My new Gaming Build

[JeffBaines]

Hi folks,

I originally posted about upgrading but decided I may as well go for a complete new build because it somehow makes sense. Anyway I'm aiming for an overclock to 4+GHz and to play the latest (and hopefully up and coming) games on the highest graphics. This is what I have so far:

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - Retail £179.99
1 x Gigabyte ATI Radeon HD 7850 OC Windforce 2X 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card w/ Nexuiz, Sleeping Dogs & Dirt Showdown PC Games £167.99
1 x Intel 330 Series 180GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Hard Drive - Retail £113.99
1 x Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £84.98
1 x OCZ ZT 550W '80 Plus Bronze' Modular Power Supply £63.98
1 x Zalman Z9 Plus Tower Case with Fan Controller - Black £54.98
1 x TeamGroup Elite 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C11 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (TED38192M1600HC11DC) £31.99
1 x Gelid Tranquillo CPU Cooler (Socket 754/939/940/AM2/AM2+/AM3/LGA775/LGA1155/LGA1156/LGA1366) £25.99
1 x LG GH24NS90 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
TOTAL: £757.88 (includes shipping: £12.50)


I've chosen the SSD as I have an extra HD for media. I can always throw an HD in there later.

A few questions about this. Let's say I go for 5:1 (silly question) but when I get a bit more money, will I need a sound card for it? Does this give me the potential for upgrading in the future (say 2 years where I need better graphics, perhaps going with SLI)?

Edit: Always forget, budget is below £800 but it can be pushed if the reasons are justifiable.

 

[RJC]

Spec looks fair

The Thermalright cooler below is a good performer:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-098-TR&groupid=701&catid=2330&subcat=2352

 

[Idleman]

This board if you are thinking xfire/sli in the future.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-390-GI&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=2261

 

[JeffBaines]

@RJC I'll swap to that one. Not sure which is better and it saves a few pennies!

@Idleman I was looking at that before. It's an extra bit of money but I'm not sure how long the current spec I've picked out will last before I need to look at upgrades haha.

 

[Uncle Petey]

Looks fine to me. Depending on how much overclocking you plan on, you may want a beefier cooler not that there's anything wrong with the Gelid.

The mobo has an optical output for 5.1/7.1

You'll want something like this http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-390-GI&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=2261 for sli/xfire. May be cheaper alternatives, but this is a solid choice.

EDIT: lol, a lot happens while you're typing

 

[JeffBaines]

@Uncle Petey Haha yup! Cheers for the input too. I've swapped the mobo around and chosen the other cooler recommended. I'm not a pro at overclocking so it won't be too high. Might just order this now so I can get it asap!