Final Spec Check Before I Buy

Mark101 · 4 Sep 2011 at 22:55

I posted a thread a couple of months ago - but now I'm ready to build! I'm looking to build a computer in a couple of weeks, ordering the parts in about a week. The uses will be internet browsing, office stuff, Sibelius (music notation software), light gaming, Photoshop and some (probably non-HD) video editing.

I've got the specs here, but I just wanted to check them across you guys. What I want to know is a) if any of you have used any of these parts together before, and b) if you would make any changes/recommendations.

Thanks!

Gigabyte Z68A-D3-B3 motherboard
Intel Core i5-2500
Corsair 1600MHz XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB)
Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 1GB
Seagate Barracuda 7200 500GB SATA 6GB/s (16MB cache)
OCZ ModXStream Pro 500W
LiteOn IHAP122-19 DVD+-RW

and it's all going in a

Cooler Master Elite 430

Any comments/suggestions would be fantastic!

Mark101 · 4 Sep 2011 at 22:59

I wasn't planning on overclocking but chose the z68 because it was cheaper than comparible h67s and p67s. So I was going to get the standard version (unless when I buy in about a week they are the same price/the K is cheaper/there's only a couple of quid in it).

Mark101 · 4 Sep 2011 at 23:14

The gigabyte in my spec is £72 here, I don't really want to add £30 to the build. Could you explain what Lucid and QuickSync are?

The MSI H67MA-E35 doesn't support 1600MHz RAM and only has two DIMM slots so it's not as upgradable. The Asus P8P67 LE is roughly the same price - what makes it better than the Gigabyte? I had thought that P67 boards didn't support Intel graphics which is apparently good for video editing? (Or is it completely redundant with a 6850?)

Please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm still new to this!

Mark101 · 4 Sep 2011 at 23:35

I must have had the wrong end of the stick here!

Is the use of Intel HD graphics even worth it considering it's only 2000 as it's a non-K CPU?