New PC spec some tips!?

[Kati_v123]

Case
NZXT PHANTOM WHITE GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-3770 (3.4GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® P8Z77-V PRO: PCI-E 3.0 READY,WIFI, SLI, CROSSFIREX
Memory (RAM)
16GB SAMSUNG DUAL-DDR3 1333MHz (4 X 4GB)
Graphics Card
1GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 560 Ti - 2 DVI,HDMI,VGA - 3D Vision Ready
2nd Graphics Card
1GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 560 Ti - 2 DVI,HDMI,VGA - 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
1TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 32MB CACHE
2nd Hard Disk
1TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 32MB CACHE
RAID
RAID 0 (STRIPED VOLUME - 2 x same size & model HDD / SSD) (£9)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W PRO SERIES™ HX750-80 PLUS® SILVER MODULAR (£114)
Processor Cooling
INTEL SOCKET LGA1155 STANDARD CPU COOLER
Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D Fatal1ty Professional (£119)
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 Ultimate 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £1,546.00 including VAT and delivery.

Configure Here: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/intel-ivy-bridge-pc/Wp4Jf2DWBp/

I'm looking to build my second pc but since ebuyer has stopped finance... Here I am Still a newbie at building but have general basics
I was wondering about this spec and what you guys think of it.. i dont know that many people that are into computers to talkthis over with - hence here i am
I'm a wow player and multibox with dual screen, and usually films and programs as well. I'm also starting college in August for digital media so will be using a lot of program's for that too. Dreamweaver, Photoshop and such..
Obviously I want to spend as little as possible but I just can't help myself.. I spend most of my time on my Pc so it is worth it for me to spend what i can for an awesome beast of a machine
I'll be using finance so this is roughly my budget! I did want the nzxt switch case but they don't have that here... *sad face*
Any useful tips on this spec would be great.


Thank you Thank you Thank you

 

[keynes]

The specification below has been formatted so you can easily copy and paste this to our forums when discussing your specification. Once you've copied the specification, please click here to continue.


Case
NZXT PHANTOM WHITE GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-3770 (3.4GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® P8Z77-V PRO: PCI-E 3.0 READY,WIFI, SLI, CROSSFIREX
Memory (RAM)
16GB SAMSUNG DUAL-DDR3 1333MHz (4 X 4GB)
Graphics Card
1GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 560 Ti - 2 DVI,HDMI,VGA - 3D Vision Ready
2nd Graphics Card
1GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 560 Ti - 2 DVI,HDMI,VGA - 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
1TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 32MB CACHE
2nd Hard Disk
1TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 32MB CACHE
RAID
RAID 0 (STRIPED VOLUME - 2 x same size & model HDD / SSD) (£9)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W PRO SERIES™ HX750-80 PLUS® SILVER MODULAR (£114)
Processor Cooling
INTEL SOCKET LGA1155 STANDARD CPU COOLER
Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D Fatal1ty Professional (£119)
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 Ultimate 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £1,546.00 including VAT and delivery.

Configure Here: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/intel-ivy-bridge-pc/Wp4Jf2DWBp/

Sorry if I've copied too much I'm using my phone hehe!
I'm looking to build my second pc but since ebuyer has stopped finance... Here I am
I was wondering about this spec..
I'm a wow player and multibox with dual screen, and usually films and programs as well. I'm also starting my college in August for digital media do will be using a lot of program's for that too.
Obviously I want to spend as little as possible but I just can't help myself.. I'll be using finance so this is roughly myac budget! I did want the nzxt switch case but they don't have that here... *sad face*
Any useful tips on this spec would be great

Thanks

1)I would recommend a stronger GPU rather than 2 lesser ones. GTX 670 perhaps ?Up to 4 screens
2) a 2tb caviar black rather than the standard hdd (faster)
3)Silver warranty for £5 (covers delivery/collection for 1 year in case a fault arises)
4) The asus xonar dx is a cheaper alternative for the soundcard unless you are looking for a specific feature
5) triple copper heatpipe cpu cooler

 

[Kati_v123]

Hi thanks for your feedback, i edited my quote this afternoon after my late night picking components, and noticed i hadn't picked a WD HDD! changed that
Also i was looking for ages online at GPUs and could never get a straight answer as to what i would need - so thanks for that aswell
Changed to the silver waranty after reading the forums a bit last night and noticed it was only £5 (deffo worth £5 )
At the moment i have the cheapest of the cheap soundcard but i was looking at a really good headset the other day which runs off 7.1 or 5.1 or stereo and thought i would appreciate a soundcard upgrade but i shall think a bit more on soundcard before i order it..
Also just upgraded my cpu cooler to the triple copper

Upgraded my mobo to the sabertooth z77 (is it worth it)

My price (without the soundcard and also without my OS as i have windows 7 already) is £300 less

Thanks for the help so far

 

[keynes]

Hi thanks for your feedback, i edited my quote this afternoon after my late night picking components, and noticed i hadn't picked a WD HDD! changed that
Also i was looking for ages online at GPUs and could never get a straight answer as to what i would need - so thanks for that aswell
Changed to the silver waranty after reading the forums a bit last night and noticed it was only £5 (deffo worth £5 )
At the moment i have the cheapest of the cheap soundcard but i was looking at a really good headset the other day which runs off 7.1 or 5.1 or stereo and thought i would appreciate a soundcard upgrade but i shall think a bit more on soundcard before i order it..
Also just upgraded my cpu cooler to the triple copper

Upgraded my mobo to the sabertooth z77 (is it worth it)

My price (without the soundcard and also without my OS as i have windows 7 already) is £300 less

Thanks for the help so far

If it is for 7.1 then I would recommend the Asus Xonar DX, very good soundcard (retail price around £50)
The mobo you have chosen is pretty good, it allows you to also add a 2nd GTX 670 if needed. (the sabertooth z77 does look good though )
The GTX 670 is a very good card, you should be able to play almost any game at high settings.

 

[Wolvo7]

Hello, based on what you posted you could go for a build like the one below. With a £1500 budget I'd get an SSD for faster boot time, application loading and overall responsiveness. I've read good reviews about the DX so I second Ruben's advice ^^

Which headset were you looking at?
Also if you really want a particular case you can always buy it separately and have it sent to PCS

Case
NZXT PHANTOM WHITE GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-3770 (3.4GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® SABERTOOTH Z77: USB 3.0, SATA 6.0GB/s, THERMAL ARMOR
Memory (RAM)
16GB SAMSUNG DUAL-DDR3 1333MHz (4 X 4GB)
Graphics Card
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 670 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
120GB INTEL® 520 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
2TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD2002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W PRO SERIES™ HX750-80 PLUS® SILVER MODULAR (£114)
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
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
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)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £1,445.00 including VAT and delivery.

Configure Here: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/intel-ivy-bridge-pc/MyqsgbdOm9/

 

[Kati_v123]

i only have the option of asus xonar DG 5.1 for sound cards.. then it moves onto Creative soundblasters.. (also just tried to save my quote to show you my new build and it says my mobo can only support 0 PCI devices...)
I think i will go for the sabertooth - its not that much more expensive also the thought of another component upgraded makes me excited already feel like a child waiting for santa
The 670 is cheaper than the two lesser cards so as long as i can play my games with no problem i'm pretty happy. Not into the whole 3d stuff just yet so im not too bothered also you said it can handle up to 4 screens is also good, as i am trying to squeeze another monitor out of my other half

The one main problem i'm having is the case... there is quite a few to choose from but im pretty fussy and it has to have blue LEDs to match my keyboard and mouse and montiors
I see quite alot of you have the mesh at the front and i'm not 100% sure on that.. (i also have 2 very fluffy cats.. so hair in my pc not so good..)

 

[Wolvo7]

i only have the option of asus xonar DG 5.1 for sound cards.. then it moves onto Creative soundblasters..

If you're talking about the DX you'd need to buy it separately and fit it yourself. It's not hard to do though

 

[keynes]

i only have the option of asus xonar DG 5.1 for sound cards.. then it moves onto Creative soundblasters.. (also just tried to save my quote to show you my new build and it says my mobo can only support 0 PCI devices...)
I think i will go for the sabertooth - its not that much more expensive also the thought of another component upgraded makes me excited already feel like a child waiting for santa
The 670 is cheaper than the two lesser cards so as long as i can play my games with no problem i'm pretty happy. Not into the whole 3d stuff just yet so im not too bothered also you said it can handle up to 4 screens is also good, as i am trying to squeeze another monitor out of my other half

The one main problem i'm having is the case... there is quite a few to choose from but im pretty fussy and it has to have blue LEDs to match my keyboard and mouse and montiors
I see quite alot of you have the mesh at the front and i'm not 100% sure on that.. (i also have 2 very fluffy cats.. so hair in my pc not so good..)

Depends on how much you want to spend on the case, coolermaster 690 II?
I am afraid PCS does not offer the Asus DX, you may have to purchase it from another retailer (amazon?) or just chose from the ones available in the PCS site.

 

[Kati_v123]

I thought about an SSD as it has great reviews but also have heard if you've never had one you won't miss it.. for the price it is worth it?
I was looking at a razer megalodon, i already have surround sound speakers but they don't work with my current sound card so they sit there just now looking pretty i don't mind 5.1 sound either though as it's still an upgrade and can always stick it in myself later

I did think about buying the NZXT switch and sending it in but uff.. im lazy i did originally love the phantom but after i saw the switch it now feels second best.. did look at the cooler master CM Storm Enforcer.. but it's red LED lights and i want blue, is it easily changed or do the lights not come with it at all?

Thanks ever so much for your help *big smiles*

 

[Kati_v123]

looking to spend £100ish on a case or lower, but if its ooo so shiny and pretttty i'll deffo go higher than that hehe.. white dragon rider case looks nice but they dont specify the colour of the LEDs

 

[keynes]

looking to spend £100ish on a case or lower, but if its ooo so shiny and pretttty i'll deffo go higher than that hehe.. white dragon rider case looks nice but they dont specify the colour of the LEDs

Changing the fans is pretty easy, in my case I sent additional fans to PCS and they kindly replace them for me. The SSD would make windows boot very quickly as well as running any games/applications fast.

 

[Wolvo7]

That's what I thought if you look at the connectivity of the Megalodon it is USB only which means that it won't use your sound card at all. You could have the best sound card in the world and it wouldn't make a difference. The Megalodon uses the built in sound controller that is attached to it. To use the soundcard with some headphones you'd need an analog connection.

The White dragon Rider has blue LED fans here's a vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CE5XTM-9KQ

They also say about SSDs that once you've tried it you won't go back I haven't tried it myself haven't bought my PC yet since I'm moving home over the summer but everyone says that it's great.

 

[Kati_v123]

i must be having an off day totally confuzzled ------ Hear your enemies before you see them with 7.1 channel virtual surround sound. If the sound source does not support 7.1 or 5.1 Surround Sound, the Megalodon will also perform as a quality Stereo Headset with a deep thumping bass.
I thought that meant you had to have a decent sound card..
The dragon rider case looks really nice but again it has alot of mesh bits.. my current one has plastic side viewer instead which keeps alot of dust out, thats all im worried about in regards to the mesh, also the noise.. its a basic case i have from ebuyer but it has little to no noise if its mesh that would = (to me anyways) more air flow, more dust and more noise?!
I will have a good read over the SSDs as faster boot up would be nice but it doesnt exactly take 30mins to boot up atm anyways.. i leave mine on almost 24/7 and have it on sleep mode overnight.. hmm.. lots to take on board haha! Is it just the loading up times, because if thats all i probably won't bother, but if it effects actual play time, or download time then i would
As for buying my own fans and getting them fitted, if i found an amazing case then i probably would do that, does it cost extra for them to put them on? or if i emailed them would they changed the colour of the LEDs?

Thanks again for the feedback it is very much appreciated.. (i talk to my other half about this and it goes woosh over his head lol, i only talk to him because when it ends up in the house later on i can say well i spoke to you first )

 

[keynes]

SSD: (Taken from Scan)
How will an SSD improve my gaming?

In terms of multiplayer games e.g. Starcraft 2, League of Legends and shooters like Battlefield 3 will load any files stored on your computer slightly faster like maps for example and so much quicker than a standard HDD, the rest after that is up to your internet connection.

Single player games get a clear bonus when using an SSD with fast access to the information needed to render what you want to see. So for example your playing The Witcher 2 which has high graphical demand, now you may be asking what has an SSD got to do with graphics? Well if the information that the graphics need, in order to know what to process is received faster then you get a better and smoother experience the rest of course is taken care of by your graphics card.

 

[keynes]

As for buying my own fans and getting them fitted, if i found an amazing case then i probably would do that, does it cost extra for them to put them on?

They didn't charge me anything extra.

 

[Wolvo7]

Yeah it does have a sound card but that's in the big box controller that's on the cable, it doesn't actually use you PC soundcard. Any headphone that connects via USB won't use the PC soundcard. You'd need an analog connection or an optical (TOSLINK) connector. Both plug in at the back of the PC. Tbh unless you're an audiophile I'm sure the headset drivers will be enough for most people.

Having a PC soundcard would be useful with a good surround sound system with speakers.

With regards to airflow: good airflow = better cooling and it's not likely to be the case fans that you hear but more the GPU when gaming.

You call for the SSD, the price/GB is still pretty high Let's just say that your PC will load faster, applications will also open very quickly, even big ones like photoshop, and loading times when gaming will improve too. Don't think it would affect download times as that would be more dependent on your connection speed. Maybe when ISPs provide 1Gbps connections that'll be another story ^^. Edit: Also what Ruben said in red

 

[Kati_v123]

Aah i see now in regards to the SSD that was actually mega helpful Thanks for that..
I will deffo go for that then, i never thought about it like that.. reading the game files stored quicker, so obvious it eluded me haha..
After going through these cases again after another time out (it's always good to take a break and come and look again with a fresh head) i think the phantom (my very first original choice from ebuyer) will be the winner, no mesh, blue LEDs and a nice side pannel to look through, only downside is the front door opens the wrong way for my set up (it would open towards me, bit of a pain) but i can always move it around to the other side of me for a bit for a better view and more practical for getting in and out my CDs and such.. maybe an excuse for a new desk aswell
In regards to my memory, would 8GBs do or should i upgrade it to 16? im so unsure of how much i'll be using... hmm
Again thanks

 

[keynes]

Aah i see now in regards to the SSD that was actually mega helpful Thanks for that..
I will deffo go for that then, i never thought about it like that.. reading the game files stored quicker, so obvious it eluded me haha..
After going through these cases again after another time out (it's always good to take a break and come and look again with a fresh head) i think the phantom (my very first original choice from ebuyer) will be the winner, no mesh, blue LEDs and a nice side pannel to look through, only downside is the front door opens the wrong way for my set up (it would open towards me, bit of a pain) but i can always move it around to the other side of me for a bit for a better view and more practical for getting in and out my CDs and such.. maybe an excuse for a new desk aswell
In regards to my memory, would 8GBs do or should i upgrade it to 16? im so unsure of how much i'll be using... hmm
Again thanks

8gb is plenty, 16gb is overkill (for gaming)

 

[Kati_v123]

Right ho! I'm deffo on track now thanks to you both ty ty ty
Just having another go through on components.. Soundcard..?! As i don't have a headset yet or settled on one i'm deffo going to buy, i'm using my speakers.. Best bang for buck, would rather have PCs install it rather than me do it and perhaps ruin alot of money spent (still only built 2 pcs in my life time ...unaided but still..)
Newtwork facilities... atm i have a stupid USB one poking out the back of my PC.. my BT Hub is not within cable reach.. should i get something stuck in here?
Also i have an external HDD which i will be using to back up stuff on and what not.. should i get 3 port firewire port for £9 lol?

After those are checked off unless i start changing my mind i think i'm all set

YAY!!!!
Thanks again guys

 

[keynes]

Right ho! I'm deffo on track now thanks to you both ty ty ty
Just having another go through on components.. Soundcard..?! As i don't have a headset yet or settled on one i'm deffo going to buy, i'm using my speakers.. Best bang for buck, would rather have PCs install it rather than me do it and perhaps ruin alot of money spent (still only built 2 pcs in my life time ...unaided but still..)
Newtwork facilities... atm i have a stupid USB one poking out the back of my PC.. my BT Hub is not within cable reach.. should i get something stuck in here?
Also i have an external HDD which i will be using to back up stuff on and what not.. should i get 3 port firewire port for £9 lol?

After those are checked off unless i start changing my mind i think i'm all set

YAY!!!!
Thanks again guys

You can get a pair of homeplugs that are more reliable than the dongle you are using and a wireless card.
More information here:
http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?16844-Homeplugs-What-do-they-do-exactly&highlight=homeplugs