My tiny terrier of a computer.

A

AdamK

New member
Hi guys! Found some money down the back of the sofa so I thought I would head back into the gaming PC world with a headbutt. I've had two gaming PC's before hand, one in 2003 then one in 2007 both built by myself and both working but quite a slug by today's standards. This time I've left it to the experts to build me this tiny monster, complete with a HD monitor and speakers. I am quite rusty when it comes to picking and choosing off a website and not a huge fan of overclocking (boo,hiss) but I've done a 3 week research, visiting shops looking at the components in shops and reading un-biased reviews on this forum. So please tell me how well I did or what I've completely messed up! ;)

Case
InWIN BLACK GR-1 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-3570K (3.4GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® MAXIMUS V GENE: M-ATX, INTEL Z77 ROG MOTHERBOARD
Memory (RAM)
4GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz X.M.P(2 x 2GB KIT)
Graphics Card
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 670 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
1TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 32MB CACHE
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W ENTHUSIAST SERIES™ TX650 V2-80 PLUS® BRONZE (£69)
Processor Cooling
COOLIT ECO II C240 DUAL RAD LIQUID CPU COOLER (Special Offer) (£69)
Fan Controller
AeroCool Touch 2000 LCD Touch Screen 4 Fan Controller + 2 x Front USB
Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D Fatal1ty Champion (£119) *SPECIAL*
Network Facilities
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL (MIN 2 FRONT PORTS) AS STANDARD
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)
Anti-Virus
BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL
Monitor
IIYAMA E2273HDS 22" LED WIDESCREEN, HDMI/DVI-D 1920x1080 (£119)
Speakers
CREATIVE INSPIRE A520 5.1 SURROUND SPEAKER SYSTEM (£49)
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

Can't wait for it to be built and to arrive, I'll be sure to follow up with photos and a review of the like! Thanks for looking! :D
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
Hi,
I'd suggest at least getting silver warranty for £5. The maximus is a micro-ATX board and I think it comes with better onboard audio than other boards but since you are going to use a sound card you may want to consider a different/cheaper motherboard and a caviar black as the main drive.
 
A

AdamK

New member
rubensolo said:
Hi,
I'd suggest at least getting silver warranty for £5. The maximus is a micro-ATX board and I think it comes with better onboard audio than other boards but since you are going to use a sound card you may want to consider a different/cheaper motherboard and a caviar black as the main drive.
Click to expand...

Ok thanks! I've bumped it up to silver and removed the sound card. Anything I should add that should be there? Thanks!
 
A

AdamK

New member
I have now changed my computer specs in the following fashion based on rubensolo's recommendation:

1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm) from 1TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 32MB CACHE

Memory (RAM) OLD 4GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz X.M.P(2 x 2GB KIT)
CHANGED 8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)

SSD CACHE DRIVE OLD NONE
CHANGED 20GB INTEL® SSD 313 SERIES - SLC CACHE DRIVE FOR SYSTEM / 1st HDD

Sound Card OLD Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D Fatal1ty Champion (£119) *SPECIAL*
CHANGED ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)

Monitor OLD IIYAMA E2273HDS 22" LED WIDESCREEN, HDMI/DVI-D 1920x1080 (£119)
CHANGED IIYAMA E2473HDS 24" LED WIDESCREEN, 2 HDMI/DVI-D 1920x1080 (£159)

Warranty OLD 3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
CHANGED 3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)
 
Last edited:
Wolvo7

Wolvo7

Bright Spark
You said you're not a huge fan of overclocking, so does that mean that you're not gonna OC at any point? Your build is optimized for overclocking, with the K version of the CPU and liquid cooling.

If you don't plan on OCing, you can swap to the non-K version of the CPU and go with the triple copper CPU cooler as liquid cooling would be overkill for a non-OC rig, unless you like the looks or the fact that it's slightly quieter.

You could then use the money you save towards getting a real SSD as opposed to the SSD cache. I'd also get at least a 750W PSU so that you have the option to SLI you GTX 670 down the line.

One last thing to consider is that your mobo is a mini-ATX board, which means that it has less PCI and PCIe slots compared to standard size boards. It's up to you to decide if you prefer the exclusive features of the Maximus, such as better audio, over the possibility of adding more expansion cards down the line such as additional USB ports, wireless card etc..

Your present spec comes down to 1473 pounds. This spec would be cheaper and better for gaming.

Case

InWIN BLACK GR-1 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)

Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-3570 (3.4GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard

ASUS® MAXIMUS V GENE: M-ATX, INTEL Z77 ROG MOTHERBOARD
Memory (RAM)

8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card

2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 670 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk

120GB INTEL® 330 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 500MB/sR | 450MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk

1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive

24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply

CORSAIR 750W ENTHUSIAST SERIES™ TX750 V2-80 PLUS® BRONZE (£86)
Processor Cooling

SUPER QUIET 22dBA TRIPLE COPPER HEATPIPE INTEL CPU COOLER (£19)
Fan Controller

AeroCool Touch 2000 LCD Touch Screen 4 Fan Controller + 2 x Front USB
Sound Card

ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities

10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options

6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL (MIN 2 FRONT PORTS) AS STANDARD
Operating System

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Office Software

FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)
Anti-Virus

BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL
Monitor

IIYAMA E2473HDS 24" LED WIDESCREEN, 2 HDMI/DVI-D 1920x1080 (£159)
Speakers

CREATIVE INSPIRE A520 5.1 SURROUND SPEAKER SYSTEM (£49)
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 9 to 11 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £1,447.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/intel-ivy-bridge-pc/vbf42EmSot/
 
Last edited:
A

AdamK

New member
Wolvo7 said:
You said you're not a huge fan of overclocking, so does that mean that you're not gonna OC at any point? Your build is optimized for overclocking, with the K version of the CPU and liquid cooling.

If you don't plan on OCing, you can swap to the non-K version of the CPU and go with the triple copper CPU cooler as liquid cooling would be overkill for a non-OC rig, unless you like the looks or the fact that it's slightly quieter.

You could then use the money you save towards getting a real SSD as opposed to the SSD cache. I'd also get at least a 750W PSU so that you have the option to SLI you GTX 670 down the line.

One last thing to consider is that your mobo is a mini-ATX board, which means that it has less PCI and PCIe slots compared to standard size boards. It's up to you to decide if you prefer the exclusive features of the Maximus, such as better audio, over the possibility of adding more expansion cards down the line such as additional USB ports, wireless card etc..

Your present spec comes down to 1473 pounds. This spec would be cheaper and better for gaming.

Case

InWIN BLACK GR-1 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)

Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-3570 (3.4GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard

ASUS® MAXIMUS V GENE: M-ATX, INTEL Z77 ROG MOTHERBOARD
Memory (RAM)

8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card

2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 670 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk

120GB INTEL® 330 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 500MB/sR | 450MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk

1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive

24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply

CORSAIR 750W ENTHUSIAST SERIES™ TX750 V2-80 PLUS® BRONZE (£86)
Processor Cooling

SUPER QUIET 22dBA TRIPLE COPPER HEATPIPE INTEL CPU COOLER (£19)
Fan Controller

AeroCool Touch 2000 LCD Touch Screen 4 Fan Controller + 2 x Front USB
Sound Card

ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities

10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options

6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL (MIN 2 FRONT PORTS) AS STANDARD
Operating System

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Office Software

FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)
Anti-Virus

BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL
Monitor

IIYAMA E2473HDS 24" LED WIDESCREEN, 2 HDMI/DVI-D 1920x1080 (£159)
Speakers

CREATIVE INSPIRE A520 5.1 SURROUND SPEAKER SYSTEM (£49)
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 9 to 11 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £1,447.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/intel-ivy-bridge-pc/vbf42EmSot/
Click to expand...

I've changed my mind about overclocking as I've seen how easy it is to do these days! Not like years ago haha.
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
AdamK said:
I've changed my mind about overclocking as I've seen how easy it is to do these days! Not like years ago haha.
Click to expand...

You could also get a pre-overclocked system from PCS with better thermal paste and avoid instability issues when setting the OC.
 
Narcotics

Narcotics

Rising Star
I have that motherboard and the onboard sound is really good

Case
InWIN BLACK GR-1 GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-3570 (3.4GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® MAXIMUS V GENE: M-ATX, INTEL Z77 ROG MOTHERBOARD
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 670 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
120GB INTEL® 330 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 500MB/sR | 450MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W ENTHUSIAST SERIES™ TX650 V2-80 PLUS® BRONZE (£69)
Processor Cooling
SUPER QUIET 22dBA TRIPLE COPPER HEATPIPE INTEL CPU COOLER (£19)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL (MIN 2 FRONT PORTS) AS STANDARD
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)
Anti-Virus
BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL
Monitor
IIYAMA E2773HDS 27" LED WIDESCREEN, HDMI/DVI-D HD1920x1080 (£239)
Speakers
CREATIVE INSPIRE A520 5.1 SURROUND SPEAKER SYSTEM (£49)
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 9 to 11 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £1,441.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/intel-ivy-bridge-pc/_p4mk4kxeT/
 
Last edited:
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