEM ** £43.99

XFX Pro 450W Core Edition '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £39.95

Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £39.95

**B Grade** Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (HD-252-SE) £30.00

Total £593.95 (inc vat and shipping)
Total £543.95 (Inc vat and shipping and buying 7950 card from pcworld instead)
 
Im Looking for a case (M-ATX) that is smaller than 6" in height.
Depth and width I have more room to play with, but height is limited.

Any one any ideas on the smallest ase this pec will fit into.. I'm struggling :(

Living Room Gaming PC Spec!

Gigabyte ATi Radeon HD 7950 Windforce 3X 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card with Crysis 3 & Bioshock PC Games £239.99

**B Grade** Intel Core i5-2500 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £125.99

Silverstone Sugo SG02B-F Case - Black (SST-SG02B-F USB 3.0) £59.99

Asus P8H61-MX USB 3.0 Intel H61 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard - OEM ** £43.99

XFX Pro 450W Core Edition '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £39.95

Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX1600C9D3X2K2/8GX) £39.95

**B Grade** Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (HD-252-SE) £30.00

Total £593.95 (inc vat and shipping)
Total £543.95 (Inc vat and shipping and buying 7950 card from pcworld instead)
 
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Idleman said:
These are the only 2 I can find that should accommodate the spec. Both come with fans included, will house the Psu and take a Gpu( be sure to check the lenght of the card you are buying) up to 11" in lenght.

YOUR BASKET
1 x Silverstone Grandia GD04 Desktop Case - Silver (SST-GD04S USB 3.0) £89.99
1 x Silverstone Grandia GD05 Desktop HTPC Case - Black (SST-GD05B USB3.0) £79.99
Total : £182.28 (includes shipping : £10.25).



http://www.anandtech.com/show/5485/amd-radeon-hd-7950-launch-recap
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Cool,
Thanks Idleman.
I really appreciate it! I think that's me done now? I think I can finally pull the trigger and start having some fun :D

It comes with fans etc, so... Is there anything else I'll need?

1 last thing,
Could I crossfire 2 7950s in this rig?
Would it fit, would the motherboard/case allow it, is it worth it?

If i grab the k version CPU to allow a small over clock, would that mean changing the motherboard too, does this one support basic over clocking?

Thanks again bro,
Totally appreciate this, I know it's a lot of questions but I'm just stumped as my restrictions/requirements are so strict (and I don't know a bread deal about parts) that its really difficult :blush:

I looked into buying a pre built one, but no where sells them :-/ unless someone on here's selling one per built :D
 
RetroFan said:
Cool,
Thanks Idleman.
I really appreciate it! I think that's me done now? I think I can finally pull the trigger and start having some fun :D

It comes with fans etc, so... Is there anything else I'll need?

Check the 2500 comes with a stock cooler, if not you will need to get a low profile cooler.

1 last thing,
Could I crossfire 2 7950s in this rig?
Would it fit, would the motherboard/case allow it, is it worth it?

To xfire, you would need an mATX Z77 mobo and a bigger Psu, at least 650W.

If i grab the k version CPU to allow a small over clock, would that mean changing the motherboard too, does this one support basic over clocking?

The H61 boards don`t support overclocking. If you go for the 2500k or 3750k you would need a mATX Z77/Z68 P67 mobo and a decent low profile cooler to keep temps down.
Thanks again bro,
Totally appreciate this, I know it's a lot of questions but I'm just stumped as my restrictions/requirements are so strict (and I don't know a bread deal about parts) that its really difficult :blush:

I looked into buying a pre built one, but no where sells them :-/ unless someone on here's selling one per built :D
Click to expand...
 
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