Looking for mid-high spec PC [WC/OC] £1,500 budget

Meng2strong · May 10, 2013

Hi everyone,

I am planning to get a new rig for around £1,400-£1,500. (Very little experience in rig building)

Preferences -
i7 3770k (Overlock to around 4.3-4.5)
Relatively new motherboard to support all other elements of the PC
Water cooled
16GB of RAM @ 1600+
GTX 680 / ATI Radeon HD 7950
500GB - 1TB HDD

Just wondering with the above specifications in mind, whether it is better to use sites such as Overclockers and Scan and buy a pre-built system or whether to use their custom-build instead?

namdlo · May 10, 2013

If this is your first build I really wouldn't suggest doing water cooling unless you're doing an enclosed system (H100) - typically I won't even recommend these to people.

Save the $ or put it elsewhere into the build.

What do you plan on using the computer for? For most the i7 is overkill vs the i5.

Meng2strong · May 10, 2013

namdlo :

I am upgrading from my i7 920 quad @4ghz, GTX 465, 6gb ram. I would ideally get a custom-built one from either Overclockers or Scan but the options seems limited.

Wanting to upgrade because some of the games I play are very CPU and Ram intensive, on top of that I would like to record 1080p videos/stream 1080p in the very near future.

namdlo · May 10, 2013

The difference between IB i5 and i7 is hyper threading. Unless the software you're using supports it you're paying a premium for something you'll never use.

Typically right now the only software that uses HT is video editing software. There are VERY few games that take advantage of HT.

As far as using a custom built vs pre-built - this really depends on if you can find a pre-built with everything you're looking for.

Determine your "have to have" vs your "wishlist" and then work with what works best with your budget.

Meng2strong · May 10, 2013

namdlo :

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-297-OE&groupid=43&catid=2474

The above pre-built has a lot of the wants for myself, I would be doing video editing but with programs such as Sony Vegas which probably doesn't use the HT element of the CPU.

or VS one I have just configured?

Intel Core i5 3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - OEM
Stage 5: MAX OC OF ENTIRE SYSTEM - (CPU, RAM Graphics all OCd to maximum 24/7 Stability) **MUST SELECT AN OPERATING SYSTEM**
Corsair Hydro H80i High Performance Water Cooler
Gigabyte Z77X-UP4 TH Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard
Patriot Intel Extreme Masters 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit
KFA2 GeForce GTX 680 EX OC 2048MB GDDR5
Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM
Samsung 120GB SSD 840 SATA 6Gb/s Basic
Corsair Enthusiast Series TX 850W V2 Power Supply
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit

Both of them are basically the same price, I know I sound a bit indecisive but what I am really getting at is will the i7 3770k have a better product use in the near future as HT is adapted?

Thanks

Meng

P.S looked at a few new ones below and the SLI/CrossF seems more attractive than HT?

http://www.aria.co.uk/Systems/Gaming+Range/Intel+Gamer/Gladiator+Diablo+670+i7-3770K+4.60GHz+OC+Gaming+PC+?productId=54502

http://www.aria.co.uk/Systems/Gaming+Range/CrossFire+Gamer/Gladiator+Nebula+7950+FX-6300+4.20GHz+CrossFire+OC+Gaming+PC+?productId=54539

http://www.aria.co.uk/Systems/Gaming+Range/SLI+Gamer/Gladiator+Warbird+660+i5-3570K+4.60GHz+SLI+OC+Gaming+PC+?productId=54541

manofchalk · May 11, 2013

May want to fill out this form, will give us the info needed to best help you.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/353572-31-build-upgrade-advice

And yes, Sony Vegas is one of the applications that can take advantage of Hyperthreading.

As for Custom vs Pre-Built, your not exactly asking an unbiased platform on this. I think everyone here would say go for the Custom build, unless your at the very low end of budgets (which your not).
You get greater control over components, customization and personal preference when it comes to the machine. You aren't shackled to that hardware set if you want warranty support, and near every time its cheaper to build it yourself. Its really not that difficult to build a machine, there are countless tutorials on Youtube and youv got us for the parts.

But if you do go for a pre-built option, don't get one with Custom Water-Cooling. It complicates maintaining the rig by a fair bit, if you don't even know how to build the computer, adding water-cooling on top will just make it all the more difficult if you ever have to pop open the case.

namdlo · May 11, 2013

manofchalk :

May want to fill out this form, will give us the info needed to best help you.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/353572-31-build-upgrade-advice

And yes, Sony Vegas is one of the applications that can take advantage of Hyperthreading.

As for Custom vs Pre-Built, your not exactly asking an unbiased platform on this. I think everyone here would say go for the Custom build, unless your at the very low end of budgets (which your not).
You get greater control over components, customization and personal preference when it comes to the machine. You aren't shackled to that hardware set if you want warranty support, and near every time its cheaper to build it yourself. Its really not that difficult to build a machine, there are countless tutorials on Youtube and youv got us for the parts.

But if you do go for a pre-built option, don't get one with Custom Water-Cooling. It complicates maintaining the rig by a fair bit, if you don't even know how to build the computer, adding water-cooling on top will just make it all the more difficult if you ever have to pop open the case.

Well put about the water cooling - most people fail to realize you're supposed to change the "water" every 6 months.

Meng2strong · May 11, 2013

manofchalk :

Approximate Purchase Date: e.g.:
Any time from now

Budget Range: (e.g.: 300-400) Before / After Rebates; Before / After Shipping
£1,300 or so (ex VAT), I am exempt.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: (e.g.: Folding@Home, gaming, surfing the internet, watching movies)
Gaming and recording at the same time or gaming/streaming, heavy CPU and ram dependent game. Video editing with Sony Vegas.

Are you buying a monitor: Yes / No
No but may plan to buy a 22 inch 120Hz in the future.

Parts to Upgrade: (e.g.: CPU, mobo, RAM) **Include Power Supply Make & Model If Re-using**
Fresh rig.

Do you need to buy OS: Yes / No
Please note that if you're using an OEM license of Windows, you will need a new one when buying a new motherboard.
Will be buying a new license.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: (e.g.: newegg.com, ncix.com -- to show us selection & pricing)
Overclockers/Scan/Aria

Location: City, State/Region, Country - we need to know where these parts are being assembled and whether there are good store-only deals available
United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Jersey

Parts Preferences: by brand or type (e.g.: I would like to upgrade to Intel CPU)
Really do prefer water-cooling because I hate the difficulty of cleaning out the heat sink and fans properly.

Overclocking: Yes / No / Maybe
Yes

SLI or Crossfire: Yes / No / Maybe
Maybe, I think it'd be a good idea since I will be recording and editing.

Your Monitor Resolution: (e.g.: 1024x768, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200 or if you're upgrading please state what you'd want to get)
1680x1080

Additional Comments: (e.g.: Need to have a window and lots of bling, I would like a quiet PC. Please also list specific software or games you're using)
APB Reloaded / DXTORY / Sony Vegas

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading:
Smoother gaming experience whilst being able to record and edit.

Ideally like I've stated in the form above, I'd like to have water-cooling and I'd imagine myself preferring to clean the tubes, reservoirs, pumps and all the lot compared to a pile of dust. Below is a few pre-builts that I may also be interested in but not sure if they are able to meet my needs? (I am no way in hell putting a PC together, never tried and never will) :no:

:lol:

http://www.aria.co.uk/Systems/Gaming+Range/SLI+Gamer/Gladiator+Warbird+660+i5-3570K+4.60GHz+SLI+OC+Gaming+PC+?productId=54541

http://www.aria.co.uk/Systems/Gaming+Range/CrossFire+Gamer/Gladiator+Nebula+7950+FX-6300+4.20GHz+CrossFire+OC+Gaming+PC+?productId=54539

http://www.aria.co.uk/Systems/Gaming+Range/Intel+Gamer/Gladiator+Diablo+670+i7-3770K+4.60GHz+OC+Gaming+PC+?productId=54502

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-297-OE&groupid=43&catid=2474

manofchalk :

Well I am glad I know about the basic maintenance required for water-cooling haha!

manofchalk · May 11, 2013

Heres what I'm confused about.
You are unwilling to build a computer, which really isnt that hard. But your fine with pulling apart and maintaining a water-cooling loop, something that is a lot more complex.

Also water-cooling still involves dust, heatsinks (radiators are basically heatsinks, just sub copper pipes for water pipes) and fans. If anything moreso than air-cooling.

Meng2strong · May 11, 2013

manofchalk :

Just seems like a whole lot of hassle and like I said, I've never done it before, I'd rather pay that tiny bit to make sure it perfectly works. As per the maintenance I am sure a quick YT guide will solve that?

DSzymborski · May 11, 2013

Meng2strong :

I think you're missing the point the previous poster was trying to make, that the water-cooling is more a pain in the butt than the actual building of the computer is. If you have the skills to actually make water cooling worthwhile, you already have the skills to build the computer.

For the vast majority of people running solid rigs, getting a good air cooler and a can of compressed air is the way to go. There are lots of ways to bling out your rig without giving you unneeded headaches.

namdlo · May 11, 2013

I don't know about others but I don't consider water cooling "bling". I consider it more of a hobby into itself. I love to tinker with my machine. I have an Arduino that is 'permanently" attached to my machine just for additional monitoring (temp/flow) - yes I'm a true geek.

As stated if you're willing to go through the hassle of keeping the water loop clean then spend the extra couple of hours and learn how to build the machine yourself. At the end of the day you'll take a lot more pride in computer and the next time you have an issue or need an upgrade you'll be able to do it yourself.

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