Building a Gaming Rig for my 21st :)

N31L777

N31L777

N31L777

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Hi all,
I'm turning 21 in a couple of weeks and am hoping to build a PC from scratch in order to play the latest and best PC games on the market. I've been set a budget of £1500 (this is open to flexibility) and although this may seem like a lot I do require the full kit... PC, Monitor, Mouse, Keyboard etc. I have built computers in the past so am quite confident about it, and am more than happy saving money building it myself rather than getting a pre-built solution at additional cost.

I've been doing lots of reading on the forums and have gained some decent information concerning different aspects of my new build. I'll try to list some of the comments/information I've picked up which could affect my decision on the various components.

As a prelude - I apologise that this is effectively a 'spec me' thread (and a long one at that) which people hate, but any information would be very greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Component Breakdown

CPU - E8500/Q6600/Q9450 - This is listed in order of current preference.

From what I've been reading the E8500 OC'ed is far better for gaming than the Q6600 and the more broad ranging capabilities of the Q9450.

Motherboard - DDR3 - XFX nForce 790i Ultra SLI (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR3 Motherboard (MB-N790-IUL9)

Motherboard - DDR2 - Asus P5Q Pro Intel P45 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard

Memory - DDR3 - OCZ 4GB DDR3 PC3-10666C6 1333MHz ReaperX (2x2GB) Dual Channel DDR3 (OCZ3RPX1333EB4GK)

Memory - DDR2 - OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) PC2-6400C5 800MHz SLI-Ready Edition Low Latency Dual Channel DDR2 (OCZ2N800SR4GK)

I've also read a lot concerning the differences between DDR2 ad DDR3. I obviously won't be purchasing all of the above, just one option from each section. The suggested MOBO/RAM combinations are what I believe would be the best for my budget/purpose. From what I can gather DDR3 (and compatible mobos) are currently not that much better performance-wise than their DDR2 counterparts. The killer is the large price difference. Does anyone have for/against arguments for this relating to my budget/purpose? I'm leaning towards DDR2 atm.

Hard-Drive - Samsung SpinPoint F1 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (HD103UJ)

I've only heard good things about these.

Graphics - OcUK GeForce 9800 GX2 1024MB GDDR3 TV-Out/Dual DVI/HDMI (PCI-Express) - Retail

I'm aware that nvidia/ati are releasing their new cards very soon but I'm aiming for the PC to be built around the date of my birthday (in two weeks time.) This puts a bit of pressure on me really... I don't want to be spending £400+ on a brand spanking new graphics card, but I also don't want to buy the GX2 now only for their prices to drop like a stone in three weeks time.

Will the newer cards really be that much more powerful than the GX2?

Optical Drive - Asus DRW-2014L1T 20x DVD±RW SATA Dual Layer Lightscribe ReWriter (Black/Silver) - Retail

For obvious reading, writing purposes I believe this to be a good choice

Case - Antec Twelve Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case

Seems to be the case of choice for Overclocking/Cooling

PSU - Corsair TX 750W ATX2.2 SLI Compliant PSU

CPU Cooler - Tuniq Tower 120 CPU Cooler

Again... seems to be the CPU cooler of choice

Monitor - OcUK Value L2442WD-VA 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Glossy Black

This will be a totally new experience as I've only ever used CRTs before. From what I can tell this is a good, and more importantly cheap, all rounder.

Some final points

  • I'm more than happy to overclock so purchasing cheaper CPU's for example and OCing them is fine with me :)
  • I want to try and future-proof the set-up as much as possible. I understand that this is open to opinion, but I'd appreciate not having to replace the PC in 18 months.
  • I don't mind paying over the odds so long as I can see tangible performance increases over cheaper alternatives. *insert DDR2/DDR3 fight here*

Right... I think I'm done lol. My apologies for the essay. :p

As I've previously mentioned any assistance I could get would be very greatly appreciated. I've still got a few days to make up my mind and decide prior to the big day so that's all good. :D

Many thanks in advance,

Neil
 
My apologies. I wanted to be thorough but I think I went a bit overboard lol :p

I have already had a look at shaffaaf27's post concerning the various towers and it is very good. Unfortunately I feel that the suggestions listed are not specificly tweaked enough towards the purpose of building a PC exclusively for gaming (e.g. graphics card and CPU choices)

I'm just looking for some component feedback really. Any comments would be great. :)
 
Ok, No need for quad core, just get a high end dual core. Might aswell go DDR2 because theres not a lot of diffrence in performance. Why not get a Velociraptor HD aswell, for gaming purposes.
I can't comment on the graphics cards as i don't have much knowledge on them.
 
Lucky! I got about £150 off my parents and that it. Oh and my old man hasn't spoken to me since because i went out and celebrated my birthday. Fun times
 
bennyboy2606 said:
Ok, No need for quad core, just get a high end dual core. Might aswell go DDR2 because theres not a lot of diffrence in performance. Why not get a Velociraptor HD aswell, for gaming purposes.
I can't comment on the graphics cards as i don't have much knowledge on them.
Click to expand...

Yeh but the man's loaded, so he can afford DDR3. Yeh and go for a velociraptor. Oh and the new NVidia cards are out, grab a GTX280 while your at it :D
 
bennyboy2606 -

Is the price difference between the VelociRaptor and the Samsung F1 really justifiable?
Spending an extra ~£100 for the obvious drop in storage seems a bit odd to me. (I realise that the former has faster transfer rates :))

I agree about the performance/cost argument for DDR2 compared to DDR3, but this is where futureproofing rears its ugly head. :P

Would my suggested motherboards be good matches (with the RAM) for gaming purposes?

Janesy B -

It's a combination of savings plus asking all of my relatives to 'donate to the PC fund' lol. :)

icey_haj -

In all honesty... the GTX280 is a wee bit too expensive and would impact on my budget for other components. I might hold off on the GX2 for as long as I can though to see what the ATI's offerings are (plus any price drops *prays*)

Thanks for the comments. :)
 
Are you at all worried about a nosiy PC neil? Because you could change your Tuniq Tower to something more quiet: Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme + Noctua NF-P12 fan. Silent and cool.
 
I'd get E8400 over E8500 as there not that much point spening more they overclock pretty much the same (just because you have money to spend doesn't mean you should).

I wouldn't really bother with DDR3, most games barely utilise the speed that PC6400 runs at.

I'd stick with that Samsung drive and not spend more for those noisy HDs.

New Nvidia cards are already available for pre-order so just hold on there.

You also might want to consider a nice set of speakers but really the whould shouldn't even go over £1300. Then go to the pub and blow the rest.
 
N31L777 said:
bennyboy2606 -

Is the price difference between the VelociRaptor and the Samsung F1 really justifiable?
Spending an extra ~£100 for the obvious drop in storage seems a bit odd to me. (I realise that the former has faster transfer rates :))

I agree about the performance/cost argument for DDR2 compared to DDR3, but this is where futureproofing rears its ugly head. :P
Click to expand...

I mean, get a VelociRaptor ASWELL for your gaming purposes, and if you want to spend the extra money go for DDR3 by all means, but its going to drop in price in the futre, and DDR2 prices will go through the roof, so its up to you. ::)
 
In all honesty I'm not fussed in the slightest, same with case size. My current case is a chieftec BX series, one of the big ones, and I filled that to the brim with fans. I've also recently moved in to a detatched house and the computer is in a room on its own so it's really not a problem.

I'll deffo look into the suggestions though, every little helps eh? :)
 
neoboy said:
I'd get E8400 over E8500 as there not that much point spening more they overclock pretty much the same (just because you have money to spend doesn't mean you should).
Click to expand...

I hadn't thought of this at all, but it's a brilliant suggestion. If I'm going to be overclocking the hell out of it anyway then it won't matter one bit.

Any idea what the approximate overclocking differences between the two chips is? If it's really that neglible then I'll deffo go for the 8400 :)

neoboy said:
I wouldn't really bother with DDR3, most games barely utilise the speed that PC6400 runs at.
Click to expand...

I was thinking along these lines also... my budget may seem large but its for a full set-up and saving some money if if doesnt affect overall performance is a fantastic idea. Is my suggested RAM a good choice in your opinion?

neoboy said:
I'd stick with that Samsung drive and not spend more for those noisy HDs.
Click to expand...

Gonna have to see what the consensus in on this. In all honest I only have a couple of 100gig drives in my current set-up and as such getting the VelociRaptor on its own might be the best idea. *shrugs*

neoboy said:
New Nvidia cards are already available for pre-order so just hold on there.
Click to expand...

Will do, as I've said before this will be the very last component I'd want to update seeing as the latest offerings from both nVidia and ATI are upon us.

neoboy said:
You also might want to consider a nice set of speakers but really the whould shouldn't even go over £1300. Then go to the pub and blow the rest.
Click to expand...

Haha, I might just do that! :D
 
N31L777 said:
I hadn't thought of this at all, but it's a brilliant suggestion. If I'm going to be overclocking the hell out of it anyway then it won't matter one bit.

Any idea what the approximate overclocking differences between the two chips is? If it's really that neglible then I'll deffo go for the 8400 :)



I was thinking along these lines also... my budget may seem large but its for a full set-up and saving some money if if doesnt affect overall performance is a fantastic idea. Is my suggested RAM a good choice in your opinion?



Gonna have to see what the consensus in on this. In all honest I only have a couple of 100gig drives in my current set-up and as such getting the VelociRaptor on its own might be the best idea. *shrugs*



Will do, as I've said before this will be the very last component I'd want to update seeing as the latest offerings from both nVidia and ATI are upon us.



Haha, I might just do that! :D
Click to expand...


All depends if noise is an issue for you ... If it isn't then get those, I am sure they will be fast. If it is an issue I will get 2X320GB Samsung ones for Games in Raid 1 plus another quiet drive for OS.

Good idea on the graphics card, you could always pick something to coast you through and then buy the big monster. Just don't blow nearly 500 quid on one of those!
 
Firstly thank you all for your suggestions. Current proposed set-up is as follows (I've decided to opt for DDR2 due to the additional cost/performance ratio):-

CPU - E8400 Overclocked as much as I can + Apppropriate cooler
Motherboard - Asus P5Q Pro Intel P45 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2
Memory - OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) PC2-6400C5 800MHz SLI-Ready Edition Low Latency Dual Channel DDR2 (OCZ2N800SR4GK)
Hard-Drive - Samsung SpinPoint F1 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (HD103UJ) / VelociRaptor 300gig
Graphics - Will see what ATI release / Otherwise GX2 as a possibility
Optical Drive - Asus DRW-2014L1T 20x DVD±RW SATA Dual Layer Lightscribe ReWriter (Black/Silver) - Retail
Case - Antec Twelve Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case
PSU - Corsair TX 750W ATX2.2 SLI Compliant PSU
CPU Cooler - Tuniq Tower 120 CPU Cooler
Monitor - OcUK Value L2442WD-VA 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Glossy Black

The only real concerns I have now are:-

  • The Motherboard. Would it have enough overclocking potential for the CPU and the RAM to get the most juice out of it? If not are there any better alternatives?
  • The RAM. Four gig seems enough. Worth upgrading to eight?
  • The Monitor. No one seems to have mentioned this. Does anyone have any recommendations concerning decent flat screen gaming monitors?
  • Finally can anyone suggest a good sound system/card setup for the aforementioned system

As always, all of your comments are of great help :)
 
Motherboard is meant to be a very good overclocker.
4 gigs will be fine, you wont see a difference between 4gb and 8gb.
I dont know enough about monitors to comment.

Also get a crosair hx 620w psu. I dont think the one you have choosen is modular

With a budget like that have you considered water cooling?
 
Thanks for the suggestions qwerty, especially regarding the PSU. I've looked up a couple of reviews for the suggested Corsair and it looks like it rocks. :D I'm definitely going to change this in my proposed set-up.

I've just had a look through the Overclocker's water-cooling kits and its semi tempting. To be perfectly honest I'd probably just mess it up though lol.

I think I'm going to stick to air-cooling as the E8400 is meant to be a very good overclocked CPU even on air alone. Plus the extra pennies can go towards something else :)
 
imo,

save some £££ in some places like cpu and go for a watercooled overclocked e8500 solution,

as for the gfx , an awkward time to decide to buy a gx2 , all that cash, i know it will be hard, but just hold out for the gtx 260/280, will open up options and probally alter prices of previous gen cards.

I would personally wait for a gtx 280 , i've read all the reviews of them and i am pretty much in awe of them especially the HD encoding speeds. you could with that budget prehaps sli 2 gtx 280's and that would be a killer gaming rig. hense why you should save money on the cpu's to spend more on gpus, overclocked 8500's still own.

hope this helps a little
 
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