Advice on this gaming PC

[Four Dyce]

Hi all. I've bought my previous PC from PCS about 2 years ago now, but it's getting a bit creaky. I have managed to save about £2000, so that's the top end of my budget. I want to make it as future proof as possible. Going through the Build Your Own - Desktop options, here is the first try. I also have some questions later.

AMD Based System

AEROCOOL SYCLONE II MID TOWER GAMING CASE

Processor
AMD Bulldozer Quad Core FX-4100

Motherboard
ASUS Sabertooth 990FX - TUF Series Military Grade Motherboard

Memory
8GB Kingston Hyper-X Genesis Dual DDR3

Graphics Card
3GB AMD Radeon HD7970

1st HDD
250GB Intel 520 Series SSD, Sata 6 Gb/s

2nd HDD
1TB Seagate Barracuda Sata 6 Gb/s

Blu-ray Drive
12x Blu-Ray Rom Drive, 16x DVD +R/+RW

Power Supply
Corsair 850W Enthusiast Series TX850 V2-80

Processor Cooling
Coolit Eco II Fatboy Push/Pull Config Liquid CPU Cooler

Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium


Plus all the other bits and bobs you can choose from like the fan controller, PCS Extra Care delivery and the Fast Track 5 Working Day Dispatch, the total cost including VAT comes to £1.690. I don't need a monitor, mouse and keyboard as I already have those. But with the money left from a budget of £2000 I can buy them near where I live anyway.

----------------------------------------------------------

1 - What is the main differences between an Intel and AMD based system? Bearing in mind it's a gaming machine.

2 - Any thoughts on graphics card? I've chosen a HD7970 but I was also considering 2 HD6970's. Which would perform best?

3 - I don't think I need the 6 or 8-Core processors do I really? I think dev's are only just making use of 4-Cores really.

4 - Would the case and motherboard have room enough for SLI/Crossfire? Not for now, maybe in the future.

5 - I've wanted an SSD for a while, but are they any better than just a fast HDD? But I also heard they can break down faster.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Well that's all the questions I can think of for now. Thanks for any advice.

 

[Music Guy123]

1. Intel are faster and I think better built. But they come with a price tag. I would highly recommend an i7 2600.

2. 1 x 7970 will blitz any current game, however, make the spec future proof so that you can add another later when one starts to struggle on its own.

3. You don't, 4 cores will be fine. I would get an i7 2600 as it comes with hyper threading which will give virtual cores if you need it.

4. The mobo will, I would possibly upgrade the case but your choice should still be fine if you really like it.

5. I would definately recommend an SSD, especially with a budget like that.

 

[Music Guy123]

You also probably shouldn't need the sound card. I would get this spec:

Case
AEROCOOL SYCLONE II MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7-2600 Quad Core (3.40GHz, 8MB Cache) + HD Graphics
Motherboard
ASUS® P8Z68-V/GEN3: PCI-E 3.0 READY, SLI, CROSSFIREX
Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG DUAL-DDR3 1333MHz (2 X 4GB)
Graphics Card
3GB AMD RADEON™ HD7970 - DVI,HDMI,2 mDP - DX® 11, Eyefinity 4 Capable
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON HYPERX SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
2TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD2002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
12x BLU-RAY RE-WRITER DRIVE, 16x DVD ±R/±RW (£69)
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® SILVER MODULAR (£159)
Processor Cooling
COOLIT ECO II FAT BOY PUSH/PULL CONFIG LIQUID CPU COOLER (£79)
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
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)
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: £1,701.00 including VAT and delivery.

Configure Here: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/computers/intel-sandy-bridge-pc/

 

[bg92]

You also probably shouldn't need the sound card. I would get this spec:

Case
AEROCOOL SYCLONE II MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7-2600 Quad Core (3.40GHz, 8MB Cache) + HD Graphics
Motherboard
ASUS® P8Z68-V/GEN3: PCI-E 3.0 READY, SLI, CROSSFIREX
Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG DUAL-DDR3 1333MHz (2 X 4GB)
Graphics Card
3GB AMD RADEON™ HD7970 - DVI,HDMI,2 mDP - DX® 11, Eyefinity 4 Capable
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON HYPERX SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
2TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD2002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
12x BLU-RAY RE-WRITER DRIVE, 16x DVD ±R/±RW (£69)
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® SILVER MODULAR (£159)
Processor Cooling
COOLIT ECO II FAT BOY PUSH/PULL CONFIG LIQUID CPU COOLER (£79)
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
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)
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: £1,701.00 including VAT and delivery.

Configure Here: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/computers/intel-sandy-bridge-pc/

Power supply is overkill. A hx750 would be a better choice. I would put the money saved towards a better case and a intel 520 series ssd instead of kingston hyperx ssd.

 

[Four Dyce]

Thanks, yeah I did like the look of that case. However....I also liked the look of the NZXT PHANTOM 410 White Gaming Case. Also the dimensions are bigger.

I thought computers performed better with a dedicated sound card. Takes some load off the processor? Actually I could also take the sound card out of this one as it's practically the same one, and put it in the new one.

Lastly could I get away with a 850w PSU, instead of that 1050w?

Edit: bg92 got it in before me. So a 850w should be fine?

 

[TJWhonley]

not sure if you sli 7970s it will be good enough for 1 tho try putting 2 in your spec and then seeing if you have enough power by pressing proceed

 

[Four Dyce]

You're not sure if Crossfire HD7970's will be good enough?

Edit: Oh wait hang on, I know what you meant now, sorry. I was being dumb. It tells you after you click proceed whether the build has the power to run the components? Well I don't plan on 2 cards yet, I'll probably just stick to 1 for now. What I wanted to make sure of was the mobo and case that if in the future I need another card it will fit.

 

[bg92]

When it comes to soundcards, they do make a difference, but only really useful if you are planing to use high end speakers, and want very good positional audio.
btw this is what I would go for, maybe with a soundcard either SB Recon3D Fatal1ty Pro or SoundBlaster Recon3D PCI-E
Case
NZXT PHANTOM 410 WHITE GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7-2600k Quad Core (3.40GHz, 8MB Cache) + HD Graphics
Motherboard
ASUS® P8Z68-V/GEN3: PCI-E 3.0 READY, SLI, CROSSFIREX
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
3GB AMD RADEON™ HD7970 - DVI,HDMI,2 mDP - DX® 11, Eyefinity 4 Capable
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
120GB INTEL® 520 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
2TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD2002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W PRO SERIES™ HX750-80 PLUS® SILVER MODULAR (£116)
Processor Cooling
TITAN FENRIR EVO EXTREME HEATPIPE CPU COOLER (£39)
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
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)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
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: £1,600.00 including VAT and delivery.

Configure Here: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/computers/intel-sandy-bridge-pc/

 

[Four Dyce]

I have Logitech surround sound speakers, so I think I'll need to get one, or use this old one.

I'll try that build, maybe add and tweak it a little, but the main components are going to be the same though.

Edit: Yes that is a very good build, with a soundcard and 1 or 2 other bits it comes to £1.664.

 

[tom_gr7]

Case
NZXT PHANTOM 410 WHITE GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7-2600k Quad Core (3.40GHz, 8MB Cache) + HD Graphics
Motherboard
ASUS® P8Z68-V/GEN3: PCI-E 3.0 READY, SLI, CROSSFIREX
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
3GB AMD RADEON™ HD7970 - DVI,HDMI,2 mDP - DX® 11, Eyefinity 4 Capable
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
120GB INTEL® 520 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
2TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD2002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W PRO SERIES™ HX750-80 PLUS® SILVER MODULAR (£116)
Processor Cooling
TITAN FENRIR EVO EXTREME HEATPIPE CPU COOLER (£39)
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
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)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
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: £1,600.00 including VAT and delivery.

Configure Here: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/computers/intel-sandy-bridge-pc/

that spec is pretty ace! couldnt faulty it!

@four dyce, how do you're sound system connect up? analogue? Optical cable?

 

[Four Dyce]

It's the three connectors in the back of the card. Black, red and green are they? Something like that. (Colourblind)

Well, I've done it :yes: Went ahead and ordered it. Phew, for some reason I always get nervous when placing an order online like that.

Thanks for all the advice guys, it really helped Gave you all some rep.