Hi all, I'm currently working out a spec for my new PC my dad is kindly buying me after graduating from uni! He technically hasn't given me a firm budget to work with, and he's told me to "buy the best", but I'm going to make sure I get a reasonably good "bang for buck" system rather than just going all out!
Approximate Purchase Date: next few months (August-Sept)
Budget Range: ~£1000
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming/Streaming Gameplay/Streaming Digital Art/Skype/Browsing Web
Are you buying a monitor: No
Parts to Upgrade: Entire PC
Do you need to buy OS: No? Unsure whether I need a new version or not (unsure whether OEM license)
Please note that if you're using an OEM license of Windows, you will need a new one when buying a new motherboard.
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: scan.co.uk, ebuyer.com, dabs.com (UK stores only)
Location: City, State/Region, Country - London, England
Parts Preferences: Intel CPU, no pref everything else
Overclocking: Yes (moderate, not pushing the limit)
SLI or Crossfire: Maybe
Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
Additional Comments: Quiet would be great, but I mostly just want to make sure I have ample air-flow to keep everything cool
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Mostly for playing and streaming gameplay of Guild Wars 2.
I had this as an initial idea:
CPU: Intel i5 3570k
GPU: 2GB Asus DirectCU II GTX 670 (TOP/non-TOP?)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus V Gene m-ATX
RAM: 8GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600
SSD: 128GB Samsung 830
HDD: 2TB (Hitachi? Seagate? Western Digital?)
PSU: 750w Antec TruePower New
Case: Corsair Carbide R500
CPU Cooler: Arctic Freezer i30 (Corsair Hydro H100!?!)
None of this is set in stone, so any and all recommendations are welcome. Most of the things I'm truly unsure about are in brackets. I've heard the Asus DirectCU II GTX 670 TOP version has stability issues, am I safer just going for the non-TOP version? I hear so many stories regarding all the major HDD manufacturers: WD seems to have a better rep than Hitachi and Seagate, but at twice the price for the 2TB, worth it? Is it really just a lottery on whether you get a "good drive" or not? I'm primarily going for the 750w Antec PSU because it's on sale at scan.co.uk, is it alright? Lastly, the CPU cooler. I've been mulling over it for a few days. The Hydro H100 will fit beautifully in the Carbide R500, but is it really worth blowing £100 on it, after replacing those noisy Corsair fans!? Will the Arctic Freezer do the job? Is there anything else I should consider?
Thanks in advance!
Approximate Purchase Date: next few months (August-Sept)
Budget Range: ~£1000
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming/Streaming Gameplay/Streaming Digital Art/Skype/Browsing Web
Are you buying a monitor: No
Parts to Upgrade: Entire PC
Do you need to buy OS: No? Unsure whether I need a new version or not (unsure whether OEM license)
Please note that if you're using an OEM license of Windows, you will need a new one when buying a new motherboard.
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: scan.co.uk, ebuyer.com, dabs.com (UK stores only)
Location: City, State/Region, Country - London, England
Parts Preferences: Intel CPU, no pref everything else
Overclocking: Yes (moderate, not pushing the limit)
SLI or Crossfire: Maybe
Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
Additional Comments: Quiet would be great, but I mostly just want to make sure I have ample air-flow to keep everything cool
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Mostly for playing and streaming gameplay of Guild Wars 2.
I had this as an initial idea:
CPU: Intel i5 3570k
GPU: 2GB Asus DirectCU II GTX 670 (TOP/non-TOP?)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus V Gene m-ATX
RAM: 8GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600
SSD: 128GB Samsung 830
HDD: 2TB (Hitachi? Seagate? Western Digital?)
PSU: 750w Antec TruePower New
Case: Corsair Carbide R500
CPU Cooler: Arctic Freezer i30 (Corsair Hydro H100!?!)
None of this is set in stone, so any and all recommendations are welcome. Most of the things I'm truly unsure about are in brackets. I've heard the Asus DirectCU II GTX 670 TOP version has stability issues, am I safer just going for the non-TOP version? I hear so many stories regarding all the major HDD manufacturers: WD seems to have a better rep than Hitachi and Seagate, but at twice the price for the 2TB, worth it? Is it really just a lottery on whether you get a "good drive" or not? I'm primarily going for the 750w Antec PSU because it's on sale at scan.co.uk, is it alright? Lastly, the CPU cooler. I've been mulling over it for a few days. The Hydro H100 will fit beautifully in the Carbide R500, but is it really worth blowing £100 on it, after replacing those noisy Corsair fans!? Will the Arctic Freezer do the job? Is there anything else I should consider?
Thanks in advance!
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