First Build, need help!

[TOsterwold]

Hi all,

So I'm in the need of a Gaming PC, I've spent the last couple of days browsing the net to find out what I should go for, but I just have no clue where to start.

Build or buy a pre built system? That's my first question...

Then I looked around and read through forums etc... And looks like build is a little cheaper but not much?

Okay so I want a machine that will run BF3 on at least high settings, as console doesn't quiet cut it anymore.

Anyway my budget is £700 preferably less. I need windows 7 as I'm still running XP. I have all input devices and sound system, not sure if it makes a difference but my resolution is 1050x1680.

Any help would be ace! Just can't figure out where to start.
Regards Tom

 

[SouthEastBlue]

If you're comfortable building a PC you will definitely get a better spec for your money against a pre built machine. Look for PC building guides on google or youtube, and you should find some if you're a little unsure, but treat it as sort of adult lego - it all just slots together! You can't really screw it up if you build it somewhere with non carpeted floor and plenty of room Eg dining room table or kitchen table always suits me!

Sure somebody will be along with a spec soon...

 

[Doomedspeed]

Sure somebody will be along with a spec soon...

Two to be exact.

Under budget:


YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - Retail £189.95
1 x XFX HD 6870 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £119.99
1 x Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £79.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050) £79.98
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (ST500DM002) £53.99
1 x OCZ ZS Series 550W '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £49.99
1 x Zalman Z9 Plus Tower Case with Fan Controller - Black £44.99
1 x Corsair Vengeance Blue Low Profile 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CML8GX3M2A1600C9B) £44.99
1 x OcUK 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £14.99
Total : £693.85 (includes shipping : £12.50).




Over budget but with a better GPU:


YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - Retail £189.95
1 x Gainward GeForce GTX 560Ti "448 Edition" 1280MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £179.99
1 x Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £79.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050) £79.98
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (ST500DM002) £53.99
1 x OCZ ZS Series 550W '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £49.99
1 x Zalman Z9 Plus Tower Case with Fan Controller - Black £44.99
1 x Corsair Vengeance Blue Low Profile 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CML8GX3M2A1600C9B) £44.99
1 x OcUK 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £14.99
Total : £753.85 (includes shipping : £12.50).



This 'better' GPU is faster and provides more VRAM which may be needed in BF3.

The 6870 will handle BF3 on high settings easy but may struggle with ultra.

 

[TOsterwold]

Thanks for the super quick replies! I'll be ordering soon then

Just one more thing, how do you know how to choose the Motherboard and the PSU ? Okay it has to have the sockets that the CPU has and a slot for the GPU but what else do you need to look for to choose the right one? And the PSU , is it all about the '80 plus' or do the other components say what power they need?

Anyway thanks a bunch!

Tom