First time build, approx. £1000 budget

[Mike Laserbeam]

Hello, new to the forum and building PCs! Just looking for some advice on whether the parts I've tentatively selected would work together and give me what I'm after - also looking for advice on graphic cards and power supply/case.
Thanks in advance for any help!


Approximate Purchase Date: hopefully over the next week or two (depending on whether my selections work or I need to rethink!)

Budget Range: approx £1000, can go a very small amount over for better specs

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming, internet, films,

Are you buying a monitor: Yes

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: ebuyer.com, but am flexible

Location: East England

Parts Preferences: No major preference but have been looking at certain brands (see below)

Overclocking: Probably not

SLI or Crossfire: Not sure what is but would be interested

Your Monitor Resolution: No monitor yet/flexible

Additional Comments: Want to be capable of playing anything available on steam

Parts already selected:

Asus P8Z77-V PRO motherboard
http://uk.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1155/P8Z77V_PRO/

i7 3770K 3.5GHz Socket 1155 8MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor
http://www.ebuyer.com/349026-intel-core-i7-3770k-3-5ghz-socket-1155-8mb-cache-retail-boxed-processor-bx80637i73770k

Corsair 16GB DDR3 1600Mhz Vengeance Memory
http://www.ebuyer.com/248759-corsair-16gb-ddr3-1600mhz-vengeance-memory-cmz16gx3m4a1600c9

Coolermaster Hyper TX3 Evo Socket 1366 1155 1156 775 FM1 AM3 AM3+ AM2+ AM2 Processor Cooler
http://www.ebuyer.com/298308-cooler-master-hyper-tx3-evo-rr-tx3e-22pk-r1

Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio Soundcard - OEM
http://www.ebuyer.com/129740-creative-soundblaster-x-fi-xtreme-audio-pci-express-oem-30sb104200000

Liteon IHES112-115 SATA Blu-Ray Optical Drive | OEM
http://www.ebuyer.com/343959-liteon-ihes112-115-sata-blu-ray-optical-drive-oem-ihes112-115

Xenta XForce 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers - 80W RMS with Wireless Remote Control
http://www.ebuyer.com/200508-xenta-xforce-5-1-surround-sound-speakers-80w-rms-with-wireless-remote-xforce1h

Haven't decided on a graphics card and was looking for suggestions for a card that works well for gaming but won't push me too far over budget (some of the above can be reduced to compromise for a slightly better graphics card)

As for the power supply and case, I had found this one:

CM Storm Scout + Coolermaster Silent Pro 700W Modular PSU
http://www.ebuyer.com/177749-cm-storm-scout-coolermaster-silent-pro-700w-modular-psu-special-offer-sgc-2000-kkwp1-gp

but I was unsure of how much wattage I would need with my components and if the space is enough?

Was also interested in SLI/crossfire but don't know much about either of them, or whether that would work with the motherboard I've chosen.

Haven't yet looked into monitors.


Have I missed anything? Any suggestions and improvements would be much appreciated,
thanks alot!

 

[g-unit1111]

There's a few things I'd switch out on that build. Drop the sound card. That's not needed. 16GB of RAM and the i7-3770K won't be fully utilized for what you want your system to do, go with 8GB and the i5-3570K.

With the savings there go for a Radeon 7850 or Radeon 7870 as your GPU.

And then switch out the power supply - Cooler Master has a horrendous reputation when it comes to power supplies. Get something from Corsair or Seasonic instead.

 

[Mike Laserbeam]

Thanks for your help - why do I not need the sound card, does the mobo have a decent enough one already? (sorry, total noob here)

Also, would this setup (using either the 7850/70) be capable of Crossfire?

Thanks for the advice on the PSU, I'd heard good things about Corsair and Seasonic, but hadn't heard a thing about Cooler Master, so I'm glad you gave me a heads up.
But Cooler Master are OK for cooling fans then?

Anyway, thanks again! (was that three "thanks'" in there...?)

 

[Mike Laserbeam]

Also, is Crossfire even worth it?

What sort of effects will it have, and are they noticeable?

 

[azeem40]

It's always better to get a single powerful GPU than two medium ones.

 

[g-unit1111]

Thanks for your help - why do I not need the sound card, does the mobo have a decent enough one already? (sorry, total noob here)

Also, would this setup (using either the 7850/70) be capable of Crossfire?

Thanks for the advice on the PSU, I'd heard good things about Corsair and Seasonic, but hadn't heard a thing about Cooler Master, so I'm glad you gave me a heads up.
But Cooler Master are OK for cooling fans then?

Anyway, thanks again! (was that three "thanks'" in there...?)

The sound card isn't needed because most mid - high end motherboards have really good audio already. The sound card would only be needed if you're hooking your system into some really high end audio equipment - which your average user most of the time does not.

Yeah Cooler Master makes great heat sinks and cases, but aside from that - they slap a lot of phony labels and certifications on them - check Johnnyguru as they thoroughly review PSUs like that.

As far as the GPU goes I agree with azeem that you always want the single best GPU you can get for your budget as opposed to two weaker ones, I always try to build my builds based around that.

 

[Mike Laserbeam]

Thanks for your advice guys, you've been really helpful!

 

[azeem40]

I made the mistake thinking I'd get CF/SLI by buying a high wattage PSU.