Help specifying a new gaming machine

xyphic

xyphic

xyphic

Associate
Joined
11 Nov 2003
Posts
1,696
Location
South Yorkshire
Hi all,

I have a thread over in the "OcUK Full Systems & Bundles" section regarding a new gaming machine: http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18705829. I'm also willing to do a self-build (have done them in the past) but I'm about a decade behind the times regarding what to get. So I thought I'd give you fine chaps of GH the chance to pull me kicking and screaming into the 2010s.

I haven't been gaming seriously for a while, and though I have a laptop that's vaguely capable it's getting a little long-in-the-tooth and I don't stand a chance of playing some of the more taxing games that are out now, or that will be coming out in the next year or two. I'm looking to get back into gaming as a way of de-stressing, and I'd like this build to (ideally) be good for a few years and be capable of driving a VR setup. I'm not bothered about 4K, but I might consider a 1440p monitor down the line.

I already have a 1080p monitor that I'm happy with, so my build doesn't need that. I also don't need mouse, keyboard, etc. and not bothered about a DVD drive. The PC will be going in the living room so quieter is better. It's going to be out of sight so looks aren't massively important (though my OCD will be satisfied if colours vaguely match!).

I don't do anything computationally taxing (no image/video editing) so I can live with a slightly lower spec on the CPU. I have a retail copy of Windows 7 that I plan to port over (and upgrade to Windows 10) so I don't need an OS.

My budget is anywhere between £1000 and £1500, though being a northerner if you can help drive toward the lower end without too many sacrifices, I'm not going to complain!

Here's my starter for 10. No CPU cooler yet as I'm not sure whether to go for air or water cooling.

My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £1,351.59
(includes shipping: £14.70)
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Any suggestions on what to add/remove/change welcome, or if I've stuffed up in terms of what will fit. Thanks!
 
Hi

Here are a few cheaper components.

My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £692.03
(includes shipping: £11.10)
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You won't notice any real world difference between the 3200MHz and 2400MHz when gaming.

The EVGA G2 is built by SuperFlower and is based on the Leadex. You get a 10 year warranty when you register it.

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=380

The Zotac card also has a 5 year warranty after registration.

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zotac/GeForce_GTX_980_Ti_Amp_Edition/


If you want a water cooler then I would go with the Corsair H110i GT. If you are not doing any high overclocks, then you probably won't need that much cooling power, so something like the Alpenfohn Matterhorn Black would be fine.
 
Not a lot wrong with any of that to be honest.

The only thing I'd change is the power supply. This one is made by Superflower to their usual high standards yet has ridiculous 10yr warranty and is quite a bit cheaper'

My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £95.45
(includes shipping: £10.50)
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The case choice is a bit more subjective - to be honest if you like that one then it'll certainly have the space for all your gear. It's a large case too at 567mm tall

For a similar price you could get the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv. Arguably better looking, not quite as huge and plenty of space too.

My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £131.69
(includes shipping: £11.70)
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As I already said though, if you like the case you've chosen then go for it.
 
I'm not too bothered about watercooling -- the only reason I'd go for it is if I can get a decent noise reduction, but I suspect that I'd need to watercool the whole thing for that (pointless reducing the noise of the CPU fan if everything else is whirring away...). Similarly, no preferences on the case as it'll be hidden away.

So with all that said, an updated basket based on the recommendations so far and with the addition of a second HDD which I'd missed off:

My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £1,338.53
(includes shipping: £14.70)
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All bits arrived this morning -- CPU box slightly squashed, but only superficial damage. Haribo present, correct and now in my belly. Spent most of the evening oscillating between fitting bits and looking after little one who's suffering with a nasty cold.

Been a while since I built my own PC, so I was quite surprised at how big the GPU is, and how big the CPU heatsink is! Also how much easier it is to install stuff into the case. Got everything hooked up this evening, turned it on (suitable appendages all crossed) and... it powered on! Nothing on the monitor though, which was scary but turned out to be that I'd got HDMI selected but plugged in via DVI. Duh. Once the screen was working, took a look around the BIOS (a bit more fully featured than I'm used to!), noted temps of ~30 C which I'd say are pretty good.

Everything looks solid, so got Windows installed, but then realised what I'd forgotten -- the internet! Powerline LAN broke recently, so no hardline and no wireless card! Thankfully my dad had a USB dongle, so a quick trip later and I'm downloading drivers. Just about got everything installed now, temperatures are ~22 C at idle, topping out at ~55 with Prime 95 running a torture test. Pretty sure those are okay, will retest when the case is closed.

Now installing 3D Mark, ready to test the GPU...
 
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