New build - Help me out - £700

[cragsify]

Hi guys, what do you think of my prospective build.

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/BPIO

The main question I have for you guys is:

Should I swap out the i3 for a lower CPU in order to get a better GPU?

I have seen people get demolished before for having cases that are half the price of their GPU, so in my defence, I would like this large case for heat purposes as I plan in the future to go Xfire. PLus it is sexy as f&@*.

Also, that is why the power supply is so large too, so that it can handle potential upgrades.

What do you guys think?

Cheers
Craig

 

[alvine]

hey there
since you have budget oriented build you can downgrate the motherboard from z77 to a z75 chipset and save a couple of bucks there
the cpu gpu combo you have is okay but try to get the cheapest quad core as it will really benefit you

 

[djangoringo]

I know you don't want to change the case, but it will make a difference in the total, you can get the 7870 tahiti le with the price difference.

My suggestion :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor (£130.98 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: ASRock Z75 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£69.60 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: GeIL Enhance CORSA 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£30.23 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Seagate Constellation ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£46.99 @ Aria PC)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case (£59.99 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (£78.78 @ Scan.co.uk)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer (£12.98 @ Scan.co.uk)
Other: Mouse & Keyboard (£40.00)
Other: Windows 8 (£50.00)
Other: 7870 jocker card (£171.62)
Total: £691.17
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

This is the card : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Club-3D-HD7870-Graphics-Processors/dp/B00AAAFE7E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360176069&sr=8-1
Here's the review : http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/gpu_displays/club_3d_7870_joker_xt_edition_review/16

The hdd is an enterprise one, but don't worry, it's even more reliable and faster than the normal barracuda.
The corsair 300R is a fine case for it's price, and you can get the 7870 le.

 

[Kamen_BG]

I made a build for you.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($43.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($244.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Green 630W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($56.23 @ Amazon)
Other: Mouse & Keyboard
Other: Windows 8
Other: Case
Total: $812.16
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-06 13:55 EST-0500)

Compared to your build it has a :
Much better CPU, that can be overclocked.
High end motherboard
Faster, lower voltage RAM kit.
Faster graphics card
Less fancy, lower end case wth sufficient cooling
Better power supply

Do not worry about the case. This case is good for all but the highest-end PC's and thankfully yours isn't one of them.
So basicly you get a PC that is better in every aspect.

 

[cragsify]

I know you don't want to change the case, but it will make a difference in the total, you can get the 7870 tahiti le with the price difference.

My suggestion :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor (£130.98 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: ASRock Z75 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£69.60 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: GeIL Enhance CORSA 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£30.23 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Seagate Constellation ES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£46.99 @ Aria PC)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case (£59.99 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (£78.78 @ Scan.co.uk)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer (£12.98 @ Scan.co.uk)
Other: Mouse & Keyboard (£40.00)
Other: Windows 8 (£50.00)
Other: 7870 jocker card (£171.62)
Total: £691.17
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

This is the card : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Club-3D-HD7870-Graphics-Processors/dp/B00AAAFE7E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360176069&sr=8-1
Here's the review : http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/gpu_displays/club_3d_7870_joker_xt_edition_review/16

The hdd is an enterprise one, but don't worry, it's even more reliable and faster than the normal barracuda.
The corsair 300R is a fine case for it's price, and you can get the 7870 le.

Thanks a bunch everyone.

I actually really like what you've put forward here and I see now that dropping the case and perhaps upgrading later with extra £££ might be a good idea.

On initial observation I like that the 7870 is 2 levels above the 6870 on the tomshardware graphics card hierarchy and is equal to a 660 ti!

I will have to delve a little deeper with this card to discover the FPS differences between the 2 cards.

I am also quite surprised to see an i5 in there aswell .

I have a few more questions regarding this build now.

1) does the 7870 Xfire?
2) how would you rate Club 3D as a manufacturer, as I have never heard of them, basically what I am saying is would I be better going with a more well known manufacturer for a little extra £££?

Thanks a bunch
Craig

 

[djangoringo]

Yes, it can be crossfired.
It's a decent make, that 7870 is really cheap and powerful it beats any normal 7870, it has more shaders and transistors.
Did you check the review on overclock3D ? TTL made a review on youtube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fiM10G7UyOg

http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/gpu_displays/club_3d_7870_joker_xt_edition_review/16