Spec to check

N

neisco

Active member
Hi

first stab at a spec for gaming, photo editing, some video and general use. Any comments greatly appreciated, thanks.


Neil



Case
COOLERMASTER CM STORM TROOPER - GAMING ENTHUSIAST CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD FX-8320 Eight Core CPU (3.50GHz/8MB CACHE/AM3+)
Motherboard
ASUS® M5A99X EVO R2.0 (DDR3, USB3.0, 6Gb/s,CrossFireX/SLI, Windows 8)
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
2GB AMD RADEON™ R7 250 - DVI,HDMI,VGA - DX® 11
1st Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1003FZEX, 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 450W VS SERIES™ VS-450 POWER SUPPLY
Processor Cooling
Corsair H55 Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Extra Case Fans
2 x 12CM Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound Card
ASUS Xonar DS - Bring Hi-Fi spirit to your Music, Movie & Games
Wireless/Wired Networking
DUAL-BAND WIRELESS 802.11N 450Mbps PCI-E CARD
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 1 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
Microsoft® Office Home & Student 2013 (1 License & Disc)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days
Miscellaneous
FREE NSF - BRONZE GAME VOUCHER with AMD R7 240 & 250 GPUs
Quantity
1
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
Do you have a budget? For gaming the r7-250 is not a good choice. You also want to get at least silver warranty for £5.
 
N

neisco

Active member
thanks for speedy response!

Budget is £900 - £1000 max.

what would you recommend instead of the r7-250?

thanks
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
Case
COOLERMASTER HAF 912 PLUS MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4790 (3.6GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
Gigabyte H81M-D2V: Micro-ATX, LG1150, USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 770 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
1st Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1003FZEX, 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 650W VS SERIES™ VS-650 POWER SUPPLY
Processor Cooling
Super Quiet 22dBA Triple Copper Heatpipe Intel CPU Cooler (£19)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
DUAL-BAND WIRELESS 802.11N 450Mbps PCI-E CARD (£28)
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 8.1 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
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 7 to 9 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £981.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/intel-home-office-pc/4sWxmENkav/
 
N

neisco

Active member
Great thanks, looks pretty good, I was looking at that case meself.

I've always had amd processors before, as I thought they were value for money, but I probably can't beat the i7.

ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD) - this will be OK will it; I could spend a little more if it was worth it for better sound?
 
keynes

keynes

Multiverse Poster
I've always had amd processors before, as I thought they were value for money, but I probably can't beat the i7.
Click to expand...
it can't
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD) - this will be OK will it; I could spend a little more if it was worth it for better sound?
Click to expand...
I would try onboard audio first, unless you have very expensive set of speakers or require specific features then it is not essential.
 
N

neisco

Active member
Another spec to check

Hi folks

recently posted a £1000 spec.

Still shopping around and now looking at a £1500 spec, what does this look like? All comments gratefully received. Is the case OK? Would I need more cooling, more fans?

Case
COOLERMASTER HAF 912 PLUS MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4790k (4.0GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® Z97-A: ATX, USB3.0, SATA 6GB/S, SLi, XFIRE
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X BEAST DUAL-DDR3 2133MHz X.M.P (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB AMD RADEON™ R9 290X - DVI, HDMI, DP - DX® 11, Eyefinity 4 Capable
1st Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1003FZEX, 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 RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Processor Cooling
Corsair H55 Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
DUAL-BAND WIRELESS 802.11N 450Mbps PCI-E CARD
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 1 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
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
Anti-Virus
BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL
Monitor
ASUS VN247H 23" ULTRA FAST FULL HD LED DISPLAY
Surge Protection
MasterPlug SRG82 8 Socket 2m Surge Protector
Cable Tidy
PCS 1.5M Zip Cable Tidy - Professional Cable Management
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
Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days
Miscellaneous
Created Using Jargon Free Configurator
Quantity
1
 
E

evvo123

Enthusiast
neisco said:
Hi folks

recently posted a £1000 spec.

Still shopping around and now looking at a £1500 spec, what does this look like? All comments gratefully received. Is the case OK? Would I need more cooling, more fans?

Case
COOLERMASTER HAF 912 PLUS MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4790k (4.0GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® Z97-A: ATX, USB3.0, SATA 6GB/S, SLi, XFIRE
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X BEAST DUAL-DDR3 2133MHz X.M.P (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB AMD RADEON™ R9 290X - DVI, HDMI, DP - DX® 11, Eyefinity 4 Capable
1st Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1003FZEX, 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 RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Processor Cooling
Corsair H55 Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
DUAL-BAND WIRELESS 802.11N 450Mbps PCI-E CARD
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 1 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
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
Anti-Virus
BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL
Monitor
ASUS VN247H 23" ULTRA FAST FULL HD LED DISPLAY
Surge Protection
MasterPlug SRG82 8 Socket 2m Surge Protector
Cable Tidy
PCS 1.5M Zip Cable Tidy - Professional Cable Management
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
Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days
Miscellaneous
Created Using Jargon Free Configurator
Quantity
1
Click to expand...

I think the build looks very good (and nicely balanced). The reviews I've read have suggested that the case has fairly average airflow, but I'm sure it would be fine. That said, I'd always recommend more fans if possible. The CPU cooling is great (possibly more than necessary unless you're planning a mild overclock). Before you order it though, I'd check with PCS as to whether the R9 290Xs they use are reference or non-reference models. The reference models are designed to run at 95 degrees Celsius under load, and do get relatively loud (I have two) - many users (myself included) have had to raise the fan speed on the GPU to stop it from throttling (and subsequently capping the clock speed at 700MHz, as opposed to its default 1000MHz). The default max fan speed is set at a measly 40%, and has to be raised to ~55% (via the AMD Catalyst Control center). It's not particularly burdensome (and I don't really notice the noise when I'm playing with speakers/headphones), but if you like a really quiet/cool system, I wouldn't recommend the reference models. A reference card in the build wouldn't be enough to put me off, but I can definitely see how it might put others off. If the 290Xs PCS supply with systems are NON-reference cards with proper cooling, then forget everything I just said as none of it applies - it will run cool (70 - 80 Celsius under load depending on the model) and as quietly as top end Nvidia cards (the GTX 780 and 780 Ti).
 
Last edited:
N

neisco

Active member
Many thanks evvo,

I am still torn between the 290/290x and the 780s! I will check with PCS as to which cards they install as you advise.

Neil
 
N

neisco

Active member
Interestingly, here is a very similar spec which I have configured from one of the PCS intel overclocked builds. I wonder how this looks in comparison?

(Bear in mind that I was going to upgrade my original £1500 spec with the maximus Gene motherboard, add 2 case fans to the HAF 912 and upgrade the cooler too which would have taken the cost to £1636.)

Case
PCS MAELSTROM T900 BLACK GAMING CASE
Overclocked CPU
Overclocked Intel® Core™i7-4790k Quad Core (4.00GHz @ upto 4.70GHz)
Motherboard
ASUS® MAXIMUS VII GENE: RoG, PCI-e 3.0, SATA 3.0, USB3.0
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X FURY DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB AMD RADEON™ R9 290X - DVI, HDMI, DP - DX® 11, Eyefinity 4 Capable
1st Hard Disk
120GB Samsung 840 EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 410MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1003FZEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Processor Cooling
Corsair H80i Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 1 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
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
Anti-Virus
BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL
Monitor
ASUS VN247H 23" ULTRA FAST FULL HD LED DISPLAY
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days
Miscellaneous
FREE NSF - GOLD GAME VOUCHER with AMD R9 280 & 290 GPUs
Miscellaneous
FREE NSF - RUBY GAME VOUCHER with AMD R9 290 GPUs
Quantity
1
 
N

neisco

Active member
Oh and the quote for the latter build is £1581 (£1585 if I choose the kingston hyperx fury over the samsung evo ssd).

It seems a great build - though I wonder if the overclock is worth it (risk-wise), and also, regarding the case, this is the case I have in my current PC (AMD phenom II X4 955 and Radeon HD6850), would it serve OK in the above config?
 
N

neisco

Active member
Well I think I am finally homing in on the following now, which seems I could do lots of interesting things with over the coming years, the only remaining question being whether to go for the AMD (R90x) or Nvidea graphics (780 or 780ti). I am favouring the AMD but not quite 100% sure yet.

Case
FRACTAL DESIGN ARC MIDI R2 MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4790k (4.0GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® MAXIMUS VII GENE: RoG, PCI-e 3.0, SATA 3.0, USB3.0
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X BEAST DUAL-DDR3 2133MHz X.M.P (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB AMD RADEON™ R9 290X - DVI, HDMI, DP - DX® 11, Eyefinity 4 Capable
1st Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1003FZEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 750W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Processor Cooling
Corsair H80i Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Extra Case Fans
2 x 12CM Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 1 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
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
Anti-Virus
BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL
Monitor
ASUS PA238Q 23" PROART SERIES PROFESSIONAL MONITOR
Surge Protection
MasterPlug SRG82 8 Socket 2m Surge Protector
Cable Tidy
PCS 1.5M Zip Cable Tidy - Professional Cable Management
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
Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days
Miscellaneous
Created Using Jargon Free Configurator
Quantity
1
 
N

neisco

Active member
I am informed by PC Specialist that the R9 290x card will be a Powercolor Turboduo. Has anyone seen these? The Turboduos on the Powercolor website are all other cards in their range, not the 290x. Must be right though I guess as they gave me a pic of the box. I guess it will be a bit of a beast!
 
T

TheGeeza

Guest
neisco said:
I am informed by PC Specialist that the R9 290x card will be a Powercolor Turboduo. Has anyone seen these? The Turboduos on the Powercolor website are all other cards in their range, not the 290x. Must be right though I guess as they gave me a pic of the box. I guess it will be a bit of a beast!
Click to expand...
I think the powercolour 290x is triple fan although I am not certain. Don't think they make a turboduo 290x. Probably worth waiting for someone who actually owns one to comment :)
 
E

evvo123

Enthusiast
neisco said:
I am informed by PC Specialist that the R9 290x card will be a Powercolor Turboduo. Has anyone seen these? The Turboduos on the Powercolor website are all other cards in their range, not the 290x. Must be right though I guess as they gave me a pic of the box. I guess it will be a bit of a beast!
Click to expand...

Was it this card? http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/powercolor_radeon_r9_290x_pcs_review,1.html

If so, that card is immense. Temperature under load of 63 celsius is quite extraordinary, even for a non-reference model. 17 degrees lower than a reference 780.... Amazing.
 
T

TheGeeza

Guest
Last edited by a moderator:
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