My Planned £2000 PC System -Thoughts/Input/Opinions?

ATLANT3AN

ATLANT3AN

ATLANT3AN

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5 Mar 2008
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Location
Midlands
Hey guys,

Well I am buying a new PC soon, in the next few weeks. It will be built by myself and the components brought individually.

Information:

Budget = £2000
Usage = Gaming, Performance (Using multiple Virtual Machines)
Wants = Intel Quad Core, Nvidia Graphics, 1080p (24inch Monitor), OC Ability

Ok, so above is a simple explanation of what I want and the money I have t do it, Now below is what I have come up with and reasons why I chose, I would like your views on this and tips/hints as I have no great experiance in this, first time I have built a system myself :).

Monitor

Dell Ultrasharp 2408WFP 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Midnight Grey
£458.24 inc VAT
Link

(Chose this because as I said, I want 1080p (1900x1200) playback, DELL because I heard nothing but good things about modern DELL monitors especially this one)

CPU

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 LGA775 'Yorkfield' 2.66GHz 12MB-cache (1333FSB) Processor - Retail
Link
or
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 LGA775 'Yorkfield' 2.83GHz 12MB-cache (1333FSB) Processor - Retail
Link

Best CPU

(Now I first looked into with the QX9650, because I thought with £2000 I could buy more or less the best everything, but this isnt the case at all, I then found that these two new processors were coming out using the new 45nm and Yorkfield, as well as having the same 12MBL2 cache as the QX9650 just lower speed, so I thought maybe I could buy this, save £200-300 and then clock it to 3.2ghz or 3.4ghz which is faster than the upcoming QX9750)

Motherboard

Asus Maximus Extreme Intel X38 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR3 Motherboard
£199.74

(Right, Well I was all set to buy a Striker II motherboard with the 780i chipset, but I was told by many and read some reviews which stated it was overpriced and the only really unique good thing was the SLI, which in my eyes is overkill if you have a good card to start with, So I looked into the Intel upcoming x48 chipset and was set on that but then realized that the only real differences are

-10 Gigabit LAN
-Removal of LPT PS2 ports
-Wi Fi

To be honest I don't like the idea of Wi Fi on my motherboard, 10 gigabit to me is also overkill and keeping the PS2 and LPT might not be so bad, so i checked out x38 and found this one, I wanted DDR3 to be future proof I guess, and now it is a time where its good to buy some DDR3.

PSU (Power Supply Unit)

Tagan 1100W Modular BZ Piperock Series


(I chose Tagen because most my friends who build PC's say Tagen are the best make for different reasons, I chose the BZ series as it seems to be the most current and 1100w should easily last me even if I did crossfire)

Memory

OCZ 4GB DDR3 PC3-10666C6 1333MHz ReaperX (2x2GB) Dual Channel DDR3
LInk

or
OCZ 4GB PC3-10666 Reaper HPC (2x2GB)

(I am not entirely set on which memory to get to be honest, I was going to get a DDR2 motherboard as I remember hearing DDR3 was pointless but now when I ask, people seem to say the opposite plus it would be a good idea to have a mobo that supports all the current tech and is future proof, how does this memory sound?)

Graphics Card

Ge Force 8800 GT 512 (Current) / Asus Extreme 8800GTS 512MB TOP PCI-E 2.0

(This is the card in my current PC which btw is a AMD 4400 X2, Nforce 4 A8N-SLI (It was when AMD was the kings) I think due to cost issues as I will keep this card for now, It's still a good performer and even the new G92 8800GTS isn't leaps and bounds ahead of it, I will perhaps upgrade to a 9800GTX or similar when the time comes later this year)

Case

I dont really know to be honest, few friends use ANtec Gaming case, the price seems good. I have been told LIan Li is the best make but they seem expensive, any help on this?

What about?
Antec P182 Advanced Super Midi Tower Black £78


Sound System

Creative GigaWorks 5.1 G550W THX Wireless Speakers
£199
Link

(I was all set on the Logitech 5.1 THX Certified, but then I saw this Creative set which has the same THX Certified status, same watts and the added benefit of wireless although I prefer the look/design of the Logitech one, I think I will be having this one for sure)

Hard drives

500GB Seagate Barracuda SATA2 32MB ST3500320AS 7200RPM x 3


(I think Seagate are a good make but so is WD and Maxtor I guess, I want 1TB of space and reliability so I intend to use Hardware RAID 5 and get a 1tb of usable space out of the 1.5tb available, thoughts?

Optical Drive

Pioneer BDR-202BK / Asus DRW-2014L1T 20x DVD±RW SATA Dual Layer Lightscribe ReWriter (Black/Silver) - Retail

Link 1
Link 2

(I was thinking of this, but its too expensive and would push me over budget, I could always get blu ray at a later date plus reviews of this are not so great, I will just get a £20 normal DVDRW DVDDL as listed above)

Keyboard & Mouse


I would prob spend £80 on these together perhaps, Id like an illuminated keyboard and a good mouse, I have these in mind thoughts?

Razer Lachesis Banshee Blue 4000dpi High Precision Gaming Mouse - Retail £46.99
Link

Saitek Eclipse 2 Illuminated Keyboard - Blue/Red/Purple
£23.49
Link

Note: Apart from the illuminated part those keyboards don't look great, an all black one might be better like the one I have currently have.

Cooling

I wanted to do liquid cooling but then thought it was too expensive, Using the case fans and obviously the normal CPU fan, will I be able to overclock to a good degree?

Thanks very much, sorry about the length but this is £2000 after all, look forward to receiving your input.

P:S
If I have forgotten a component, please tell me so I don't look dumb for too long :P


ATLANT3AN
 
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No CPU cooler
Lian Li or Akasa Eclipse for case
1100W PSU is OTT, decent 650W should be fine
DDR3 too expensive for what you get at this time

Most importantly:
remove the competitor links OCUK FAQ

Edit:
Personally, I'd go for,
P35, DDR2 board
Q9450 + Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme + 120mm Yate Loon fan
4 GB of fast DDR2 memory
8800GT
Akase Eclipse 62 or Lian Li PC-7
650W Corsair or Seasonic PSU

Should come in below budget giving you cash to upgrade with later
 
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Just buy from one retailer, if you're ordering from multiple retailers postage prices adds up. I've dealt with that four letter company...never going to order from them again.

Spend less on a PSU and motherboard, get a bigger case (have a 182 and a bit small for gaming rig) Also if you want ultimate machine get a audio seperates..
 
My current PSU is 600, I will keep the 1100 for future proof and in case I wanted to add more things, keep it scalable. Yeah I hear that Lian Li are the best but seem to be expensive, I think its worth getting DDR3 memory if I am getting a DDR3 motherboard which is something I wont budge on, I want it to be current standards proof, heh all this proof talk.

Thanks for input
 
I'm not going to get in an argument on where to buy :), in any case I will be spending over a thousand here so appreciate input on the purchases.
 
600W is plenty for your new rig...now even you were going quad crossfire 3870x2 or GTX x2. You can always replace PSU when it's needed. No point spending £100+ just for the sake of it
 
Appreciate the thoughts badbob, what about the CPU choice and the mobo, I am buying that mobo for sure as theres no point getting a x48 chipset, I am pretty sure I will go for the 9450 CPU as well 2.6ghz one, and how much would I be able to OC this to? If i wanted to reach 3.6ghz I would'nt need a special CPU Cooler?

Thanks
ATLANT3AN :)

P:S

Lian Li PC-A71B Aluminium Tower Case - Black £170.36
Antec P182 Super Midi Tower Case - No PSU (Gun Metal Black) £92.81

You guys recommend this over my Antec 182 choice? a lot more money so is it worth it?
 
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ATLANT3AN said:
If i wanted to reach 3.6ghz I would'nt need a special CPU Cooler?

If you're going to be spending so much money it doesn't make sense to use the 'bog-standard' cooler.

Even if you were spending a little..you can get good ones 'arctic freezer pro' etc for max £20...and cooler temperatures and quieter at the very least.
Click to expand...
 
Chimerical said:
Buy this case:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-030-SV&groupid=701&catid=7&subcat=1092

Silverstone TJ-07

Pure awesome, massive case that will fit everything, amazing build quality and will last you years.
Click to expand...

:eek: at the price! Better be flippin' good! What's it got that an Akasa Eclipse hasn't?

I don't think you'll get a 1 GHz overclock on those quads, and if so, then you'll certainly need one of the best coolers. Considering how much you want to spend on PSU, mobo, etc, it'd be a crime not to get a good cooler too.
 
the cooler master cosmos S for case :)

and for CPU go with the Q9450, oc the nuts out of it :)

btw, have dealt with hat company, and IMO they are superb, and offer free del for items over £20. (email me)

get your self, a corsair 620, or a PC P&C 750W.
 
Save money not buying DDR3 and get an 3870X2 or something. With that budget and gaming a priority an 8800GT seems a little low key.
 
Thanks for the continued input guys, and thanks Grumpy.

The system is kind of more performance and 1080p playback than gaming but that said I want to be able to play Games maxed out at a playable framerate at 1900x1200.

The reason I have decided not to get a GTS is that I dont think the 5-10 frame rates in lower res and maybe 10-25 in higher justify £200 added to it, Also I could always get a 9 series card at a later date, or use my card test it out on games with my system and then decide rather than wasting a possible £200 for minimun improvement to the nakid eye.

I am getting the Antec 182, I have decided this case is brilliant for the price, and I will keep all other specs. The CPU however part of me keeps thinking should I get the Q9550 even though its £160 more or something stupid, If I can OC to 3.4ghz from 2.6ghz safely with a good CPU cooler, I am thinking it is not worth it?

How is this CPU Cooler, would it do the job?

Link

Funny thing is withouth the monitor and the sound system this baby will be £1400 which sounds extremely good value for such a beast :)
 
Get a Lian-Li case, you're talking about future-proofing this system so I don't think I would be getting the 182. I have a Lian-Li and I swear by it, build quality is superb.
 
Hey, Well I think I am all set now on the following setup, Lian Li cases, sorry for my lack of knowledge seeing as it's my first computer build, how can a case be more future proof? than that of an Antec 182 anyway?


Motherboard

Asus Maximus Extreme iX38 Socket 775 Motherboard

CPU

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66GHz (Retail 775)

Memory

OCZ 4GB PC3-10666 Reaper HPC (2x2GB)

Case

Antec P182 Advanced Super Midi Tower Black

Hard Drives

500GB Seagate Barracuda SATA2 32MB ST3500320AS 7200RPM x3

PSU

Tagan 1100W Modular BZ Piperock Series

Monitor

Dell Ultrasharp 2408WFP 24" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Midnight Grey

Sound System

Creative GigaWorks 5.1 G550W THX Wireless Speakers

Optical Drive

Asus DRW-2014L1T 20x DVD±RW SATA Dual Layer Lightscribe ReWriter (Black/Silver) - Retail

CPU Cooler

Scythe Ninja-CU Full Copper CPU Cooler

Total Cost

£1869 (The remaining £100ish could be used for Keyboard/Mouse/360 Controller

Later Addons:

Better GC
Blu Ray RE Optical Drive

I think I will keep my current BFG 8800 GT 512mb, and wait later perhaps and then if need be upgrade to a better graphics card, final opinions? :)
 
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I have got to admit, I like the Lian Li PC-A71B Aluminium Tower Case - Black, just wondering if its really worth the extra 90quid, The only reviews I can find on it though are from here

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16811112144

Is it me? I just cant find any reviews of this, full in depth reviews. I can find loads on the Antec 182 which would help me when setting this beast up.
 
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I have the 'Antec P182 Advanced Super Midi Tower Black' for my current system and frankly I would've chosen a more roomy case if I'd have realised . I find it a bit too cramped up inside.

It's a quality case..but the other case I have has much more room to play with inside and I find the lack of space restricting.
 
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i know you said you will not budge on DDR3 RAM, but i think it may be better in the long term to get a DDR2 supporting MB and some DDR2 ram, about 2 years ago i paid £200 for 2GB of DDR2 RAM, now it will cost me £60 to get 4x1GB of the same stuff.

fast DDR2 will not limit your CPU's Overclocking potential anyway. save yourself a hundred pounds or so or alternatively spend it on something else you enjoy.
 
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