Spec for DAW and casual gaming

[Failsafe]

I'm looking to upgrade my aging PC - e8400, HD4870.
Will be keeping my Dell U2312 and I'm hoping my PSU, a Corsair HX520 can be part of the new build.

Don't game so much any more but would like to have a little horsepower should I find a game that takes my fancy. A 750ti would probably fit the bill but thinking more along the lines of a R9 380.

I like to create tunes, so am wondering if it would be better to go for 16 gigs of RAM instead of 8. My current PC has 6 gigs of DDR2 and with multiple VSTs and effects on the go it can be a bit demanding.

Used to overclock the e8400 but I'm wondering if it's worth the effort any more. If I'm looking at something like an i5 do i need to get something like a 4690K or should I just go for a 4590 and save £30.

Chuck in a 256 gig SSD and some extra storage, motherboard (possibly a sound card), a new case and optical drive and I'm looking at around £750.

Would an i3 and a 750ti do the job for casual gaming and for my music? That'll knock off a fair few quid. Or should I go down the i5 R9 380 route?

Just after a good value build that will serve me well as a DAW and for the odd game. Could I get what I need for £550 / £600 or would the extra outlay be worth it?

Advice / build ideas appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[dacads]

You want to go with the latest Skylake chips mate i.e i5 6600k along with a Z170 motherboard and DDR4 RAM. 16GB would definitely be worth it considering you will be using multiple VSTs.

An i3 and 750ti might suffice it really depends on what games you intend on playing, I wouldn't expect any wonders on games such as GTA V but something less intensive you could manage.

If you go with i5 then no need to for k chip if you won't be overclocking, but you might want to in future if you start gaming more in which case the k chip might be worth it.

Personally I'd go with the i5 6600k as it will last for years to come without any worry of having to upgrade. You can always get a better graphics card down the line depending on your needs.

 

[Failsafe]

Would the most suitable build be the Skylake route?
In terms of what I really need to meet my needs versus expense?
I had been wondering whether I should go i3, rather than i5 due to cost.

What would be a suitable build at around £750 to meet my needs?
If I could do it for £650 even better.
Any advice?
Thanks

 

[dacads]

Definitely, the i3 Skylake chips aren't out yet but will be soon. As I said before i5 will definitely be the best value in terms of performance as you won't have to worry about upgrading for a good few years at least.

So what is it you're looking to be included for £650? I.e peripherals, monitor and OS as well?

 

[jamieboo]

Don't know if it's helpful but I've just got together all the components for my new build - which is specifically for a DAW (and occasional gaming - like you) and I've gone the X99 route with a 5820k. The extra cores will come in handy for music production and VST routing.

 

[Failsafe]

So what is it you're looking to be included for £650? I.e peripherals, monitor and OS as well?

Sorted for monitor, PSU and OS.

This was the sort of thing I had in mind

YOUR BASKET
1 x MSI Radeon R9 380 Gaming 4096MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £179.99
1 x Intel Core i5-4590 3.30GHz (Haswell) Socket LGA1150 Processor - Retail £161.99
1 x Kingston HyperX Beast 16GB (2x8GB) PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KHX16C9T3K2/16X) £79.99
1 x Asrock H97 Pro4 Intel H97 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £69.95
1 x Crucial BX100 250GB SSD SATA 6Gbps 7mm Solid State Drive (CT250BX100SSD1) £69.95
1 x Antec VSP5000 Silenced Tower Case - Black £39.95
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo CPU Cooler £24.97
1 x Samsung SH-118CB/BEBE SATA 18x DVD-ROM (Black) - OEM £13.99
Total : £640.78 (includes shipping : Ex.VAT).

 

[dacads]

Looks like you've done your homework. The remaining skylake chips will be released soon, so may be worth waiting for that.

Are you sure you don't want an unlocked chip? It'll mean you can overclock in future for a boost in performance, and cost isn't that much extra.

Also try getting a MSI or Gigabyte motherboard as they have a great RMA service if it's needed.

 

[Failsafe]

Looks like you've done your homework. The remaining skylake chips will be released soon, so may be worth waiting for that.

I don't mind hanging on for a few weeks, a month or more, if I can get something better for a similar price.

Are you sure you don't want an unlocked chip? It'll mean you can overclock in future for a boost in performance, and cost isn't that much extra.

How much performance gain would I really see? Is it really worth it? If it is then yes, I'd go for it. I do want to build this to a price and not get giddy.

Also try getting a MSI or Gigabyte motherboard as they have a great RMA service if it's needed.

To be honest I had been looking at a Z97 but picked the Asrock on price given that I wouldn't be overclocking the 4590.

If anyone has any build ideas for a Skylake build that won't cost too much more then I'd appreciate the input.
Also, the GTX 950 is out shortly. As a casual gamer at 1080P, and not requiring everything on ultra, would that save me a few quid and still offer decent performance?
Thanks.

 

[Bart_Hunt]

We are about a week or so away from GTX 950/950Ti release so you might want to wait and see how these perform. I think they will cost around 130-150.