Gaming PC Advice

[Dayv205GTi]

Hi Guys

Has been a long time since my last PC and I'm looking for one to use mainly for gaming and photo/file storage. I will be playing racing games mainly but also ETS 2, TS 2014 and GTA IV/V (when released) etc looking for one that will deal with these games on a high graphic setting.
I will be using my TV as a monitor to start so I can save on buying a screen and spend more on the build, I know it's not ideal but it's a 50" plasma so hopefully won't be to bad.
This is what I have put together:

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4820K (3.7GHz) 10MB Cache

Motherboard
ASUS® SABERTOOTH X79: SOCKET 2011, R.O.G

Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X BEAST DUAL-DDR3 2133MHz X.M.P (2 x 8GB)

Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 770 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready

1st Hard Disk
250GB Samsung 840 EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 520MB/sW)

2nd Hard Disk
2TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 64MB CACHE

1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM

Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT

Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET (£99)

Processor Cooling
Super Quiet 22dBA Triple Copper Heatpipe Intel CPU Cooler (£19)

Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND (£9)

Sound Card
Asus Xonar DGX 5.1-Channel Gaming Audio Card (£27)

Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs

USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS

Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)

Operating System
Genuine Windows 8.1 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)

Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE

Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE

Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)

Comes in at just under £1500!! ideally I would like to drop that closer to £1000 any advice on what I can drop/change would be great.
I have also selected a 850w PSU, this is mainly because I have had issues with PSU's in the past and wanted to future proof as I will probably add another graphics card to this setup in a year or so.

Also need some recommendation on a case to put it all in and keep it running cool, without being to loud.

Thanks

Anthony

 

[mantadog]

so move towards you ideal price, go for the i74470 in the "top spec configurator", drop to the z87-a motherboard and 8GB of RAM is plenty for gaming. Also get the 2Gb version of the card unless you plan to game on more than 1 screen at a time. the 2Gb card will handle 1080p all day long

 

[Dayv205GTi]

I wasn't in the right section for the build so lowest option it gave me was the k model (was looking at I7 extreme), now amended and it does bring me closer to budget thanks (£1150), as for GPU choice 2gb 770, 4gb 770 or 3gb 780? other than memory size and price is there a noticeable difference between these? I do often run games with mods and want to keep Frame rate drop to a minimum when doing so.
Will be using just the TV for now so yes running on one screen and will most likely switch to a monitor when the budget allows.
8gb of Ram doesn't sound that much these days hence why I was looking at 16gb instead?
I can stretch the budget a bit above the £1150 if it's going to be worth while to do so but if no advantage then I shall just get the above with your amendments.
Also might be worth mentioning I will be using a wheel (G25 or T500) and TrackIR whilst playing aswell.
Oh and advice for case choice as I have yet to pick one?

Thanks

P.S My original thread post seems to have disappeared??

 

[Rakk]

P.S My original thread post seems to have disappeared??

When you are new to the forums, your posts will often get auto-moderated and require approval from a moderator before anyone can see them, this can include edits to previously posts - it should be visible now

 

[Dayv205GTi]

When you are new to the forums, your posts will often get auto-moderated and require approval from a moderator before anyone can see them, this can include edits to previously posts - it should be visible now

Doh daft noob mistake :whistling:

 

[Dayv205GTi]

Ok so revised spec is as follows:

Case
COOLERMASTER CM STORM ENFORCER - GAMING ENTHUSIAST CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4770 (3.4GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® Z87-A: ATX, USB3.0, SATA6GB/S, SLi, XFIRE
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X BEAST DUAL-DDR3 2133MHz X.M.P (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 770 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
1st Hard Disk
250GB Samsung 840 EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
2TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 64MB CACHE
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET (£99)
Processor Cooling
Super Quiet 22dBA Triple Copper Heatpipe Intel CPU Cooler (£19)
Sound Card
Asus Xonar DGX 5.1-Channel Gaming Audio Card (£27)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 8.1 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Keyboard & Mouse
CM Storm Devastator Keyboard and Mouse (£29)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 11 to 13 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £1,270.00 including VAT and delivery.


So much nearer my initial budget have also decided to stick with 8gb Ram on this order as I can buy another 8gb of the same spec at a later date for just £65 so will add this afterwards instead, just need some advice as to the case choice and which graphics card to pick?

Thanks

 

[GeorgeHillier]

Ok so revised spec is as follows:

Case
COOLERMASTER CM STORM ENFORCER - GAMING ENTHUSIAST CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4770 (3.4GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® Z87-A: ATX, USB3.0, SATA6GB/S, SLi, XFIRE
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X BEAST DUAL-DDR3 2133MHz X.M.P (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 770 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
1st Hard Disk
250GB Samsung 840 EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
2TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 64MB CACHE
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET (£99)
Processor Cooling
Super Quiet 22dBA Triple Copper Heatpipe Intel CPU Cooler (£19)
Sound Card
Asus Xonar DGX 5.1-Channel Gaming Audio Card (£27)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 8.1 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Keyboard & Mouse
CM Storm Devastator Keyboard and Mouse (£29)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 11 to 13 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £1,270.00 including VAT and delivery.


So much nearer my initial budget have also decided to stick with 8gb Ram on this order as I can buy another 8gb of the same spec at a later date for just £65 so will add this afterwards instead, just need some advice as to the case choice and which graphics card to pick?

Thanks

Don't bother with the 4gb version of the 770, get the 2gb version, or the 780 if your budget will stretch that far

 

[Boozad]

No need for 2400MHz RAM, if you're not overclocking you'll get no benefit. Go for the Fury. And get the 780, the 4GB 770 will offer no benefit over the 2GB 770 on one screen as mantadog has already said.

 

[Dayv205GTi]

Thanks guys, I did think about dropping to 1600mhz but is only an couple of pounds for extra for the 2133mhz so figured I may as we'll go for the higher.
There is quite a jump price wise to the 780! Is it really worth the extra? Could buy 2 2gb 770's for the same price?
Maybe I could save money on the case?
Also windows 7 or 8, have heard bad things regarding 8?
Sorry for all the questions but has been a long time since I built my last PC! (10 years)
Is a lot of money to spend so want to make sure I get it right

Thanks

 

[GeorgeHillier]

Thanks guys, I did think about dropping to 1600mhz but is only an couple of pounds for extra for the 2133mhz so figured I may as we'll go for the higher.
There is quite a jump price wise to the 780! Is it really worth the extra? Could buy 2 2gb 770's for the same price?
Maybe I could save money on the case?
Also windows 7 or 8, have heard bad things regarding 8?
Sorry for all the questions but has been a long time since I built my last PC! (10 years)
Is a lot of money to spend so want to make sure I get it right

Thanks

The 780 will be better than 2x770 as the 2x770 will require a larger PSU and run a lot hotter than a single 780.

Windows 7 has a more traditional windows desktop whereas Windows 8 is designed more for touch screens. Personally I prefer windows 7 but it's down to you.

 

[keynes]

I attempted to play on a plasma TV same size as yours, not as good as a monitor for me. The 2133mhz may be a few pounds extra but for no noticeable difference why getting it? I wouldn't try to save money on the case but if you are planning to game on your TV I would stick with the gtx 770 2gb.

 

[Dayv205GTi]

I attempted to play on a plasma TV same size as yours, not as good as a monitor for me. The 2133mhz may be a few pounds extra but for no noticeable difference why getting it? I wouldn't try to save money on the case but if you are planning to game on your TV I would stick with the gtx 770 2gb.

Am starting with the TV so I can spend more on the PC components but will be buying a dedicated monitor in the future (when the budget allows) am going to see if I can stretch to the 780 as hopefully it will last a bit longer before it will need upgrading.
I thing I will probably only run the one monitor though as I don't see the need for 2/3 for gaming?
Can't make my mind up on windows 7 or 8 though!

Thanks for all the help so far.... REP added to all

 

[Dayv205GTi]

New question regarding sound cards, I need a card that I can hook up to my AV Receiver so I can run 5.2 or 7.2 from it, doesn't need to be expensive the cheaper the better to be honest.
I remember buying a card for the last PC to do this via optical out but it still only produced L/R signal not surround. The Receiver does have several HDMI inputs so can I use the HDMI from the GPU to run surround sound via HDMI?

Thanks

 

[steaky360]

I use a HDMI for my living room PC to send both sound and video to my AV unit. You won't need a special sound card to do it this way.

 

[Dayv205GTi]

I use a HDMI for my living room PC to send both sound and video to my AV unit. You won't need a special sound card to do it this way.

Excellent so I could save £30 and ditch the sound card then! does that give you full surround when watching films and gaming then or does your AV unit spread the sound across all the speakers (if you understand what I mean?)

 

[Lex1970]

I just purchased a Sound Card for my PC it does make a difference using headphones with the Headphone AMP, Dolby and Surround Sound that a Sound Card offers but you don't need to spend much I bought a Asus Xonar in the end.

 

[steaky360]

I just purchased a Sound Card for my PC it does make a difference using headphones with the Headphone AMP, Dolby and Surround Sound that a Sound Card offers but you don't need to spend much I bought a Asus Xonar in the end.

I don't think it'll make a difference if the OP is outputting the sound via HDMI though (I could be wrong about that though). I always thought if that was the case the sound decoding is done by the receiver (ie AV receiver etc.).

As you say, if using external speakers via a jack or headphones via a jack (not USB) then it will most certainly make a difference.

 

[Spuff]

As you say, if using external speakers via a jack or headphones via a jack (not USB) then it will most certainly make a difference.

If the USB is feeding a good digital converter then you won't notice a difference. USB and HDMI are well capable of delivering several channels of 'professional' quality audio data.
At some point the digital signal in your computer has to be converted to an electrical audio signal (to ultimately drive speaker or headphone cones). Whether that happens in an interface integrated into your PC or a device many feet away being fed by any suitable digital signal conduit doesn't make a difference.
If, for instance, you had 'USB speakers' the speaker housing would have a digital converter in it that has to provide an electrical voltage to drive the speaker cones.
The quality of the digital conversion, and audio equipment and components that handle the resulting electrical voltage will vary though, and thus the ultimate results vary.

For the highest quality sound it is therefore more cost effective to have one good interface that can drive all your audio equipment rather than each piece of equipment having its own equivalent converter.
But even if you are supplying a pristine electrical signal to ropy speakers/headphones, the sound will still be ropy.

 

[Dayv205GTi]

ok if I give you the details of my set up perhaps you could recommend what I need?
I want to have full 7.2 or at least 5.1 running whilst gaming i.e rear speakers give off the sounds going on behind me and the fronts etc etc like when watching a movie or playing Xbone etc only I'm not sure how to do this?
I currently have a Sony AV Receiver (not sure exact model at present but If important will add when I get home) I run all the games consoles through it (via HDMI) and until the Xbone my Tivo box aswell (now feed that into the Xbone for voice control). AV unit decodes and runs surround on everything whether its 2 channel or full surround (HDMI carries full dolby surround signal). Speaker wise I have a full KEF setup with floor standing fronts and bookshelf speakers elsewhere (centre, rears etc) also running 2 Paradigm subs! so speakers are very good quality!
I would like to have the PC running sound through this and play the games in full surround sound (if possible) not even sure if all PC games have surround sound?
So basically can I use the HDMI from the GPU to do this or do I need to get a dedicated sound card in order to run full surround?
Hope that all makes sense?!?

Thanks

 

[Spuff]

I don't have experience of it, and a general net search therefore might be better than me telling you, but I do know that HDMI can carry 5.1 (I think only HDMI can), I'm not sure about 7.2.
You need something that can decode the surround signal from the HDMI and distribute the separate channels to your speakers. If your equipment can do this then you're good to go, HMDI can carry the 5.1 audio along with the video.

As I understand it no games output 7.1 or 7.2, but games often nowadays do 5.1.