Planning to build my own for first time, please advise!

EdwardTeach

EdwardTeach

EdwardTeach

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18 Mar 2010
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My 6 year old PC has just died, and I am planning to try building my own for the first time to replace it, and would welcome some advice.
Budget – roughly £1000, may be prepared to stretch above, but would also be happy if it was cheaper.
Usage – some gaming, I would like to be able to play most current releases and anything that comes out in the next couple of years, however this is not predominantly a gaming PC. It will be my home computer used for internet, music work etc
Future proofing – I wont be looking to replace this any time soon, I want to get as high end a spec as possible at the moment, with a view that I could buy another graphics card (e.g possibly to set up crossfire) down the line if necessary.
Overclocking –wasn’t planning too, because I want the system to last, and as mentioned I am planning to use it for things other than gaming. I may consider it in a few years time to get a bit more out of the system when it starts to get date.
I already have mouse, keyboard, dvd rw, speakers and monitor from my old computer, so I will not be looking to spend money on these just yet.

This is what I was looking at, please advise:

Do not mention competitors!

If I was spending ~1k with them wil overclockers be willing to price match on some components?)

Intel Core i7 930 2.80GHz (Bloomfield) (Socket LGA1366) - OEM + Assassin's Creed II Game [AT80601000897AA]

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-318-IN&groupid=701&catid=6&subcat=1272
- £229
(is they any difference between this version labeled as OEM and the ‘regular’ version which is £10 more?)

Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R Intel X58 (Socket 1366) DDR3 Motherboard
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-235-GI
- £152

Either 5770 ~ £130
0r 5850

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-215-AS&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=411

-£225

(There are a lot of different versions of each card – are they exactly the same if not what is the difference, and why would someone pay more for the same card?)

6GB (3x2GB) Corsair XMS3 DDR3 PC3-12800 (1600), 240 Pin, Non-ECC Unbuffered, CAS 9-9-9-24

(link removed)

£128

(there seem to be a lot of memory manufacturers, who is considered reliable/unreliable or should I just choose based on low price?)

Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (HD103SJ) [HD103SJ]

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-082-SA

-£65
Intel X25-M Mainstream 80GB 2.5" SATA-II Solid State Hard Drive

- £189

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-004-IN

Antec TruePower New Modular 650W Power Supply

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-117-AN

-£83

would this PSU be good enough for the system? Why might it be worth paying slightly more for e.g a 750w? I want to allow or the possibility of doing crossfire down the line and would prefer to spend more now, than have to replace the psu later.

The total (including the 5850 rather than the 5770) = £1065

Still have to add the case, I am choosing between the lian li pc50 and the antec 300 based on price, and deciding how much I want to stretch above £1000.
I would welcome suggestions for alternative cases. It needs to be discrete – no flashing lights etc, not too high and as quiet as possible to pass approval from the missus.

If I have to drop some more off the cost, I could either drop the SSD or drop from the 5850 to the 5770, what would you suggest?
 
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OEM basiscally comes without the fan, but id drop the ssd and invest the money in a better graphics card, poss even the 5870 if your budget stretches
 
i have had a go at chopping and changing a few specs. ive got it roughly to your original pricing.

compr.jpg
 
Powercolor ATI Radeon HD 5870 "Dirt 2 Edition" 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card Powercolor ATI Radeon HD 5870 "Dirt 2 Edition" 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £309.99
(£263.82) £309.99
(£263.82)
Intel Core i7 860 2.80GHz (Nehalem) (Socket LGA1156) - Retail + Assassin's Creed II Game Intel Core i7 860 2.80GHz (Nehalem) (Socket LGA1156) - Retail + Assassin's Creed II Game £231.99
(£197.44) £231.99
(£197.44)
Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD4 Intel P55 (Socket 1156) DDR3 microATX Motherboard Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD4 Intel P55 (Socket 1156) DDR3 microATX Motherboard £138.99
(£118.29) £138.99
(£118.29)
Antec 902 Nine Hundred Two Ultimate Gaming Case - Black Antec 902 Nine Hundred Two Ultimate Gaming Case - Black £89.99
(£76.59) £89.99
(£76.59)
Patriot G Series 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C9 1333MHz Dual Channel (PGS34G1333ELK) Patriot G Series 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C9 1333MHz Dual Channel (PGS34G1333ELK) £79.99
(£68.08) £79.99
(£68.08)
Corsair TX 650W ATX SLi Compliant Power Supply (CMPSU-650TXUK) Corsair TX 650W ATX SLi Compliant Power Supply (CMPSU-650TXUK) £78.98
(£67.22) £78.98
(£67.22)
Samsung SpinPoint F3 500GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (HD502HJ) Samsung SpinPoint F3 500GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (HD502HJ) £41.99
(£35.74) £41.99
(£35.74)
Sub Total : £827.18
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £12.50
VAT is being charged at 17.50% VAT : £146.94
Total : £986.62

This is my go :)

edit: took out dvd drive (as above) and replaced 850W w/650W opps :p
 
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if youre wanting to potentially crossfire 5850s/5870s, then 750w would probably be a better choice. 650 should be fine for just one card though
 
EdwardTeach said:
thanks phil. What did you prefer the the wd black caviar?

(p.s dont need a dvd drive atm)
Click to expand...


i dont know tbh ive always used them and WD are pretty dam reliable and the perforanec is also good. i realised though you may wana change that case its gots lights (which i noticed you didnt want)
 
I disagree, about the SSD. We have no idea what the current resolution the OP's monitor is, so a 5770 is likely to be enough for now, and can be crossfired later for >5850 performance. An SSD is better money spent than getting a 5850 if gaming is not a huge priority, and will make the rest of the system feel nicer (as the OP said, it is also to be used for work, web browsing etc).

I'd go with the following:
Basket2.jpg


The 128GB SSD will allow you to put most of your frequently used programs on there, as well as the OS. Kingston's new V+ SSD is really good too, maybe not as good as the Intels still, but you get a lot for your money. You've also got a 500GB HDD for music and the like, and programs that aren't used often.

The 5770 is an Asus slightly better one, which also allows voltage tweaking for better overclocking. It will also run most games very well at 1920x1080 on very high, with a few exceptions (Crysis). It would also allow you to get a second (or third) at a later date, for near 5870 performance.

The motherboard will allow 3-way Crossfire, with 2 x16 lanes, and a x8, so will support a second or third card.

The i7 930 OEM will save you some money over the retail version, and allows you to use a much nicer aftermarket cooler that'll be quieter. It's only worth getting the i7 if you are doing any multi-threaded tasks, otherwise you may as well save the money and get an i5 or Phenom II, and put the saved money towards a 5850.

The Fractal Design case is probably the best case for around £80, and is quite tasteful and versatile.

The PSU is modular, and quality, this will be good in the long run, and being modular, will help keep your case tidy.
 
i tend to disagree, he specifies "I would like to be able to play most current releases and anything that comes out in the next couple of years" so the 5850 would fair much better in the long run...

but could do with with him specifiying for definate on use and proposed resolution i guess...
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys.

re monitor i will initially be using my 6r old dell flatscreen. I dont know the exact size of the monitor (edit - it is 15"), or what resolution it can handle, but i would imagine that it certainly would not allow me to get the best out of any graphics card! I am planning to upgrade the monitor at a later date.

I have 46inch hd sony bravia - i was thinking that on occasions i could plug the computer into my tv for gaming - i presume that will be possible?

re - choosing the i7 930 - i appreciate that currently not many applications will make full use of this processors capabilities, and therefore i could save money without much of an appreciable decline if i went for an i5 or phenom ii

however... i am hoping to future proof to an extent - i presume that more applications will come out which make full use of an i7 capabilities over the next few years, therefore going for an i7 now will keep my system from going out of date so fast- is this a logical point of view?
 
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I think the best course of action right now would be the 5770, and a 930 if you'll be gaming on a small LCD (probably around 1280x1024 resolution), because that'll handle games with ease at that resolution. When you do a monitor upgrade, then it'd be worth looking at a second 5770, or a total overhaul (sell old card, get one of the new range).

You are right in that applications are only going to use more threads, and thus a 930 would be a wise investment if longevity is regarded.

There's no issue plugging the PC into the TV - just get either a DVI-D -> HDMI adapter lead, or just an HDMI lead (if the 5770 has a port for that anyway). The TV will be 1920x1080 resolution, and the 5770 will play most games very well at that resolution. If you think you'll be playing on the TV a lot, then a 5850 may be a better bet overall, but otherwise a 5770 will be absolutely fine and dandy.
 
thanks for the explanation marvin.

I think i will definitely go for the 930, for the reason of longevity.

I think the 5770 would be fine for me, but i may try and stretch for the 5850. (dependent on negotiations with the missus over total price!)

question re crossfire- is it always best to use 2 of the same card?

e.g if you had a 5850 & a 5770 would you be wasting the 5850?
 
EdwardTeach said:
question re crossfire- is it always best to use 2 of the same card?

e.g if you had a 5850 & a 5770 would you be wasting the 5850?
Click to expand...

not even sure if that possible on 5000 series anymore. using the 4000 series as an example, it was possible to use a 4850 with a 4870 and the game would scale proportionately if the drivers were good.

i personally wouldnt, id stick with the same cards. its just one less complication in a setup that relies on the software being written very complicatedly (i love making up words :D)

edit: im pretty sure a 5850 wouldnt go with a 5770 because they use different cores (4850/4870 used same core but different clock speeds and memory)
 
Thanks for all the advice thus far. Budget has been upped to £1200, so I think I will be going for a 930, the 5850 and a ssd.

One thing I was wondering about- if I don't overclock is there any need to replace the stock intel heatsink I will get with the 930?

I am currently finding the case the hardest part to choose. I am undecided between the lian li pc50 (excellent cooling & v light so useful for carrying pc into lounge to use with 46" tv)
or the fractal design r2 ( apparently v quiet and looks nice)
they work ou about the same when I add in the price of the extra fans needed for the r2
 
Funny how case selection seems to be the hardest part :D

If your looking for a quiet, nice looking case at a good value price, then I recommend the R2.

If your budget is over £100 for the case then there may well better options for you.....

The R2 is not the lightest of cases for it's size due to it's sound proofing, although not massively heavy and I have no trouble moving it when I need to.
 
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