Help with new build

Monkey00

Monkey00

Monkey00

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19 Jul 2012
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385
Hello there gentlemen, I'm currently looking to build a new computer for the incoming Battlefield 1 and a few other games. I've not built a computer for about 4 years and this leads to my dilemma, do I build myself or do I buy a pre-built one. My budget is around 1200-1600 and that would have to include an OS. I've never spent anywhere near this much on a computer and I'd be worried about something going wrong, would I realistically be gaining a great deal of power by building myself or is the security of buying pre-built worth it?

Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated, thanks.
 
Monkey00 said:
Hello there gentlemen, I'm currently looking to build a new computer for the incoming Battlefield 1
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Then I suggest you wait until BF1 is actually out so you know what to buy. OTOH if the other games mean you need to buy now, will you need a monitor and if not, at what resolution do you currently play? Also, are there any other factors we should consider, like size and noise?
 
I thought with the new cards coming out relatively soon there'd be a level of future proofing possible at this point. I'm currently playing at 1080, if I could run at 4k it would be nice but the monitor would be something foe the future. I don't have an issue with size, plenty of room. Noise isn't a huge issue either as I'm an avid headphone user. I don't need to buy immediately but my current build is starting to get a bit tired, I can't run newer games maxed out like Overwatch etc. If it's worth me waiting closer to release then I'll definitely do that. Thanks for the response.
 
Apparently if you shoot OCUK a webnote when you order they can build a system for you from your basket of parts, I know they charge for this but think its only about £70... Others may be able to tell you more acurately.

That said you should be easily able to get a system capable of playing BF1 and other games for your budget considering you don't need a monitor yet.
 
It's a tricky, but exciting, time to be buying / building a gaming rig because there's lots of new graphics cards just released or about to be released, so things are a bit all over the place with prices and stock etc. Also some good deals on older cards. It all depends if you're sticking with 1080p or have plans for 1440p or 4k. Unless you want to snap up an older card at discount, I'd wait and see what's what once all the new cards have been released, reviewed and prices stabilised, then decide what suits you best.

As for self build, go for it, especially if you've done it before. A pre-built system will usually be a little more expensive for the same spec than if you pre-build. Plus if you self-build you get exactly what you want. As long as you're careful and methodical nothing can really go wrong - nearly everything fits into unique slots and sockets. All the items are covered by manufacturer warranty and OCUK's returns policy. Plus it's a nice feeling to get everything put together and working and know it's all your own work.
 
Vidar said:
Apparently if you shoot OCUK a webnote when you order they can build a system for you from your basket of parts, I know they charge for this but think its only about £70... Others may be able to tell you more acurately.
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They quote individually for each build. Only ordered a built system once for a family member who was too far away but the build fee was a very pleasant surprise.
 
Thanks guys, I think I'll wait a little and check out the new cards and then look at what I can get. I'll probably give OC a call as well to see how much the build would cost.
 
I have little knowledge of current good buy parts but I if you treat yourself to a bit of PC building youtubing you can almost certainly build it yourself. It's kind of like adult really cool lego! Connect everything up and away you go.
 
Hi guys, I'm a bit closer to deciding, just a brief one to run by what I'm thinking of getting.

Z170X Gaming 7 - Skylake Core i7 6700K CPU & Motherboard Bundle - 456.97

Dominator Platinum 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 PC4-25600C16 3200MHz Dual Channel Kit - 99.95

Builder Series CX 750W Modular '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply - 79.99

500GB 850 EVO SSD 2.5" SATA 6Gbps 32 Layer 3D V-NAND Solid State Drive - 129.95

2TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache HDD - OEM - 55.99

CM Storm Trooper Full Tower Gaming Windowed Case - Black - 144.95

So, that's where I'm at, this leaves me around £600 for a graphics card which will be one of the next set of 1080s that are released soon. (They seem to be a similar price as the "Founder's Edition" cards with slightly better clock speeds, although I'm not 100% sure on this).

Would this require water cooling or can I go air cooled? There will be no overclocking or anything it will just be all stock and remain as it is.

Is anything here overkill or is anything going to bottle neck aspects of the system?

Would it be better to wait for a monitor until the 4k ones go above 60Hz or is that fine?

Also, if there's anything I've missed or that you guys know will be important it'd be much appreciated if you could give me a nudge in the right direction.

Thanks again for any help or info.
 
 
Haha, maybe I will, but I do like the black on black on black sort off thing :p

Would a mid size case be big enough? I believe my current one is mid and it was a real tight squeeze when I came to put my last build together and I don't want to run into similar problems.

Also, I've heard terrible things about Windows 10, should I just stick with 7?
 
Win10 is great, fast, easy to use, has all the latest wizz bang stuff such as DX12 (no idea if that is available on Win7).

Have a look at the dimensions of those Phantek cases (or indeed watch a video on youtube) to gain an appreciation to their size.
 
Monkey00 said:
Haha, maybe I will, but I do like the black on black on black sort off thing :p

Would a mid size case be big enough? I believe my current one is mid and it was a real tight squeeze when I came to put my last build together and I don't want to run into similar problems.

Also, I've heard terrible things about Windows 10, should I just stick with 7?
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"Terrible"?

Win 10 does have some privacy issues, but the vast majority of these can be switched off by spending a few minutes in Settings.

Other than that Win 10 is very stable and fast. It also has DX12 too, which there will be more and more games supporting moving forwards.

As for midi cases, most of these are pretty roomy, although it varies of course. For example, I find the Fractal Design R5 has heaps of room. A lot of the full tower cases are a bit of a throwback to when people had a lot of HDDs and optical drives. With the advent of SSDs, very large capacity HDDs and the general demise of optical drives, there's a lot less need for huge HDD cages and a tower full of redundant 5.25" bays.
 
lee32uk said:
Don't buy a Corsair CX for a system like that.
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What makes you say that? I'm really out of the loop on components at the moment.

I think I may have merged some of the opinions I've heard on Windows 10 with those of Windows 8 to be honest. So I'll make the jump.

I think I'm happy with the build as it stands but I might come back to confirm once all the new 1080 cards come out. That's at the end of this month right?
 
Monkey00 said:
What makes you say that? I'm really out of the loop on components at the moment.

I think I may have merged some of the opinions I've heard on Windows 10 with those of Windows 8 to be honest. So I'll make the jump.

I think I'm happy with the build as it stands but I might come back to confirm once all the new 1080 cards come out. That's at the end of this month right?
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The quality isn't good enough for a high end build.

If you want something around the same sort of price the XFX XTR is £10 more for a far better Seasonic made unit. Fully modular with hybrid fan mode.


My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £100.49
(includes shipping: £10.50)
​


​
 
Ahh okay, would it be worth spending a bit more to figure roof in case I want to SLI? I wouldn't want to feel that for the sake of an extra £50 I could have been in a better position in a hear or so.
 
Monkey00 said:
Ahh okay, would it be worth spending a bit more to figure roof in case I want to SLI? I wouldn't want to feel that for the sake of an extra £50 I could have been in a better position in a hear or so.
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You are fine with 750W for SLI. There are better units than the XFX of course (EVGA G2, SuperFlower Leadex, Corsair RMx/RMi) but they cost more money.

The XFX XTR is based off the Seasonic G series which is a good psu.
 
lee32uk said:
You are fine with 750W for SLI. There are better units than the XFX of course (EVGA G2, SuperFlower Leadex, Corsair RMx/RMi) but they cost more money.

The XFX XTR is based off the Seasonic G series which is a good psu.
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Thanks for the info, might look into some of the others.

When I'm looking for a 1080 are there any companies to avoid or any that I should be looking at getting?
 
Monkey00 said:
Thanks for the info, might look into some of the others.

When I'm looking for a 1080 are there any companies to avoid or any that I should be looking at getting?
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I don't think there are any that you need to avoid as such. Brands like Gigabyte, Asus, MSI and EVGA are all solid choices.
Zotac have one of the longest warranties at 5 years but I don't know how good the RMA is with them.
 
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