£800 build.

[kitteh_]

So, the gist of it is that I want to build, or buy, depending on which is best, with the budget of £800 (about $1300).
I'll be using it as a multimedia and hopefull gaming PC.
Thanks!

 

[sosofm]

What you allready have ? ( monitor , what resolution, keyboard,mouse , OS)

 

[kitteh_]

What you allready have ? ( monitor , what resolution, keyboard,mouse , OS)

I don't remember my monitor, I'll tell you when I get home. I run Windows 7 64 bit and have a pretty standard kb & mouse. I can understand the monitor but does the other stuff matter too much? Just wondering, I'm kind of new to it.

 

[wr6133]

Any preference to Intel/AMD CPU or Nvidia/AMD Graphics card?

 

[wr6133]

AMD Build

http://www.cclonline.com/product/26600/HDZ965FBGMBOX/CPUs/AMD-Phenom-II-X4-965-Black-Edition-3-4GHz-Quad-Core-Processor/CPU1046/
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition 3.4GHz

http://www.cclonline.com/product/60859/GA-990XA-UD3/Motherboards/Gigabyte-GA-990XA-UD3-Socket-AM3-Motherboard/MBD0167/
Gigabyte GA-990XA-UD3 Socket AM3+Motherboard

http://www.cclonline.com/product/65570/GEC38GB1333C9DC/Desktop-Memory/GeIL-Enhance-DDR3-8GB-2x4-PC3-10660-1333Mhz-Memory/RAM0404/
GeIL Enhance DDR3 8GB

http://www.cclonline.com/product/45608/WD7502AAEX/Hard-Drives/Western-Digital-Caviar-Black-750GB-7200rpm-SATA-6Gb/s-64MB-3-5-inch-Hard-Drive-Internal-/HDD1113/
Western Digital Caviar Black 750GB

http://www.cclonline.com/product/3949/RC334/Cases/Coolermaster-Elite-334/CAS0319/
Coolermaster Elite 334

http://www.cclonline.com/product/35749/OCZ700MXSP-UK/Power-Supplies/700W-OCZ-ModXStream-Pro-Modular-Power-Supply/PSU1090/
700W OCZ ModXStream Pro Modular Power Supply

http://www.cclonline.com/product/76740/RR-212E-16PK-R1/CPU-Coolers/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-EVO-CPU-Cooler/CLR0412/
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler

http://www.cclonline.com/product/63289/015-P3-1587-KR/Graphics-Cards/EVGA-Geforce-GTX-580-DS-Superclocked-1536MB-Graphics-Card/VGA0333/
EVGA Geforce GTX 580 DS Superclocked 1536MB

£774.62

Add a extra tenner for a DVD drive if needed and another tenner for a wireless card if needed. That CPU can OC to 4GHZ and I included a good cooler.

 

[wr6133]

Intel Build

http://www.cclonline.com/product/44975/BX80623I52500K/CPUs/Intel-Core-i5-2500K-3-3GHz-Quad-Core-Processor/CPU1109/
Intel Core i5-2500K

http://www.cclonline.com/product/64005/GA-Z68XP-UD3/Motherboards/Gigabyte-Z68XP-UD3-Motherboard/MBD0204/
Gigabyte Z68XP-UD3 Motherboard

http://www.cclonline.com/product/65570/GEC38GB1333C9DC/Desktop-Memory/GeIL-Enhance-DDR3-8GB-2x4-PC3-10660-1333Mhz-Memory/RAM0404/
GeIL Enhance DDR3 8GB

http://www.cclonline.com/product/45608/WD7502AAEX/Hard-Drives/Western-Digital-Caviar-Black-750GB-7200rpm-SATA-6Gb/s-64MB-3-5-inch-Hard-Drive-Internal-/HDD1113/
Western Digital Caviar Black 750GB

http://www.cclonline.com/product/3949/RC334/Cases/Coolermaster-Elite-334/CAS0319/
Coolermaster Elite 334

http://www.cclonline.com/product/35749/OCZ700MXSP-UK/Power-Supplies/700W-OCZ-ModXStream-Pro-Modular-Power-Supply/PSU1090/
700W OCZ ModXStream Pro Modular Power Supply

http://www.cclonline.com/product/76740/RR-212E-16PK-R1/CPU-Coolers/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-EVO-CPU-Cooler/CLR0412/
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler

http://www.cclonline.com/product/66216/025-P3-1579-KR/Graphics-Cards/EVGA-GeForce-GTX-570-HD-1280MB-Graphics-Card/VGA0365/
EVGA GeForce GTX 570 HD 1280MB

Total £793.15

We take a lower Graphics Card here but you then get a 2500K CPU. Personally as things are right now I would take this Intel build over the AMD

 

[americanbrian]

Intel Core i5 2500K 3.3GHz Socket 1155 6MB Cache OEM Processor
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/244099

Kingston 4GB DDR3 1333MHz Memory Module Non-ECC CL9 1.5V (2 of these for 8GB total)
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/179755

Gigabyte GA-Z68P-DS3 Z68 Socket 1155 8 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/284388

Sapphire HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB GDDR5 HDMI DVI Dual Mini DisplayPort PCI-E Graphics
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/349749

Antec 300 Three Hundred Two Case - with USB3.0 on front panel
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/341398

Arctic Power Pro 850W Modular 14cm Fan PSU - 4x PCI-E 8x SATA
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/229935

Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 Intel and AMD Socket Heatpipe Cooling Fan
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/253477

Kingston 120GB V+200 SSD - 2.5" SATA-III - Read 535MB/s Write 480MB/s
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/341349

Total Cost: £798.18 (with free delivery option)

Opinion: Having a beefier PSU will help if you choose to X-fire later. The SSD will make you productivity use much faster and pleasant as will the far superior CPU.

Having USB 3 front connectors is surely a must for a new build these days. Hence case selection. If you need more storage I suggest pulling out your current HD or finding a cheap deal at a later point. HD's are still overpriced from the flooding to the point I recommend buying second hand or waiting until they drop again, SSD's just offer too much in comparison.

GPU wise I would say the performance between the 7870 and gtx580 is much of a muchness, but power draw and temperature of the 7870 is far superior. Also possibility of multi monitor gaming is a big draw as it is now realistic on a single GPU like this.

 

[Goldengoose]

CPU:Intel Core i5-2400
CPU Cooler: Intel Boxed Heat Sink and Fan
Motherboard: MSI PH61A-P35
RAM: Wintec AMPO 4 GB (2 x 2 GB) DDR3-1333 3AMD31333-4G2K-NHR
Graphics: Sapphire 100314-3L Radeon HD 6870 1 GB
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda ST3500413AS 500 GB SATA 6Gb/s
Case: Xigmatek Asgard II B/B CPC-T45UC-U01
Power: Antec EarthWatts Green EA430D 430 W
Optical: Samsung 22x DVD Burner SATA Model SH-222AB

Thats the $600 build posted on tom's buyers guide which comes to roughly £530. To increase to £800 you can now add a better GPU and get a better powersupply. Try the 6950, or wait until the 7850 which comes out late March/early April. If you are going to get a better GPU i'd suggest a PSU around 500-600 watt, make sure you get a reliable manufacturer (antec, corsair).

Because you're looking to watch a lot of films you could upgrade your hardrive to 750gb's or 1tb but this can always be done at a later date when prices fall and when you fill the 500gb one.

Many people will state that you'll want to upgrade your motherboard to a H67 or a Z68 however i don't believe you can afford it at this price range. Sticking with a i5 2400 as i don't think you'll want to be OC'ing so there's no point paying the extra £35 for something that will hardly make any difference.

 

[sosofm]

MOBO : Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Motherboards/Intel+1155+Z68+%28B3%29/Gigabyte+GA-Z68AP-D3+Intel+Z68+%28REV+B3%29+Socket+1155+DDR3+PCI-Express+Motherboard+?productId=45563
CPU : I5 2500K
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/CPUs+%2F+Processors/Intel+Core+i5+%281155%29/Intel+Core+i5-2500K+3.30GHz+%28Sandybridge%29+Socket+LGA1155+Unlocked+Processor+-+OEM+?productId=48273
RAM : 8GB Mushkin Enhanced Blackline Frostbyte (2x4GB) 1600
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Memory/DDR3/Dual+Channel+1600MHz/8GB+Mushkin+Enhanced+Blackline+Frostbyte+LV+%23996988+%282x4GB%29+1600+%28PC3-12800%29+240-Pin+DDR3+SDRAM+CAS+9-9-9-24+1.35V+?productId=43961
HDD : 500GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 3.5" SATA III
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Hard+Drives/SATA+%28Serial+ATA%29/500GB+to+1TB/500GB+Seagate+Barracuda+7200.12+3.5%22+SATA+III+Internal+Hard+Drive+%5BST500DM002%5D+?productId=46054
SSD : Mushkin Chronos 60GB 2.5" SATA-III
https://www.aria.co.uk/SuperSpecials/Solid+State+Drives/Mushkin+Chronos+60GB+2.5%22+SATA-III+Solid+State+Hard+Drive+?productId=46083
GPU : MSI GeForce GTX 570 OC Twin FrozR III Power Edition
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Graphics+Cards/NVIDIA/NVIDIA+GTX+570+Series/MSI+GeForce+GTX+570+OC+Twin+FrozR+III+Power+Edition+1280MB+GDDR5+PCI-Express+Graphics+Card+?productId=44468
PSU : 650W XFX Core Edition 80PLUS Bronze (Seasonic OEM)
https://www.aria.co.uk/SuperSpecials/650W+XFX+Core+Edition+80PLUS+Bronze+Power+Supply+%28Seasonic+OEM%29+?productId=45333
DVD-RW : LG GH22NS70 22x DVD±RW
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Blu-Ray+%2F+DVD+Drives/DVD%C2%B1RW+Dual+Layer+Writers/LG+GH22NS70+22x+DVD%C2%B1RW+with+DL+%26+RAM+SATA+Optical+Drive+-+OEM+Black+?productId=46140
CASE : Zalman Z11
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Cases/MIDI+Tower/Zalman+Z11+Plus+Black+Midi+Tower+Chassis+w%2F+USB3.0+?productId=48831
CPU COOLER : Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Cooling/CPU+Coolers/Cooler+Master+Hyper+212+EVO+Quiet+CPU+Cooler+?productId=47248
TOTAL : £799.88 with delivery tax included.

 

[ashdeman]

MOBO : Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Motherboards/Intel+1155+Z68+%28B3%29/Gigabyte+GA-Z68AP-D3+Intel+Z68+%28REV+B3%29+Socket+1155+DDR3+PCI-Express+Motherboard+?productId=45563
CPU : I5 2500K
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/CPUs+%2F+Processors/Intel+Core+i5+%281155%29/Intel+Core+i5-2500K+3.30GHz+%28Sandybridge%29+Socket+LGA1155+Unlocked+Processor+-+OEM+?productId=48273
RAM : 8GB Mushkin Enhanced Blackline Frostbyte (2x4GB) 1600
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Memory/DDR3/Dual+Channel+1600MHz/8GB+Mushkin+Enhanced+Blackline+Frostbyte+LV+%23996988+%282x4GB%29+1600+%28PC3-12800%29+240-Pin+DDR3+SDRAM+CAS+9-9-9-24+1.35V+?productId=43961
HDD : 500GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 3.5" SATA III
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Hard+Drives/SATA+%28Serial+ATA%29/500GB+to+1TB/500GB+Seagate+Barracuda+7200.12+3.5%22+SATA+III+Internal+Hard+Drive+%5BST500DM002%5D+?productId=46054
SSD : Mushkin Chronos 60GB 2.5" SATA-III
https://www.aria.co.uk/SuperSpecials/Solid+State+Drives/Mushkin+Chronos+60GB+2.5%22+SATA-III+Solid+State+Hard+Drive+?productId=46083
GPU : MSI GeForce GTX 570 OC Twin FrozR III Power Edition
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Graphics+Cards/NVIDIA/NVIDIA+GTX+570+Series/MSI+GeForce+GTX+570+OC+Twin+FrozR+III+Power+Edition+1280MB+GDDR5+PCI-Express+Graphics+Card+?productId=44468
PSU : 650W XFX Core Edition 80PLUS Bronze (Seasonic OEM)
https://www.aria.co.uk/SuperSpecials/650W+XFX+Core+Edition+80PLUS+Bronze+Power+Supply+%28Seasonic+OEM%29+?productId=45333
DVD-RW : LG GH22NS70 22x DVD±RW
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Blu-Ray+%2F+DVD+Drives/DVD%C2%B1RW+Dual+Layer+Writers/LG+GH22NS70+22x+DVD%C2%B1RW+with+DL+%26+RAM+SATA+Optical+Drive+-+OEM+Black+?productId=46140
CASE : Zalman Z11
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Cases/MIDI+Tower/Zalman+Z11+Plus+Black+Midi+Tower+Chassis+w%2F+USB3.0+?productId=48831
CPU COOLER : Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Cooling/CPU+Coolers/Cooler+Master+Hyper+212+EVO+Quiet+CPU+Cooler+?productId=47248
TOTAL : £799.88 with delivery tax included.

This build gets my vote. If you wanted to go over budget a little then I would get a 128GB SSD, personally a 60GB wouldn't be enough for me.