How balanced or unbalanced is this gaming spec?
- Thread starter DEK
- Start date
+1. For over £100 cheaper you get a CPU with nigh on identical performance. Here's a video of an i5 3570T @ 3.3GHz VS an i7 3770k @ 4.5GHz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRvq4-N423k
No noticeable fps difference.
OK Here's a slightly changed spec although I'm struggling with the choice of case as I want lots of fans for cooling AND the multi card-reader, which is unavailable on many of the cases I tried to change to. I'm not too bothered by what it looks like but there ARE some cases that I wouldn't want to look at on a regular basis.
@Wolvo7 I think I'll keep the i7 as you suggest:
Still undecided about the Mobo going from a Sabertooth Z77 to a Z77 Pro. Is there a possible future pitfall if I'm keeping the i7?
Case
PCS MAELSTROM T900 BLACK GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-3770 (3.4GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® SABERTOOTH Z77: USB 3.0, SATA 6.0GB/s, THERMAL ARMOR
Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (4 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 690 DUAL GPU - 3 x DVI-I, 1 x mDP
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
120GB INTEL® 520 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
3rd 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 1050W PRO SERIES™ HX1050-80 PLUS® GOLD MODULAR (£159)
Processor Cooling
Super Quiet 22dBA Triple Copper Heatpipe Intel CPU Cooler (£19)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£69)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 11 working days
Miscellaneous
FREE METRO: LAST LIGHT GAME with GTX 660 & UPWARDS GPUs!
Quantity
1
Price: £2,159.00 including VAT and delivery.
@Wolvo7 I think I'll keep the i7 as you suggest:
Still undecided about the Mobo going from a Sabertooth Z77 to a Z77 Pro. Is there a possible future pitfall if I'm keeping the i7?
Case
PCS MAELSTROM T900 BLACK GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-3770 (3.4GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® SABERTOOTH Z77: USB 3.0, SATA 6.0GB/s, THERMAL ARMOR
Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (4 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 690 DUAL GPU - 3 x DVI-I, 1 x mDP
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
120GB INTEL® 520 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
3rd 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 1050W PRO SERIES™ HX1050-80 PLUS® GOLD MODULAR (£159)
Processor Cooling
Super Quiet 22dBA Triple Copper Heatpipe Intel CPU Cooler (£19)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£69)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 11 working days
Miscellaneous
FREE METRO: LAST LIGHT GAME with GTX 660 & UPWARDS GPUs!
Quantity
1
Price: £2,159.00 including VAT and delivery.
Last edited:
KrossBowKitty
Bronze Level Poster
Hey there!
If you are using your third drive as a back-up, you may wish to consider RAID 1, as this automatically backs all your files up, while increasing the overall speed in load times while opening files and programs from the HDD.
Also, ASUS tend to make motherboards that are aimed at certain users - very few are bad quality, and I can assure you if any of ASUS's mobos sold on PCS were poor quality, PCS wouldn't be selling them in the first place.
For your intended use, the Sabertooth will last as long as any other mobo you get from PCS, and you wouldn't see much (if any) performance boost. The Sabertooth is designed for seriously intensive users, overclockers and people who use advanced or complex setups.
The ASUS P8Z77-V for example would be more than enough for the type of usage you will get out of this machine.
However, if you're really set on the Sabertooth, you could pay the extra cash for it, but I don't know how much use you'll get out of it.
Hope that helps
If you are using your third drive as a back-up, you may wish to consider RAID 1, as this automatically backs all your files up, while increasing the overall speed in load times while opening files and programs from the HDD.
Also, ASUS tend to make motherboards that are aimed at certain users - very few are bad quality, and I can assure you if any of ASUS's mobos sold on PCS were poor quality, PCS wouldn't be selling them in the first place.
For your intended use, the Sabertooth will last as long as any other mobo you get from PCS, and you wouldn't see much (if any) performance boost. The Sabertooth is designed for seriously intensive users, overclockers and people who use advanced or complex setups.
The ASUS P8Z77-V for example would be more than enough for the type of usage you will get out of this machine.
However, if you're really set on the Sabertooth, you could pay the extra cash for it, but I don't know how much use you'll get out of it.
Hope that helps
No, I don't want to use a RAID setup, but thanks for your suggestion
. My concern about the Mobo is if I'm running dual 24" 1920x1080 monitors and 5.1 surround-sound speakers as well as the rest of the spec, will there be any negative impact by a change of Mobo to the ASUS P8Z77-V from the Sabertooth Z77? Or is the Sabertooth simply overkill with absolutely NO benefits whatsoever?
A final thought today, should I add a wireless network card or just assume that I'll always be wired into our Superhub for the foreseeable future?
Last edited:
keynes
Multiverse Poster
There shouldn't be any noticeable difference for your intended use between the 2 motherboards, it is not that the sabertooth doesn't have any benefits but most of the additional features are not likely to benefit the average user.
the more fans you add the noisier it may get, if you are planning to SLI and/or wish to have better cooling then you could consider a full tower case like the storm trooper.
Right, here we go one more time.
I have changed the mobo to the P8Z77-V (is this the same as the v-Pro that someone mentioned, as it's not specified?) I'm still in two minds about this one.
I have changed the 3rd HDD to a 1TB WD Caviar Green as it will be used simply to backup images and for file storage. Is this a wiser choice than the earlier Caviar Black?
The 2nd HDD will remain as a 1TB Caviar Black as that will have games, some music and photos/videos installed on it.
Also, the Thermal paste option seems to have disappeared from the selection drop-downs. Is this because of my particular choices?
Case
PCS MAELSTROM T900 BLACK GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-3770 (3.4GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® P8Z77-V: PCI-E 3.0 READY, WIFI, SLI, CROSSFIREX
Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (4 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 690 DUAL GPU - 3 x DVI-I, 1 x mDP
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON V300 SSD, SATA 6 Gb (450MB/R, 450MB/W)
2nd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
3rd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR GREEN WD10EZRX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE
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 1050W PRO SERIES™ HX1050-80 PLUS® GOLD MODULAR (£159)
Processor Cooling
Super Quiet 22dBA Triple Copper Heatpipe Intel CPU Cooler (£19)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Surge Protection
6 Socket Compact 2M UFO Surge Protector (£9)
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£69)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 11 working days
Miscellaneous
FREE METRO: LAST LIGHT GAME with GTX 660 & UPWARDS GPUs!
Quantity
1
Price: £2,071.00 including VAT and delivery.
I have changed the mobo to the P8Z77-V (is this the same as the v-Pro that someone mentioned, as it's not specified?) I'm still in two minds about this one.
I have changed the 3rd HDD to a 1TB WD Caviar Green as it will be used simply to backup images and for file storage. Is this a wiser choice than the earlier Caviar Black?
The 2nd HDD will remain as a 1TB Caviar Black as that will have games, some music and photos/videos installed on it.
Also, the Thermal paste option seems to have disappeared from the selection drop-downs. Is this because of my particular choices?
Case
PCS MAELSTROM T900 BLACK GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-3770 (3.4GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® P8Z77-V: PCI-E 3.0 READY, WIFI, SLI, CROSSFIREX
Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (4 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 690 DUAL GPU - 3 x DVI-I, 1 x mDP
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON V300 SSD, SATA 6 Gb (450MB/R, 450MB/W)
2nd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
3rd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR GREEN WD10EZRX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE
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 1050W PRO SERIES™ HX1050-80 PLUS® GOLD MODULAR (£159)
Processor Cooling
Super Quiet 22dBA Triple Copper Heatpipe Intel CPU Cooler (£19)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Surge Protection
6 Socket Compact 2M UFO Surge Protector (£9)
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£69)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 11 working days
Miscellaneous
FREE METRO: LAST LIGHT GAME with GTX 660 & UPWARDS GPUs!
Quantity
1
Price: £2,071.00 including VAT and delivery.
Wolvo7
Bright Spark
The v-pro had thunderbolt ports but it hasn't been listed for some time now. If you're only gonna use the 3rd HDD for backup and won't run anything intensive from it then a Green is a good idea, it's more energy efficient and switches off when not in use.
However looking at your expensive setup I would get a nicer case the Maelstrom is perfectly capable but with those components you could go with something that provides better airflow. CM cases have a good rep in that respect.
However looking at your expensive setup I would get a nicer case the Maelstrom is perfectly capable but with those components you could go with something that provides better airflow. CM cases have a good rep in that respect.
Thanks, I will keep the 3rd HDD as a Green then.
EDIT:
I have changed the spec to take out the card reader and change the case. Better?
Or should I go with the Haf X Full Tower? I do worry a little of the power needed to run all those fans, and will it be noisy? Also it would be getting to the limit of what can fit under my desk!
Case
COOLERMASTER HAF XM - GAMING ENTHUSIAST CASE + USB 3.0
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-3770 (3.4GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® P8Z77-V: PCI-E 3.0 READY, WIFI, SLI, CROSSFIREX
Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (4 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 690 DUAL GPU - 3 x DVI-I, 1 x mDP
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
120GB INTEL® 520 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
3rd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR GREEN WD10EZRX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1050W PRO SERIES™ HX1050-80 PLUS® GOLD MODULAR (£159)
Processor Cooling
Super Quiet 22dBA Triple Copper Heatpipe Intel CPU Cooler (£19)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Surge Protection
6 Socket Compact 2M UFO Surge Protector (£9)
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£69)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 11 working days
Miscellaneous
FREE METRO: LAST LIGHT GAME with GTX 660 & UPWARDS GPUs!
Quantity
1
Price: £2,115.00 including VAT and delivery.
EDIT:I have changed the spec to take out the card reader and change the case. Better?
Or should I go with the Haf X Full Tower? I do worry a little of the power needed to run all those fans, and will it be noisy? Also it would be getting to the limit of what can fit under my desk!
Case
COOLERMASTER HAF XM - GAMING ENTHUSIAST CASE + USB 3.0
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-3770 (3.4GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® P8Z77-V: PCI-E 3.0 READY, WIFI, SLI, CROSSFIREX
Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (4 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 690 DUAL GPU - 3 x DVI-I, 1 x mDP
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
120GB INTEL® 520 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
3rd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR GREEN WD10EZRX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1050W PRO SERIES™ HX1050-80 PLUS® GOLD MODULAR (£159)
Processor Cooling
Super Quiet 22dBA Triple Copper Heatpipe Intel CPU Cooler (£19)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Surge Protection
6 Socket Compact 2M UFO Surge Protector (£9)
Warranty
3 Year Gold Warranty (2 Year Collect & Return, 2 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£69)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 11 working days
Miscellaneous
FREE METRO: LAST LIGHT GAME with GTX 660 & UPWARDS GPUs!
Quantity
1
Price: £2,115.00 including VAT and delivery.
Last edited:
Thanks for your help, Wolvo7 and to everyone else :winkiss: . Unless I have a last-minute panic, this spec might well be The One.
Yes, I will post pics when I get it. I'm hoping this one will last me for some time.
This will be my second PC from PCS. My other one is now 3.5 years old. It will be going to a good home with my Illustrator daughter, though, and no doubt I will have to maintain it still
Yes, I will post pics when I get it. I'm hoping this one will last me for some time.
This will be my second PC from PCS. My other one is now 3.5 years old. It will be going to a good home with my Illustrator daughter, though, and no doubt I will have to maintain it still