And so it begins.
Last response: in Systems
Hi everybody. Well after 2 months of researching and trawling through pages and pages of posts and reviews I've finally started assembling my 1st homebuild gaming pc and i feel nervous and excited all at the same time. I'm gonna to keep this page going with updates on the build and my progression.
As I said earlier, this is my 1st attempt at building my own pc so I will be including all my triumphs and troubles of a very amateur builder. So let's get started.
This is the build that I'm aiming for and the budget is around £700-£800.
Cooler master storm enforcer case
Asrock z77 extreme4
Intel i5 3570k
Noctua NH-D14
Nvidia gtx 670
750gb HDD
Antec current high gamer pro 750w
8gb corsair vengeance low profile
Windows 7
As I couldn't afford to get everything in one go I am buying parts on a weekly basis and finding them online at the cheapest price possible. It's really worth spending time and putting in the hours comparing different sites and stores as some of the savings I've made were huge.
I will be updating this page with each new part I get, a little thought on the part and the fun I have with installing said part.
So, this is where inn at so far. (in order of purchase)
2 DVD drives, one R/W. (free).
Before I started buying parts, I thought I would see what parts I could use from my old computers I had laying around. These were both store brought computers and are about 5 and 7 years old respectively. I was tempted with a blu ray drive but since I have a ps3 I didn't think it would really be that necessary or cost effective. I found these very easy to install into the case(which I will get to soon) due to the case having locking bays which meant no tools or screws were needed which is a great start for a amateur. The drives are nothing special but they will do the job.
Cooler master storm enforcer case (£35, RRP is around £80)
This was a eBay purchase which got me huge discounts. I wanted a case with plenty of air cooling potential as I do not want to go down the water cooling path yet. I also needed a case big enough to fit the noctua cooler in. This case has fantastic reviews, great cable management, plenty of room and looks cool. It has a 200mm intake on the front, a 120mm intake on the side and a 120mm exhaust on the back, it also has room for a 200mm/2x120mm fans on the top which I shall use. Loads of room for mods as well. It has a removable drive cage which means you can fit the bigger gpu's in it. Installation of parts is dead easy due to a slide and lock mechanism. Very very happy with the purchase.
750gb HDD 7200rpm (free)
I have pulled out from my older systems 2 hard drives, 1x500gb and 1x250gb. I'm going to use these to try and bring costs down as I also have a 1tb external HDD. I shall wipe these clean when doing the windows install. Yet again (thanks to the case) installation was extremely easy and tool and screw free. I just had to put 2 clips on each HDD and slot them in, job done.
8gb (2x4gb) 1600 corsair vengeance low profile (£37.99).
I purchased this ram through reccomendations and the fact it will fit under my cooler. Another eBay purchase but these are brand new. I've read good reviews about this ram so hopefully they come true and good for me. It's a very stylish looking ram as well. Hopefully it works well as I have not installed it yet but will post an update once this is done.
Noctua NH-D14 (£39.50)
This was an absolute bargain and was so chuffed when I got this. It's brand new, in the box and had never been opened. It was a unwanted gift as it wouldn't fit inside his 180mm wide case. This thing is a beast in size. I mean, it really is huge, width and depth. I've only ever heard positive things about this cooler but the price was putting me off a bit even though I know that you would be paying for quality. I also think this cooler is perfect as I shall be overclocking. It's also very heavy and from what I imagine, quite fiddly to fit. I may leave this install until the mobo is actually inside the case already cos with both sides off, you can get to the backplate quite easily.
I will update once installed and running.
I've also god some odds and ends from the old pcs I had like sata cables etc etc.
So, that's where I'm at now. Everything that can be installed in the case already, has been.
Next purchase, next week. Nvidia GTX 670.
The most expensive part in the build. I'm looking to spend around £300 on this. I can't wait for it.
I will keep this updated as I go.
As I said earlier, this is my 1st attempt at building my own pc so I will be including all my triumphs and troubles of a very amateur builder. So let's get started.
This is the build that I'm aiming for and the budget is around £700-£800.
Cooler master storm enforcer case
Asrock z77 extreme4
Intel i5 3570k
Noctua NH-D14
Nvidia gtx 670
750gb HDD
Antec current high gamer pro 750w
8gb corsair vengeance low profile
Windows 7
As I couldn't afford to get everything in one go I am buying parts on a weekly basis and finding them online at the cheapest price possible. It's really worth spending time and putting in the hours comparing different sites and stores as some of the savings I've made were huge.
I will be updating this page with each new part I get, a little thought on the part and the fun I have with installing said part.
So, this is where inn at so far. (in order of purchase)
2 DVD drives, one R/W. (free).
Before I started buying parts, I thought I would see what parts I could use from my old computers I had laying around. These were both store brought computers and are about 5 and 7 years old respectively. I was tempted with a blu ray drive but since I have a ps3 I didn't think it would really be that necessary or cost effective. I found these very easy to install into the case(which I will get to soon) due to the case having locking bays which meant no tools or screws were needed which is a great start for a amateur. The drives are nothing special but they will do the job.
Cooler master storm enforcer case (£35, RRP is around £80)
This was a eBay purchase which got me huge discounts. I wanted a case with plenty of air cooling potential as I do not want to go down the water cooling path yet. I also needed a case big enough to fit the noctua cooler in. This case has fantastic reviews, great cable management, plenty of room and looks cool. It has a 200mm intake on the front, a 120mm intake on the side and a 120mm exhaust on the back, it also has room for a 200mm/2x120mm fans on the top which I shall use. Loads of room for mods as well. It has a removable drive cage which means you can fit the bigger gpu's in it. Installation of parts is dead easy due to a slide and lock mechanism. Very very happy with the purchase.
750gb HDD 7200rpm (free)
I have pulled out from my older systems 2 hard drives, 1x500gb and 1x250gb. I'm going to use these to try and bring costs down as I also have a 1tb external HDD. I shall wipe these clean when doing the windows install. Yet again (thanks to the case) installation was extremely easy and tool and screw free. I just had to put 2 clips on each HDD and slot them in, job done.
8gb (2x4gb) 1600 corsair vengeance low profile (£37.99).
I purchased this ram through reccomendations and the fact it will fit under my cooler. Another eBay purchase but these are brand new. I've read good reviews about this ram so hopefully they come true and good for me. It's a very stylish looking ram as well. Hopefully it works well as I have not installed it yet but will post an update once this is done.
Noctua NH-D14 (£39.50)
This was an absolute bargain and was so chuffed when I got this. It's brand new, in the box and had never been opened. It was a unwanted gift as it wouldn't fit inside his 180mm wide case. This thing is a beast in size. I mean, it really is huge, width and depth. I've only ever heard positive things about this cooler but the price was putting me off a bit even though I know that you would be paying for quality. I also think this cooler is perfect as I shall be overclocking. It's also very heavy and from what I imagine, quite fiddly to fit. I may leave this install until the mobo is actually inside the case already cos with both sides off, you can get to the backplate quite easily.
I will update once installed and running.
I've also god some odds and ends from the old pcs I had like sata cables etc etc.
So, that's where I'm at now. Everything that can be installed in the case already, has been.
Next purchase, next week. Nvidia GTX 670.
The most expensive part in the build. I'm looking to spend around £300 on this. I can't wait for it.
I will keep this updated as I go.
More about : begins
That is a steal for the CPU cooler. However I paid retail for mine, and the size just killed me. It barely shaved off 2 degree's over my CM Hyper 212+, AND I had to deal with the cumbersome size. (Which made it a pain to clean/upgrade.)
So yeah, not all positive. Regardless for the price point you got it, it's a great deal.
One more thing, I'd keep my eyes on a 2500k if I were you too. You'll tend to see them get sales/deals more often, and the performance hit is barely noticeable compared to the IB 3570k (I have both in two different machines.)
So yeah, not all positive. Regardless for the price point you got it, it's a great deal.
One more thing, I'd keep my eyes on a 2500k if I were you too. You'll tend to see them get sales/deals more often, and the performance hit is barely noticeable compared to the IB 3570k (I have both in two different machines.)
I shall put some pics up once I'm home. On the phone at the moment while star work. I do have some pictures of the noctua on my phone so shall try to upload them.
The main reason I'm going with the 3570k instead of the 2500k is for future proofing. Plus it's only £20 more and even cheaper if your willing to buy from a lesser known store. I will be overclocking and I know the sandy bridge is a little bit easier to do but I would rather have the ivy bridge so I don't regret not getting one in a year or 2 time.
The main reason I'm going with the 3570k instead of the 2500k is for future proofing. Plus it's only £20 more and even cheaper if your willing to buy from a lesser known store. I will be overclocking and I know the sandy bridge is a little bit easier to do but I would rather have the ivy bridge so I don't regret not getting one in a year or 2 time.
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so here are a few pics I quickly took. First up, the Noctua NH-D14.
![]()
As you can see, its slightly on the big size, but bigger is better, right?
![]()
Its not to everybodys taste but I think it looks awesome
![]()
Corsair 8gb(2x4gb) 1600 DDR3 low profile
![]()
I think that it looks cool and will go well with my Asrock z77 extreme4 when I get it in a couple of the weeks.
Inside Case
![]()
Firstly, the cage in the bottom left of the case is the re-movable HDD cages that sit behind the 200mm fan at the front. This cage can also be turned 90 degrees when installed. You can also see where there is a locking system for the dvd drives which means easy installation with no tools and screws.
![]()
![]()
Front
![]()
Exhaust at rear
As you can see, its slightly on the big size, but bigger is better, right?
Its not to everybodys taste but I think it looks awesome
Corsair 8gb(2x4gb) 1600 DDR3 low profile
I think that it looks cool and will go well with my Asrock z77 extreme4 when I get it in a couple of the weeks.
Inside Case
Firstly, the cage in the bottom left of the case is the re-movable HDD cages that sit behind the 200mm fan at the front. This cage can also be turned 90 degrees when installed. You can also see where there is a locking system for the dvd drives which means easy installation with no tools and screws.
Front
Exhaust at rear
Here are the pics from the earlier post. It wont let me edit the previous post. these are all in the correct order.
![]()
By bendy86 at 2012-07-20
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By bendy86 at 2012-07-20
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By bendy86 at 2012-07-20
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By bendy86 at 2012-07-20
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By bendy86 at 2012-07-20
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By bendy86 at 2012-07-20
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By bendy86 at 2012-07-20
![]()
By bendy86 at 2012-07-20
By bendy86 at 2012-07-20
By bendy86 at 2012-07-20
By bendy86 at 2012-07-20
By bendy86 at 2012-07-20
By bendy86 at 2012-07-20
By bendy86 at 2012-07-20
By bendy86 at 2012-07-20
By bendy86 at 2012-07-20
FinneousPJ said:
Still no mobo to put inside the case? 
Not yet, that's next weeks purchase. I'm gonna get the asrock z77 extreme4 and windows 7 home edition next week. Then the week after that will be the i5 3570k and that should be job done. It's just a matter putting it together then, so hopefully in 3 weeks time, I'll be up and running.
I should be getting the EVGA gtx 670 and the antec high current gamer 750w psu tomorrow so will perhaps do a lil un-boxing thing for them.
Anyone got any advice on where I can get the cheapest copy of windows 7 from?
So just a quick update on where I'm at with stuff purchased and prices paid.
Cooler master storm enforcer - £35
Antec high current gamer 750w - £74.99
Corsair vengeance 8gb (2x4gb) low profile - £37.99
Noctua NH-d14 - £39.95
EVGA gtx 670 - £280
2x HDD 700gb - free from old systems
2x DVD-rom - free from old systems
Still to purchase.
Intel i5 3570k
Asrock z77 extreme4
Windows 7 home edition
Cooler master storm enforcer - £35
Antec high current gamer 750w - £74.99
Corsair vengeance 8gb (2x4gb) low profile - £37.99
Noctua NH-d14 - £39.95
EVGA gtx 670 - £280
2x HDD 700gb - free from old systems
2x DVD-rom - free from old systems
Still to purchase.
Intel i5 3570k
Asrock z77 extreme4
Windows 7 home edition
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