€1200-€1300 Build Spec inside

NeVeR

Hi All,

Posting this for a friend. They picked these parts and before he buy's it he wants advise on what he has selected.

It's for gaming playing Black ops Cyrsis and anything new coming out.

He has 2 x HD 24" monitors and wanted a Dual HDMI graphics card.

I can't post this image on a image hosting site as work as it blocked. If the next person to post could upload it to image hosting that would be great

Advice please

grizzly

I've heard those gaming network cards make very little difference. You might be better off dropping that and putting into a better CPU?

Unregistered.

grizzly wrote: »

I've heard those gaming network cards make very little difference. You might be better off dropping that and putting into a better CPU?

Yeah, OP you really need to look at reviews as some of them are mixed. €70 is a lot of money that could be reallocated to your gfx card.

Also, that RAM is quite expensive.

IrishMetalhead

also a single high end graphics card (like a 6870, 6950 or 560 gtx) is way better than dual mid range graphic cards for the simple reason that some games still does not support dual gpu's plus another high end card would be a possible upgrade sometime down the line
plus the antec 900 was brilliant back in it's day but it is completely terrible for cable management which just turns it into a giant dust magnet

brownej

NeVeR wrote: »

Hi All,

Posting this for a friend. They picked these parts and before he buy's it he wants advise on what he has selected.

It's for gaming playing Black ops Cyrsis and anything new coming out.

He has 2 x HD 24" monitors and wanted a Dual HDMI graphics card.

I can't post this image on a image hosting site as work as it blocked. If the next person to post could upload it to image hosting that would be great

Advice please

That's the German version of windows 7 you have there too.
HWVS stock the English version but it's about €5 more expensive.

IrishMetalhead

Heres what I'd reccomend insted:



Better CPU, Better chipset on the motherboard, Better CPU cooler, in stock Blu-ray\DVD+RW, Better sound card, English Windows 7, Amazing case (LanCool owned by Lian-Li ), cheaper and just as fast RAM, modular PSU, single high end video card (just add a DVI to HDMI cable and sorted) and best of all no useless network card =].
Trust us the onboard network is already amazing as it is on current mobos.

Monotype

http://www1.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=24479 instead. Cheaper and better except not modular.

Unregistered.

Is the soundcard nessesary?

Monotype

Actually, I'd go for 2x4GB instead, not that 8GB is necessary.
http://www3.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=33967

brownej

Monotype wrote: »

Actually, I'd go for 2x4GB instead, not that 8GB is necessary.
http://www3.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=33967

The OP had expensive 1600MHz, CL8 ram in his original build.
If he wants to stick with fast 1600MHZ RAM with low latency CL8 specs then this might be a good compromise at €115 for 8GB (2*4GB) (although it's currently out of stock )

Monotype

There we go,
http://www.memoryc.com/products/description/8GB_GeIL_PC3_12800_1600MHz_Value_Plus_CL9_Dual_Channel_kit-2x4GB_/index.html

Well it's not CL8 but it is 1600MHz, cheaper than the 4 sticks, from Ireland and free delivery.

srsly78

Why are you putting a last generation cpu into a supposedly cutting edge gaming machine? The new intel chips are amazing, pity about that motherboard recall. Once it's sorted get an i5-2500k.

IrishMetalhead

phenom x6's last generation even tho there bulldozer cpu's arn't out yet?
how does that make any sence?
The phenom x6's are still AMD latest CPU's and only came out last year and the 1100T only came out a couple of months ago.
Only because AMD don't release a new socket type for almost ever CPU they release dosn't mean there previous gen.

Tea_Bag

IrishMetalhead wrote: »

phenom x6's last generation even tho there bulldozer cpu's arn't out yet?
how does that make any sence?
The phenom x6's are still AMD latest CPU's and only came out last year and the 1100T only came out a couple of months ago.
Only because AMD don't release a new socket type for almost ever CPU they release dosn't mean there previous gen.

and buying something that you 100% have to rma is a nightmare waiting to happen. no mobo for 2 weeks anyone?

all good and well having to wait, but for how long?? could be months.

IrishMetalhead

think you quoted the wrong comment tea bag XD

Tea_Bag

lol was just agreeing with what you said actually.

i think id like an X6 so i could call it sex cores instead of six.

my computer has sex cores, does yours?

SkrApsAK

Hi all,

The OP was actually posting on my behalf.....

Cheers to all who have made helpful suggestions

So at the moment from the best suggestions, I am to drop the dual 1gb cards and upgrade to a newer model 2GB card and get rid of the network card?

You reckon there would be much more worth upgrading then after?

I was thinking of keeping the 4 slots of RAM and was thinking of keeping the AMD but if there is better for the money with intel I would be willing to change....

And the previous poster who said the Antec case is a dust collector is exactly right, but it is a decent case so still undecided on that....

Also just to point out, I am looking to buy the whole build from Hardwareversand as I just want to have it running immediately when I get it rather than messing around with it myself as Im not great with building/upgrading myself.

any thoughts would be welcome lads....

Cheers

IrishMetalhead

not got a phenom quad core litterally a month before the hex-cores hit the market so FML same story when I baught my Core 2 Quad a good while back and the 1155 cpu's were released along with the quad core i5's so again FML

IrishMetalhead

if your still not sure on the case heres a vid of that lancool case i suggested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4XCT9yibwQ

comes with just as many fans as the 900 and even tho it is midi tower it's almost full tower in size
BTW even tho it says it tooless I'd use screws to hold everything in you can't beat them in regards to sturdiness

marco_polo

Obviously budget is not a major concern, but I would stick with 4GB of RAM and sink the extra 40+ cash into just about anything else TBH (GPU,CPU,SSD,Case,PSU etc), I just can't envisage any scenario where it would get used in a predominately gaming PC over the next few years.

SkrApsAK

IrishMetalhead wrote: »

not got a phenom quad core litterally a month before the hex-cores hit the market so FML same story when I baught my Core 2 Quad a good while back and the 1155 cpu's were released along with the quad core i5's so again FML

So you think I should wait then?

Dunno, Im kind of under pressure to get something very soon as my current setup is on its last legs.....

srsly78

Having 6 cores is useless for games, having a faster 4 core processor is better, and the new Intel Sandy Bridge annihilates the phenom x6.

That said, don't waste your money on core i7s, Hyper Threading is a load of bollox and will actually reduce performance. Best gaming CPU = i5-2500k. Graphics card still more important tho.

Here is benchmark showing i5-2400 vs phenom x6: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3871/the-sandy-bridge-preview-three-wins-in-a-row/11
i5-2500 has slightly more performance and can be overclocked. If you are gonna spend the bucks on a top-notch gaming rig the choice of CPU is a no-brainer.

SkrApsAK

srsly78 wrote: »

Having 6 cores is useless for games, having a faster 4 core processor is better, and the new Intel Sandy Bridge annihilates the phenom x6.

That said, don't waste your money on core i7s, Hyper Threading is a load of bollox and will actually reduce performance. Best gaming CPU = i5-2500k. Graphics card still more important tho.

Here is benchmark showing i5-2400 vs phenom x6: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3871/the-sandy-bridge-preview-three-wins-in-a-row/11
i5-2500 has slightly more performance and can be overclocked. If you are gonna spend the bucks on a top-notch gaming rig the choice of CPU is a no-brainer.

Yup your definitely right regarding the i5.... cheers for the link!

So on the GFX card, on advice iv dropped the dual cards and have been looking at the following 2 cards, just little difference between the 2....

Any thoughts?

http://www1.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=41284&agid=1165&pcconfAddUri=pcconfigurator.jsp%3FpcConfigurator.vga.vga.0%3D41284%3A3007&pcconfBackUri=pcconfselect.jsp?pcConfigurator.catid=6&pcConfigurator.maid=0&search.sKey=&rp=1

or

http://www1.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=41503&agid=1165&pcconfAddUri=pcconfigurator.jsp%3FpcConfigurator.vga.vga.0%3D41503%3A3007&pcconfBackUri=pcconfselect.jsp?pcConfigurator.catid=6&pcConfigurator.maid=0&search.sKey=&rp=1


It is kind of putting me slightly over budget though..... but nevermind

marco_polo

srsly78 wrote: »

Having 6 cores is useless for games, having a faster 4 core processor is better, and the new Intel Sandy Bridge annihilates the phenom x6.

That said, don't waste your money on core i7s, Hyper Threading is a load of bollox and will actually reduce performance. Best gaming CPU = i5-2500k. Graphics card still more important tho.

Here is benchmark showing i5-2400 vs phenom x6: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3871/the-sandy-bridge-preview-three-wins-in-a-row/11
i5-2500 has slightly more performance and can be overclocked. If you are gonna spend the bucks on a top-notch gaming rig the choice of CPU is a no-brainer.

Graphically undemanding games like the first three just aren't GPU bound @1680 X1050 with no AA on so it doesn't really say anything about actual gaming performance on a high end rig, unless the difference between 100 and 150 fps bothers you greatly.

SkrApsAK

IrishMetalhead wrote: »

if your still not sure on the case heres a vid of that lancool case i suggested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4XCT9yibwQ

comes with just as many fans as the 900 and even tho it is midi tower it's almost full tower in size
BTW even tho it says it tooless I'd use screws to hold everything in you can't beat them in regards to sturdiness

Also, cheers for that m8,

Iv added the case in.... looks slick and defo not as much of a dust collector

IrishMetalhead

seriously stay clear of sandybridge you'll regret it when you'll have to send the motherboard back so go with the phenom x6 or spend the extra cash and get a lga1366 i7 if your looking to buy something now and never look back

SkrApsAK

Putting the final touches on my build before ordering......

Any thoughts on the graphics cards I mentioned?

marco_polo

SkrApsAK wrote: »

Putting the final touches on my build before ordering......

Any thoughts on the graphics cards I mentioned?

Much the same that I can see, I would go with the ASUS purely on the basis that XFXs european support is not great by all accounts.

SkrApsAK

cool thx man....

You think there are better cards on the market though for around the same money?

marco_polo

SkrApsAK wrote: »

cool thx man....

You think there are better cards on the market though for around the same money?

Not really can't go wrong with what you have selected TBH. Although what I would suggest as a money saving possibility (if you will be gaming on a single monitor @ 1920 X 1200 or less) is the HD 6950 1GB version instead which works a fair bit cheaper at 199 (and is less expensive and quicker than the 1GB GT 560s on HWVS). At higher resolutions ( 2560 X 1600 or multi montor eyefinity) then the extra memory of the 2GB version would become more important.

If you look at the gaming benchmarks in this review the 1GB matches the 2GB fram for frame @ 1920X1200

http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-6950-1gb-vs-geforce-gtx-560-ti-review/1

SkrApsAK

I will actually be running 2 x 24" monitors on HDMI.

So for that, do you think I would bet better off going with the XFX card just for the dual HDMI's rather than using a DVI converter on the ASUS?

SkrApsAK

Right so, this is what I have selected at the moment.... havnt ordered yet but about to :P

Note, the RAM set is 2 x 4GB

Still undecided on the GFX card....

The rest look ok though?

Keep in mind, I will be using it to play most new games, to play 16 tables at once on online poker and also to design some websites etc.....

IrishMetalhead

go for a spinpoint f3 insted of a caviar blue it's a much faster drive,
plus you didn't list a cpu cooler there O.o
please don't tell us you gonna use intel's horrible stock cooling

marco_polo

SkrApsAK wrote: »

I will actually be running 2 x 24" monitors on HDMI.

So for that, do you think I would bet better off going with the XFX card just for the dual HDMI's rather than using a DVI converter on the ASUS?

Would still go with the ASUS TBH, the ATI DVI->HDMI adapters work just great at carrying HDMI sound across so there really is no difference..

SkrApsAK

IrishMetalhead wrote: »

go for a spinpoint f3 insted of a caviar blue it's a much faster drive,
plus you didn't list a cpu cooler there O.o
please don't tell us you gonna use intel's horrible stock cooling

The Schytte Samarai thingy is the cooler.... not a bad one really

SkrApsAK

marco_polo wrote: »

Would still go with the ASUS TBH, the ATI DVI->HDMI adapters work just great at carrying HDMI sound across so there really is no difference..

Sweet.... cheers Marco, youve been a great help....

You think the overall finished product looks well for the money?

SkrApsAK

Also cheers to IrishMetalhead...... some very helpful comments too

I'll take a look at the HD now

SkrApsAK

IrishMetalhead wrote: »

go for a spinpoint f3 insted of a caviar blue it's a much faster drive,
plus you didn't list a cpu cooler there O.o
please don't tell us you gonna use intel's horrible stock cooling

the WD says its 600mb/s, the samsung is 300mb/s??

marco_polo

SkrApsAK wrote: »

Sweet.... cheers Marco, youve been a great help....

You think the overall finished product looks well for the money?

I am quite jealous so make of that what you will

marco_polo

SkrApsAK wrote: »

the WD says its 600mb/s, the samsung is 300mb/s??

This is classical maketing misinformation, as these are the theoritical maximum speeds of SATA II and SATA III. No mechanical hard drive is fast enough (or ever will be in the forseeable future) to get near even SATA II limits, let alone less SATA III.

For want of a better analogy it is somewhat like putting a Micra on the Autobann in Germany and claiming its top speed was 250mph.

Unregistered.

marco_polo wrote: »

For want of a better analogy it is somewhat like putting a Micra on the Autobann in Germany and claiming its top speed was 250mph.

Excellent analogy.

Monotype

That 6Gbps blue drive still has a little improvement over the last generation. Access times at least - better than the F3. Speeds not really improved. I suppose it depends on what your needs are.

SkrApsAK

Cheers again all...

Ill post pics when I get it

How long do Hardwareversand usually take anyone know?

SkrApsAK

Hi All....

Well, my CPU arrived and I have been fairly happy wit it so far. But I am having a major problem with windows at the moment.

I got Windows 7 Home Premium (64) with it, which was installed when it came.

Anyway, I am have major problems with the OS.

Everytime enter the control panel and try open simple thing like Display, accessibility etc etc... pretty much every option in the control panel, the page just freezes and wont let me in to change any settings.

Also I am the only user on the CPU but every time I want to run anything, (example firefox, IE or any games etc) I have to right click and "Run as administrator".

Obviously I have tried to get to the bottom of this but as I cannot get into the control panel, its impossible really from what I know.

Has anyone heard of or seen this before or have any ideas on what I can do?

Even if I right click on the desktop and go to personalize/display, it just freezes. this is only happening with Windows settings.

All programs that are not windows are working fine.

Any idea's?

thx

grizzly

I'd just clear the disk and re-install the OS. Not such a pain to do when the system is still new.

SkrApsAK

I bought it from Hardwareversand...

They installed the OS and then didnt send the disc or key!! which is ridiculous.

I emailed them last night and demanded they send it to me, considering I paid €87 for it! lol

They obviously tried to scimp and used a multi cpu version or something

decnug

Hi SkrApsAK, first of all thanks for this thread as I got the same spec pc this week. I was having the same problem you had and I tried reinstalling everything a few times. I'm not 100% sure but I think the problem started after I installed the driver for the sound card. I eventually installed the driver for it manually through device manager (browsed to cd) and everything is working fine now.

SkrApsAK

ah ok...

I think thats around the same time I started having the problems too...

I'll try sort it now an let you know how I got on

SkrApsAK

decnug wrote: »

Hi SkrApsAK, first of all thanks for this thread as I got the same spec pc this week. I was having the same problem you had and I tried reinstalling everything a few times. I'm not 100% sure but I think the problem started after I installed the driver for the sound card. I eventually installed the driver for it manually through device manager (browsed to cd) and everything is working fine now.

Unfortunately, I cannot get into "Device Manager"....
Just keeps freezing every time, my whole control panel does the same

decnug

ok, I was doing it after a fresh install of windows

SkrApsAK

decnug wrote: »

ok, I was doing it after a fresh install of windows

Im gonna have to wait a bit so

Didnt receive my copy of Windows with the order so emailed them.