N00b here... 1st gaming PC... advice needed!

[harzo]

Hey guys!

Firstly I just want to say that this seems a very friendly and helpful forum, its nice to see people giving advice and not being rude/impatient etc. I have been lurking on the forum a while now reading posts and have learnt a lot in a short space of time!

I have always wanted to 'build' my own PC but this site seems the best solution for my needs. I will summarise what I am looking for...

Budget is approx £1000 (excluding display)

I am looking to primarily play games.... I have a PS3 and 360 and I am looking a big jump in performance i.e I want to be able to play new games such as BF3 and Rage at 60fps etc.

I want it to be future proof and easily expandable.

I am unsure if I should go with nVidia or AMD.

Here is the spec I knocked up.... is this going to achieve the above? I toyed with the idea of 2 x 6950's or am I better spending the money on 1 card?

Case
PCS MAELSTROM T900 BLACK GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5-2500 Quad Core (3.30GHz, 6MB Cache) + HD Graphics
Motherboard
ASUS® P8P67 (NEW REV 3.0): USB 3.0, SATA 6.0GB/s, CrossFireX™
Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG DDR3 DUAL-DDR3 1333MHz (2 X 4GB)
Graphics Card
2GB AMD RADEON™ HD6950 - 2 DVI,HDMI,2 mDP - DX® 11, Eyefinity 4 Capable
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
12x BLU-RAY ROM DRIVE, 16x DVD ±R/±RW (£45)
Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Power Supply
600W Quiet 80 PLUS Quad Rail PSU + 120mm Case Fan (£59)
Processor Cooling
SUPER QUIET 22dBA TRIPLE COPPER HEATPIPE CPU COOLER (£19)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities
ONBOARD 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 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)
Anti-Virus
BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL
Mouse
LOGITECH® MX™518 OPTICAL GAMING MOUSE (£28)
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 10 to 12 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £972.00 including VAT and delivery.


Thanks in advance!

 

[Meds]

Hello & Welcome

The specification you have put together looks good. I'd always recommend getting the best single graphics you can afford as you can always add another one to boost performance at some point in the future. The only thing I'd consider changing is the PSU, at 600W it will be fine for the current specification however should you add a second HD 6950 in it may begin to struggle under load, the Corsair TX750 should do the job and will hopefully still be within budget!

 

[harzo]

Thanks for the advice! So would you say that the 6950 will be a good card that will last a couple of years? Do I need to update the motherboard if I want to add in a 2nd card or is the one I have selected ok?

 

[pr1s0ner]

The Asus P8P67 has a couple of PCI-e slots so you would be able to add a second card if needed

 

[harzo]

Thanks for the advice folks.....

Would I be better with an nvidia card or would a similar specced one cost significantly more?

 

[pr1s0ner]

Generally more expensive, main benefit for me is the lower power usage with Nvidia cards. Sure someone can add to the pro/cons list for you though

 

[Meds]

The nVidia equivalent to the HD6950 is the GTX570 (I think?) and performance is very similar, in some games the 6950 is better and other games the GTX570 is better. Either way the difference is fairly minimal.

However, should you decide to swap to nVidia you will need to change the Motherboard to the P8P67 Pro for Sli Support.

 

[harzo]

So basically there are motherboards for AMD and different ones for nvidia? I can never change brand of graphics card without changing motherboards? Or does that just apply for when there are 2 cards in at once?

Sorry for the n00b questions....

 

[bg92]

It just applies for 2 cards at once.

Edit:
A motherboard which supports SLI, will support two Nvidia cards
A motheboard which supports Crossfirex, will support two AMD cards,
Some motherboards support both.

 

[harzo]

Thank you so much.

 

[JoshEly]

Also Nvidia cards to mesh better with intel processors so it might work out a bit better if you got a Nvidia GPU

Also, the setup looks good, and should run BF3 on some nice settings. The demos and trailers released by DICE were all recorded on a PC with one Nvidia GTX 580, and they were high settings.

 

[harzo]

Hi again folks.... I have stretched the budget slightly and upped the processor and graphics card:

Case
PCS MAELSTROM T900 BLACK GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7-2600 Quad Core (3.40GHz, 8MB Cache) + HD Graphics
Motherboard
ASUS® P8P67 LE: USB 3.0, SATA 6.0GB/s, CrossFireX™
Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG DDR3 DUAL-DDR3 1333MHz (2 X 4GB)
Graphics Card
2GB AMD RADEON™ HD6970 - 2 DVI,HDMI,2 mDP - DX® 11, Eyefinity 4 Capable
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
1TB SERIAL ATA 3-Gb/s HARD DRIVE WITH 16MB CACHE (7,200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
10x LG BLU-RAY RE-WRITER DRIVE, 16x DVD ±R/±RW (£69)
Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TX SERIES (TX650) 80+ ULTRA QUIET PSU (£72)
Processor Cooling
SUPER QUIET 22dBA TRIPLE COPPER HEATPIPE CPU COOLER (£19)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities
ONBOARD 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 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)
Anti-Virus
BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL
Monitor
IIYAMA E2271HDS 22" LED WIDESCREEN, HDMI/DVI-D HD 1920x1080 (£139)
Keyboard & Mouse
LOGITECH® K200 USB MEDIA KEYBOARD (£9)
Mouse
LOGITECH® MX™518 OPTICAL GAMING MOUSE (£28)
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 10 to 12 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £1,204.00 including VAT and delivery.


Any thoughts? I was reading in a recent magazine that the 6970 was a really good card.

Same priorities as before - mostly for gaming!

 

[Fear]

Looks good but i would change the HDD to 1 of the better Caviar Black drives and then hit the order button

 

[harzo]

The only thing I am torn on is the GPU.... 2GB 6970 or GTX570?

Final thoughts/opinions?

 

[bg92]

I would go for this. In games you are not going to see a difference between the i7 and the i5, the motherboard and the powersupply were upgraded so you can Sli (add another gtx570) in the future, also the hard drive was changed for a bettter one. Also haf 912 is a better case.
Case
COOLERMASTER HAF 912 PLUS MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5-2500 Quad Core (3.30GHz, 6MB Cache) + HD Graphics
Motherboard
ASUS® P8Z68-V: USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs, NVIDIA®SLI™, ATI®CrossFireX
Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG DDR3 DUAL-DDR3 1333MHz (2 X 4GB)
Graphics Card
1.25GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 570 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
750GB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD7502AAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W TX SERIES (TX850) 80+ ULTRA QUIET PSU (£99)
Processor Cooling
SUPER QUIET 22dBA TRIPLE COPPER HEATPIPE CPU COOLER (£19)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities
ONBOARD 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 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Monitor
IIYAMA E2271HDS 22" LED WIDESCREEN, HDMI/DVI-D HD 1920x1080 (£139)
Keyboard & Mouse
LOGITECH® K200 USB MEDIA KEYBOARD (£9)
Mouse
LOGITECH® MX™518 OPTICAL GAMING MOUSE (£28)
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 10 to 12 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £1,190.00 including VAT and delivery.

Configure Here: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/computers/intel-sandy-bridge-pc/

 

[harzo]

Thanks so much, the above spec looks perfect. If I don't intend on using SLI (I'd rather just update the whole card someday) would I be better with a 650 power supply? Or would you guys recommend being open to the idea of SLI when this card drops in price in a year or so?

Sorry about all the questions.... new to this game!

 

[bg92]

I would actually go for Hx750 if you do not intend to sli, becuase its a modular power supply, so that means that cables which are not used to power components of the pc can be disconnected resulting in better cable management and air flow.

 

[harzo]

I think I have settled on the following final spec....

Case
COOLERMASTER HAF 912 PLUS MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5-2500 Quad Core (3.30GHz, 6MB Cache) + HD Graphics
Motherboard
ASUS® P8Z68-V: USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs, NVIDIA®SLI™, ATI®CrossFireX
Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG DDR3 DUAL-DDR3 1333MHz (2 X 4GB)
Graphics Card
1.25GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 570 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st 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 TX SERIES (TX650) 80+ ULTRA QUIET PSU (£72)
Processor Cooling
SUPER QUIET 22dBA TRIPLE COPPER HEATPIPE CPU COOLER (£19)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities
ONBOARD 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 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Monitor
IIYAMA E2473HDS 24" LED WIDESCREEN, 2 x HDMI/DVI-D HD 1920x1080 (£169)
Keyboard & Mouse
LOGITECH® K200 USB MEDIA KEYBOARD (£9)
Mouse
LOGITECH® MX™518 OPTICAL GAMING MOUSE (£28)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)
Delivery
SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS & UK OFFSHORE ISLANDS / N IRELAND (£19)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £1,228.00 including VAT and delivery.

Good to go?

Any reviews on the monitor is it good for gaming?

Thanks everyone for the help!

 

[Rakk]

Looks pretty good.

I've got the 24" Iiyama monitor that was a slightly earlier version of that one (ie. the E2472HD), and I like it (though it was very bright when it turned up, but some tweaking fixed that easily)