help with a gaming rig, slightly out of touch

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hey guys, so i was a member here some time back but seems ive been away from the pc game to many years and as a result i have lost my profile!! i think 6/7 years at least!!

i apologize for the long thread, i always seem to like to explain my self well!


any how the last time i built a pc is my current one that has a Q6600,7900gtx and 4gb ram!!
i don't do much gaming as such but now ive got rid of my xbox and the ps4 and xb1 is not appealing to me, not to mention that the next gen consoles seems to be a bit of a flop in regards to game line ups and running slow frame rate and low res looking just like the last gen stuff to me. so ive decided to break into the pc world again and upgrade to a better socket and something i can play most game 100%

so i have a nice fast laptop does the usual stuff very well.
but clearly not the best when it comes to playing games, and the pc is in the kids bedroom for general games and home work and internet

so, on a trek across the internet and oc forums trying to get my self up to date with what's new and what the prices are, what's going to be a good compromise between cost vs performance, i've come to the conclusion that the gigabyte Z77-D3H is a good start, so i have based my build on this, so much so i just received my one in the post today!

so.. budget... well theres not an immediate upper limit of such, as im not going to go out and buy it all at once as i have other commitments

i can afford £150 a month to fund my build. but can make allowances to buy something needed like a decent graphics card.

i don't really want to spend more than £6/700 altho i am prepared to spend more (and can self my self doing so) but i can at a later date add a graphics card or ram etc

i'm very likely to buy stuff second hand stuff just because i think that will mean i can get the best item for the least outlay. so altho ive read lots of posts a lot of it is going over my head, just because i'm not up to date with the model numbers and what's best.
so going to hopefully just break down what's needed and ask questions and please tell me if i need some thing else.

motherboard as above. gigabyte Z77-D3H

ssd/hdd well i have a 500gb hdd, and did have a ssd 8gb somewhere, i presume this is how people are running systems? other than a hybrid drive

ram,
do i need more than 8gb? i notice most builds here just note 2x4gb ram, if i do start with this i could duplicate this later on to have 16gb, but again, would i really need that much ram?

cpu.....
now this is where im stuck. do i go i5 to keep the budget low, or leave this item till last a. so prices are lower in 3/4 months and b. so at least i can just save money in between to then buy a better cpu maybe a i7 3770k (think thats the better one?):confused:

graphics card
so yer this is where i'm stuck, boggles me really. and the titan.......wow....
do i go dual cards? do i go for a multi gpu board unit? im a bit lost here, theres so much conflicting opinions on which seems to be a good card sub £200, apart from the cpu i think this is where id like to spend some money to ensure its future proof for some time,
i wouldn't mind running dual cards as ill be running two dell 20" monitors. as i already have one. and i really like its picture, even on a 7900gtx

psu
ive not decided in the power, as i have no idea what im going to need based on the gpu/s etc

optical
blu ray and or dvd drives. will research that when time comes as i have two dvd rw's that will do for the moment

cooling...
well, i've read some reviews as see the h100 is pretty good. but means i need a case that will accept a 240x120 rad. altho i'm not worried if i have to cut the top of the case and mount the rad up top. but seriously considering full water cooling in the future, altho i doubt i'm going to need it for what ill use it for!! .....or do i just stick with a air cooler for now?

case
finding it hard to find one that will accept a top mounted rad.
one i did find is called a "defender gamer atx"
or coo;er master 690.


Peripherals
well i have a dell keyboard i really like, and will get a mouse when time comes.

sound
have a sound blaster card with a creative 7.1 surround system but this MB has optical out so might run that to something a bit newer and better

so have i missed any thing? whats about that will do the job as a mid gaming machine? like i say im not fussed about buying stuff new, and don't mind buying items maybe last gen but still keeps up with the latest games..



thank you very much for reading and hope you can suggest some things or what way i should go with the cpu/gpu/ram :cool:
 
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Hi and welcome.

What's the screen resolution on those monitors? As that will impact how much GPU power you need. 20" is quite small so you might prefer flogging them and getting a single 24-30" monitor.

Also big factor I don't think you mentioned - what kind of games do you like to play?

Edit: actually just got the tape measure out and 20" isn't as small as I thought. Probably full HD?
 
er, wow now your asking as its sitting at my dads, current rig is running via a 32" full hd tv. which it may stay that way. pc says res is 1368x768 i belive this is the max the 7900 can put out.
ok just found out its this one
(incase link is removed)
Diagonal Size 20.1 in
Viewable Size 20.1 in
Built-in Devices USB hub
Aspect Ratio 16:10
Native Resolution 1680 x 1050 at 60 Hz
Pixel Pitch 0.258 mm
Brightness 300 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio 600:1
Color Support 16.7 million colors
Response Time 12 ms
Vertical Refresh Rate 75 Hz
Horizontal Refresh Rate 83 kHz
Video Bandwidth 146 MHz
Horizontal Viewing Angle +88 / -88
Vertical Viewing Angle +88 / -88
Screen Coating hard coating
Controls & Adjustments Brightness, contrast, H/V position, sharpness, color balance, saturation, zoom, phase, clock
OSD Languages English
Features picture in picture
Dimensions (WxDxH) 18.6 in x 9 in x 15.3 in
Weight 17.6 lbs
ManufacturerDell, Inc.

http://www.cnet.com/uk/products/dell-2005fpw/specs/


as for games. will be ghosts, watch dogs, nfs rivals, f1 2013/14 when it comes out, latest release of grid
 
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I hope you got a good deal on that Z77 board :)

I would say 8GB Ram is fine for gaming at the moment.

You want to be looking for a 2nd hand cpu, as Ivybridge Z77 is now a dead socket. An i5 3570K or i7 3770K are the two to look out for. If you are just gaming then the i5 is fine.

You say you had an 8GB SSD ? hmm that doesn't sound right :confused:

There are quite a few cases that accept the H100i so that shouldn't be an issue. Some might require minor mods.

For a single card setup then 550W is usually enough. The board you bought is (x16 x4) Ideally you want (x16 x8) Crossfire will still work, but at slightly lower speeds.

A mid range card would be something like the R9 280/X.
 
Just going to wade in with a quick comment. :).

I wouldn't suggest a H100i on that budget, for around half the price you can get a decent high end air cooler.

The D14 & K2 are the top with the megahalems a great choice too.

Or if you just want a decent overclock. The Matterhorn pure, 212, 412s and themis EVO are around £30. All great units.

This then gives you more case options.
 
Sorry i ment 80gb ssd.
I hear what your saying about the h100 but a s/h one are £60 altho im looking at watercooling kits from usa

As for a case i thive ive settled on a cooler master

Cpu yes 3770k i7. But ill take a look at the 3750k i5.

So am i best going for a "slower card" and buy a second one the next month. Or just buy a better single card?
Or even do the latter and buy a second good card to run later on. Just looking to get a good setup first time
Which is why i regestered again as you guys helped me last time!

Psu yes looking at at least 700w id guess. Defently modular.

Also am i best basing my desions on reviews from multible sources and coming to an informed decision or maybe double check by posting here?

Lastly. Paid £45 posted for the board. Basicly brand new
 
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