First ever build. Really need some help.
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Pmckenna
October 7, 2012 3:06:55 PM
Hi guys,
I'm making the leap from console to PC gaming and I was hoping you'll help me decide on the parts.
Also this is my first ever build, so expect a lot of dumb Q's
Here's what I've got so far...
CPU: i5 3570k - £159
MOBO: Asrock Z77 extreme 4 - £110
GPU: haven't decided yet... I might wait until next pay day for this.
Memory: Corsair vengeance CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 8GB - £34
SSD: Samsung 830 128GB - Basic kit - £74
PSU: OCZ modXstream Pro 600W - £58
Case: Fractal design define R4 or NZXT Phantom 410 - £85 and £80
OS: windows 7 home premium 64 bit OEM - £73
Total - Around £588
Question time...
1.) I've heard that some people have had problems with this MOBO, would it be worth the extra £13 and get the Asus P8Z77-V instead?
2.) I know very little about RAM, the kit above was recommended by amazon and it has pretty good reviews, so if this kit is not suitable in anyway, what would you guys recommend?
3.) How much room would I have left on my SSD for games after the OS is installed? I'll play games like Skyrim, Xcom, Borderlands 2, Assassins Creed and maybe like, 6 more.. Or should I get a 256GB SSD just to be safe?
4.) Between these cases which would you recommend? I really like the look of the R4 but I hear that it runs HOT. Would this really damage the components inside? The Phantom looks cool too but what annoys me is the lack of dust filters. Has anyone had experience with either case?
Thanks in advance guys.
I'm making the leap from console to PC gaming and I was hoping you'll help me decide on the parts.
Also this is my first ever build, so expect a lot of dumb Q's
Here's what I've got so far...
CPU: i5 3570k - £159
MOBO: Asrock Z77 extreme 4 - £110
GPU: haven't decided yet... I might wait until next pay day for this.
Memory: Corsair vengeance CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 8GB - £34
SSD: Samsung 830 128GB - Basic kit - £74
PSU: OCZ modXstream Pro 600W - £58
Case: Fractal design define R4 or NZXT Phantom 410 - £85 and £80
OS: windows 7 home premium 64 bit OEM - £73
Total - Around £588
Question time...
1.) I've heard that some people have had problems with this MOBO, would it be worth the extra £13 and get the Asus P8Z77-V instead?
2.) I know very little about RAM, the kit above was recommended by amazon and it has pretty good reviews, so if this kit is not suitable in anyway, what would you guys recommend?
3.) How much room would I have left on my SSD for games after the OS is installed? I'll play games like Skyrim, Xcom, Borderlands 2, Assassins Creed and maybe like, 6 more.. Or should I get a 256GB SSD just to be safe?
4.) Between these cases which would you recommend? I really like the look of the R4 but I hear that it runs HOT. Would this really damage the components inside? The Phantom looks cool too but what annoys me is the lack of dust filters. Has anyone had experience with either case?
Thanks in advance guys.
More about : build
excella1221
October 7, 2012 3:40:51 PM
The motherboard's fine. It's great actually. It has more features than its ASUS and Gigabyte counterparts. Issues are most of the time just hit and miss.
RAM is okay.
Use the SSD for your favorite games, and add an HDD for storage. 128gb would be fine.
The PSU is kinda bad. Please look for another preferably from Antec, Corsair, Rosewill, Seasonic, or XFX.
I'll go with the Fractal.
RAM is okay.
Use the SSD for your favorite games, and add an HDD for storage. 128gb would be fine.
The PSU is kinda bad. Please look for another preferably from Antec, Corsair, Rosewill, Seasonic, or XFX.
I'll go with the Fractal.
zared619
October 7, 2012 3:46:15 PM
+1 to excella.
For a couple of suggestions for a GPU, I will give you three recommendations all at different price categories.
MSI 7770 GHz Edition- http://www.scan.co.uk/products/1gb-msi-radeon-hd-7770-4...
MSI 7850- http://www.scan.co.uk/products/2gb-msi-radeon-hd-7850-t...
Asus 670- http://www.scan.co.uk/products/2gb-asus-gtx-670-directc...(x16)-6008mhz-gddr5-gpu-915mhz-boost-980mhz-cores-1344-2xd
For a couple of suggestions for a GPU, I will give you three recommendations all at different price categories.
MSI 7770 GHz Edition- http://www.scan.co.uk/products/1gb-msi-radeon-hd-7770-4...
MSI 7850- http://www.scan.co.uk/products/2gb-msi-radeon-hd-7850-t...
Asus 670- http://www.scan.co.uk/products/2gb-asus-gtx-670-directc...(x16)-6008mhz-gddr5-gpu-915mhz-boost-980mhz-cores-1344-2xd
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Pmckenna
October 7, 2012 4:33:37 PM
Hi excella,
Glad to hear you think the asrock is good but what about it compared to the Asus:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-Motherboard-PCI-Express-Cr...
It's got a wifi dongle with it, so unless it's useless I think it's a good deal.
RAMs just okay? If there's much better around the £40-45 mark I'd like to know.
How's this for a PSU?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMPSU-600CXV2UK-Builder...
Thanks mate.
Glad to hear you think the asrock is good but what about it compared to the Asus:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-Motherboard-PCI-Express-Cr...
It's got a wifi dongle with it, so unless it's useless I think it's a good deal.
RAMs just okay? If there's much better around the £40-45 mark I'd like to know.
How's this for a PSU?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMPSU-600CXV2UK-Builder...
Thanks mate.
Pmckenna
October 7, 2012 4:41:19 PM
zared619 said:
+1 to excella. For a couple of suggestions for a GPU, I will give you three recommendations all at different price categories.
MSI 7770 GHz Edition- http://www.scan.co.uk/products/1gb-msi-radeon-hd-7770-4...
MSI 7850- http://www.scan.co.uk/products/2gb-msi-radeon-hd-7850-t...
Asus 670- http://www.scan.co.uk/products/2gb-asus-gtx-670-directc...(x16)-6008mhz-gddr5-gpu-915mhz-boost-980mhz-cores-1344-2xd
Thanks Zared
I'll most likely go for a nvidia card. That physx is purdy!
What do you think about the gtx 660 ti?Also I'll be playing at 1080p.
zared619
October 7, 2012 4:56:57 PM
The 660ti is kind all by itself in terms of pricing. It is sitting around £240. The 7950 is close coming in at £260. I like Nvidia believe me, but I think that the 7950 is worth it. Look at these benchmarks.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-660-ti-...
In almost all games, the 7950 outperforms the 660ti, with the exception of BF3.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-660-ti-...
In almost all games, the 7950 outperforms the 660ti, with the exception of BF3.
Pmckenna
October 7, 2012 5:36:01 PM
zared619
October 7, 2012 5:39:30 PM
geofelt
October 7, 2012 6:08:00 PM
To answer your questions:
1) Any product can fail. I would not be overly concerned about that. A motherboard that has been out for a while and has more reviews is likely to be a better bet. It will come with updated bios fixes to the inevitable small errors that always seem to happen.
Really, any with a Z77 based chipset will work for you. Buy your favorite brand.
2) The ram kit is fine. But it has tall heat spreaders which can interfere with some aftermarket coolers.
I would suggest a low profile version instead.
3) For a long time, I used a 120gb ssd as my only drive(111gb useable) It held the os and perhaps half a dozen games.
I have since gone to 180gb.
Considering what you will put on it, I suggest a 180gb or 240gb ssd instead. A larger ssd will perform a bit better. A SSD will slow down as it approaches full. Samsung830 or Intel 330 are the best for quality today.
4) Cases are a personal thing. Most will do the job. I have no personal experience with either.
If a case has two 120mm intake fans or equivalent in output, it will have adequate cooling. With today's22nm cpu's and 28nm based graphics cards, cooling really is no longer an issue. A cpu or graphics card will downclock itself to protect from damage if it gets too hot. Yes, I value a washable dust filter for a case. If "bling" is not important, look at the Antec 100/200/300 series cases. Good quality and not expensive.
Added thoughts:
5) Add a aftermarket cooler. It will run quieter and allow a better oc for your cpu. A $30 cooler like the cm hyper 212 will do the job. With the backplate mount, it will be easier than the stock Intel cooler.
6) OCZ seems to have iffy quality, depending on the particular model. It would be safer, and no more expensive to buy a tier 1 or 2 unit from this list. 600w is a good size.
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx
7) For gpu selection, my rule of thumb for a balanced gaming rig is to budget twice your cpu cost for the graphics card. That would be about a GTX670 or the comparable performing 7970. GTX660ti is almost as good.
8)
1) Any product can fail. I would not be overly concerned about that. A motherboard that has been out for a while and has more reviews is likely to be a better bet. It will come with updated bios fixes to the inevitable small errors that always seem to happen.
Really, any with a Z77 based chipset will work for you. Buy your favorite brand.
2) The ram kit is fine. But it has tall heat spreaders which can interfere with some aftermarket coolers.
I would suggest a low profile version instead.
3) For a long time, I used a 120gb ssd as my only drive(111gb useable) It held the os and perhaps half a dozen games.
I have since gone to 180gb.
Considering what you will put on it, I suggest a 180gb or 240gb ssd instead. A larger ssd will perform a bit better. A SSD will slow down as it approaches full. Samsung830 or Intel 330 are the best for quality today.
4) Cases are a personal thing. Most will do the job. I have no personal experience with either.
If a case has two 120mm intake fans or equivalent in output, it will have adequate cooling. With today's22nm cpu's and 28nm based graphics cards, cooling really is no longer an issue. A cpu or graphics card will downclock itself to protect from damage if it gets too hot. Yes, I value a washable dust filter for a case. If "bling" is not important, look at the Antec 100/200/300 series cases. Good quality and not expensive.
Added thoughts:
5) Add a aftermarket cooler. It will run quieter and allow a better oc for your cpu. A $30 cooler like the cm hyper 212 will do the job. With the backplate mount, it will be easier than the stock Intel cooler.
6) OCZ seems to have iffy quality, depending on the particular model. It would be safer, and no more expensive to buy a tier 1 or 2 unit from this list. 600w is a good size.
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx
7) For gpu selection, my rule of thumb for a balanced gaming rig is to budget twice your cpu cost for the graphics card. That would be about a GTX670 or the comparable performing 7970. GTX660ti is almost as good.
8)
Pmckenna
October 7, 2012 6:20:47 PM
zared619 said:
It is a great build with the exception of the PSU. I would get one of the brands that excella recommended. If you plan on going SLI, get a 750 watt PSU. If not, just get a 500 watt.Thanks zared, and what did you think of the MOBO, ram, and that corsair PSU I linked?? Sorry for pressing you mate it's just I really don't want to be wasting any cash on poor parts
Pmckenna
October 7, 2012 6:48:40 PM
geofelt said:
To answer your questions:1) Any product can fail. I would not be overly concerned about that. A motherboard that has been out for a while and has more reviews is likely to be a better bet. It will come with updated bios fixes to the inevitable small errors that always seem to happen.
Really, any with a Z77 based chipset will work for you. Buy your favorite brand.
2) The ram kit is fine. But it has tall heat spreaders which can interfere with some aftermarket coolers.
I would suggest a low profile version instead.
3) For a long time, I used a 120gb ssd as my only drive(111gb useable) It held the os and perhaps half a dozen games.
I have since gone to 180gb.
Considering what you will put on it, I suggest a 180gb or 240gb ssd instead. A larger ssd will perform a bit better. A SSD will slow down as it approaches full. Samsung830 or Intel 330 are the best for quality today.
4) Cases are a personal thing. Most will do the job. I have no personal experience with either.
If a case has two 120mm intake fans or equivalent in output, it will have adequate cooling. With today's22nm cpu's and 28nm based graphics cards, cooling really is no longer an issue. A cpu or graphics card will downclock itself to protect from damage if it gets too hot. Yes, I value a washable dust filter for a case. If "bling" is not important, look at the Antec 100/200/300 series cases. Good quality and not expensive.
Added thoughts:
5) Add a aftermarket cooler. It will run quieter and allow a better oc for your cpu. A $30 cooler like the cm hyper 212 will do the job. With the backplate mount, it will be easier than the stock Intel cooler.
6) OCZ seems to have iffy quality, depending on the particular model. It would be safer, and no more expensive to buy a tier 1 or 2 unit from this list. 600w is a good size.
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx
7) For gpu selection, my rule of thumb for a balanced gaming rig is to budget twice your cpu cost for the graphics card. That would be about a GTX670 or the comparable performing 7970. GTX660ti is almost as good.
8)
Big thanks for the informative post geofelt!! Really helped
Gotta ask though, I don't wanna take the chance of the heat spreaders getting in the way of a cooler. So what low profile RAM would you suggest? Also do the heat spreaders actually work or are they just for show?
Thanks again.
zared619
October 7, 2012 7:07:57 PM
The heat spreaders are more or less for show, unless you overclock your RAM, which not alot of people do. For low-profile RAM try these
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
The motherboard you linked is probably a little better than the Extreme4. It has some more features.
The PSU will be more than enough, but if you plan to add another graphics card, you will need a bigger PSU. If not, you will be in great shape though.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
The motherboard you linked is probably a little better than the Extreme4. It has some more features.
The PSU will be more than enough, but if you plan to add another graphics card, you will need a bigger PSU. If not, you will be in great shape though.
geofelt
October 7, 2012 7:18:29 PM
Pmckenna said:
Big thanks for the informative post geofelt!! Really helped
Gotta ask though, I don't wanna take the chance of the heat spreaders getting in the way of a cooler. So what low profile RAM would you suggest? Also do the heat spreaders actually work or are they just for show?
Thanks again.
Heat spreaders are not even necessary for 1.5v ram. If ram is highly overclocked, then maybe.
Also, sandy and ivy bridge cpu's are not very sensitive to ram speeds.
For instance this 1333 ram would do entirely well for $34:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Or this 1600 ram with low profile heat spreaders @$39 for not much more:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Pmckenna
October 7, 2012 7:25:12 PM
zared619 said:
The heat spreaders are more or less for show, unless you overclock your RAM, which not alot of people do. For low-profile RAM try thesehttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
The motherboard you linked is probably a little better than the Extreme4. It has some more features.
The PSU will be more than enough, but if you plan to add another graphics card, you will need a bigger PSU. If not, you will be in great shape though.
Ok, educate me here. I take it the lower Timing and Cas latency means the G.SKILL is the better of the two?
About a bigger PSU. Say I was going to use a dedicated GPU for physx. Would that card need as much power as if I was using it in SLI? If that makes sense?
Pmckenna
October 7, 2012 7:31:17 PM
geofelt said:
Heat spreaders are not even necessary for 1.5v ram. If ram is highly overclocked, then maybe.Also, sandy and ivy bridge cpu's are not very sensitive to ram speeds.
For instance this 1333 ram would do entirely well for $34:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Or this 1600 ram with low profile heat spreaders @$39 for not much more:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
All right, so 1600 ram is better than 1333 ram? And the lower the Timing and Cas latency the better?
geofelt
October 7, 2012 7:45:36 PM
Pmckenna said:
Ok, educate me here. I take it the lower Timing and Cas latency means the G.SKILL is the better of the two?About a bigger PSU. Say I was going to use a dedicated GPU for physx. Would that card need as much power as if I was using it in SLI? If that makes sense?
Lower timings and faster speeds are better, but not my much.
Here is a good read on that. It applies to ivy bridge also since they share the same memory controller.
Benchmarks show a big difference, but the errect on real app performance or fps is perhaps 1%
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4503/sandy-bridge-memory-...
I am no expert on physx, but it is my understanding that only a minimum number of processing cores is needed. 32, I think and so a inexpensive GT610 with 48 will do the job. Do some research there.
How much extra psu power you need will depend on the extra graphics card you install.
A pcie slot will deliver up to 75w to an installed graphics card.
If the card needs a 6 pin connector, add 75w, and if it needs a 8 pin connector, add 150w.
In practice, the draw will be less.
DarkSable
October 7, 2012 7:47:05 PM
excella1221
October 8, 2012 3:43:28 AM
Pmckenna said:
Hi excella,Glad to hear you think the asrock is good but what about it compared to the Asus:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-Motherboard-PCI-Express-Cr...
It's got a wifi dongle with it, so unless it's useless I think it's a good deal.
RAMs just okay? If there's much better around the £40-45 mark I'd like to know.
How's this for a PSU?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMPSU-600CXV2UK-Builder...
Thanks mate.
The deciding factor of the integrated Wireless LAN is within the end user. If you need it, go get it. It sounds like you're paying alot for it though, I would just get a discrete one when I find the need to.
By okay, I mean it's great.
I usually just recommend G.Skill RAMs 'cause they're cheaper and I personally use them too so I know they're good quality (Sniper Low Voltage).http://www.scan.co.uk/products/8gb-(2x4gb)-corsair-ddr3-vengeance-jet-black-lp-pc3-12800-(1600)-non-ecc-cas-9-9-9-24-xmp-15v
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004I763AW/?tag=pcp0f-21
http://www.cclonline.com/product/82998/F3-1600C9D-8GAO/...
PSU is great. I would get 750w if you're planning on CF/SLI in the future.
Anymore questions, please feel free to ask!
Pmckenna
October 8, 2012 8:20:29 PM
excella1221 said:
The deciding factor of the integrated Wireless LAN is within the end user. If you need it, go get it. It sounds like you're paying alot for it though, I would just get a discrete one when I find the need to.By okay, I mean it's great.
I usually just recommend G.Skill RAMs 'cause they're cheaper and I personally use them too so I know they're good quality (Sniper Low Voltage).http://www.scan.co.uk/products/8gb-(2x4gb)-corsair-ddr3-vengeance-jet-black-lp-pc3-12800-(1600)-non-ecc-cas-9-9-9-24-xmp-15v
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004I763AW/?tag=pcp0f-21
http://www.cclonline.com/product/82998/F3-1600C9D-8GAO/...
PSU is great. I would get 750w if you're planning on CF/SLI in the future.
Anymore questions, please feel free to ask!
Great, thats what I wanted to hear!
I think I've decided on the RAM, http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00569K7LM/ref=gno_c.... --- I take it the only difference between this and the one I mentioned earlier, is no heat spreaders?
Ok, so the ASUS MOBO isn't worth it for what you get? The main attraction for me was the wireless LAN, which I will need. I'm starting to look at USB wireless LAN adapters now, their cheap but they might do the job. Any experience with them?
I've thought about it for a while and decided that sli might not be worth it. A lot of talk of micro stuttering and a single high end GPU is probably the best bet. So a 600w is enough for a single GPU whilst overclocking?? Also will it be worth the money getting a corsair TX series PSU instead? Like this..
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMPSU-650TXV2UK-Enthusi...
Thanks again lads
geofelt
October 8, 2012 8:48:54 PM
Pmckenna said:
Great, thats what I wanted to hear!
I think I've decided on the RAM, http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00569K7LM/ref=gno_c.... --- I take it the only difference between this and the one I mentioned earlier, is no heat spreaders?
Ok, so the ASUS MOBO isn't worth it for what you get? The main attraction for me was the wireless LAN, which I will need. I'm starting to look at USB wireless LAN adapters now, their cheap but they might do the job. Any experience with them?
I've thought about it for a while and decided that sli might not be worth it. A lot of talk of micro stuttering and a single high end GPU is probably the best bet. So a 600w is enough for a single GPU whilst overclocking?? Also will it be worth the money getting a corsair TX series PSU instead? Like this..
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMPSU-650TXV2UK-Enthusi...
Thanks again lads
As I understand it, if you need wireless, it is better to use an add-in pci or pci-e card with a good antenna. USB types do not have good signal strength.
dwaight
October 8, 2012 8:53:55 PM
Pmckenna
October 8, 2012 9:16:58 PM
dwaight said:
î would switch the mobo to an MSI GD65 Z77.do not worry about you're first build, everyone has made there first build i guess ^^
its just like making a puzzle in my eyes.
good luck with the build.
Come on!
that's £30 more expensive! Is it really that much better than an extreme 4?? Cause if it is, I'll probably buy buy it, it looks class
I'm guessing everyone's build goes over budget, right?
DarkSable
October 8, 2012 9:20:05 PM
Pmckenna
October 8, 2012 9:26:06 PM
dwaight
October 8, 2012 9:26:18 PM
Pmckenna said:
Come on!
that's £30 more expensive! Is it really that much better than an extreme 4?? Cause if it is, I'll probably buy buy it, it looks class
I'm guessing everyone's build goes over budget, right?
yes you're right most of the times is it. ( also happend to me ^^ )
Mine is about 1500-ISH.
and i would go for the GTX670 AMP! Nor EVGA GTX670 FTW.
just my opinion.
dwaight
October 8, 2012 9:28:44 PM
Pmckenna
October 8, 2012 9:28:49 PM
DarkSable
October 8, 2012 9:32:57 PM
Pmckenna
October 8, 2012 9:35:40 PM
dwaight said:
its just my choice i would make.heard alot of GOOD points with this mobo / overclocking wise also.
Overclock3D. does recommend the MSI GD65 most of the time ( forums )
made a thread with my new build.
And they said the MSI GD65 could do the same feauters as the one's that cost more.
Sounds pretty good. I'll defiantly consider it. Also what do you think of the RAM I linked? I've asked everyone this,
but it'd be good just to get it crossed of my list.Thanks Dwaight.
Pmckenna
October 8, 2012 9:36:48 PM
dwaight
October 8, 2012 9:41:22 PM
Pmckenna said:
Sounds pretty good. I'll defiantly consider it. Also what do you think of the RAM I linked? I've asked everyone this,
but it'd be good just to get it crossed of my list.Thanks Dwaight.
the ram is fine
have them also but blue ^^
cheeeeeers!
a post im going to copy n paste :
"Depends on your uses. The MSI has more features, but you shouldn't buy the board unless you know you need three PCI-e slots or any other feature the board has.
The AsRock has PCI slots (while the MSI doesn't) so if you need a PCI slot then get the AsRock.
Basically, unless you know why you're paying more for the MSI board then don't buy it. "
dwaight
October 8, 2012 9:48:08 PM
have a read i should say.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/319104-12-z77a-gd65...
for myself i picked up the GD65. ( wich is blue )
so is my ram ^^ ( same like you'res but blue instead )
good luck with the build.
if you want to ask anything else feel free.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/319104-12-z77a-gd65...
for myself i picked up the GD65. ( wich is blue )
so is my ram ^^ ( same like you'res but blue instead )
good luck with the build.
if you want to ask anything else feel free.
Pmckenna
October 8, 2012 9:59:45 PM
dwaight said:
have a read i should say.http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/319104-12-z77a-gd65...
for myself i picked up the GD65. ( wich is blue )
so is my ram ^^ ( same like you'res but blue instead )
good luck with the build.
if you want to ask anything else feel free.
Thanks I really appreciate your help mate! I'll do a bit more research and be back to update you guys tomorrow.
excella1221
October 9, 2012 4:11:01 AM
Yes, the RAM you chose is great. Corsair and G.Skill are the top 2 RAM manufacturers on my list.
And yea, the 600w PSU is good for 1 GPU. Gives you alot of headroom.
As for the MSI board suggested, it's a great board, it even has a Tom's Hardware Approved award stamped on it like the ASRock. Though you may be wasting money on features you'll probably never use.
You seem to only want to use one GPU, so you'll only ever gonna make use of 1 PCI-E 3.0 slot, and if you ever want to add another for SL/CFI, the ASRock can still support it. The MSI has a 3rd PCI-E 3.0 but it's only x4, so it'll bottleneck a high-end card.
That and you'll need a PCI slot for the Wireless LAN. Though I believe that's also possible on the PCI-E x1.
Lastly, this is your first build, correct? I highly suggest you stay within budget for now since you're still learning and sure enough you still don't know what you really want yet.
And yea, the 600w PSU is good for 1 GPU. Gives you alot of headroom.
As for the MSI board suggested, it's a great board, it even has a Tom's Hardware Approved award stamped on it like the ASRock. Though you may be wasting money on features you'll probably never use.
You seem to only want to use one GPU, so you'll only ever gonna make use of 1 PCI-E 3.0 slot, and if you ever want to add another for SL/CFI, the ASRock can still support it. The MSI has a 3rd PCI-E 3.0 but it's only x4, so it'll bottleneck a high-end card.
That and you'll need a PCI slot for the Wireless LAN. Though I believe that's also possible on the PCI-E x1.
Lastly, this is your first build, correct? I highly suggest you stay within budget for now since you're still learning and sure enough you still don't know what you really want yet.
Pmckenna
October 9, 2012 8:37:49 PM
All right guys, I've done another list and I'd appreciate you all to run your experienced eyes over it before I start pulling the trigger on a few parts.
CPU: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-Generation-i5-3570K-3-40G...
MOBO: http://www.amazon.co.uk/GA-Z77X-UD3H-Graphics-CrossFire... -- compared to the other boards, how's this?
RAM: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00569K7LM/ref=gno_c... -- I might get the blue version just to match the board
GPU: GTX 670 most likely, still haven't decided which.
PSU: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMPSU-650TXV2UK-Enthusi...
OR
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMPSU-600CXV2UK-Builder... - Is the TX version worth the extra £20?
SSD: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007BBQQ04/ref=ox_sc... - I hardly need anything more than the basic kit right?
Case: fractal design define R4
What do you think?
Also I'll add wireless LAN and sound cards at a later date. That means I need at least one PCIe 3.0 slot and two PCI slots which I think this MOBO has. Am I correct in saying that?
Cheers lads
CPU: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-Generation-i5-3570K-3-40G...
MOBO: http://www.amazon.co.uk/GA-Z77X-UD3H-Graphics-CrossFire... -- compared to the other boards, how's this?
RAM: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00569K7LM/ref=gno_c... -- I might get the blue version just to match the board
GPU: GTX 670 most likely, still haven't decided which.
PSU: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMPSU-650TXV2UK-Enthusi...
OR
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMPSU-600CXV2UK-Builder... - Is the TX version worth the extra £20?
SSD: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007BBQQ04/ref=ox_sc... - I hardly need anything more than the basic kit right?
Case: fractal design define R4
What do you think?
Also I'll add wireless LAN and sound cards at a later date. That means I need at least one PCIe 3.0 slot and two PCI slots which I think this MOBO has. Am I correct in saying that?
Cheers lads
geofelt
October 9, 2012 9:33:27 PM
Pmckenna said:
All right guys, I've done another list and I'd appreciate you all to run your experienced eyes over it before I start pulling the trigger on a few parts.CPU: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-Generation-i5-3570K-3-40G...
MOBO: http://www.amazon.co.uk/GA-Z77X-UD3H-Graphics-CrossFire... -- compared to the other boards, how's this?
RAM: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00569K7LM/ref=gno_c... -- I might get the blue version just to match the board
GPU: GTX 670 most likely, still haven't decided which.
PSU: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMPSU-650TXV2UK-Enthusi...
OR
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMPSU-600CXV2UK-Builder... - Is the TX version worth the extra £20?
Perfect.
Either psu would work. The TX-650w unit is a bit stronger, and will likely run a bit quieter.
The TX is considered to be a bit higher quality on this list of psu quality tiers:
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx
SSD: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007BBQQ04/ref=ox_sc... - I hardly need anything more than the basic kit right?
Case: fractal design define R4
What do you think?
Also I'll add wireless LAN and sound cards at a later date. That means I need at least one PCIe 3.0 slot and two PCI slots which I think this MOBO has. Am I correct in saying that?
Cheers lads
geofelt
October 9, 2012 9:36:23 PM
zared619
October 9, 2012 9:43:19 PM
+1 to geofelt. Additionally, I would add the Asus 670. The top edition is the nicest
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-Nvidia-GeForce-DirectCU-Gr...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-Nvidia-GeForce-DirectCU-Gr...
excella1221
October 10, 2012 3:07:14 AM
BreadWhistle
October 10, 2012 3:16:59 AM
excella1221 said:
The motherboard's fine. It's great actually. It has more features than its ASUS and Gigabyte counterparts. Issues are most of the time just hit and miss.RAM is okay.
Use the SSD for your favorite games, and add an HDD for storage. 128gb would be fine.
The PSU is kinda bad. Please look for another preferably from Antec, Corsair, Rosewill, Seasonic, or XFX.
I'll go with the Fractal.
I have an OCZ modXstream Pro 550w and it runs just fine....
excella1221
October 10, 2012 3:56:54 AM
dwaight
October 10, 2012 6:10:06 PM
i would not get the top edition.. since most of the 'normal asus' cards ( GTX670 NON TOP version ) can overclock to the 'top' edition but its not guaranteed.
you're ssd is fine, one of the best brand you can get are samsungs..
have a look at this if you are worried wich PSU you would like to get.
here's a tier list.
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx
mobo looks fine to me.
and for an aftermarket cooler just get the Hyper 212+ it just does the job done.
you're ssd is fine, one of the best brand you can get are samsungs..
have a look at this if you are worried wich PSU you would like to get.
here's a tier list.
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx
mobo looks fine to me.
and for an aftermarket cooler just get the Hyper 212+ it just does the job done.
dwaight
October 10, 2012 6:12:24 PM
sorry for double post but i could not edit..
for gpu i would go for the Evga GTX670 FTW edition..
http://www.amazon.co.uk/EVGA-GTX-670-Graphics-Card/dp/B...
or this one
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigabyte-GeForce-GTX670-Graphic...
BOTH good cards. + overclock very well.
but these are my personal opinions.
for gpu i would go for the Evga GTX670 FTW edition..
http://www.amazon.co.uk/EVGA-GTX-670-Graphics-Card/dp/B...
or this one
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigabyte-GeForce-GTX670-Graphic...
BOTH good cards. + overclock very well.
but these are my personal opinions.
Pmckenna
October 10, 2012 6:55:41 PM
excella1221 said:
No HDD?Yea I'd thought a single SSD will hold all I need. This PC is just for games. I've heard a lot of people use both HDD & SSD. They keep OS and whatever game they're playing at the time on SSD and keep the rest on the HDD.
Am I right in thinking this is as simple as clicking on the game stored in the HDD, dragging it to the SSD, playing it, then putting it back in the HDD when im done to swap for a different game?? If so, I could save some cash which is always good!
geofelt
October 10, 2012 7:05:40 PM
Pmckenna said:
Yea I'd thought a single SSD will hold all I need. This PC is just for games. I've heard a lot of people use both HDD & SSD. They keep OS and whatever game they're playing at the time on SSD and keep the rest on the HDD. Am I right in thinking this is as simple as clicking on the game stored in the HDD, dragging it to the SSD, playing it, then putting it back in the HDD when im done to swap for a different game?? If so, I could save some cash which is always good!
Sorry, not so simple.
An app or game that is installed may have registry information including it's location which will need reinstallation to move it.
Not all games though.
It is a moot point since moving a game will take more time than launching it directly from the Hdd.
A 120gb SSD will hold the os and half a dozen games. A 180gb ssd should be plenty if you uninstall the games you no longer play.
I suggest you start with a SSD only. You can always add a hard drive later.
Pmckenna
October 10, 2012 7:52:53 PM
Thought it was to good to be true...
Anyways six games is plenty for me to have at once so that's great news.
I will add both wireless network and sound cards later so that means a MOBO with two pci slots, right? Or just the one for the sound card and put the other network card into a PCI-E x1 slot?
I don't think anyone commented on the gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H I linked. Apparently it's tougher and a better over-clocker than the ASrock.
http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-CrossFireX-DispayPort-Mo...
Opinions?
Anyways six games is plenty for me to have at once so that's great news.
I will add both wireless network and sound cards later so that means a MOBO with two pci slots, right? Or just the one for the sound card and put the other network card into a PCI-E x1 slot?
I don't think anyone commented on the gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H I linked. Apparently it's tougher and a better over-clocker than the ASrock.
http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-CrossFireX-DispayPort-Mo...
Opinions?
geofelt
October 10, 2012 9:48:37 PM
Pmckenna said:
Thought it was to good to be true...
Anyways six games is plenty for me to have at once so that's great news.
I will add both wireless network and sound cards later so that means a MOBO with two pci slots, right? Or just the one for the sound card and put the other network card into a PCI-E x1 slot?
I don't think anyone commented on the gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H I linked. Apparently it's tougher and a better over-clocker than the ASrock.
http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-CrossFireX-DispayPort-Mo...
Opinions?
All motherboards will come with 7.1 HD sound.
All will come with GB lan.
You only need one pci-e x16 slot for a graphics card, and possibly one slot for a wireless card if that is what you need.
excella1221
October 11, 2012 3:32:53 AM
Pmckenna
October 11, 2012 2:35:45 PM
Thanks for clearing that up guys.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-256GB-SATA-6GBPS-Basic/...
Samsung 830 SSD basic kit going for a good price here but it hasn't any SATA cables or power leads. I'm not sure, but will any old sata and power leads work?
Mabye I should just spend the extra £10 for the regular desktop version with cables.
UPDATE: the full desktop version dropped to the same price as the basic kit just now so I picked it up instead. Bargain!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-256GB-SATA-6GBPS-Basic/...
Samsung 830 SSD basic kit going for a good price here but it hasn't any SATA cables or power leads. I'm not sure, but will any old sata and power leads work?
Mabye I should just spend the extra £10 for the regular desktop version with cables.
UPDATE: the full desktop version dropped to the same price as the basic kit just now so I picked it up instead. Bargain!
excella1221
October 12, 2012 12:07:03 AM
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