Building a PC for First time - gaming

[danyolb]

Building a PC for the first time. Want the PC for gaming, and my budget is around £800-£900. Please recommend or change anything from the list below so I get better performance for my cash. I dont think the graphics card I have chosen is good for its money?

Mother Board
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/139415

Processor
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/152394

graphics
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/152564

heatsink
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/120876

ram
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130429

cd rom
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/149321

case
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/150413

psu
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/132289


Please recommend or change anything, I just want the best system for gaming for the money I have to blow. Cheers!

 

[danyolb]

Please build me a system from scratch if what I have chosen isn't any good. I havn't found a harddrive yet either.

 

[aevm]

GA-EP45-DS3R 95 GBP http://www.ebuyer.com/product/145683

Q9550 220 GBP

HD 4870 1GB 210 GBP (faster than the GTX 260 Core 216 and 60 GBP less) http://www.ebuyer.com/product/151334
You're perfectly correct, the GTX 260 is not good value for its money. Good card, but overpriced compared to the competition.

Heatsink: none, just use the heatsink you get with the Q9550

RAM, CD, case: what you picked is fine, 41 GBP+ 19 GBP + 120 GBP

Corsair 750TX, 92 GBP. Way better brand than CoolerMaster, cheaper too.
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/134677

WD 640GB 50 GBP http://www.ebuyer.com/product/144339

Add Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit OEM if you don't have a Windows already.

Add a second video card of the same type when you can. It should be a little cheaper too in 6 months or so, when the new high-end cards appear.

 

[sharken]

Good call but, 4870 is not faster than gtx 260 216, but is close and less expensive...

 

[aevm]

Yes it is faster. Some times a lot faster.

25.9 fps vs 20.1 fps, Age of Conan
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3415&p=3

33.3 vs 31.5, Crysis
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3415&p=4

64.1 vs 61 in Quake Wars
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3415&p=6

52 vs 33 in GRID
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3415&p=7

38 vs 33 in Assassin's Creed
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3415&p=8

OK, the HD 4870 1GB does lose to the GTX 260 Core 216 in Oblivion, and it's 1 fps behind in the Witcher. I guess it depends on what games the OP prefers.

As far as I'm concerned, the GTX 260 Core 216 is worth 160 or 180 pounds, not 260 pounds, if the HD 4870 1GB is worth 210 pounds.

 

[sharken]

should i post a dozen links all saying same thing I said? All saying 260 is faster overall...

 

[aevm]

Yes please.

 

[shortstuff_mt]

sharken - aevm already posted links showing that the 4870 1GB if faster more times than not. You're going to have a VERY hard time justifying the price difference even if you post some cherry picked pro-Nvidia charts.

 

[sharken]

ok one sec

 

[sharken]

I was posting link page reset hold on, Have at least a dozen, as I said above yes is less price, he said it was faster, IT IS NOT! thats my point, nothing more.... getting links bud, hold up

 

[sharken]

Here's a few , back little bit post more if you like....
http://techgage.com/article/ati_hd_4870_1gb_vs_nvidia_gtx_260216_896mb/7

http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1414&pageID=5839

http://www.guru3d.com/article/top-10-games-with-radeon-4870-1-gb--geforce-gtx-260-core-216-test/9

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/radeon-hd4870-1024_16.html#sect0

http://techreport.com/articles.x/15651/12

http://www.techamok.com/?pid=5423

 

[kamkal]

4870 1gb and gtx 260 216 are basically on equal footing

the 4870 1gb is cheaper, and small differences between benchmarks is not worth the extra 60 bp

that's a 28% premium for the 260 core 216 even though the card doesnt offer a 28% performance increase over the 4870 1gb

simple math here dictates the card to buy from ebuyer is the 4870 1gb

 

[sharken]

as i posted in the first response, yes cheaper but not faster, Come on guys pay attention, would be no need for this

 

[coleman]

go with the 4870 1gb, that was the first thing that came into my mind before i had seen the replies. yes, the 260 is quicker but not always best in games, there is no justification in the price difference.

go with the corsair power supply, i just order the 650w

apart from that good build

coleman

 

[sharken]

Amen

 

[techwizard08]

Your build looks good my friend. I know the feeling--I bought an extremely expensive laptop and as I chug through Fallout 3 and shop newegg I have to grimace.

They're right about the GPU--while the 216 has been known to be a little faster, I couldn't imagine justifying the price...maybe if you wanted to try the tri-SLI from the SBM?

Let us know what you go with.

 

[aevm]

Wow... Maybe I should stop reading Anandtech. They cherry-picked the games where ATI wins, and gave a totally wrong impression. Those other reviews tell a different story.

OK, sharken, you were right. Sorry...