Advice on a new build

rv13uk

Posts: 80   +0
Hi,

It's been a while since I've been on these forums. I initially joined to check compatibility on my first build, Amd x2 4600, Geforce 7800gt, 1gb DDR ram, Asus A8N-SLI Premium all in the Antec P180. Unfortunately I'm posting this message from that same computer, never did get round to upgrading, about time for a new one I think!

I'm currently looking at the following specs:
CPU - Either Intel i5 2500k or i7 2600k
CPU Cooler - ThermalTake Frio
Motherboard - Asus P8Z68-V Pro (although still waiting to see if Z68 is actually worthwhile)
Memory - Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3 1600Mhz (CAS 8)
GPU - Undetermined
PSU - XFX 750w Black Edition
Case - Silverstone Fortress FT02B (+Air Penetrator Fans Incl.)
Optical Drive - Samsung Blu-Ray SH-B123L
Storage (SDD) - Crucal RealSSD M4 128Gb
Storage (HDD) - 1xWD Caviar Black 1TB, 1xWD Caviar Green 2TB
Sound - Asus Xonar Essence ST (Already own)

I've got a Dell 2707wfp thus max resolution will be 1920x1200, so I don't need an ultra powerful GPU (I think). I would like to stand a chance at playing Skyrim when that's released, I considered waiting until then to build the computer. Perhaps go for an Ivy Bridge CPU. From what I can tell though, it's mainly the gpu that affects games anyway, perhaps I could get away with an i5 2500k. Any advice will be appreciated, I'll look into any parts suggested. Budget yet to be determined. I like to have a 'goal pc' then work around it. I could temporarily drop the cooler and blu-ray drive (I've got a spare DVD Drive), perhaps go for CAS 9 RAM and a Samsung F3 1TB HDD to save about £100. A P67 motherboard might reduce it by another £30 or so as well.
 
I am tempted to find a different power supply, but only because I hate the fan the XFX includes (it's hideous!), I prefer a sleeker, sophisticated look (reflecting the old antec P180 and now Silverstone FT02). I suppose you may not see the fan once it's in the case but I still don't like it much. I'd probably stick to a similar price though, PSU is one thing I definitely don't want to compromise too much on, whilst it doesn't affect performance directly it's quite possibly going to be something that will last throughout multiple upgrades, and I definitely don't want one failing on me. I might look around for one in the £70-£80 price bracket, I presume 750w is enough.

I think you're right with the i5 2500k, not sure if I'll see a substantial upgrade to the i7 for gaming, and I may upgrade to Ivy Bridge anyway if it proves worthwhile. That does bring up the question of whether it's worth waiting another 6ish months. I know 'new tech is always on the horizon', but I've been living with this pc for a long time now, another 6 months might not hurt. Plus I could see what AMD's offerings are like (I get the feeling they won't compete). i just keep hearing promises of some '2 generation leap' with Ivy Bridge, the 22nm and 3d transistor thing. Maybe it's all hyperbole, I guess I'll have to see how I feel when I come to actually build (looking to be early July at the moment).
 
I think bulldozer is worth taking a look at; it might lower prices at least.
About the 3D transistor, I don't think that'll be anytime soon.
 
A few revisions, now looking at:

CPU - Intel i5 2500k
CPU Cooler - ThermalTake Frio
Motherboard - MSI P67A-GD53 (B3)
Memory - Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3 1600Mhz (CAS 8)
GPU - MSI 1536MB GeForce GTX 580 Twin Frozr II
PSU - Silverstone Strider+ 750w
Case - Silverstone Fortress FT02B (+Air Penetrator Fans Incl.)
Optical Drive - Samsung Blu-Ray SH-B123L
Storage (SDD) - Crucal RealSSD M4 128Gb
Storage (HDD) - 1xSamsung 1Tb Spinpoint F3, 1xWD Caviar Green 2TB
Sound - Asus Xonar Essence ST (Already own)

Main changes are the CPU is now settled, different motherboard and psu, picked a gpu (although that's still subject to change) and swapped my primary storage hdd (the 1tb hd). Still not sure if it's worth changing the psu purely for aesthetic reasons, I need to work out whether you'll see the fan or not, if not I may stick with the XFX. I considered SLI over a single gpu setup, but I figured when Skyrim comes out the option to sli fairly cheaply will be useful, rather than replacing the graphics completely.
 
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