Help! Don't know which Gaming PC to choose - Please compare + Give parts feedback!

J

Jackogeddes

Bronze Level Poster
Hello there guys - i've been searching for a gaming PC for a few months now and finally feel ready to buy one. I'm not an avid techy but through all this searching i have a rough idea of what im looking for.

i was set on buying the Ukgamingcomputers rig up untill i found this site, after lots of comparing it looks like at a glance here you can get an even superior rig for a little cheaper.

however i'm not 100% sure on parts comparison and thought you guys could advise me on which is better, aswell as tell me what to downgrade or upgrade here before buying.

the primary use for this PC will be obviously gaming with the Total war series, WoW and other high end games on MAX settings perfectly, but still remain my every day PC. too long have i bought out of PCworld and looked on in envy as you guys breeze through ultra sets, so help is hugely appreciated before i commit!


What i found on this site (seems to be superior aswell as cheaper)

Case
COOLERMASTER CM STORM ENFORCER - GAMING ENTHUSIAST CASE

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-3770K (3.5GHz) 8MB Cache

Motherboard
ASUS® P8Z77-V LX: USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs, ATI®CrossFireX

Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPERX GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1866MHz X.M.P(2 x 4GB KIT)

Graphics Card
3GB AMD RADEON™ HD7950 - DVI,HDMI,2 mDP - DX® 11, Eyefinity 4 Capable


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

Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT

Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W PRO SERIES™ HX750-80 PLUS® SILVER MODULAR (£114)

Processor Cooling
SUPER QUIET 22dBA TRIPLE COPPER HEATPIPE INTEL CPU COOLER (£19)

Fan Controller
NZXT Sentry 2 Fan Controller with upto 5 Fitted Case Fans

Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D PCI-E Soundcard (£59)

Network Facilities
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 w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence


Anti-Virus
NORTON ANTI-VIRUS 2012 - 1 Year Licence for 1 PC (£14)

Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)

= £1270


What i was set on purchasing..

Case - Antec 1200 Twelve Hundred
Power Supply - Corsair 750W TX V2
Processor - Intel Core i7 3770K 3.5Ghz
Processor Cooler - Stock Manufacturer Heatsink and fan
RAM - 8GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600Mhz/PC12800
Motherboard - Asus P8Z77-V LX
Graphics card - AMD/ATI Radeon HD 7950 3GB
Hard Drive - Seagate Barracuda 1TB Hard Drive 7200rpm 32MB Cache
Sound card - Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio
Optical Drive - Sony 24x DVD/CD ± Re-Writer Black
Network card - Integrated 10/100/1000Mbps
Lighting Kit - Blue LED
Case fans - Standard Case Fans
Operating System - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium inc Win 8 Upgrade Offer - recommended

= £1,346.01

the one thing i did like was the LED fans, do they do them on this site? - Apart from that, for me it seems the first is superior though cheaper, however i don't know the difference in quality for example between Corsair and Kingson RAM selected. please give me some changes and feedback. Any help is MASSIVELY appreciated and will set me on the right. Thanks in advance.
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
You don't need to get the k version of the CPU since you don't need to overclock for your intended use. Other than that I chose the PCS spec, you can go to kustompc for blue leds.
I'd go with the i5-3550 and a better GPU, the GTX 670 has a similar performance to the HD 7970, the motherboard and PSU would allow you to add a 2nd GTX 670 later on if needed.

Case
COOLERMASTER CM STORM ENFORCER - GAMING ENTHUSIAST CASE

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-3550 (3.3GHz) 6MB Cache

Motherboard
ASUS® P8Z77-V: PCI-E 3.0 READY, WIFI, SLI, CROSSFIREX

Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)

Graphics Card
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 670 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 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

Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT

Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W ENTHUSIAST SERIES™ TX750 V2-80 PLUS® BRONZE (£86)

Processor Cooling
SUPER QUIET 22dBA TRIPLE COPPER HEATPIPE INTEL CPU COOLER (£19)

Fan Controller
NZXT Sentry 2 Fan Controller with upto 5 Fitted Case Fans

Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D PCI-E Soundcard (£59)

Network Facilities
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 w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence

Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)

Anti-Virus
BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL

Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)

Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)

Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days

Quantity
1

Price: £1,276.00 including VAT and delivery.

Configure Here: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/intel-ivy-bridge-pc/VG9JD2Qmp_/
 
Last edited:
Corfate

Corfate

Author Level
No real difference in the RAM, just the heatsinks on them. Depends on which you think looks nicer :)
 
J

Jackogeddes

Bronze Level Poster
Thanks for the sharp reply - the notable differences for me in the PCS is the the power supply, Memory, RAM, cooling system and the 3D sound card? is there really much difference, it seems cheaper for improvements?
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
Jackogeddes said:
Thanks for the sharp reply - the notable differences for me in the PCS is the the power supply, Memory, RAM, cooling system and the 3D sound card? is there really much difference, it seems cheaper for improvements?
Click to expand...

As corfate mentioned memory is the same, the PSU you selected on your PCS spec is better than the one from UK gaming computers since it is modular (it allows for better cable management and airflow in your case)
If you are really interested in a good soundcard I'd choose the Asus Xonar DX over those creative soundcards on both specs you posted, check reviews online on the creative soundcards.
 
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J

Jackogeddes

Bronze Level Poster
Isn't the i5 a downgrade? i want to future proof it anyway and mabye overclock a little later on so the i7 seemed like the best option. also, whats the sound system difference? i liked the idea of 3D and it sounds better than the UKG one. is the super quite cooling system good enough too? and is the second memory hard disk you recommended neccesery?
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
Jackogeddes said:
Isn't the i5 a downgrade? i want to future proof it anyway and mabye overclock a little later on so the i7 seemed like the best option. also, whats the sound system difference? i liked the idea of 3D and it sounds better than the UKG one. is the super quite cooling system good enough too? and is the second memory hard disk you recommended neccesery?
Click to expand...

The i5 performs as well in gaming than the i7 since games do not use hyper treading (i7),
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/the-sandy-bridge-review-intel-core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested/20

overclocking is not needed for gaming and if you wish to do it you'll need to upgrade your cpu cooler choice. The Asus Xonar supports Directsound3d and from reviews it seems to be a better choice than both creative cards you have chosen.

http://uk.asus.com/Multimedia/Audio_Cards/Xonar_DX/#specifications
 
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J

Jackogeddes

Bronze Level Poster
god, theres just so many options and i feel like when i find a decent build people say get others and stuff haha i'm feeling clueless, can you just clarify for me the build i mentioned from PCS can run the likes of shogun and WoW on ultra settings with smooth gaming? i'm hoping to have it for 3-4 years is that realistic? i'm sorry if it seems like im dismissing your advice but i really don't have enough in depth knowledge of this to know whats worth it and at the end of the day if the one i picked does what i want well, at mabye a tad more expense i may aswell just get it! I think i'm just going to go with the PCS build, the increased power outlet, better sound system and 1 year security for £100 cheaper - I may just upgrade to the 7970 with the extra money, or will it not make much difference? - also am i worth upgrading to the liquid cooling system?

also i seem to just disregard the geforce GPU's as Raedon seemed like the way to go, but what do you think of the 7970 vs the 680?

from the site
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
On WoW the GTX 670 outperforms the HD 7970, same in Battlefield 3 and Crysis 2
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-670-review,3200-15.html
If money is not an issue you can get the GTX 680 but the difference between the GTX 670 and 680 is very small and does not represent good value for money.
I'd choose the cpu liquid cooling if you decide to overclock, I have the coolit fatboy and it works very well.
I am just offering my opinion, I don't feel you are dismissing my comments. Hope that is more clear now.
 
J

Jackogeddes

Bronze Level Poster
thanks for all the help bud - so if i'm able to get the 680, should i? The rig i'm looking at doesn't have the 670 available. how big a difference can you see on games such as WoW between the 7950 and 680?
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
Jackogeddes said:
thanks for all the help bud - so if i'm able to get the 680, should i? The rig i'm looking at doesn't have the 670 available. how big a difference can you see on games such as WoW between the 7950 and 680?
Click to expand...

From the link I posted the 670 is 42.7% faster than the 7970 in WoW and the 680 is around 2% faster than the 670.
 
J

Jackogeddes

Bronze Level Poster
Wait wait it does. might just go 680, Any idea the difference in Total war games? the 680 obviously blitzes the 7950 on WoW, but really overall i know you said between the 670 and 680 there is minimal, but how minimal?

right one last thing, if i went for i5-3550, what differences would i see if i had have picked the i7?
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
Jackogeddes said:
2% of a difference? really is it that small? .. whats the benefit of the 680 then compared to the 670?
Click to expand...

Well that is why I said I'd go with the 670 since it is better value for money, the difference in performance is very very small but the price difference is around £100.
 
J

Jackogeddes

Bronze Level Poster
so overall not just WoW i won't see a worthwhile difference at all? and you'd definitely recommend the 670 over the 7950?

and overall not just in gaming, whats the i5 and i7 difference?
 
J

Jackogeddes

Bronze Level Poster
heres what i've got, what changes would you make to this? idealy i just want a solid computer i can use day to day for the next 3-4 years aswell as being able to run WoW, Total war and battlefield etc on max without any problems what so ever mate, you've been a huge help!

Case
PCS MAELSTROM T900 BLACK GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-3550 (3.3GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® P8Z77-V: PCI-E 3.0 READY, WIFI, SLI, CROSSFIREX
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPERX GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1866MHz X.M.P(2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 670 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 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
Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W PRO SERIES™ HX750-80 PLUS® SILVER MODULAR (£114)
Processor Cooling
SUPER QUIET 22dBA TRIPLE COPPER HEATPIPE INTEL CPU COOLER (£19)
Fan Controller
NZXT Sentry 2 Fan Controller with upto 5 Fitted Case Fans
Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D PCI-E Soundcard (£59)
Network Facilities
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 w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)
Anti-Virus
NORTON ANTI-VIRUS 2012 - 1 Year Licence for 1 PC (£14)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Quantity
1
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
Jackogeddes said:
so overall not just WoW i won't see a worthwhile difference at all? and you'd definitely recommend the 670 over the 7950?

and overall not just in gaming, whats the i5 and i7 difference?
Click to expand...

The GTX 670 is much better than the 7950. For gaming there is not much difference between the i5 and i7 but I'd go with the i7 if you are running applications that are CPU intensive.
 
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