# Gaming PC



## NuddRucker (Dec 10, 2009)

Hello.
I'm looking to buy a PC for gaming and have brought it down to two options, i cut out the unecessary info to make to make this quick. Both computers have an Intel i5 CPU.

Option 1, £595:
Thermaltake Gaming Case - full tower
750w Dual Fan Psu
4GB DDR3 Dual channel - doesn't say what the brand is but has 'brushed titanium aluminium heat spreader' hmm:normal:
Asrock P55 Extreme - 3x PCI2.0 slots and a maximum of 16GB Ram
NVIDIA GEFORCE GTS250 1GB


Option 2, £599.98
Coolermaster Elite 335 - mid tower
650w 80+ - no brand info
4GB DDR3 Dual channel - Corsair
Asrock P55 M Pro - 2x PCI2.0 slots and a maximum of 8GB Ram
ATI 5770 1GB


Option 2 looks like a better choice as it is _but_ i'm thinking forward also. The first option (i don't really know what i'm doing so please correct me if i'm wrong) is a better choice for upgrading but by the time 3GPUs and 16Gbs of ram are needed, won't the i7(suitable for both motherboards, i'll get one when the price comes down a bit) be out of date?


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Cases are good
Both options use low quality Mobo's and I'm betting the PSU's are VERY low quality.
RAM looks good.
1 better GPU is also sufficient. Using more than one GPU yields a small performance gain compared to the large additional expense of two.
4GB of RAM is more than sufficient.
Most PC technology is "out of date" 6 months to a yr. after it is introduced but that doesn't make it unusable. The 775 Intel & DDR2 RAM is still a great setup and will perform as well as many of the i5-i7 builds.


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## NuddRucker (Dec 10, 2009)

All the computers within my price range seem to have an Asrock motherboard, does it have an effect on the performance or is just unreliable?


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

Asrock motherboards just tend to be unreliable, with a higher failure rate, cheaper capacitors (which leak and/or wear out faster), occasionally odd BIOS bugs, infrequent BIOS updates, and poor customer support. 


Have you considered building your own? Often cheaper and not that difficult, just needs a screwdriver and a couple hours free.


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## NuddRucker (Dec 10, 2009)

I have considered it but components seem to be so expensive in the UK, could be that i'm looking in the wrong places though. I think i might just try to find a machine with a reasonable spec and poor GPU then throw a new card in. Won't save a huge amount of money but anythings better than what i have right now.


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

A good GPU also needs a good PSU. Must low-spec units have 250-350W generic power supplies that can't handle a high end graphics card.


UK prices are a bit higher than in the US, but not quite outrageous. Where are you looking? I recommend ebuyer.com, scan.co.uk, and overclockers.co.uk


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## NuddRucker (Dec 10, 2009)

By reasonable i meant the kind of machines that have about a 600wPSU and usually a core 2 of some kind - the kinda things that could handle one of the lower high end cards but nothing serious. I probably should have used a more appropriate adjective than 'reasonable' xD

Thanks for the sites, i'll give em a thorough look around.


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## NuddRucker (Dec 10, 2009)

(sorry about the double post)
Thank you for directing me to those sites Phædrus2401, i am definitly going to build my own machine now. I could use some help though so if anybody can advise, i'd be grateful.
Here is what i have so far:

Asus M3N72-T Deluxe nForce 780a SLi (Socket AM3/AM2+) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard * £59.98*
Corsair XMS2 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 PC2-8500C5 TwinX Dual Channel (TWIN2X4096-8500C5C) * £69.99*
Palit GeForce GTS 250 Green 1024MB GDDR3 PCI-Express Graphics Card  * £84.99*
500 GB Western Digital WD5000AADS Caviar Green, SATA 3Gb/s, IntelliPower, 32MB Cache, NCQ * £36.94 *
LG GH22NS50 22x DVD±RW DL & Ram SATA Black Retail Kit with Software *£17.97*

_When it comes to the processor its either going to be:_
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 3.2 GHz Socket AM3 8MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor * £117.98 *
_or _
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black, Deneb Core, S AM3, 3.4GHz, 512KB Cache, FSB/HT 3600MHz, 140W, Retail *£139.90 *

Is the second processor better for gaming and if so is it worth the extra £21.92?
Secondly, what would you advise for the case, the PSU and the CPU cooling? trying to keep price as low as possible:wink:


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

I always use www.overclockers.co.uk for my components they do prebuilt systems too and will overclock them for you and they wont use cheap crap power supplies either.,


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

unfortunately when it comes to power supplies the cheaper they are the worse they are. A cheap power supply will often fail and will take some other components with it such as the ram or motherboard so cheap does not come into the equation when it is linked with power supplies.

Corsair and seasonic are the best


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## NuddRucker (Dec 10, 2009)

Alright, PSU is going to be: 750W Corsair CMPSU-750TX, single 12V rail, quiet & cool 80%+ Eff * £88.40*


Still don't know about the processor:
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 3.2 GHz Socket AM3 8MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor £117.98 
or 
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black, Deneb Core, S AM3, 3.4GHz, 512KB Cache, FSB/HT 3600MHz, 140W, Retail £139.90 

Is the 965 worth the extra money? 
Any recommendations on a budget cooling system?

As for cases i'm thinking about one of these:
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Cool...w-o-PSU-(New-Improved-Version)-Scan-Exclusive
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Enermax-ECA3052-BS-Chakra-Mid-Tower-Case-w-o-PSU
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/172779


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

It's hard to tell about the cases with no interior pics.
I know the CoolerMaster is a good quality case.
The Enermax, perhaps.
The Casecom looks like a cheapy.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

good choice on the power supply however you will need good cooling for whichever cpu you go with and all of those cases are not good enough. You need to go for a case that will have at least two intake fans and two exhaust fans such as this http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-065-AN&groupid=701&catid=7&subcat=

if you do not plan to overclock then the stock heatsink that comes with the cpu will be adequate but an aftermarket heatsink such as this http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-008-TI&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=1395 would be even better an allow overclocking to the max.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

youre not going to get much overclocking out of the 955 or 965............they have been "milked" before packaging them

so I would not get too wild about aftermarket cooling .......better than stock version; yes, I would go for that but beyond that...................no not really

something along the line of artic freezer 7 pro

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

I use this case for almost all of my top end builds. VERY roomy interior and excellent air movement. 1 120MM fan front & rear and mounting for several more but I doubt they would be needed.
Coolermaster CM-690: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-145-CM&groupid=701&catid=7&subcat=29


Better pics here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811119137


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## NuddRucker (Dec 10, 2009)

Checked out both the cases and the CM-690 looks like a better option for quality (i read a comparison somewhere) and price.
As for the cooler i'm going to get the more expensive titan as it doesn't add much to the overall price and i probably won't be able to resist tinkering with the processor a little.
Going for a more expensive graphics card as well (5770) and an 850W corsair PSU.

So heres the final list:
Coolermaster CM-690 Dominator Case - Black * £54.99*
Asus M3N72-T Deluxe nForce 780a SLi (Socket AM3/AM2+) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard *£59.98*
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black, Deneb Core, S AM3, 3.4GHz, 512KB Cache, FSB/HT 3600MHz, 140W, Retail *£139.90 *
Corsair XMS2 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 PC2-8500C5 TwinX Dual Channel (TWIN2X4096-8500C5C) *£69.99*
Titan Fenrir Special Edition TTC-NK85TZ/CS 120mm PWM Fan "HDT" CPU Cooler 775/1156/1366/K8/AM2/AM * £35.06 *
850W Corsair CMPSU-850TXUK, ATX, 4x PCI-E/ 8x SATA, PS/2 PSU, 5 Year Warranty *£98.04* 
Powercolor ATI Radeon HD 5770 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card + Ruby Doll * £119.98* I bet they've thrown that plastic toy in there just so they can charge a few extra £ 
500 GB Western Digital WD5000AADS Caviar Green, SATA 3Gb/s, IntelliPower, 32MB Cache, NCQ * £36.94 *
LG GH22NS50 AUAR 22x DVD±R, 8x DVD±DL, DVD+RW x8/-RW x6, x12 RAM SATA Black Retail * £17.37 *
Arctic Cooling MX-3 Thermal Compound * £6.99*


If thats all fine i'll end by saying: huge thanks for helping me out so muchray:


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

looks nice / enjoy


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Very nice composition that should serve you well.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

Thats a good setup


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## NuddRucker (Dec 10, 2009)

Sorry to bring this up again but i've had to make a change. The price of the motherboard went up so i'm going to throw a bit more money in for the Asus M4A79XTD and going for G.Skill Ripjaw 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit. RAM seems to be much cheaper than it's competitors, almost too good to be true if you catch my drift. Looks good to a noob like me but i just want to confirm its all going to fit together.
Thanks again.:grin:


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

I would advise you check the Gskil website memory selector to be sure the motherboard you want to buy is right for the memory you have listed!

many DDR3 memory sticks are of the low voltage flavor for i7 system builds, the board you are about to buy needs ddr3 memory that runs at a higher voltage

use the memory selector webpage and use that to obtain the memory module parts numbers, then go shopping websites with those part numbers 

dont hesitate to ask more questions


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

http://www.gskill.com/configurator2.php?pid=2&model=934


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## NuddRucker (Dec 10, 2009)

Checking the manufacturers site... i really should have thought of that. Everythings compatible then, more appropriate motherboard and some nice RAM for only an extra £15. Good things really do come to those who wait.

I'm off to order and build this thing, thank you with the utmost sincerity.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

NuddRucker said:


> Checking the manufacturers site... i really should have thought of that. Everythings compatible then, more appropriate motherboard and some nice RAM for only an extra £15. Good things really do come to those who wait.
> 
> I'm off to order and build this thing, thank you with the utmost sincerity.






keep us posted with your progress :wave:


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## FreoHeaveho (Aug 22, 2006)

Great post, nice outcome and wicked rig!


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## NuddRucker (Dec 10, 2009)

Hello again, been a while hasn't it? 

I would probably have been bugging you with questions a while back but ran into some problems, the wrong RAM was delivered and its taken a while to get a response as to why. 
I've been given F3-12800CL8D-4GBRM at no extra charge because they didn't have what i ordered (F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL) in stock (didn't find that out until today). The packageing says its designed for LGA1156 and g.skill's own website only mentions intel boards.
However, the retailer assures me that the RAM i've been given will work and after doing some research i believe they are correct. Googled the RAM and motherboard together and it seems people are using them without any problems.

http://www.gskill.com/products.php?index=222 <-- confirms it works with the motherboard i'll be using
http://www.gskill.com/products.php?index=221 <-- the only difference i can see is improved latency at an extra 0.1V

Can you guys confirm that F3-12800CL8D-4GBRM will work with Asus M4A79XTD evo, does the extra 0.1 Volts cause problems?


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## grimx133 (Jan 15, 2008)

G.Skill guarantees that ram will work with that board, so no problem there.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

its not really an extra .01 volt ............your ram is able to be overclocked by adding .01 volts more to the ram and still remain in warranty. high performance ram can often times take as much as .03 volts extra

in summary, you will be fine!~


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