Need criticism please

[megas]

Hey
I'm looking to buy a PC online and I'd like pros, cons and criticism on my selection.
It will be for moderate gaming, watching videos, browsing the net...
Looking for a somewhat silent PC too.
Not looking to upgrade any hardware so I didn't go for a good motherboard.

Intel Core i3 2100 (CPU)
Xigmatek HDT S963 (CPU Cooler)
Windows 7 64 bit
Gigabyte H61M-S2P (Motherboard)
4 GB Ram DDR3 1333 MHZ (1x4) - Would it be worth going for 2x2 or even 8 GB 2x4?
Corsair 60 GB Force3 SSD Sata III 6.0 Gb/s (SSD)
Nvidia GeForce GTS 450 1 GB
Wireless 802.11N 300 Mbps MIMO Pci Card (would it be better going for PCI-E? If so, why?)
21.5" LCD Widescreen monitor, 1680 x 1050, 5ms, 5,000:1
Xigmatek Asgard (PC Case)
500W Xigmatek (PSU) - Would I need a better PSU? Or could I just go with 400W Xigmatek?

I'm using DinoPC to build it and it adds up to £599.37
I think I've given all the information needed, could you guys evaluate this for me please?

 

[Raiddinn]

I don't know why you would want an aftermarket CPU cooler. I can't imagine the 2100 failing with a stock fan and a good cooling setup for the whole computer.

For anyone that has a 64 bit OS, I always suggest getting 2x 4GB RAM sticks. RAM is too cheap and the benefits are potentially quite large having 8GB instead of 4gb.

Side note, I have 2x 2GB listed in my signature. I just got Windows 7 this month and was using XP 32 before it so I couldn't use more than 4 even if I wanted to. My next upgrade is 2x 4GB. I do eat my own cooking, I just haven't had time to yet personally.

The RAM manufacturer matters too, a lot potentially. I would type in H61M-S2P RAM in google and find the link going to "www.crucial.com" and their website will show you a variety of RAM sticks they make that are compatible with your board and guaranteed to work in it. Their RAM is made by the Micron company and sold under their own brand name (Crucial) and they do more quality testing than almost all other RAM sellers and their standards for what passes and fails is stricter than most other companies too. This translates into better performance with fewer problems for you.

Corsair 60GB SSD - I would go for a 128 if I were going to get one, that way I could install most all the programs I want to install directly onto the SSD and not just the OS. If you have only a 60 GB SSD there is some potential there that you will go beyond that with just programs and have to install programs on the slower drive.

The likelihood of that is greatly reduced with a 128 GB instead of a 60, but the cost is considerably more so you do pay for that privelege.

GTS 450 - Not a good gamer card. I wouldn't even use it for moderate gaming. I would highly recommend if you want to do any gaming that you consider a 6670 or a 6770 instead of this. For movies too.

Wireless card - no PCIE, the video card needs that space.

21.5" monitor - Things are going towards LEDs, I would get a LED monitor if it were me. The cost should be pretty close to similar sized full LCDs. Also, the brand matters. Viewsonic is a good brand.

Xigmatek Asgard - If you are going for a lowest of the low end case, it should be fine. Your internals aren't super heat generating or anything so perhaps it would be fine. You can get this thing for very nearly just the cost of shipping and it isn't because it is worth its weight in gold.

If that is what you are aiming for, then it is fine, but it is important to note that the PSU is TOP mount not bottom. This is an old architecture that puts greatly increased demands on the PSU for pulling all the heat in the computer into itself and pushing it out the back of the case.

I would highly suggest you look for some bargain basement case that has a bottom mount PSU if you can. This greatly increases PSU longevity.

500w Xigmatek PSU - I would avoid it. Get an Antec 520w or XFX 550w instead. These are solid brands that people trust. People never suggest to others around here to get Xigmatec brand PSUs because they aren't known in the PSU space.

They may have decent cases and good cooling parts, but that doesn't mean they make good PSUs.

Stick with a brand that is known to have really good PSUs like the two I mentioned.

 

[g-unit1111]

I don't know why you would want an aftermarket CPU cooler. I can't imagine the 2100 failing with a stock fan and a good cooling setup for the whole computer.

I have my i3-2120 running with a Hyper 212 and it's been great so far. I always tend to prefer good aftermarket coolers over the stock ones Intel and AMD include.

500w Xigmatek PSU - I would avoid it. Get an Antec 520w or XFX 550w instead. These are solid brands that people trust. People never suggest to others around here to get Xigmatec brand PSUs because they aren't known in the PSU space.

They may have decent cases and good cooling parts, but that doesn't mean they make good PSUs.

Stick with a brand that is known to have really good PSUs like the two I mentioned.

I completely agree here. If a PSU isn't certified and rated - don't buy it!!! Antec, XFX, Corsair, Cooler Master all make great PSUs that won't cost an arm and a leg - you want to avoid brands like Xigmatek, Ultra, Diablotek, Coolmax, and so on - they're not well rated or respected among PSU makers. In fact you should probably read this about choosing a good PSU: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supply-psu-review,2916.html

GTS 450 - Not a good gamer card. I wouldn't even use it for moderate gaming. I would highly recommend if you want to do any gaming that you consider a 6670 or a 6770 instead of this. For movies too.

Actually I'd recommend the 6790 since you can use native HDMI with the card - and it's won Tom's "Best GPUs for the money" like 5 months in a row now.

The RAM manufacturer matters too, a lot potentially. I would type in H61M-S2P RAM in google and find the link going to "www.crucial.com" and their website will show you a variety of RAM sticks they make that are compatible with your board and guaranteed to work in it. Their RAM is made by the Micron company and sold under their own brand name (Crucial) and they do more quality testing than almost all other RAM sellers and their standards for what passes and fails is stricter than most other companies too. This translates into better performance with fewer problems for you.

The best thing to do is to check the motherboard manufacturer's website and see what they recommend - but I agree that RAM is key, but if you get the wrong RAM it could mean bad things down the road (and I know from experience).

Not looking to upgrade any hardware so I didn't go for a good motherboard.

That is certainly not the best way to go about picking computer parts. You want to get the best computer parts you can for the money and not have to worry about upgrading later on. The H61 is not bad, but limited expansion means that when the time comes to upgrade, you don't want to have to replace your whole motherboard, CPU, RAM, and so on. It's better to pick parts that will allow you to maintain your system in the long run with minimum upgrades and the fewest headaches possible. Choosing a motherboard based on that logic will create lots of frustration in the long run.

Corsair 60 GB Force3 SSD Sata III 6.0 Gb/s (SSD)

Go with the Crucial M4 over the Force 3 - there seems to be a lot of problems with these drives from what I've been reading.

 

[megas]

I don't know why you would want an aftermarket CPU cooler. I can't imagine the 2100 failing with a stock fan and a good cooling setup for the whole computer.

For anyone that has a 64 bit OS, I always suggest getting 2x 4GB RAM sticks. RAM is too cheap and the benefits are potentially quite large having 8GB instead of 4gb.

Side note, I have 2x 2GB listed in my signature. I just got Windows 7 this month and was using XP 32 before it so I couldn't use more than 4 even if I wanted to. My next upgrade is 2x 4GB. I do eat my own cooking, I just haven't had time to yet personally.

The RAM manufacturer matters too, a lot potentially. I would type in H61M-S2P RAM in google and find the link going to "www.crucial.com" and their website will show you a variety of RAM sticks they make that are compatible with your board and guaranteed to work in it. Their RAM is made by the Micron company and sold under their own brand name (Crucial) and they do more quality testing than almost all other RAM sellers and their standards for what passes and fails is stricter than most other companies too. This translates into better performance with fewer problems for you.

Corsair 60GB SSD - I would go for a 128 if I were going to get one, that way I could install most all the programs I want to install directly onto the SSD and not just the OS. If you have only a 60 GB SSD there is some potential there that you will go beyond that with just programs and have to install programs on the slower drive.

The likelihood of that is greatly reduced with a 128 GB instead of a 60, but the cost is considerably more so you do pay for that privelege.

GTS 450 - Not a good gamer card. I wouldn't even use it for moderate gaming. I would highly recommend if you want to do any gaming that you consider a 6670 or a 6770 instead of this. For movies too.

Wireless card - no PCIE, the video card needs that space.

21.5" monitor - Things are going towards LEDs, I would get a LED monitor if it were me. The cost should be pretty close to similar sized full LCDs. Also, the brand matters. Viewsonic is a good brand.

Xigmatek Asgard - If you are going for a lowest of the low end case, it should be fine. Your internals aren't super heat generating or anything so perhaps it would be fine. You can get this thing for very nearly just the cost of shipping and it isn't because it is worth its weight in gold.

If that is what you are aiming for, then it is fine, but it is important to note that the PSU is TOP mount not bottom. This is an old architecture that puts greatly increased demands on the PSU for pulling all the heat in the computer into itself and pushing it out the back of the case.

I would highly suggest you look for some bargain basement case that has a bottom mount PSU if you can. This greatly increases PSU longevity.

500w Xigmatek PSU - I would avoid it. Get an Antec 520w or XFX 550w instead. These are solid brands that people trust. People never suggest to others around here to get Xigmatec brand PSUs because they aren't known in the PSU space.

They may have decent cases and good cooling parts, but that doesn't mean they make good PSUs.

Stick with a brand that is known to have really good PSUs like the two I mentioned.

I see. So the stock cooler will be enough and won't make too much noise? If so then great, I'll save 20£ that will be going for more RAM.
How's 8 GB Corsair 1600 MHZ Vengeance 2x4?
And there will be no other HDD. It will be just the 60 GB SSD. Tbh right now I'm not using more than 40gb including programs, files, music, etc and it's fine.
How do I know whether a PSU is top or bottom mount?

And which websites would you suggest to buy a PC from?
Also, does newegg assemble the PC? Because usually I see people buying separate parts.

Also, thanks for the help.

 

[megas]

I don't know why you would want an aftermarket CPU cooler. I can't imagine the 2100 failing with a stock fan and a good cooling setup for the whole computer.

I have my i3-2120 running with a Hyper 212 and it's been great so far. I always tend to prefer good aftermarket coolers over the stock ones Intel and AMD include.

500w Xigmatek PSU - I would avoid it. Get an Antec 520w or XFX 550w instead. These are solid brands that people trust. People never suggest to others around here to get Xigmatec brand PSUs because they aren't known in the PSU space.

They may have decent cases and good cooling parts, but that doesn't mean they make good PSUs.

Stick with a brand that is known to have really good PSUs like the two I mentioned.

I completely agree here. If a PSU isn't certified and rated - don't buy it!!! Antec, XFX, Corsair, Cooler Master all make great PSUs that won't cost an arm and a leg - you want to avoid brands like Xigmatek, Ultra, Diablotek, Coolmax, and so on - they're not well rated or respected among PSU makers. In fact you should probably read this about choosing a good PSU: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supply-psu-review,2916.html

GTS 450 - Not a good gamer card. I wouldn't even use it for moderate gaming. I would highly recommend if you want to do any gaming that you consider a 6670 or a 6770 instead of this. For movies too.

Actually I'd recommend the 6790 since you can use native HDMI with the card - and it's won Tom's "Best GPUs for the money" like 5 months in a row now.

The RAM manufacturer matters too, a lot potentially. I would type in H61M-S2P RAM in google and find the link going to "www.crucial.com" and their website will show you a variety of RAM sticks they make that are compatible with your board and guaranteed to work in it. Their RAM is made by the Micron company and sold under their own brand name (Crucial) and they do more quality testing than almost all other RAM sellers and their standards for what passes and fails is stricter than most other companies too. This translates into better performance with fewer problems for you.

The best thing to do is to check the motherboard manufacturer's website and see what they recommend - but I agree that RAM is key, but if you get the wrong RAM it could mean bad things down the road (and I know from experience).

Not looking to upgrade any hardware so I didn't go for a good motherboard.

That is certainly not the best way to go about picking computer parts. You want to get the best computer parts you can for the money and not have to worry about upgrading later on. The H61 is not bad, but limited expansion means that when the time comes to upgrade, you don't want to have to replace your whole motherboard, CPU, RAM, and so on. It's better to pick parts that will allow you to maintain your system in the long run with minimum upgrades and the fewest headaches possible. Choosing a motherboard based on that logic will create lots of frustration in the long run.

Corsair 60 GB Force3 SSD Sata III 6.0 Gb/s (SSD)

Go with the Crucial M4 over the Force 3 - there seems to be a lot of problems with these drives from what I've been reading.

I see, but would the 2100 suffice with the stock cooler and not overheat? And would the stock cooler not make much noise?
Thanks for the ram tip.
I thought of going with the 6790 mostly because of the 256 memory bit rate but I was told that clock rates were more important for gaming and therefore to go with the 6770.

 

[g-unit1111]

I see, but would the 2100 suffice with the stock cooler and not overheat? And would the stock cooler not make much noise?

It could but it's just my general preference that I like to get a better stock cooler than what Intel and AMD include just to be on the safe side - a cooler CPU will prolong its' longevity.

I thought of going with the 6790 mostly because of the 256 memory bit rate but I was told that clock rates were more important for gaming and therefore to go with the 6770.

The 6770 is the exact same GPU as last year's 5770 was. The 6790 is a more current version that's been tweaked for better performance. It's only a $10 difference between the two.

How's 8 GB Corsair 1600 MHZ Vengeance 2x4?

Corsair is an excellent RAM maker. Them, G.Skill, and Crucial are pretty much the only RAM manufacturers I buy from anymore.

How do I know whether a PSU is top or bottom mount?

Well if you look at the specs on Newegg it will tell you where the mount is. Most cases are bottom-mount since about 2009 so it you should be fine.

And which websites would you suggest to buy a PC from?
Also, does newegg assemble the PC? Because usually I see people buying separate parts.

Well I wouldn't recommend sites like Cyberpower or IBUYPOWER - they generally tend to lack in the support department. The thing with building your PC is that you're generally on your own for technical support, it's up to the manufacturers to honor their warranties should something go wrong, but they're generally pretty good about it.

 

[madchemist83]

I think biggest thing you should worry about noise is ur case.
Check if you can get your hands on Fractal Design Define R3 - hands down one of the best silent cases

 

[Raiddinn]

This case

Xigmatek ASGARD II B/S CPC-T45UD-U01 Black / Silver 0.8 mm SECC / Aluminum and Aluminum Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Is indeed a top mount PSU.

I don't know if that is exactly the one in question, but this other Asgard

Xigmatek ASGARD II B/O CPC-T45UE-U01 Black / Orange 0.8 mm SECC / Aluminum and Aluminum Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

is also a top mount case. It is indeed entirely possible the whole line includes only top mount cases.

In order to know if it is a top mount case you can look at the Details Tab in Newegg and there is an entry for "Power Supply Mounted" near the top and it will say right there. You can alternatively look at the pictures (what I do) and just flip right to the back view and look where the big round'ish hole is in the back. There will only be one of them and it will be clearly on the top or the bottom.

As for CPU coolers, they work just fine with an adequate complete cooling system. I have only ever used stock coolers and never had any problems with them. Even with stock coolers its extremely likely the CPU fan won't be the loudest thing in the case.

For people made out of money there is no reason not to go liquid cool a non overclocked cpu, but it is hardly necessary and indeed hard to justify the added expense IMHO.

If the entire cooling setup is well done, then the CPU will almost always last for the life of the computer (~4/5 years maybe) without any problems and after that it won't matter anymore anyway.

RAM - I already mentioned a good way to get RAM regardless of what motherboard it is for, stick with that.

Newegg will not build the computer for you, you will have to do it yourself or go with one of the websites geared toward that. I will do it myself if you live in/around DC and you can wait till January.

 

[megas]

Well guys, I've taken all your advice into consideration and this is what I've got so far.
I didn't, however, check the Ram with the motherboard like Raiddinn suggested because I couldn't find the right page.
I also couldn't check out the Fractal Design Refine R3 because it wasn't available at ebuyer.com, the website I'm using now.
Is everything compatible? Are there any problems with any of the parts I picked? Any advice / criticism?

Asus P8H61-M LE/USB3 Intel H61 Socket 1155 8 Channel HD Audio mATX Motherboard---------------------------£48.99
OCZ 60GB Agility 3 SSD - 2.5" SATA-III - Read 525MB/s Write 475MB/s 80,000 IOPS-------------------------------£77.45
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium w/SP1 - Licence and media - 1 PC - OEM - DVD - 64-bit - English---------£70.73
Intel Core i3 2100 3.10GHz Socket 1155 3MB L3 Cache Retail Boxed Processor-------------------------------------£90.18
Sapphire HD 6790 1GB GDDR5 DVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Graphics Card-------------------------------------------£104.84
OCZ ZT Series 550W Modular PSU(certified and rated)-------------------------------------------------------------------£66.38
Sony Optiarc DDU1681S 18x DVD-ROM SATA Optical Drive - OEM Black-----------------------------------------------£11.99
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro rev 2 Socket 775, 1156, 1155, 1366, AM2, AM3 Heatpipe CPU Cooler-------------£15.98
Crucial 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 Ballistix Sport Memory Kit CL10 1.5V -------------------------------------------------------£24.99
ACER V223HQVb 21.5'' LCD VGA Monitor------------------------------------------------------------------------------------£79.92
Trust MiLa 2.0 Speaker Set - PC multimedia speakers - 5 Watt--------------------------------------------------------£7.59
Xenta Black Wired 3 Button Optical Scroll Mouse - USB------------------------------------------------------------------£2.99
Xenta Black Full Size Keyboard------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------£2.99
Casecom 6788 All Black Case (bottom mount)-----------------------------------------------------------------------------£29.99
Antec 120mm TrueQuiet Fan---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------£7.65
Cisco Linksys Wireless-N Dual-Band PCI Adapter--------------------------------------------------------------------------£36.99

Total - 679.65£

I'm using ebuyer and I've decided to put the computer together myself.
Also, what is IOPS in the SSD?
And what is the difference between H61 Mobo and H61 express?

 

[Raiddinn]

http://www.crucial.com/upgrade/ASUS-memory/ASUS+Motherboards/P8H61-M+LE-upgrades.html

It got bumped to the second entry page 2 on my search results. A rarity when I do this.

 

[megas]

http://www.crucial.com/upgrade/ASUS-memory/ASUS+Motherboards/P8H61-M+LE-upgrades.html

It got bumped to the second entry page 2 on my search results. A rarity when I do this.

Yes, I was on that website but I didn't think that was the one because I couldn't find the part where it suggested which ram is best.
Thanks for doing it, if it's a rarity ^_^

 

[Raiddinn]

You just have to hit the button that says "Show all memory" and then scroll down till you see what you are looking for. That probably means "2x 4GB" for people with a 64 bit OS and "2x 2GB" for anyone with a 32 bit OS.

Then you write down part numbers and then you search the internet to see what is the right price and other specs you want.

 

[megas]

You just have to hit the button that says "Show all memory" and then scroll down till you see what you are looking for. That probably means "2x 4GB" for people with a 64 bit OS and "2x 2GB" for anyone with a 32 bit OS.

Then you write down part numbers and then you search the internet to see what is the right price and other specs you want.

I see, thanks for explaining.
Well it appears to be the Crucial Ballistix Ram. Guess I'll go with the 2x4 on that, then. And good, it's 1600 MHz and less than 25£, cheaper than the G skill 1333 MHz by 5£.
Should I also do the same for the SSD? Because the SSDs recommended with this motherboard that have 64 GBs have 95 m/s write speed and are 25£ more expensive...
Also, how important is it that a PSU is modular? Is all the less cabling really significant for the airflow? Should I get a modular PSU?

 

[g-unit1111]

Is everything compatible? Are there any problems with any of the parts I picked? Any advice / criticism?

Compatible yes but there's a few things I would suggest:

Xenta Black Wired 3 Button Optical Scroll Mouse - USB------------------------------------------------------------------£2.99
Xenta Black Full Size Keyboard------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------£2.99

I'm not sure about this brand - if you can get a cheap Logitech wireless keyboard / mouse combo - the MK260 is a good one and can be had for like $25 (US).

Trust MiLa 2.0 Speaker Set - PC multimedia speakers - 5 Watt--------------------------------------------------------£7.59

Anything less than 10.00 for speakers are going to be like tin can speakers - these will be fine for a while but if you're any sort of music fan you might want to invest in something better down the road.

Casecom 6788 All Black Case (bottom mount)-----------------------------------------------------------------------------£29.99
2x Antec 120mm TrueQuiet Fan-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------£15.29 (for both)

Not sure what kind of case this is, but you probably don't need the extra fans - most cases include plenty to begin with.

OCZ 60GB Agility 3 SSD - 2.5" SATA-III - Read 525MB/s Write 475MB/s 80,000 IOPS-------------------------------£77.45

For the price you should probably go with the Crucial M4 over the Agility 3 - OCZ hasn't quite perfected these drives and there seem to be a lot of issues with them.

OCZ ZT Series 550W Modular PSU(certified and rated)-------------------------------------------------------------------£66.38

For the price the Corsair Builder Series would probably be a safer bet.

 

[megas]

Is everything compatible? Are there any problems with any of the parts I picked? Any advice / criticism?

Compatible yes but there's a few things I would suggest:

Xenta Black Wired 3 Button Optical Scroll Mouse - USB------------------------------------------------------------------£2.99
Xenta Black Full Size Keyboard------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------£2.99

I'm not sure about this brand - if you can get a cheap Logitech wireless keyboard / mouse combo - the MK260 is a good one and can be had for like $25 (US).

Trust MiLa 2.0 Speaker Set - PC multimedia speakers - 5 Watt--------------------------------------------------------£7.59

Anything less than 10.00 for speakers are going to be like tin can speakers - these will be fine for a while but if you're any sort of music fan you might want to invest in something better down the road.

Casecom 6788 All Black Case (bottom mount)-----------------------------------------------------------------------------£29.99
2x Antec 120mm TrueQuiet Fan-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------£15.29 (for both)

Not sure what kind of case this is, but you probably don't need the extra fans - most cases include plenty to begin with.

OCZ 60GB Agility 3 SSD - 2.5" SATA-III - Read 525MB/s Write 475MB/s 80,000 IOPS-------------------------------£77.45

For the price you should probably go with the Crucial M4 over the Agility 3 - OCZ hasn't quite perfected these drives and there seem to be a lot of issues with them.

OCZ ZT Series 550W Modular PSU(certified and rated)-------------------------------------------------------------------£66.38

For the price the Corsair Builder Series would probably be a safer bet.

Hmm no Corsair Builder Series available it seems.. only CX, HX and Professional series.
How much wattage would I need anyway? Is 550 enough or too much?

It's this case http://www.ebuyer.com/172779-casecom-6788-all-black-case-km-6788-black

Is the Crucial M4 worth it with only 95 m/s write speed and 415 m/s read? I can't find any problems with the OCZ SSD on google or youtube, what issues do you mean?
And thanks for the tips on the mouse, keyboard and speakers but I'm not really looking for anything much with them, just need them to work. And the speakers, I just need them to produce sound, not looking for anything much ^_^

Also I just noticed something. On the motherboard's specs it says "2 x DIMM, Max. 16GB, DDR3 1333/1066 Hz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory". Does this mean that 8 GB 1600 MHz is incompatible?
And would there be enough PCi and PCI-e ports for everything? Because it says "1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 2 x PCIe 2.0 x1 1 x PCI"
Well, I'll get rid of 1 of the 2 separate fans I'm buying then, I'd rather be safe

 

[madchemist83]

it seems like that case is not a good choice.

 

[g-unit1111]

Hmm no Corsair Builder Series available it seems.. only CX, HX and Professional series.
How much wattage would I need anyway? Is 550 enough or too much?

The CX is the Builder Series, the GS is the gamer series, the HX is the professional series, and the TX is the enthusiast series. 500 - 600 should be plenty.

Is the Crucial M4 worth it with only 95 m/s write speed and 415 m/s read? I can't find any problems with the OCZ SSD on google or youtube, what issues do you mean?

The M4 is one of the best SSDs on the market. Don't rely on what you read on Google or Youtube for product reviews and issues, a good rule of thumb when you purchase any computer hardware is to browse the manufacturer's technical support page for common errors and issues, that way you know what you're getting into when you purchase said product.

And thanks for the tips on the mouse, keyboard and speakers but I'm not really looking for anything much with them, just need them to work. And the speakers, I just need them to produce sound, not looking for anything much ^_^

No problem, I just don't like purchasing inadequate hardware I always get a red flag when I see something that inexpensive. Stuff like that isn't critical to a build but for stuff that is, I do tend to persuade people from purchasing the cheapest stuff on the market.

Also I just noticed something. On the motherboard's specs it says "2 x DIMM, Max. 16GB, DDR3 1333/1066 Hz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory". Does this mean that 8 GB 1600 MHz is incompatible?
And would there be enough PCi and PCI-e ports for everything? Because it says "1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 2 x PCIe 2.0 x1 1 x PCI"

The 8GB will work fine - the H61 is a dual channel system just like the H67, P67, and Z68 are. Having only 2 x DIMM slots only means that there's 2 slots instead of the typical 4. You can have the 8GB - you just won't be able to upgrade to anything else later on should you need it. P67 allows 16GB max and Z68 allows up to 32GB max. The speeds - you will need 1333 as opposed to the 1600, but that won't make much of a difference since your motherboard will default to the slowest speeds and timings it can handle.

 

[Raiddinn]

I see, thanks for explaining.
Well it appears to be the Crucial Ballistix Ram. Guess I'll go with the 2x4 on that, then. And good, it's 1600 MHz and less than 25£, cheaper than the G skill 1333 MHz by 5£.
Should I also do the same for the SSD? Because the SSDs recommended with this motherboard that have 64 GBs have 95 m/s write speed and are 25£ more expensive...
Also, how important is it that a PSU is modular? Is all the less cabling really significant for the airflow? Should I get a modular PSU?

You certainly could do the same with SSDs, but there are much less problems with SSDs being imcompatible with boards than with RAM being incompatible with boards.

Also, the RAM has been around for a long time and Micron has developed a winning reputation during it.

The SSDs haven't been around long enough for clear winner companies to emerge yet.

I wouldn't advise picking an SSD this way, but if you do it should still work.

 

[megas]

Hmm no Corsair Builder Series available it seems.. only CX, HX and Professional series.
How much wattage would I need anyway? Is 550 enough or too much?

The CX is the Builder Series, the GS is the gamer series, the HX is the professional series, and the TX is the enthusiast series. 500 - 600 should be plenty.

Is the Crucial M4 worth it with only 95 m/s write speed and 415 m/s read? I can't find any problems with the OCZ SSD on google or youtube, what issues do you mean?

The M4 is one of the best SSDs on the market. Don't rely on what you read on Google or Youtube for product reviews and issues, a good rule of thumb when you purchase any computer hardware is to browse the manufacturer's technical support page for common errors and issues, that way you know what you're getting into when you purchase said product.

And thanks for the tips on the mouse, keyboard and speakers but I'm not really looking for anything much with them, just need them to work. And the speakers, I just need them to produce sound, not looking for anything much ^_^

No problem, I just don't like purchasing inadequate hardware I always get a red flag when I see something that inexpensive. Stuff like that isn't critical to a build but for stuff that is, I do tend to persuade people from purchasing the cheapest stuff on the market.

Also I just noticed something. On the motherboard's specs it says "2 x DIMM, Max. 16GB, DDR3 1333/1066 Hz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory". Does this mean that 8 GB 1600 MHz is incompatible?
And would there be enough PCi and PCI-e ports for everything? Because it says "1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 2 x PCIe 2.0 x1 1 x PCI"

The 8GB will work fine - the H61 is a dual channel system just like the H67, P67, and Z68 are. Having only 2 x DIMM slots only means that there's 2 slots instead of the typical 4. You can have the 8GB - you just won't be able to upgrade to anything else later on should you need it. P67 allows 16GB max and Z68 allows up to 32GB max. The speeds - you will need 1333 as opposed to the 1600, but that won't make much of a difference since your motherboard will default to the slowest speeds and timings it can handle.

Ah right, my bad. Well, there's the Corsair 600W CX Series V2 PSU - 6x SATA 2x PCI-E. Although I don't think I need 600W, so would it be advisable to have more watts than needed? Plus I'm sort of inclined towards a modular PSU.
About the ram, so the mobo will default to 1333 anyways? So should I just save up a bit and get the 8GB 1333 ram instead of 1600?

@madchemist83 - Why is this case not a good choice?

Also I think I'll stick to the SSD I picked, although thanks for all the help on that part.

 

[madchemist83]

Idk cause it's unknown case. Something like antec 300 would be better. If you can get your hands on fractal design go for it

 

[megas]

I'm already spending a bit more than I hoped for so I'm not going to go with a better case.
But I have a question about the motherboard I've picked, the Asus P8H61-M LE/USB3 Intel H61 Socket 1155 8 Channel HD Audio mATX Motherboard.
It says it supports DirectX 10.1, but what about DirectX 11? Because the GPU I picked supports DirectX 11 so would I only be able to use up to 10.1?
Also, trying to cut back a bit on the money so the mobo I've picked is 48.99£ but would it be ok to go for any of these motherboards instead?:
http://www.ebuyer.com/320145-msi-h61m-p25-b3-socket-1155-matx-motherboard-h61m-p25-b3-
http://www.ebuyer.com/320276-ex-display-biostar-h61mgc-socket-1155-vga-dvi-6-channel-audio-matx-motherboard-ebr1-h61mgc
http://www.ebuyer.com/279549-asrock-h61m-vs-socket-1155-vga-5-1-channel-audio-matx-motherboard-h61m-vs
http://www.ebuyer.com/266605-asus-p8h61-m-le-usb3-intel-h61-socket-1155-8-channel-hd-audio-matx-p8h61-m-le-usb3-r3-0

Would they all still be compatible? And what would I be losing on if I chose each of those motherboards instead of the one I've picked?

 

[megas]

Also, so the mobo will default the ram to 1333 anyways? So should I just get the 8GB 1333 ram instead of 1600 to save a bit of money?

 

[Raiddinn]

Some nice 1333 ram with 1.35v is really good IMHO. If it is ever interesting later to OC RAM the 1.35 has a lot of room to go upwards.

As for the DirectX stuff, I have never heard of a computer with Windows 7 and a DX11 video card that wasn't able to use DX11 because of a motherboard limitation. It probably says DX10 because it was invented when DX11 wasn't invented yet and the description wasn't ever updated.

If you want to search around the internet for "DX 11 doesn't work with my motherboard" or something you can, but I wouldn't spend too much time on this.

As for changing motherboards, I didn't comb through the stats on the boards, but I trust Asus and ASRock more than MSI and BIOSTAR. That would be the only one I would consider downgrading to out of the 3 options you presented. If you are OK with the ASRock stats, then you might consider going down to it. I wouldn't go for the rest, though.

Consider seriously whether you really want to save the money, though. It is only a couple pounds difference.

I have an Asus myself and barring any serious failures on their part I intend to continue using them without seriously considering other brands, so I am kinda biased.

 

[megas]

Some nice 1333 ram with 1.35v is really good IMHO. If it is ever interesting later to OC RAM the 1.35 has a lot of room to go upwards.

As for the DirectX stuff, I have never heard of a computer with Windows 7 and a DX11 video card that wasn't able to use DX11 because of a motherboard limitation. It probably says DX10 because it was invented when DX11 wasn't invented yet and the description wasn't ever updated.

If you want to search around the internet for "DX 11 doesn't work with my motherboard" or something you can, but I wouldn't spend too much time on this.

As for changing motherboards, I didn't comb through the stats on the boards, but I trust Asus and ASRock more than MSI and BIOSTAR. That would be the only one I would consider downgrading to out of the 3 options you presented. If you are OK with the ASRock stats, then you might consider going down to it. I wouldn't go for the rest, though.

Consider seriously whether you really want to save the money, though. It is only a couple pounds difference.

I have an Asus myself and barring any serious failures on their part I intend to continue using them without seriously considering other brands, so I am kinda biased.

Ok thanks, will change the ram.
And I'm glad, I was really worried about the direct x thing.
Well you're right it's only a few pounds, not worth changing to Asrock I guess.
I'm not on my main pc right now but I will post my complete, final list of parts later today.

 

[megas]

Some nice 1333 ram with 1.35v is really good IMHO. If it is ever interesting later to OC RAM the 1.35 has a lot of room to go upwards.

As for the DirectX stuff, I have never heard of a computer with Windows 7 and a DX11 video card that wasn't able to use DX11 because of a motherboard limitation. It probably says DX10 because it was invented when DX11 wasn't invented yet and the description wasn't ever updated.

If you want to search around the internet for "DX 11 doesn't work with my motherboard" or something you can, but I wouldn't spend too much time on this.

As for changing motherboards, I didn't comb through the stats on the boards, but I trust Asus and ASRock more than MSI and BIOSTAR. That would be the only one I would consider downgrading to out of the 3 options you presented. If you are OK with the ASRock stats, then you might consider going down to it. I wouldn't go for the rest, though.

Consider seriously whether you really want to save the money, though. It is only a couple pounds difference.

I have an Asus myself and barring any serious failures on their part I intend to continue using them without seriously considering other brands, so I am kinda biased.

Well, this is weird. There isn't 1.35v Ballistix 8 gb ram 1333 mhz on ebuyer, but there is 1.5v. But for some reason, it's 8£ more expensive than the 1600.
Why?
Also, what is the difference between 1.35v and 1.5v?
Here are the 2 products so you can look at them if you need
http://www.ebuyer.com/275065-crucial-ballistix-sport-8gb-2x4gb-ddr3-1333mhz-memory-kit-cl9-non-ecc-1-5v-bl2kit51264ba1339

http://www.ebuyer.com/275166-crucial-ballistix-sport-8gb-2x4gb-ddr3-1600mhz-memory-kit-cl10-1-5v-bl2kit51264ba160a