Posted May 31, 2011 (edited) Ok so I want a new PC. I already have a 9600GT and a 580W PSU that I'm gonna swap over from my current PC. So I've been looking at a few things, but would love your help N-E. I was thinking of an i5 processor and saw these two: Intel Core i5 661 3.33GHz Socket 1156 4MB L3 Cache £162 Intel Core i5 750 2.66GHz Socket LGA1156 8MB L3 Cache £159 No I would have thought that the 2.66 quad core would be better but the (small) price difference would suggest otherwise. Which would you suggest? Or do you think there's a significant reason that I should upgrade to an i7? So I also need a case, HDD, RAM and mobo. Any recommendations? How's this mobo? http://www.ebuyer.com/product/236509 £75 And for RAM; Kingston 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz £36 As for HDD I was thinking this, Seagate 1TB 3.5" Barracuda SATA-III 6Gb/s Hard Drive - 7200RPM 32MB Cache £40. Any thoughts or recommendations? And what about this Sony DRU-880S 24x DVD±RW DL & RAM SATA £18? Cases I don't have a clue for. Help please. Is this any good? Have I missed anything? And as for a monitor upgrade I saw this Philips E-line 234EL2SB Full HD WLED LCD 23" HDMI Monitor for £120. Anyone got/seen one to review it for me? Looks good on the stats. Edited May 31, 2011 by MoogleViper Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 31, 2011 The difference is.. It depends on what kind of applications you're using. The dual core has faster cores, but only 2 of them. The quad core has slower cores, but 4 of them. The latter will prove better with applications which are designed with multithreading in mind, the former will prove faster with older applications, only using one or 2 cores. (didn't know there was a distinction between 2-core and 4-core I5's) Anyway, I'm currently not aware of the state of applications today, if they're making use of extra cores or not.. If you intend to use professional applications, I reckon you'd be better off with 4 cores, if not (and you intend to play games and watch movies or do some surfing), you may be better off with the dual core. This still seemed to be the case when I bought my computer, and looking at the price difference, this still seems to be the case. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 31, 2011 Basically, if you're using this for gaming, get an i5, if its a workstation, get an i7. As for the specific models, you should think about buying a Sandy bridge one. Either a 2500k i5, or a 2600k i7. If you really want a Lynnfield, I'd go for the 760, rather than the 750. In this day and age, you should get a quad core if you can afford it. Certain games are starting to recommend them now, although, you're not going to be able to play any of those games on your video card anyway. If you're doing anything with CAD, video editing, etc. its not even a question, most professional applications these days can take advantage of multicore systems. The motherboard will work, but you'd probably be better off getting something with 4 memory slots to make future upgrades easier. The H55 north bridge it has is also designed for using the CPU's built in graphics chip, you'd be better off getting something with P55 if you have a dedicated card. Also note that that board, even though it will fit in a mid tower, is designed for a smaller sized case than you'll likely buy. The RAM you've selected should be fine, as should be the HDD. As for the optical drive, unless they're taxed at 100% in the UK, you should be able to find one for cheaper, which I would recommend unless you're using it everyday. The case should be fine, but you should buy a 140mm fan to put on the top. Personally I would recommend the Antec 300, but cases are really a personal thing. Choose one you like and can afford, then check to make sure its the right size. As for other things you might need, if you're overclocking you'll need an aftermarket cooler and thermal paste (Otherwise just use the one that comes with the CPU, it will have the paste applied to it already). If your case doesn't come with them, you'll need standoffs to mount the motherboard. If you have nice speakers you might want to think about an audio card, but its completely unnecessary for most people. If you are gaming on this machine, you should at least consider getting a new graphics card, as yours is quite old, it really depends on your budget though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 31, 2011 So would you recommend this one then? Intel Core i5 2500K Unlocked, 1155, Sandy Bridge, Quad Core, 3.3GHz, GPU 850Mhz, 6MB Cache, 95W, OEM £155 And is this mobo better? Gigabyte GA-P55-USB3 P55 Socket 1156 8 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard £83 I think I'll head into town sometime to check out cases and see which ones take my fancy (before going home and buying them online for much cheaper). As for the gfx card, I think I'll stick with mine for now. I won't be playing any taxing games any time soon, so I'll probably just leave it and upgrade at a later date. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 31, 2011 Yes! The CPU is better, go for that one.. BUT. The one you listed is an OEM version. I believe this doesn't include a fan. Unless you want to buy / use a compatible 3rd party cpu fan / heatsink, I'd look for the retail / boxed version instead (should be slightly more expensive, but you get the fan). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 31, 2011 Will that motherboard be compatible, it's a socket 1156, whereas the sandy bridges are socket 1155? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 31, 2011 I guess not. This is a boxed version of your CPU: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/intel-core-i5-2500k-unlocked-1155-sdy-bridge-quadcore-33ghz-gpu-850mhz-95w-retail-plusfree-game And you can take your pick from these socket 1155 motherboards: http://www.ebuyer.com/search?page=1&store=2&cat=14&filtersubcat=3317 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 31, 2011 By the way, if you're planning on getting a CPU cooler, not that the mounting holes are the same on both the 1155 and 1156. Also, I use an i5 at work and i7 at home and the difference is quite noticeable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 31, 2011 If it's gaming you're planning on doing then I'd seriously consider upgrading that graphics card. To put it in perspective, the only graphics cards from the latest generation that are slower are integrated in to the motherboard. Every single dedicated card out there in the ATi 6*** series and NVidia 5** series is quicker. All bar the very bottom models of last generation are faster too. If you keep an eye on AVForums you might be able to bag a good deal on an ATi 4850. I sold mine a few months back for £35. That card is far faster than your 9600 and is actually capable of playing modern games, allowing you to make use of the other hardware you're spending good money on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 1, 2011 (edited) As I said I will be upgrading the gfx card, just not yet as I won't be doing much over the summer anyway. I just want to get the PC sorted first. Ok so how does this look? Mobo - Gigabyte GA-PA65-UD3-B3 H61 Socket 1155 7.1 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard £82 CPU - Intel CPU Core i5 2500K Unlocked Sandy Bridge Quad Core Processor £164 RAM - Kingston 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz £36 HDD - Seagate 1TB 3.5" Barracuda SATA-III 6Gb/s Hard Drive - 7200RPM 32MB Cache £40 DVD-RW - Sony DRU-880S 24x DVD±RW DL & RAM SATA £18 Total ~£340 And I still need to decide on a case. Edited June 1, 2011 by MoogleViper Automerged Doublepost Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 1, 2011 http://www.fractal-design.com/?view=product∏=48 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 1, 2011 Yuhuh. I really wanted to buy it for my new build, but there wasn't anything wrong with my case... Which I'd recommend by the way, Antec P182. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 1, 2011 I noticed that the mobo I stated doesn't support 1600 RAM. So what about these two? Any difference between or shall I just go for the cheaper and save a few quid. Asrock P67 PRO Socket 1155 8 Channel HD Audio ATX Motherboard £83 Biostar TP67B+ B3 Revision P67 Socket 1155 5.1 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard £87 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 1, 2011 It should just essentially underclock your RAM. I've got 1600 and it just takes it as 1333. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 1, 2011 Then would it not be better to get the Asrock so the RAM doesn't get underclocked? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 1, 2011 Sorry, I didn't check the links, was just mentioning. If they're the same then yeah may as well. I have that Gigabyte mobo and it limits to 16 Gig as well, the other is 32, another bonus. If that's the only difference then yeah may as well for an extra quid. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 1, 2011 Ok so PC will be: Mobo - Asrock P67 PRO Socket 1155 8 Channel HD Audio ATX Motherboard £83 CPU - Intel CPU Core i5 2500K Unlocked Sandy Bridge Quad Core Processor £164 RAM - Kingston 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz £36 HDD - Seagate 1TB 3.5" Barracuda SATA-III 6Gb/s Hard Drive - 7200RPM 32MB Cache £40 DVD-RW - Sony DRU-880S 24x DVD±RW DL & RAM SATA £18 Case - Fractal Design Define R3, Black Pearl £80 Windows 7 64-bit - £68 ~£490 Anyone see any problems with this? If not I think I'll order it later. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 1, 2011 I wouldn't buy that motherboard. It only has 1 PCIe 2.0 slot, and its also not a very high quality brand name. I'd look at Asus boards if I were you. Motherboards are annoying to replace, especially if you have an OEM copy of Windows. The CPU, RAM, and HDD should be good, but again, you could probably go cheaper on the optical drive. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 2, 2011 That Black Pearl is nice. Is it in the sail? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 2, 2011 I this better? Asus P8P67-M R3.0 Socket 1155 8 channel Audio ATX Motherboard £95 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 2, 2011 If you want to overclock make sure you have a P67 motherboard and an i5 2500k. If not then get a H67 or H61 motherboard and the i5 2400 or 2500. I went for a H67 and an i5 2400 when I built mine, couldn't justify the (at the time £60 premium to get stuff that would overclock. Other than that you're good to go Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 2, 2011 It might be worth considering a H67 Chipset. Nvidia recently said something about upcoming drivers supporting the graphicschip on the SandyBridge processor so the nvidia graphicscard can shut down when it's no needed. However therefore you need an H67 Chipset (which means no overclocking capabilities - of course you could always get the Z67...). Harddrives don't really benefit from SATA-III but I guess there's not much money to be saved there. You should consider getting an SDD for the OS though. It's amazingly fast but also amazingly expensive :/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 2, 2011 It might be worth considering a H67 Chipset. Nvidia recently said something about upcoming drivers supporting the graphicschip on the SandyBridge processor so the nvidia graphicscard can shut down when it's no needed. However therefore you need an H67 Chipset (which means no overclocking capabilities - of course you could always get the Z67...). Harddrives don't really benefit from SATA-III but I guess there's not much money to be saved there. You should consider getting an SDD for the OS though. It's amazingly fast but also amazingly expensive :/ The H67 only supports 1333MHz RAM though. The P67 will support 1600 (and above). And yes an SSD would be nice, but is a wee bit too expensive for my liking. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 2, 2011 The H67 only supports 1333MHz RAM though. The P67 will support 1600 (and above). Oh, I wasn't aware of that, but is it actually relevant unless you plan on OCing? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
