new build pc help needed

[BIG-HOL]

im thinking about buying a gaming pc in the very near future, but on abit of a budget, i have about 500, could push it to £600 if i needed too, iv been looking at something like this Intel Core i7 2600 Quad Core PC Gaming Computer 16GB 2TB NVIDIA GT520 1GB | eBay

basically just wondering if something like that is good for the money, and roughly how much could i save if i decided to buy parts, and build the system myself, basically it will be used for gaming, alot of streaming from my nas drive, downloads, and browsing, this is for in my bedroom so will need to be connected via hdmi to my 51" sammy, my budget is only for the desktop itself, i will buy a keyboard and mouse seperately.. another thing is i dont want massive storage space, so id prefer a 120gb ssd in there if possible, as my 4tb nas serves all my files.

anybody got any advice on which way too take this, build myself, or buy ready built, hmmm?

ps i need a case that is nomore than 18" high aswell as any higher and it will block the bottom of my tv thats on the wall,i love the small factor pc cases so would prefer 1 of them, and also the best processor i can get for my budget!

thanks in advanced for any help guys!

 

[little_pob]

Just some pointers on the ebay system:
You won't be able to overclock the 2600.
32 bit games are hard coded to only use 2-3GB RAM - making the supplied 16GB overkill.
Very few games are threaded enough to need the 8 threads provided by the 2600.
The GT520 is not a gaming graphics card - even at 720/1080P.

With the requirements on the case I think I'd go for this: Lists | Ebuyer.com but it is at the thick end of your max budget. Going for a horizontal, desktop style case and mATX motherboard could reduce the cost by about £50.

 

[BIG-HOL]

thanks for the list mate thats great, im abit unsure which way to go as iv never totally built a pc from scratch, but its something iv wanted to do for years. out of the list only thing id need to change is the 3.5 drive to a ssd drive, iv got a 500gb 3.5 drive i could use for now until i could afford a 120gb ssd. 1 thing im concerned about is, if i bought say all the list you have made up, will i have all cables and such to fully build, do the cables and such come with each specific part to connect to everything. also with this build is it future proof just to upgrade things say over the next 5 years, also i wont be needing a cd/dvd drive at 1st i may add that in at some point and think i have a dual layer drive laying around somewhere i could use. regarding the ram, realistically for my uses is 4gb more than enough.

 

[little_pob]

Recently Aria have had 120/128GB refurb SSDs for less than 50p/GB, which puts them in your budget if swapping out the 500GB HDD. However, even with a MTBF of 10 years, I'm not sure I'd want to go for an SSD that I've not had from the factory.

4Gb RAM is enough for most people, but if your budget allows feel free to swap it out for a 2x4GB kit (the motherboard I've spec'ed only has 2 DIMM slots).

Now you've got an idea, if you are going to play with the spec, just be aware that the case I've suggested only takes ITX motherboards.

Difficult to say what the upgradeability will be like over then next 5 years. So far the different SATA and PCI-e generations have all been backwards compatible. However, from experience, I'd be surprised if Intel were making LGA 1155 socket CPUs in 5 years time - although you'll likely still be able to get new-old stock.

 

[BIG-HOL]

ill go ocz or crucial for the ssd mate, brand new a 120gb can be found for around £75 so thats what ill do. i may just go for the 2x4gb of ram to save me buying twice in the future if i ever want to upgrade, 8gb is more than enough as i wont be editing video, or using any intensive programs like photoshop, and as you say the 32 bit games only use 2-3gb ram anyway so ill go with 8, more just for my own wanting, than needing. iv just watched a few videos on youtube of the case you have specced and i really like it so thats a definite, although i havnt really looked about at any more.

as for a question in my last post, if i bought all the gear you stated, would i need any little bits and pieces like cables, clips and such, or will it all be provided with the different hardware to fully complete the build, is there anything else to take into consideration.

after watching a few vids of builds it actually doesnt look too complicated, think im just worrying about spending all that money and end up blowing something up, hopefully not.

 

[wiz569]

Trust me m8 I built my first pc about a year ago and it was easy m8,
I did what you did and asked here for advice,and pob was there to guide me,

So I ordered the stuff,eventually after trying to shave as much of as i could lol,
when it turned up it had all the cables and connectors needed,

It actually took me longer to install and update the OS then build the pc

 

[little_pob]

...as for a question in my last post, if i bought all the gear you stated, would i need any little bits and pieces like cables, clips and such, or will it all be provided with the different hardware to fully complete the build, is there anything else to take into consideration...

The motherboard will come with all the data cables.
The CPU I've specced is retail, so comes with the "stock" cooler - which is good enough for an overclock to 4GHz by all accounts.
Case will come with all front panel leads.

 

[Spectre]

Do cases still use the brass hex standoffs for the MB?

 

[little_pob]

Depends on the case. Some have the raised stand-offs built into the motherboard tray, others you have to screw in before you install the motherboard.

 

[Spectre]

Remember to put them all in unlike a friend of mine!

 

[BIG-HOL]

in regards to the i5 processor, what should i be looking out for regarding overclocking, im looking for 1155 socket i guess to fit in motherboard, and i can only assume the higher the GHZ, ie 3.4, is better than 3.0ghz for instance is that correct, so id be looking for best ghz i can get within my budget, or am i totally wrong here.

 

[BIG-HOL]

also should i be looking for a motherboard with sata 3, so i can get full capability from my 120gb ssd, as i dont think the motherboard you specced has this, or am i wrong again, lol!

 

[seanicca]

just had an email and thought you might be interested in this

OCZ Technology 120GB Solid 3 SATA 6Gb/s 2.5" Solid State Drive (SLD3-25SAT3-120G) - dabs.com

 

[BIG-HOL]

what would be the best ram to go for out of these 2 as i see in the specs for the zotac motherboard it can handle 1600mhz ram, so would it actually make much difference for the extra few quid going with these ones

Crucial 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz Ballistix Sport.. | Ebuyer.com

or will the slower ones suffice, here.

Crucial 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1333Mhz Ballistix Sport.. | Ebuyer.com

 

[little_pob]

When comparing across the range, generally the higher the GHz the better. However, that rule doesn't apply when comparing APUs to CPUs, or Intel to AMD.

If do you want to overclock an LGA 1155 CPU, now or in the future, you'll have to go for a "K" series processor (i.e. one with a K at the end of the name). For what it's worth, Sandy Bridge (SB) CPUs will work in Ivy Bridge (IB) motherboards and IB CPUs will work in SB motherboards, but the price difference between the 2500K and 3570K is minimal. And, in my opinion, the pros of Ivy Bridge over Sandy Bridge outweigh the cons - but I'd recommend you read up on them to make your own mind up.

The Zotac board does have SATA-600, which is the official name for what everyone else calls SATA 3.

If you can afford the 1600MHz over the 1333MHz, then go for it. The same can't really be said over upgrading to 1866MHz or 2000MHz over the 1600MHz, however.

 

[BIG-HOL]

yeah these processors are abit confusing to a novice i must admit, not fully understanding them to be honest, but im happy with your choice you made for me so ill go with that 1, then i know im good. ahhh aslong as it is sata 3 then that is fine mate, as wanted to make the most use of my ssd if i could so thats perfect.

as for ram then yeah i will go for the 1600mhz as its only a difference of £4 or so, im already over my budget with the 120gb ssd so ill just have to buy it bit by bit till i have it all to build, but hopefully in the next month i should have all parts and then build the machine, if nothing crops up in between anyway. but im going to but the ram and hard drive 2moro, and maybe the case, then ill go from there in the following weeks, will post my progress on this thread as i go, thanks for the help you've been great.