Need help cutting the cost a bit...

[Pokinawa]

Hi guys,

My first time building a PC from scratch. Any help would be appreciated and please do let me know where I am over killing it a bit.

I need to cut down the price a bit. Help!

Here's my parts list:

1. Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 6870 1024MB Graphics Card - £149.99
2. AMD Phenom II X6 Six Core 1055T 2.80GHz - £131.99
3. Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 32MB Cache - £109.99
4. Asus M5A97 PRO AMD 970 (Socket AM3+) DDR3 Motherboard - £93.98
5. Antec High Current Gamer 750W Quad Rail '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply - £84.98
6. Antec Dark Fleet Series DF10 Gaming Enclosure - £59.99
7. Antec Kúhler H2O 620 CPU Watercooler - £46.99
8. Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit - £41.99
9. Sony Optiarc AD-7280S 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - £19.99

Net total of £754. I think I have spiraled out of my budget here! I was looking at the £500-£600 mark.

P.S: Used for gaming, a massive multi-tasker, photo editing (photoshop etc.), Programming etc. etc.

Thanks!
Pokinawa

[birddog_61]

What is the computer going to be used for mainly? If its a gaming computer then there is no need for a six core processor, most games still only use two cores and none that I know of will use more than four. So switch to a quad core and cut some cost there. You don't need that much power supply, an antec or corsair tx series in the 650w range is plenty, unless your going to be overclocking heavily then there is no need for a cooler like that stick to a cheaper air cooler like a hyper 212+. You don't need special hyperx ram or 1600mhz, get 2 4gb sticks of 1333 corsair,kingston,crucial, or a-data. What store are you getting your prices from? If you let me know I can actually link you the parts I would suggest.

[Pokinawa]

Thanks for your reply! The system is mainly going to be used for GAMING and Photo Editing... The reason I opted for x6 is because the price difference between x4 and x6 is around £20!

I am getting my prices from overclockers.co.uk.

Thanks again!

[glc]

I don't do AMD builds, but I can suggest an Intel build that will fit in your budget:

Coolermaster Elite 430 All Black Interior Mid Tower.. | Ebuyer.com

Antec TruePower New 650W Modular PSU | Ebuyer.com

Asus P8Z68-V LX Socket 1155 Onboard graphics output 8.. | Ebuyer.com

Intel Core i5 2500K 3.3GHz Socket 1155 6MB Cache.. | Ebuyer.com

Corsair 8GB (2X4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz Vengeance Blue.. | Ebuyer.com

Hitachi Deskstar 1TB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 32MB.. | Ebuyer.com

LiteOn iHAS124-19 24x DVD±RW DL & RAM SATA.. | Ebuyer.com

HIS HD 6850 1GB GDDR5 Dual DVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E.. | Ebuyer.com

[Pokinawa]

Thanks glc...

Quick question, most people are saying that for gaming get a quad core.. but wouldn't it be a bit future proof (3-4 years) to get a hex core (not just gaming)?

Especially when AMD Phenom II x6 @2.8 GHz is £132 and @3.30 Ghz is £220.

While AMD Phenom II x4 @3.0 Ghz is £110 and @3.6 Ghz is £140.

So between 3 GHz x4 and 2.8 GHz x6.. it's a tough one isn't it for £20 difference?

Please advise.

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by Pokinawa Thanks glc... Quick question, most people are saying that for gaming get a quad core.. but wouldn't it be a bit future proof (3-4 years) to get a hex core (not just gaming)? Especially when AMD Phenom II x6 @2.8 GHz is £132 and @3.30 Ghz is £220. While AMD Phenom II x4 @3.0 Ghz is £110 and @3.6 Ghz is £140. So between 3 GHz x4 and 2.8 GHz x6.. it's a tough one isn't it for £20 difference? Please advise.

I would not change a thing from your original post.

[glc]

Someone else will have to advise you on an AMD CPU/motherboard combo. At your budget point you can't afford to be too fussy.

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by glc Someone else will have to advise you on an AMD CPU/motherboard combo. At your budget point you can't afford to be too fussy.

Right. With the needs the original poster indicated, the hardware is where he needs to be at in the OP if he is gonna stick with AMD. Sure I could trim it but he says gaming and massive multi tasking, I think stong CPU and Video card.

[glc]

I got the price down almost 150 quid. Surely you can do something with AMD to get it down in that range.

[jdeb]

Total 565.00

Board will probably automatically unlock CPU to six core.

Asus M4A88T-M/USB3 880G Socket AM3 DVI VGA HDMI Out 8.. | Ebuyer.com

AMD 960T Black Edition 3.0GHz Socket AM3 8MB L2 Cache.. | Ebuyer.com

Kingston 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1333MHz HyperX Blu Memory.. | Ebuyer.com

Sapphire HD 6870 1GB GDDR5 DVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E.. | Ebuyer.com

Hitachi Deskstar 1TB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 32MB.. | Ebuyer.com

LiteOn iHAS124-19 24x DVD±RW DL & RAM SATA.. | Ebuyer.com

Corsair TX 650W V2 PSU - 80plus Bronze Certified | Ebuyer.com

Coolermaster Elite 430 All Black Interior Mid Tower.. | Ebuyer.com

[birddog_61]

If your willing to use intel then glc's build is fantastic and the 2500k will outperform the amd chips listed here at gaming and at multitasking.
Sandy Bridge Multi-tasking and Overall Performance | bit-tech.net
AnandTech - The Sandy Bridge Review: Intel Core i7-2600K, i5-2500K and Core i3-2100 Tested

If you just like amd better and want to use their stuff then jdeb's build is very nice. Now just because one processor is a 6 core does not mean it will multitask better than a quad, there are lots of factors that come in to play. Also I have no idea what you mean when you say "heavy" multitasker. I know that I can run photoshop, browse the internet with multiple tabs open, and listen to music all at the same time without so much as a hiccup from my quad core.

[Pokinawa]

Thanks glc, jdeb and birddog_61 for your advice.

I am slowly shying away from AMD now after some research online and looking at various websites with benchmarks. In your honest opinion (and I understand this is personal opinion), would you choose i5 or i7 over AMD?

Also is there much noticeable performance difference between i5 2500: and i7 2600K?

P.S: I have no loyalty to either brand.

[glc]

I personally don't think the i7 is worth the premium over the i5 unless you heavily multitask with apps that can take advantage of the hyperthreading.

[birddog_61]

If your a heavy photoshoper and can swing the additional cost then the i7 makes since because Photoshop can take advantage of hyperthreading, however if you would want to make up the cost by lowering other components of the build then I would say stick with the i5.

[Pokinawa]

Thanks everyone.. you have been a great help! I am glad I found this forum online! Here's the updated parts list:

Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - £167.99

Asus P8Z68-V LX Socket 1155 Onboard graphics output 8 - £89.98

Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 6870 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card - £149.99

OCZ Agility 3 60GB 2.5" SATA-3 Solid State Hard Drive (AGT3-25SAT3-60G) - £79.99

Antec TruePower New Modular 650W '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply - £69.98

Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit - £47.99

Antec Kúhler H2O 620 CPU Watercooler - £46.99

Sony Optiarc AD-5280S 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - £18.98

Sub Total : £574.91

Final suggestions before I buy this beast.. Since I still have some room to wiggle with costs at the moment, can go up to £650! Any comments on Graphics card (if there's a better one out there?) and cases...

I am a bit of an appearance junkie but a roomy case (with flashy leds! ) under £70 would be nice!

Thanks again guys! I am nearly there with my build!

[jdeb]

Since your going with the Intel build, change the ram to this because it supports XMP

Corsair 8GB (2X4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz Vengeance Blue.. | Ebuyer.com

[glc]

You aren't going to be able to do much at all with only a 60gb SSD and no hard drive.

[lazerkid]

Originally Posted by Pokinawa Thanks everyone.. you have been a great help! I am glad I found this forum online! Here's the updated parts list: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - £167.99 Asus P8Z68-V LX Socket 1155 Onboard graphics output 8 - £89.98 Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 6870 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card - £149.99 OCZ Agility 3 60GB 2.5" SATA-3 Solid State Hard Drive (AGT3-25SAT3-60G) - £79.99 Antec TruePower New Modular 650W '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply - £69.98 Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit - £47.99 Antec Kúhler H2O 620 CPU Watercooler - £46.99 Sony Optiarc AD-5280S 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - £18.98 Sub Total : £574.91 Final suggestions before I buy this beast.. Since I still have some room to wiggle with costs at the moment, can go up to £650! Any comments on Graphics card (if there's a better one out there?) and cases... I am a bit of an appearance junkie but a roomy case (with flashy leds! ) under £70 would be nice! Thanks again guys! I am nearly there with my build!

You mean total price of that around £675.00, you added up wrong and might want to rethink if budget is £650. Id reccomend taking away H20 watercooler and opting for a heatsink of some sort for about £20.00 this would put you into your budget. Also opting for corsair vengeance 2x4gb would save you £8.00 leaving for LED's.

[glc]

A cooler can always be added later - the stock heatsink is adequate if you aren't overclocking.

[Pokinawa]

Originally Posted by glc You aren't going to be able to do much at all with only a 60gb SSD and no hard drive.

Yes, the SSD is only to install the OS (not even the user profiles). I will be using my old 500GB HDD for everything else!

Id reccomend taking away H20 watercooler and opting for a heatsink of some sort for about £20.00.

I did want to overclock the proc tho.. However, If I don't get a HSF or liquid cooling at all and only use the one that comes with the core, would the temperatures go way up? Would it be ok at stock speed with the included HSF at least?

[birddog_61]

The stock heatsink has been good up to the low 4 range for some people, if you decide to do a mild OC on the stock heatsink just keep an eye on your temps, anything over 85c when stress testing and I would say your have gone to far.

[glc]

Why don't you use the SSD as a cache with SRT? This will benefit the whole hard drive and it does cut the boot time in half.

[Pokinawa]

Originally Posted by glc Why don't you use the SSD as a cache with SRT? This will benefit the whole hard drive and it does cut the boot time in half.

Won't a dedicated SSD for the OS give me better performance boost overall though?? Or will the data HDD without caching pull it down anyway?

Also, I am going for the Zalman Z9 plus case.. cheap, loads of fans etc.. Only worry is it says "mid tower" so will it have enough room for my graphics card etc? Anyone have any experience with this case?

Ordering parts from ebuyer (mobo, RAM, case, SSD) and overclockers (the rest without graphics card). Will probably get a graphics card when I get paid next!

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by Pokinawa Won't a dedicated SSD for the OS give me better performance boost overall though?? Or will the data HDD without caching pull it down anyway? Also, I am going for the Zalman Z9 plus case.. cheap, loads of fans etc.. Only worry is it says "mid tower" so will it have enough room for my graphics card etc? Anyone have any experience with this case? Ordering parts from ebuyer (mobo, RAM, case, SSD) and overclockers (the rest without graphics card). Will probably get a graphics card when I get paid next!

The problem is the SSD is rather small. If you are going to load OS and applications on the ssd and make it a boot drive then 120 gb would make more sense. It really depends on what applications you have to install and how much space they will take up. Keep in mind, a 60gb ssd drive will leave you with approximately 56 gb after format, 17 to 20 for the W7 OS and adding applications to the drive can eat up space real quick.

The solution is a SSD that gives you breathing room for applications. If you do not have that breathing room or budget, then simply make your mechanical drive the target for OS and applications and use the SSD for a caching (SRT) drive. This will increase the performance of the spin drive considerably and you will be taking advantage of the technology offered from the Z68 chipset. Make sure you follow the directions in the motherboard manual. SRT and BIOS configuration is setup prior to OS installation.

[Pokinawa]

Hi guys,

Just placed my order today! Thanks for all your help! Much appreciated.

Here's the list of stuff I ordered (from ebuyer):

This order contains the following items; Item: Benq G2222HDL LCD LED 21.5" DVI-D Monitor Qty: 1 Cost: £87.91 Item: Asus P8Z68-V LX Socket 1155 Onboard graphics output 8 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard Qty: 1 Cost: £67.24 Item: Intel Core i5 2500K 3.3GHz Socket 1155 6MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor Qty: 1 Cost: £142.48 Item: Corsair 8GB (2X4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz Vengeance Blue "LOW PROFILE" CL9 1.5V Qty: 1 Cost: £32.42 Item: Antec TruePower New 650W Modular PSU Qty: 1 Cost: £49.99 Item: LiteOn iHAS124-19 24x DVD±RW DL & RAM SATA Optical Drive - OEM Black with Nero Essentials Qty: 1 Cost: £11.62 Item: Sapphire HD 6870 1GB GDDR5 DVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Graphics Card Qty: 1 Cost: £115.87 Item: Logitech Deluxe 250 Black Keyboard - PS2 - OEM Qty: 1 Cost: £5.71 Item: Xenta Black Gaming Mouse - Switchable 400-2000 DPI 5 Button Qty: 1 Cost: £3.32 Item: Hitachi Deskstar 1TB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 32MB Cache - OEM Qty: 1 Cost: £74.99 Item: Coolermaster Elite 430 All Black Interior Mid Tower Case with Side Window Qty: 1 Cost: £35.41 Item: 120mm Blue LED Fan - 4pin Molex Connection Qty: 3 Cost: £2.20 ----------------------------------------------------------- Shipping method: Next Working Day at £13.44 Sub Total: 647.00 VAT Total: 129.46 Total: £776.46

It was well within budget (after including monitor and peripherals). Thanks for the advice glc, jdeb, birddog n everyone else who contributed.... I will be putting it together as soon as I get it.. Will post my experience of putting together my first build soon!

[Pokinawa]

Guys I am seeing some weird behaviour.. Just set the whole thing up booted it up... and it gets to the BIOS.. However, there's an occasional beep and shut down! In the BIOS the core temperature seems to be at 90 degrees Celsius!?!?

Can someone please advise as to what I have done wrong? I am seriously pissed off right now after 4-5 hours of banging my head against the wall...

[Pokinawa]

P.S: BIOS screen says overclocking failed! I haven't done anything yet!

[Pokinawa]

Update: Temp problem solved by re-installing the heat sink... around 38 degrees now..

BIOS issues still there.. anyone aware of this? Perhaps a BIOS update for ASUS is needed?

[Pokinawa]

Sorry for the constant spam.. but this might help some of you..

All problems solved, I recommend checking you CMOS jumper cap is in the right position and also updating the BIOS. If getting the "overclocking failed" message in BIOS with the P8Z68-V LX mobo...

please clear your CMOS using the jumper at the bottom right corner and update BIOS. Don't know which of these steps did it for me...

[jdeb]

Did you buy from Tiger Direct? Was it an open box discount item from another retailer?