Shorty Posted July 24, 2006 Posted July 24, 2006 Hey everyone, struggled at first with the idea of making this thread since they're everywhere all the time and it must be getting annoying but hey, if everyone else gets to make one, so should I :p I'm looking to build a new PC ground up, it should teach me a thing or two, although I know some basics. I want a PC for gaming/videos/designs. I'm sick of trying to play CoV or newer, offline games and having to drop the settings to the lowest possible to avoid jerky lagness. Other than that I'll only use things like Firefox, MSN, Notepad, Word and of course, Photoshop. I also want to be able to read and burn CD/DVDs. So from what I guess, my main priorities are a fast dual core processor and a nice new video card. I've always been partial to AMD and ATi, but I could be swayed. I have a 300GB HDD already (IDE), but I need everything else. From what I know that means: Mobo, PSU, CPU, RAM, Video card, Sound (onboard would be fine, I've never been too fussed with sound), CD/DVD, Monitor. Then the obv things like case/mouse/speakers/wireless adapter but I can figure that stuff out myself. Can anyone help me out here? I lost track years ago of what the latest CPU and Video cards are - I have no idea to start, and browsing sites like overclockers.co.uk and ebuyer leaves me somewhat overwhelmed. I don't have masses to spend since parents are my main income and my dad is out of work. From what I can tell CPU/GPU/Monitor are the most expensive things. Please feel free to just throw information and suggestions at me
Bogbas Posted July 24, 2006 Posted July 24, 2006 First you need to get out of sites that sell hardware. Try http://www.anandtech.com or http://www.tomshardware.com to get a clear picture of what's powerful right now. After you know what you want , google the product for reviews. And wait a few weeks, cpu price drops are imminent. Hmm AMD just bought ATI wonder what that will mean in the future of CPU's/GPU's
gaggle64 Posted July 24, 2006 Posted July 24, 2006 What level of system are you going for? Do you just want something to sustain you for the next couple of years, or are you looking to invest in the be-all and end-all of gaming as we know it. What sort of budget are we looking at here?
Shorty Posted July 24, 2006 Author Posted July 24, 2006 Something to last the next couple of years definitely sounds best for me, then in 2 years time when quad core cpus are everywhere and I have a better job, I can just invest in upgrades. Thanks for the links Bogbas, checking them out now -- and I will wait a few weeks, I do not need this computer imminently at all : )
Jon Posted July 24, 2006 Posted July 24, 2006 I'd go conroe definantly for the cpu, as they are rather cheap in comparison to the performance they offer. 7600gt would be decent enough for the gpu. 1gig of corsair/crucial/etc would suffice. Tagan are good for psu's at decent prices.
triforce_keeper Posted July 24, 2006 Posted July 24, 2006 yes i have a geforce 7600gt there great! I would also get 2 sticks of 1 gig ram as it saves you buying more when vista comes. I onyl havwe a amd athlon 3700 1mb but its great for all the games that are out now. I also have a 19" hannsg moniter and got it for only 150 quid! its great aswell. But if you consider getting it build for you like me I recommend http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk They'e really cheap and knock off around 300-400 quid off the normal high street prices. You can choose the specs you want and stuff.
gaggle64 Posted July 24, 2006 Posted July 24, 2006 Radeon X1800 are good value card at the mo, but 7600GT should do fine. And don't setlle for less then a 550w PSU. Are there IDE AM2 mobos out there? Anyone?
Shorty Posted July 24, 2006 Author Posted July 24, 2006 I looked at the Conroe and there are lots of them to get, for example here there are several differences. Would the cheapest one still be good for demanding games? Also where would you reccomend getting it from? I could probably afford to go up to £150 for a gpu, maybe even £200 if everything else ends up being cheaper than expected. Finally if I was to grab one of those cpus, what kind of mobo should I go for? Needs IDE socket for my HDD. I also know nothing about PSUs :/ Thanks for all your help so far everyone's been very helpful Edit: ah gaggle your last post wasnt there when I typed this btw triforce_keeper did you mean pcspecialist.co.uk? I got confused at that link... ^^;
Jon Posted July 24, 2006 Posted July 24, 2006 Any conroe cpu offers good performace, places like scan and overclockers are the best. As for Mobo, its very important to research it, as only the new ones offer conroe support out of the box, such as the P965 chipset.
Shorty Posted July 24, 2006 Author Posted July 24, 2006 Using that pcspecialist site I threw together some quick ideas, obviously since (as you have seen) I don't know 100% the best things to choose, there will be problems with my decisions but the thing is, using an intel duo e6400 (2x2.13GHZ), a 17 inch TFT and the 7600GT, I couldn't get my price much below £1000. Here's an example: Price: £968 Firstly, is there anything I need to add to up the price? I don't need a printer, am ok with that little HDD (actually wanted a smaller one), went with the 600w PSU after reccomendations not to go below 550 (next one down was 500). Also right now I'm not interested in expensive speakers/keyboards etc.. Secondly, if not, is there anything I can maybe afford to lose to lower the price? Or maybe a way I could get all this or similar cheaper from somewhere else? Thanks again.
Mr_Odwin Posted July 24, 2006 Posted July 24, 2006 You could try Mesh computers. I remember they've been recommended before and you can choose to customise, as with PC Specialist.
Jon Posted July 24, 2006 Posted July 24, 2006 You could try Mesh computers. I remember they've been recommended before and you can choose to customise, as with PC Specialist. Yea, dont go Mesh, they used to be pretty good but have steadily declined over the years.
triforce_keeper Posted July 24, 2006 Posted July 24, 2006 exxept the moniter and the cpu you have the same comp i built from they're. The keyboard and mouse are wireless and very nice, speakers coem with a bass box thing I think its really good sound. The keybaord mouse and speakers are logitech. The moniters from there (hannsg) are very nice! I can post a pic if you want. And that price is with the v.a.t and the delivery!
pdhq64 Posted July 24, 2006 Posted July 24, 2006 Hey. Just got your text. Kinda sneaking this post in at work, so...lucky you. Firstly, ask yourself - are you actually going to be playing BRAND NEW UBERPCREQUIRED games? Quite a few of my friends have spent loads of money on new computers, only to realise 5 months later that they barely use it to its full potential. If the answer to this is "Yeah", then sure - go for the ultra high-spec machine. However, if all you want to do is play CS:S, GTA Vice City, and City of Heroes/Villains, then why bother? I realise that your current machine isn't so great, which is why you're looking at upgrading. So - let's pretend you decide you dont want to play the UBERPCREQUIRED games on their highest settings. I certainly wouldn't suggest getting the most expensive processor you can afford, for example. Get a few down from the best you can afford. It'll be so much cheaper, and you'll probably be glad you did it when September (and University) comes. Now, I'm not saying buy an awful spec machine. No. Quite the opposite. I'm merely suggesting you don't buy an uber one... One thing I do recommend you spend a bit extra on is the RAM. Get as much as you can afford/the motherboard can take (whichever). I certainly wouldn't go any lower than 1GB. As far as Windows is concerned, save yourself 60 quid. Wait until you get to University. Most Uni's can put you into the MSDN Academic Alliance program, which means you get most MS software free. That includes XP Pro. As I'm sure you've learnt, make sure you spend that bit extra on cooling too. Places to buy? http://www.aria.co.uk <- watch their Super Special Deals. Some of the prices are excellent. They have extremely cheap TFT monitors too. http://www.overclockers.co.uk <- Deal of the Week is always a watcher. http://www.scan.co.uk <- Watch out for the £9 or so delivery charge, but if you buy enough it works out nicely. I reckon you could quite easily build a PC capable of lasting at least 4 years for £600. When I built my computer, the plan was to make it last as long as possible. It's been going for 3 years now, and I still have no plans to upgrade it (apart from hard drives). These are rough prices - I haven't followed component prices AT ALL since I stopped working at the computer shop last september... £100 on the processor £100 on RAM £100 on a video card £100 on a motherboard £100 on a TFT monitor £100 on everything else Also, In your text you asked about getting a small HDD for the OS. I DON'T recommend doing this. Unless by small you mean like, 20GB+ (and not 5gb like I'm imagining). Virtual memory, temporary files, etc...
gaggle64 Posted July 24, 2006 Posted July 24, 2006 You could try Mesh computers. I remember they've been recommended before and you can choose to customise, as with PC Specialist. I would recommend Mesh also. My PC, my mates and my dads PC are all Mesh - good solid systems. Their prices and delivery service are good, but their customer service is a bit pants.
Shorty Posted July 24, 2006 Author Posted July 24, 2006 My current PC is a Mesh, had it many years now and I do like it, it's just dated. PD, the only reason I don't play games more demanding than those you mentioned is I can't. I've tried Hitman Contracts for example, and it needs the lowest settings. City of Villains also needs the lowest possible settings. I'd like to at least be able to play say, last month's most demanding game on high settings. And I did mean about 20GB rather than 5GB, I just can't find any for lower than 80GB. I will have a look at mesh and the other sites reccomended. Please keep the help coming I am definitely glad I went ahead and made this thread.... The only thing is with all these suggestions flying about I'm finding it hard to get concrete decisions or ideas of complete prices. The whole thing is pretty confusing for me Does anyone have any solid ideas of where I should go from here?
pdhq64 Posted July 25, 2006 Posted July 25, 2006 PD, the only reason I don't play games more demanding than those you mentioned is I can't. I've tried Hitman Contracts for example, and it needs the lowest settings. City of Villains also needs the lowest possible settings. I'd like to at least be able to play say, last month's most demanding game on high settings. And I did mean about 20GB rather than 5GB, I just can't find any for lower than 80GB. Yeah, but your current spec sucks. :P Get something thats slightly above average (by todays standards) and you'll be happy. It'll play Hitman Contracts well (hell, mine is just about playable, and mine sucks compared to today's stuff), but won't cost you an arm and a leg. On getting a small (20GB) HDD, I wouldn't. You'll say "ok, I'll keep this organised", but two months later you'll have stuff across both drives. Your main OS drive will get full, and your computer will run slower. You'd be better off going for your single 300GB drive than having a small drive for your OS, tbh. Btw, I'm not ignoring your texts - I'm out of credit, and out of money. Work owe me £900 which I haven't got yet. :/
Shorty Posted July 26, 2006 Author Posted July 26, 2006 Thanks for the help from everyone I've decided to grab a system with a 2x2.13Ghz Core 2 Duo, 7600GT, an ASUS mobo and a 19in monitor, scraping in at a fair £871 - unless I can find it cheaper somewhere else
Shorty Posted July 26, 2006 Author Posted July 26, 2006 Why, it's the site you suggested, pcspecialist Not a bad one at all. I did check out the others but they were all desperate to sell me mobo/chip bundles and an OS and a bigger HDD than I needed.
triforce_keeper Posted July 26, 2006 Posted July 26, 2006 yeah the costumer services are great. But the only thing is it takes around 3 weeks to arrive. But email them asking them you need it quicker they will tell the people who are build the pc to speed up like they did with mine and it arrived that week
Recommended Posts