Full system build advice

drake_

drake_

drake_

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9 Nov 2013
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10
Hi

I've been thinking about building my first pc for a while and, before forking out on a next gen console, now is as good a time as any. My main uses will be gaming (FPS & RPG), 1080p video encoding, general use, and maybe as a HTPC. Space or size isn't too much of an issue, but I'd prefer a system which isn't too loud.

I'm looking at a full system build (everything bar a mouse!) which can play the latest games at 1080p on max settings (or maybe 1440p) and something that will be reasonably future proofed to last a good few years.

From researching some of the parts and other builds on here this should last me a while and also there is an option to add a 2nd GPU in the future.

I didn't realise the cost of all the extras components needed (monitor, case, keyboard and speakers) so the problem is I'm way over my original budget of £1200:

YOUR BASKET
1 x Acer HN274Hbmiiid 27" TRUE 120Hz 3D Widescreen LED Monitor with NVIDIA 3D Vision Glasses £299.99
1 x Gigabyte Radeon R9 280X WindForce 3X OC 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £245.99
1 x Intel Core i5-4670K 3.40GHz (Haswell) Socket LGA1150 Processor - Retail £185.99
1 x Corsair Enthusiast Series TX850M High Performance 850W '80 Plus Bronze' Modular Power Supply (CP-9020041-UK) £129.95
1 x Gigabyte Z87-D3HP Intel Z87 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £109.99
1 x NZXT Phantom Enthusiast USB3.0 Full Tower Case - Black £104.99
1 x Qpad MK-80 Blue LED Backlit Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - UK Layout - Red Switches £95.99
1 x Samsung 120GB SSD 840 EVO SATA 6Gb/s Basic - (MZ-7TE120BW) £86.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST2000DM001) HDD £74.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-Bit DVD - OEM (WN7-00614) £71.99
1 x Patriot Viper "Sapphire Blue" 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-17000C11 2133MHz Dual Channel Kit (PV38G213C1KBL) £69.95
1 x Edifier R1600T Studio Plus 2.0 Monitors £49.99
1 x OcUK 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £14.99
Total : £1,581.25 (includes shipping : £32.90).



I could save money on a non-backlit keyboard, cheaper speakers, cheaper monitor (non 120Hz, 3D or 24"), cheaper case, and would ideally like to get it under £1400 or even better £1300, but (being new to pc building) I'm really unsure what to compromise on :confused:

Any feedback or advice appreciated.

Thanks in advance
 
Oh, and:

- Is it worth stretching my budget and paying the extra?
- Will the free Prolimatech Panther CPU Cooler that comes with the motherboard be sufficient for overclocking the CPU?
- Is the extra cost of the i7 4770k worth thinking about (performance difference and future proofing)? Really a system at £1500 I'd expect to have the best CPU available.
- The GPU seems to be overclocked already, is there any more cooling needed?
- I'm not planning on overclocking to the max, just something stable that offers a decent performance increase. Will the rest of the ventilation be fine or should I think about additional case fans or cooling? What about if I added a 2nd GPU?
- Generally speaking is it worth shopping round to save some cash? I'm usually quite the bargain hunter and, although I've heard OCUK CS is worth it and it's easier ordering everything from one place, it still comes down to price. A quick check on a popular online site shows the i5 4670K & i7 4770K Retail at £174.50 & £246.99 with free delivery too.
- Is there no longer a free shipping code from avforums?

Thanks!
 
I gave it a shot, dropped it down a couple hundred pounds! :D

YOUR BASKET
1 x HIS Radeon R9 290 Boost 4096MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £309.95
1 x Intel Core i5-4670K 3.40GHz (Haswell) Socket LGA1150 Processor - OEM £179.99
1 x BenQ GL2460 24" Widescreen LED Slim Bezel Monitor - Black £129.95
1 x Antec High Current Gamer 850W Modular '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply (0-761345-06225-1) £119.99
1 x Gigabyte Z87-D3HP Intel Z87 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £109.99
1 x Samsung 120GB SSD 840 EVO SATA 6Gb/s Basic - (MZ-7TE120BW) £86.99
1 x Corsair Carbide 300R Mid Tower Windowed Case - Black (CC-9011017-WW) £78.95
1 x TeamGroup Vulcan RED 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-19200C11 2400MHz Dual Channel Kit (TLD38G2400HC11CDC01) £71.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-Bit DVD - OEM (WN7-00614) £71.99
1 x Corsair Vengeance K65 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Silver - Red Switch (CH-9000040-UK) £69.95
1 x Toshiba (7K1000.D) 1TB SATA 6GB/s 32MB Cache - OEM (DT01ACA100) HDD £49.99
1 x Edifier R1600T Studio Plus 2.0 Monitors £49.99
1 x OcUK 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £14.99
Total : £1,375.24 (includes shipping : £25.45).



The Antec PSU is better than the Corsair for it's internals, they're made by Delta who are a nudge better than Seasonic, plus the price is very close & it will handle 2 cards without an issue.

The NZXT case is nice, however I don't think it's that great for what you pay, I've been working with one the weekend and it's not the greatest tbh!

Have added the next up GPU, so you'll get that extra grunt in games, dropped down the OEM version of the CPU to save a couple pounds, as you already have a cooler with the board, however OEM = 1 year warranty, Retail = 3 years but CPU's rarely die, I still have a E6600 going strong!
 
Last edited:
Reaper,

I wouldn't get a 290(X or non-X) in the current state as they are hot and loud..

You have a PSU ready for Xfire but the board only supports it x16 x4..

.. that is all! :)
 
have you considered going for Nvidia gpu's theyve dropped in price lately :), you can also get a cheaper alternative for you psu, the antec high current gamer series is recommended a lot
 
Doomedspeed said:
Reaper,

I wouldn't get a 290(X or non-X) in the current state as they are hot and loud..

You have a PSU ready for Xfire but the board only supports it x16 x4..

.. that is all! :)
Click to expand...

:o - I tried in a rush during my lunch aha.

I did have a ASUS 7970 in the basket, I forgot the 290/x's still have the stock coolers, so yes I'll change them around for sure, along with the board. The free cooler swayed my decision too much!

Version 2:

YOUR BASKET
1 x Gigabyte ATI Radeon HD 7970 Windforce 3X 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £319.99
1 x Intel Core i5-4670K 3.40GHz (Haswell) Socket LGA1150 Processor - OEM £179.99
1 x BenQ GL2460 24" Widescreen LED Slim Bezel Monitor - Black £129.95
1 x Gigabyte Z87X-D3H Intel Z87 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £119.99
1 x Antec High Current Gamer 850W Modular '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply (0-761345-06225-1) £119.99
1 x Kingston 120GB SSDNow V300 Drive SATA 6Gb/s 3 2.5" (7mm height) Solid State Hard Drive - (SV300S37A/120G) £73.99
1 x Kingston HyperX Beast 8GB (2x4GB) PC3-17100C11 2133MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX21C11T3K2/8X) £71.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-Bit DVD - OEM (WN7-00614) £71.99
1 x Corsair Vengeance K65 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Silver - Red Switch (CH-9000040-UK) £69.95
1 x BitFenix Ronin Tower Case - Black £69.95
1 x Toshiba (7K1000.D) 1TB SATA 6GB/s 32MB Cache - OEM (DT01ACA100) HDD £49.99
1 x Edifier R1600T Studio Plus 2.0 Monitors £49.99
1 x Corsair Hydro H100 Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler *Manufacturer Refurbished Unit - 90 Day Guarantee £39.95
1 x OcUK 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £14.99
Total : £1,406.81 (includes shipping : £20.10).



Are you 100% certain of going Crossfire in the future as this can save a chunk of the budget?
 
Last edited:
TheReaperGuy, how is that mobo you specced, im thinking about buying it but i cant decide between that and the D3HP, is there any other good mobos which fit that price range ?
 
Thanks for your input guys. Build amended staying with crossfire potential including that other motherboard, plus adding a new CPU cooler (not keen on a refurbished part). I'd also like to stick with retail CPU, Samsung EVO SSD & a 2TB HDD.

I liked the look of the NXZT case but if it's not very practical that's no good. I've had a quick scan through what's available and your suggestions and the other case I really like is even more expensive!

Regarding the 7970, it seems to be quite an old card to be paying even more for, is it worth waiting for some better R9 280X/290 cards with improved cooling?

I've changed the memory based on reviews, however can you usually turn off the LED lights, as I'd prefer blue lighting or green if possible (they're out of stock) if any?

YOUR BASKET
1 x MSI Radeon R9 280X Gaming Edition OC 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £249.95
1 x Intel Core i5-4670K 3.40GHz (Haswell) Socket LGA1150 Processor - Retail £185.99
1 x Corsair Obsidian 750D Full Tower Case - Black (CC-9011035-WW) £134.99
1 x BenQ GL2460 24" Widescreen LED Slim Bezel Monitor - Black £129.95
1 x Antec High Current Gamer 850W Modular '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply (0-761345-06225-1) £119.99
1 x Gigabyte Z87X-D3H Intel Z87 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £119.99
1 x Corsair Hydro H100i High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler (CW-9060009-WW) £99.95
1 x Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST2000DM001) HDD £74.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-Bit DVD - OEM (WN7-00614) £71.99
1 x Avexir Gold Series 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-17200C9 2133MHz Dual Channel Memory Kit (AVD3U21330904G-2CEY) - Yellow/Gold Light £71.99
1 x Corsair Vengeance K65 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Silver - Red Switch (CH-9000040-UK) £69.95
1 x Edifier R1600T Studio Plus 2.0 Monitors £49.99
1 x OcUK 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £14.99
Total : £1,434.17 (includes shipping : £32.90).



Re. crossfire - for longevity and with the likely increase in screen resolutions in the future, in say a couple of years, would I be better off being able to buy a 2nd GPU, or staying with 1 card and simply upgrading it?

If it's the latter I guess I could save on the PSU & motherboard ;)
 
Opps .......


YOUR BASKET
1 x Gigabyte Radeon R9 280X WindForce 3X OC 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £245.99
1 x Intel Core i5-4670K 3.40GHz (Haswell) Socket LGA1150 Processor - Retail £185.99
1 x Gigabyte Z87X-UD3H Intel Z87 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £143.99
1 x Corsair Obsidian 750D Full Tower Case - Black (CC-9011035-WW) £134.99
1 x Silverstone Strider Gold Evolution 750w '80 Plus Gold' Modular Power Supply (ST75F-G) £129.95
1 x BenQ GL2460 24" Widescreen LED Slim Bezel Monitor - Black £129.95
1 x Corsair Hydro H100i High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler (CW-9060009-WW) £99.95
1 x Samsung 120GB SSD 840 EVO SATA 6Gb/s Basic - (MZ-7TE120BW) £86.99
1 x Corsair Vengeance Pro Blue 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-14900C9 1866MHz Dual Channel Memory Kit (CMY8GX3M2A1866C9B) £79.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-Bit DVD - OEM (WN7-00614) £71.99
1 x Corsair Vengeance K65 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Silver - Red Switch (CH-9000040-UK) £69.95
1 x Corsair Vengeance M65 Laser Gaming Mouse - Black (CH-9000022-EU) £54.95
1 x Edifier R1600T Studio Plus 2.0 Monitors £49.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £43.99
1 x Samsung SE-S208DB/TSBS External Slimline 8x DVD-RW (TV Connect) - Black £21.98
Total : £1,583.69 (includes shipping : £27.55).



EDIT:

I started the theme so I thought I would finish it :D

YOUR BASKET
1 x Gigabyte Radeon R9 280X WindForce 3X OC 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £245.99
1 x Intel Core i5-4670K 3.40GHz (Haswell) Socket LGA1150 Processor - Retail £185.99
1 x Gigabyte Z87X-UD3H Intel Z87 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £143.99
1 x Corsair Obsidian 750D Full Tower Case - Black (CC-9011035-WW) £134.99
1 x Silverstone Strider Gold Evolution 750w '80 Plus Gold' Modular Power Supply (ST75F-G) £129.95
1 x BenQ GL2460 24" Widescreen LED Slim Bezel Monitor - Black £129.95
1 x Corsair Hydro H100i High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler (CW-9060009-WW) £99.95
1 x Samsung 120GB SSD 840 EVO SATA 6Gb/s Basic - (MZ-7TE120BW) £86.99
1 x Corsair Vengeance Pro Blue 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-14900C9 1866MHz Dual Channel Memory Kit (CMY8GX3M2A1866C9B) £79.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-Bit DVD - OEM (WN7-00614) £71.99
1 x Corsair Vengeance K65 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - Silver - Red Switch (CH-9000040-UK) £69.95
1 x Corsair Vengeance M65 Laser Gaming Mouse - Black (CH-9000022-EU) £54.95
1 x Edifier R1600T Studio Plus 2.0 Monitors £49.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £43.99
1 x Corsair SP120 Quiet Series High Pressure Low Noise - Dual Pack (CO-9050006-WW) £25.99
1 x Corsair AF120 Performance Series Low Noise High Airflow - Dual Pack (CO-9050004-WW) £25.99
1 x Samsung SE-S208DB/TSBS External Slimline 8x DVD-RW (TV Connect) - Black £21.98
1 x BitFenix Alchemy Premium Modding LED Strip - Connect White 30cm £16.79
1 x Corsair AF140 Quiet Series Low Noise High Airflow - Single Pack (CO-9050009-WW) £14.99
2 x BitFenix SATA Cable 30cm - sleeved blue/black £8.99 (£17.98)
1 x BitFenix 24-Pin ATX Extension 30cm - sleeved black/blue/black £7.49
1 x BitFenix 8-Pin PCIe Extension 45cm - sleeved black/blue/black £5.99
1 x BitFenix 6-Pin PCIe Extension 45cm - sleeved black/blue/black £5.99
2 x BitFenix Alchemy Molex to SATA Adapter 45 cm - sleeved blue/black £5.98 (£11.96)
2 x BitFenix Alchemy Molex to 3pin x3 Fan adaptor 7V 20cm - Blue £4.99 (£9.98)
1 x BitFenix 8-Pin EPS12V Extension 45cm - sleeved black/blue/black £4.99
1 x BitFenix Alchemy Internal Audio Extension Adaptor 30cm - Blue £4.49
4 x BitFenix Alchemy 2pin I/O extension 30cm - Blue £3.95 (£15.80)
Total : £1,752.10 (includes shipping : £27.55).

 
Last edited:
drake_ said:
I liked the look of the NXZT case but if it's not very practical that's no good. I've had a quick scan through what's available and your suggestions and the other case I really like is even more expensive!
Click to expand...

For what it's worth the Phantom 530 is the new (summer 2013 release) and improved successor to the Enthusiast. Dust filters in the right places, etc.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/search_results.php?keywords=phantom+530&_=1384262469036

review - http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/5607/nzxt-phantom-530-mid-tower-chassis-review/index.html
 
Well guys my build was put on hold but it's back on again :D

Thanks again for your help previously. I have a bit more flexibility in my budget now and chosen the following components (staying with the black/blue theme):

- Monitor: AOC 24" 144Hz G2460PQU
- Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Black) *picked over the 750D
- PSU: Antec High Current Gamer 850W Modular '80 Plus Bronze'
- Motherboard: Gigabyte Z87X-UD3H
- CPU: i7 4770k
- CPU cooler: H100i
- GPU: *Waiting for a non-reference R9 290 & consider buying a 2nd in 1-3 years
- SSD: Samsung EVO 250GB
- HDD: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM or WD 1TB WD1003FZEX Black
- OD: OcUK 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM
- OS: Windows 8.1 64 bit DVD
- Speakers: Edifier R1600T
- Keyboard: Qpad MK-50 Cherry Red MX
- Mouse: Gigabyte M8000X (free with Mobo)

Now aside from choosing the HDD (double space vs reliability & extra warranty) I'm struggling with deciding on the Memory.

I'd like 8GB of 2133MHz or 2400MHz RAM really and more importantly something which I know will be compatible and reliable with the UD3H, but there isn't a lot of recommendations... apart from avoid Crucial.

Here is the compatibility list for the UD3H http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Memory/mb_memory_ga-z87x-ud3h.pdf.

The only options I can find are:

2400MHz
- Avexir Core Blue Series 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-19200C10 2400MHz Dual Channel Memory Kit (AVD3U24001004G-2CI) - Blue Light *it's not on the compatibility list & is OOS
- Kingston HyperX Predator 8GB (2x4GB) PC3-19200C11 2400MHz Dual Channel Memory Kit (KHX24C11T2K2/8X)
2133MHz
- Patriot Viper "Sapphire Blue" 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-17000C11 2133MHz Dual Channel Kit (PV38G213C1KBL) *The compatibility list shows PXD38G2133C11K? & also OOS
1866MHz
- Corsair Vengeance Blue 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-15000C9 1866MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMZ8GX3M2A1866C9B)

1) Any thoughts on the RAM choice and the build (compatibility) in general?

2) Will the supplied case fans be sufficient and any suggestions for airflow?

I'm planning on locating the H100i rad at the top of the case but there can't seem to find any NZXT 630 build logs for ideas!

3) Will all the components come with all necessary cables to connect everything?

I assume for the monitor at least I'll have to buy a separate cable and is it right I'll need a DisplayPort cable for 120/144Hz @ 1080p?

Thanks :cool:
 
Have a look at a Corsair 540 Air as a case alternative, very very popular case and slightly cheaper than the NZXT. Will allow you some flexibility on saved funds, also the cooling options on the case are wicked. Your h100i will pop straight into the top of it.

For another £14 you can have the Superflower 1000w Gold rated PSU, which if your going down the Xfire 290 route will be just the right ticket for you.

With regards to ram choice, Patriot Viper stuff will run at 2133mhz i think for Haswell, and as your using an AIO you have no clearance issues to worry about.
 
'' I assume for the monitor at least I'll have to buy a separate cable and is it right I'll need a DisplayPort cable for 120/144Hz @ 1080p? ''
no you wont as the monitor should come with a dvi dual link cable which goes in your gfx card like normal
 
OvEr_KiLL said:
'' I assume for the monitor at least I'll have to buy a separate cable and is it right I'll need a DisplayPort cable for 120/144Hz @ 1080p? ''
no you wont as the monitor should come with a dvi dual link cable which goes in your gfx card like normal
Click to expand...

That's good to know ta.

SiDeards73 said:
Have a look at a Corsair 540 Air as a case alternative, very very popular case and slightly cheaper than the NZXT. Will allow you some flexibility on saved funds, also the cooling options on the case are wicked. Your h100i will pop straight into the top of it.

For another £14 you can have the Superflower 1000w Gold rated PSU, which if your going down the Xfire 290 route will be just the right ticket for you.

With regards to ram choice, Patriot Viper stuff will run at 2133mhz i think for Haswell, and as your using an AIO you have no clearance issues to worry about.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion but I've looked at so many cases and the only ones I really like are Corsair 750D and NZXT Phantom 530/630.

That PSU sounds good from the reviews. I thought Antec were one of the best manufactures, so how much better is SuperFlower and will 850W not be enough to comfortably run the above system with 2 x 290's?

Yeah Patriot Viper is currently OOS unfortunately. How would the Kingston X compare?
 
290 is very power hungry when running full tilt. Would definitely want high wattage and gold rated as a minimum if your going to run 2 or more, read 8packs threads, he runs mad overclocked rigs admittedly, but he stated many high end PSU's couldnt cope with 3 x 290, but superflowers lapped them up and asked for more. I personally would want to overcompensate rather than fall short and ultimately have to replace a bit further down the line. Futureproofing and all that :)
 
That Antec is a superb PSU make no mistake, i just feel for an extra £20 you can upgrade to a 1000w Gold Rated PSU.. if you even consider going down Xfire routes then its a bit of a no brainer i feel.
 
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