New build - advice needed please.

[Dcee]

Its been a long while (about 5 years!) since I had the urge to upgrade, but the time has come.
I have to admit that I haven't got a clue where to start anymore so I'm after some advice. My old system is based round a dual core Pentium D 2.8, 4GB memory, GeForce 8600GT, SB Audigy 2 ZS, but it grinds a bit slowly now.

Requirements:
Main use is probably internet use. I use the PC in my living room to watch movies and play music. DVI to HDMI on the TV and Audio to 5.1 surround amp, so the set up needs to be quiet. Also use CS5 for photo editing
At the moment, the multitasking is poor. MP3's and movies freeze momentarily when using CS5 which is a pain.

Only game I play is UT99 so gaming isn't a factor.

I fancy a SSHD, probably 120GB, for my system drive. Would probably keep standard 3.5" HD for storage. Other than what I have listed I don't know where to start. Current case is 40cm tower, which is the sort of thing I would prefer.

Budget is flexible, but don't want to go OTT - I am not a 'power user'.

Would be grateful for advice and case/PSU, CPU, MB, Graphics and Audio.

thanks

 

[beejjacobs]

Hi and Welcome

I can spec you some up, did you have a rough budget in mind? Also, do you have some SATA HDDs already to keep as storage?

Here's a couple of specs for you:

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £161.99
1 x Crucial RealSSD M4 128GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Hard Drive (CT128M4SSD2) £105.95
1 x Asus HD 6850 DirectCU V2 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £99.98
1 x Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £80.40
1 x Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (WD5000AAKX) £63.98
1 x XFX Pro 450W Core Edition '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £41.99
1 x Corsair Vengeance Low Profile 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CML8GX3M2A1600C9) £39.95
1 x BitFenix Merc Alpha Gaming Case - Black £29.99
1 x LG GH22NS70 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £664.63 (includes shipping : £17.85).

Drop down to a fast dual core, and a cheaper motherboard:

YOUR BASKET
1 x Crucial RealSSD M4 128GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Hard Drive (CT128M4SSD2) £105.95
1 x Asus HD 6850 DirectCU V2 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £99.98
1 x Intel Core i3-2120 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £89.99
1 x Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 16MB Cache - OEM (WD5000AAKX) £63.98
1 x Gigabyte H61MA-D3V Intel H61 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £47.99
1 x XFX Pro 450W Core Edition '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £41.99
1 x Corsair Vengeance Low Profile 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CML8GX3M2A1600C9) £39.95
1 x BitFenix Merc Alpha Gaming Case - Black £29.99
1 x LG GH22NS70 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £18.98
Total : £560.22 (includes shipping : £17.85).