First gaming desktop.

[DreadAlert]

Hey guys.

Will be ordering this system soon:

Case
ANTEC NINE HUNDRED TWO V3 - UK, The Ultimate Gaming Case, Evolved
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7-2600k Quad Core (3.40GHz, 8MB Cache) + HD Graphics
Motherboard
ASUS® P8P67: USB 3.0, SATA 6.0GB/s, CrossFireX™ SUPPORT
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
1536MB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX580 - 2 DVI,mHDMI - DirectX® 11, 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
2TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD2002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
12x BLU-RAY ROM DRIVE, 16x DVD ±R/±RW (£49)
Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TX SERIES (TX650) 80+ ULTRA QUIET PSU (£78)
Processor Cooling
COOLIT ECO A.L.C (ADVANCED LIQUID COOLER) (£49)
Sound Card
Sound Blaster® Audigy™ SE (£19)
Network Facilities
ONBOARD 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL (MIN 2 FRONT PORTS) AS STANDARD
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)

How well do you think this would handle games like Starcraft 2, Crysis 2, Just Cause 2, Dragon Age 2, Shogun 2: Total War?

Thanks.
-DreadAlert-

 

[Nemesis]

Chances are it'll blow those games to pieces nut don't quote me on that

You are however aware that overclocking the system yourself voids the warranty
if you buy it overclocked by PCS then it will be covered by the warranty

Also be sure to post us up some pics when it arrives and youll be rewarded with +rep

 

[DreadAlert]

Well, I've heard that it's blisteringly fast without any overclocking, and I'm not very into fixing things when they aren't broken.

I'll make do with how good it is without the OC, which is very good I've heard.

 

[Nemesis]

Yes i wasnt recommending it myself just pointing out the catches for if you do
Its just that the K version of the processor, 1600mhz RAM and liquid coolers are overclockers spec
Could save yourself a few quid thats all
But dont mind me its your money
Enjoy!!!

 

[DreadAlert]

If I got the computer overclocked, and then if I wanted to turn it back down to regular speeds, would the warranty still be intact? What about then? Could I still overclock it with the warranty intact?

 

[Nemesis]

I believe that as long as you followed instructions that they gave you over the phone or otherwise then yes
However you would not be allowed to overclock further that the stables speed they reached without voiding the warranty

To be safe I would PM one of the guys who work for PCS or email their customer services

Generally PCS are pretty flexible compared to other Custom PC sellers

Im fairly sure they have measures in place to tell if youve been tampering with settings (that is when they receive it for repair if something went wrong) so theres no point in hiding anything from them

 

[Tez77]

May be just me but CORSAIR 650W TX SERIES (TX650) 80+ ULTRA QUIET PSU (£78) i Would up this just in case u ever need to upgrade i ordered that card to looking forward to crysis 2 with it

 

[Nemesis]

Hmmmm potentially a very good point Tez as if you look at the question mark next to the graphics card chooser (on the configurator) It specifies 800W as the minimum PSU requirement

I would have thought that the 750W model Corsair would be fine

I would try to confirm this with someone who is PCS staff or someone that can give you a certain answer before ordering though

 

[DreadAlert]

I may be able to afford the Corsair TX850w. Do you think my system would support the 2600k @ max 4.80Ghz without me ever having to worry about overheating or failing? I want this computer to last a long time with no hardware issues at all. This is what's making me hesitate about getting it overclocked.

 

[DreadAlert]

Actually, nah. Just forget overclocking. Just keep it simple, and at stock speed. I'll get an 750 though, because it says you only need 600w on nVidia's own website.

 

[Nemesis]

ok if it didnt work then it wouldnt pass QC anyway so no worries
theyre most definitely not robots at PCS

 

[DreadAlert]

Actually. I've decided to up the Motherboard and to OC the Processor.

http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/DreadAlert/CPU3.jpg

I got advice from someone I know, who has been making custom PCs for years now.
I'll be able to add another card in SLI on this motherboard, yes? If I need it in the future some time.

 

[DreadAlert]

Decided to go with this setup instead. Someone I know is good with computers and advised me.

 

[liamnic2]

Hay guys. I saving up for gaming rig to buy in august ( my birthday ) but I might be saving up till christmas soo I can get more money.
I have roamed about the forms for a few days now and I have been given answers to alot of questions and there are still a few things bothering me.
I am not fully sure on what I am getting but hopefully if I get alot of money from saving up and from my birthday and maybe christmas, if I get there.
But this what I am aiming for:

Case
COOLERMASTER CM690 MKII ADVANCED CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7-2600 Quad Core (3.40GHz, 8MB Cache) + HD Graphics
Motherboard
ASUS® P8P67: USB 3.0, SATA 6.0GB/s, CrossFireX™ SUPPORT
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
1280MB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX570 - 2 DVI,mHDMI - DirectX® 11, 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W TX SERIES (TX750) 80+ UProcessor Cooling
Processor Cooling
COOLIT ECO A.L.C (ADVANCED LIQUID COOLER) (£49)
Sound Card
Sound Blaster® X-Fi™ Titanium PCI Express (£59)
Network Facilities
ONBOARD GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps PCI CARD (£16)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Keyboard & Mouse
Logitech® Internet 350 USB Keyboard (£9)


One of the topics that has confused me is the matter of power supply. PCS says I will only need around 550W but having seen others PC specs I went with a 750W just to play it safe. Can anyone tell me why do people for big power supply's ????

I have been told that liquid cooling is a "OC's spec" and something cheaper would do just as good.
I am buying the PC to play shogun 2 total war on atleast high settings all around and I am worried that if I attempt that then my CPU wont take it, is liquid cooling needed ???
And if anyone could tell me if my "future" PC will be able to play shogun 2 on high then I will be much happy.

I have seen a lot of gamers buying PC's with blue ray readers. Do they affect how a CD/DVD version of a game is played etc...

Any tips or advice would help a lot.

I have been told that 1600Mhz RAm is also a "OC's spec" but would there be a major diffrence if I just chose Samsung 1333Mhz instead.

 

[Tez77]

Hi liamnic2 Can anyone tell me why do people for big power supply's ????
people get more then they need so it makes it easyer for future upgrades may be u wont to add a other graphics card in 6 months save getting a new power supply

 

[liamnic2]

Hello again.

After talking to some people it turns out I might not have to go for an i7 2600 but an i5 2500 instead. I will be able to max shogun 2 with an i5 but I have been told to go for an i7 870 just to be safe.

But the i7 870 is around ( 2.93Ghz with a 6mb cache ) and the i5 2500 is ( 3.30Ghz with a 6mb cache ) so its faster but its not got that extra 2mb of cache.
But after exploring PCS to find it. The i7 870 and the i7 2600 are priced the same. Wouldnt it not just be better to get the 2600???

Its about 0.50Ghz faster and its got a 8mb cache.

I dont get it.

 

[DreadAlert]

Hey guys. Just to make sure, before I order, can I rest assured that my order will come through exactly how I ordered it and working, etc? I've heard some good and some bad reviews about this site.

 

[Phoenix]

Yes your order should arrive exactly as you've specified and work perfectly

 

[liamnic2]

Hello again.

I have put my budget alot higher now and I am getting:

Case
COOLERMASTER HAF-X FULL TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7-2600 Quad Core (3.40GHz, 8MB Cache) + HD Graphics
Motherboard
ASUS® P8P67 (NEW REV 3.0): USB 3.0, SATA 6.0GB/s, CrossFireX™
Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (4 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
1.5GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 580 - 2 DVI,mHDMI - DX® 11, 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM WD1002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W PRO SERIES (HX1000) 80+ MODULAR PSU (£169)
Processor Cooling
COOLIT ECO A.L.C (ADVANCED LIQUID COOLER) (£49)
Sound Card
Sound Blaster® X-Fi™ Xtreme Gamer (£59)
Network Facilities
ONBOARD GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps PCI-E CARD (£19)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Keyboard & Mouse
Logitech® Internet 350 USB Keyboard (£9)
Speakers
LOGITECH Z323 2.1 Stereo speakers with Rich bass and 360-degree sound (£46)


I have researched shogun 2 online and with the GTX580 I still wont be able to fully max the game without lag. Will the 16GB RAM help??

I know I have a lot of OCing equipment there but its for noise and dust.


Can anyone tell me how noisy this PC will be becuase it will be within 1 meter of me

 

[Luckless]

You can find some reviews on the net regarding the case you've selected

It's not the best for noise but it's extremely good for cooling I believe. If you wanted a very silent case you'd need to go for the Coolermaster Cosmos 1000 Silent one.

If one GTX580 isn't going to be enough for you, perhaps 570s in SLI would be? Not sure how much more expensive that is however.

As for the 16 gigs of RAM, that's overkill really. Most gaming needs 4 gigs if that. Unless you plan to alt-tab or run multiple applications whilst gaming 8 is more than enough

If you are worried about noise and really want faster load times in-game and Windows, an SSD hard drive would be a huge upgrade. SSD drives are silent and literally shave off seconds when it comes to loading.

Bear in mind that unless you go for a fully customised silent spec with water cooling all over the place and specially designed silent fans (like Sharkoon etc) any gaming PC will be a little noisy under load - it's the way of the beast unfortunately

You should call up PCS and ask their opinion on how to get the best performing PC yet also keep it quiet for Shogun 2