First Time Build £1500 Bitfenix Prodigy

Barney93

Barney93

Barney93

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Joined
23 Feb 2013
Posts
12
Location
UK
As the title suggests this will be my first build. Since the PS3 era is soon to come to an end with the release of the PS4, I have decided to hold off updating to the newer console and make the transition to PC gaming. I have a budget of about £1500 however I'd be happy to reduce this if possible although I'd prefer not to experience significant a drop in gaming performance. As a student living away from home my space is limited and I'd like to build a PC that can be transported with ease hence the need for building a mini ITX. I have a Macbook Pro for work so this will only really be used for gaming and perhaps a few file backups. Its been quite some time since I've sat and played games for any real length of time so i'd a PC that can handle anything that takes my fancy.

Unfortunately my knowledge of hardware and building is limited, I have posted below an image of the parts I intend to buy. Any feedback here would be much appreciated. I hope to put together a log of the build once all of the required parts have been purchased. I also have a spare 256gb Crucial M4 that could be used as a second drive. I have some time off my studies in a few weeks which would make an ideal time to put this build together.

I hope for this system to be as future proof as possible, i'd also like to place a lot of emphasis on cooling however preferably staying away from anything wet.



I will update the list shown above as changes are made.
 
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Thank you for the feedback, I guess i really need to look at this in greater detail. I'll take a look at all the points mentioned.
 
In accordance with the feedback received I have changed both the CPU and CPU Cooler, can someone recommend an alternative GPU? I have also decided to remove the disk drive to allow for the 230mm front fan and will use an external Blu ray drive if necessary.

Update: I have changed the GPU to the ASUS 670 4gb as I believe this is a dual slot. This has also helped reduce the total build cost by close to £100. I'd welcome any other changes that can be made to this set up.
 
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I've checked a few sources on the net that say it is a dual slot, I guess I should give them a call to make sure. Bitfenix claim that you can place a 25mm fan above this cooler although from what i've seen it will be tight. I've no real preference between AMD and Nvidea GPU's although this mainly comes from my lack of knowledge, I guess I am just looking for the best performance at £400 or less.

I will use the M4 as my main drive, thank you for you help.
 
In terms of gaming performance is there much difference between the i5 3570k ivybrige and the i7 3770k ivybridge? This could potentially help shave another £100 off the total cost of this build although this does depend on how significantly performance changes.
 
A possible 20% reduction in performance sounds a lot. I'll keep my eyes open for various alternatives to the ASUS 970 4gb though.
 
I think this build list is now pretty much complete, turns out to be a £1200 build which I'm happy with. Could have perhaps spend the other £300 on a improved graphics card but for now I'm hoping this will do. I've also made changes to the fans in order to allow the use of a Blu Ray drive.

How much does the foam kit affect the cooling performance?

I'd also like to use Bitfenix's alchemy cables, could someone please list the cables that I will require for this build.
 
I've made some further changes to the build, i've now decided to go against my initial judgement and water cool the CPU with a Corsair H80. I have also changed the from Bitfenix fans to Corsair 120mm high pressure fans. These will be used for both the front intake and water cooling radiator and I will use a Corsair 120mm low pressure fan as a exhaust fan at the top of the case.
 
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