Potential New PC

[JaM1e]

Hi Everyone.

So I bought my first PC from PC Specialist back in 2011 and now I'm thinking of buying a complete new system and donating my existing PC to my brother. I've got the below build in mind, however just want some feed back as to wether to go ahead with this build or not, or if something could be changed etc.

Case
COOLERMASTER COSMOS SE GAMING TOWER (Windowed)
Free Item
CM Storm Pitch Gaming Headset
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4820K (3.7GHz) 10MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® SABERTOOTH X79: SOCKET 2011, R.O.G
Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 8GB KIT)
Graphics Card
3GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 780 Ti - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
Free Item
FREE ASSASSINS CREED BLACK FLAG with GTX 660 & 7 Series GPUs!
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
240GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
2TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD2003FZEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x BLU-RAY ROM DRIVE, 16x DVD ±R/±RW
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100i Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Extra Case Fans
2 x 12CM Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster Zx 5.1 PCI-E Soundcard
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 2 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 8.1 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence
Monitor
IIYAMA GB2773HS-GB1 27" Gaming Monitor
Keyboard & Mouse
Razer® Black Widow 2013 Ultimate Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Mouse
Razer® Deathadder 2013 Gaming Mouse
Gaming Mouse Pad
Razer Goliathus 2013 Large Speed Mouse Mat
Headsets
Razer Tiamat 7.1 Gaming Headset
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
FAST TRACK 3 WORKING DAY DISPATCH

**EDIT**

I should also add I'm seriously considering just purchasing the The 17.3" Vortex IV as most games I want to play will come out the PS4 and for games such as Dark Souls II, the below would be sufficent to run that? Thinking of hooking the Laptop up via HMDI to my 46" Smart TV... I'm hoping that would work? If so I think I might just opt for the Laptop... Opinions?

Chassis & Display
Vortex Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-4700MQ (2.40GHz) 6MB
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 780M - 4.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Memory - Hard Disk
240GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
750GB WD SCORPIO BLACK WD7500BPKX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 16MB CACHE (7200 rpm)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
6x BLURAY ROM, 8x DVD ±R/±RW & CYBERLINK SOFTWARE
Memory Card Reader
Internal 9 in 1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD: Mini, XC & HC/MS: Pro & Duo)
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND (£9)
Sound Card
Intel 5.1 Channel High Definition Audio + SPDIF/MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & KILLER™ 1202 WIRELESS GAMING 802.11N + BLUETOOTH 4.0
USB Options
3 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT AS STANDARD
Firewire
1 X 1394a FIREWIRE PORT
Battery
Vortex Series 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (5,200 mAh/76.96WH)
Power Lead & Adaptor
1 x UK Power Lead & 230W AC Adaptor
Operating System
Genuine Windows 8.1 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence
Laptop Cooling Stands
Zalman ZM-NC3500 Ultra-Quiet Laptop Cooler, up to17.3 inch
Keyboard Language
INTEGRATED BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD WITH NUMBER PAD
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 2.0 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Dead Pixel Guarantee
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Insurance
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Delivery
PCS EXTRA-CARE DIAMOND DELIVERY - MON-FRI, PRE-NOON
Build Time
FAST TRACK 5 WORKING DAY DISPATCH
Quantity
1

 

[keynes]

So you going for the vortex instead? Just for gaming?

 

[JaM1e]

Certainly thinking about it, mainly gaming and the normal stuff surfing, streaming etc. Will also come in handy for work, presentations etc.

 

[keynes]

Certainly thinking about it, mainly gaming and the normal stuff surfing, streaming etc. Will also come in handy for work, presentations etc.

The vortex you spec looks pretty good.

 

[PLAYDODGY]

If mainly for gaming , no need for more than 8gig mem, a bench with 8 gig and 16gig was done, and there was no improvement in using 16 gig, don't waste your money unless you be doing a lot of 3d,photoshop or video processing work, there are no benefits for gaming.

 

[JaM1e]

If mainly for gaming , no need for more than 8gig mem, a bench with 8 gig and 16gig was done, and there was no improvement in using 16 gig, don't waste your money unless you be doing a lot of 3d,photoshop or video processing work, there are no benefits for gaming.

I thought as much, I'll be sure to drop this down to save a bit money. Thanks for the honesty! Still can't decide wether to ditch the PC for the Laptop!!

 

[JaM1e]

Well after careful consideration I've decided to go for the PC build, these are my refined specs:

Case
COOLERMASTER COSMOS SE GAMING TOWER (Windowed)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4820K (3.7GHz) 10MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® SABERTOOTH X79: SOCKET 2011, R.O.G
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPERX BEAST DUAL-DDR3 2400MHz X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
3GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 780 Ti - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
240GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
2TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD2003FZEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x BLU-RAY ROM DRIVE, 16x DVD ±R/±RW
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100i Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Extra Case Fans
2 x 12CM Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster Zx 5.1 PCI-E Soundcard
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 2 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 8.1 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence
DVD Recovery Media
Windows 8.1 (64-bit) DVD with paper sleeve
Monitor
IIYAMA GB2773HS-GB1 27" Gaming Monitor
Keyboard & Mouse
Razer® Black Widow 2013 Ultimate Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Mouse
Razer® Deathadder 2013 Gaming Mouse
Gaming Mouse Pad
Razer Goliathus 2013 Large Speed Mouse Mat
Headsets
Razer Tiamat 7.1 Gaming Headset
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
FAST TRACK 5 WORKING DAY DISPATCH
Miscellaneous
FREE ASSASSINS CREED BLACK FLAG with GTX 660 & 7 Series GPUs!

Now before I place my order, is there anything I should consider changing? As you can see from my original spec I've dropped the RAM from 16GB to 8GB. Is the MOBO sufficent? I did consider Six Core, however I just feel it's pure overkill. Also can anyone recommend a stand or something similar, as my PC sits on my carpet?

 

[keynes]

You could get an i7-4770 instead. No need for 2400mhz ram, 1600mhz is enough.

 

[JaM1e]

You could get an i7-4770 instead. No need for 2400mhz ram, 1600mhz is enough.

It won't allow me to choose a lower CPU than what I have? Also the price difference between the 2400mhz & 1600mhz is negligible, is there any harm in having the 2400mhz?

+Rep keynes for always replying and helping out.

 

[Rakk]

It won't allow me to choose a lower CPU than what I have?

You have to go to a slightly different configurator to select the i7-4770, the configurator page that you need is here: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/computers/intel-haswell-pc/

 

[keynes]

It won't allow me to choose a lower CPU than what I have? Also the price difference between the 2400mhz & 1600mhz is negligible, is there any harm in having the 2400mhz?

+Rep keynes for always replying and helping out.

For gaming you won't get a noticeable improvement between the i7-4820k and the i7-4770. I would use Rakk's link to get a similar spec which is cheaper without any loss in performance gaming wise.

 

[JaM1e]

You have to go to a slightly different configurator to select the i7-4770, the configurator page that you need is here: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/computers/intel-haswell-pc/

Ah excellent! Thank you very much.

For gaming you won't get a noticeable improvement between the i7-4820k and the i7-4770. I would use Rakk's link to get a similar spec which is cheaper without any loss in performance gaming wise.

Okay so based on what you have said I've gone for:

Case
COOLERMASTER COSMOS SE GAMING TOWER (Windowed)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4770k (3.5GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
Gigabyte Z87M-D3H: Micro-ATX, LG1150, USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
3GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 780 Ti - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
240GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
2TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD2003FZEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x BLU-RAY ROM DRIVE, 16x DVD ±R/±RW
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100i Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Extra Case Fans
2 x 12CM Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster Zx 5.1 PCI-E Soundcard
Wireless/Wired Networking
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
Power Cable
1 x 2 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 8.1 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence
DVD Recovery Media
Windows 8.1 (64-bit) DVD with paper sleeve
Office Software
Monitor
IIYAMA GB2773HS-GB1 27" Gaming Monitor
Keyboard & Mouse
Razer® Black Widow 2013 Ultimate Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Mouse
Razer® Deathadder 2013 Gaming Mouse
Gaming Mouse Pad
Razer Goliathus 2013 Large Speed Mouse Mat
Headsets
Razer Tiamat 7.1 Gaming Headset
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
FAST TRACK 5 WORKING DAY DISPATCH
Miscellaneous
FREE ASSASSINS CREED BLACK FLAG with GTX 660 & 7 Series GPUs!

Now are you certain there won't be a noticable drop in performance? I want to be able to max out games for the next couple of years!

 

[keynes]

Yes, no noticeable performance difference for gaming. You also don't need top overclock your CPU for gaming. I would go with the z87-a motherboard, it has more expansion slots.

 

[JaM1e]

Excellent. Saved me around £150 all in all. Very much appreciated.

 

[JaM1e]

Just ordered...

Case
COOLERMASTER COSMOS SE GAMING TOWER (Windowed)
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4770k (3.5GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® Z87-A: ATX, USB3.0, SATA6GB/S, SLi, XFIRE
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
3GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 780 Ti - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
240GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
2TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD2003FZEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x BLU-RAY ROM DRIVE, 16x DVD ±R/±RW
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Processor Cooling
Corsair H100i Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Extra Case Fans
2 x 12CM Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster Zx 5.1 PCI-E Soundcard
Wireless/Wired Networking
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
Power Cable
1 x 2 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 8.1 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence
DVD Recovery Media
Windows 8.1 (64-bit) DVD with paper sleeve
Monitor
IIYAMA GB2773HS-GB1 27" Gaming Monitor
Keyboard & Mouse
Razer® Black Widow 2013 Ultimate Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Mouse
Razer® Deathadder 2013 Gaming Mouse
Gaming Mouse Pad
Razer Goliathus 2013 Large Speed Mouse Mat
Headsets
Razer Tiamat 7.1 Gaming Headset
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
FAST TRACK 5 WORKING DAY DISPATCH
Miscellaneous
FREE ASSASSINS CREED BLACK FLAG with GTX 660 & 7 Series GPUs!

My second build from PCS and I'm like a little kid and Xmas!!! Went for Fast Track this time around, and hoping there are no complications! Standard build time felt like an eternity last time around!!! Pictures upon arrival! :clap:

 

[4ner]

Would've got an Asus motherboard,but everything else looks awesome.

 

[JaM1e]

I actually did order:

ASUS® Z87-A: ATX, USB3.0, SATA6GB/S, SLi, XFIRE

The Gigabyte one was a spec I posted before I was advised to go for the z87-a! My bad!! Edited

 

[mog3]

nice

 

[Lex1970]

Brilliant spec you've ordered there did you order the 850W PSU in case you consider purchasing an additional Graphics Card at a later stage?

 

[JaM1e]

Yeah that's the plan, will be a few months down the line now though!