First Time Builder Need Advice

[kensax]

[FONT=Verdana]Case - Lancool PC-K62 Case[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Power supply - XFX Pro 450W Core Edition V1[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Cooling Fans - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus Cooler[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Motherboard - Asus P8H61-MX USB3 Socket 1155 VGA DVI 8 Channel Audio mATX [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Processor/CPU - Intel Core i5 3350P 3.10GHz Socket 1155 6MB[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Ram - Crucial Ballistix Sports 8GB (2x 4GB) DDR3 1600MHz PC3-12800U [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Video card - EVGA GeForce GTX 660 SC 2GB GDDR5[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Harddrive - Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200RPM ST1000DM003[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Disk drive - Pioneer DVR-220BK[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]Hi, I am a first time builder who lives in the UK and would like to build a gaming PC that is preferably with in the price range of £500 to £800. I would like to know if the products listed above are compatible and whether I should consider buying other products which are cheaper and better in terms of performance. I would also like know if this is a decent build in running most game today in the highest quality as well as how long it will last before I need to buy newer, better parts.[/FONT]

 

[cliffordcooley]

Everything is compatible.

Nice case and CPU cooler, however the CPU cooler would not really be needed if you don't over-clock. The Boxed CPU comes with an OEM CPU cooler that is fine with non-over-clock conditions.
Are you planning on over-clocking? If so the motherboard and CPU are not really designed for over-clocking.

 

[kensax]

I dont plan to cos I dont know how to at the moment however what exactly are the advantages of overclocking and can you suggest a motherboard and CPU that suitable for overclocking?

 

[St1ckM4n]

Advantages: 'free' boost to CPU performance! You can get a stock CPU at like 3.4GHz, with overclocking you can get 4GHz+ easily.

Disadvantages: usually need to spend more on CPU and motherboard that provides easy overclocking (Z77 mobo, K-series CPU) and cooling.


If you want a longer-lasting machine, I'd get a Z77 mobo with an i5 3570K. Ditch the CPU cooler for now, and stick with your low-medium end GPU of choice. Also get a better PSU. In 2 years or so, you'll upgrade the GPU, purchase a CPU cooler, and overclock.

 

[Jad Chaar]

With 800 pounds, you can make a great PC. I would recommend getting a i5 4670K (made for overclocking) or a i5 3570K CPU. The 4670K uses less power but the 3570K is cheaper. If you go for the 4670K, I would recommend the Gigabyte Z87X-UD3H or the Gigabyte GA-Z87-D3PH. If you go for the 3570K, I would recommend the ASUS P8Z77-LK motherboard. I would recommend the Hyper 212 Evo rather than the Plus since it is newer and has a quieter fan. Also, I would personally buy a Western Digital HDD over a Seagate since I have not had good luck with Seagate HDDs in the past. So if you go for a WD HDD, go for the WD Caviar Black. If you can fit a SSD into the budget, get the OCZ Vertex 450 or the Samsung 840 Pro (or regular version). If you want, you can upgrade the PSU to something like a Corsair TX650 or HX650. If the budget allows, you can also upgrade the 660 to a 660 Ti.