Gaming PC

Adalard

Adalard

Adalard

Associate
Joined
30 May 2009
Posts
36
Location
Leicestershire
Hey guys. Looking to build myself a new rig and I've come up with this setup. I'm a total novice when it comes to this and I've compiled this set from other threads I've seen. The total as it stands is £853.23 and I really am not going any higher than that, pushing my budget a lot as it stands! What I'd love is for you guys to have a look at what I've got here and tell me if I'm going wrong anywhere or certain things I've got aren't compatible/won't run well together. In terms of what I'm after, I'm trying to build the best all-round gaming system I can for £850. I think I can already guess that some of you will suggest downgrading the processor for a better GPU but I'll just wait and see.

Please not I will not be overclocking.

Thanks for reading.

occomputer.jpg
 
i7 isn't the best for gaming.

That motherboard isn't compatable with the CPU - you need x58 for i7 chips, not x48 (core2)

Which will push your costs up above your budget. You're probably better off getting a Q6600 and a P45 board, or a 790GX+phenomII based system.
 
Thanks for replying. Well which one out of your two suggestions would you pick?

Everything else decent enough?
 
Well, I went with a Phenom II - but it really depends on what you want more.

If you want to save money now, go with Phenom II - it's cheaper as a platform and you can get a nice tri-core which has been found to be the best bang-for-buck in games. Not quite as future resistant a cpu, but the motherboard could last longer.

You'll get slightly more performance with a quad core, but phenom or intel is up to you - I find it hard to recommend 775 at the moment as it's essentially a dead socket. 775 won't have any more major releases, whereas AM3 should have at least one more cycle in it, giving you a few more upgrade choices. At the same time, 775 already has more upgrade choices with the Q6, Q8 and Q9 chips.
 
Phenom 2 is probably the best answer. i7 is a lot more processing power than games need, so I will indeed recommend downgrading the processor. I won't however suggest a better graphics card, as the 4890 is brilliant.

Phenom 2, someone else can recommend the board, with ddr2 and the 4890 will do you very well.

Up for changing your mind on overclocking? It features investing some time, little to no capital, and results in a far quicker system.
 
You have chosen a X48 board with a I7 chip which will not work together.
You will need Tripple channel memory (DDR3) and X58.
 
Like the others have said, the spec you posted won't work, you've got the new intel socket CPU on an older socket motherboard.

If you don't plan on overclocking then i7 will be a waste of money (and out of your budget), especially if it's solely for gaming. An AM3 setup or core 2 dual/quad is the way to go. You also won't need the CPU cooler, as the stock one will be more than enough for you.

Here is an example of an AM3 setup, which is the one I would go for. But a similar intel setup would as good.

ocuk-201.jpg


It would be better if we get more info on what you want the PC to do, what resolution you plan on playing at, the type of games etc
 
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Thanks all for informative replies and to ro550 for the spec. Basically for my budget I want to be able to play games such as Crisis on the highest settings available, and I want it to be a decent gaming rig for a good couple of years.

I see that you guys seem to be favouring Phenom II over say the Intel quad core. That because they're better as such or worth saving around £20 on?

As for overclocking, I wouldn't know where to start.
 
Adalard said:
Thanks all for informative replies and to ro550 for the spec. Basically for my budget I want to be able to play games such as Crisis on the highest settings available, and I want it to be a decent gaming rig for a good couple of years.

I see that you guys seem to be favouring Phenom II over say the Intel quad core. That because they're better as such or worth saving around £20 on?

As for overclocking, I wouldn't know where to start.
Click to expand...

The i7 chips are great for multithreaded aplications, games dont really need this yet and unless you overclock the i7 which it's great at, you'll probably get just as good, if not better performance from an AMD X3 or X4 and save some cash to spend on a better graphics card.
 
Adalard said:
Basically for my budget I want to be able to play games such as Crisis on the highest settings available
Click to expand...

Well don't set your sights too high, depending on the resolution, even very high end rigs will struggle with this. The setup I've given will play it on high settings, but I doubt you'll be able to put everything right up. I'd recommend overclocking if you want to get as close to this as possible though, even a small one. It isn't difficult to do and will show quite a decent improvement. What resolution will you be playing at?
 
There a tutorial or guide on OCing?
Yeah I was probably being too greedy when I said that. Idealy, any game I see on the market for the next year or so I can buy without looking at recommended system and that would perform at a very decent level.
As for resolution, I haven't decided yet.
You would recommend I choose your spec then? The Tri core will suit me fine? And I don't need a CPU cooler?
 
a retail boxed CPU comes with a stock heatsink as standard which will do just fine if you don't overclock.

ro55o's spec looks good although I'd stick with corsair hx520. I'd add the extra and get the quad 955 black edition chip since you have the budget. it's fast enough at stock but easy to overclock should you decide to.
 
Thank you all for your advice. Based on your recommendations and the tiny tiny fact that my inital setup was a freaking incompatible rig, I've revised it into this.

occomputerk.jpg


If that looks alright think I'm bout ready to order.
 
Your last spec looks fine and should give you a good couple of years gaming. Never use crysis to judge a pc as that game is just an exception to a general rule and not a benchmark to build a system too. Have fun with your build hope it all goes welll for you and you can enjoy your new pc :).
 
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