Homebuilt v pre built

[barter]

i have seen this http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/30030036/Galaxy-3-3Ghz-Intel-Core-I5-2500K-Gaming-Computer-PC-500gb-8gb-DDR3-HD-Graphics/Product.html?searchstring=Galaxy+3.3Ghz+Intel+Core+I5+2500K+&searchsource=0&searchtype=allproducts&urlrefer=search granted it only has a Gigabyte H61M-DS2 Motherboard so no overclocking but i can get a new board later down the line when i wish to do so.

What i need to know is for that price can i get a rig as capable or have upgrade potential? i already have a 7750 gpu to throw in it and a 24 inch monitor for now to go with it.

bear in mind i'm uk based and looking to buy at the end of the week. Your thoughts please

 

[mocchan]

For that price, they're most likely using the cheapest Chassis and PSU they can find, I would recommend you stay away.

Also, if you're planning to game at 1080p, the 7750 may not suffice at maximum settings; you'll probably be playing games at medium settings. If this does not bother you, then I will not recommend an upgrade.

Here's a parts list that would yield longevity AND performance -

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3450 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor (£142.30 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£62.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£37.08 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£64.80 @ Novatech)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case (£37.72 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: Corsair 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply (£44.89 @ CCL Computers)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer (£13.98 @ Novatech)
Total: £403.76
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-12 15:52 BST+0100)

As you can see, the price isn't all that different and you can be confident you're getting quality components.

 

[simon12]

You could build a PC to that exact spec for around the same price and the only advantage would be you can get a good quality power supply and a good case of your choice, or save around £20-30 and get a cheap case and PSU. You could also pay slightly more (£4) to get an Ivy bridge i5 and get the motherboard you want without having to bin one. It salso easier to build an unbuilt PC than change the motherboard in a built one.

 

[barter]

hi guys thanks for the quick responses - i agree with both of you but i'm also on a tight budget £400(give or take, baby and xmas on the way) with an OS needed, i'd like an I5 2500k as this will last me for a number of years as with smart o/c i will get up past 4.5ghz.

would i benefit from an I5-3450 as that would not allow me to go any further?

 

[mocchan]

Generally speaking, the SB and IB i5's are just as good the way they are without any OC, OC just makes them kick even harder and pummel through anything you throw at them. Now if you take into consideration what might come in the future, you're right, an OC may become necessary to complete those tasks at a very reasonable pace.

The only concern I have with purchasing that Pre-built machine you linked are the PSU and the Motherboard. Replacing those will cost around $180 USD (not sure in GBP) so it may cost more in the future.

If the rig you listed comes with an OS, then you'll need to purchase a new copy of Windows as well. Every new motherboard you get = new copy of Windows (unless you talk to Microsoft and work something out, not too sure how this works, though).

Basically, what I'm trying to say is, I'm concerned about the total cost of the rig if you purchase the one you listed as a whole (after upgrades/replacements, etc), rather than getting quality components from the start.

 

[simon12]

The 3450 only has limited overclocking the 3570K will benefit slightly and is only £4 more than a 2500K. If the PC is mainly for gaming and you are only running a 7750 then a Pentium g series will be fine and save you alot of cash.

 

[barter]

i don't mind running a 7750 for a few months until i can afford 560ti or whatever the other one is...it's i can't add another £170 to the build...i can see what you are saying simon, well what everybody is saying.

so would buying a i5-3450 now with a view to upgrading the CPU in the future be a better option than having a 2500k and buying a new board?

 

[mocchan]

I'm thinking it may be a better option to wait until you can afford a rig as a whole.

Getting a 3450 now and purchasing a 2500k or 3570k in the future is silly, you're wasting around $200 (again, not sure in GBP :lol: )

 

[simon12]

Just get the CPU you want now any i5 you get will not have a good future upgrade path.

 

[barter]

Ok...if I get the rig mocchan suggested throw in a new gpu around xmas time could I expect 2 years gaming before I start to fall behind? Bit of a length of string question I know lol

 

[mocchan]

Yes, definitely you'll be held back by your GPU long before your CPU, however.

Just keep in mind we never know what kind of requirements game in the future may require, so you may have to play on a mix of low/medium/high settings to get playable framerates.

 

[barter]

Yeah that's why it was a length of string question...well let's see if I can get a few more pounds out of the purse holder

 

[mocchan]

:lol: best of luck to you!

 

[barter]

i have been in luck, i have a new budget of £550 i've kept £50 for a copy windows 7 can you recommend a build for me - a new gpu included would be good :-D

 

[barter]

any thoughts on this

https://www.aria.co.uk/SuperSpecials/MSI+G45+Z77+Mushkin+3570K+Barebones+Kit+w%2F+2+FREE+Games%21+?productId=50862

with

https://www.aria.co.uk/SuperSpecials/ARIANET+Radeon+HD+7850+1024MB+GDDR5+PCI-Express+Graphics+Card+%2B+1+FREE+Game%21+?productId=51846

 

[mocchan]

Actually that's not a bad deal

I'm not too sure about the be quiet! PSU's as I don't normally deal with them (I think they're EU only if I remember correctly, except for the few exceptions).

That bundle paired with an HD7850 will make one hell of a gaming rig.

 

[barter]

well the bad news is the barebones is now sold out...so im going have to look for summat else, if i take that build you linked change the CPU for i5-3570k would the PSU and M/B be good enough? also i'm guessing i'd need a CPU cooler?

 

[mocchan]

The PSU would certainly be enough, however, you won't be able to overclock with the H77M motherboard, so you will have to swap that out

ASRock Extreme 4 Z77 is around $40 USD more, (not sure in GBP) but it'll be around 30 quid more expensive than the board I linked up there I'm sure.