Advice on choice of new build [UK]

[DoN_UK]

Hi guys,

I need some advise as to whether these componants are right for my build. (and the right price)
I am actually getting this desktop built by Scan 3XS as I dont have the time or patience to do it myself.

This is the one I have chosen (plus a few upgrades). It costs £1,140 before upgrades and £1,444 after. My budget was supposed to be £1,400.

The desktop is going to be used primarily for office work but I will be watching films/tv shows, listening to music and gaming in my spare time. I play CSS (plan to play global offensive), BF3 and other graphic demanding games. I would like to be able to play the latest games out for the next year on very high settings at playable FPS (no lag).

I want to order this computer this week.

3XS Z77 Performance GTX [this shows the desktop without the upgrades chosen]

Components I have chosen:
Case - Corsair Carbide Series 500R, Black, Mid Tower Gaming Case (+£30.20)
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H, Intel Z77 Chipset
CPU - Intel Core i7 3770K, Ivy Bridge, 3.5GHz, Quad Core + Hyperthreading, 8MB Cache (+£62.02)
CPU Cooler - Thermalright Macho Performance CPU Cooler
RAM - 16GB (4x4GB) Corsair Vengeance LP, DDR3, 1600Mhz (+£23.46)
GPU - 3GB XFX Radeon HD 7950, 800MHz GPU, 1792 Cores, 5000MHz GDDR5 (-£41.33)
PSU - 850W Corsair Pro Series, HX, Modular, 80PLUS Gold (+£64.65)
Hard Drive - SSD 240GB Corsair Force 3, Read 550MB/sec, Write 520MB/sec - SF-2281 (+£46.86)
Hard Drive 2 - Removed 1TB spin drive (-£45.89)
Optical Drive - Pioneer DVR-S19LBK DVD Writer
Sound Card - Asus Xonar DG 5.1 Gaming Sound Card & Headphone Amp
Wireless Adapter - Edimax EW-7622UMn 11n 300Mbps Wireless USB Adapter (+£9.97)
Monitor - 24" Asus VS247H LED, 1920x1080 (+£121.24)
OS - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit - OEM
NO other peripherals needed (I have what I need)
Overclocking - Extreme Overclock - 4.6Ghz - Tuned to absolute safe maximum - Performance prioritised over acoustics.

Reasons for choosing:
I need this build to last at least 7 years in terms of performance. I realise for gaming I may have to upgrade my GPU in that time but I don't really want to upgrade anything else. (does this sound about right?)

Case - Seems like a great case that will last and accommodate most component upgrades.
Motherboard - The upgrades they offer do not seem worth it for the price. This MOBO does not support SLI/CF but I don't think I will need it. I normally just upgrade the single GPU (what do you think?)
CPU - The 3770k seems perfect for performance and future proofing. Although Scan 3XS overclock it for me is it best to go for the 4.6Ghz or go for 4.4Ghz. I dont want the system to run hot and loud. (will 4.6Ghz make it too hot or loud!? if it is clocked at 4.4Ghz will it make a differance?)
CPU Cooler - The Corsair H80 Hydro Series (+£28.26)
RAM - These seem goof although it would have been great if they gave the option to upgrade to 2400mhz Tridents or something.
GPU - Went for the 7950 instead of the more expensive Nvidia 670 as it seems to be the better option in terms of performance/price
PSU - It certainly is a premium option to upgrade from the 650W Corsair Enthusiast, TX Series Modular (80PLUS Bronze) for £64.65 more but I heard these are quieter and more importantly will future proof the rig (especially if I have to upgrade the GPU in the next 7 years)
Hard Drive - I have chosen the 240GB Corsair Force 3 and not added a normal spin drive just because I will be using external hard drives for media. (therefore I saved a little money by upgrading the SSD from 120GB to 240GB and removed the 1TB spin drive) (Is it wise to run the system on just a SSD? especially in terms of reliability)
Optical Drive - Simple DVD Writer will suffice. I dont use Blu-ray disks and could upgrade this later if needed.
Sound Card - I wanted a premium sound over the motherboard but didn't want to spend much so thought this would do the job (Is it worth upgrading to the Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio - PCI-E (x1) for £8.00 more?)
Wireless Adapter - Is the USB adapter I have chosen good enough to casually game? Do I need to get a better one or buy a PCI wireless adapter!? Or is it better to just upgrade the MOBO to the Asus P8Z77-V Z77, Intel Z77 Chipset - SLI Ready & WIFI (not even sure if the wireless is great in these?)
Monitor - The Asus VS247H seems brilliant for the rice and my needs.

Thanks in advance! Sorry if I have missed anything out!
Please let me know what you guys think.

Ravi

 

[DoN_UK]

Sorry i was meant to say at the CPU Cooler part - That the The Corsair H80 Hydro Series (+£28.26) did not seem worth the upgrade and I heard the Thermalright does a good job and is quieter. (Am I right?)

 

[zared619]

You are right with the thermalright. The build looks pretty good. The RAM is overkill, and you don't need an i7. The i5-3570k will perform the same. Also, I would get the MSI 7950 over the XFX. However, the 660ti is the same price and does better in Bf3.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008X36NHA/?tag=pcp0f-21

 

[DoN_UK]

Thanks for the quick reply mate.
Your right about the ram so ill consider sticking with 8GB of RAM. (is it worth saving the £23.46 tho?)
Does the i7 have any advantages in general and will it keep the rig more future proofed?? (surely it will perform better as more programs/games utilise the multi-cores?)

I'll have to ask Scan to change the GPU to the MSI (mind me asking why you referred this?)

 

[zared619]

The i7 would be better for CPU heavy applications, and right now, the trend is GPU heavy games. It's really unpredictable how the future will look. If I were to take a guess, the i7 wouldn't last any significant amount longer than the i5.

I recommended the MSI because it is clocked higher and has a better cooler on it.

I would just go for the 8GB. It is more than enough now. If you ever decide you need more, you can always add a stick or two, and it will probably be cheaper in the future to do so.

 

[DoN_UK]

Thanks for the advice zared! Really appreciate it.

Anyone else able to help with the queries I have in my Reasons for choosing

 

[excella1221]

Forget the H80. It's not worth it. You're better off with a Noctua NH-D14.

16gb of RAM is overkill and more than you will ever need, so +1 to zared619.
2 modules is also preferred, so get a (2x4gb) kit.

Dunno about the sound card, but the integrated ones are usually good, and you'll only need a discrete one if you have some epic audio system.

Motherboard is overpriced imo. Try looking for ASRock or ASUS alternatives, they would usually have more features.