GinZ

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Hi all,

I’m a noob so please excuse me if I know so little and if I make any silly mistakes or ask stupid questions. Please feel free to give me as much detail as possible. This will be my first build and I’ll need everything.

I need a new PC as I’m moving from my very old Inspiron 9300 laptop and thought I’d have a go at this building a PC thing and I’d finally like to understand what goes on inside these ‘magic machines’.

I’ll still keep my laptop and hope it lasts me so I can use it when on the move for word processing and some light surfing.

I’ve done quite a bit of reading (nearly all of it from reports on Tom’s Hardware – great stuff!) and my mind is frankly quite tired after so much reading without enough breaks – it’s just soo addictive!

I have come up with some ideas….but then since I don’t really have a budget (but don’t want to spend more than say ₤1200 - but even this is a guide) so I need to just build a first computer which will last me a few years and hopefully I’ll be loving it and will want to upgrade in a couple of years!

I’d prefer to buy value components and upgrade when the prices fall. This is of a particular concern for the GPU as the ATI HD cards may be overpriced at the moment.

So I still need some basic help… in deciding what power (i.e. CPU and everything else) to go with.


APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Today/Tomorrow/This week (the sooner the better)

BUDGET RANGE: Approx. ₤800 but will be willing to go higher if it’s worth the benefits and doors of fun/opportunity that are opened by getting a better system After Rebates

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Surfing, watching movies via 1080p TV already have, music, strategy gaming and maybe some driving games if the system is good enough, Excel programming. This might change after system is built to more gaming and other activities.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Need everything except maybe a monitor (but would get this if it’s better than just using my laptop screen (Brand: Dell Inspiron 9300 at 1900x1200 native resolution [WXGA I think, but not sure]).

Would also prefer to have a TV tuner in there and to able to record from it…erm and maybe some small sound for when I just want to sit and play casually.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: None but I would like to get as good a value as possible of course and one which would help me out if I made mistakes or got into difficulties i.e. a reputable company.

Prob want to buy all parts from the same supplier as mentioned in an article on here.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United Kingdom

PARTS PREFERENCES: Mid Tower as advised by an ex PC components addict and ex-PC enthusiast, none otherwise.

After reading articles I was leaning towards the AMD II X3 since it’s such a good CPU and great value for money at approx ₤66

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/athlon-ii-x3-440-gaming-performance,2619.html

(and in case I screw this up) but then also read another article saying how quad cores are for the future.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/257075-13-guide-choosing-parts

Thanks to Proximon to for that great article.

I also get distracted by thinking it will be so much more fun if I go for a quad core Phenom or maybe even the i5 (or even i7 when I start getting ahead of myself) according to the tests with GPU and various processors to build a balanced system:

Part 2:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/balanced-gaming-pc,2477.html

Part 3:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/balanced-gaming-pc-overclock,2625.html


OVERCLOCKING: Maybe – or yes and would like to learn about it! SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Probably not. Unless it’s much better for my needs

MONITOR RESOLUTION: As mentioned I have a 1080p TV and so that would be the minimum requirement. My laptop screen (which I could use as the monitor otherwise) is 1900x1200 in native resolution. Don’t know what best if I do get a new monitor (am considering it but it’s not a priority)

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I already have a set up for gaming, sound and TV (Panasonic 1080p) – PS3, Xbox360 (so those are my main points of playing games) and have 5.1 sound via an Onkyo TX-SR606 AV receiver.

So I’d like to hook my PC up to the TV (sometimes watch stuff through that or maybe just do my work on it if I feel like watching a bigger screen from further away) as well as the sound system.

I would prefer to have a mid tower which would have a touch of bling (maybe just a little blue [or red maybe, haven’t decided yet] lighting. I like the looks of the Lian Li PCB25-FB

Would love to have a window to help me feed my interest. However maybe that would put too much pressure on making the insides look good rather than just getting it right. Any views on the difficulty of making it look nice?

It should not be loud like the annoyingly loud Xbox 360 fan.

My ideas thus far have been:

CPU: AMD 2 x3 or x4 : at ₤65 or ₤100 respectively. Is ₤40 worth going to quad core?

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/AMD-Athlon-II-X3-440-Rana-Triple-Core-S-AM3-30GHz-15MB-Cache-HT-4000MHz-95W-Retail

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/AMD-Athlon-II-X4-635-Propus-Quad-Core-S-AM3-29GHz-2MB-Cache-HT-4000MHz-95W-Retail

If I go for quad core then maybe I should go for more? Maybe a Phenom 2 X4 or i5? Only another ₤40-50 more.

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/AMD-Phenom-II-X4-955-BlackEdition-Sok-AM3-32GHz-8MB-Total-Cache-125W-Retail

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Intel-Core-i5-750-Lynnfield-45nm-Quad-Core-266GHz-8MB-Cache-95W-Retail

MOBO: 880G for AM3 with USB 3.0 (is the USB 3.0 relevant for my needs? Maybe soon in the future?)

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Asus-M4A87TD-USB3-AMD-870-S-AM3-PCI-E-20-%28x16%29-DDR3-2000%28OC%29-SATA-6Gb-s-SATA-RAID-ATX

Was decided on this until I read a report about 790 being so much better in Proximon’s list.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/269620-13-list

Somebody also said ASRock were a cheap brand and so should be avoided. Is this right?

GPU: had originally decided on HD 5850 1Gb but then thought it might be overkill.

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/1GB-Sapphire-HD-5850-PCI-E-20-4000MHz-GDDR5-GPU-725MHz-DisplayPort-2x-DL-DVI-I-HDMI

Should I go for the HD 5770 1Gb (since it’s so much cheaper and I’m prob not going to be playing FPSs. Or is the HD 5770 that overkill as well?

Which brand should I go for? A friend said she used to love her Sapphire brand.

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/1GB-Sapphire-HD5770-PCI-E-20%28x16%29-4800MHz-GDDR5-GPU-850MHz-Cores-800-2x-DL-DVI-I-HDMI

Again, why is there such a number of ATI HD5770s by the same brand? What are the main differences?

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/1GB-Sapphire-HD-5770-Vapor-X-PCI-E-21-%28x16%29-4800MHz-GDDR5-GPU-860-MHz-DL-DVI-Display-PortHDMI

Finally getting my hands on PC with a decent discrete GPU may invite me to play other games on the PC.

RAM: 4Gb minimum.

Which brand and which speed (1333 or 1600 or higher)?

HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 (HD103SJ)

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ss1TB-Samsung-HD103SJ-Spinpoint-F3-SATA-3Gb-s-7200rpm-32MB-Cache-89-ms-NCQ-OEM

DVD Drive: Samsung Black 2X SH-S223B going by Proximon’s big list of things he likes 

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CD-126-SA

I am hoping to use my PS3 as my Blu-Ray player

Case: Lian Li PCB25-FB

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Lian-Li-PC-B25FB-Black-Mid-Tower-Aluminum-Case-w-o-PSU

This was my original choice but then read about aluminium reverberating and also it’s maybe unnecessarily pricey

Alternatives: LanCool K62
CoolMaster CM-690 II

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Lancool-K62-Black-Advanced-Tower-5x525-4x35-inc-3x140-1x120mm-fans-front-USB-and-HD-97-Audio-ports

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-196-CM

Any other recommendations?

PSU: No idea

Case fans: No idea.

OS: Win7 (maybe 64bit)

Monitor: not sure if needed

Keyboard: must be wireless and be rechargeable (if that’s possible) as I’d to constantly replace batteries. Something that has a backlight might be cool.

Mouse: no idea, no pref whether it’s a trackball or normal one – have used both

Network card: Do I need this. I would to do networking and maybe make another PC to hold all my data in future.

Not sure what else I would need.

If it’s too confusing then I will probably end up going for all the cheaper options in order just to build a PC first and then maybe upgrade to a much better one later.

Oh you’re still reading. Thanks for reading this essay!

All suggestions are welcome to help me pick out an okay or decent system to last me a few years.
 

banthracis

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CPU get at least an athlon ii x3.

GPU wise, for 1920 x01 080 you'll want a 5850. Not much difference in brands outside their warranty and support. Go w/ Sapphire, XFX, Asus, Gigabyte for best warranties/support.

OPtical, just find the cheapest one, it doesn't make a difference these days.

Case: HAF 922 is cheap w/ good airflow. ~$100 in the US. Cheaper you can get an Antec Illusion 300.

PSU FOr good cheap ones, any Antec, Corsair, or the OCZ 80+ ones (modxstream or Fatality) are fine. A good 550W PSU is fine for 1 5850. If you plan on xfire, you can grab a 750TX from corsair. Probably the cheapest with the necessary cables.

Don't think there are any gaming backlight wireless. In fact, very few wireless backlite keyboards thanks to power drain. Better off with wired. If you want wireless, also very few rechargeable ones, as you can just use rechargeable AA batteries...

Good wired one is Saitek Eclipse II

Mouse- Standard gaming mouse recommendation ins the logitech MX518. Lots of other out there, but they all have certain features that only you can decide are worth it.

No need for network card.






 

GinZ

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Hi banthracis,

thanks for the lightning reply. Okay, I will defo go with the HD5850 ('tis what I was hoping for)

My budget is quite loose so I can go for more if it's worth it.

Starting with the CPU is it worth going for more right now to help the PC last longer or should I wait till the price for the prices to drop and upgrade?

Having little PC history knowledge, how long would I have to wait for say the Phenom II X4 to drop in prices by quite a bit?
 

GinZ

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For the PSU I read that I should buy one that will last for at least a few builds. I don't know whether I will Xfire the GPUs in future.

Would you recommend I get a higher one for this eventuality? will the 750TX do it? or will the 650TX suffice?
 

coldsleep

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A little confused by this statement. Have you determined a way to hook up a different computer to display on your laptop screen? Generally, that isn't an easy task and requires some modding, as most laptops don't have video inputs.

If you're looking at getting a new monitor, I'd say go for 1920x1080 at minimum, 1920x1200 if the price difference isn't too great.
 

GinZ

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coldsleep, great point now you come to mention it. It was suggested by a friend but I haven't actually checked it HAS got an input. And not that I'm sure but the connectors are male. Does this mean they're output only?

A vga output it has got as I've connected it to the TV. I will add a monitor to the list of things definitely required (so that's everything then - except a network card). Since I have my TV, that will have to do until I decide on a monitor.

Thanks coldsleep. :embarrassed:

 

coldsleep

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Unless you have some crazy fancy laptop, I don't think you're going to be able to display anything on its screen.

I'd say that the only things you're planning on using it for that might use all 4 cores would be strategy games and possibly Excel if you're doing some crazy number-crunching. Up to you to decide if it's worth the extra money for those uses. :) I wouldn't expect Phenom II x4 prices to come down much until next year, when AMD releases its next line of chips (which are supposed to be compatible with AM3 mobos).

Generally the Athlon II X3 is seen as one of the best general-purpose/gaming CPUs, as it's not going to bottleneck any modern graphics card at a decent resolution. As far as a motherboard goes, I'd go with either a 790 or 890, as they're more fully featured. And USB3 is starting to come out now, it will likely replace USB2 within the next year or two. As a future-resistant option, I think it's worthwhile.

I don't have a brand preference for RAM, although I'll say that in the US, Corsair is generally more expensive than sticks with the same specs. I'd suggest getting 1333 MHz CAS (aka CL) 7 RAM, or 1600 MHz CAS 7 if it's not too much more expensive.

As banthracis mentioned, the 5850 is typically seen as the best value card at 1920x1080. If the games you're planning on playing are not all that demanding, you could probably get away with a 5770, but I'd expect it to start suffering in new games within a year or two. The 5850 should stay current longer than the 5770, though it's hard to say how much longer.

Agree with banthracis on the importance of a good PSU.

Generally your original selections seem to be pretty decent, with some minor modifications (as suggested above).

x3 or x4, 790 or 890 mobo, 4 GB RAM, 5850, 500 GB platter hard drive, quality PSU, Win 7 64-bit - very respectable specs for a gaming machine...and it sounds like gaming/excel are the most taxing things you're going to expect out of this machine.
 

GinZ

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Great, detail reply. Thanks very much. I 'll have to get on the case and look at the 790 and 890 mobos. I'll try and get a better fix on my actual selection and come back.

a quick question about the Excel number crunching:

I'm an Excel programmer and will have to put my programs through testing with thousands of rows and maybe a hundreds of columns of data.

Does this count as crazy number-crunching according to how it will tax the CPU?
 

GinZ

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Ooh, and about the mobo - do you have any recommended brands?

And what are all the variations in the boards all about?

There are so many of apparently the same card but at quite different prices.

Thanks
 

GinZ

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Mobo question again.... since I'm getting a discrete GPU is it best if I avoid getting on-board graphics to get better value for money?

thanks
 

coldsleep

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If your daily work depends on it, then yes, I'd go with a quad-core. Since it was listed last in your usage, I wasn't sure if it was hobbyist level or something more serious.

"Best" mobo brands (subject to debate, but with the most name recognition):
ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, probably 1 other that I'm forgetting

Generally speaking, the boards within the same socket/generation are basically the same, but you get more features as you pay more. The problem is that at a certain point, you end up with features that most people aren't going to use, so buying the most expensive mobo isn't usually the best solution. I'm about to head out, but I'll try to come back with some recommendations later.

You don't need a motherboard with onboard graphics, but I'm not sure it's wasting money if you get one. They can be useful for diagnosing problems with your video card, if something comes up. Typically, enthusiast/high-end boards will not have onboard graphics (though this is in flux, as Intel has an integrated solution - H55/57, and AMD will be introducing GPU on the CPU next year), and lower-end/consumer-oriented boards will have integrated graphics.

I wouldn't rule out a motherboard with onboard graphics, but I would only get it as an added bonus, rather than skimping on added features to end up with it.
 
How about if I come up with a full build suggestion? Would make it simpler in a way. I'll probably do for £700-800 for the case plus contents, you'll have figure out the peripherals yourself. For that budget it would be really easy to get a Phenom II X4 in. And it seems like it would be worth it for your uses.

I'll some of the questions you've posed in the meantime. Asus, Gigabyte & MSI are probably the highest quality board manufacturers. I don't think you should purposefully avoid getting a mobo with an integrated GPU if the rest of the features on the board match your requirements/desires.

As for graphics cards, there are variations in coolers and clocks. I suppose the amount of work that goes into testing the card for release is another factor in cost. I think the bigger the fan on it the better, as it is likely to cool better and be quieter. On Scan they start getting quite expensive for those, on OCUK there is this one: HIS iCooler V ATI Radeon HD 5850 1024MB GDDR5 H585FN1GD £233, which I'm considering buying even tho I'd have to get rid of the card I have now which will probably end up being a PITA.

Making the inside of your case look nice is probably down to how the components look inherently and then cable aesthetics and management. Cable management is about hiding them away and can be done effectively with a little thinking and planning, cable asthetics is basically sleeving or lack thereof. Some PSUs come with them pre-sleeved. The sleeving aspect is minor if the cables are well managed tho.
This is a solid choice for a 750W PSU that should give you plenty of potential for power a lot of hardware. Antec Truepower New TP750 £93

Asrock are a budget division of Asus. Read into that what you want. But Asus are definitely known for having high quality and reliable and long lasting boards. So Asrock wouldn't be quite as good as Asus in these aspects, doesn't necessarily mean that they will be bad tho either.

Those are all good cases imo. For my next case I'm currently thinking about the Lian Li PC-P50B which is similar to the one in the OP, but about £20 cheaper.
 

GinZ

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Thanks for the input Silvune, am looking into your recommendations right now...(laptop is so slow however!)

when it comes to the GPU coldsleep recommended well recognised brands (coldsleep - I'm hoping Sapphire the brand you may have forgotten to mention). My friend too said she loved the Sapphire GPU she had once upon a time and recommended that I too go for the recognised brands.

So I'd like to verify that for only about 8 pounds more, would it simply be a waste to go for the Sapphire version?

When it comes to the CPU I am really am thinking twice, thrice and many more times about it.

I am wondering whether for 66 pounds I could stick with the AMD II X3 for now and upgrade to the ₤150 mark later on. Thinking along these lines...

If it doesn't suffice then I've only lost 60 squid and the mobo should cover me for upgrading too

Plus it's nearly ₤100 more for the Phenom II 965... does it bring that much more to the world? won't it reduce in price and I'll have more options next year?

Or is it just a waste of money to get the X3 now only to upgrade so soon?

Other factor not sure about: not sure if I'm wrong about this. Does the Black Edition Phenom overclock and the X3 not?

I would like to learn about OCing so if only the Phenom does (or does it easier for the novice) then that would lean me heavily towards getting the Phenom.

thanks for all your help
 
You can definitely overclock non-BE processors, however Black Editions have unlocked multipliers which can make it easier to overclock. No good reason to go for the 965 as it is just a factory OCed 955.

If you are absolutely set on changing your processor next year then it would make even less sense to spend anywhere near £100 on it.

I don't know anything about warranties, alto banthracis said up top that Sapphire are one of the ones with good warranties. However warranties differ by region; the same warranties don't necessarily apply in the UK as it would in the US for instance. £8 doesn't seem like a massive difference to me.
 

coldsleep

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I was actually talking about motherboards.

For GPUs, Sapphire & XFX are typically the top two...but mostly I don't think it matters too much. Until you get to the custom versions, I'd mostly just look at warranty & price.

As far as motherboards go, here are some decent ones:

(sorry, newegg links, check availability in your area)
Gigabyte 790X UD3 - CrossFires at 8x/8x
MSI 790X-G45 - 790X chipset
Gigabyte 790XTA-UD4 - 790X
ASUS M4785TD-V EVO - 785 chipset
MSI 890GXM-G65 - 890GX chipset
ASUS M4A89TD PRO/USB3 - 890FX chipset
Gigabyte GA-890FXA-UD5 - 890FX

 

GinZ

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Silvune - thanks for the info on OCing and esp for the 965 as I've found a deal for a 955 which is 25 pounds cheaper than a 965.

It costs 120 pounds (sorry, my pound sign is missing as I had problems with my laptop keyboard layout)

So I'll either go for an AMD ii X3 435/440 at GBP59 or GBP66 or a phenom x4 955 at GBP120

Yes - also respect to banthracis as I'd forgot he'd mentioned it already. thanks banthracis.

That together with the list from coldsleep means I will continue putting together a list of the best deals (with min 2 years warranty)

thanks all

back with a list of options later....(my laptop keeps crashing with all the windows I have open!)
 

GinZ

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thanks ever so much for a nice list coldsleep - I can compare the details knowing I am looking at a quality backed mobo.

before, there were just too many options!
 

coldsleep

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Most of those boards are CrossFire capable, you can probably find slightly cheaper ones that have just one 16x PCI-E slot. I don't think it's a bad idea to pay a little more just to keep the option available though.

In general, I'd look for a motherboard with USB3, SATA 6 Gb/s, and at least one 16x PCI-E slot, preferably two that are at least 8x/8x and definitely not 16x/4x. Onboard graphics (as I mentioned earlier) is indicative of a lower-end board, but you shouldn't avoid a board that fits otherwise. Most of the other stuff is bells & whistles. If you want that, fine, but don't worry about it too much.
 

GinZ

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sorry guys - had probs with my ISP...

have a long list of mobos now...just wanna check details such as ensuring have got two PCI-E slots, whether are 8x/8x, warranty lengths

Does it matter when mobo says they are for RAM 1800 or 1600 or 1333. Will my RAM have to be of the same speed?

On the RAM issue... is CL7 better than CL8 and CL9? I found some RAM for 1600 CL7

G-=Skill F3-12800CL7D for GBP100
http://www.microdirect.co.uk/Home/Product/42596/G-Skill-4GB-Ripjaws-DDR3-PC12800-1600Mhz-Cas7

but is it worth spending more than this offer for it?


Crucial 4GB 1333 CL9 for GBP85
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/166995
 

coldsleep

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The speed the mobo supports is the max speed recommended, you do not have to match that. Theoretically you could get a mobo that only supported 1333 MHz RAM and buy 2000 MHz RAM, the RAM would just downclock. Unsure about what that would mean if you were planning on overclocking, but hopefully if you're planning on overclocking, you're not getting a board with really limited memory options.

And the difference is probably not worth 15 pounds. 5, yes.
 

GinZ

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Okay, hurrah – I’m back again to give you another essay with options.

I’ve picked a few now and these are listed:

GPU
HD 5850
211UKP
http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/5043139/art/sapphire-technology/radeon-hd-5850-1-gb-gddr5.html

CPU
AMD Phenom II X4
114UKP
http://www.bargain-mad.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=742

Memory
OCZ 4GB 1600 CL7
93UKP
http://www.bargain-mad.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=984

HDD
Samsung Spinpoint F3 (HD103SJ)
http://www.microdirect.co.uk/Home/Product/42256/Samsung-1TB-1000GB-F3-hard-drive-HD103SJ--SATA-II

DVD drive
Samsung Black 2X SH-S223B
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CD-126-SA

Monitor
Possibly this, but the screen might be too big for where I’m gonna sit
Viewsonic VX2260WM Full HD 22" TFT Monitor 1920x1080 20,000:1 (dynamic) 300cd/m2 2ms VGA/DVI-D/HDMI Black
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/151336

OS
Windows 7
http://www.techdepot.co.uk/TD/product/SOFTWARE/SO.OPSYS/productdetails/IT64111/Microsoft_Windows_7_Professional_-_Product_upgrade/7KC-00003/default.aspx?_$ja=tsid:8928|cc:|prd:IT64111|cat:Software+%3E+Software+-+Operating+Systems

Still need help with a few things:

PSU

Dunno yet probably going to go for the 93UKP that Silvune was kind enough to mentioned earlier. What does the bronze mean?
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/750W-Antec-Truepower-New-PSU-Modular-120mm-PWM-Fan-80plus-Bronze

Or the same but with blue lights (in case I want to take the case with window router later) in the fan for 99UKP
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-115-AN&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=

I also saw an Antec Earthwatts for 83UKP, but what’s the difference? I’d love to know…
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/161664

Case
Still undecided
Thanks for the suggestion Silvune however I need something with a minimalist look – on the outside anyway. I want a bit of lighting but only a little. Tis why am still considering the Lian-Li
130UKP
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Lian-Li-PC-B25FB-Black-Mid-Tower-Aluminum-Case-w-o-PSU

or this Lian Li PC-60FNB
80UKP
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/207849


quite like the look of this…but might be overkill with lights

Coolermaster CM-690 II Advanced Dominator Case - Black [RC-692-KKN2]
80UKP
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-196-CM

or this
NZXT Panzerbox Full Aluminium Midi Case NO PSU
Or
Antec P183 Case - GunMetal Grey Super Mid Tower - No PSU


Well as you can see not decided yet. Are any of the above cases utterly rubbish?


Also thinking of getting a TV-tuner or two. Has any one any experience of having one?

Case fans.

Do I need any of these? If so I might read about silent pcs: http://www.buildsilentpc.com/Silent-CPU-Coolers.html

Anyhooo

For now need particular help choosing the mobo which is of best value for the prices… the mobos I have got the best prices for according to coldsleep’s (thanks again) list are:

(coldsleep, I left out the MSI 790X-G45 as I couldn’t find a description on the websites I was using showing it had USB3.0)

ASUS M4785TD-V EVO (this one’s so cheap compared to the rest)
69UKP
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Asus-M4A785TD-V-EVO-AMD-785G-AM3-PCI-E-20%28x16%29-DDR3-1800%28OC%29-1600%28OC%29-SATA-II-SATA-RAID-VGA

Gigabyte 790XTA-UD4
102UKP
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Gigabyte-GA-790XTA-UD4-DDR3-AMD-790X-DDR3-1866%28OC%29-SATA-6Gb-s-and-3Gb-s-RAID-USB-30-and-20-ATX

Gigabyte 790X UD3
122UKP
http://www.microdirect.co.uk/Home/Product/46797

ASUS M4A89TD PRO/USB3 (the spec dazzles me so I think I like this one)
137UKP
http://www.microdirect.co.uk/Home/Product/47158

Gigabyte GA-890FXA-UD5
151UKP
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/218919

So any help or suggestions or just pointing any silly mistakes will be useful.
Thanks for reading!
 
The Antec Earthwatts is a good PSU... if you want a 670W PSU; it only has that much on the 12V rails, which is where you want most of your power to be. So it is about 50 watts more powerful than most good 650W PSUs; PSUs like the Corsair 650TX & HX, Antec Truepower New 650, XFX 650 will have 625 watts on their 12V rail(s).
It would be fine for two 5850s.

The Bronze refers to an efficiency program in the US - 80 Plus, which tests that PSUs have a minimum efficiency (in turning AC power to DC power) at certain loads, 80 Bronze is a bit better than standard 80 Plus, and obviously, Silver, Gold are better than bronze.

You should know that atm OCZ is quite well known for having difficult RAM to set up. It is at a good price tho, so it wouldn't be a massive waste of money if you couldn't get it to run at it's rated specs, aslong as you could get 1333mhz out of it.

This is what a filled NZXT Panzer Box would look like
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NZXT/Panzerbox/images/install.jpg
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NZXT/Panzerbox/1.html
A bit unconventional and not something I'd go for, but it is wider, so can fit a huge heatsink, it can also fit long graphics cards, like a 5870.

Case fans will depend on the case (some of the ones you've mentioned hardly have any unfilled fan mounts) and what kind of cooling you'll want/need. Scythe, amongst others, make high quality and on the quiet side fans.
What I'm planning to do at some point to get a good balance of silence (when cooling isn't a high priority) and cooling performance when it is needed, is to get a fan controller along with some fans that when at maximum speed give out <30dBA. This is a fairly comprehensive analysis of fans: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/120-140-fans-roundup.html Some people just buy the cheapest fans, as they don't mind wasting such a small amount of money on something like that if it turns out not to be any good.

I think I would go for the Asus M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 as it is a very good future-proofing board. Personally I would get the non-USB3 version if it was cheaper, because I have no interest in USB3. USB3 would be useful if you want to be able to get a fast portable storage device. The other way it is good for future proofing is SATA 6Gbps; which would be useful if you wanted the option to add a fast SSD next year or so. Do you want the option of crossfire? If not then you could go for a cheaper option. If you want non of the above then definitely go for the ASUS M4785TD-V EVO.

You have linked an upgrade package of Windows 7, which technically is supposed to be used on a system that already has a Windows OS on it. Just pointing that out. If you didn't know this then just get an OEM version.