Build first PC

[razor92]

Currently building my first PC (stopped moving around now so I can finaly get a desktop).

I want is to be a good gaming PC. But not cost more that 700 - 800 pounds, and after looking around in the internet and I realised that getting a good motherboard is probably the most important thing. Especially if you want to upgrade later. I would like to use a AMD processor (because there cheap and run well in games) an NVidia graphics card (just one to start with, then get a second one in SLi).

Currently I am looking at the Asus CrossHair II Formula motherboard the uses a NForce 780a chipset. However it does not support DDR3. I was wondering if this motherboard in a good choice, or if I should pick a different one. And if it is possible to get an SLi motherboard that can take and AMD processor and takes both DDR3 and DDR2.

Thanks in advance to everyone.



EDIT: People new to this thread can you please skip to the bottom of page four as I have built a new system based on what people have said, and now want more opinions in deciding whether it is worth the cost and if some aspects can be improved or made cheaper.

[TAKTAK]

I would like to use a AMD processor (because there cheap and run well in games)

why?

AMD have nothing on the table that is viable...

their new crop also have pitiful overclocks...

you may aswell get an intel and overclock it for better performance then you would get from a current AMD.

and this isn't coming from an 'intel fanboi'... check my system <<, the only intel thing i own is my eeepc... (and a skt 7 Pentium MMX...), but AMD are no longer a viable option for gaming rigs they just don't give the price to performance ratio.. for HTPC's and general browsing rigs, yes, but gaming? definatly not.

[staffsMike]

I'm with TAK TAK your budget doesn't even slightly suit an AMD build. Their sweet spot is around &#163;400 as they do nice cheap mobo's and pretty good CPU's for budget builds.

You will be crippling your performance potential with AMD at &#163;700 - &#163;800.

I also wouldn't bother considering SLi. The current &#163;160 - &#163;180 graphics cards are monsters and there is no need to SLi them for any reslolution bar 2560 x 1900 (or whatever 30" screens are).

With your budget I would build this,



This is going over the top perhaps, RAM and CPU are massive overkill for gaming rigs. A &#163;55 E5200 is plenty for gaming if you are overclocking and then &#163;50 4GB PC6400 RAM would be plenty for that rig. The rig as pictured though would achieve stupid overclocks, 4.0GHz quite easily I'd assume, not that you need all of that.

Also prices are a fair bit lower using the today only page

[MSIC]

I have to agree also, StaffsMike is always pretty reliable too.
If you wanted to shave some money off, you could quite easily change the Core2Quad to something like an E7200 (&#163;79 on today only) and the Geforce GTX260 to a Radeon 4850 for &#163;103. That'd save &#163;207 and still be a kick ass system.

PS, as with TakTak, i'm also not an Intel fanboy as I have an AMD setup. But Intel really are the thing to recommend for a new build right now.

[staffsMike]

The E7200 is nice but it only has a little more cache and that really will count for very little in higher res gaming. The E5200 although not on today only this week is only &#163;53 right now. 2.5GHz out of the box and clocks like a freak, much like the E7200. does but it's almost &#163;30 cheaper.

As I said there is a &#163;35 saving on the memory if you drop to PC6400 which is all you need for the pictured CPU if you are not overclocking but PC8500 would be nice if you were overclocking.

Depending on the resolution you wish to play at the graphics could be overkill but anything lower than 1920 x 1200 and that card will last a very long time. It also runs very cool and thanks to a wonderful review by the ever anal silent enthusiasts over at SPCR, can quite happily suggest it will add no unwanted noise to your system when idle and only add a little when gaming when there is noise anyway It also runs cooler than the ATi parts, but either will serve you very well.

The motherboard is an awesome overclocker. Something like the Asus P5Q-E is perhaps more feature packed than the DFI but the DFI is hardly lacking in features and it certainly shines when quality is concerned.


AMD simply don't offer the performance to compete with even the &#163;53 E5200 at the moment since it overclocks so high, and even at stock it will probably show up most of the AMD parts. Like most here I am not an Intel fanboi.. in fact I am an AMD fanboi if anything but it just doesn't make sense to spend that sort of money on them right now.

When the Kuma (i think it is) duals are released things might be a little different but not right now.

[AdamAnubis]

Personally i'd stick with the quad core, as it's more future proof.
Are you planning for using it soley for gaming? Or do you do like graphics design or something aswell? Would go for the 620TX PSU aswell, just to be sure

[Webby]

While I have to agree with Mike, TakTak and MSIC Intel is on the whole a better platform at the moment if you want to run an AMD system then you can do that fine and have no problems playing games.

So with this in mind I will Spec you up an AMD system.




Note that some of my items are from today only (bottom 3) and I have kept the majority of items the same as Mike to aid comparison and the fact that they are good quality components suited to the budget.

I would probably get this 4870 instead though and save &#163;10 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/148210 apparently cool and quiet and has great overclocking potential review here

[razor92]

First i would like to thank everyone for all the advise and help. It was alot more than I expected.

For this pc it will be mostly for Gaming, and some work (nothing more exciting than excel or word). And also I am very flexible with components, I dont care who makes them as along as they are good quality, and cost effective. I was initially put off Intel CPU because of the high prices tags. However it would seem that the prices tags reflected the capabilities better than I expected.

Also changing to Intel means I can use the 790i chipset with its DDR 3 capabilities (future proofing, but that may be stupid with the current FSB speeds ) (I dont think I want to change to ATI because I'm a bit of a NVidia fanboi) I would like to keep SLi capabilities as it will make upgrading easier as I can just buy a second identical grafics card.

I will rebuild my system (completely because it seems I have made quite a few mistakes), post it and ask for more advise.

I would also like to point out I am not building this right now, as im saving up. I thought it would be a good idea to look around at components and get advise rather than rushing in with very little knowledge and blowing 800 pound on somthing that could have been a whole lot better.

Once again thanks for all the help (I hope I can contribute as much back to the community)

[TAKTAK]

i would stay away from a nvidia chip-set TBH matey, i'd go for a p35/45 or x38/48

i would possibly go for a dfi p35

there isn't much point in sli'ing really...

i would also stick with nvid for gfx cards (nice and quiet and cool with stock coolers)

also ddr3 doesn't offer much of a performance boost for the money over ddr2...

and as nehalem is around the corner there is only so much future proofing you can do... as with nehalem (core i7) intel is moving from lga775, onto a new skt

[razor92]

With what TAKTAK said would it be better to wait until fall 2008 and get one a motherboard with nehalem compatible socket (more future proofing), or build a pc now and and replace the motherboard in 2010/2011 (or build another pc from scratch).

Also what real world advantages does Sli offer (if any) for gaming on a 20 - 30 inch screen (which I need to get as I have been living with laptop for the last 5 years so any recommendation will be well appreciated).

[Webby]

SLI will offer you very little benefit on anything less than a 30" monitor as the are single card solutions which will easily handle anything at 1920*1200.

In addition to that the nVidia chipset boards are pitiful compared to the Intel alternatives so it really is not worth it.

Finally to is it worth waiting for i7 to arrive, that is the million dollar question it is likely to be a very expensive platform on release (although the may be mainstream parts available) so your &#163;800 budget will not stretch nearly as far, however on the flip side prices of current components may take a price hit and allow you to get more for your budget.

[MSIC]

would it be better to wait until fall 2008 and get one a motherboard with nehalem compatible socket (more future proofing), or build a pc now and and replace the motherboard in 2010/2011

My personal experience is that although it's fairly easy to swap in and out some components, you want to shy away from motherboard swaps if possible.
For one, if you have OEM windows install then you need to buy a new licence (in all probability). For another, even if you dont have to do that, you still have to go through the whole re-install process (Windows, plus data, plus all you apps - takes me the best part of 6 hours, and i've got it streamlined!).

Yes, wait for the Nehalem (or Core i7 as i think it'll be called) in a couple of months.

Finally SLi is all about marketing - so by all means go ahead and buy SLi, feel good about it etc. But you won't actually benefit. Much, much better to buy the one card that you can afford on day one, then down the road ebay it and get a new one.

[razor92]

Ok. got two confiliting argument here for the soon-to-be-released core 7i processors. But I think I will go with Webby. If I get the core 7i when it comes out I wont be able to get the kind of machine im looking for with my budget. And there will still be a fair amount of upgrades between the release of core 7i and the time it becomes mainstream and motherboard upgrade time.

As for SLi, I am going to follow the overwhelming number of people who say that SLi is a marketing gimmic as im not going to be playing game on a screen larger that 30" (well i might deside to plug it into a massive tv once or twice to a multiplayer game of Worms)

So my question is, if I wanted to get a motherboard with that is future proof (not including Core 7i or SLi) what would be the best option.

[staffsMike]

Still, we are talking about 30" montitors. HDTV's only go to 1920 x 1080 currently which isn't going to be a struggle The 30" monitors go to 2560 x 1600.

[razor92]

Erm, good point. Havent done much research in that area so I really cant comment. However I said maximum 30" which is a bit of a lie as I dont intend to get one bigger that about 25" due to the cost unless a 30" screen has something to offer which I just cant turn down.

Also you guys make me feel like a real amature (I thought I had an ok level of knowledge for someone with no real experience), I bow down to you gods of PC hardware . i have learn't more here in the last few hours than over 2 days of research (and I'm being serious here)

[staffsMike]

Got to start somewhere.. look at my system. I paid before I thought

Although it's only really the motherboard I regret.