So my trusted C2D rig has finally died and I need to replace pretty much all of the components.
I am looking for a build which will use an existing SATA-3 SSD so would like a motherboard which could take advantage of 6 Gb/s I think.
I am not looking for hard core gaming use, I mostly use for office apps and the occasional light gaming (e.g. Anno 1404, total war etc) but might in the future like to add a good graphics card for more modern games.
I think the following combination of CPU and MB appears to be a popular choice, but is it overkill for me? Would an Ivybridge i3 which is £ 100 cheaper be just as good for my needs, or would the i5 mean I am sorted for a number more years? Also, would the on-board graphics be ok, which are presumably better on the i5 in the short term - or would I be better with (say) the i3 and a dedicated card?
This is probably my max budget.
Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) £179.99
Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £89.99
OcUK Crusade 550W Dual-Rail High Efficiency '80 Plus' Power Supply £46.99
TeamGroup Elite 8GB (1x8GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C9 1333MHz Single Channel Module (TED38GM1333C901) £35.99
Samsung SH-224BB/BEBE 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £17.99
Total £370.94
Any comments about these choices would be very welcome.
I am looking for a build which will use an existing SATA-3 SSD so would like a motherboard which could take advantage of 6 Gb/s I think.
I am not looking for hard core gaming use, I mostly use for office apps and the occasional light gaming (e.g. Anno 1404, total war etc) but might in the future like to add a good graphics card for more modern games.
I think the following combination of CPU and MB appears to be a popular choice, but is it overkill for me? Would an Ivybridge i3 which is £ 100 cheaper be just as good for my needs, or would the i5 mean I am sorted for a number more years? Also, would the on-board graphics be ok, which are presumably better on the i5 in the short term - or would I be better with (say) the i3 and a dedicated card?
This is probably my max budget.
Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) £179.99
Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £89.99
OcUK Crusade 550W Dual-Rail High Efficiency '80 Plus' Power Supply £46.99
TeamGroup Elite 8GB (1x8GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C9 1333MHz Single Channel Module (TED38GM1333C901) £35.99
Samsung SH-224BB/BEBE 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £17.99
Total £370.94
Any comments about these choices would be very welcome.
