Mid/High Computer Build (First time)

RFox

RFox

RFox

Associate
Joined
12 Aug 2011
Posts
11
Hey everyone,

Okay ill give a bit of background info first. I will be going to university in a month or so (results permitting) and would like to get a new PC for that. I will be using it for gaming (SC2, CoD4,) , trading (teaching myself hedgebetting) and of course the normal "office" applications for coursework.


I am looking for it to last me 2-3 years with minimal upgrades due to student budget and my current budget for this build is around £1000 +- 100

I have done a lot of research all over the interwebs and this is the build I have come up with.

i5Build.jpg


Just wondering on everyone's opinions, this is the first time of making a custom built PC so correct me on any decisions (including if I have missed something vital out xD)

Anyhow thanks for taking the time to read this :)
 
Maybe try and squeeze a 60gb SSD in for the OS. It will add more to the system performance than anything else.
 
SPG said:
Maybe try and squeeze a 60gb SSD in for the OS. It will add more to the system performance than anything else.
Click to expand...

I was considering a SSD however this build is right at the top of my budget £1080. Obviously they are much faster but are they worth the cost/storage ratio just for the increase in speed?
 
You can grab a free copy of Windows Professional from the MSDNAA site if your university has signed up for it. Link here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/academic/dd861350

Perhaps consider a better CPU cooler if you plan on overclocking as well?

Go for the retail version of the BD drive, it will come with software to play BD. Sadly there's no free software to play BD yet :(.
 
Orcvader said:
You can grab a free copy of Windows Professional from the MSDNAA site if your university has signed up for it. Link here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/academic/dd861350

Perhaps consider a better CPU cooler if you plan on overclocking as well?

Go for the retail version of the BD drive, it will come with software to play BD. Sadly there's no free software to play BD yet :(.
Click to expand...

Wow thanks for that, both my firm and insurance offers are on there. Maybe I can get that SSD after all haha :)

Ahh good tip thanks a lot :)
 
Change the PSU, the Corsair CX range isn't up to scratch for a high end system. The black Phantom is glossy, which means it will be a magnet for fingerprints, dust and scratches. If you can wait, get the Corsair 400/500R.
 
Vinni3 @H|H said:
Change the PSU, the Corsair CX range isn't up to scratch for a high end system. The black Phantom is glossy, which means it will be a magnet for fingerprints, dust and scratches. If you can wait, get the Corsair 400/500R.
Click to expand...

Okay will do, after a quick search the release date (for the US) was in mid July, any ideas of when it will hit the UK's fine shores?

Also how many Watts do I need? On some websites they say I need over 700w for this build, yet others say around 500-600 would be suffice?
 
RFox said:
Okay will do, after a quick search the release date (for the US) was in mid July, any ideas of when it will hit the UK's fine shores?

Also how many Watts do I need? On some websites they say I need over 700w for this build, yet others say around 500-600 would be suffice?
Click to expand...

Single 560ti? Hell you could use a XFX 550W.

Get a 650W if you want single GPU, or 750W with 4 PCIE connectors if you plan on SLI.

For the case availability, send a webnote to OcUK or ask OcUK customer service forums, they'll know best when they expect to receive them. Also consider the Lancool PC-K62.

If you want to save money for stuff, consider the MSI-P67-GD65 as an alternative. Can use the money towards a CPU cooler, or other things. The mouse is also quite expensive but fair enough.
 
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olivier renault said:
- £100 keyboard? Money better used for other things.
- OEM bluray wont have the software to read blurays.
Click to expand...

I want to get a mechanical keyboard with cherry brown switches and media keys, this seems to be the only keyboard with these specs.



Okay so adjusting the above build due to everyone recommendations.

SSD: OCZ Agility 3 60GB (+80)
Retail Blue Ray player (£10)
CoolerMaster v6 (+20) - Good for 10-20% overclocking?
Free windows 7 (-£80)

Due to costs switch case and PSU for:

Cooler Master 690 II
GTX 750w (£-50)

Should I go for the bundle with PSU or wait for the 500R? It just seems such a good price for both.


Total: £-20
 
olivier renault said:
Single 560ti? Hell you could use a XFX 550W.

Get a 650W if you want single GPU, or 750W with 4 PCIE connectors if you plan on SLI.

For the case availability, send a webnote to OcUK or ask OcUK customer service forums, they'll know best when they expect to receive them. Also consider the Lancool PC-K62.

If you want to save money for stuff, consider the MSI-P67-GD65 as an alternative. Can use the money towards a CPU cooler, or other things. The mouse is also quite expensive but fair enough.
Click to expand...


I will probably just be running a single GPU for the moment. The GPU will probably be the first thing to be upgraded in 2/3 years.

Okay, sorry for being naive but what is the difference between the Gigabyte and MSI apart from the cost? Is there any performance/features lost etc?
 
RFox said:
I want to get a mechanical keyboard with cherry brown switches and media keys, this seems to be the only keyboard with these specs.
Click to expand...

IMO, not a good idea.

1) expensive.
2) unknown quantity.
3) not illuminated.
4) not overly impressed by the features.

I would take a long hard look at this, and in the meanwhile, use a much cheaper alternative. Maybe when the choice widens.


Okay so adjusting the above build due to everyone recommendations.

SSD: OCZ Agility 3 60GB (+80)
Retail Blue Ray player (£10)
CoolerMaster v6 (+20) - Good for 10-20% overclocking?
Free windows 7 (-£80)

Due to costs switch case and PSU for:

Cooler Master 690 II
GTX 750w (£-50)

Should I go for the bundle with PSU or wait for the 500R? It just seems such a good price for both.


Total: £-20
Click to expand...

- Any 1/2 decent 3rd party CPU cooler is good for at least 25% overclocking on a 2500K. Pushing to 30% isn't that hard as well.

- Not impressed by OCZ reliability on their latest SSDs, although allegedly fixed with latest firmware. Would I take a chance for £80 versus £95 for a M4? Hmm difficult tbh. I have a Vertex 2E and no complains, but I'd be more confident about a Crucial M4.

- The GX750W is decent, the CM 690 II is a very good case, considered the best in the price-performance ratio. IMO the price of the combo is not super competitive but it will do the job. What I'd get for a similar price would be a Bitfenix Shinobi and a Lepa B-750 / XFX 750 / Antec TP-750.
 
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olivier renault said:
IMO, not a good idea.

1) expensive.
2) unknown quantity.
3) not illuminated.
4) not overly impressed by the features.

I would take a long hard look at this, and in the meanwhile, use a much cheaper alternative. Maybe when the choice widens.
Click to expand...

Okay will do, ill look into other more cost-effective alternatives. Seems mechanical keyboards are few and far between at the moment :(. Maybe in a year or two it will be better.

- Any 1/2 decent 3rd party CPU cooler is good for at least 25% overclocking on a 2500K. Pushing to 30% isn't that hard as well.

- Not impressed by OCZ reliability on their latest SSDs, although allegedly fixed with latest firmware. Would I take a chance for £80 versus £95 for a M4? I probably would, I have a Vertex 2E 60GB and had no issues with it at all.

- The GX750W is decent, the CM 690 II is a very good case, considered the best in the price-performance ratio. IMO the price of the combo is not super competitive but it will do the job. What I'd get for a similar price would be a Bitfenix Shinobi and a Lepa B-750 / XFX 750 / Antec TP-750.
Click to expand...

Point taken on the OCZ, I have seen a few reviews complaining about reliability and the potential fix with the firmware. However when putting this much money into a system I would rather be safe than sorry so ill go for the M4.

Okay thanks for the options - ill look them now :).



On a side note, should I consider water cooling or would air cooling be suffice? Is it worth looking into the Corsair Hydro range or would that be overkill?
 
I'd stick with air cooling. For 20-30% overclock, all you need is a basic £30 cooler.

The main limiting factor for Sandybridge overclocking is the amount of volts you can push into a particular 2500K. Some OC to 4.6GHz at 1.2V, some needs a lot more (1.4V). Limiting your Vcore to a recommended safe limit (1.35V, 1.325V), that will give you the maximum OC frequency, and the actual frequency has not as a dramatic impact on the temps as the voltage (Vcore). A better cooler will allow you to pump more volts into the CPU, but I would just not bother and stay well under the 1.38V limit as recommended by Intel. That pretty much guarantees 30% overclock, under 70C with a reasonable cooler, and safe for the CPU.

Similarly, the choice of memory speed is moot regarding overclocking, since you are not advised to change the base clock (bclk) at all. All overclocking is done on the CPU multiplier.

Gelid is the favourite, price / performance / noise, A50 also good (although the fan is not PWM controlled), Hyper 212+ for price, less so for noise. Akasa Venom, MUX-120, slightly more expensive and more up-market.

You can also leave overclocking to later, get a cooler later, so you can invest the money somewhere else (motherboard, PSU, case, GPU ...). Although not a massive amount (£20->£50 depending on the cooler you had in mind), can make a difference. A 2500K at stock is very fast already and will play any games without breaking into a sweat.
 
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olivier renault said:
I'd stick with air cooling. For 20-30% overclock, all you need is a basic £30 cooler. Gelid is the favourite, price / performance / noise, A50 also good (although the fan is not PWM controlled), Hyper 212+ for price, less so for noise. Akasa Venom, MUX-120, slightly more expensive and more up-market.

You can also leave overclocking to later, get a cooler later, so you can invest the money somewhere else (motherboard, PSU, case, GPU ...). Although not a massive amount (£20->£50 depending on the cooler you had in mind), can make a difference. A 2500K at stock is very fast already and will play any games without breaking into a sweat.
Click to expand...

Alright awsome, thanks a lot for your help!

Just got to wait for results then I shall be putting in my order :D
 
Okay just to double check.

This is what is sitting in my basket at the moment:

i5build2.jpg


Will everything work and fit etc?

I will probably place my order sometime next Thursday (A-level results) unless I impulse buy it before :p
 
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