Need help with major PC upgrade for about £700

[ZedLXI]

I’m planning to upgrade my PC in two or three months. So far I have the following list of components and would be interested to get some feedback. I’m really not shore about the memory or the motherboard. I’m also feeling a bit iffy about the 2 GTX 460s but I do already have the 1.
------------------Current Components----------------------Upgrade
GPU------------1GB MSI GTX 460 Cyclone-------------------2x 1GB MSI GTX 460 Cyclone http://www.scan.co.uk/products/1gb-msi-gtx-460-cyclone-3600mhz-gddr5-gpu-725mhz-shader-clock-1350mhz-336-cores-2x-dvi-i-mhdmi
CPU Cooler----Xigmatek Dark Knight-----------------------Scythe Mugen 2 Revision B http://www.scan.co.uk/products/scythe-mugen-2-quiet-cpu-cooler-for-s775-1366-1156-1155-and-amd-754-939-940-am2-am2plus-am3
CPU------------Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz E6600 (OC at 3.4GHz)-Intel Core i5-2500k http://www.scan.co.uk/products/intel-core-i5-2500k-unlocked-1155-sdy-bridge-quadcore-33ghz-gpu-850mhz-6mb-cache-95w-retail
Motherboard-ASUS P5B Delux------------------------------P67 Extreme4 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/261255
PSU------------Cooler Master Real Power 550w-------------850W XFX Black Edition http://www.scan.co.uk/products/850w-xfx-black-edition-modular-80-plus-silver-88-eff-sli-crossfire-eps-12v-135mm-quiet-fan
Memory-------4GB OCZ Platinum 1066MHz DDR2---------G.Skill’s Ripjaw 8GB F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL http://www.comeuro.net/webshop/product.php?productid=135452
Case-----------Antec P182-----------------------------------Antec P182
As you can see this is practically a new build. At the moment this comes to about £700 but I’m hoping it’ll be a bit cheaper by the time I get it.

Approximate Purchase Date: End of June

Budget Range: £500-£750

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, watching tv and films, uni work (mostly using matlab and word) and surfing the internet etc.

Parts Not Required: Keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS and case

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: scan.co.uk, ebuyer.com

Country of Origin: England

Parts Preferences: None really

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: Yes

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: I would like a quiet PC so may go for CPU cooler that’s quieter than the one listed above witch I have chosen mainly for its aesthetic.

 

[ZedLXI]

Forgot to say I already have a Samsung F3 HD103SJ 1TB hard drive I'll be carrying over and I'm planing to get the new PSU next week.

 

[dalethepcman]

The dark knight is compatible with socket 1155, so no need to replace it.

I would start by replacing just the CPU, board and ram and see how your performance boost goes. If you need more then continue down the line.

I would save the cash on the second 460ti. Unless this card cannot give you the performance you are looking for, and you know the games you want to play use SLI well, you would be better off selling this card (while you can) and purchasing a single more powerful GPU.

Either way of adding an additional 460, or purchasing a stronger single GPU your 550W power supply should be ample if you don't overclock your CPU too hard. Here is a chart with power use for even stronger cards setup in SLI. Two GTX 580's are the only configuration that requires more than 550W output. 460's are hybrids compared to this monster.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-590-dual-gf110-radeon-hd-6990,2898-18.html

Also you have your purchase date 60 days out, prices will change ALOT in 60 days as newer more powerful parts will become available, older parts depreciate. This would be a good baseline, but I wouldn't set anything in stone until maybe the week before your purchase.

Have fun with your new rig!

 

[ZedLXI]

Thanks for the advice. I do want to change to power supply because its the noisiest part of my PC when not under load. I thought I might save a bit of money by getting a more efficient one too. But maybe I was overdoing it a bit with 850W. Perhaps I'll just start with the board CPU and memory, as you said, and see how it goes.

 

[dalethepcman]

If your current power supply is too loud, then that's enough reason to opt for a replacement. For your system you should be fine with a 650 or 750. I personally like the corsair HX line as these have never let me down. The HX 750 is 80+ Silver certified, which is about as efficient as a power supply can get.

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/750w-corsair-hx-series-modular-80-plus-silver-90-eff-sli-crossfire-eps-12v-7-year-warranty

 

[ZedLXI]

Would you recommend that over the 750W XFX Black Edition which is £20 cheaper
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/750w-xfx-black-edition-modular-80-plus-silver-88-eff-sli-crossfire-eps-12v-135mm-fan

 

[dalethepcman]

The XFX would also be a great of a power supply. Being an 80+ silver you will get excellent efficiency as well.