Please check my new build

[jones89]

Please check my new build, any problems, advice, opinions etc. I’m decided on the CPU, CPU Cooler and Motherboard, but RAM, PSU and GPU are not set in stone. Thanks in advance guys, much appreciated.

■Intel i5 2500K 3.3GHz, €170
■Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 Pro, €35
■Asus P8P67 motherboard, €110
■Kingston, Corsair or GSkill DDR3-1600 RAM (PC3-12800) CL9, €60
■OCZ 700W ModXStream Modular PSU, €75
■Samsung Spinpoint 7500rpm 16MB buffer (€Already have, would upgrade to something better if I had the money)
■Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (€Already have)
■LG Flatron W2252TE 22" (€Already have. Important note: 1680x1050 is the res I game at, single monitor).
■GTX560ti OCed or GTX570 stock, €215 or €260

Total excluding GPU: €450

Intended for use as a: Gaming PC, HD Home Cinema PC, and Photohop/Illustrator/InDesign PC. I'm likely to overclock the CPU, but that's it. Not interested in the extra heat, noise, money for a better PSU and motherboard that SLI requires.

By the way, the prices are approx. prices. I'm from the UK but live in Austria, so www.amazon.de and www.hoh.de are the places I’ll be buying from. Max budget is €475, excluding the GPU. (The lower the better, as it makes the difference between me buying a GTX560ti or GTX570, and what type of model; OCed etc.)

 

[Silvune]

The only thing I would change is the power supply, and that's only if this is as good a deal as it looks because the Lepa G700 is a very nice unit based on the Enermax Modu87+ 700W:
Lepa G700W 80Plus Gold Modular €64
http://www.amazon.de/gp/offer-listing/B004J1XWME/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&qid=1315769039&sr=1-101&condition=new
I don't understand German so all I can see is the model name, the price and that it doesn't look too different to what the other vendors are saying.

There are other options if you don't mind not having a modular PSU. You also don't need as much as ~700W if you are never going to add a second card, as 550-650 is enough for almost every single card on the market and the power consumption of future gen cards is extremely unlikely go up enough to make this untrue.

Corsair Vengeance LP 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz CAS9 1.5V €48
http://www.hoh.de/PC-Komponenten/Arbeitsspeicher/Desktop/DDR3/1600_-_2000/Groesse/Kits/8_GB/Corsair_8GB_KIT_DDR3-1600_CL9_Blue_Vengeance_LP_i8910_131402_0.htm

What case are you going for?

 

[jones89]

Thanks for your reply Silvune, very helpful.

That Lepa is a bargain. Why would you change my PSU to that? Because of the price? Or price and quality/features?

Although I must admit, I've heard never heard of Lepa. Don't know how in all my years I've never heard of Lepa. I take it they're good or you wouln't have recommended them. I've onyl ever had Corsair PSUs in the past, but found them pricey for the approx 700W modular supplies. As were several other makes like Coolermaster, Antec etc.

I really want a modular PSU this time, because I'd like a tidier case, and more space for air movement. I am going to overlclock my CPU, and do want a PSU that will last a bit longer, as cards get hungrier, and PSUs age (and my PC is on from about 9am to midnight every day.)

I have Coolermaster CM690, which I'm not changing, because I'm happy with it and on a budget.

 

[Why_Me]

Thanks for your reply Silvune, very helpful.

That Lepa is a bargain. Why would you change my PSU to that? Because of the price? Or price and quality/features?

Although I must admit, I've heard never heard of Lepa. Don't know how in all my years I've never heard of Lepa. I take it they're good or you wouln't have recommended them. I've onyl ever had Corsair PSUs in the past, but found them pricey for the approx 700W modular supplies. As were several other makes like Coolermaster, Antec etc.

I really want a modular PSU this time, because I'd like a tidier case, and more space for air movement. I am going to overlclock my CPU, and do want a PSU that will last a bit longer, as cards get hungrier, and PSUs age (and my PC is on from about 9am to midnight every day.)

I have Coolermaster CM690, which I'm not changing, because I'm happy with it and on a budget.

LEPA is new on the market and their upper tier psu's are manufactured by Enermax...meaning they are a top tier psu. That particular psu linked to amazon.de is manufactured by Enermax so it's a good one.

 

[Silvune]

As for why I would recommend changing from the OCZ to the Lepa. The reasons are that it is more efficient; 80plus gold certified vs 80plus standard. The fan that is used in that model is also used in the Modu87+ 500W which was tested at SPCR and it was very quiet indeed. Pretty sure the ModXStream Pro has a 40C temp rating while the Lepa has a 50C temp rating, not a really big deal, but an indicator of higher quality.

Functionally the Lepa is superior as well as it has more and longer cables.
Plus it has greater 12V capacity: 696W vs 552W.
So really it would be worth more than €10 more, but is a bargain if it is the same price or cheaper.

I saw your other thread and noticed what you said about capacitor aging. This is not that much of a factor, as long as the capacitors are high quality and have a sensible temperature rating and are adequately cooled. Which they should be in something sold by Corsair. I believe this is also the case with Enermax/Lepa.

 

[jones89]

Thanks again for the all replies - very informative and much appreciated.

Sadly they will only deliver that inside Germany, not to me in Austria. Also, it is being sold at half the price it should be, by a new seller with only 1 review. Seems like something must be wrong with it - it's too good to be true.

So anyone got any alternative suggestions to my OCZ 700W 90plus standard modular PSU, that can be found on www.amazon.at or www.hoh.de or www.e-bug.at for around €75?

The OCZ is the best value one I could find that is modular and I don't mind about the 80plus efficiency. I've always only had 80plus standard, can't afford to get elitist with the various 80plus ratings.


I suppose I could go down to a 650W PSU, as long as it is modular, that has a better 12V rail. As that's the one that really matters, over the total Wattage of the PSU, if I recall my facts correctly.


I can afford this: http://thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?S=1344&ID=1944

It's €82,40 at ebug: http://www.e-bug.de/shop/product_info.php?info=p265095&refID=ff

Is this better than the OCZ, for €7,40 extra?

 

[Silvune]

Yes it is better, the Toughpower XT series is one of Thermaltake's really good series. Again it is more efficient, has more and longer cables, has a higher temperature rating of 50C. Even the 575W version has more 12V capacity than the ModXStream Pro 700W. The XT *75 series is known for having ~1% regulation on the 12V rail as well.
Looks to me like that unit is cheaper on Amazon.de:
http://www.amazon.de/Thermaltake-ToughPower-interne-Stromversorgung-Watt/dp/B003D0Z5O0/ref=sr_1_10?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1315843049&sr=1-10

BTW when I pressed on your link for Amazon.at it redirected me to Amazon.de.

Another option:
XFX 650W XXX Edition 80Plus Bronze Modular Grey Fan €79/81.
http://www.amazon.de/XFX-650W-XXX-Netzteil-Watt/dp/B004RJ8EQW/ref=sr_1_286?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1315842795&sr=1-286
Built by Seasonic, positively reviewed.

 

[jones89]

Ok, slight change of topic. I can't decide what GPU to get, as Battlefield 3 seems to be vram intensive.

Budget is between €205 - €220 on www.hoh.de or www.e-bug.at or www.amazon.at

So far a GTX260ti OC with 1GB vram is what I'm looking at getting.

But there are 2GB versions within my budget, but only at stock speeds.

Help...!

 

[Silvune]

I assume you meant GTX 560 Ti (rather than GTX 260 Ti - which doesn't exist).

If BF3 really does need lots of VRAM even at 1680x1050 then it won't/shouldn't be an issue getting a non-OCed version of a 2GB card as you could just overclock the card yourself.