New Gaming Rig Query

[nhornby51743]

Hi All,

I've got a budget of £900 and I'm looking to get the following spec:
i5 4670k
GTX 770 2gb
8gb 1600mhz RAM
1tb HDD
650watt Corsair CS PSU

The only reservation with ordering is that I am wanting to know if the computer will have any lag issues running on an LED 100hz 42inch tv, or should I reduce my spec to incorporate a PC monitor into my budget. I have looked about and can't really find anything substantial on whether using a TV would be suitable for a gaming rig, I know this isn't technically "Check this spec" but I'd like some opinions and feedback from those who use their Tv's as a PC monitor. Prompt replies appreciated

 

[steaky360]

IMO I wouldn't say it will matter unless you're going to play FPS games (and similar), however even then it'll only matter if you want to play really competitively. The issues with using TV's for monitors is the input lag between the computer sending the signal and the TV processing/displaying the signal.

The size of the TV doesn't really matter (its the resolution that counts) and the MHz are also less of a concern assuming that's above 60MHz (which would equate to 60fps).

I use my TV in the living room for playing some games when I'm not on my main rig. I've never had any issues playing the sorts of games I play (usually ones that work well with a control pad as opposed to a m/k).

I think other folk will have more varied opinions, but that's my two pence worth

 

[Greenman]

My brother uses a TV with his rig (LG something, 24"). There's something off about it, bit of input lag perhaps. Can't get text to be totally crisp and sharp either.
Point of comparison is my 1080p PCSpec laptop, it's sharp. I think it's more a case of my laptop screen being good rather than TV being bad. You'll be fine with a TV, but if I were building a rig I'd go for a monitor just for ease-of-use/compatibility.

 

[vanthus]

A monitor is generally better for gaming,but I wouldn't downgrade the spec for the sake of a monitor,you could always get one in future if not happy with TV performance.

 

[Cadwah]

Hello, you can get close to your £900 budget with a monitor included however you do sacrifice the quality of some of the components.

Case
ZALMAN Z11 PLUS BLACK MID TOWER CASE - You need any case in this price range
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-4670 (3.4GHz) 6MB Cache - The non-K version will be fine, K versions are only for overclocking
Motherboard
ASUS® H81M-PLUS: Micro-ATX, LG1150, USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs - Can only fit the cheapest Micro ATX board within this budget, it will do the job though you won't have much expansion potential.
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 770 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1003FZEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W CS SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET (£69)
Processor Cooling
INTEL STANDARD CPU COOLER - You could do with the triple copper heatpipe cooler here - it would be an extra £19
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
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 2 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Monitor
AOC 21.5" WIDESCREEN LED TFT - 1920 x 1080, 5MS, D-Sub, DVI-D (£85)
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: £916.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/intel-home-office-pc/0jKRxfxzGF/

This would be your best config, although it is well over budget:
Case
ZALMAN Z11 PLUS BLACK MID TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-4670 (3.4GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® Z87M-PLUS: m-ATX, USB3.0, SATA 6.0, XFIRE
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 770 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1003FZEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W CS SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET (£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)
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 2 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Monitor
AOC 21.5" WIDESCREEN LED TFT - 1920 x 1080, 5MS, D-Sub, DVI-D (£85)
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: £987.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/intel-home-office-pc/2Y0tH_6DdT/

 

[nhornby51743]

Thanks for the input guys, much appreciated.

I intend to play FPS games like Metro, Crysis, Battlefield, Borderlands but only single player and I'll be playing some 3rd person games like Tomb Raider, The Evil Within etc so minimal lag would be be preferred.

Does anyone know if using a TV uses up more VRAM or would I be fine with the 2GB on the GTX 770?


Lastly, Does anyone have any experience with mini pc's. I've been torn between getting my desired spec in a SFF case as opposed to a tower but I'm cautious about upgrading limitations and cooling for the SFF. I know I've asked quite a bit but I'd rather get multiple opinions before I invest the best part of a thousand pounds.

Many thanks

 

[Cadwah]

The 2GB version of the 770 will play on the TV just fine as long as the TV is HD 1920x1080 as this will be the best resolution for the games you mentioned. With high end components it is always better to get a case with the best cooling available, it lengthens the life of the components as they overheat less.

 

[Lex1970]

Good choice of spec but be aware Metro three, last light will stress any Graphics card at ultra settings you will need to make sure you don't have AA to high even with my 780 I can only get 40-50 frames on ultra settings which is perfectly fine for actually playing the game but BF4 no problem.

 

[nhornby51743]

I picked out the Corsair 230T as it's got excellent reviews and great cooling apparently. Lastly, is it worth getting the 4670k over the 4670 or should I just stick with the 4670k to offer a little extra future proofing?

 

[Cadwah]

There is no reason to choose the 4670k except overclocking, If you overclock you would need a better motherboard and a liquid cooler.

 

[Greenman]

Yeh, only get the K version if you intend to overclock. If you go down that route you'd need to also upgrade cooling etc as Cadwah said.

Stick with normal PC case though, better cooling.