£300 to spend on CPU/ GPU

**watercooled** · 21-03-2013, 12:32 PM

It's not really true any more that games only use one or two threads - modern games frequently use 4 or more threads effectively, and in fact some games struggle if you only give them two cores to run on, which is why something like a Pentium or i3 is a poor choice for a gaming system.

With the 6300, you get 6 cores and excellent muti-threaded game performance for £100, and it's probably what I'd recommend given a £300 CPU+GPU budget gaming system. If you're willing to spend 50% more, an 8350 should outperform it in some games, and give you more potential future-proofing as games continue to use more threads. But I'm not sure it's worth eating into your GPU budget for, unless you're OK with upping the total budget.

That 7870 is a Tahiti LE model so more like a cut-down 7950 - it's generally a fair bit faster than a standard 7870 and even comes close to the 7950 in some games, so is great value for money. The downsides are that it's less power efficient, and they are only made by a few brands.

**CAT-THE-FIFTH** · 21-03-2013, 01:40 PM

**AbuRyu** · 21-03-2013, 11:50 PM

Should I go for the Club3d card though, its priced at the same level as standard 7870s which kinda makes me feel uneasy

**AbuRyu** · 23-03-2013, 04:54 PM

Should I go for the Club3d card though?, its priced at the same level as standard 7870s which kinda makes me feel uneasy about build quality.

Thanks for those links CAT, looks a decent set up. been reading up more and have decided on going for the fx 6300

**dacads** · 23-03-2013, 05:33 PM

I have the VTX3D edition of the 7870 LE which is basically the same as the Club3d one. No issues with build quality for me

**AbuRyu** · 23-03-2013, 08:11 PM

I was just a bit puzzled why it was priced lower than standard 7870s [theres usually a catch]I've read that he club3d version can gets hot esp when OCd. With that being the case, would the set up outlined in CATs post be sufficient for it in terms of airflow/cooing?

**Mehta23** · 23-03-2013, 09:09 PM

Is the general price of the club low, or just from a specific place?

Tbh I've never heard of club3d but if there are any reviews that say it's good....

My friend has the XFX version, supposed very good. Just let down by customer service (which is bypassed if you buy from scan)

**AbuRyu** · 23-03-2013, 10:10 PM

http://www.pcgamer.com/review/club3d...ercard-review/
http://www.***********.net/reviews/g...ition_review/1
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-...1134784/review
http://uk.hardware.info/reviews/3698...ndercover-7950!

are some reviews i read

**AbuRyu** · 23-03-2013, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by Mehta23

Is the general price of the club low, or just from a specific place?

Tbh I've never heard of club3d but if there are any reviews that say it's good....

My friend has the XFX version, supposed very good. Just let down by customer service (which is bypassed if you buy from scan)

Hmmm... how about this taken from club 3d warraty secyion:

"Warranty claims regarding Club 3D products will be handled by representative parties of Club 3D BV and Club 3D GmbH. Warranty claims from end-users are not handled directly by Club 3D. End-users with warranty claims, support issues or any other technical enquiries regarding Club 3D products can directly contact their place of purchase. Your place of purchase should handle all your enquiries,claims or questions. If you are 100% sure your product is defective. Return it to your place of purchase, there is no need to contact us. All incoming and outgoing RMA is handled by your place of purchase."

**AbuRyu** · 25-03-2013, 12:09 PM

Should I invest more in a better case?

I've reaad the club 3ds can get hot esp when OCing. I've not heard of bitfenix, but have since read reviews of that model, quite good for its price.

**dfour** · 25-03-2013, 04:15 PM

The merc alpha has a few flaws but air cooling isnt one of the them. For a few pounds more I would take a look at the

BitFenix Outlaw Gaming Case - Black £40

Review

And just add a couple of quiet fans to it and your away.

**Pob255** · 25-03-2013, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by AbuRyu

Hmmm... how about this taken from club 3d warraty secyion:

"Warranty claims regarding Club 3D products will be handled by representative parties of Club 3D BV and Club 3D GmbH. Warranty claims from end-users are not handled directly by Club 3D. End-users with warranty claims, support issues or any other technical enquiries regarding Club 3D products can directly contact their place of purchase. Your place of purchase should handle all your enquiries,claims or questions. If you are 100% sure your product is defective. Return it to your place of purchase, there is no need to contact us. All incoming and outgoing RMA is handled by your place of purchase."

That's the same system XFX use on their graphics card now, they offer the warranty to the retailer ONLY and leave it up to them how much they wish to pass on, so all warranty claims go through the retailer because you bought the card from the retailer not the manufacture.
retailers get the warranty from the manufacture because both club3d and xfx sell directly to retailers now not via separate distributors.

On case, I personally don't think much of the outlaw esp at that price, also note max cpu cooler height is only 156mm which rules out most 120mm fan based coolers. (yes the aandatech review used the largest cooler it's possible to fit in the outlaw)

I would look at casecom, the CS13 http://www.ebuyer.com/390898-casecom-cs-13-case-cs-13 (it used to be a bit cheaper

) cheaper the k5-9388 http://www.ebuyer.com/239238-casecom...an-k5-9388blue
If you want to go bigger then the CL-86 http://www.ebuyer.com/367336-casecom-cl-86-case-cl-86 is worth a look, it's basically a coolermaster HAF X clone but a lot cheaper, still not cheap but you get a lot of case for £76

**Mehta23** · 25-03-2013, 11:18 PM

I have a CM Storm Enforcer (similar to the HAF) and I don't dislike anything about it really. Apart from the price, it's really quite brilliant.

Xcase do quite a few cheap cases, and there's also the Zalman z11 (£50) and the cit ones from £35

**graemeakerby** · 28-03-2013, 07:55 PM

You should opt for the amd 8350 cpu and amd 7870 gpu (or 7950 if you can afford it). The intel i5 3570k is also a good option at this price point.

**AbuRyu** · 28-03-2013, 11:59 PM

dacads: I've decided to buy the same as yours from aria. 2 yr warranty plus 5 games swayed me over. How is your system with the card in terms of temp? What cooling do you use if any?

**AbuRyu** · 29-03-2013, 09:55 PM

I'm about order a case. I've narrowed it down to 3 [thanks to everyone for the suggestions]:

Zalman z11 or plus version
Casecom cs 13
bitfenix merc alpha

Went into maplins for a browse. Saw the zalman z11 plus, looks a solid build.

The Zalman z11 is about 45 quid and plus version about 50 on amazon

I think I'll probs go for one of the Zalmans but thought Id see what you guys think.

1. Is the zalman worth the extra £££
2. If yes ,hould I go for the standard z11 or plus version AFAIK the only diff is usb 3 a the front.

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