Working on a gaming build

[dcgregg]

Having reviewed the feedback and looked into things, how does this look? I believe it will be good now. Can someone recommend a good budget cpu/heatsink as i will be looking at overclocking.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor (£106.36 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.20 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 EVO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard (£68.62 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Avexir MPOWER Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£53.90 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£38.99 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270 2GB Video Card (£131.64 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: Cooler Master K280 ATX Mid Tower Case (£29.99 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 450W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£34.14 @ Scan.co.uk)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHDS118-04 DVD/CD Drive (£10.78 @ Scan.co.uk)
Monitor: Asus VX238H 23.0" Monitor (£147.90 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £647.52
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-23 23:37 GMT+0000)

[Bonebreaker777]

Having reviewed the feedback and looked into things, how does this look?

If you can, apply for cash back where you can, with a bit of luck, you may get enough for a 64GB SSD for the OS to be on

Can someone recommend a good budget cpu/heatsink as i will be looking at overclocking.

You always have the option of the cheapest all-in-one water coolers, starting around of £40 > Corsair H80 for £40.56 at Scan.co.uk.
Or long time favorites like > Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO for £25.45 at Scan.co.uk.

A discussion is alive right now and it is about the coolers and such in this budget range > http://forums.hexus.net/chassis-mods...er-cooler.html

Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£44.98 @ Amazon UK)

Wouldn't be a 450W enough as well? Asking mainly other forum members here with similar configurations and dedicated GPUs.

[dcgregg]

If you can, apply for cash back where you can, with a bit of luck, you may get enough for a 64GB SSD for the OS to be on



You always have the option of the cheapest all-in-one water coolers, starting around of £40 > Corsair H80 for £40.56 at Scan.co.uk.
Or long time favorites like > Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO for £25.45 at Scan.co.uk.

A discussion is alive right now and it is about the coolers and such in this budget range > http://forums.hexus.net/chassis-mods...er-cooler.html


Wouldn't be a 450W enough as well? Asking mainly other forum members here with similar configurations and dedicated GPUs.

Yes I agree, I will be buying an SSD after I have everything else and will look out for cash back. as for the cooler, I didn't ask in the discussion because my case doesn't have water cooling holes etc, but I have added the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo to my list, it looks very good.
The main thing I always worry about is not having enough power, that is why I chose the 550W. Part Picker does say: Estimated Wattage: 384W so Yeah I think a 450w would do it, Ill have a look at one . I do really appreciate the help. Updated List with cooler and PSU

[Bonebreaker777]

For all-in-one water coolers you don't need water cooling tubing holes. All parts stay inside the case, hence no need for holes leading outside.

SSD is good, m'kay ;-) good luck with cashback. If you don't have a account yet, I am happy to send an invite :-D

I have the 450w, at one point I had a nVidia 670 plus my old i5-2400 plus 4x HDDs, all fully engaged and under load and all held.

If the Cooler Master doesn't really expresses "you", in the discussion above linked are alternatives.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I don't think that monitor uses an IPS panel - for that kind of price I would expect one.

[GeorgeStorm]

The new build looks pretty good, +1 about the monitor, seems a little pricey for what it is to me.

DELL monitors are a pretty good starting point for something of a decent quality

[Bonebreaker777]

Asus VS239HV 23" IPS for £137.99 at Scan.co.uk Today Only or Dell P2414H 24" Professional IPS for £165.59 at Scan.co.uk Today Only if you can make your budget stretch.

Also other DELL monitors for around £150 at Scan.co.uk. Take a look.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

The U2312HM has a great stand and is worth looking at too IMHO.

[Bonebreaker777]

The U2312HM has a great stand and is worth looking at too IMHO.

Aye, but the stand is shared with the DELL P2414H and the price difference (£158.99 vs £164.99) doesn't warrant the apparently worse ISP panel ("...Dell p2414h is the better IPS panel. It uses the newer ah-ips tech that supports better picture, better viewing angles and less ips glow. ..."). Hopefully he can skip a few breakfasts and afford the 24" DELL

[Pob255]

Nice as these monitors are and given the low cost of this build, I'd say a cheap 21" TN screen would be better eg http://www.scan.co.uk/products/215-a...-20m1-speakers £87.86
IPS is nice but at twice the price for gaming I'm not sure it's worth it, especially when that money could be put into other components, an extra £80 could mean an SSD added onto the build
remember 21" to 23" doesn't matter so much as the resolution and most in this size range are 1920x1080

[MrJim]

Nice as these monitors are and given the low cost of this build, I'd say a cheap 21" TN screen would be better eg http://www.scan.co.uk/products/215-a...-20m1-speakers £87.86
IPS is nice but at twice the price for gaming I'm not sure it's worth it, especially when that money could be put into other components, an extra £80 could mean an SSD added onto the build
remember 21" to 23" doesn't matter so much as the resolution and most in this size range are 1920x1080

It's a fair point, but personally I take the view that if I'm going to spend a large amount of my time staring at a computer monitor, it might as well be a half decent one Of course budget is a big consideration, but I'd always prioritise a good monitor, as it's a component I tend not to change very often...

[dcgregg]

Good Ideas guys, the monitor is a little on the expensive side and will check out scans website to see what they have to offer. I can see where Jumbobgod is coming from when he says "If I am going to spend a large amount of my time staring at a computer monitor, it might as well be a half decent one". That was my thought too. Though Pob has a point also, I could also invest in an SSD too. Alright, I'll have a look and see now

[Bonebreaker777]

Good Ideas guys, the monitor is a little on the expensive side and will check out scans website to see what they have to offer. I can see where Jumbobgod is coming from when he says "If I am going to spend a large amount of my time staring at a computer monitor, it might as well be a half decent one". That was my thought too. Though Pob has a point also, I could also invest in an SSD too. Alright, I'll have a look and see now

Monitor before the SSD. You can add SSD after but you will be stuck with the monitor of your choice (unless you choose to resell).

Choose a good monitor. Save up for a SSD (£60-70 for 120GB) by trivial means. Enjoy your decision.