New Build Advice - sanity check before ordering

[kmac]

Okay thanks chaps, thinkI'llgofor the 512MB 4770 as it seems a more recent chip and goets good review from Tom's hardware

[format]

The 4770 also runs very well in Crossfire if you decide to upgrade in the future.

[ta2]

Any graphics card from the last 2 years is likely to be able to do twice what you are asking of it.

[kmac]

OKay thanks chaps - all ordered now. So far I have received from Scan:

Intel Core i5 750, S 1156, Lynnfield £143
4GB (2 & 2GB) Corsair XMS3 DDR3 PC3-12800 ( 1600) £75
Gigabyte GA-P55-US3L £83
Samsung F3 500GB £36
Samsung F3 500GB £36 ( for RAID mirroring to protect against drive failure)

Order today:
Prolimatech Megahalems Super 6 £45
Sony Optical Drive (retail version) £22
MSI ATI 4770 512MB £82
525W Enermax MODU82+ £71
Lian Li PC-A06 case £40 (thanks Zhaoman)
Akasa internal 3.5in card reader £5

I went for the Modu82+ PSU as I need this build to be super silent and this PSU is listed by Silent PC Review as being one of the quietest. Same logic with the heatsink - a bit overkill for non-overclocked CPU but I hate those push pin fixings of the stock Intel heatsinks and I need something super quiet.

I guess I could have saved about £150 going for an AMD rig but I wanted a change from them.
When the price comes down, I will consider an SSD in the future.

Oh and went for the 22" Dell 2209Wa E-IPS monitor.

Don't like the fact that Scan automatically adds their install insurance and you have to take it off. On part of my order ( ordered optical drive and card reader separately) I forgot to take it off. Probably worth it for a CPU though and I didn't know about it when I ordered that as did it over the phone. Ah well, here's hoping I get the thermal paste in nicely and don't toastthe CPU....

[kmac]

Oh no....just had a thought...hope that case is wide enough to take the Megahalems.

Well I'll just have to wait and see. Maybe use my Coolermaster ATC-201 for the new build and put the old Athlon into the Lian-Li.

[Zhaoman]

The Lian Li is a micro-ATX case which I suggested after CAT and I suggested a micro-ATX AMD setup. Unfortunately it won't even fit your chosen motherboard never mind your cpu cooler :doh:

Sorry for not mentioning it at the time, but it was a great looking case for the price and would've been great for a micro-ATX build. Hope that hasn't now caused you too much of a headache.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I think the OP should look at getting an HD5750 if they are spending £82 on an HD4770 512MB.

Ebuyer are selling an HD5750 512MB for around £92:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/179681


The HD5750 has both much lower idle and peak power consumption when compared to an HD4770:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2009/..._5750_review/7

Edit!!

TBH,if the OP is not doing any sort of intensive gaming an HD4670 GDDR3 would do the job!!

This card is passively cooled too and is bus powered as well:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/158546

[kmac]

The Lian Li is a micro-ATX case which I suggested after CAT and I suggested a micro-ATX AMD setup. Unfortunately it won't even fit your chosen motherboard never mind your cpu cooler :doh:

Sorry for not mentioning it at the time, but it was a great looking case for the price and would've been great for a micro-ATX build. Hope that hasn't now caused you too much of a headache.

Actually the specs for the case on the Scan site says it can take an ATX as well as mATX.
If it doesn't fit ATX then Scan will have to take it back as they have mis-represented it on their site.

[kmac]

Thanks CAT but I had already ordered the HD4770 before I saw your post.
In pure performance terms becuase most games are still op-timised for DX10 there is not much in it between HD5750 and the HD4770. However, when games are optimised for DX11 then the performance gap could get wider. Having said that since I'm not really a games person, I should be okay with the 4770 for some time. If it proves too noisy then I'll but a passively cooled 4670. The reason I went for the 4770 is that the 4670 offered on Scan today only when I ordered last night was not passivly cooled ( but had a Zalman fan which I guess is very quiet anyway). Was really tempted to get it but I read one review which said that it was okay for resolutions up to 1280X whatever and my new screen is rated up to 1650X1050. Ah well anopther £30 quid I could have saved and some nosie reduction but as I said if the noise proves too much I'm definately going for the passive 4670 from ebuyer.

[kmac]

Update - Gigabyte GA-P55-US3L Mobo had no problems whatsoever fitting into the Lian-li PC-A06 case. In fact there is loads of room. That mobo looks tiny by the way - thought it was a mATX but spec says its ATX.

Good news is also that the Prolimatech Megahalems heatsink also fits (there are millimeteres of clearance between the top of heatsink and the side panel of the case)

Nice enough case but the build quality of my Coolermaster ATC-201s is better (nice thick machined aluminimium front panel, better thumb screws, thumb screws for expansion slots etc). I would definately recommend the Lian-li for the price though.

One question I do have - instructions for the heatsink says put thermal grease on both the base of the heatsink as well as on the CPU. (Which I did as I usually follow instructions). Tried to put as thin a layer as possible but still get the feeling it might act as a bit of an insulation layer as I'm used to only putting it on the CPU, not both surfaces.

Anyway I switch on tonight so will monitor temperatures closely.

Also surprised that the ATI HD4770 requires a spearate power connection from the PSU as I'm used to graphics cards drawing power from the slot.

[nightkhaos]

One question I do have - instructions for the heatsink says put thermal grease on both the base of the heatsink as well as on the CPU. (Which I did as I usually follow instructions). Tried to put as thin a layer as possible but still get the feeling it might act as a bit of an insulation layer as I'm used to only putting it on the CPU, not both surfaces.[/QUOTE]

I very much doubt there will be a problem. I only applied to to one surface personally, then again I did use MX-2 rather than the bundled TIM. The compression screws will force the material to cohese so you should have very good thermal conductivity.

And by the way, TIM is not an insulator, nor can it ever be. Hence it's name.

[kmac]

Final update - pressed power and everything works fine

Funny the Lian Li case has no reset button.

Windows 7 is excellent - fastest new install I have ever done