Need help on picking PC components

N

nik11105

Posts: 73   +0
well i've been running 3 way 8800s for a while now and i think its time for an upgrade. I've gotten a 30" dell monitor (2560x1600)from my parents as an early chirstmas present (I AM SO HAPPY:) ) and now i think i have to get a pc that can use it. i can spend up to 1500 pounds on this build. I have built and fixed a good few pc for my friends but they were budget ones, so im not familier with with high end componats.
This is what i would like from my pc:

-be able to run most new games at more than 30 FPS
-be rock stable, i mean nearly 24/7
-be no more than 1500
-i would also like a good high end sound card because i do sound edit alot
-and have future expandability for 2,3,4-way sli or crossfire (what ever ye chose)
-last me a good long time

so any comments would be appriciated
 
You should probably mention if you're recycling any old components or if you're going to need everything (case, PSU, etc)
 
no i am not this is a build built from complete scratch.
(mainly because im selling my old one to my friend :) )
also all of the parts have to be based in uk companies.
Thanks
 
F.Y.I. the mods will most likely move this under General Hardware.

As for a sound card look into HT Omega's offerings. They are very, very good.
 
One thing to consider about buying a computer right now is that with so much new stuff on the horizon, a lot of the high end stuff that is currently king of the hill may become discounted, so if you're not going to invest into next gen stuff that's going to come out, you may end up getting a good bargain in a few months on certain components.
 
I agree with you on that but at christmas time i think that its a good time to buy now (during x-mas) with all of the sales but i cannot wait with a massive 30" monitor just look ing at me for weeks if not months
 
I just built a gaming system for my brother-in-law using the Asus Crosshair IV Formula motherboard and it is loaded with features in cluding Crossfire. You can install up to four video cards.

It is an AMD board and I also installed the 6 core 1055T processor and 8 gigs of G.Skill RAM.

Power Supply - Corsair 850HX

Harddrive - Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black @ 7200 rpm

Video Card - HIS Radeon 6850. You can go more powerful than this.
 
I haven't build a high end system in about 2 years, so I'm not really going to be able to provide you with a component by component breakdown, but check out TechSpot's buying guide, AnandTech has a good one too they updated recently. Then take a look at some of the many many threads on this site about people asking questions like yours. Between the guides and the threads you should be able to get a good idea what people are recommending these days.

Then once you decide on what kind of stuff you like, post your specs here, and you'll probably get some criticism and suggestions as to what component may be better and why, and then you'll end up with a pretty good set of components to purchase.
 
Ok so ive looked around and this is what i have come up with

Intel CPU Core i7 950 - 222
1000W Coolermaster Silent Pro M - 123
Thermalright True Black - 35
Corsair Memory XMS3 6GB - 65 (x2)
Samsung 1Tb Spinpoint - 40
LG Blu-Ray Combo - 50
120mm Sharkoon 1000 "Golf Ball" - 10 (x3)
Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R - 140
Asus Xonar D2X - 83
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 580 - 410
Seagate Barracuda 500Gb - 30
Coolermaster CM-690 IIWindowSidePanel - 15
CoolermasterCM-690IIAdvanced Dominator- 70
Microsoft SideWinder X8 - 50
Logitech K800 Wireless - 90
TP-Link 300Mbps Wireless N PCI - 18


total - 1550
 
I would get a second Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB hard disk, its pretty much the fastest of its size and type currently.

Also, do you have a type N wireless router to handle type N wireless speeds? I'd run a cable if possible.
 
Is that Segate barracuda the 11 series or the 12? Stay away from the 11 series but the 12 should do you fine.
 
That looks like a great build, although you could get a lower-priced, good-quality 750W PSU (like the NZXT Hale90 750W or the Corsair AX750W) and spend the cash you save on a full-tower case.
 
I've had a bad experience with the ASUS Xonar. Sound crashed all the time, and I used the card for almost a year. Eventually replaced it with my old X-Fi and it runs perfectly. But that might have just been my card.

I agree with Rage, a larger case would probably be better in the long run.

Also you may want to consider picking up the Xbox controller for the PC (or the adapter if you already have one). Makes playing action games on the PC way better.

Another thought would be to not buy the expensive keyboard, blue ray drive, etc, right now, and invest that money into higher grade core components, and then buy those over time.
 
1- i do have a N wireless router to take advantage of it
2- the seagate is the 12 series
3- what case would you recommend then?
4- what sound card would you recommend?
 
Do your research on the Asus Xonar because I know people who have had great experience with these sound cards. However, some models are better than others.

Also, look into HT Omega sound cards. They make a great product but I am not sure if they will fit your budget.
 
nik11105 said:
3- what case would you recommend then?
4- what sound card would you recommend?
Click to expand...

3. As far as cases go, I don't like recommending anything I haven't used myself, I have a huge CM Stacker 830, but I wouldn't recommend one these days. =)

The HAF series from Cooler Master has been getting good reviews, and the Corsair cases seem to be pretty good, albeit expensive.

4. I bought the Asus cause it had good reviews, and half the other stuff I own is Asus. But it crashed all the time on my system, new drivers, old drivers, etc. Since I've put in the X-Fi back in, haven't had a single problem. Maybe I got a bad card, but I'm not going to recommend it based on my experiences. I've owned Creative sound cards from back in the day (8 bit) and while they've had their hiccups, everything runs smoothly on Vista and Seven, so I'd probably recommend one of their cards.

One thing to keep in mind with sound cards is to make sure that your motherboard has enough slots. When I put 2 video cards in my ASUS X58 PT6 Deluxe, the video cards blocked 2 of the PCI slots, forcing me to buy a PCIe audio card (the ASUS card). Since then I've changed video cards, so I have PCI slots open again, which is why I put my X-Fi card back in. So when you're deciding on the sound card, and any other expansion cards, keep an eye out for slot availability.
 
Yes, the HAF series from Cooler Master are really good. Built two systems: one with the HAF 922 (a mid-tower but bigger than most mid-towers I have ever worked on) and the HAF 932 which is very large.

The Cooler Master Scout is another serious consideration.
 
the thing is i need a pc that will fit under my desk. the dimensions of my desk are
(WxHXD) 220mm x 600mm x 570mm
 
nik11105 said:
the thing is i need a pc that will fit under my desk. the dimensions of my desk are
(WxHXD) 220mm x 600mm x 570mm
Click to expand...

That's pretty small. I'd suggest getting a tape measure, calculating the maximum size of the case that would fit under your desk, and then go to a store that has a bunch of cases and compare as far as what fits (then order it online, lol)

Keep in mind that the smaller the case, the hotter it tends to get.

This is pretty small:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233&cm_re=haf-_-11-119-233-_-Product
 
I use a NZXT Beta case which I've really grown to love. It keeps my system very cool given its size, has space for 4-5 hard disks, 4 optical drives, and fits under my desk very easily.

Cooling wise it has 1x 120mm front fan, 1x 120mm rear fan, and 2x 120mm side fans. Its worth considering if you want something that will fit under your desk, and your on a budget for a good quality case.
 
The CM 690 II has support for upto 10 case fans; the NZXT Phantom is larger though, and has space for upto 7 fans with 5 fan controllers too, IIRC.

I'd pick the Phantom as the better buy.
 
ok for the case, if price and size is no boundary what case would you recommend?
please dont pick the haf series because they are ugly
 
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