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First Time Gaming PC Help/Advice

  • 18-10-2010 4:15pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭


    Hi, i'm looking to build a gaming PC with a budget of around €700.
    Anytime i look on websites i can hardly get the price to fall under a grand so help would be appreciated.

    Im mainly hoping to run games like Starcraft 2, Call of Duty and possibly Civilization or Crysis on High Settings if that helps.

    Any help/advice would be highly appreciated.


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,274 ✭✭✭Curry Addict


    id recommend this build. it overclocks really nice (3.6ghz on stock cooler) and will play everything. u might want to invest more in a graphics card u will get good value if u buy one 2nd hand on adverts.ie. if u go for a better graphics card u may want to invest in a better psu also.

    Article-No. Article Availability Delivery price HV20I576DE Intel Core i5-760 Box 8192Kb, LGA1156
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 167,41 € HV1131ILDE Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3, Intel P55, ATX, DDR3, PCI-Express
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 113,75 € HV20G305DE 4GB-Kit G-Skill RipJaws PC3-12800U CL7
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 81,49 € HV203GXQDE JCP Midi Tower ATX "Dark Crystal", schwarz, 500W Netzteil
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 40,79 € HV1022WDDE Gainward GeForce 9800GT Green, 1024MB DDR3
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 82,45 € HV13103SDE Samsung HD103UJ 1TB 32MB SATA II
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 52,48 € HV207S34DE Samsung SH-223L bare Lightscribe schwarz
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 19,83 € Sum: 558,20 €


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    id recommend this build. it overclocks really nice (3.6ghz on stock cooler) and will play everything. u might want to invest more in a graphics card u will get good value if u buy one 2nd hand on adverts.ie. if u go for a better graphics card u may want to invest in a better psu also.

    Article-No. Article Availability Delivery price HV20I576DE Intel Core i5-760 Box 8192Kb, LGA1156
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 167,41 € HV1131ILDE Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3, Intel P55, ATX, DDR3, PCI-Express
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 113,75 € HV20G305DE 4GB-Kit G-Skill RipJaws PC3-12800U CL7
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 81,49 € HV203GXQDE JCP Midi Tower ATX "Dark Crystal", schwarz, 500W Netzteil
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 40,79 € HV1022WDDE Gainward GeForce 9800GT Green, 1024MB DDR3
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 82,45 € HV13103SDE Samsung HD103UJ 1TB 32MB SATA II
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 52,48 € HV207S34DE Samsung SH-223L bare Lightscribe schwarz
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 19,83 € Sum: 558,20 €

    Thanks a lot for this. The PSU is the MIDI Tower ATX Dark Crystal, right?
    And what is the method of payment for the website?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,274 ✭✭✭Curry Addict


    the case includes the psu. it will be adequite for your system as its spec'd. if u want to add a lot of hard drives or more powerfull graphics or many other devices then id advise a higher rated psu.
    if u want advise on overclocking send me a PM when u have the system built, u can run this at 3.6ghz comfortably and it blazes along :D
    the method of payment is by bank transfer but u only need to go to the bank once to set it up and in future you can do the transfer online through your online banking. the delivery time is usually a week from when they recieve the funds which is usually the next day.

    u will need case fans back and front, forgot to add.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    You've been very helpful, appreciate it man :)

    Would this case (http://www4.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=29636&agid=631)
    be compatible with this graphics card (http://www4.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=36566&agid=707)
    and two of these cooler fans (http://www4.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=27107&agid=288)
    along with the other components that you mentioned above???


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,274 ✭✭✭Curry Addict


    its a nice case, it doesnt come with a PSU but it does come with fans already, the graphics card should fit fine. this graphics card will draw 300watts on full load so u will need at least a 600w psu and better off getting a 750w one to be sure to be sure. it will give probably double your frames per second in games also which is nice :)


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    I think i will buy this power supply http://www1.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=31607&agid=240)
    But was wondering will it supply power cords and will the plugs be compatible with our sockets??


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,274 ✭✭✭Curry Addict


    expensive but will do a good job :) , looks like it does yes


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,710 ✭✭✭Monotype


    iHV203GXQDE JCP Midi Tower ATX "Dark Crystal", schwarz, 500W Netzteil
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 40,79 € HV1022WDDE Gainward GeForce 9800GT Green, 1024MB DDR3
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 82,45 € HV13103SDE Samsung HD103UJ 1TB 32MB SATA II

    The rest of the stuff looks grand, but
    • Don't use a PSU that comes with a case (except in special cases where the case manufacturer is good at PSUs).
    • The 9800GT is pretty old by this stage.
    • That hard drive is old too. Go for the F3 series.
    Ryan451 wrote: »

    That's card is more like the kind of power that you'll be needing - and quite good value too.
    Ryan451 wrote: »
    I think i will buy this power supply http://www1.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=31607&agid=240)
    But was wondering will it supply power cords and will the plugs be compatible with our sockets??

    The coolermaster GXs are a bit dodgy. Buy the PSU when you have the rest of your system sorted out. Don't believe that 750W is really 750W. A lot of them are overrated and unreliable. On hardwareversand, aim for the higher antec, corsair, xfx, super flower (amazon) and enermax (though the enermaxs are always a rip off) PSUs.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    This i what ive decided to go with-

    Case - Cooler Master HAF Mini Special Edition RC-922M-RWN2-GP - red, ohne Netzteil
    CPU - Intel Core i5-760 Box 8192Kb, LGA1156
    Mobo - Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3, Intel P55, ATX, DDR3, PCI-Express
    RAM - 4GB-Kit G-Skill RipJaws PC3-12800U CL7
    HD - Samsung HD103UJ 1TB 32MB SATA II
    Drive - Samsung SH-223L bare Lightscribe schwarz
    Graph. - Gainward GeForce GTX 460 Golden Sample, 1024MB DDR5, HDMI, DVI
    PSU - Corsair TX750W 750 Watt

    For a total of €820


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,274 ✭✭✭Curry Addict


    nice build but if i was spending that amount I would go for this

    Article-No. Article Availability Delivery price HV20IB93DE Intel Core i7-930 Box 8192Kb, LGA1366
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 239,63 € HV1132IGDE Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R, Intel X58, ATX, PCI-Express
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 182,64 € HV20G305DE 4GB-Kit G-Skill RipJaws PC3-12800U CL7
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 81,49 € HV203AQIDE A+Case Seenium schwarz ATX ohne Netzteil
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 48,42 € HVR650SBDE Super-Flower SF650P14P 650W
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 42,33 € HV1022WMDE Gainward GeForce GTX 460 Golden Sample, 1024MB DDR5, HDMI, DVI
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 173,21 € HV1310F3DE Samsung SpinPoint F3 1000GB, SATA II (HD103SJ)
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 51,33 € HV207SC3DE Samsung SH-223C bare schwarz SATA
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 17,31 € Sum: 836,36 €


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,498 ✭✭✭Lu Tze


    nice build but if i was spending that amount I would go for this

    Article-No. Article Availability Delivery price HV20IB93DE Intel Core i7-930 Box 8192Kb, LGA1366
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 239,63 € HV1132IGDE Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R, Intel X58, ATX, PCI-Express
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 182,64 € HV20G305DE 4GB-Kit G-Skill RipJaws PC3-12800U CL7
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 81,49 € HV203AQIDE A+Case Seenium schwarz ATX ohne Netzteil
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 48,42 € HVR650SBDE Super-Flower SF650P14P 650W
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 42,33 € HV1022WMDE Gainward GeForce GTX 460 Golden Sample, 1024MB DDR5, HDMI, DVI
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 173,21 € HV1310F3DE Samsung SpinPoint F3 1000GB, SATA II (HD103SJ)
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 51,33 € HV207SC3DE Samsung SH-223C bare schwarz SATA
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 17,31 € Sum: 836,36 €

    You would need either 3gb or 6gb for the i7 platform, no?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,696 ✭✭✭Jonny7


    nice build but if i was spending that amount I would go for this

    Article-No. Article Availability Delivery price HV20IB93DE Intel Core i7-930 Box 8192Kb, LGA1366
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 239,63 € HV1132IGDE Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R, Intel X58, ATX, PCI-Express
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 182,64 € HV20G305DE 4GB-Kit G-Skill RipJaws PC3-12800U CL7
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 81,49 € HV203AQIDE A+Case Seenium schwarz ATX ohne Netzteil
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 48,42 € HVR650SBDE Super-Flower SF650P14P 650W
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 42,33 € HV1022WMDE Gainward GeForce GTX 460 Golden Sample, 1024MB DDR5, HDMI, DVI
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 173,21 € HV1310F3DE Samsung SpinPoint F3 1000GB, SATA II (HD103SJ)
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 51,33 € HV207SC3DE Samsung SH-223C bare schwarz SATA
    incl. VAT and excl. shipping costs
    immediately available 17,31 € Sum: 836,36 €

    PSU is a bit cheapy (not the worst cheapy though but would always recommend quality, e.g. Corsair, on such an important part of the PC)

    Ram is off?

    Noticed the retro recommendation for the 9800GT earlier.. which is really an 8800GT.. which came out about 20 years ago :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,333 ✭✭✭the untitled user


    Lu Tze wrote: »
    You would need either 3gb or 6gb for the i7 platform, no?

    You don't need it, but the x58 platform is triple channel so for best results you want 3 dimms.

    Secondly, I wouldn't bother with an i7 unless I had the cash to spare on a decent cooler, they generate a lot of heat.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,274 ✭✭✭Curry Addict


    for the ram i guess i shouldnt build pcs in the middle of the night :)
    the guys was on a 700e budget and considering power loads a 9800gt would be ok on 500w and cheap ass psu was not such a bad idea.
    id risk that psu no problem in fact its running grand in my system :D
    i dont qite get the paranoia about psus here


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 10,088 Mod ✭✭✭✭marco_polo


    Probably because in most cases no name PSUs turn out to be nowhere remotely near capable of the supplying and or sustaining the claimed output wattage.

    In the case of the PSU bundled with that JCP case there are no specifications available at all as they won't even supply amodel number, so the Peak / continuous maximum outputs (especially for the all important 12V rail) are complete unknowns. I would run a mile from it in any gaming build.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,274 ✭✭✭Curry Addict


    ive never had an issue with these integrated psus and ive built over 15 gaming sytems over the past few years. i have ensured that the max power usable is below the psu spec. also the potential failure mode is passive to the rest of the system so a risk well worth taking imho to save a few bob :)

    if i ever suspected an issue with peak continuous max output i would test and send it back and kick up a stink.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,696 ✭✭✭Jonny7


    ive never had an issue with these integrated psus and ive built over 15 gaming sytems over the past few years. i have ensured that the max power usable is below the psu spec. also the potential failure mode is passive to the rest of the system so a risk well worth taking imho to save a few bob :)

    if i ever suspected an issue with peak continuous max output i would test and send it back and kick up a stink.

    We all secretly believe this too.. 600watt PSUs for only 30 quid mmm.. but we dare not speak of such things when Solitaire is around


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,710 ✭✭✭Monotype


    A good, efficient PSU will save you in the long run with electricity bills.
    Poorly regulated power will put strain on your components shortening their life (sometimes outside the useful life, but I've seen threads appearing on forums where people had a different component failing every month).
    Also, every component relies upon the PSU. There's cases where people's entire systems have gone kaput over a bad PSU. Then there's also the hazzard of fire - There's a good chance you'll be away from your PC for a while - poor soldering/cooling/whatever poses a greater risk.

    When you add all these up, it's very much worthwhile spending a bit extra. There's plenty of evidence around that an "über g4am3r brand" rated at 700W crashes before it reaches 700W. Maybe even before 400 or 500W. The good quality PSUs will usually shutdown neatly when it reaches it's limit (sometimes above the rated maximum); things can go horribly wrong with the cheapos.

    http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&file=print&reid=123
    You don't need an engineering degree to make sense of some of the tables.

    It really depends on the circumstance. If you have an office PC with no essential parts and you wouldn't be that bothered in it's condition, then it might be more appropriate to cut back.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    Would it be a good idea for me to get another fan or will the one in the case do??


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,333 ✭✭✭the untitled user


    Ryan451 wrote: »
    Would it be a good idea for me to get another cooler or will the one in the case do??

    Cooler in the case? The HAF has decent air flow if that's what you mean, might want to put a side fan in if you ever decide to go Xfire/SLI but for the components you listed you should be fine as it is.

    If you meant CPU cooler, stock should be ok as long as you're not overclocking.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    Cooler in the case? The HAF has decent air flow if that's what you mean, might want to put a side fan in if you ever decide to go Xfire/SLI but for the components you listed you should be fine as it is.

    If you meant CPU cooler, stock should be ok as long as you're not overclocking.

    Would a cheap fan do or would i need to fork out more than €30?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,274 ✭✭✭Curry Addict


    Monotype wrote: »
    A good, efficient PSU will save you in the long run with electricity bills.
    Poorly regulated power will put strain on your components shortening their life (sometimes outside the useful life, but I've seen threads appearing on forums where people had a different component failing every month).
    Also, every component relies upon the PSU. There's cases where people's entire systems have gone kaput over a bad PSU. Then there's also the hazzard of fire - There's a good chance you'll be away from your PC for a while - poor soldering/cooling/whatever poses a greater risk.

    When you add all these up, it's very much worthwhile spending a bit extra. There's plenty of evidence around that an "über g4am3r brand" rated at 700W crashes before it reaches 700W. Maybe even before 400 or 500W. The good quality PSUs will usually shutdown neatly when it reaches it's limit (sometimes above the rated maximum); things can go horribly wrong with the cheapos.

    http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&file=print&reid=123
    You don't need an engineering degree to make sense of some of the tables.

    It really depends on the circumstance. If you have an office PC with no essential parts and you wouldn't be that bothered in it's condition, then it might be more appropriate to cut back.

    sorry but i have to correct u there, most of what you say there is a myth.
    and i do have a degree in electronics and 16 years experience :)

    power supplies dont cause components to burn out, it may cause them to operate incorrectly but this is almost always recoverable. components fail when their gates draw power beyond their current tolerance, usually dependent on how thick the gates are and almost always, due to a component further down the line drawing too much power.

    when u consider this, its a good idea to save your money when buying a power supply but be carefull how u load them and make sure they can handle the power expected. components nowadays are very reliable and its highly unlikely your power supply will fail (unless u overload it or experience component failure in the supply or in your system) and if it does, it wont cause any other parts of your sytem to fail. like all things in life
    some manufacturers will skimp on the spec. anything outside of 10% is totally unacceptable and most will stay within this.

    i had a quick look at the article, its a very nicely crafted scare story.
    a couple of quick calculations using the first table in my head tell me its written by someone who has no clue about power electronics.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,274 ✭✭✭Curry Addict


    marco_polo wrote: »
    Probably because in most cases no name PSUs turn out to be nowhere remotely near capable of the supplying and or sustaining the claimed output wattage.

    In the case of the PSU bundled with that JCP case there are no specifications available at all as they won't even supply amodel number, so the Peak / continuous maximum outputs (especially for the all important 12V rail) are complete unknowns. I would run a mile from it in any gaming build.

    this psu has overcurrent protection.
    power factor correction 0.9 as per EU standards.
    the continuous max out for 12v line is 340watts so careful how u load it, as i pointed out it will run a lower powered graphics card like a 9800gt grand but i wouldnt put a more modern card in :) it is deceptive tho imho and probaly why people get caught out.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    I re-looked at the site and came up with this aswell:

    131586.png


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,274 ✭✭✭Curry Addict


    thats a grand system the i5 750 will overclock pretty much as good as the 760 so no biggie there.
    one thing id change is the mobo, go for the gigabyte ud3 instead its better.
    you really like that case :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    Ok, will do, I'm just happier this way saved me a few bob.
    And yeah the case is awesome. Seein' as i will be looking at it for quite some time it may as well be one i like :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,710 ✭✭✭Monotype


    Looks good, and I would second the switch in motherboard, iirc the LX had a few things crippled.
    sorry but i have to correct u there, most of what you say there is a myth.
    and i do have a degree in electronics and 16 years experience :)

    power supplies dont cause components to burn out, it may cause them to operate incorrectly but this is almost always recoverable. components fail when their gates draw power beyond their current tolerance, usually dependent on how thick the gates are and almost always, due to a component further down the line drawing too much power.

    when u consider this, its a good idea to save your money when buying a power supply but be carefull how u load them and make sure they can handle the power expected. components nowadays are very reliable and its highly unlikely your power supply will fail (unless u overload it or experience component failure in the supply or in your system) and if it does, it wont cause any other parts of your sytem to fail. like all things in life
    some manufacturers will skimp on the spec. anything outside of 10% is totally unacceptable and most will stay within this.

    i had a quick look at the article, its a very nicely crafted scare story.
    a couple of quick calculations using the first table in my head tell me its written by someone who has no clue about power electronics.

    Well I'm definitely not an expert and still learning, so I appreciate any comments.
    It could be possible that the big PSU manufacturers would be going around bribing/infiltrating forums and review sites to promote their products/knock down others. However, to me it seems quite likely that some people would sell anything and call it a what they want to make a few euro.

    So should we not be worried about voltage noise/ripple?

    Even if all PSUs were perfectly safe, efficiencies would still come into play. You're not going to notice it on your bill, but it could be €10-20 per year, depending on your machine and how often you're using it.

    Have a read of this article and tell me what you think.
    http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/How-Much-Power-Can-a-Generic-500-W-Power-Supply-Really-Deliver/534/6

    If you have specific observations on either articles, I would be glad to hear them.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 10,088 Mod ✭✭✭✭marco_polo


    this psu has overcurrent protection.
    power factor correction 0.9 as per EU standards.
    the continuous max out for 12v line is 340watts so careful how u load it, as i pointed out it will run a lower powered graphics card like a 9800gt grand but i wouldnt put a more modern card in :)it is deceptive tho imho and probaly why people get caught out.

    See that is the thing right there though, that sort of reading in no way qualifies it as a 500W PSU in any way which makes the label have any meaning. Just as two random examples the continuous 12V maximum for a 500W Seasonic S12 is 480W, even the Corsair CX400W can output 360w on the 12V rail. So anyone who buys in the expectation that they are actually getting a true 500W PSU is going to be sorely disappointed.

    You may understand the limitations of the PSU you are getting, but that is not nescessarly true for everyone. Although I would completely do agree that people often go way over the top compared to what they actually need.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,333 ✭✭✭the untitled user


    Ryan451 wrote: »
    Would a cheap fan do or would i need to fork out more than €30?

    Uhh... if I wasn't clear, you wont need another fan unless you're sticking in a second graphics card in there. If you really want one though, a decent 120mm fan could be got for round €10, and high end for no more than €20. But don't bother at this stage, better things to spend your money on.
    Ryan451 wrote: »
    Ok, will do, I'm just happier this way saved me a few bob.
    And yeah the case is awesome. Seein' as i will be looking at it for quite some time it may as well be one i like :)

    Case is pretty good all right, great for air flow and keeping stuff cool and loads of room so installation is a breeze for a first time builder. Just beware though the HAF series has nothing in terms of noise insulation. Stock fans are pretty quiet, but if you've a loud GPU or CPU in there some people might find it grating after a while. Not too loud mind, be like having an electric blow heater in the room, but some people unaccustomed to gaming hardware might find it grates after a while.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,274 ✭✭✭Curry Addict


    Monotype wrote: »
    Looks good, and I would second the switch in motherboard, iirc the LX had a few things crippled.



    Well I'm definitely not an expert and still learning, so I appreciate any comments.
    It could be possible that the big PSU manufacturers would be going around bribing/infiltrating forums and review sites to promote their products/knock down others. However, to me it seems quite likely that some people would sell anything and call it a what they want to make a few euro.

    So should we not be worried about voltage noise/ripple?

    Even if all PSUs were perfectly safe, efficiencies would still come into play. You're not going to notice it on your bill, but it could be €10-20 per year, depending on your machine and how often you're using it.

    Have a read of this article and tell me what you think.
    http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/How-Much-Power-Can-a-Generic-500-W-Power-Supply-Really-Deliver/534/6

    If you have specific observations on either articles, I would be glad to hear them.

    the article is good for the power supply they are disecting :) but it is an american based article.

    we in europe are pretty much protected by this...

    In 2001, the European Union put into effect the standard IEC/EN61000-3-2 to set limits on the harmonics of the AC input current up to the 40th harmonic for equipment above 75 W. The standard defines four classes of equipment depending on its type and current waveform. The most rigorous limits (class D) are established for personal computers, computer monitors, and TV receivers. In order to comply with these requirements modern switched-mode power supplies normally include an additional power factor correction (PFC) stage.
    Putting a current regulated boost chopper stage after the off-line rectifier (to charge the storage capacitor) can correct the power factor, but increases the complexity (and any cost).


    this means that the power factor correction should be .9 which basically means that 90% of the power input to a supply is outputted which is pretty good. this will leave very little room for voltage noise ripple.
    it also means that even cheap ass psus are energy efficient.


    here is a nice article from wikipedia...
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switch_mode_power_supply


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 10,088 Mod ✭✭✭✭marco_polo


    Sure it is the first step to efficiency , however a PFC of .09 says little about the efficiency of the PSU when it come to using the working power available

    If cheap PSU were so power efficent just on this basis, then there ought to be plenty of 80Plus certified generic PSUs floating around the EU, and that is clearly not the case.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,710 ✭✭✭Monotype


    While there's standards here, are they actually always kept? - Auditors can be given key samples or they can be overlooked during import. I would be interested in seeing how a Dabs best value 520W compares to other PSUs (aside from the dated connectors). Unfortunately, I don't have the resources or the skills... yet.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,274 ✭✭✭Curry Addict


    marco_polo wrote: »
    Sure it is the first step to efficiency , however a PFC of .09 says little about the efficiency of the PSU when it come to using the working power available

    If cheap PSU were so power efficent just on this basis, then there ought to be plenty of 80Plus certified generic PSUs floating around the EU, and that is clearly not the case.

    i agree with ya that it seems odd. tbh it is such a gray area its hard to know the facts. PFC should be a function of full load ideally and you would like to think it is but usually the detail is omitted so no conclusion can be made.

    who knows how long and how much trouble it is to get 80plus certified, particularly if your a chinese based manufacturer exporting world wide where u have many markets other than the EU.

    maybe i will go and test my own PSU and draw some usefull conclusions


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 10,088 Mod ✭✭✭✭marco_polo


    Monotype wrote: »
    While there's standards here, are they actually always kept? - Auditors can be given key samples or they can be overlooked during import. I would be interested in seeing how a Dabs best value 520W compares to other PSUs (aside from the dated connectors). Unfortunately, I don't have the resources or the skills... yet.

    The OEM is a company called Ace so it is either one of these of very similar.

    http://www.trymarket.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1480

    As you can see it is a combined 12V rail of (12 + 14) = 26 amps, less than the single 30amp rail on the CX400W.

    Compare that with the corsair HX520, which has three beefy 18a 12V rails.

    http://www.corsair.com/products/hx/default.aspx.

    The first thing to note is that the Ace unit carries the CE mark which signals full compliance with EU standards (meaning including IEC/EN61000-3-2), and yet is clearly not a 520W PSU. I don't think that there are any EU standards on labeling to the best of my knowledge.

    Another indicator of cheaper PSUs is that they tend to only supports 240V input not (110-240V) and thus are not switchable power supplies (SMPS). Non-SMPS tends to correlate with lower quality PSUs as they are cheaper to manufacture.
    Non-SMPS units also invariably have passive PFC systems instead of active PFC systems which have a lower power factor at the wall as well.

    Does it mean that the Ace unit is dangerous? Of course not, but it is entirely unsuitable for any medium to high end build as the maximum 12V power it could possibly supply in theory is (12V X 26a) = 312W (I am not even sure if it could do so continuously).

    What else they have done to drive the cost down to £13 who knows.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    131701.png

    How's this for an AMD build?
    Would it be as good as the other intel build i showed earlier?
    Will it play in full HD?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,710 ✭✭✭Monotype


    If you went AMD, I wouldn't downgrade the graphics card so much. 5750 and the 460 is a substantial gap.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    Taking that into consideration and seeing how much the AMD would cost with the GTX460, i might just stick to the intel build but downgrade the case to save extra money to go towards an OS. Thanks


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    Will the Corsair TX650 be enough for the PSU?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,710 ✭✭✭Monotype


    The tx650 would be fine for any of those systems listed, with 'room' to spare.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    This is what i've finally decided to stick with.

    132605.png

    Will all the cables needed be supplied or will i have to buy extras?

    Are all the parts compatible with one another?

    Do the components come with instruction manuals? Will they be in English or German?

    Any recommendations on a good Internet Security software?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,710 ✭✭✭Monotype


    Manuals-
    You'd usually get a manual with the motherboard with about six different languages. You can dowload it if you get stuck anyway.
    You'll probably get a quick guide with the case, more pictures than writing.
    CPU, quick manual, many languages, mostly pictures.
    Harddrive and RAM - probably nothing.
    PSU - Maybe some pictures.
    GPU - Probably a manual telling you about drivers etc., in a few languages. You won't need this.

    The only ones you'll really be looking at are the case and the motherboard.

    Those parts look fine for each other.
    Your motherboard comes with two SATA cables and one IDE cable for harddrive/DVD.
    Your PSU will have all the power cables.

    You might need an adapter for the PSU plug, depending on what they send. Somebody who has ordered from them might be able to tell you. Or you could use the plug from an old PC.

    Edit: GA-P55A-UD3 Motherboard manual.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    Is a network card an important add on or is one included?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,463 ✭✭✭Trevor451


    99% of the time the ethernet port is built into the motherboard like the one you are going to purchase however if you use wireless connection you can always buy a USB wifi dongle or you could buy these (Ethernet over power)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    Thanks Trev :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    Will this monitor be ok to run games at Full HD?

    http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/6795205/art/acer/x223hqbbmd-21-5-wide-tft.html#tech-specs

    And how is this for a PSU instead of the other one?

    http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=29234&agid=240

    Do i buy the 32bit or 64bit of Windows 7?

    Antec 300 or 600?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,710 ✭✭✭Monotype


    I'd stick with the corsair or the amazon series of the superflowers.

    Definitely 64-bit.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    What about the monitor? Is it 1080p?


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 10,088 Mod ✭✭✭✭marco_polo


    Ryan451 wrote: »
    What about the monitor? Is it 1080p?

    Its sure is, 1,920 x 1,080 in the tech specs tab.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    Ok, so clicked order on HWVS, got the email with account details, now all i have to do is finish the bank transfer and my order will be sent?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭Ryan451


    I ordered and the shipment is at the airport according to DHL.de

    Thanks to everybody who helped me out over the course of this month or so. I really appreciate it and i will post some pics when i have it finished.


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