Advice/Opinions on Potential Gaming Rig Build.

[DelB]

Hello! I'm looking to build my first ever PC for my gaming needs and also for the experience. I've done a few weeks research and come up with this list of components:

PCPartPicker part list: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/15qyF

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£155.99 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£24.49 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77-DS3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£68.63 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£44.39 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card (£142.99 @ Novatech)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case (£59.94 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply (£49.57 @ Amazon UK)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer (£12.99 @ Dabs)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£67.80 @ Aria PC)
Other: Crucial 8GB DDR3 1600Mhz Ballistix Sport Memory (2 X 4GB) (£44.99)
Total: £671.78
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-12 01:53 BST+0100)

I intend to use this rig as a mid range gaming system primarily but I would also appreciate if the system had decent longevity in terms of playing newer games at 1080p and a decent FPS.

I would also like to keep noise levels low and power consumption reasonable. I currently have no plans to overclock anything but would perhaps do this in the future to allow the system to run certain games (that is the reason I included the CPU fan). Finally I would like to keep costs down (£600-£675).

I know this was long-winded but I would greatly appreciate any advice.

Thank you for reading!

 

[RedJaron]

I like it. Solid throughout, but not stellar. I've said it many times, but I'm not a fan of the 660 with its limited memory interface. It'll get bogged down at higher resolutions and AA levels. I'd prefer a 7870 around the same price, or a 7870 XT/LE if you can find it. Also, that PSU is good, but it may not have the capacity for two higher-end GPUs.

 

[DelB]

I like it. Solid throughout, but not stellar. I've said it many times, but I'm not a fan of the 660 with its limited memory interface. It'll get bogged down at higher resolutions and AA levels. I'd prefer a 7870 around the same price, or a 7870 XT/LE if you can find it. Also, that PSU is good, but it may not have the capacity for two higher-end GPUs.

Thanks for the reply RedJaron! I actually was at first considering the Powercolour 7870 XT (http://www.ebuyer.com/432444-powercolor-hd-7870-myst-pcs-edition-2gb-gddr5-dvi-hdmi-dual-mini-ax78702gbd5-2dhppv3e) but I frequently heard it was a loud card so that kind of put my off. As for the PSU I'm not really looking to crossfire or SLI as power comsumption takes a leap but I guess I could in the future. Do you think the 7870 XT is worth the extra £40 and possibly more noise over the 660?

 

[RedJaron]

A normal 7870 already matches or beats a regular 660 ( the 660 Ti is a bit faster in some games, though the 7870 will take the lead when you crank the AA. ) Yes, the 7870 XT/LE is a loud-ish card. Also, the way it's OCd, it draws more power than a regular 7950. Looking at prices right now, the 7950 is just a hair more expensive than the XT/LE so I'd go that way. But that's an extra £50 to your budget. If you can't afford that, stepping up to a ~£170 regular 7870 would be my recommendation.

 

[DelB]

I think I will either go with the 7870 XT or 7870 now, but I am leaning to the 7870 XT as it seems to be the more powerful card that might last me a little longer and the power consumption difference on the surface doesn't look too huge. I think I may be able to tolerate the noise as I should be wearing earphones when doing GPU intensive things anyway. I don't think I want to shell out the extra money for the 7950 as I am a student and even thinking of buying the components is quite irresponsible but I need a summer project and I think the experience will be good. For the build with a 7870 XT, will the 500W PSU be fine or will I require a bigger one?

 

[RedJaron]

Yes, a 500W PSU will be enough for either a 7870 XT or 7950. However, I'm not seeing 7870 XTs for under £200. For only £10-£15 more you can get a full 7950 with a fatter memory pipe, more RAM, and more shaders. The 7870 XT makes more sense in the States considering it's ~$50 more than the normal 7870 and ~$50 less than the 7950.

I did find this one 7870 XT for £175, but I'm not familiar with the brand or card quality. If it's a good card, that may be a smart buy.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/VTX3D-Radeon-7870-Graphics-Card/dp/B00AM3A7JY/ref=sr_1_3?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1371071294&sr=1-3

 

[DelB]

I thought this was a 7870 XT for £180 or is the brand questionable?: http://www.ebuyer.com/432444-powercolor-hd-7870-myst-pcs-edition-2gb-gddr5-dvi-hdmi-dual-mini-ax78702gbd5-2dhppv3e

Sorry for asking so many questions. This is my first build and I want to get it right as I can't afford any mistakes.

 

[RedJaron]

Sorry, I missed that link when you first posted it. Yes, that is a 7870 LE/XT. In fact that's the very card Tom's reviewed. Should be a good buy.

 

[DelB]

Thank you for all of your help. I really appreciate it!