New Build Options and Advice

bifl

Hi, I'm just looking for some advice on a new build I am looking to do very shortly. Been a while since I built last my PC so need some advice on what direct and bits to use. Have always built my own PC for the 'upgradeable factor' but never actually do. By the time I need stuff technology has moved on and I have to start all over again.
New graphics card = new mobo = new processor = new power supply etc etc
Main usage will be surfing,office up to photoshop, movies and some gaming.

Now come the questions !!

I have and Antec Sonata w 380W psu. New Mobo's seem to be either ATX or m-ATX. I assume an ATX willl fit the Sonata. Would the m-ATX fit and are there any advantages ?

Processor thinking of an i5 - is this too much for what I need?

PSU probably too much to hope the 380w will still do with an i5 so I need a good reliable quite PSU

Mobo wise never into overclocking. Looking for HDMI and one I can put my old IDE HD into as a secondary HD.

Harddrive will go 2 SATA drives in a Raid 1 config

GFX Card games, movies, HDMI to match my monitor and I might get a Blueray disc. Any upgrade advantage getting a card and mobo that I can buy a GFX card now and a second one to slot in (crossfire ?) in say 18 months time.

Memory : 4GB ?

Will be running Windows 7 when I get it.

Thats it folks any advice appreciated.

Solitaire

I need to know what kind of games you want to play and the resolution of the monitor you want to use it all with. Oh, and how big is your budget?

Case is okay, not exactly a HAF in terms of cooling but otherwise a decent piece of kit. It can hold ATX or mATX, can't think of a good reason to avoid ATX. mATX is just smaller, which is pointless in itself if you have a nice big ATX case already! :P

PSU, sadly, is just a bit too old. 24A on the 12V rail IIRC, which would be okay for a basic build but once you start talking about gaming and graphic card current draw... you really need at least a CX400 and its 36A capacity.

i5 is a good idea. i5-750 is a bit pricey but very powerful. i3-530 is nice and cheap, but not so good if you're not into overclocking as the i3s lack Turbo Mode. Their dual-core i5 counterparts may have Turbo Mode but are just too overpriced compared to the quad-core i5-750.

bifl

Solitaire wrote: »

I need to know what kind of games you want to play and the resolution of the monitor you want to use it all with. Oh, and how big is your budget?

Case is okay, not exactly a HAF in terms of cooling but otherwise a decent piece of kit. It can hold ATX or mATX, can't think of a good reason to avoid ATX. mATX is just smaller, which is pointless in itself if you have a nice big ATX case already! :P

PSU, sadly, is just a bit too old. 24A on the 12V rail IIRC, which would be okay for a basic build but once you start talking about gaming and graphic card current draw... you really need at least a CX400 and its 36A capacity.

i5 is a good idea. i5-750 is a bit pricey but very powerful. i3-530 is nice and cheap, but not so good if you're not into overclocking as the i3s lack Turbo Mode. Their dual-core i5 counterparts may have Turbo Mode but are just too overpriced compared to the quad-core i5-750.

Thanks Solitaire for your help, much appreciated
I have done some research since the post so getting a few idea of what bits to get.

I haven't bought games in a good while tbh as PC is only good for surfing at this stage !!!! Don't even know what games I'd be getting but mainly for new FPS like COD Modern Warfare

Budget around the 800 mark.

PSU thinking of getting a Corsair TX 650W PSU.
http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=340676
The important bit for me is that the PSU would fit and be compatible in the Sonata. Looking at your comment above though perhaps best to retire the Sonata and get a new case altogether ??

Monitor I currently have is a LG 22" LCD W2261VP-PF so would be looking at running at 1080p
http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=431103CPU

yep going with an i5-750

4gb of RAM Crucial DDR3 BallistiX 1600MHz 4GB CL8
http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=518211

Mobo Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3, P55, Socket-1156
http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=508058

GFX think of a ASUS Radeon HD 5770 1GB GDDR5
http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=579147

after that then it just the smaller bits and pieces

Solitaire

All looking good. Given you're not into mad-high-OCs you could easily get away with a VX550 or similar, although if you really think you're going to go CrossFire or switch to a high-end card you can stick with the TX650.

Off the top of my head the PSUs mentioned are all fairly close to standard ATX depth so there should be no problems sticking them in the old Sonata.

HD5770 1GB sounds good. With a light OC its even better OCing doesn't neccessarily have to involve pushing for 4GHz CPUs or overvolting graphics cards! :P It can be just the odd tweak here and there - and ATi drivers allow you to quietly OC away in Windows in a risk-free manner I'll probably be lynched for saying this, but... given you're not going to be trying to set a new 3DMark record or anything maybe you'd be better off with a bog-standard HD5770 1GB. The Asus HD5**0 variants are great for serious tweakers but their overpriced something rotten at the moment. You should really be looking at more like €130-ish for a 1GB HD5770 right now.

On the same vein that DDR3 kit is a bit pricey. Could just be Komplett though... a decent 2*2GB kit of anything is going to hit you for well over €80 nowadays anyway