Help on a gaming build

ThatCluelessGuy · 14 May 2011 at 20:50

Hello,

I've been reading these forums for a few days now and I've learnt quite a lot, and there also seem to be a lot of helpful people

not people who will chase me with pitch forks because I don't know as much about computers as them :rolleyes:

I have about £1600 to spend on a gaming PC, I also need a monitor included in that price. This will be my first time building a PC myself and I have only basic knowledge on computers, so any help choosing the best components for this price range would be much appreciated.

Also a question,
will I need anything extra for the parts, such as extra cables etc or is it safe to assume all that is included?

Thanks.

stulid · 14 May 2011 at 20:57

Your basketProduct Name Qty Price Line Total
MSI GeForce GTX 570 OC Twin FrozR III Power Edition 1280MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £259.99
(£216.66) £519.98
(£433.32)
Iiyama ProLite E2710HDS 27" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Black £259.99
(£216.66) £259.99
(£216.66)
Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor with FREE Operation Flashpoint Red River Game £155.99
(£129.99) £155.99
(£129.99)
OCZ ZX Series 1000W '80 Plus Gold Certified' Modular Power Supply £149.99
(£124.99) £149.99
(£124.99)
MSI P67A-GD65 Intel P67 (socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard - (Sandybridge) ** B3 REVISION ** £132.00
(£110.00) £132.00
(£110.00)
Coolermaster HAF X Gaming Tower Case - Black (RC-942) £129.98
(£108.32) £129.98
(£108.32)
OCZ Vertex 60GB 2.5" SATA-II Solid State Hard Drive (OCZSSD2-1VTX60G) £73.99
(£61.66) £73.99
(£61.66)
Microsoft Windows 7 Bundle - Home Premium 64 Bit £68.40
(£57.00) £68.40
(£57.00)
Options applied to the above product:
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (WD5000AAKX) £32.99
(£27.49) £32.99
(£27.49)
Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMX4GX3M2A1600C9) £35.99
(£29.99) £35.99
(£29.99)
Gelid Tranquillo CPU Cooler (Socket 754/939/940/AM2/AM2+/AM3/LGA775/LGA1155/LGA1156/LGA1366) £25.99
(£21.66) £25.99
(£21.66)
Sony Optiarc AD-5260S 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £15.98
(£13.32) £15.98
(£13.32)
Sub Total : £1,334.40
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £22.20
VAT is being charged at 20.00% VAT : £271.32
Total : £1,627.92

• Included a operating system, you said its your first so might not have one.
• Two GXT570 in SLI

hybrid572 · 14 May 2011 at 20:58

£1600 is a pretty big budget- you can get extra nice bits in there for that price, like 3D or multiscreen/eyefinity. Anything you fancy there, or would you prefer to pocket a few hundred?

The obvious choices are the i5 2500K, an aftermarket cooler like the 212+, a good s1155 motherboard, a nice Corsair PSU, and the case of your choice.

KiiYzOo · 14 May 2011 at 20:58

MSI GeForce GTX 580 OC Twin FrozR II 1536MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £379.99
(£316.66) £379.99
(£316.66)
OCZ Agility 3 120GB 2.5" SATA-3 Solid State Hard Drive ** PRE ORDER PRICE ** (AGT3-25SAT3-120G) £194.99
(£162.49) £194.99
(£162.49)
LG W2363D 23" TRUE 120Hz 3D Widescreen LCD Monitor - Black £167.99
(£139.99) £167.99
(£139.99)
Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor with FREE Operation Flashpoint Red River Game £155.99
(£129.99) £155.99
(£129.99)
Silverstone RV02W-EW Raven 2 Evolution Windowed Case - White £155.99
(£129.99) £155.99
(£129.99)
MSI P67A-GD65 Intel P67 (socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard - (Sandybridge) ** B3 REVISION ** £132.00
(£110.00) £132.00
(£110.00)
Coolermaster Silent Pro Modular 850W Power Supply £109.99
(£91.66) £109.99
(£91.66)
G.Skill RipJawsX 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL ) £74.39
(£61.99) £74.39
(£61.99)
Microsoft Windows 7 Bundle - Home Premium 64 Bit £68.40
(£57.00) £68.40
(£57.00)
Options applied to the above product:
Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 32MB Cache WD10EALX - OEM £48.98
(£40.82) £48.98
(£40.82)
Antec Kúhler H2O 620 CPU Watercooler (Socket Intel LGA 775 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366 / AMD AM2 / AM3 / AM2+ / AM3+) £49.99
(£41.66) £49.99
(£41.66)
Sony Optiarc AD-5260S 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £15.98
(£13.32) £15.98
(£13.32)
Sub Total : £1,295.57
Shipping cost based on delivery to paypal address, EH31 2DX with:
FREE SHIPPING (DPD Next Day)
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : FREE
VAT is being charged at 20.00% VAT : £259.11
Total : £1,554.68

stulid · 14 May 2011 at 21:04

^
No optical drive?

KiiYzOo · 14 May 2011 at 21:04

yeah I keep forgetting things

ThatCluelessGuy · 14 May 2011 at 22:45

Thanks for the help, much appreciated.

sk82jack · 14 May 2011 at 23:10

Here's another option:

sapphire ati radeon hd 6990 4096mb gddr5 pci-express graphics card £515.99

benq ew2420 24" widescreen led monitor - black £179.99

zalman zm1000-hp plus heatpipe cooled 1000w modular power supply £178.99

intel core i5-2500k 3.30ghz (sandybridge) socket lga1155 processor with free operation flashpoint red river game £155.99

msi p67a-gd65 intel p67 (socket 1155) ddr3 motherboard - (sandybridge) ** b3 revision ** £132.00

coolermaster haf x gaming tower case - black (rc-942) £129.98

ocz vertex 2e 60gb 2.5" sata-ii solid state hard drive (oczssd2-2vtxe60g) £89.99

microsoft windows 7 bundle - home premium 64 bit £68.40

options applied to the above product:
western digital caviar blue 1tb sata 6gb/s 32mb cache wd10ealx - oem £48.98
corsair xms3 4gb (2x2gb) ddr3 pc3-12800c9 1600mhz dual channel kit (cmx4gx3m2a1600c9) £35.99

corsair a50 high-performance cpu cooler (socket am2/am3/lga775/lga1155/lga1156/lga1366) £27.98

sony optiarc ad-5260s 24x dvd±rw sata rewriter (black) - oem £15.98

total : £1,606.91 (includes shipping : £22.20)

similar to stulid's but i downed the screen size and upped the graphics card.

here are some benchmarks of the 6990:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Powercolor/Radeon_HD_6990_CrossFire/18.html
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-components/graphics-cards/amd-radeon-hd-6990-934022/review?artc_pg=3

stulid · 14 May 2011 at 23:28

I was bored so had another go

Your basketProduct Name Qty Price Line Total
Gainward GeForce GTX 580 "GOOD Edition" 1536MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £347.99
(£289.99) £695.98
(£579.98)
BenQ G2420HDBL 24" Widescreen LED Monitor - Black £179.99
(£149.99) £179.99
(£149.99)
Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor with FREE Operation Flashpoint Red River Game £155.99
(£129.99) £155.99
(£129.99)
Antec High Current Gamer 900W Quad Rail Power Supply £116.99
(£97.49) £116.99
(£97.49)
MSI P67A-GD53 Intel P67 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard - (Sandybridge) ** B3 REVISION ** £109.99
(£91.66) £109.99
(£91.66)
Fractal Design Define XL Full Tower Case - Black Pearl £84.98
(£70.82) £84.98
(£70.82)
OCZ Vertex 60GB 2.5" SATA-II Solid State Hard Drive (OCZSSD2-1VTX60G) £73.99
(£61.66) £73.99
(£61.66)
Microsoft Windows 7 Bundle - Home Premium 64 Bit £68.40
(£57.00) £68.40
(£57.00)
Options applied to the above product:
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (WD5000AAKX) £32.99
(£27.49) £32.99
(£27.49)
Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMX4GX3M2A1600C9) £35.99
(£29.99) £35.99
(£29.99)
Gelid Tranquillo CPU Cooler (Socket 754/939/940/AM2/AM2+/AM3/LGA775/LGA1155/LGA1156/LGA1366) £25.99
(£21.66) £25.99
(£21.66)
Sony Optiarc AD-5260S 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £15.98
(£13.32) £15.98
(£13.32)
Sub Total : £1,331.05
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £22.20
VAT is being charged at 20.00% VAT : £270.65
Total : £1,623.90

GTX580 SLI beats 6990 easily,

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/geforce-gtx-580-sli_7.html#sect1
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/03/07/amd_radeon_hd_6990_antilles_video_card_review/1

sk82jack · 14 May 2011 at 23:34

stulid said:
GTX580 SLI beats 6990 easily,

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/geforce-gtx-580-sli_7.html#sect1
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/03/07/amd_radeon_hd_6990_antilles_video_card_review/1

You don't like being beaten do you

lol

ThatCluelessGuy · 14 May 2011 at 23:41

Thanks guys I'm loving the options, I'm currently finding it hard to choose myself and am doing a lot of research, would SLI gtx 580s be the way to go? It would also be more futureproof correct?

stulid · 14 May 2011 at 23:45

ThatCluelessGuy said:
It would also be more futureproof correct?

Certainly the fastest.

Pohly · 14 May 2011 at 23:45

Gainward GeForce GTX 580 "GOOD Edition" 1536MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card Gainward GeForce GTX 580 "GOOD Edition" 1536MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £347.99
(£289.99) £695.98
(£579.98)
Asus VE247H 24" Widescreen LED Multimedia Monitor - Black Asus VE247H 24" Widescreen LED Multimedia Monitor - Black £164.99
(£137.49) £164.99
(£137.49)
Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor with FREE Operation Flashpoint Red River Game Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor with FREE Operation Flashpoint Red River Game £155.99
(£129.99) £155.99
(£129.99)
MSI P67A-GD65 Intel P67 (socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard - (Sandybridge) ** B3 REVISION ** MSI P67A-GD65 Intel P67 (socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard - (Sandybridge) ** B3 REVISION ** £132.00
(£110.00) £132.00
(£110.00)
Coolermaster Silent Pro Modular 1000W Power Supply Coolermaster Silent Pro Modular 1000W Power Supply £124.99
(£104.16) £124.99
(£104.16)
OCZ Vertex 60GB 2.5" SATA-II Solid State Hard Drive (OCZSSD2-1VTX60G) OCZ Vertex 60GB 2.5" SATA-II Solid State Hard Drive (OCZSSD2-1VTX60G) £73.99
(£61.66) £73.99
(£61.66)
Microsoft Windows 7 Bundle - Home Premium 64 Bit Microsoft Windows 7 Bundle - Home Premium 64 Bit £68.40
(£57.00) £68.40
(£57.00)
Options applied to the above product:
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (WD5000AAKX) £32.99
(£27.49) £32.99
(£27.49)
Coolermaster CM-690 II Lite Dominator Case - Black Coolermaster CM-690 II Lite Dominator Case - Black £59.99
(£49.99) £59.99
(£49.99)
Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMX4GX3M2A1600C9) Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMX4GX3M2A1600C9) £35.99
(£29.99) £35.99
(£29.99)
Corsair A50 High-Performance CPU Cooler (Socket AM2/AM3/LGA775/LGA1155/LGA1156/LGA1366) Corsair A50 High-Performance CPU Cooler (Socket AM2/AM3/LGA775/LGA1155/LGA1156/LGA1366) £27.98
(£23.32) £27.98
(£23.32)
Sony Optiarc AD-5260S 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM Sony Optiarc AD-5260S 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £15.98
(£13.32) £15.98
(£13.32)
Sub Total : £1,324.39
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £22.20
VAT is being charged at 20.00% VAT : £269.32
Total : £1,615.91

sk82jack · 14 May 2011 at 23:50

ThatCluelessGuy said:
Thanks guys I'm loving the options, I'm currently finding it hard to choose myself and am doing a lot of research, would SLI gtx 580s be the way to go? It would also be more futureproof correct?

Depends what you mean by 'futureproof'.

Some would argue that 580 SLI would be more futureproof because they are definitely faster and so will handle bigger and better games than a 6990, and therefore will last you longer into the future.

Others could argue that the 6990 would be more futureproof because it is more than enough for any game on the market currently at multiple screens, let alone a single screen, and then when the time comes when games get demanding even for a 6990, you could buy a cheap second hand one, and boost the performance for the cost of a single second-hand card rather than a brand new top-of-the-range more expensive card at the time.

stulid · 15 May 2011 at 00:00

Many would say four way crossfire looks a waste,

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Powercolor/Radeon_HD_6990_CrossFire/18.html

ThatCluelessGuy · 15 May 2011 at 00:00

sk82jack said:
Depends what you mean by 'futureproof'.

Some would argue that 580 SLI would be more futureproof because they are definitely faster and so will handle bigger and better games than a 6990, and therefore will last you longer into the future.

Others could argue that the 6990 would be more futureproof because it is more than enough for any game on the market currently at multiple screens, let alone a single screen, and then when the time comes when games get demanding even for a 6990, you could buy a cheap second hand one, and boost the performance for the cost of a single second-hand card rather than a brand new top-of-the-range more expensive card at the time.

Very true, I probably used the phrase "futureproof" too loosely there, thanks for more options to consider, this is a good learning experience. I'm finding it difficult to chose :confused:

hybrid572 · 15 May 2011 at 07:03

sk82jack said:
Depends what you mean by 'futureproof'.

Some would argue that 580 SLI would be more futureproof because they are definitely faster and so will handle bigger and better games than a 6990, and therefore will last you longer into the future.

Others could argue that the 6990 would be more futureproof because it is more than enough for any game on the market currently at multiple screens, let alone a single screen, and then when the time comes when games get demanding even for a 6990, you could buy a cheap second hand one, and boost the performance for the cost of a single second-hand card rather than a brand new top-of-the-range more expensive card at the time.

I, on the other hand, would argue that futureproofing is dumb and wasteful.

If you went out and bought a 6950 2GB and flashed it to a 6970, you could happily (more or less) max out games for 3-4 years on a single 1900x screen for just £192. A 6990 is £540, and you'd be lucky to get another 2 years out of it, for a total of 5-6 years.

For very little more, you could get a 6950 2GB now and put £400 in the bank, so you can afford to buy a new £200 card in 3 years when your current one becomes obsolete, and another one another 3 years down the line. £200 3 years ago would have gotten you a GTX 260, and you'd be feeling a fool now SLIing two of those when you could have just gotten one, and bought a 6950 2GB or 560Ti to replace it today.