Opinions on my build would be hugely appreciated.

[jmbrowning]

Hi there,

I've never posted here before, I'm attempting my first ever home build and would be genuinely appreciative of any tips and thoughts from anyone based on what I've got so far.

I'm heavily restricted in terms of budget so I've cut corners wherever I can hoping to upgrade as I go along.

I took the basis of my build from the Eurogamer build from the summer and have tweaked a few things where I can afford them, I'd love to be able to get some gaming done.

I am a noob so any criticism would be welcomed.

Here's what I'm thinking:

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ASRock B75M Intel B75 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Micro ATX Motherboard
(http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-087-AK&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=)


Intel i3-2100 SandybridgeCore i3 Quad-Core Processor ? 3.10GHz, 3MB
(http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-SandybridgeCore-Quad-Core-Processor-Warranty/dp/B004FA8NPK)


MSI HD 6770 AMD Radeon Graphics Card
(http://www.scan.co.uk/products/1gb-msi-hd-6770-pcie-21-(x16)-4400mhz-gddr5-gpu-800mhz-800-cores-hdmi-d-sub-dual-link-dvi-i)


Seagate Barracuda 500GB SpinPoint F3 Serial 3.5 inch 7200 RPM 32MB 3GB/S SATA
(http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seagate-Barracuda-SpinPoint-Serial-Internal/dp/B007BHNG24)


Corsair 430W V2 CX Series PSU
(http://www.ebuyer.com/271798-corsair-430w-v2-cx-series-psu-cp-9020046-uk?utm_source=google&utm_medium=products)


Samsung SH-222BB DVD Rewriter
(http://www.scan.co.uk/products/samsung-sh-s222ab-bebe-samsung-22x-dvdr-12x-dvdr-dvdplusrw-x8-rw-x6-sata-black-oem)



Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3
(http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-132-CR)


CiT Vantage Type-R Gaming Case
(http://www.amazon.co.uk/CiT-Vantage-Type-R-Gaming-Reader/dp/B0064LFTR8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1351498389&sr=8-3)

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Thanks for any feedback at all, I'd really appreciate it

 

[edogawa]

What will you be doing? Watching HD movies and heavy gaming?

1. A SSD will be a big performance boost for loading times, Samsung or Corsair are good.

Check out this deal: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2318704&Sku=S203-1041&AffiliateID=lw9MynSeamY-6XWU6grn1sXm5ytaj9sVzQ&SRCCODE=LINKSHARE&cm_mmc_o=-ddCjC1bELltzywCjC-d2CjCdwwp&AffiliateID=lw9MynSeamY-TOA2HE21X.tKNJXU6NLa7w

You would want to use the SSD for Windows and programs only, and a mechanical for storage(ideally a WD green drive for storage).

If you stick with a mechanical HDD instead of a SSD, go with a 1TB WD black, they are more reliable and performance is good.

2. Seasonic has good quality PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151088

3. I'd also recommend an i5 if you're doing heavy gaming, as well as a faster GPU.(Would need to know your budget number. If your doing casual gaming then it's not a bad build.


Since your on a budget it's probably best to stick with a mechanical drive though, I wouldn't gimp out on the PSU though.

 

[jmbrowning]

I do hope to do some gaming on it yeah, the only thing is I can't justify splashing out on an i5 right now.

The i3 is a much more attainable bracket for me, would I find too much restriction from this?

Thanks a lot for your other suggestions though! I'll take a look at those right now.

 

[tiny voices]

Try your best to get a 7770 in there. It will be a much nicer card for not much money.

 

[edogawa]

I5 would be good, but an i3 will suffice. Graphics card is definitely more important for gaming. A 7770 would be a good card like "tiny voices" recommend. As I said too, I wouldn't buy a poor PSU because it can last multiple builds and upgrades.

 

[jmbrowning]

Yeah, I'll definitely want a better graphics card but I'm thinking I'll get an upgrade for it in 6 months time or something.

Was hoping this one would get me through till then.

Really appreciate the feedback though guys! Tough to know whether you're well of base or not on your own.

 

[jmbrowning]

Oh and the i3 isn't really a quad, Amazon are silly.

 

[malbluff]

Something like this is a basic gaming system, on a low budget. If you confirm your budget, it may be possible to "shuffle" things, to get a bit better performance.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor (£89.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£66.11 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£37.14 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£41.98 @ Scan.co.uk)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7770 1GB Video Card (£76.99 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case (£34.99 @ Dabs)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 450W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (£35.99 @ Novatech)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer (£13.98 @ Novatech)
Total: £397.17
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[jmbrowning]

Well, pre shipping I'm working it out at 379 right now, I can't really go much above that but anything anyone could suggest that I could swap for better performance without adding anything would be ace.

(the budget I agreed on with my good lady was 350 so I'm already pushing it slightly )

 

[jmbrowning]

So would I be better off with this for instance?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-253-AM&tool=3

I mean, it is saving me money and seems better.

To be honest I've just been aiming at Intel as I've always had AMD chips and have always been put under the impression by people that it's always worth going for Intel instead.

 

[tiny voices]

An i3 will be better than the 965 black edition for gaming for sure.

 

[malbluff]

An i3 will be better than the 965 black edition for gaming for sure.

Agreed. If you overclock quad core Phenom, you can get close to i3-3220, but it ISN't any cheaper really. This is the sort of thing, you might have to overclock a Phenom, compared with £156 for CPU and mobo, with i3.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£71.95 @ Scan.co.uk)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£26.65 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 Extreme3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard (£63.65 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £162.25
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)