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Best gaming computer for around £750 ($1200)

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  • Gaming
  • Computers
  • Monitors
Last response: in Systems
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September 17, 2014 8:11:42 AM

I need (or rather want) a computer than is the best in the price range. I don't need an OS, monitor or peripherals. I have a 60Hz 900p monitor but I will probably get a 1080p 120Hz monitor later on in the year.

More about : gaming computer 750 1200

September 17, 2014 8:12:10 AM

I might be able to stretch an extra £100.
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a c 458 4 Gaming
a b C Monitor
September 21, 2014 1:19:17 PM

PSu is not great. Change to XFX650. looks good otherwise.

You will need an aftermarket CPU cooler for overclocking though.

I also recommend getting a gtx970 over the 290. Same or better performance but better power and heat management.
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September 21, 2014 1:59:57 PM

How good is the gtx 970 and 290? Which brand for the gtx 970 should I get?
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a c 458 4 Gaming
a b C Monitor
September 21, 2014 2:04:31 PM

The 970 is better than the 290 and competes with the 290x in most games.

Get any brand for the 970. EVGA makes a nice one with the ACX cooler.
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a c 458 4 Gaming
a b C Monitor
September 22, 2014 6:44:09 AM

Get the cheapest 770. Don't pay more for "superclocked"

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a c 458 4 Gaming
a b C Monitor
September 22, 2014 7:35:06 AM

Nothing needs improvement. Just throw in a 120gb SSD to use as the boot drive and you are good to go.
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September 22, 2014 8:02:50 AM

Thanks a lot for your help. One last question, how well do you think it will run games like Crysis 3 and Battlefield 4?
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a c 458 4 Gaming
a b C Monitor
September 22, 2014 8:08:41 AM

BF4 at max at 1080p.

Crysis 3 at max with no AA and stuff like that.
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September 22, 2014 9:30:28 AM

I've just realised the case doesn't have room for an optical drive. Are they any good but inexpensive cases with space for an optical drive?
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a c 458 4 Gaming
a b C Monitor
September 22, 2014 9:45:40 AM

What case were you looking at?
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September 22, 2014 9:48:21 AM

Oh, it was a NZXT S340. I would be able to use an external optical drive to install Windows 8.1, right?
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a c 458 4 Gaming
a b C Monitor
September 22, 2014 9:49:06 AM

YEs you can use an external drive. Another similarly designed case that looks VERY good is the Fractal Design R4.
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September 23, 2014 3:07:07 AM

I think I'll just get the external drive. I forgot to ask, what frames rates would I expect to see on those games at those settings?
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September 23, 2014 5:40:36 AM

I would get a cheaper air cooler and a better graphics card. A better gpu does make a difference as better coolers mean better overclocks.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£166.74 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler (£48.79 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£77.99 @ Ebuyer)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£76.51 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£83.69 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£37.50 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX Video Card (£286.76 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (£59.96 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£63.31 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £901.25
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-23 13:40 BST+0100
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September 23, 2014 6:04:09 AM

Sorry, but I don't quite understand what you mean. When you refer to a better cooler, are you referring to the GPU's? And that cooler for over-clocking the CPU will be sufficient, right?
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September 30, 2014 9:46:21 AM

Can anyone else try to answer?
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a c 458 4 Gaming
a b C Monitor
October 1, 2014 6:24:58 AM

He means that the CPU cooler is good for pretty high overclocks.

The GPU cooler matters a bit but not too much. Honestly get any 970. They will all perform about the same.
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October 1, 2014 8:31:23 AM

Ok, I've finally decided on a build: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/VikingPsycho/saved/vVzX...
It's slightly cheaper, but then again I'm at university.
I'm going to get an SSD Christmas time.

I've just noticed this warning: "Some Intel Z87 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Haswell Refresh CPUs." - But that doesn't refer to the Intel i5, right?
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a c 458 4 Gaming
a b C Monitor
October 1, 2014 3:05:39 PM

Yeah you should be using a z97 board.
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October 3, 2014 5:43:07 AM

Just change it to a z97 board :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£171.54 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler (£48.79 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£77.99 @ Ebuyer)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£77.15 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£37.50 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (£274.99 @ Ebuyer)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (£59.99 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£63.31 @ Amazon UK)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/RSBS DVD/CD Writer (£12.64 @ CCL Computers)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£69.23 @ Aria PC)
Total: £893.13
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-03 13:42 BST+0100
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a c 458 4 Gaming
a b C Monitor
October 3, 2014 9:32:14 AM

Change that PSU to an EVGA 750 B2. The 650 G1 is an "average" quality unit and definitely not recommended for a build like this.

The 750 B2 is underrated from the factory and an AMAZING unit for the money.
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October 3, 2014 9:57:38 AM

Just saw you don't need an OS. Tiny voices, I don't think the B2 is available in the UK.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£171.54 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler (£48.79 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£77.99 @ Ebuyer)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£77.15 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£37.50 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (£274.99 @ Ebuyer)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (£59.99 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£75.90 @ CCL Computers)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/RSBS DVD/CD Writer (£12.64 @ CCL Computers)
Total: £836.49
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-03 17:57 BST+0100
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a c 458 4 Gaming
a b C Monitor
October 3, 2014 10:39:39 AM

Tha tsucks. ONLY go with the G2 or P2 units. the G1 units are not good. Change it for an XFX650.
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October 3, 2014 10:43:09 AM

you can change it yourself you know
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£171.54 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler (£48.79 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£77.99 @ Ebuyer)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£77.15 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£37.50 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (£274.99 @ Ebuyer)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (£59.99 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: XFX XTR 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£76.38 @ Scan.co.uk)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/RSBS DVD/CD Writer (£12.64 @ CCL Computers)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£69.23 @ Aria PC)
Total: £906.20
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-03 18:43 BST+0100
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a c 458 4 Gaming
a b C Monitor
October 3, 2014 10:44:43 AM

Looks good to me.
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October 3, 2014 1:48:13 PM

The B2 is available here in the UK, on Amazon.
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a c 458 4 Gaming
a b C Monitor
October 3, 2014 1:56:07 PM

Get that then. It is a VERY good unit for the price.
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!