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Mach3

Mach3

Mach3

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Joined
21 Aug 2010
Posts
22
It's been several years since I purchased my last system, which has lasted me reasonably well although not without some issues.

I've never really been able to run the system as quietly as I've wanted to. In the Asus BIOS I was able to activate 'core unlocker' though I'm not entirely sure how much effect it had. I also had the Q-fan function enabled, which did seem to reduce the fan speed and noise of the machine. Beyond those though I haven't tried to change any other settings to improve the functioning; I thought messing with the Ram/CPU voltages might create more problems and so left them at 'Auto'.

Another issue was that I bought an aftermarket cooler, which was 'better quality' and double the size of the stock AMD one; however, after I installed it, whilst it ran faster than the Stock cooler, it created airflow issues inside the case because of its size thereby rendering it useless and I eventually replaced it with the stock cooler. This issue was obviously exacerbated by the Micro case, and so obviously don't want to make the same mistake again.

I always had a problem with the AMD GPU driver; whenever I tried an update I'd get major crashes, and always ended up having to revert to an older more stable driver. Guess I'll go for Nvidia next time, which'll mean an Intel CPU, right?

So, I'm obviously looking for a reasonably future proofed machine, where it's reasonably easy to tweak the settings etc. My budget is about £700.

Probably better to have it built by the Pros.


CPU: AMD Athlon II X4 Quad Core 640 3.0GHz (Socket AM3) Processor
CPU Cooler: Stock AMD
Asus M4A88TD-M EVO/USB3 AMD 880
Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel
Samsung HD103SJ SpinPoint F3 1TB SATA-II 3.5" Hard Drive
VTX ATI Radeon HD 5770 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card
Windows 7 64bit
CoolerMaster Elite 340 Micro-ATX Tower Case
Xigmatek 600W NRP-PC602 80 PLUS Silent Power Supply
 
Mach3 said:
I always had a problem with the AMD GPU driver; whenever I tried an update I'd get major crashes, and always ended up having to revert to an older more stable driver. Guess I'll go for Nvidia next time, which'll mean an Intel CPU, right?
Click to expand...

Misconception. Any GPU can have different driver problems. I have an Nvidia card and have been having driver issues until I updated to a newer driver the other day. Also GPUs and CPUs can be mixed an matched, i.e. an AMD CPU will work with an Nvidia GPU and vice versa. You aren't locked into one over the other.

Besides budget you haven't mentioned any other requirements like size, performance, quietness and what it will be used for.

But here's a start.

My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £587.48
(includes shipping: £12.60)
​

I've left just over £100 for a GPU, not a good idea to buy just yet since there's new ones around the corner. The quietness of the CPU cooler depends upon the fan, maybe switch it with a quieter fan. The PSU has a semi-passive cooling mode, no fan spin until it gets hot. Case fans and the hard drive might be the noisy bits though. Easy to sort out with fan curves, settings and maybe even swapping out the fans for something quieter.

Intel CPU for a significant upgrade too, the 16GB RAM could be overkill depending on what you use it for. The case in the basket is a mid tower, though honestly you could keep the same case you have and be more optimal with fans and cooling to make it quieter.
 
-It'd be a general purpose machine with occasional gaming and so hence the need for a GPU.
-Yes, I'd like it to run as quiet as possible - obviously this won't be possible during gaming.
-Case size less of an issue but obviously with less space the warmer it gets inside.

The quietness of the CPU cooler depends upon the fan, maybe switch it with a quieter fan.
Click to expand...
Like I said, I purchased a low profile aftermarket cooler, which because of the extra size compared to the stock cooler, decreased airflow inside the case, and increased case temperatures thus rendering it pointless, and so I switched back to the stock cooler.

Your recommended spec looks good enough. I'm trying to be patient though and want to thoroughly research before committing (Fallout 4 can wait a few months - lol).
 
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Mach3 said:
-It'd be a general purpose machine with occasional gaming and so hence the need for a GPU.
-Yes, I'd like it to run as quiet as possible - obviously this won't be possible during gaming.
-Case size less of an issue but obviously with less space the warmer it gets inside.

Like I said, I purchased a low profile aftermarket cooler, which because of the extra size compared to the stock cooler, decreased airflow inside the case, and increased case temperatures thus rendering it pointless, and so I switched back to the stock cooler.

Your recommended spec looks good enough. I'm trying to be patient though and want to thoroughly research before committing (Fallout 4 can wait a few months - lol).
Click to expand...

Reason why I haven't mentioned GPUs is because AMD's newest ones come out next month. I rememeber doing similar build recomendations this time last year before the 300 series launched, leaving out the GPU so folks could decide.

If you want, perhaps spend a tad more on a CPU cooler, like the BeQuiet ShadowRock 2 or something. I'd advise against water cooling cos it's fiddly and the good ones aren't too affordable. Or swap out the fans with things like the Corsair SP120 fans. Roughly a tenner for each fan.
 
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