Have I forgotten anything?

[fuzzynavel]

For around £530 GBP I am looking at building this:

Processor: Core I5 3570K
RAM: Corsair Vengeange 1600 CAS 9 8GB
Power: Corsair CX 430M
MOBO: MSI Z77
Case: Coolermaster Elite 344
Graphics: Possibly Radeon 7870 2GB

Main use will be some light gaming.....not too fussed about HDD as I have a couple of spare 7200's lying around...may end up with SSD to compliment them..
Optical drive is not important as I can iSCSI the BluRay on the NAS or rip to ISO if I need to install games..

Going to be running at 1080P (and no higher) so not sure if the 7870 is overkill

Mainly sticking with Intel due to perceived upgrade path with the LGA1155 slot VS the FM2 on the AMD's...
Overclocking is also not a priority (although could be fun) so could drop the i5 down a few levels which would also negate the need for the Z77 mobo.

I could even be convinced to go with the AMD A10 chip to save some cash but from what I understand that may bottleneck the graphics....

Oh decisions...

 

[fuzzynavel]

lol not posted on here since 2007...just seen my signature...that system has long since been replaced by a Core i5 with IGP in my HTPC.

 

[Termie]

The 3570K is leagues beyond the A10, so don't switch unless you have a tight budget. As for upgrade path, I'd say you have it a bit backwards, as AMD has more potential chips coming on that platform, but is starting from way behind, so I don't think it's that compelling.

If you have the budget, buy a small SSD now as it's easier to install from a fresh OS than after the fact.

As for video cards, you'll need one to play serious games. The 7870 went back up in price recently in the States. Previously it had been an obvious bargain at about $20 more than the 7850. The 7870 is 20% faster at stock, 5% faster clock for clock, but note that getting a 7850 to the same clock rate is not a trivial matter due to the lower powered board.

 

[fuzzynavel]

The 3570K is leagues beyond the A10, so don't switch unless you have a tight budget. As for upgrade path, I'd say you have it a bit backwards, as AMD has more potential chips coming on that platform, but is starting from way behind, so I don't think it's that compelling.

If you have the budget, buy a small SSD now as it's easier to install from a fresh OS than after the fact.

As for video cards, you'll need one to play serious games. The 7870 went back up in price trecently in the States. Previously it had been an obvious bargain at about $20 more than the 7850. The 7870 is 20% faster at stock, 5% faster clock for clock, but note that getting a 7850 to the same clock rate is not a trivial matter due to the lower powered board.

Thanks for the help Termie..

I have been an XBOX gamer for the last 5 years or so without keeping up with PC's at all due to family commitments (had a couple of babies which stole the computer room as a nursery!! little bu***rs)..
Was recently exposed to a reasonable PC running Battlefield 3 at 1080P on medium settings on a 550GTX and was blown away by how the lighting etc has advanced in my time away...make the XBOX look very dated in comparison...

Now I have caught the bug again...I just happen to be working away from home (during the week) for the next year or so and have space for a gaming PC in my life again..

Don't need super high res...the Radeon 7850 would be a luxury and could probably make do with something a little less powerful....What do you think is best bang for the buck at the moment under £200..660Ti comes in just above £200

 

[Termie]

Thanks for the help Termie..

I have been an XBOX gamer for the last 5 years or so without keeping up with PC's at all due to family commitments (had a couple of babies which stole the computer room as a nursery!! little bu***rs)..
Was recently exposed to a reasonable PC running Battlefield 3 at 1080P on medium settings on a 550GTX and was blown away by how the lighting etc has advanced in my time away...make the XBOX look very dated in comparison...

Now I have caught the bug again...I just happen to be working away from home (during the week) for the next year or so and have space for a gaming PC in my life again..

Don't need super high res...the Radeon 7850 would be a luxury and could probably make do with something a little less powerful....What do you think is best bang for the buck at the moment under £200..660Ti comes in just above £200

Indeed, modern PC games do look much better than Xbox games, although I'll say you can still have fun with Xbox/PS3 - I still use those systems for the less graphically sophisticated new games.

Can you list out lowest available prices available to you on these cards?
(1) GTX650 Ti 1GB
(2) HD7850 2GB
(3) GTX660 2GB
(4) HD7870 2GB
(5) GTX660Ti 2GB

Also, you list £530 as the total for the system you priced out. Do you have a total budget in mind? That will determine if you can fit both an SSD (which I recommend) and a nice video card (which it sounds like you want) into the system.

 

[fuzzynavel]

Indeed, modern PC games do look much better than Xbox games, although I'll say you can still have fun with Xbox/PS3 - I still use those systems for the less graphically sophisticated new games.

Can you list out lowest available prices available to you on these cards?
(1) GTX650 Ti 1GB
(2) HD7850 2GB
(3) GTX660 2GB
(4) HD7870 2GB
(5) GTX660Ti 2GB

Also, you list £530 as the total for the system you priced out. Do you have a total budget in mind? That will determine if you can fit both an SSD (which I recommend) and a nice video card (which it sounds like you want) into the system.

I'm personally leaning towards cutting the graphics back a bit to get a SSD.....I have a 60GB original Vertex in my HTPC (got a few TB's on a NAS so don't need any more) and the speed difference when I installed that was amazing....I can always add a newer graphics card down the line a little....

I could even use the HD4000 IGP on the CPU for a bit until I decide what I am doing or wait for the right offer to come along....There should hopefully be another iteration of Nvidia cards later this year so could maybe pick up a decent card second hand somewhere.

In terms of budget....I have no set budget at the moment....I could possibly go above £600 at a push but would rather not....

Will look up the card prices later when not at work..

cheers again.

Edit, forgot to mention that the OS will be dealt with separately.

 

[Termie]

I'm personally leaning towards cutting the graphics back a bit to get a SSD.....I have a 60GB original Vertex in my HTPC (got a few TB's on a NAS so don't need any more) and the speed difference when I installed that was amazing....I can always add a newer graphics card down the line a little....

I could even use the HD4000 IGP on the CPU for a bit until I decide what I am doing or wait for the right offer to come along....There should hopefully be another iteration of Nvidia cards later this year so could maybe pick up a decent card second hand somewhere.

In terms of budget....I have no set budget at the moment....I could possibly go above £600 at a push but would rather not....

Will look up the card prices later when not at work..

cheers again.

Sounds good. So with a £600 budget, I do think you'll need to pass on something. Perhaps get an inexpensive SSD now, and save up for a GPU down the road when you pick up some games that you'd like to play at higher settings.

 

[biostud]

Seems fine you might be able to save some £ if you choose a mATX board. Also when/if you decide to overclock you will need a CPU cooler.

 

[fuzzynavel]

Sounds good. So with a £600 budget, I do think you'll need to pass on something. Perhaps get an inexpensive SSD now, and save up for a GPU down the road when you pick up some games that you'd like to play at higher settings.

It's not so much the budget as it is hiding the transactions from my wife ....I know I should "man the F' up"..

 

[fuzzynavel]

My flat mate has just told me that he wants to sell his OC'd 560 TI so that he can get something better...it's only a 1GB card but that may keep me going for a while....will certainly be miles better than the HD4000 IGP chipset. not sure about the value though....may go in at £80 and let him get me to £100...seems fair to me

 

[Termie]

My flat mate has just told me that he wants to sell his OC'd 560 TI so that he can get something better...it's only a 1GB card but that may keep me going for a while....will certainly be miles better than the HD4000 IGP chipset. not sure about the value though....may go in at £80 and let him get me to £100...seems fair to me

That card will definitely suit your needs. I'll let you work out the price so as not to cause any strife between you and your flat mate.

 

[fuzzynavel]

That card will definitely suit your needs. I'll let you work out the price so as not to cause any strife between you and your flat mate.

Not entirely sure what it's worth.....The card is discontinued in most places but still selling in one other place for £195...
Ebay has them for around £90 ish......I think £80 would be a fair price.....I may make a cheeky offer of £50 and see what he says as I have that in my wallet right now.....depends how desperate he is for cash.