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Help with my build

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Lancaster

Registered
Joined
Nov 8, 2011
Hello!

I've not built a new PC in five years so I don't know what you need nowadays in terms of cooling. It'll be used for gaming, photoshop, 3DS Max and sony vegas.

Planned Build So Far:
CPU: Intel i7 3770k
GPU: Gigabyte ATi Radeon HD7950 3GB or Gigabyte GTX 660 Ti 2GB
RAM: Corsair 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600Mhz CL10 Vengeance
PSU: Corsair Memory TX650 V2 650W ATX Enthusiast Series

I don't know anything about motherboards or cases so I need help with that.
Also I'm not sure how it'd need to be cooled, cost effectively. I don't plan to overclock anything.

Any help appreciated!
Thanks :)

Added Questions as requested :)

What are you planning to do with this computer?
Gaming, video and photo editing, 3d modelling

What is your budget?
Round about the £1000 for a lasting spec but cheaper is better!

Does this include a copy of Windows?
No

Does this include peripheals (a keyboard, monitor, mouse, speakers, etc.)?
No

Are you from the United States or a different country?
United Kingdom

Are you ordering from your own country or from across borders?
Own Country

Wherever you may be from, does the store that you are planning to order from have a website? It's okay if it isn't in English, we can manage.
Probably dabs.com because it's cheaper

Do you plan on overclocking? If yes, do you have a specific goal in mind?
No overclocking, just stock

Would you prefer the build to be particularly small?
Nope! Whatever is beneficial (cooling and space)

Would you prefer the build to be particularly quiet?
No, aslong as it's running cool.

In general, do you prefer this to be a computer that you can spend money on now and let it rest, or a box built for continuous upgrading?
Money now, let it last for as many years as possible.

Do you ever plan on utilizing NVIDIA's SLI or AMD's CrossfireX technologies?
No
 
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Let me quote Knufire here, since we are missing one or two points like the budget, do you need the cooling to build a silent PC etc.
Hey, welcome to OCF! :beer:

When trying to recommend a build to you, there's some information that's extremely helpful for us to know. If you could answer these few short questions, we'd be happy to help!

  • What are you planning to do with this compuer? Please be as specfic as possible.
  • What is your budget?
    1. Does this include a copy of Windows?
    2. Does this include peripheals (a keyboard, monitor, mouse, speakers, etc.)?
  • Are you from the United States or a different country? Are you ordering from your own country or from across borders?
    1. Wherever you may be from, does the store that you are planning to order from have a website? It's okay if it isn't in English, we can manage.
    2. If you are from the United States, do you live nearby a Microcenter?
  • Do you have any specific requests with the build?
    1. Do you plan on overclocking? If yes, do you have a specific goal in mind?
    2. Would you prefer the build to be particularly small?
    3. Would you prefer the build to be particularly quiet?
    4. In general, do you prefer this to be a computer that you can spend money on now and let it rest, or a box built for continuous upgrading?
    5. Do you ever plan on utilizing NVIDIA's SLI or AMD's CrossfireX technologies? These features, with a compatible motherboard, allow a user to link multiple identical graphic cards together for added performance. In real world terms, this lets you buy a second identical graphics card down the line as a relatively cheap and easy way to gain a fairly large boost in performance. However, this requires buying a SLI/CFX compatible motherboard and PSU now, which may result in slightly higher initial cost.

Once again, thank you in advance for taking the time to answer these, and I hope you enjoy your stay at OCF! :)
 
Hello!

GPU: Gigabyte ATi Radeon HD7950 3GB or Gigabyte GTX 660 2GB

:welcome: to OCF!

Regarding the GPU: be careful, those are completely different in terms of performance.
The GTX 660 isn't the same as the GTX660 Ti. If you have to choose between a Nvidia and an AMD card, choose between the HD7950 and the GTX660 Ti/ GTX670 ;)
 
:welcome: to OCF!

Regarding the GPU: be careful, those are completely different in terms of performance.
The GTX 660 isn't the same as the GTX660 Ti. If you have to choose between a Nvidia and an AMD card, choose between the HD7950 and the GTX660 Ti/ GTX670 ;)

Ah sorry, that was a typo! I meant the 660 Ti :L
 
build.jpg

This would be my first suggestion. I chose the 7950 because it should perform equal compared to an 660 Ti but costs less. On the other hand it has a higher power draw, Nvidia has CUDA cores (usable for Video editing with after effects, premiere pro etc.) and PhysX support for games like Arkham City. I am a Nvidia fanboy, but that shouldn't bother you here.

As for the RAM, I know it's 4x4Gb, take this one here: http://www.dabs.com/products/kingst...mhz-dimm-cl9-8HSW.html?q=kingston 16gb&src=16

The case is dammed (good for quietness) and imho it looks just awesome.

You won't need an aftermarket cooler for your CPU if you don't plan on overclocking.

I am open to changes / suggestions, too :)
 
Oh Wow, thanks mate!

Is that PSU powerful enough?
I would have thought that the 7950 would've need at least 550w?
 
200 W for the Radeon
77 W for the CPU (taken from the site)
= 277W + Harddrives, fans and stuff
The PSU should give you 400W at least, since it's rated 80+ Bronze and a quality manufacturer.

My 580 GTX's package says I need a 700W PSU, with my 2500K overclocked, and 2 monitors, a printer and a lamp running from the same powerstrip I was able to hit (have a 600W PSU) a draw with short time peaks of 360W-380W under full load (folding on GPU and CPU). So no need to worry there.

For 10 pound more you can go 600W http://www.dabs.com/products/corsai...x-80--bronze-atx-power-supply-8CDC.html?src=2
 
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Ah okay, just a question about the RAM.

Are there any main differences that make the Kingston HyperX Beast CL9 better than the Corsair Vengeance CL10?
 
Here we go:

The FX8320 is almost as good as the i7 with applications like photoshop and comparable to an i5 for games. Maybe not the highest FPS in game but very very playable in 99% of the case! :)

The Define R4 is a fine case, the CM690 II advanced is very good too and with great cooling. Since the prices are the same, your personal taste will do the job but both are great case ;)

I picked an SSD, always a good choice for ridiculously short loading times :thup:

The HD7950 has stream to compare with CUDA cores. Maybe not the same performance boost but still enjoyable.

I choosed amazon.co.uk as website since I found yours was lacking of choice ;)

RAM is 2*8 GB.
 

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I thought people avoided the Bulldozers like the plague?

Or has it been upgraded since I last looked? (2011)
 
I thought people avoided the Bulldozers like the plague
Personally i do, but they are cheap. They draw more power, they dont perform that well in games etc
I dont know about Video editing how the 8 real cores perform against the i7. Anyone?
 
Personally i do, but they are cheap. They draw more power, they dont perform that well in games etc
I dont know about Video editing how the 8 real cores perform against the i7. Anyone?

This was quite interesting to watch
 
I wouldn't get the FX series if you're not planning to OC...that's one of their major benefits and where they really shine. The other benefit is upgradeability, which the OP has chosen not to go with, more the make it and leave it route.

On the Intel side, no need to pay for a K CPU and a Z77 board if you're not going to overclock, which is significant money savings.

Most of the UK people I've talked to have said Scan.co.uk is the best place to buy from over there.
 
I wouldn't get the FX series if you're not planning to OC...that's one of their major benefits and where they really shine. The other benefit is upgradeability, which the OP has chosen not to go with, more the make it and leave it route.

On the Intel side, no need to pay for a K CPU and a Z77 board if you're not going to overclock, which is significant money savings.

Most of the UK people I've talked to have said Scan.co.uk is the best place to buy from over there.

I would 100% agree if the price of the FX8320 wasn't that low. On amazon.co.uk, it is still ~15£ under the i5 3470. Even without OC, the FX 8320 seems to me to be the best choice.

Regarding the power consumption, like I said, you can still undervolt for a very nice saving, but even without doing it, depending on the price of the KWh in UK (which I don't know :D), it would take more than 4 years to pay the difference with the i5 3570.

Outside this, regarding the Z77 and non K CPU, I agree.
 
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