First build spec review before I hit checkout

allewellyn

allewellyn

allewellyn

Associate
Joined
29 Jan 2011
Posts
52
First build (and on a budget too) I'm putting together a Graphic Design PC. Possible light gaming/Multi-track audio recording. Fast multitasking of Adobe Creative Suite programs is the main requirement. As gaming will only be light, I figured I'd use the mobo's onboard graphics for now, maybe putting in a dedicated graphics card when I have a bit more cash to hand (unless anyone can suggest a cheap graphics card that it will be worth putting in)

The following spec is based on some very helpful advice from this very forum a few weeks ago:

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-00599)
AMD Athlon II X4 Quad Core 640 3.00GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail
Coolermaster Elite 430 Windowed Case - Black (with 500w Elite Power PSU)
Gigabyte GA-880GM-UD2H AMD 880G (Socket AM3) microATX DDR3 Motherboard
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM 1yr Warranty (ST31000518AS)
Corsair Value 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C9 1333MHz Low Voltage Dual-Channel
LiteOn IHAS124-19 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM

I'm still totally new to this, so any suggestions you have would be fantastic.

thanks!
 
anuraj said:
And this works out because cheaper ram will make you get 2 more pounds which means can get the more expensive but tonnes better cpu.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip :D

Is the CPU really drastically better? I'm not versed enough in this stuff to know in what ways CPUs with almost identical names differ

ta for the help :cool:
 
When I get around to putting in a graphics card, what would you suggest I go with for this set-up?

Cost is a pretty big issue, and I'm not a heavy gamer by any means (PES/FIFA type stuff, occasionally things like Mafia or Assassin's Creed etc.) but obviously the more and faster I can run the better, within reason.
 
well that's just silly.


I'll definitely get the Mobo tonight, I'm not sure about the processor. Obviously I want as good as I can get, that's going to be about a £20 jump though, and I'm still toying with the possibility of getting a GFX card now if I can find the money...

What's the benefit of the Black processor (also, I couldn't see on the listing, does it come with a fan?). Faster obviously, but is it going to be a bit more future-proof? Handle multi-tasking better? Clue me in
 
Good advice, thanks.


On another note, how much am I likely to have to spend on a GFX card for it to be a worthwhile upgrade from the mobo's onboard gfx? Also, what limitations am I likely to find in my usage (adobe creative suite and light gaming most likely of the FIFA/Mafia variety) without a dedicated GFX card?
 
Ah, that changes things somewhat.

Any other gfx card recommendations? I need real bang for the buck where possible, I hadn't quite budgeted to have to shell out on GFX
 
Alternatively, where can I save money on the current components?

AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 955 Black Edition "125W Edition" 3.20GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail
Gigabyte GA-880GM-UD2H AMD 880G (Socket AM3) microATX DDR3 Motherboard
OCZ Special OPS 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C8 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit
Coolermaster Elite 430 Windowed Case - Black (with 500w Elite Power PSU)
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM 1yr Warranty

Obviously I could shave £20 off by going back to the AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 840 "95W Edition" 3.20GHz rather than the Black, are there any other places I can trim a little off? I don't know how much a servicable GFX card will set me back..
 
Yeah, I could get by with the onboard for some stuff, but if I'm going to need to get a card, I'd rather get it all done at the same time.

If I'm getting a dedicated card, is there a cheaper mobo I could go for? If I can keep the card under £100 and shave as much as possible off the other components, it's probably do-able.

Just when I'd decided to go for the Phenom Black....:D
 
Pighardia said:
I can't really recommend a mobo, but gpu-wise it really depends on what settings you want to play on, something like a 5670 would play modern games on medium-highish settings on 1280x1024 or lower if you could handle it.
something like this for cheaper, but i'm not sure i'd go any lower imo.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-196-XF
Click to expand...

Thanks

Would the Club 3D 5770 you posted before be a better choice to justify the £15-20 more, or are they both much of a muchness?
 
I'll wait until tomorrow night in hope that the price of graphics cards will suddenly plummet.

I'll just have to hope all of the stuff I'm getting on deals doesn't sell out :D

Thanks for your help guys.
 
Thanks for the confirmation.

Okay, so a revised spec of what this build now looks like..

Windows 7 Home Premium

AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 955 Black Edition "125W Edition" 3.20GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail £101.99

FX ATI Radeon HD 5670 1024MB GDDR3 PCI-Express Graphics Card £61.99

Coolermaster Elite 430 Windowed Case - Black (with 500w Elite Power PSU) £64.33

Gigabyte GA-880GM-UD2H AMD 880G (Socket AM3) microATX DDR3 Motherboard £59.99

Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (HD103SJ) £39.98

OCZ Special OPS 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C8 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (OCZ3SOE1600LV4GK) £27.59

LiteOn IHAS124-19 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM


Is this looking pretty good? I haven't made any horrific errors about compatibility or missed out a vital component or anything?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom