I'm looking to buy a new computer that will mainly be used for calculations (consisting mostly of integer manipulations, and able to utilize multiple cores well). As it will be my main computer, it does need to be capable of some gaming as well, but I don't mind if I have to turn down graphics settings a bit in games, as long as I can play them. I have a budget of somewhere around £1200-£1400, though it can probably be stretched slightly if it makes a big difference.
As the computer will be running with full cpu load 24/7, I view cooling as very important. Also, it should preferable not be too noisy. These factors have led me to the case and cpu cooler listed below.
Oh, and if it makes a difference, I am looking to buy this package in a month's time from now or so.
My thoughts:
Case - Haf-X seems to hit the sweet spot between excellent cooling, reasonably quiet, and good features for futureproofing (USB-3 connectivity), along with being able to switch the light on the led fan off. The other option I've been looking at is the Silverstone Fortress 02.
Cpu - In the benchmarks I've been looking at (Sandra drystone seems to best represent what I'll be doing, I think), i7-875k outperforms more or less every other cpu apart from the i7-980x, which sadly is outside my budget. I do want hyperthreading in order to be able to run more threads. I would probably overclock the cpu, but only lightly, as I do not want to decrease its lifespan too much.
Cpu cooler - the Noctua gets praise for both being very cool and silent, and with a large case like the Haf-X, should have no problems fitting.
Memory - Here is where I am not sure what to go for. I worry about too large heatspreaders or such getting in the way, I've read about problems with that in reviews of the Noctua, but I don't know which memories have them or not. Somebody recommended me G-Skill Ripjaws, but they are not available here - would they be a reasonable choice? I would have to get them elsewhere in that case...
Power Supply - as the computer will be running 24/7, spending extra to get a more efficient power supply will definitely save me money on the electricity bills in the long run.
Graphics - seems to me that the 5770 hits the sweet spot between cost and performance. Vapor-X doesn't cost much more than the normal model, and that extra expense seems well worth it to get a cooler and quieter model to me.
Any comments? Advice? Suggestions on how to change this package?
Does OcUK offer any kind of build-your-system-for-you service? Otherwise, I guess I would have to make my first ever attempt at building my own computer!
A bit scary, but is it really that difficult?
As the computer will be running with full cpu load 24/7, I view cooling as very important. Also, it should preferable not be too noisy. These factors have led me to the case and cpu cooler listed below.
Oh, and if it makes a difference, I am looking to buy this package in a month's time from now or so.
- Coolermaster HAF X Gaming Tower Case - Black (RC-942) - £154.99
- Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4 Intel P55 (Socket 1156) DDR3 Motherboard - £149.99
- Intel Core i7 875K 2.93GHz (Lynnfield) (Socket LGA1156) - Retail - £291.39
- Noctua NH-D14 Dual Radiator CPU Cooler (Socket LGA1366/LGA1156/LGA775/AM2/AM2) - £66.99
- OCZ Reaper Low-Latency 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 12800C6 (1600MHz) Dual-Channel (OCZ3RPR1600C6LV4GK) - £93.99
- Corsair HX 850W ATX Modular SLI Compliant Power Supply (CMPSU-850HXUK) - £154.99
- Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 5770 Vapor-X 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card - £145.69
- Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (WD1002FAEX) - £79.99
- Sony Optiarc AD-7241S 24x DVD±RW SATA Lightscribe Optical Drive (Black) - OEM - £19.99
- Sony Optiarc AD-7260S 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM - £15.99
- Microsoft Windows 7 Professional - Retail (Full Version) - £172.98
My thoughts:
Case - Haf-X seems to hit the sweet spot between excellent cooling, reasonably quiet, and good features for futureproofing (USB-3 connectivity), along with being able to switch the light on the led fan off. The other option I've been looking at is the Silverstone Fortress 02.
Cpu - In the benchmarks I've been looking at (Sandra drystone seems to best represent what I'll be doing, I think), i7-875k outperforms more or less every other cpu apart from the i7-980x, which sadly is outside my budget. I do want hyperthreading in order to be able to run more threads. I would probably overclock the cpu, but only lightly, as I do not want to decrease its lifespan too much.
Cpu cooler - the Noctua gets praise for both being very cool and silent, and with a large case like the Haf-X, should have no problems fitting.
Memory - Here is where I am not sure what to go for. I worry about too large heatspreaders or such getting in the way, I've read about problems with that in reviews of the Noctua, but I don't know which memories have them or not. Somebody recommended me G-Skill Ripjaws, but they are not available here - would they be a reasonable choice? I would have to get them elsewhere in that case...
Power Supply - as the computer will be running 24/7, spending extra to get a more efficient power supply will definitely save me money on the electricity bills in the long run.
Graphics - seems to me that the 5770 hits the sweet spot between cost and performance. Vapor-X doesn't cost much more than the normal model, and that extra expense seems well worth it to get a cooler and quieter model to me.
Any comments? Advice? Suggestions on how to change this package?
Does OcUK offer any kind of build-your-system-for-you service? Otherwise, I guess I would have to make my first ever attempt at building my own computer!
A bit scary, but is it really that difficult?
