Decent Gaming PC

The Mad Rapper · 19 Mar 2009 at 00:03

I need a new PC to play DAOC. The game is not that demanding hardware wise, but the PC will need plenty of RAM and a decent video card. What pre-built PC do OCUK sell that would fit these needs?

I won't be playing the latest FPS etc. so it doesn't need SLI or Ninja CPU/Video

I want to spend the least possible.

Or would it be cheaper to put a PC together myself? If so, spec the parts - no OC will be involved, all must run well @ stock.

VaderDSL · 19 Mar 2009 at 00:05

What will your budget be? You need everytihng including monitor/speakers/keyboard etc.?

The Mad Rapper · 19 Mar 2009 at 09:57

VaderDSL said:
What will your budget be? You need everytihng including monitor/speakers/keyboard etc.?

No, just the tower. I have everything else.

Trunks9486 · 19 Mar 2009 at 10:15

Give us some indication on budget, a range or something. We need it to get going.

ro55o · 19 Mar 2009 at 10:39

Generally it will be cheaper to build it yourself. The benefit of the pre built systems is peace of mind and most now come pre overclocked aswell. You haven't specified a budget, but for pre built I'd go for the following

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-159-OK&groupid=43&catid=1184&subcat=

Change the graphics card to the 512mb 4850, worth the extra £18 over the 9800gt. The above PC will play what you mentioned and a lot more. You could go cheaper and still be fine for what you want, but the above will give you a better chance of playing the latest and more demanding games.

It uses the latest AM3 CPU and motherboard, also DDR3 ram. It comes pre overclocked, meaning you don't have to go near that area.

The Mad Rapper · 19 Mar 2009 at 23:16

ro55o said:
You haven't specified a budget, but for pre built I'd go for the following

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-159-OK&groupid=43&catid=1184&subcat=

We didn't want to spend over £600. Sorry I didn't say. We've looked at this one:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-153-OK&groupid=43&catid=1080&subcat=

Is this OK? I have no idea how powerful this CPU is, will i be enough? Would it be worth swapping the video card to the ATI one?

If I was going to build a PC myself, what motherboard, RAM and CPU would you recommend?

Trunks9486 · 19 Mar 2009 at 23:53

Here is a good spec for about £560

AMD Phenom II X3 Tri Core 720 Black Edition 2.8GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail
Asus M3A78-T AMD 790GX (Socket AM2+) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
XFX Radeon HD 4850 512MB GDDR3 TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail
OCZ ModXStream Pro 500w Silent SLI Ready ATX2 Modular Power Supply
Antec 300 Three Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case - Black
Hitachi Deskstar P7K500 500GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM
Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 X 2GB) DDR2 8500C5 1066MHz Dual Channel Kit
Samsung SH-S223F/BEBE 22x DVD±RW SATA Dual Layer ReWriter (Black)

You could change the card to a 4870 1GB or a Quad core AMD which is a bit more expensive and you would be about 610 i think. You could pick up a cheaper case, smaller hard disk and a cheaper motherboard to save money but i think the ones i put up are good choices.

And i know you said no overclocking but the set up i gave you can be overclocked to at least 3.6GHz without too much fuss, possibly more.

The Mad Rapper · 20 Mar 2009 at 07:54

Trunks9486 said:
Here is a good spec for about £560

AMD Phenom II X3 Tri Core 720 Black Edition 2.8GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail
Asus M3A78-T AMD 790GX (Socket AM2+) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
XFX Radeon HD 4850 512MB GDDR3 TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail
OCZ ModXStream Pro 500w Silent SLI Ready ATX2 Modular Power Supply
Antec 300 Three Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case - Black
Hitachi Deskstar P7K500 500GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM
Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 X 2GB) DDR2 8500C5 1066MHz Dual Channel Kit
Samsung SH-S223F/BEBE 22x DVD±RW SATA Dual Layer ReWriter (Black)

You could change the card to a 4870 1GB or a Quad core AMD which is a bit more expensive and you would be about 610 i think. You could pick up a cheaper case, smaller hard disk and a cheaper motherboard to save money but i think the ones i put up are good choices.

And i know you said no overclocking but the set up i gave you can be overclocked to at least 3.6GHz without too much fuss, possibly more.

You're a star!

Thank you so much!

I already have SATA and IDE HDDs spare at home, so if we take the purchase cost of the drive you mentioned out of the equation, where would you spend the money best upgrading the other parts? I know you offered a few suggestions, anything in particular?

I am also confused about the differences between DDR2 and DDR3 - which do I need?

Locke · 20 Mar 2009 at 08:06

For that budget, DDR2 is fine.

Bandwidth difference between the two, is all.

DDR3 can reach standard speeds up to 1600 to match the newer bus speeds of the i7's.

Trunks9486 · 20 Mar 2009 at 09:43

If the hard drives are more than 1-2 year old i would buy a new one to be honest. If you are absolutely sure that you are not buying a new one then i would first upgrade the processor to a quad core, and then the graphics card.

Graphics card can easily be upgraded later on, processors are more difficult IMO!

And as i said before, do consider overclocking, both Black edition processors overclock to over 3.6GHz with a good cooler, and the motherboard i picked can accommodate that with ease. The two models you should be considering for quad core are the 920 and the 940 (i would go for 940 for the ease of overclocking).

There are also people who got lucky and their Tri-Core was unlocked to Quad core, but thats more of a gamble to be honest.

Edit: The set up i gave you probably gives you the biggest bang for the money (Even though i would still go for the 940 >_>)

ro55o · 20 Mar 2009 at 10:55

I'd go for the AMD X3 720 BE, for the price it's difficult to beat. To cut the costs just pair it with an AM2+ motherboard and DDR2 ram. The phenom II quad won't offer anymore in gaming terms, so stick with the tri-core, especailly being on a tighter budget. If you're not a big gamer or playing intensive games, stick with the 4850, or for a little bit more the GTX260 on offer. It's the older version, but will show a decent improvement over the 4850

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-016-ZT&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=927

Asus M3A78-T AMD 790GX (Socket AM2+) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard

I'd watch pairing the AM3 CPU with this board, people saying that the M3A78 series are needing a bios update to take the new CPU's, so if you don't have an older AM2 CPU there's no way of doing this. The newer M4 series work straight out the box though.

The above will beat the E5300 setup, it's only slightly more expensive, but still under budget. Have you already got an OS? I'd suggest vista 64bit, it'll make the most of the system, by actually allowing you to use all 4gb of ram.

The Mad Rapper · 20 Mar 2009 at 11:50

OK, I have had a look at building one myself and have come up with this. Please tell me if I should change anything:

AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 940 Black Edition 3.0GHz (Socket AM2+) - Retail
Asus M3N-HT Deluxe HDMI nForce 780a SLi (Socket AM2) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
Asus ATI Radeon HD 4850 1024MB GDDR3 TV-Out/Dual DVI/HDMI (PCI-Express) - Retail (90-C1CL55-L0UAY00Z)
Antec Basiq Plus 550W Modular Power Supply
Corsair 4GB DDR2 XMS2 Dominator PC2-8500C5 TwinX (2x2GB) (TWIN2X4096-8500C5D)
Antec 300 Three Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case - Black (No PSU)

Total: £663

I will be using Windows 7 Beta until the full retail product is released, which I'll then buy. No HDD as I have one ready.

ro55o · 20 Mar 2009 at 12:05

If you're going with the 4850, don't bother with an SLi motherboard, if anything choose a crossfire board.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-311-AS&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=808

Also that 1gb 4850 isn't worth it really, I'd either spend the little extra (with the money saved on the motherboard) and get the 4870 on offer or even the cheaper GTX 260 on offer, both better cards.

I'd be tempted to go for a better PSU, but again I don't know much about the basiq range.

Change the dominator ram for the kingston, shown in my spec. It's just as fast and a lot cheaper.

Trunks9486 · 20 Mar 2009 at 12:17

AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 940 Black Edition 3.0GHz (Socket AM2+) - Retail
Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 4870 1024MB GDDR5 TV-Out/Dual DVI/HDMI (PCI-Express)
Asus AM3 M4A79 Deluxe AMD 790FX (Socket AM2+/AM3) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
OCZ ModXStream Pro 600w Silent SLI Ready ATX2 Modular Power Supply
Antec 300 Three Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case - Black (No PSU)
Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 X 2GB) DDR2 8500C5 1066MHz Dual Channel Kit

£675

Its not worth it to go with 1GB of VRAM for the 4850, if you want that go for the 4870. Whats the res you are going to be playing? If its anything less than 1650x1080 then go for the standard 4850 with no question!

The RAM you chose offers no advantage over the cheaper kingston i listed. I have no idea about the quality of Antec PSUs, i trust Corsair, OCZ, zalman. 780a mobos are good but if you want to go that high in mobo price go for 790FX, AMD's own high end chipset.

To be honest, apart from the potential issue that the guy mentioned for the mobo i chose before, the new set up aint much different apart from the increase in price.

The Mad Rapper · 20 Mar 2009 at 13:09

Trunks9486 said:
AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 940 Black Edition 3.0GHz (Socket AM2+) - Retail
Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 4870 1024MB GDDR5 TV-Out/Dual DVI/HDMI (PCI-Express)
Asus AM3 M4A79 Deluxe AMD 790FX (Socket AM2+/AM3) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
OCZ ModXStream Pro 600w Silent SLI Ready ATX2 Modular Power Supply
Antec 300 Three Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case - Black (No PSU)
Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 X 2GB) DDR2 8500C5 1066MHz Dual Channel Kit

£675

Its not worth it to go with 1GB of VRAM for the 4850, if you want that go for the 4870. Whats the res you are going to be playing? If its anything less than 1650x1080 then go for the standard 4850 with no question!

The RAM you chose offers no advantage over the cheaper kingston i listed. I have no idea about the quality of Antec PSUs, i trust Corsair, OCZ, zalman. 780a mobos are good but if you want to go that high in mobo price go for 790FX, AMD's own high end chipset.

To be honest, apart from the potential issue that the guy mentioned for the mobo i chose before, the new set up aint much different apart from the increase in price.

Thanks fella.

I'll be running at 1600 x 1200 so I'll stick with the 512MB 4850 as you suggested.

I will only be using one video card so I don't need a crossfire board. What would be the best AMD board for my CPU that just supports one card? Or should I just get the Crossfire board anyway?

Finally, I am a little worried about having to flash the BIOS to get the 940 to work. I won't have another CPU to put in it, so how will I do this?

Trunks9486 · 20 Mar 2009 at 13:24

The crossfire board is good on its own right, supporting crossfire is an extra that most boards nowadays do anyway.

About the BIOS thing, if you are not getting the X3 then it shouldn't matter, the other poster was talking about AM3 CPU compatibility being added with the BIOS update. the 940 is AM2+ CPU.

So,

AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 940 Black Edition 3.0GHz (Socket AM2+) - Retail
Asus M3A78-T AMD 790GX (Socket AM2+) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
XFX Radeon HD 4850 512MB GDDR3 TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail
OCZ ModXStream Pro 500w Silent SLI Ready ATX2 Modular Power Supply
Antec 300 Three Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case - Black
Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 X 2GB) DDR2 8500C5 1066MHz Dual Channel Kit

That should be it i think! Good set-up out of the door, and overclockable in the future if you ever wish to do so.

The Mad Rapper · 20 Mar 2009 at 14:37

Excellent - thank you!

*Edit*

Just ordered for delivery on Monday!

The Mad Rapper · 21 Mar 2009 at 09:26

Just found out the boards doesn't recognise the CPU without a BIOS update. I need an older CPU to flash it, which I don't have

I'll have to pony up £35 to buy a crap older Socket AM2+ CPU just to flash the BIOS!

Trunks9486 · 21 Mar 2009 at 10:19

Any idea which BIOS it comes with?

940 BE requires 0502

You can try to request from other members here to send you a used CPU to do it and send it back later, or at the very least, just buy a used single core AM2 from the members market at the cheapest possible price.

ro55o · 21 Mar 2009 at 11:23

Just found out the boards doesn't recognise the CPU without a BIOS update. I need an older CPU to flash it, which I don't have

I'll have to pony up £35 to buy a crap older Socket AM2+ CPU just to flash the BIOS!

Asus M3A78-T AMD 790GX (Socket AM2+) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard

I'd watch pairing the AM3 CPU with this board, people saying that the M3A78 series are needing a bios update to take the new CPU's, so if you don't have an older AM2 CPU there's no way of doing this. The newer M4 series work straight out the box though.

It's been mentioned that others were having problems with the M3 series boards, that they need a bios update for the newer AM3 CPU's. The problems seem to be resolved in the newer boards though. Is there anyone that you know that has an older AM2 CPU?

If it's the case of buying an AM2+ CPU, then hopefully you can sell it on without losing too much.