From old to new...

Timpletop · 28 Nov 2009 at 20:10

Hi guys, I'm looking for a little assistance concerning the components for my first build.

I have exactly £700 to spend and will be using the PC almost entirely for high-end (hopefully) gaming. Also I've almost always had Intel systems in the past (pre-built) and if possible would be VERY interested in giving AMD systems a try (they seem a lot cheaper too which is great).

I have had a good look around overclockers and definately have a rough idea of what I'd like. I'm ideally looking to play games like Arkham Asylum, FC 2, Crysis etc on as high settings as possible and hopefully having room to expand on the system in the future.

One thing i'm a little uncertain over is because i would like my pc to be a barebones gaming rig (no second hddrive etc etc) i'm not sure what psu would be ideal for powering it. Friends have recommended 800w but im sure i wudnt need that much.

Last but not least, just so you know, when I say this is my first build I mean quite literally never looked inside a Pc before first build. I will most likely be scouring this forum for tips on putting the stuff together as soon as it arrives but am generally good with electronics so fingers crossed....

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hawkesbury · 28 Nov 2009 at 20:16

Hello, for your budget do you require an OS?

Timpletop · 28 Nov 2009 at 20:24

Yes i would ideally be looking for an OS aswell.

Timpletop · 28 Nov 2009 at 20:26

Don't need a monitor or peripherals though as have these ready to go.
thanks.

engstrom0304 · 28 Nov 2009 at 20:43

How about something like this?

Hawkesbury · 28 Nov 2009 at 20:43

Product Name Qty Price Line Total
AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 965 Black Edition 3.40GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 965 Black Edition 3.40GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail £145.98
(£126.94) £145.98
(£126.94)
Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 5770 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card + Colin McRae Dirt 2 Full Game Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 5770 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card + Colin McRae Dirt 2 Full Game £119.98
(£104.33) £119.98
(£104.33)
OCZ Gold 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C8 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (OCZ3G16004GK) OCZ Gold 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C8 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (OCZ3G16004GK) £79.99
(£69.56) £79.99
(£69.56)
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium - Retail (Full Version) Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium - Retail (Full Version) £79.99
(£69.56) £79.99
(£69.56)
Asus M4A77TD Pro AMD 770 (Socket AM3) PCI-Express DDR3 Motherboard Asus M4A77TD Pro AMD 770 (Socket AM3) PCI-Express DDR3 Motherboard £68.99
(£59.99) £68.99
(£59.99)
Corsair VX 550W ATX Power Supply (CMPSU-550VXUK) Corsair VX 550W ATX Power Supply (CMPSU-550VXUK) £68.99
(£59.99) £68.99
(£59.99)
Antec 300 Three Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case - Black (No PSU) Antec 300 Three Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case - Black (No PSU) £43.99
(£38.25) £43.99
(£38.25)
Samsung SpinPoint F1 320GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (HD322HJ) Samsung SpinPoint F1 320GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (HD322HJ) £34.99
(£30.43) £34.99
(£30.43)
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev 2 CPU Cooler (Socket 939 / AM2 / AM2+ / 775 / 1156 / 1366) Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev 2 CPU Cooler (Socket 939 / AM2 / AM2+ / 775 / 1156 / 1366) £19.99
(£17.38) £19.99
(£17.38)
Samsung SH-S223C/BEBE 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM Samsung SH-S223C/BEBE 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.99
(£16.51) £18.99
(£16.51)
Arctic Cooling MX-2 Thermal Compound Arctic Cooling MX-2 Thermal Compound £4.59
(£3.99) £4.59
(£3.99)
Sub Total : £596.93
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £11.75
VAT is being charged at 15% VAT : £91.30
Total : £699.98

thats as close to your budget as i can get. within 2p isnt bad

jrwagh333 · 28 Nov 2009 at 21:01

engstrom0304 that RAM is Tri-channel and AMD supports only Dual Channel

Timpletop · 28 Nov 2009 at 21:03

Thanks guys, both rigs seem very good for my aims.

One question though, I've just been having a gander at various motherboards and their associated reviews and it seems that many people consider it very important to splash out on an advanced motherboard? Just how important is it to have a really good motherboard and what benefits might that bring? Was looking at the Asus Crosshair III board and the reviews mentioned it being good to have alongside the AMD phenom II 955BE, does that mean it would be just as good alongside both the Cpu's you two have recommended? Sorry if these are very basic questions but i am very interested in finding out whether mobo's are important or not?

thanks

matt100 · 28 Nov 2009 at 21:09

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 LGA775 'Wolfdale' 3.00GHz (1333FSB) - Retail Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 LGA775 'Wolfdale' 3.00GHz (1333FSB) - Retail £126.99
(£110.43) £126.99
(£110.43)
OcUK Value ATI Radeon HD 4890 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card - Retail OcUK Value ATI Radeon HD 4890 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card - Retail £121.98
(£106.07) £121.98
(£106.07)
Asus P5Q Pro Turbo Intel P45 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard Asus P5Q Pro Turbo Intel P45 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard £90.99
(£79.12) £90.99
(£79.12)
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium - Retail (Full Version) Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium - Retail (Full Version) £79.99
(£69.56) £79.99
(£69.56)
Lancool K1 Midi Tower Case - Black (No PSU) Lancool K1 Midi Tower Case - Black (No PSU) £75.99
(£66.08) £75.99
(£66.08)
OCZ ModXStream Pro 600w Silent SLI Ready Modular Power Supply OCZ ModXStream Pro 600w Silent SLI Ready Modular Power Supply £68.99
(£59.99) £68.99
(£59.99)
OCZ Gold Edition 4GB (2x2GB) PC2-6400C5 Dual Channel Series (OCZ2G8004GK) OCZ Gold Edition 4GB (2x2GB) PC2-6400C5 Dual Channel Series (OCZ2G8004GK) £61.99
(£53.90) £61.99
(£53.90)
Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (HD103SJ) Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (HD103SJ) £60.98
(£53.03) £60.98
(£53.03)
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev 2 CPU Cooler (Socket 939 / AM2 / AM2+ / 775 / 1156 / 1366) Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev 2 CPU Cooler (Socket 939 / AM2 / AM2+ / 775 / 1156 / 1366) £19.99
(£17.38) £19.99
(£17.38)
Sony Optiarc AD-5240S 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM Sony Optiarc AD-5240S 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £17.99
(£15.64) £17.99
(£15.64)
Sub Total : £631.20
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £10.50
VAT is being charged at 15% VAT : £96.26
Total : £737.96

=========================

Thats where my money would go, a clocked 8400 would hammer any AMD unless I'm much mistaken, you could save money on the case or PSU or HDD and I genuinely don't know whether a 4890 is better than a 5770 or not.

What monitor do you have? That'll dictate the GFX requirements.

matt100 · 28 Nov 2009 at 21:11

Timpletop said:
Thanks guys, both rigs seem very good for my aims.

One question though, I've just been having a gander at various motherboards and their associated reviews and it seems that many people consider it very important to splash out on an advanced motherboard? Just how important is it to have a really good motherboard and what benefits might that bring? Was looking at the Asus Crosshair III board and the reviews mentioned it being good to have alongside the AMD phenom II 955BE, does that mean it would be just as good alongside both the Cpu's you two have recommended? Sorry if these are very basic questions but i am very interested in finding out whether mobo's are important or not?

thanks

within reason a good motherboard will give you better clocking potential and often come with things like sound cards/onboard wifi/better cooling etc. Its not essential but seeing as its the bit everything else plugs into I've always been of the opinion its the key component.

If you're not planning on clocking though then its a bit irrelevant because they'll all be designed to run stuff at stock speeds properly.

Timpletop · 28 Nov 2009 at 21:20

At the moment an old 19 inch widescreen gnr monitor but am shortly going to be updating that to one of these with a bit of luck. Still in two minds regarding motherboards as i am looking to expand in the future and that most likely will include Oc'ing as i don't plan on buying a new rig for many many years to come after this one.

thanks again.

Timpletop · 28 Nov 2009 at 22:34

also from what i've heard windows 7 is far better to game with than vista is that correct?

So far, this has been my overall selection.

Asus Crosshair III formula 790fx
Amd Phenom II X4 965BE @ 3.4ghz
Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 10666C9 1333MHz TwinX Dual Channel
Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 5770 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express
OCZ ModXStream Pro 600w Silent SLI Ready Modular Power Supply
Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM
Akasa Genesis AK-5004 Midi Tower Case - Black
Sony Optiarc AD-5240S 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter

What do you think? Would these parts work together efficiently?

Im assuming this rig would be enough to power all the latest games relatively easily, or at least thats my hope.

will0812 · 28 Nov 2009 at 23:19

What you've selected looks really good. Should all work together fine, and also gives you plenty of future-proofing. You could in the future add another 5770 for some added performance, and as the mobo is AM3 you should be able to upgrade the processor if you wish to. Looks like a very good AMD build.

And yes windows 7 is better generally, but with games that are older than windows 7 there can be some problems but overall windows 7 is much better than vista

matt100 · 29 Nov 2009 at 00:24

seriously, why are you going for AMD? I'm no fanboy, I've had Intel and AMD swinging backwards and forwards with whoever has the best tech and right now Intel wins hands down for speed and clockability. AMD are getting themselves vaguely back into the game with very highly clocked CPUs such as the one you're looking at but everything I've seen suggests you ain't gonna get it much higher whereas the Intels fly with clocking and thats before you've taken into account they're faster clock for clock?

Future proofing is pointless, don't fool yourself into thinking because you might be able to do a cpu switch you could be ok because you may well find a different gfx slot and if your gaming performance is the key the GPU holds much more of that than your CPU.

My genuine suggestion is go with the best now and worry about the future when it comes.

coupe69 · 29 Nov 2009 at 01:40

matt100 said:
seriously, why are you going for AMD? I'm no fanboy, I've had Intel and AMD swinging backwards and forwards with whoever has the best tech and right now Intel wins hands down for speed and clockability. AMD are getting themselves vaguely back into the game with very highly clocked CPUs such as the one you're looking at but everything I've seen suggests you ain't gonna get it much higher whereas the Intels fly with clocking and thats before you've taken into account they're faster clock for clock?

Future proofing is pointless, don't fool yourself into thinking because you might be able to do a cpu switch you could be ok because you may well find a different gfx slot and if your gaming performance is the key the GPU holds much more of that than your CPU.

My genuine suggestion is go with the best now and worry about the future when it comes.

Quoted for truth (well sort of).........however for 700 quid I don't think you can honestly consider old skool skt 775 stuff

For the money you should really be looking at a quad core i5 750 (skt 1156), which will also give you the opportunity to upgrade to core i7 (860/870) later on.

The GTX 260 will be more than good enough at the res you're using at the moment, and will cope admirably at 1680x1050 when you get your new screen.
If you wanted to go with ATi then you have the option of either the slightly more powerfull 4890 or the dx11 ready 5770. All these video cards are around the same price so it's up to you what you plump for.

Keep in mind though that the 5770 although being a dx11 card will probably struggle with dx11 games at a higher res due to it's restrictive memory bandwidth, and it hasn't quite got the raw power the GTX260 or 4890 has in dx9 and dx10. In crossfire the 5770's are apparently very good, but that all depends on how well crossfire is implemented in the games you're intending to play. I've seen the dx11 benchmarks for dirt 2 and the 5770 does struggle a little bit. Bearing in mind this is one of the first dx11 games, you have to ask yourself "How's it going to cope with even more complex games coming out in the next year or so?"

With the core i5 you also get the added bonus of being able to clock it to 4GHz+ with the right cooling, which can always be added when you have some more funds.

I've included Windows 7 RETAIL, which will obviously enable you to upgrade your machine at a later date without any licensing issues, and besides which it's the same price as the OEM version at the mo

Mattus · 29 Nov 2009 at 02:47

matt100 said:
Thats where my money would go, a clocked 8400 would hammer any AMD unless I'm much mistaken, you could save money on the case or PSU or HDD and I genuinely don't know whether a 4890 is better than a 5770 or not.

That spec is a) £40 above the OP's budget, and b) based on an outdated dual-core CPU in a dead socket. More and more games are making use of CPUs with more than two cores now - it won't be long before a dual-core CPU starts limiting performance.

Having said that, I'd favour something like engstrom's spec - I'd go for the 4890 because the faster graphics card will generally give a bigger improvement than having a quad-core CPU instead of triple.

coupe69 · 29 Nov 2009 at 02:59

Mattus said:
That spec is a) £40 above the OP's budget, and b) based on an outdated dual-core CPU in a dead socket. More and more games are making use of CPUs with more than two cores now - it won't be long before a dual-core CPU starts limiting performance.

Having said that, I'd favour something like engstrom's spec - I'd go for the 4890 because the faster graphics card will generally give a bigger improvement than having a quad-core CPU instead of triple.

Mattus that's a slightly contradictory post you've made there tbh? My spec with the quad core i5 750 and a 4890 has the best of both worlds

matt100 · 29 Nov 2009 at 03:02

we've been saying that for a couple of years now, still not seeing masses of evidence that multi cores are taking hold in a big way.

Mattus · 29 Nov 2009 at 03:33

coupe69 said:
Mattus that's a slightly contradictory post you've made there tbh? My spec with the quad core i5 750 and a 4890 has the best of both worlds

Perhaps a little, but tri-core is a nice sweetspot at the moment. Agreed that a quad-core and a 4890 would be ideal, but no-one's done it within the budget yet!

4Play · 29 Nov 2009 at 08:57

Mattus said:
Perhaps a little, but tri-core is a nice sweetspot at the moment. Agreed that a quad-core and a 4890 would be ideal, but no-one's done it within the budget yet!

He was a pound over, lets be real here lol. I dont understand why your couching for the tri core, when games generally dont use all of the cores. But even for the games which do, surely the quad i5 will be far superior. Dont go for the 775 socket at any rate, its been a dead chip for a while now.