Question: Please help with building a new PC

Luu

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Hi,
I'm looking to buy a new desktop PC that would run EU after the graphics update but the problem is atm I only have about £600 to spend but may be able to get abit more in a few weeks, do you think it is possible?
A Friend of mine also said that the developers of Crysis Warhead saying that they have optimised Crysis Warhead so that it could run with about 30fps on a $600 Pc, do you think that EU may be as optimised?

Here are a couple parts what i was thinking of getting and i think that they are compatible:

Motherboard:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/132813
£127.96inc vat

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/143118
£192.66inc vat

Processor
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/131950
£127.95inc vat

Graphics Card
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/138749
£166.98inc vat

Memory
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130429
£57.99inc vat

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/142388
£142.06inc vat

I will need to get a new case, HD and PSU but i think i know what case i am interested in, just have to ask my friend what his is, the PSU i'm not sure what size i would need so some guidance on that would be helpful too. The HD i'm not sure if it matters too much but i was thinking:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/134684

Any tips on what to look for when choosing parts would be helpful.
Also do you think that it is worth moving to Vista?
 
Well, I'd recommend changing to this GFX card.
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/134944
Pretty much the same thing, but 60% of the cost.

I bought one a while back and it is damn good card.

Corsair memory should be adequate.
 
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ok thanks, this is the sort of help i need lol ty.



I think i just saw a plusrepasourus come your way, :eek: watch out!!
 
Well, i've been doing a little research on video cards, as i'm gathering a computer for myself as well.

Your choice is really not the best. If you want more powerful card for less money, i suggest to look into Radeon HD 4850.

Or, alternatively, if you want even more power, and can add a few more euros, Radeon HD 4870 is worth checking out. (It even beats Nvidia's new gtx 260, not speaking about 8x series). Source.

As for RAM, as far as i know, ddr3 doesn't offer any significant advantage over ddr2, but costs much more. So if you're thinking about econimical setup, go with ddr2, and maybe spend the saved money on better cpu.
 
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Well, i've been doing a little research on video cards, as i'm gathering a computer for myself as well.

Your choice is really not the best. If you want more powerful card for less money, i suggest to look into Radeon HD 4850.

Or, alternatively, if you want even more power, and can add a few more euros, Radeon HD 4870 is worth checking out. (It even beats Nvidia's new gtx 260, not speaking about 8x series). Source.

As for RAM, as far as i know, ddr3 doesn't offer any significant advantage over ddr2, but costs much more. So if you're thinking about economical setup, go with ddr2, and maybe spend the saved money on better cpu.

Ok thank, liking the sound of the 4870HD, i'm a bit confused about all these different series and which ones to go for
 
Well, i've been doing a little research on video cards, as i'm gathering a computer for myself as well.

Your choice is really not the best. If you want more powerful card for less money, i suggest to look into Radeon HD 4850.

Or, alternatively, if you want even more power, and can add a few more euros, Radeon HD 4870 is worth checking out. (It even beats Nvidia's new gtx 260, not speaking about 8x series). Source.

I was reading up on them. Looks like a good step.
Though if the money is key, the 8800 GT/GTX can be had for a lot less.
If you have the peds, go with the new card.

I tend to buy stuff that has been out for a while, myself. The 4850 just GA'd, so there isn't a lot of user feedback yet.


As for RAM, as far as i know, ddr3 doesn't offer any significant advantage over ddr2, but costs much more. So if you're thinking about econimical setup, go with ddr2, and maybe spend the saved money on better cpu.

Agreed. Not that you CPU choice is a bad one, but with that £100+ we just saved you on GFX and memory, you can bump your CPU up a notch.
 
Actually...

The Radeon 4850 and the GeForce 9800GTX are both $200 now.

And they are both evenly matched. So it's a choice of preference.


Stick with the corsair memory.

And use the first motherboard. The second one you posted uses DDR3 memory, not DDR2.


For the graphics card, only a few more dollars and you can get this.

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/143286



Sooo.. Here's your system:

Motherboard:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/132813

GPU:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/145610

RAM:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130429

CPU: (You can make due with a dual-core though. EU only needs to use 2 of the four cores.. So the extra 2 are a waste.)
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/131950

PSU: (I'm assuming you have a low watt PSU right now. So your going to NEED a more powerfull one.
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/135197
 
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For a PSU for that system your going to need about an 800W unit.

DO NOT FORGET Your CPU Cooling Unit id Recommend Heat pipe Cooling Unless you choose to use Liquid cooling if your not comfortable using water then use the Heat pipes.
[URL="http://www.ebuyer.com/product/120876[/URL]

Heat pipe systems are much cheaper than Liquid cooling methods and Give very much the same results
DO NOT use the OEM unit with that comes with the CPU. while it will serve for a short time frame for the longevity of the CPU Replace it.
 
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For a PSU for that system your going to need about an 800W unit.

DO NOT FORGET Your CPU Cooling Unit id Recommend Heat pipe Cooling Unless you choose to use Liquid cooling if your not comfortable using water then use the Heat pipes.
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118223

Heat pipe systems are much cheaper than Liquid cooling methods and Give very much the same results
DO NOT use the OEM unit with that comes with the CPU. while it will serve for a short time frame for the longevity of the CPU Replace it.

Lol Nazbrat... He's not some overclocker.. It's just a person wanting to make a new system.

Stock cooling will do fine.

And so will that PSU.
 
As for HD, you are right. not as big a factor. Seagate is a good one.
One thing I have noticed about HD though.
The more storage you have, the more clutter you collect.

As for Vista, I am not yet impressed.
If you have an XP license already, save the peds and stay with that for a while. you can always upgrade later.
 
Actually...

The Radeon 4850 and the GeForce 9800GTX are both $200 now.

And they are both evenly matched. So it's a choice of preference.


Stick with the corsair memory.

And use the first motherboard. The second one you posted uses DDR3 memory, not DDR2.


For the graphics card, only a few more dollars and you can get this.

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/143286



Sooo.. Here's your system:

Motherboard:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/132813

GPU:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/145610

RAM:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130429

CPU: (You can make due with a dual-core though. EU only needs to use 2 of the four cores.. So the extra 2 are a waste.)
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/131950

PSU: (I'm assuming you have a low watt PSU right now. So your going to NEED a more powerfull one.
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/135197

Koisters assessment is a good one here DO add a cooling unit as I posted above. He is Right on the Money with the Video card. XFX has been around for a while now Zotac I have never heard of.

When Building a New PC and your looking at parts Research the company making the product you want or are thinking of. A Seagate Drive is an Excellent choice they have been around for a Long time. just as long as Western digital and Maxtor. As far as your Preliminary setup goes Very nice.

Cooling is a Must and So is Airflow through your case the early 60+gb running 7200 Rpm these drives got Very hot. Just think about that 1 TB drive Not a Good thing for a HD. think about installing Extra case fans in front of your HD.

A few simple Mods now will save you a lot of Headaches later on and $
 
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Oh also i only thought about the quad core was because i thought it might be good for any future games i decide to buy.


On the RAM:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130429

it says: Please note: Installing 4GB onto PCs with 32-bit operating systems is not advised since 32-bit operating systems do not support 4GB of system memory.

Should this make me change the RAM?
 
sorry koister I disagree with you on stock cooling.
I currently run a P4 prescott 2.8 800mhz I have trouble with it overheating on stock during daytime use.

Remember that EU takes a Shit load of CPU resources the More processes Running the higher the temp gets.
 
sorry koister I disagree with you on stock cooling.
I currently run a P4 prescott 2.8 800mhz I have trouble with it overheating on stock during daytime use.

Remember that EU takes a Shit load of CPU resources the More processes Running the higher the temp gets.

That P4 is not built under 45nm tho. Your P4 Prescott is a whopping 90nm build.

45nm chips run a lot cooler.

Just sounds like you got a shitty stock fan with yours. Cause my P4 Northwood 2.6ghz (OC'd to 3ghz.) Stays at a good temperature even at a whole day of high load. With stock cooling. (And Northwoods are 130nm build even! lol)

Here's a snippet about Prescott's:
"Upon release, many reviewers mistakenly concluded that the Prescott generated approximately 40% more heat clock-for-clock than the Northwood, and almost every review of it was negative, earning it the soubriquet PresHot. In reality, the core temperature sensor of the Prescott gives higher readings than the Northwood core temperature sensor, meaning that the increase in heat generated for CPU work done is believed to be around the 10% range."
 
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Oh also i only thought about the quad core was because i thought it might be good for any future games i decide to buy.


On the RAM:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130429

it says: Please note: Installing 4GB onto PCs with 32-bit operating systems is not advised since 32-bit operating systems do not support 4GB of system memory.

Should this make me change the RAM?

it depends on what OS your going to use. Xp or Vista.

if XP then downgrade to 2 gb If Vista Stay with 4gb
 
What about the Radeon 4870HD? is that better than the http://www.ebuyer.com/product/143286

4870 is better than a 9800GTX... But it's also $100 more... Which isn't really worth it unless you have the money to spend.

Oh also i only thought about the quad core was because i thought it might be good for any future games i decide to buy.


On the RAM:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130429

it says: Please note: Installing 4GB onto PCs with 32-bit operating systems is not advised since 32-bit operating systems do not support 4GB of system memory.

Should this make me change the RAM?

What that means is.. Windows XP doesn't recognize 4GB of RAM in a system.

But there's a not very known about trick to use it :p.

You have to enable PAE in Windows XP for it to see all 4GB.
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/PAE/PAEdrv.mspx
 
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hmm ok thanks, i guess i will downgrade for now as i wont have the money to buy vista, or buy the 4GB and then have it ready for when i upgrade.
I'm unsure about vista anyway, it seems overly complicated sometimes and irritating with all the message popups asking for confirmation on everything.
On a side note, can i get a vista laptop to see xp shared folders and vice versa?
 
ah ok thanks, so now that AMD and ATI are working together do ATI cards work better with AMD processors?
 
ah ok thanks, so now that AMD and ATI are working together do ATI cards work better with AMD processors?

oohh oops missread.


Nah, Intel is still the way to go.
 
ah ok, i thought they might have tried to optimise it so that ATI cards work better with AMD processors:ahh:

lol ah ok, thanks, ill shop around now to see if i can find the parts cheaper :p.
 
ah ok, i thought they might have tried to optimise it so that ATI cards work better with AMD processors:ahh:

lol ah ok, thanks, ill shop around now to see if i can find the parts cheaper :p.

Another review concerning 4870 and 9800gtx here.

As for processors, Koister is right, Intel is the way to go at the moment. Phenom doesn't come close to latest Intel's quad-cores.
 
well i'm off for tonight.
Thanks for all the help. If anyone else has any information they want to input be my guest.

And again thanks! :), much easier buying a pc when there are people who are kind and help. i remember trying to buy my last one...was hell as it was the 1st pc i had built and i wasnt really sure what to check for and make sure it was all compatible lol.

Thanks:wtg:
 
Also a thing with the Gfx cards, the HD one can't be SLI so would it be better to go for the 9800 if possibly in the future i want to SLI?
I think i understood the report to say that the HD 4870 is be better than one 9800 but not better than them SLI, i dont really understand by how much better though
EDIT: my friend just told me that SLI for radeon is called crossfire which it does support, i dont think that the mobo supports crossfire tho but it does support SLI:
http://www.scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductId=505256
He also said that he doesn't know if it made a difference that its an nforce board and an ATI card


Also to double check a sata cd/DVD rw will work with the motherboard above?
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/139414 - CD/DVD RW

I was also thinking that it might be better to get a better cooling fan rather than stock and was thinking this one, my friend said that it is good and should do me fine: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/105994

would it also be worth getting a HD fan?: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/60458
 
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You don't need the better cooling fan... Especially not HDD cooling fans or RAM heatsinks... (Although the RAM you chose before already has heatsinks on it.)

That stuff is meant for overclocking enthusiasts. Not someone who just wants a good computer to play games.



Here is a great motherboard for you to use instead so you can take advantage of Crossfire if you ever want to. (Although I wouldn't suggest.. I'd say just sell your card, and upgrade to a better on in the future again. Instead of buying a second new one.)


Motherboard:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/124871

GPU:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/146415

RAM:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/130429

CPU: (You can make due with a dual-core though. EU only needs to use 2 of the four cores.. So the extra 2 are a waste.)
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/131950

PSU: (I'm assuming you have a low watt PSU right now. So your going to NEED a more powerfull one.
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/135197


If you already have a DVD burner, you can still use it. The motherboard has IDE and SATA connectors.

This system will plow threw Crysis.. Your good to go Luu.
 
ok thank you very much :),
the HD 4870 would be fine with the nforce board if i was the only have 1?

now i need to find me a case, do you have any suggestions on a case which looks ok, does the job and tool free?
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/118268 - was thinking this one possibly because of the USB being at the top and my pc being down by my feet but it doesn't have the tool free thing, what do you think?
 
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