PC Build Help

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12 Aug 2013
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Hi everyone,

This is my first time on these forums and I am not as knowledgeable about components as the majority, if not all, of you so apologies if you get this all the time. I am going to buy all of the parts for my new PC that I will put together myself however I don't really know enough to decide which parts would be the best for my budget. I haven't done this before, I have only helped my friend put together his a couple of years ago. I tried finding some parts but I've since been told that I'd be paying more for inferior parts.

I want to play any game on full graphics (may be a bit more difficult with next gen games coming out soon). I am looking to build a computer that supports SLI so I can get as good a graphics card as I can afford now and add another a couple years down the line when I need to upgrade. My budget is £1,000 for everything, including a monitor. Could anyone lend a hand in finding the best parts to get for it as I need some help?
 

Thank you both for the replies! It's very much appreciated. I'll need an OS but I have some speakers, keyboard and mouse I can use as a short term measure until I get some better ones. I don't have any components I can use from an old computer. I currently only have a terrible laptop that's almost dead.
 
I'm going to start ordering some of the parts tonight. It's pretty much the same as before but as a final check, how does this look?

Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
NZXT Phantom 410 (Black/White) ATX Mid Tower Case (Could change to a full tower).
XFX 850W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer (Could change to a better looking one for the sake of an extra £10-20)

For the graphics card I plan to get: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-299-AS

However the following one has been mentioned:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-170-MS&groupid=701&catid=1914&subcat=2294

Is the second one much better and is it worth the extra £12?

Does the build look good value for money?
 
Samsung EVO seems to be around the same price, so cheers.

As for the RAM, are either of these good?

Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory
Patriot Intel Extreme Master, Limited Ed 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory

If not, any recommendations?
 

Yeah, I need an OS unfortunately. Monitor won't be a problem though to begin with. I can do without (I have an older one as a short term measure). I might need to cut down on something by the look of it. I don't want to sacrifice too much performance for the sake of saving a bit of money though. Any ideas?
 
You could use Win 8 evaluation for a few months to see if you like it, it would also give you time to save up for an OS. Who knows, you might be able to get a cheap upgrade to Win 8.1 when it`s released near the end of the year.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/jj554510.aspx

This would save you £30, if you don`t mind "B" grade.

YOUR BASKET
1 x **B Grade** NZXT Phantom 410 Enthusiast Midi Tower Case - White £54
Total : £65.10 (includes shipping : £9.25).


My plan is to buy some now and the rest when I get paid at the end of this month. The processor, motherboard and graphics card look to be set so I might get those three ordered tonight and spend the next week thinking about the rest. Ideally, it would cost 800 without the OS.
 
How hard would it be to change the case after I get it sorted? If I can find one for around £30 that will be okay, I can get one that looks better at a later date.
 
I have received these compatibility notes based on the Intel i5-4670K and the Corsair XM3 RAM I opted for. Unfortunately, I have already had these delivered and am going to put the computer together on Friday so, if required, will need to order the replacement RAM tonight. Is this message anything to worry about or will it still work well? The website says they are compatible, but I wanted to check with you lot on here as I'm sure you understand it a lot better than me.

Compatibility Notes

Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory operating voltage of 1.65V exceeds the Intel Haswell CPU recommended maximum of 1.5V+5% (1.575V). This memory module may run at a reduced clock rate to meet the 1.5V voltage recommendation, or may require running at a voltage greater than the Intel recommended maximum.
 
Are you using XMP for the ram settings, as this will automatically set the voltage at 1.65v.
You may need to manually set the voltages.

I know nothing about RAM settings. My knowledge of computers is next to nothing apart from the odd term. Is it easy to set the voltages manually?
 
can you use a HDTV for the time being? would save some cash to actually spend on improving the parts in the spec :)

I will be using a HDTV. I've ended up spending more than I intended on the parts anyway (and that's without a monitor) but it'll be well worth it. I ordered the last of the parts last night so I'll hopefully be able to put it together tomorrow afternoon.

Hopefully nothing goes wrong and, assuming I don't end up needing any further help/advice, I'd just like to say cheers everyone for the help! It's quite daunting spending so much money on something you know barely anything about but everyone on here has been so helpful.
 
Did you manage to sort the ram voltages out?

I won't have it put together until tomorrow so not tried yet. I just mentioned what you said to my mate who will be helping me put it together but neither of us know what changing the voltage does, so we're a bit wary about doing it. Is it something that will need to be done to keep everything working properly?

Sorry, I feel stupid asking these questions, we're both being cautious because of the amount of money spent.
 
The XMS3 will run at 1366Mhz on default settings at 1.5v, so the computer will work ok.
But, to get it to run at 1600Mhz, you will need to do it manually, as XMP will automatically set the voltage at 1.65v.
Have you bought the ram with the new system or did you already have it?

I've bought everything (including the RAM).
 
The XMS3 will run at 1366Mhz on default settings at 1.5v, so the computer will work ok.
But, to get it to run at 1600Mhz, you will need to do it manually, as XMP will automatically set the voltage at 1.65v.
Have you bought the ram with the new system or did you already have it?

Will I be able to notice much difference between the two? Would it be able to run games on full settings? If so, I'll be looking to add more RAM in a couple of months anyway, so I could just buy 2x8 rather than 2x4 again.
 
I put the computer together and everything works fine apart from the case fans. I got the NZXT Phantom 630. The side panel fan is plugged directly into on of the system fan ports on the motherboard however the rest of the fans came already plugged into the fan controller. The wire from the controller has the opposite male/female connector on the end to that required to plug into the mother board system fan ports. Could anyone help me with this (how to connect the case fan controller up).
 
Are there no instructions with the case?

Not really, no. I plugged the side panel fan into "sys fan 3" and that runs fine. I rang technical support up but because they were closing at 2 he said he'd have to pass it on for someone to help on Monday. I'm still using the computer with the one fan running since the case is massive so should have a reasonable air flow in it but I want them sorted asap if I can. Do you have any idea what adapter it may be? The only way I can describe the cable is it being a three pronged wire. Instead of the end being one that allows you to insert the three prongs into it, it's the end that has the three prongs coming from it. I'm guessing I need a cable with the female connector on both ends?
 
Can you see the back of the controller and see if there is a port for a molex connector.


The only ports on the controller are the three pinned ones. There's one at the top, "fan1" and five more on each side which are labelled "fan2" - "fan11". By the look of the diagram in the manual, "fan1" should be the power input.
 
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By the look of it, I need a Molex to 3 pin power adapter. Does this sound right? If so, can these be found easily in shops or will I need to order one online?
 
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