Help choosing computer build

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troron

Honorable
Sep 21, 2013
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10,510
I'm looking to build my first computer to replace my 6 year old dead Dell. I was wondering if anyone could recommend any builds that could meet the following criteria in order of priority:

£800 (flexible)
Gaming performance
Quiet
Future proof
Ease for building
Power efficiency

For certain specifics, I was wondering about the following:

HDD Hybrid or seperate HDD and SSD?
Liquid cooling worth it?
2 GPUs or a single, higher performance one?
Good monitors, mice and general accessories that people can recommend?

I understand this is all asking for a lot of work on the part of anyone answering but I'm currently middle of my exams so don't have the time to dedicate to researching. I'd like to be able to get it as soon as I finish at Uni. I've looked at builds occassionally but as I'm not the most knowledgeable person with regards to computer components, I am never sure if I'm building systems full of bottlenecks, over-priced or just generally having components with very different levels of performance and hence not getting the most out of my system.

 
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Cryoburn101

Cryoburn101

Reputable
Apr 16, 2014
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4,760
1. I recommend separate, but that is my opinion.
2. Only if you are OCing.
3. Single, aways.
4. General accessories really depend on the person, but a good IPS monitor is-
http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/aoc-monitor-i2367fh

Here is the build-
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£160.79 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 45.0 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler (£14.69 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£98.35 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£58.72 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (£87.78 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£39.50 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 770 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card (£239.72 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case (£39.95 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£51.93 @ Amazon UK)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£79.99 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £871.42

Just ask if you want me to elaborate a bit on each part.
 
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tiny voices

tiny voices

Titan
Sep 6, 2012
34,175
5
99,965


I would change the PSU. The CX units from Corsair are not great. Average at very best. A computer like this deserves a quality PSU. Get an XFX550. MUCH better quality for around the same price. Also, that CPU cooler is not very good. Kind of a waste of money. Get a Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO or keep the stock cooler.

If OP is shooting for game performance, I would ditch the SSD and bump the GPU up to a gtx780 or r9 290x.
 
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Cryoburn101

Cryoburn101

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Apr 16, 2014
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Do this^. I accidentally copied/pasted the wrong PartsPicker page. CX wasn't supposed to be there, thanks for catching that.
 
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troron

Honorable
Sep 21, 2013
12
0
10,510


The only modular XFX550 I can see is quite a bit pricier. Also how future proof is this build?
 
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Cryoburn101

Cryoburn101

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Apr 16, 2014
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Do you need a modular PSU?
Otherwise XFX would be a good choice.
If you swap out the SSD for a GTX 780 or a R9 290x the build will last you several years. Just maybe not on ultra for the whole time. The GTX 770 will also last you a while, just not quite as long.
 
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troron

Honorable
Sep 21, 2013
12
0
10,510


As it's my first time building a computer from scratch, I would prefer not to have loose stuff floating about making a mess. If I dump the SSD, is it worth getting a hybrid HDD instead or just a bog standard HDD? With regards to being future proof I meant more along the lines of are these components likely to be compatable with what is likely to come around in the near future for upgrading (eg space for more RAM, will the processor remain competative?)

Overall though it looks pretty good and I think I'll take you up on the idea of upgrading the card to a GTX 780. Do you know which manufacturer would be good for this and how much memory should I go for?

 
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4cloud

4cloud

Distinguished
Nov 18, 2013
611
2
19,065
An Hybrid Drive or: SSHD for short would only be effective with windows 7 and vista not with windows 8 or 8.1 however. Its a good choice going for an GTX 780 over the GTX 770 there is still a considerable difference in performance.

May I suggest the build I have built at first?

 
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troron

Honorable
Sep 21, 2013
12
0
10,510


I'm all ears to suggestions, I'm not making a final decision for a few weeks.
 
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Rationale

Rationale

Admirable
Mar 21, 2014
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The only thing I would change would be the power supply. It *looks* good at a glance, and EVGA PSUs are normally good, but that one in particular is actually not very good. It has 4 12v rails with 20 amps each, and for a PSU meant for gaming/heavy loads, you actually want one with 1 stronger 12v rail. You could get by with it, since if I remember correctly a GTX 780 requires 20 amps on the 12v rail, but it's really close, and not ideal.

Not sure about the fans.
 
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troron

Honorable
Sep 21, 2013
12
0
10,510


Can you recommend a better one? For a 780 I read you need at least 600W. As for the fans, I don't know how how this thing can get or how loud it will therefore be. I guess it's something that's easily changed later so can be ignored for now.
 
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