Gaming Rig £700

Naxxy428 · 8 Jul 2014 at 23:49

Hey there,

My crappy laptop has finally packed up which gives me an excuse to pay out for a new computer,

The computer will only be used for gaming, and some computer programming.

I have a mouse and keyboard, but i was wondering if it was possible to use my TV as a monitor ? Think i'd have to hock it up Via HDMI, Or wont that work ? I mean i currently do it with my laptop.. Just saves more money for the actual tower.If not ill need a monitor =D

I'd like best bang for buck but would also love to upgrade in the future.

Please HELP ME OUT as ive played laggy games for too long now !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

p.s I'd also need OS

Danny75 · 9 Jul 2014 at 00:59

TV through HDMI should work if GPU has HDMI (most do, just have to check).

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-4690K 3.50GHz (Devil's Canyon) Socket LGA1150 Processor - OEM £179.99
1 x Sapphire Radeon R9 270X Boost OC 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Card £129.95
1 x Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-Bit DVD - OEM (WN7-00614) £74.99
1 x SuperFlower Golden Green HX 650W "80 Plus Gold" Power Supply - Black £65.99
1 x MSI Z97 PC Mate Intel Z97 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £64.99
1 x TeamGroup Vulcan ORANGE 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-19200C11 2400MHz Dual Channel Kit (TLAD38G2400HC11CDC01) £55.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £40.98
1 x Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-01 Mid Tower Gaming Case (CC-9011050-WW) £37.99
1 x Raijintek Aidos Direct Contact CPU Cooler £14.99
1 x OcUK 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £10.99
1 x Aerocool Shark Devil Red Edition LED Fan - 140mm £7.99
Total : £698.94 (includes shipping : £11.75).

Tried to balance bang for buck with upgradability.

Budget overclocking mobo and budget (but very decent) cooler, to allow for a mild overclock on the new i5-4690K. If you later see that the only thing holding it back from a higher overclock is heat, then one of the upgrades could be a better cooler.

Solid 650W PSU that can handle a second 270X or a single 290X or 780Ti.

Another future upgrade could be SSD, or can stretch budget now to get a 240GB in, then buy mechanical storage drive later on.

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel 335 Series 20nm 240GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Hard Drive - Retail (SSDSC2CT240A4K5) £79.99
1 x Crucial MX100 256GB SATA 2.5” 7mm SSD + 9.5mm Adapter (CT256MX100SSD1) £79.99

Naxxy428 · 9 Jul 2014 at 08:20

Thank you for the reply =) This will be my first build,

just some quick questions, Would going AMD hurt the build ?? as it would be cheaper, meaning i could spend more on GPU or SSD ?Or is it not worth it for the furture upgradbillity ..

also seeing as this is my first build how hard is overclocking ?

Idleman · 9 Jul 2014 at 09:02

Is your OS tied to the laptop or did you buy it separately?
I have done an AMD build without an OS, as you can use the Windows 8.1 Evaluation for 90 days, gives you time to save up.

YOUR BASKET
1 x Sapphire Radeon R9 280X Dual-X OC 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Card £209.99
1 x AMD Piledriver FX-8 Eight Core 8320 Black Edition 3.50GHz (Socket AM3+) Processor - Retail £99.95
1 x Asus M5A97 EVO R2.0 AMD 970 (Socket AM3+) DDR3 Motherboard £74.99
1 x Toshiba SSD HDTS212EZSTA 9.5mm 128GB Solid State Hard Drive - Retail £61.99
1 x Corsair Carbide 300R Mid Tower Case - Black (CC-9011014-WW) £59.99
1 x TeamGroup Vulcan RED 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (TLD38G1600HC9DC01) £55.99
1 x NZXT Hale Power 90+ 550W '80 Plus Gold' Power Supply £43.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £40.98
1 x Raijintek Themis Direct Contact CPU Cooler £19.99
Total : £690.78 (includes shipping : £19.10).

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/evalcenter/hh699156.aspx

stulid · 9 Jul 2014 at 09:06

Idleman said:
Is your OS tied to the laptop or did you buy it separately?
I have done an AMD build without an OS, as you can use the Windows 8.1 Evaluation for 90 days, gives you time to save up.

YOUR BASKET
1 x Sapphire Radeon R9 280X Dual-X OC 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Card £209.99
1 x AMD Piledriver FX-8 Eight Core 8320 Black Edition 3.50GHz (Socket AM3+) Processor - Retail £99.95
1 x Asus M5A97 EVO R2.0 AMD 970 (Socket AM3+) DDR3 Motherboard £74.99
1 x Toshiba SSD HDTS212EZSTA 9.5mm 128GB Solid State Hard Drive - Retail £61.99
1 x Corsair Carbide 300R Mid Tower Case - Black (CC-9011014-WW) £59.99
1 x TeamGroup Vulcan RED 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (TLD38G1600HC9DC01) £55.99
1 x NZXT Hale Power 90+ 550W '80 Plus Gold' Power Supply £43.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £40.98
1 x Raijintek Themis Direct Contact CPU Cooler £19.99
Total : £690.78 (includes shipping : £19.10).

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/evalcenter/hh699156.aspx

Works out cheaper with a Superflower PSU,

YOUR BASKET
1 x Sapphire Radeon R9 280X Dual-X OC 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Card £209.99
1 x AMD Piledriver FX-8 Eight Core 8320 Black Edition 3.50GHz (Socket AM3+) Processor - Retail £99.95
1 x Asus M5A97 EVO R2.0 AMD 970 (Socket AM3+) DDR3 Motherboard £74.99
1 x Toshiba SSD HDTS212EZSTA 9.5mm 128GB Solid State Hard Drive - Retail £61.99
1 x Corsair Carbide 300R Mid Tower Case - Black (CC-9011014-WW) £59.99
1 x TeamGroup Vulcan RED 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (TLD38G1600HC9DC01) £55.99
1 x SuperFlower Golden Green HX 550W "80 Plus Gold" Power Supply - Black £49.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £40.98
1 x Raijintek Themis Direct Contact CPU Cooler £19.99
Total : £688.86 (includes shipping : £12.50).

And cheaper again with this board,

YOUR BASKET
1 x Sapphire Radeon R9 280X Dual-X OC 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Card £209.99
1 x AMD Piledriver FX-8 Eight Core 8320 Black Edition 3.50GHz (Socket AM3+) Processor - Retail £99.95
1 x Gigabyte 970A-UD3P AMD 970 (Socket AM3+) DDR3 Motherboard £67.99
1 x Toshiba SSD HDTS212EZSTA 9.5mm 128GB Solid State Hard Drive - Retail £61.99
1 x Corsair Carbide 300R Mid Tower Case - Black (CC-9011014-WW) £59.99
1 x TeamGroup Vulcan RED 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (TLD38G1600HC9DC01) £55.99
1 x SuperFlower Golden Green HX 550W "80 Plus Gold" Power Supply - Black £49.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £40.98
1 x Raijintek Themis Direct Contact CPU Cooler £19.99
Total : £681.86 (includes shipping : £12.50).

Naxxy428 · 9 Jul 2014 at 09:10

Would this amd build just as powerful And upgrable as the intel listed above ? And I like this os 90 day thing, how would I put it on a new computer ? And my laptop came with windows on it , I only have a recovery disc I think

Idleman · 9 Jul 2014 at 09:24

Naxxy428 said:
Would this amd build just as powerful And upgrable as the intel listed above ? And I like this os 90 day thing, how would I put it on a new computer ? And my laptop came with windows on it , I only have a recovery disc I think

http://blog.webnots.com/blog/installing-free-windows-81-step4-convert-iso-file-to-bootable-usb-drive

YOUR BASKET
1 x Kingston DataTraveler 100 G3 8GB USB 3.0 Pen Drive (DT100G3/8GB) £3.68
Total : £5.96 (includes shipping : £1.90).

@ Stulid, how does that workout. The Superflower is £6 dearer, yet the shipping works out £7 cheaper, does'nt make sense.

stulid · 9 Jul 2014 at 10:19

Idleman said:
@ Stulid, how does that workout. The Superflower is £6 dearer, yet the shipping works out £7 cheaper, does'nt make sense.

Delivery will be based on size and weight I'd imagine.

Anyway...another pro tip that seperarates the pro system spec'rs from the amateurs

Idleman · 9 Jul 2014 at 10:35

stulid said:
Delivery will be based on size and weight I'd imagine.

Anyway...another pro tip that seperarates the pro system spec'rs from the amateurs

Watch you don't bang your head on the way out the door.

Martini1991 · 9 Jul 2014 at 10:47

Naxxy428 said:
Would this amd build just as powerful And upgrable as the intel listed above ? And I like this os 90 day thing, how would I put it on a new computer ? And my laptop came with windows on it , I only have a recovery disc I think

The CPU isn't as powerful as the i5 in games, but there's a massive disparity in what GPU you can put in either system with the budget, so the i5 and 270X wouldn't perform to the same level as the FX8320 and the R9 280X. There are some rare instances where the i5 4670K + R9 270X will be faster than the 280X with FX83, but they're far from the norm.

If it was an i5 + 280X or FX83 with 280X, it'd be the i5 + 280X all day long that you'd take.

For upgrades, AM3+'s dead, there doesn't look to be any plausible CPU upgrades, so there's no room for performance gain except from overclocking, whereas the socket 1150 should get Broadwell (I'd be expecting ~10% IPC gain, wouldn't like to guess for overclocking) and you can always get an i7, so 1150 has I'd estimate at ~40% possible CPU upgrade performance, again, ignoring overclocking.

The 1150 also has the higher potential for GPU upgrades too, as the FX83 will limit the GPU sooner than the i5 4670K would.

That said, unless you put the i5 4670K with the 280X, I'd pick the FX83 build.

DaleTheWhale · 9 Jul 2014 at 11:48

Naxxy428 said:
I have a mouse and keyboard, but i was wondering if it was possible to use my TV as a monitor ? Think i'd have to hock it up Via HDMI, Or wont that work ? I mean i currently do it with my laptop.. Just saves more money for the actual tower.If not ill need a monitor =D

I've never had a good time scaling the resolution from a PC to a TV without it looks horrible, there is always a border and when over scanned loses quality. This was recently with my living room TV, in the past has been the same.

Might just be me and a few others, but it never scales properly...

Danny75 · 9 Jul 2014 at 12:04

Spec with updated weekly offers, inc. R9 280:

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-4690K 3.50GHz (Devil's Canyon) Socket LGA1150 Processor - OEM £161.99
1 x Powercolor Radeon R9 280 TurboDUO 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £149.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-Bit DVD - OEM (WN7-00614) £74.99
1 x SuperFlower Golden Green HX 650W "80 Plus Gold" Power Supply - Black £65.99
1 x MSI Z97 PC Mate Intel Z97 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £64.99
1 x TeamGroup Vulcan ORANGE 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-19200C11 2400MHz Dual Channel Kit (TLAD38G2400HC11CDC01) £55.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £44.99
1 x Zalman Z3-Plus Midi-Tower - Black £39.95
1 x Deepcool GAMMAXX S40 CPU-Cooler - 120mm £19.99
1 x OcUK 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £10.99
Total : £699.46 (includes shipping : £8.00).

Naxxy428 · 9 Jul 2014 at 12:47

How long does delivery normally take ? Anyone know ?

Naxxy428 · 9 Jul 2014 at 12:49

Think ill use this build, I don't want to question your skills in computer building but I'm guessing this will all work fine ?? As in all the parts go together and I have enough power and such

Danny75 said:
Spec with updated weekly offers, inc. R9 280:

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-4690K 3.50GHz (Devil's Canyon) Socket LGA1150 Processor - OEM £161.99
1 x Powercolor Radeon R9 280 TurboDUO 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £149.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-Bit DVD - OEM (WN7-00614) £74.99
1 x SuperFlower Golden Green HX 650W "80 Plus Gold" Power Supply - Black £65.99
1 x MSI Z97 PC Mate Intel Z97 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £64.99
1 x TeamGroup Vulcan ORANGE 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-19200C11 2400MHz Dual Channel Kit (TLAD38G2400HC11CDC01) £55.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £44.99
1 x Zalman Z3-Plus Midi-Tower - Black £39.95
1 x Deepcool GAMMAXX S40 CPU-Cooler - 120mm £19.99
1 x OcUK 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £10.99
Total : £699.46 (includes shipping : £8.00).

Danny75 · 9 Jul 2014 at 13:39

Naxxy428 said:
Think ill use this build, I don't want to question your skills in computer building but I'm guessing this will all work fine ?? As in all the parts go together and I have enough power and such

Yes. But let someone else confirm that for you. And take your time ordering it, because the weekly offer prices will remain until next Wednesday morning, and between now and Tuesday you could keep an eye out for the daily offers, and if you see a good one, swap out a part in the present basket for the part on daily offer and that's the time to make the order.

It's even possible (I've seen it happen) that items on weekly offer also go on a daily offer, so it makes sense to wait till Tuesday, if you can be patient.

Some items are out of stock. I'd order them anyway when it's time, and then see how long it's taking, before asking OcUK to replace them with parts in stock. Because sometimes they are back in stock the next day.

Now, as for power:

There's a 650W PSU in there. You can't do CrossFire 280 with it (not comfortably/safely at least), but it will allow upgrading to a 290X or 780Ti in future (or newer similar-powered cards that will come out).

If you think CrossFire is a better option for upgrades, or would like to be covered for both options (CrossFire 280 or single more powerful card) then spend a little extra for the SuperFlower Golden Green HX 750W "80 Plus Gold", or the EVGA SuperNova G2 750W '80 Plus Gold' with a phenomenal 10-year warranty. There's also the SuperFlower Leadex GOLD 750W Fully Modular "80 Plus Gold which is quality as well, and comes with white LED connectors.

But rest assured, as it is right now, there's more than enough to power the system. A good 550W would be enough. You have a bit extra for upgrades.

Danny75 · 9 Jul 2014 at 13:43

One more thing - to fit everything under £700, I chose the OEM processor. You may or may not know, but those have a 1-year warranty, whereas the Retail version has a 3-year warranty. Processors rarely fail within 3 years but you could spend a few more pounds on the Retail i5-4690K to feel safer. The Retail will also come with the Intel stock cooler, which could serve as backup, in case there's ever a failure with the other one.

Danny75 · 9 Jul 2014 at 14:02

Another option, for if you wanted a monitor after all:

YOUR BASKET
1 x Asus Radeon R 280X DirectCUII TOP & Asus VN247H 24" Slim Bezel LED Monitor with FREE 650W GOLD PSU £399.94
Total : £399.94

The monitor is £161.99, but the PSU is free, which means you'd only pay about £20 extra in total to get a quality 280X + PSU instead of the 280 + PSU. It's a cracking deal.

Compare with the 280 and monitor and PSU:

YOUR BASKET
1 x Asus VN247H 24"Widescreen Super Narrow Bezel LED Monitor - Black £161.99
1 x Powercolor Radeon R9 280 TurboDUO 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £149.99
1 x SuperFlower Golden Green HX 650W "80 Plus Gold" Power Supply - Black £65.99
Total : £377.96

Naxxy428 · 9 Jul 2014 at 15:24

Trying to look at this ion my phone is so annoying ! I can't add up the prices, so to get that monitor +psu how much extra would I be paying on the whole build ?

Danny75 · 9 Jul 2014 at 17:11

Naxxy428 said:
Trying to look at this ion my phone is so annoying ! I can't add up the prices, so to get that monitor +psu how much extra would I be paying on the whole build ?

It would be £888.82 for everything (280X + monitor etc) with the OEM processor. And £894.82 for everything with the Retail processor.

YOUR BASKET
1 x Asus Radeon R 280X DirectCUII TOP & Asus VN247H 24" Slim Bezel LED Monitor with FREE 650W GOLD PSU £399.94
1 x Intel Core i5-4690K 3.50GHz (Devil's Canyon) Socket LGA1150 Processor - OEM £161.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-Bit DVD - OEM (WN7-00614) £74.99
1 x MSI Z97 PC Mate Intel Z97 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £64.99
1 x TeamGroup Vulcan ORANGE 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-19200C11 2400MHz Dual Channel Kit (TLAD38G2400HC11CDC01) £55.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £44.99
1 x Zalman Z3-Plus Midi-Tower - Black £39.95
1 x Deepcool GAMMAXX S40 CPU-Cooler - 120mm £19.99
1 x OcUK 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £10.99
Total : £888.82 (includes shipping : £12.50).

YOUR BASKET
1 x Asus Radeon R 280X DirectCUII TOP & Asus VN247H 24" Slim Bezel LED Monitor with FREE 650W GOLD PSU £399.94
1 x Intel Core i5-4690K 3.50GHz (Devil's Canyon) Socket LGA1150 Processor - Retail £167.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-Bit DVD - OEM (WN7-00614) £74.99
1 x MSI Z97 PC Mate Intel Z97 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £64.99
1 x TeamGroup Vulcan ORANGE 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-19200C11 2400MHz Dual Channel Kit (TLAD38G2400HC11CDC01) £55.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £44.99
1 x Zalman Z3-Plus Midi-Tower - Black £39.95
1 x Deepcool GAMMAXX S40 CPU-Cooler - 120mm £19.99
1 x OcUK 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £10.99
Total : £894.82 (includes shipping : £12.50).

Naxxy428 · 9 Jul 2014 at 17:14

I dont think i can get the Monitor, I dont have the extra £200.

Just need to find some different RAM so i can order it all lol