Help with decisions/spec/build to get me into the 21st century please!

So - how does this look gents:

Only stuff I've changed is shown below the dotted line at the foot of the spec.

Is the value case and PSU really that bad for cooling and power supply? Any other slightly better spec case and PSU combos that aren't too expensive?
Not overly keen on a case with loads of clear bits.....

2nd 1TB HDD ok - or should I spec up?
Added a card reader also. :D

Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor £164.99
Asrock Z68 PRO3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £105.98
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) £39.98
Sony Optiarc AD-5260S 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £15.98
-----
OCUK EZCool NA-705 Case - Black (500w PSU) £24.98
OcUK Internal 3.5" Card Reader - Black
Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (HD103SJ) £40.99
Total: £529.39
 
The case and PSU are very poor, the coolermaster elite430 bundle should be the minimum.

Whats the extra HDD for? extra storage? so you have a C: and a D: drive.
 
Yeh, would like an additional drive to store photos, movies and music.... and one for OS, docs and apps.

Elite430 will be really pushing my budget.... :( ...... are there any other options (and more plain looking too)....?

I know I can't have everything..... it's that bloody Microsoft and the OS that's putting a serious dent in my budget and spec... :mad:
 
The harddrive thing is fine, but how about selecting the 500GB drive in the win7 bundle to allow you to get the case and psu?

So C: is 500GB, D: is 1TB
 
Yeh, I guess I could do - but the 500MB drive is only £15 difference... so for that its silly not to go for 1TB.... hmmmmmm.....
 
Gents, as this is going to be pushing my budget – (if I go for the decent case and PSU), do you think I should consider speccing down to maybe an H67 board (forget about Ocing capability) and go for something like an i5 5300??

Any other considerations for a decent spec build around the £500 mark?
 
Seems like false economy to try to downgrade to an H67 board and i2300…..

So if I keep my budget and spec as is……. but just need a different case and PSU that isn’t see-through and a bit more descreet – could I ask for one final recommendation from you guys please?
 
Thanks Stulid - understood, just wondering what the features are and whether I should pay the extra fiver for it..... it's the mAXT as well I guess so smaller...
 
Well...I think I'm nearly there.... totally blowing my budget though..... any ideas on changes to this to save a few £££ would be appreciated:

Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor £164.99
Asrock Z68 PRO3 Intel Z68 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £105.98
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
Western Digital Caviar Green 2TB SATA-II 64MB Cache - OEM (WD20EARS) £58.99
Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMX4GX3M2A1600C9) £39.98
Corsair Builder Series CX 430W ATX Power Supply (CMPSU-430CXUK) £35.99
Xigmatek Asgard Midi Tower Case - Black £29.60
Sony Optiarc AD-5260S 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £15.98
OcUK Internal 3.5" Card Reader - Black £4.99

£588.90 with delviery and VAT
 
The 500GB drive option:p

And you now have 2TB!!! what the!!!!!!!

The Elite case430 is so worth the extra £5 over that Asgard
 
stulid said:
The 500GB drive option:p

And you now have 2TB!!! what the!!!!!!!

The Elite case430 is so worth the extra £5 over that Asgard
Click to expand...

You can never have enough HDD space... :D ... If the windows bundle gave me an option for 2TB (which it doesn't .. :confused:), I would have added some more... ;)

So you think think the cooler master PSU combo is the way forward for this set up? Similarly would the gigabyte mobo be worth it for an extra £5? While I'm here blowing the budget.... might as well make it an even £600 and be done with it....!!! :rolleyes: ;)
 
The case is certainly worth it.

The PSU is at the bottom away from the "hot zone" and it makes cabling easier if they are at the bottom.

Its built better too, thicker metal

the CX430 despite having a lower wattage is better than the PSU supplied with the case+PSU bundle.
 
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