TL;DR: please spec me a SFF, quiet machine for around £800
Hello all,
It's been a very long time since I've ventured into these parts. The last time I built a system was 5 years ago:
Intel E5200 @ 4Ghz
Radeon 4890
Abit motherboard (apparently they've gone out of business!)
4Gb PC6400
Lian Li PC-A05
Corsair HX520
I think it's finally time to get back in the game. I'm interested again in SFF since I'm moving around a lot and already have a laptop - but obviously can't do any gaming on it.
So what I'd like is a spec for a machine for around £800, including the following:
Case (mini ITX preferred)
Motherboard
CPU + cooler
RAM
GPU
Solid State drive
OS
I have a 1080p 23" monitor that I will keep and a Corsair HX 520W PSU that (I assume) will be ok.
From my brief research (reading 2 similar threads) it seems that the relative prices of components are very different from 5 years ago! My E5200 cost me about £50 and was good for every game, once I'd overclocked it. But it seems like CPUs and motherboards cost more these days. I'd have quite happily spent £280 on a GPU and only £50 on a CPU and £60 on a motherboard but I'm not sure this is the best approach these days.
Also, am I correct in thinking that overclocking is not as simple as it used to be? Are most chips bus-locked now?
Noise is a priority: what are the current best fans?
Thanks for your help.
Hello all,
It's been a very long time since I've ventured into these parts. The last time I built a system was 5 years ago:
Intel E5200 @ 4Ghz
Radeon 4890
Abit motherboard (apparently they've gone out of business!)
4Gb PC6400
Lian Li PC-A05
Corsair HX520
I think it's finally time to get back in the game. I'm interested again in SFF since I'm moving around a lot and already have a laptop - but obviously can't do any gaming on it.
So what I'd like is a spec for a machine for around £800, including the following:
Case (mini ITX preferred)
Motherboard
CPU + cooler
RAM
GPU
Solid State drive
OS
I have a 1080p 23" monitor that I will keep and a Corsair HX 520W PSU that (I assume) will be ok.
From my brief research (reading 2 similar threads) it seems that the relative prices of components are very different from 5 years ago! My E5200 cost me about £50 and was good for every game, once I'd overclocked it. But it seems like CPUs and motherboards cost more these days. I'd have quite happily spent £280 on a GPU and only £50 on a CPU and £60 on a motherboard but I'm not sure this is the best approach these days.
Also, am I correct in thinking that overclocking is not as simple as it used to be? Are most chips bus-locked now?
Noise is a priority: what are the current best fans?
Thanks for your help.
