First time build - home lab

Associate
Joined
21 Jan 2016
Posts
5
Hi all,

I am looking for a machine primarily to run a virtual lab so need it to be RAM heavy. Other than that my main requirement is for an easy build. I'm not fussed about overclocking straight away, more about having an easy build process as well as getting the most for my money. Oh and the graphics card would be needed because I'll play the odd game on there.

I am by no means an expert in desktop components so I have cobbled something together to at least start a conversation, but I am happy in my kit list being discarded completely if there are better ideas (which I'm sure there are!).

I know I'm missing OS and input devices but I'm only worried about the core hardware.

Cheers in advance

1 BU-020-GI Gigabyte X99-SLI - Intel Core i7 5820K Six Core CPU & Motherboard Bundle ***£30 Saving*** £469.98 £469.98
1 MY-426-CS Corsair Vengeance 64GB (8x8GB) DDR4 PC4-19200C14 2400MHz Quad Channel Kit - Black (CMK64GX4M8A2400C1 £299.99 £299.99
1 CA-203-CM Cooler Master HAF X Gaming Tower Case - Black (RC-942) £139.99 £139.99
1 HD-193-SA Samsung 1.0TB 850 EVO SSD 2.5" SATA 6Gbps 32 Layer 3D V-NAND Solid State Drive (MZ-75E1T0B/EU) £259.99 £259.99
1 GX-010-GX KFA2 GeForce GTX 970 OC Silent "Infin8 Black Edition" 4096MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card **World £289.99 £289.99
1 MO-096-AS Asus VS248HR 24" 1920x1080 TN 1ms Widescreen LED Gaming Monitor - Black £107.99 £107.99
1 HS-050-AL Alpenföhn Matterhorn Black CPU Cooler £39.95 £39.95
1 CA-024-EA EVGA Supernova GS 650W '80 Plus Gold' Modular Power Supply £79.99 £79.99
£1687.87
 
Hi and welcome to the forums.

Case is revolting in my (correct :D) opinion and you could easily drop down to a 550w supply, but other than that it all looks ok :)
 
Ha, thanks. I quite liked how garish and ugly it looks! Do you have any alternative recommendations that are easy to build in and efficient at cooling?
 
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Ha, thanks. I quite liked how garish and ugly it looks! Do you have any alternative recommendations that are easy to build in and efficient at cooling?

Do you want an aggressive looking case ? Or are you happy with something a bit more understated, such as a Fractal Design ?
 
Do you want an aggressive looking case ? Or are you happy with something a bit more understated, such as a Fractal Design ?

Actually going for something understated that I could chuck some white LEDs in could be a winner. How are the Fractal Design cases to build in? I am clumsy!
 
Is 1 TB enough for a host OS, a bunch of VMs and a steam library?

I won't have many games at all, and I might only have ten-ish Windows VMs plus some smaller footprint Linux machines on there. It's a bit play it by ear at the moment, if I need more capacity I'll either chuck in a cheapie HDD or something a bit pricier down the line
 
Actually going for something understated that I could chuck some white LEDs in could be a winner. How are the Fractal Design cases to build in? I am clumsy!

You shouldn't have any issues building in a Fractal case. The Arc XL is a great case for £88.99. You also get 3 x 140mm fans pre-installed.


My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £100.69
(includes shipping: £11.70)




Review:

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/5819/fractal-design-arc-xl-full-tower-chassis-review/index.html
 
I'd go for a Broken 2 cooler over the Matterhorn - cooler, quieter and right now cheaper too.

My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £38.99
(includes shipping: £0.00)



(honestly very little in it, so if you prefer the look of the other one it's not a significant change, take the one you prefer aesthetically)
 
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Thanks for all the replies so far, it's really appreciated. I will definitely look at the alternative cooler and the case looks pretty good to me. I think I have got a bit carried away with the graphics card as I'm not looking to play new games on max settings, more like last gen games and some old classics. With that in mind is an R7 265 a decent choice at the price?

I also thought it might be worth asking about office chairs. I suffer with my back, does anyone have a recommendation? Not a gaming chair - I actually need to sit and work in it!

EDIT: Looks like Overclockers doesn't have the R7 265, is it legacy? Either way what is the best option at around the 120 price range?
 
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