New Build, already made thread 5 months ago.

[lazerkid]

So due to unexpected exams i had to cancel the order, but now im back to start again and prices have dropped by a bit, im looking to spend about £550-£600 on all the components apart from monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers etc...
Could you recommend me alternatives to make performance/price better. and if something isn't compatible.
The website ill be using is ebuyer.co.uk + scan.co.uk

This is what i found:

Coolermaster Elite 330 Case With Coolermaster eXtreme Power 500W PSU
(£46.90)
Coolermaster Elite 330 Case With Coolermaster eXtreme.. | Ebuyer.com

CPU:Intel CPU Core i5 Unlocked 2500K Sandy Bridge Quad Core Processor (£167.98)
Intel CPU Core i5 Unlocked 2500K Sandy Bridge Quad Core Processor - BX80623I52500K - Scan.co.uk

MOTHERBOARD: Asus P8P67 Rev3 Intel P67 Express Socket 1155 Motherboard - P8P67* - Scan.co.uk
(£107.60)
Asus P8P67 Rev3 Intel P67 Express Socket 1155 Motherboard - P8P67* - Scan.co.uk

RAM: Corsair Memory Vengeance Blue 4GB DDR3 1600 MHz CAS 9 XMP Dual Channel Desktop
(£22.99)
Corsair Memory Vengeance Blue 4GB DDR3 1600 MHz CAS 9 XMP Dual Channel Desktop - CMZ4GX3M2A1600C9B - Scan.co.uk

HDD: Can you recommend me one for range of £50-£70??

OPTICAL DRIVE: Sony AD-5280S-0B 24x DVD±R, 12xDVD±DL, DVD+RW x8/-RWx6 SATA, Black, OEM (£13.98)
24x DVD Writer Sony AD-5280S-0B - Scan.co.uk

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium maybe. £60

GRAPHICS CARD: XFX HD 6850 XXX AMD Radeon Graphics Card - 1GB (£108.82)
XFX HD 6850 XXX AMD Radeon Graphics Card - 1GB - HD-685X-ZNDC - Scan.co.uk



TOTAL: £578.27 ( Including OS = £60, Hardrive = £50 )

[lazerkid]

forgot to mention, is overcloking really neccesary, would 3.3Ghz be capable to run for the next couple of years for gaming?

[glc]

Funny thing - I just speced out a system for another UK member for just over 600 quid *WITHOUT* an operating system - hard drive prices have just about tripled due to the floods in Thailand. Here is the system:

Need help cutting the cost a bit...

Can you increase your budget just a bit? If not, I can suggest some slightly lower priced alternatives.

[jdeb]

Go with a Asus Z68. Gives you the ability to upgrade with a small SSD for hard drive caching. (Intel Smart Response Technology)
Asus P8Z68-V LE Intel Z68 S1155 Motherboard - Scan.co.uk

I would go with the Sapphire card over XFX any day of the week.
Sapphire HD 6850 AMD Radeon Graphics Card - 1GB - 11180-00-20R - Scan.co.uk

Unfortunately because of the shortage, hard drive skyrocketed in price. Here is something for now in your price range.
Western Digital WD5000AAKX Caviar Blue SATA 6Gbps 7200rpm 16MB Cache - Scan.co.uk

Memory is real cheap right now, I would snag 8GB if you can afford it.
Corsair Memory Vengeance LP Blue 8GB DDR3 1600 MHz CAS 9 XMP Dual Channel Desktop Sandybridge - CML8GX3M2A1600C9B - Scan.co.uk

[glc]

Here is the linked post:

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

[lazerkid]

Originally Posted by glc Here is the linked post: 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

How much would all this all cost?
And would i need a HDD at the moment, could i just run the computer with a SSD?
checked and changed case + psu to my one, cost is 462.99 without a HDD and OS

[glc]

How much would all this all cost?

As I said, just over 600 quid without an OS.

The power supply included with that Coolermaster 330 is not very good. If you try to run with just a SSD, you will run out of space VERY quickly.

The WD drive that jdeb linked will only save you 20 quid.

[lazerkid]

Originally Posted by glc As I said, just over 600 quid without an OS. The power supply included with that Coolermaster 330 is not very good. If you try to run with just a SSD, you will run out of space VERY quickly. The WD drive that jdeb linked will only save you 20 quid.

I was thinking of going down to an i3 2100 and then spending more on Graphics card and more on case/psu, the one that was posted before.

EDIT:

Asus P8Z68-V LX Socket 1155 Onboard graphics output 8 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard £80.69.

Corsair 8GB (2X4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz Vengeance Blue "LOW PROFILE" CL9 1.5V
£38.91. (Do i need this much RAM?)

LiteOn iHAS124-19 24x DVD±RW DL & RAM SATA Optical Drive - OEM Black with Nero Essentials £13.95.

Coolermaster Elite 430 All Black Interior Mid Tower Case with Side Window £39.87.

Antec TruePower New 650W Modular PSU £59.99.

Intel Core i3 2100 3.10GHz Socket 1155 3MB L3 Cache Retail Boxed Processor £90.18.

Gigabyte GTX 560 OC Edition 1GB GDDR5 Dual DVI Mini HDMI PCI-E Graphics Card £149.63.

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium w/SP1 - Licence and media - 1 PC - OEM - DVD - 64-bit - English £70.


TOTAL:: £543.95 (with no HDD) Will the graphics card work or shall i go back down to a 6850 which next year i will crossfire, im never aiming to play on best/max graphics, just want to go midway with them,

[glc]

A 6850 is still a very good graphics card. The GTX 560 and Radeon 6870 are pretty much equal in performance, it boils down to your preference of AMD or Nvidia.

Ram is so cheap now that the upgrade from 4gb to 8gb is well worth it.

You may want to stick with a quad core - look at the i5-2300.

That PSU may not be enough to Crossfire 6850's or 6870's. There will be no need to Crossfire if you are happy with midrange graphics, even with a single 6850.

[lazerkid]

So if i change the i3 to an i5 2500k, it should be alright to purchase? if i just make that one change and add a aftermarket cooler and keep the 6850? should all be alright?

[glc]

No reason to get the "K" processor and aftermarket cooler if you won't be overclocking. For GAMING I'd back off on the processor and up the video card to stay in budget.

i5-2300 + 6870/560 would be a fine gamer.

[lazerkid]

i5 2300 is £145.00 and for another £25.00 i can get the 2500k, im getting the K version just incase i change my mind and wish to overclock later on, is 3.3Ghz enough to last couple of years alone, also i cant really spread budget as £600.00 is max im willing. Unless i go for 2500 and will save about £25 to put towards better graphics card.
Or just spend the extra £10 and get the 2500k version and if i decide to OC it next year then buy the aftermarket cooler, and keep the 6850 as i will not be going full detail on games and if i need to change it in 2years ill purchase a new one
Thanks for the ongoing help aswell !

[lazerkid]

looking to purchase first half today,
Asus P8Z68-V LX Socket 1155 Onboard graphics output 8 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard (£80.69)
Corsair 8GB (2X4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz Vengeance Blue "LOW PROFILE" CL9 1.5V (£38.91)
LiteOn iHAS124-19 24x DVD±RW DL & RAM SATA Optical Drive - OEM Black with Nero Essentials (£13.95)
Coolermaster Elite 430 All Black Interior Mid Tower Case with Side Window (£42.50)
Antec TruePower New 650W Modular PSU (£59.99)
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium w/SP1 - Licence and media - 1 PC - OEM - DVD - 64-bit - English (£70.00)

Total: £306.77

Is the PSU an overkill for just working 1 card? and someone double check that everything will work together and that it will all fit ? First time and ill be scared if someone goes wrong because it didn't fit correctly.

Then next week purchase the GPU (6850) + CPU (i5 2500K)

[glc]

The PSU is more than you need for 1 card, but I chose it because the price is right - it's on sale. You do need at least 500 watts for a 6850 or 6870.

This is a good alternative, but the savings are very minimal:

Antec 520W High Current Gamer PSU | Ebuyer.com

[lazerkid]

Originally Posted by glc The PSU is more than you need for 1 card, but I chose it because the price is right - it's on sale. You do need at least 500 watts for a 6850 or 6870. This is a good alternative, but the savings are very minimal: Antec 520W High Current Gamer PSU | Ebuyer.com

ill stick with it then, cheers mate, can you double check my 1st part order that it will all work together and ill order it today.
Corsair Vengeance 4GB DDR3 1600Mhz Memory Module CL9 1.5V (20.00) this or Corsair 8GB (2X4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz Vengeance Blue (38.99) Do i need 8Gb of RAM or just 4Gb?

Thanks in advance, you are a saviour, could not manage all of this by myself!

[glc]

Always get a pair of memory modules - either a 2x2gb or a 2x4gb kit.

Ram is so cheap now that the upgrade from 4gb to 8gb is well worth it.

Make sure it's the low profile ram, because the big heatsinks on the standard Vengeance have clearance issues with aftermarket CPU coolers.

[lazerkid]

Just changed to low profile 2x2gb, So first part is ok to order now, i am just going to change the CPU to i3 2120 and spend more on the graphics card, GTX 560Ti??

[glc]

I'd stick with a quad core.

[lazerkid]

Originally Posted by glc I'd stick with a quad core.

Thanks mate, so what would you opt for, CPU > GPU?

was thinking about maybe upgrading to a i5 2500k in a year or two to cut costs a bit?

Just ordered the Mobo, RAM, Case, PSU, DVD reader. = £210

[glc]

If you are planning on upgrading the CPU later, then an i3 would be fine for now. You are going to find you will need a quad core eventually, more and more games are coming out optimized for quad. The more you multitask, the more you will need a quad. You will also find down the road that you will need to upgrade your ram from 4gb to 8gb.

GPU:

6850 > 550 Ti
6870 = 560
6950 1gb = 560 Ti

just be mindful of the good and not so good brands of graphics cards - for Nvidia, the best are EVGA and Asus. For AMD, the best are Asus and Sapphire.

[lazerkid]

Originally Posted by glc If you are planning on upgrading the CPU later, then an i3 would be fine for now. You are going to find you will need a quad core eventually, more and more games are coming out optimized for quad. The more you multitask, the more you will need a quad. You will also find down the road that you will need to upgrade your ram from 4gb to 8gb. GPU: 6850 > 550 Ti 6870 = 560 6950 1gb = 560 Ti just be mindful of the good and not so good brands of graphics cards - for Nvidia, the best are EVGA and Asus. For AMD, the best are Asus and Sapphire.

This was the graphics card i was looking at . Asus GTX 560Ti DirectCU II 1GB GDDR5 Dual DVI Mini.. | Ebuyer.com

[Pokinawa]

Just wondering where are you buying your parts from? I was thinking overclockers.co.uk. What do you reckon? thanks mate!

[glc]

Overclockers has good parts, but it looks to me like ebuyer is cheaper.

[lazerkid]

Originally Posted by Pokinawa Just wondering where are you buying your parts from? I was thinking overclockers.co.uk. What do you reckon? thanks mate!

i purchase through ebuyer, but scan.co.uk is a good competitor and has quite few items for a few quid cheaper than ebuyer.co.uk.

Originally Posted by glc Overclockers has good parts, but it looks to me like ebuyer is cheaper.

was wondering if you knew anything about £100.00 monitors and what are good brands, was looking at SAMSUNG S22A350H 22" Full HD LED-Backlit Monitor at cheap prices | PC World that or BenQ G2222HDL 21.5-inch Widescreen LED Back-Light Monitor (Full-HD, DVI-D, Glossy Black, 5ms, Vista Premium): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

could you recommend any?

[glc]

I am a big fan of Asus monitors, especially the ones with LED backlights.

ASUS VE228T LCD LED 21.5" DVI-D Monitor with.. | Ebuyer.com

[lazerkid]

So thats a respectable and decent Monitor then do you own one to vouch for it, also do ASUS provide warranty on them?

[lazerkid]

Purchasing this monitor, good reviews + friends own them. Benq G2222HDL 21.5" LED Monitor | Ebuyer.com

[lazerkid]

Slight problem, i need a new monitor so i need to add £100, i can take away £30-40 from the GPU, could you recommend me a graphics card that will run midrange-low graphics for about £100-130

[glc]

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

[lazerkid]

Originally Posted by glc Sapphire HD 6850 1GB GDDR5 DVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E.. | Ebuyer.com

went down shop and found this Asus GeForce GTX 460 1GB PCI-Express HDMI (ENGTX460 DIRECT) - dabs.com

bestbuy is closing down in england and i can get one for £90.00

(includes ASUS Exclusive Voltage Tweak Technology for up to 50% performance) that one if any good?