Newbie here! Can't decide on a few parts. Decent budget.

[ClutchHunter]

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£248.00 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£26.65 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£94.97 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£58.33 @ Scan.co.uk)
Storage: Crucial M4 512GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (£296.20 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Western Digital VelociRaptor 1TB 3.5" 10000RPM Internal Hard Drive (£167.76 @ Dabs)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card (£180.94 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: Zalman Z11 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case (£48.71 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: NZXT HALE 90 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (£113.70 @ Scan.co.uk)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer (£13.98 @ Novatech)
Keyboard: Microsoft Sidewinder X4 (UK Layout) Wired Standard Keyboard (£32.99 @ Novatech)
Mouse: SteelSeries Sensei Wired Laser Mouse (£59.98 @ Scan.co.uk)
Total: £1342.21

Just curious, how does the 7870 stack up to the 7870 GHz & 7950 in terms of what you get for your money?

 

[azanimefan]

Just curious, how does the 7870 stack up to the 7870 GHz & 7950 in terms of what you get for your money?

don't spend your money on a Ghz edition. Those are factory overclocked GPUs. You can easily achieve the same or better results with the "standard" version; without spending the extra cash on them. The Ghz editions have the same overclock ceiling the non-ghz editions have. in short they're the same card for the most part.

there IS a jump in performance between the 7870 and 7950. though with recent driver updates the gap in performance has shrunk a bit. Generally it seems that around these parts the 7950 is largely believed to be worth the premium paid... that said the 7870 is so cheap these days it's hard to call it on a price/performance spectrum.

I'd say, that if you can afford the 7950, get it. Otherwise you'll be happy with the 7870, as it's an excellent card anyway.

 

[ClutchHunter]

see below

 

[Dmanstasiu]

Do you know RT i wish all builds was as easy as this one IMO. One the other hand we enjoy helping the newbies! AJ. :

Oh how I agree. The OP clearly did research ... his post is well-written ... he found good prices on his hardware... everything is matching [sizes, DDR types, CPU sockets...]....What a wonderful day!

Looking over the post myself, the only areas I'd nitpick are:

Case: The Zalman just looks ricy to me. I haven't looked too much into it. 3x 120mm fans are... lacking.
I got the Antec 300 for my first case, and it was simple and got the job done. 120mm rear fan, 140mm top, and 2x120mm front. Decent cooling.
With that being said, I also learnt a lot from my first case, but in the 50 pound budget you don't have a lot of room to be picky.
Given that, here are my suggestions:
CM690 II
NZXT Tempest 210

HDD: The WD Blue's are a bit slow as stated. A caviar black will give you a nice [unnoticeable] boost. Tbh this one can be debated eternally, based on which HDD you'll be installing games on, and such. It's up to you, but if you had both side by side on two identical rigs, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

Edit, just saw your new build on Page 2. DON'T waste your money on a velociraptor. That's just silly. Your main files will already be on an SSD, get a caviar black as your HDD. [This model specifically, it has double the cache of other WD Caviar Black's: http://pcpartpicker.com/uk/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd1002faex ]

RAM:
Your RAM is fine I just thought I'd mention the Samsung 30nm 8GB kits which go for $35 each [16GB would be the same price as your kit, roughly]. These things are 1.35v, low-power, and overclock like champs. Just my 2 cents

Power supply:
The main lesson I learnt from my first build was : MODULAR. Full-modular PSUs are so much easier to deal with for cable management ... If you have a decent case you can hide the rats nest, but since you're going for a budget build that will be tough

But yeah, good job OP on researching all your hardware properly and doing your homework. It'll save you a lot of buyer's remorse in the future, although even the most educated of us still get it.

Several new questions:

1) I'm seeing multiple versions of each card all with different core clocks, what's with that? Are they all just overclocked? If so I'll go with the XFX assuming it's good..? ->

2) I am financially capable of buying the parts now however I'll likely be moving in a month or two - are the parts likely to be cheaper or more expensive come January or February? For example if you look at PCPP the whole build would have cost about £100 more in September compared to now.

3) Good monitors(planning on getting two)? ->

4) Is there any difference between HDMI & Dual-Link DVI at 1920x1080? The card I picked has 2x Dual DVI so I planned on using that for each monitor.

5) The i7 I picked, according to PCPP, uses an 1155 socket whereas I've read elsewhere that i7s use a 1366?

6) Once all the parts are put together are they fragile? As I said I'll be moving soon, would it be wise even if I buy the parts now to wait until I move to assemble them?

7) We are in the depths of winter however my desk is right next to the central heating... problem with overheating perhaps? (I can only go by the parts in this computer but the temperatures seem to get quite high - my GPU is at 83 degrees right now just using Chrome)

I'm thinking that buying the parts now but leaving them until I move would be wise. Anyone?

1) Yes, the different core clocks represent the speed that they run at. If they're the same model but come at a slightly higher speed, it's just factory overclocked. You can easily reach those same clocks with another card (make sure it has it's voltage unlocked]

2) The prices do go down slowly. The biggest advantage in waiting 2 weeks however, is finding better prices. On my newest build (2600k + 7970) I waited patiently [ok I bought everything on impulse in the past 2 weeks] ... but I knew what prices were normal, and was able to scope out sales. If your computer is ok, then I would suggest monitoring the prices of hardware over the next 2 months and buying hardware as it goes on sale, part by part.

3) What are your uses for the monitor? Are there any sizes you're restricted to, or that you prefer?

4) Not in terms of video quality. HDMI additionally carries sound. DVI has two different connectors though ; single-link DVI and dual-link DVI. I'll let you do the reading on this one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface#Single-link_DVI

5) There are different generations of i7's. There are LGA1366, LGA2011, LGA1155, LGA1156. As long as the CPU socket type matches the motherboard, you're good!

6) Not "fragile" in terms of glass-ware, no. If it's in a box, and packaged well, I wouldn't be worried. The only precaution I would take is packaging the GPU and HSF separately since the weight could potentially tear out of the mechanisms; NCIX assembles and sends computer to their customers all the time and I've never heard of them having a problem during shipping.

7) 83C is quite high ... You should start a separate thread for that if it's at 83C idling ...

 

[ClutchHunter]

Supposing I'm willing to spend up to £150 on a case, which is best all-around?

Edit: Several new questions:

1) I'm seeing multiple versions of each card all with different core clocks, what's with that? Are they all just overclocked? If so I'll go with the XFX assuming it's good..? ->

2) I am financially capable of buying the parts now however I'll likely be moving in a month or two - are the parts likely to be cheaper or more expensive come January or February? For example if you look at PCPP the whole build would have cost about £100 more in September compared to now.

3) Good monitors(planning on getting two)? ->

4) Is there any difference between HDMI & Dual-Link DVI at 1920x1080? The card I picked has 2x Dual DVI so I planned on using that for each monitor.

5) The i7 I picked, according to PCPP, uses an 1155 socket whereas I've read elsewhere that i7s use a 1366?

6) Once all the parts are put together are they fragile? As I said I'll be moving soon, would it be wise even if I buy the parts now to wait until I move to assemble them?

7) We are in the depths of winter however my desk is right next to the central heating... problem with overheating perhaps? (I can only go by the parts in this computer but the temperatures seem to get quite high - my GPU is at 83 degrees right now just using Chrome)

I'm thinking that buying the parts now but leaving them until I move would be wise. Anyone?

Another edit: Thinking NVIDIA is the way I want to go. What's essentially the equivalent of the 7870? Price-wise it appears to be the GTX 660, is that roughly equivalent in performance?

ALL THESE QUESTIONS

 

[ClutchHunter]

Oh how I agree. The OP clearly did research ... his post is well-written ... he found good prices on his hardware... everything is matching [sizes, DDR types, CPU sockets...]....What a wonderful day!

Looking over the post myself, the only areas I'd nitpick are:

Case: The Zalman just looks ricy to me. I haven't looked too much into it. 3x 120mm fans are... lacking.
I got the Antec 300 for my first case, and it was simple and got the job done. 120mm rear fan, 140mm top, and 2x120mm front. Decent cooling.
With that being said, I also learnt a lot from my first case, but in the 50 pound budget you don't have a lot of room to be picky.
Given that, here are my suggestions:
CM690 II
NZXT Tempest 210

Edit, just saw your new build on Page 2. DON'T waste your money on a velociraptor. That's just silly. Your main files will already be on an SSD, get a caviar black as your HDD. [This model specifically, it has double the cache of other WD Caviar Black's: http://pcpartpicker.com/uk/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd1002faex ]

RAM:
Your RAM is fine I just thought I'd mention the Samsung 30nm 8GB kits which go for $35 each [16GB would be the same price as your kit, roughly]. These things are 1.35v, low-power, and overclock like champs. Just my 2 cents

Power supply:
The main lesson I learnt from my first build was : MODULAR. Full-modular PSUs are so much easier to deal with for cable management ... If you have a decent case you can hide the rats nest, but since you're going for a budget build that will be tough

But yeah, good job OP on researching all your hardware properly and doing your homework. It'll save you a lot of buyer's remorse in the future, although even the most educated of us still get it.



1) Yes, the different core clocks represent the speed that they run at. If they're the same model but come at a slightly higher speed, it's just factory overclocked. You can easily reach those same clocks with another card (make sure it has it's voltage unlocked]

2) The prices do go down slowly. The biggest advantage in waiting 2 weeks however, is finding better prices. On my newest build (2600k + 7970) I waited patiently [ok I bought everything on impulse in the past 2 weeks] ... but I knew what prices were normal, and was able to scope out sales. If your computer is ok, then I would suggest monitoring the prices of hardware over the next 2 months and buying hardware as it goes on sale, part by part.

3) What are your uses for the monitor? Are there any sizes you're restricted to, or that you prefer?

4) Not in terms of video quality. HDMI additionally carries sound. DVI has two different connectors though ; single-link DVI and dual-link DVI. I'll let you do the reading on this one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface#Single-link_DVI

5) There are different generations of i7's. There are LGA1366, LGA2011, LGA1155, LGA1156. As long as the CPU socket type matches the motherboard, you're good!

6) Not "fragile" in terms of glass-ware, no. If it's in a box, and packaged well, I wouldn't be worried. The only precaution I would take is packaging the GPU and HSF separately since the weight could potentially tear out of the mechanisms; NCIX assembles and sends computer to their customers all the time and I've never heard of them having a problem during shipping.

7) 83C is quite high ... You should start a separate thread for that if it's at 83C idling ...

Yeah, as I said in the next post(sorry about that, got a bit messy with all the questions) I'm open to suggestions for cases up to around £150.

Hmm. The HDD will be solely for Dxtory which requires a fast HDD - the only reason I shan't use an SSD for that is the read/write limit I keep reading about. I'll use the 512GB SSD for everything else. If you're positive it won't make a difference with Dxtory then I'll switch to the one you linked.

PCPP link for the RAM? I'd look now but the site is intermittently not loading for me.

I think my power supply is modular... I think.

Thanks. I've been watching videos about custom build PCs for months, just letting the information sit with me so I don't forget anything and I get familiar with it.

---

1) Well, find me the best card for under about £220 you can find on PCPP -- I've no clue where to look for whether the voltage is unlocked etc etc. Also I know I said I wanted NVIDIA, but... ugh, I can't decide. If the monitors you find have 3D then NVIDIA, if not then Radeon/AMD I suppose.

2) I was contemplating doing this using the price alert function on PCPP. I just assumed that all parts would be cheaper pre-holiday-season - not the case?

3) Things I (think I) want: 120Hz+ & good response time, 23-27"(24" is ideal I think), 1920x1080 minimum resolution. | Things I don't care about: 3D, speakers, that IPS panel thing. | Things I don't know enough about: screen 'finishes'? Matte/glossy etc -- hopefully you know | I had a look at a YouTube review of that monitor I linked and unless you find something quite incredible I think I'm set on it

4) Hmm... does it not do 120Hz then? Wikipedia appears to be saying it's limited to 60Hz... in that case I need a card with 2x HDMI(tricky I know from my short time looking). Hold on, HDMI does 120Hz doesn't it?

5) Aha! That'll be fine then.

6) Okay. I suppose the easy ability to assemble/disassemble should come into the case choice then even more-so.

7) I'm not too worried about it. It was a comparatively cheap computer from PC World a few years ago, and every part in this thing seems to have a problem. Once a month or so the power will completely kick out, I used to have a desperately bad freezing issue that's disappeared, the video card will sometimes cease responding... ugh. I'd rather leave it as a backup PC and not worry about it beyond that.

 

[Dmanstasiu]

Yes your PSU is modular. Misread the model.

The velociraptor will be faster, but I can't say it'll be worth the money.. Velociraptors are ooolllddd.

RAM: http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/part/samsung-memory-mv3v4g3dus

Case around 150 pounds, I'll get back to you on that tomorrow. It really depends on what you need.

As for voltage unlocked, most nvidia cards are locked and most AMD cards are unlocked, for this generation [iirc]. AMD cards have their own default overclocking program, afterburner

As for your monitor, a budget is required

DVI dual-link can do 1080p 120Hz, single link cannot. Single-link is also limited to 1080p, whereas dual-link is used for 2560x1440p.

HDMI supports higher resolutions, haven't had enough time to confirm 60hz or 120hz

Assembling and dis-assembling a PC is a breeze, if everything is on air. After the first time, you'll learn quickly where everything goes. 20 minutes with a screwdriver and you're done for a simple system [like yours]

For GPUs, I would personally go with AMD cards. They overclock higher, and are generally priced cheaper for the performance they offer. Not too sure on how the pound converts to CAD/USD, so I'm ballparking figures but look into the 7870 and 7950 if you can stretch your budget. Make sure it's 2GB VRAM minimum although I believe this has become the norm.

I'll go into more depth tomorrow night when I get home, but until then research:
-DVI single/dual-link framerate limits and resolution limits

EDIT: http://pcpartpicker.com/uk/part/asus-video-card-hd7870dc22gd5

 

[ClutchHunter]

Part of why I chose the RAM I did is that it was two modules for the 16GB, meaning that there'd be two slots left for a further 16GB in the future if I so desire(I checked, the mobo does support 32GB). Is there similar RAM as the one linked but in 8GB sticks?

I suppose AMD and the XFX 7870 is the easy choice for GPU then?

Monitor budget... £300 each? The monitor I chose is only about £230, which appears to be excellent value. Prove me wrong I suppose

That's good. I'll look into the DVI dual-link further.

Yeah, the 7870 was my original choice and it was with 2GB VRAM. This one: ->

 

[Dmanstasiu]

Part of why I chose the RAM I did is that it was two modules for the 16GB, meaning that there'd be two slots left for a further 16GB in the future if I so desire(I checked, the mobo does support 32GB). Is there similar RAM as the one linked but in 8GB sticks?

I suppose AMD and the XFX 7870 is the easy choice for GPU then?

Monitor budget... £300 each? The monitor I chose is only about £230, which appears to be excellent value. Prove me wrong I suppose

That's good. I'll look into the DVI dual-link further.

Yeah, the 7870 was my original choice and it was with 2GB VRAM. This one: ->

Yup, there's an even better 30nm option These amazing little kits run CL8 at 1.35v stock ... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148655
They're a bit more expensive, but 1.35v for CL8 on a single 8GB stick is awesome for $50.

$100 for 2x8GB CL8 that overclocks like the Hulk ... not bad.

GPU is good, XFX has an excellent warranty program [just double check on the UK warranty, might be different]

As long as the monitor and GPU have dual-link DVI, you don't need to worry about anything else

 

[ClutchHunter]

Yup, there's an even better 30nm option These amazing little kits run CL8 at 1.35v stock ... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148655
They're a bit more expensive, but 1.35v for CL8 on a single 8GB stick is awesome for $50.

$100 for 2x8GB CL8 that overclocks like the Hulk ... not bad.

GPU is good, XFX has an excellent warranty program [just double check on the UK warranty, might be different]

As long as the monitor and GPU have dual-link DVI, you don't need to worry about anything else

I can't seem to find a UK link for that memory

XFX seem to have standard warranty info, so hopefully your experience with them will remain the case here in England/Europe.

 

[Knufire]

Why skimp on the motherboard if you're spending so much on everything else?

And you need to set a hard limit for your budget. It's really difficult to recommend you the best possible build for the price if you keep changing the price.

 

[ClutchHunter]

To be honest I don't have a hard limit for my budget. I'm just trying to get a really nice build without going way over the top. Any number I could give you high or low is really irrelevant. Sorry if that makes it difficult.

 

[Chin273]

I'm new here

 

[ClutchHunter]

I should clarify, again, I am new to this. I didn't realise I was skimping on the motherboard compared to the other parts. Give me an example of a good (compatible) mobo

I'm going to do as suggested and check the prices of everything for a week or two and then order as I'm in no rush, so I've plenty of time to change my mind on parts et cetera.

 

[Knufire]

 

[ClutchHunter]

That mobo is only £10 more? Also, PCPP please

 

[Dmanstasiu]

I would look into getting some casefans right away, and include some aftermarket thermal paste in your first order ... Otherwise you'll have to end up making a few others to get things just the want you want them

I'm guessing you'll be using ethernet? I don't see a wireless PCI-e card in there ...

 

[Knufire]

That mobo is only £10 more? Also, PCPP please

Expect PCPP doesn't have every part in their database.

PCPP is not the end all solution...it will not get you the absolute lowest price most of the time.

 

[ClutchHunter]

I would look into getting some casefans right away, and include some aftermarket thermal paste in your first order ... Otherwise you'll have to end up making a few others to get things just the want you want them

I'm guessing you'll be using ethernet? I don't see a wireless PCI-e card in there ...

I'll be using ethernet at first, but... what is a wireless PCI-e card?

Expect PCPP doesn't have every part in their database.

PCPP is not the end all solution...it will not get you the absolute lowest price most of the time.

Fair enough, direct link to wherever?

Also, I just bit the bullet and ordered the CPU as it dipped below £240.

 

[ClutchHunter]

Should I go for this while it's still on offer?

XFX 7950 + Far Cry 3, Sleeping Dogs & Hitman: Absolution for £200.

http://www.aria.co.uk/SuperSpecials...+Graphics+Card+++FREE+Games!+?productId=52185

Granted the free games don't particularly interest me, but is this a good deal for a 7950?

Also, is this something I should bother with? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16899226003