Approx £1500, gaming PC (pre-built or self-build)
Apologies in advance, as I’ve been writing this, I’ve realised this has turned into a very long post!
I am looking to spec a new pre-built gaming PC (as a self-build or using either the Systems or Configurator pages), but having not been in the market for a long time I am completely out of the loop in terms of current tech. I am struggling with deciding between component parts and could do with a little help!
I am willing to spend a decent amount (around £1500) and only need a tower & OS. I am looking for a system that will max out current games (but offers the good value for money) and that will be a good base on which I can upgrade well into the future. That said, it would be nice to have some change if you don’t feel I need to spend the whole budget!
Here are my thoughts after the research I’ve done so far (please feel free to point out the errors!):
Case:
Needs to be as cool/quiet as possible, with a decent amount of USB3 ports. I’d like something simple; a plain black, non-windowed, box (with no need for colour-coordinated interior)!
Processor:
Haswell i5. I’ve chosen this one as it seems that for gaming, an i7 is not really required at the minute. However, I am worried that by not getting the fastest processor I can afford, I am limiting the life span
of the PC in terms of upgrades. Happy to have a pre-overclocked build, but I have no plans to try it myself.
Mobo:
No idea! I don’t need on-board wifi or sound, and don’t want to go overboard with functionality. I may get twin GPUs in the future and it may need to be suitable for OCing (see above).
RAM:
8Gb. As I understand it, there is no real reason to have more than 8Gb currently, and it will be relatively easy to upgrade in the future, meaning that for the time being I can put the money into another component. No idea as to which speed or brand!
HDD:
At least 250Gb SSD for OS/games and 1TB for storage.
GPU:
Again, I’m a bit stuck, but tempted with a 780. This may be overkill, however, as for the foreseeable future I will only be gaming on a single 1080p monitor.
CPU Cooler:
I would like a sealed watercooler (e.g. Corsair Hydro Series) if the build came pre-overclocked, otherwise air-cooled is fine.
Case fans:
No preference, unless they need to be compatible with the Hydro CPU cooler.
CD/DVDRW drives:
Would like 2, but have no need for Blu-ray.
OS:
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. Chosen over Windows 8 as it is more ‘mature’ and will still be supported well into the future.
PSU:
No preference, although it should have enough power for possible twin GPUs in the future.
Soundcard:
I would like a dedicated soundcard as I have a decent set of speakers and headphones.
Thanks in advance.
Apologies in advance, as I’ve been writing this, I’ve realised this has turned into a very long post!
I am looking to spec a new pre-built gaming PC (as a self-build or using either the Systems or Configurator pages), but having not been in the market for a long time I am completely out of the loop in terms of current tech. I am struggling with deciding between component parts and could do with a little help!
I am willing to spend a decent amount (around £1500) and only need a tower & OS. I am looking for a system that will max out current games (but offers the good value for money) and that will be a good base on which I can upgrade well into the future. That said, it would be nice to have some change if you don’t feel I need to spend the whole budget!
Here are my thoughts after the research I’ve done so far (please feel free to point out the errors!):
Case:
Needs to be as cool/quiet as possible, with a decent amount of USB3 ports. I’d like something simple; a plain black, non-windowed, box (with no need for colour-coordinated interior)!
Processor:
Haswell i5. I’ve chosen this one as it seems that for gaming, an i7 is not really required at the minute. However, I am worried that by not getting the fastest processor I can afford, I am limiting the life span
of the PC in terms of upgrades. Happy to have a pre-overclocked build, but I have no plans to try it myself.
Mobo:
No idea! I don’t need on-board wifi or sound, and don’t want to go overboard with functionality. I may get twin GPUs in the future and it may need to be suitable for OCing (see above).
RAM:
8Gb. As I understand it, there is no real reason to have more than 8Gb currently, and it will be relatively easy to upgrade in the future, meaning that for the time being I can put the money into another component. No idea as to which speed or brand!
HDD:
At least 250Gb SSD for OS/games and 1TB for storage.
GPU:
Again, I’m a bit stuck, but tempted with a 780. This may be overkill, however, as for the foreseeable future I will only be gaming on a single 1080p monitor.
CPU Cooler:
I would like a sealed watercooler (e.g. Corsair Hydro Series) if the build came pre-overclocked, otherwise air-cooled is fine.
Case fans:
No preference, unless they need to be compatible with the Hydro CPU cooler.
CD/DVDRW drives:
Would like 2, but have no need for Blu-ray.
OS:
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. Chosen over Windows 8 as it is more ‘mature’ and will still be supported well into the future.
PSU:
No preference, although it should have enough power for possible twin GPUs in the future.
Soundcard:
I would like a dedicated soundcard as I have a decent set of speakers and headphones.
Thanks in advance.
Last edited:
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