Future build

[inaamrahman7]

Hey guys,
I'm planning on building a new PC soon but I couldn't decide on the wattage of the PSU. I'm a complete novice at this and have never built a PC before, so please go easy (and slow) on me!

Specs
i5 4670k
Asus Z87-K or Asus Z87-plus or Gigabyte Ga-Z87-HD3 (most likely the Gigabyte one).
MSI or Gigabyte R9 280x
Corsair Vengeance Low Profile CML16GX3M2A1600C10 16GB 1600MHz
Corsair CS650M or CXM 600W
1TB 7200 RPM Samsung Hard Drive (From my previous PC as it has my files and Windows 8.1 on it. )
No SSD yet due to budget restrictions, but will probably get a 120Gb after a few months.
Mid Tower ATX case (NZXT Lexa S CA-LEXS3-01)

I was thinking about going for a Corsair CS650M but I don't really know anything about PSUs and this is based on a slightly similar build I've seen on the forums.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am trying to keep the cost below £75 so please take that into consideration.

Thanks!

[inaamrahman7]

I probably won't be over clocking anything, but I might change my mind later.

If I don't over clock and use the PC for intense gaming, do I need to get a case with a certain number of fans? Is there any point in me even looking at water cooling?

Thank you

[Domestic_Ginger]

Cases are one compenent with PSU you can keep for a long time.

I would decide first on form factor; if you don't need PCI cards then M-ATX and ITX open up and all the dinky cases you can choose from.

Then styling; conservative/gamering/don't care. Noise levels; usually quieter cases have worse cooling but this varies. Some people change the fans you get with a case; if you can control the speed and turn them down a bit they are usually quieter as often there is a comprimise between speed and noise. Cheaper cases quite often only come with one fan. Plenty of reviews out there but Scythe (gentle typhoons) are usually recommended.

Browse cases and then read reviews. The large tower coolers are typically about 160mm so a 200mm case is 'usually' wide enough. There are all in one coolers for CPUs which are quite popular and a n easy option compared to a tradtional WC setup. If you are not OCing I would leave WC as a potential future project.

[inaamrahman7]

Merged forums so don't need this post.

[inaamrahman7]

I've just seen a great deal on Corsair CXM 600W. Would that be sufficient for my rig?

Thanks

[inaamrahman7]

Thanks for your reply!
I haven't looked at getting any cases that are smaller than ATX because I'm worried that heat flow would be compromised, especially as it is a gaming rig. Mini ATX motherboards aren't that cheaper from their ATX siblings and I'd rather have the option to expand, hence I'm going for ATX. I will atleast need a PCI slot to install a wireless card.

[inaamrahman7]

I was quite impressed by the NZXT Lexa S's aesthetic and was wondering if my components would fit inside this case.
Will there be any heating issues as I plan on using only the stock 4 fans supplied with the case (unless advised otherwise).
http://www.nzxt.com/product/detail/110-lexa-s-case

Thanks

[slinger]

I have a similar system to you and I am using a Corsair CX750M. I think its probably much more than I need but I'm not having any issues with my system so...

[kompukare]

Corsair CS and CX are so-so CWT made PSUs. THe CX*M are cheap for modular, but you are far better off buying a quality non-modular PSU like the Seasonic made ones which XFX sell like the 450W one for £34 or the 550W for £49

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/450w-...n-atx-v231-psu
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/550w-...-quiet-fan-atx
(They may be cheaper from Dabs or Amazon if you don't qualify for free postage with Scan.)

Max power usage of a i5-4670K + R9 280X is around 350-400W and that's the extreme (FurMark which AMD don't throttle although I they should follow Nvidia and do so as it shows their cards with ridiculous power usage which never happens even while crypto mining).

[inaamrahman7]

Thank you for your help guys.
I've always read that Corsair make high quality PSUs and that it is much more easier to build a system with a modular power supply. I still would like to go for something that's atleast 600W because I've never seen any system with similar specs as me use a lower wattage than that. Then there's always the power usage of the motherboard and fans or is that all included in the 350-400W? Be patient with me here please!

[Ttaskmaster]

I faced a similar concern, in that this was the first build I was doing by myself.
I wanted space to fiddle (I have big, clumsy hands) and room to expand.

I ended up going for the Corsair Carbide 500R, which cost me about £90...
I love the styling anyway and it has all the usual basic features of most modern cases, but how they're combined and configured is what made it for me.

You have 6 HDD bays and 4 exposed optical bays, which is plenty on both counts and one of the HDD cages is removable for even more space/airflow.
You have bags of room and rubberised grommets for tidying away cables at the back.
It has space specifically designed for Corsair closed-loop water coolers (I picked up an H100 for £35!!) and the best part is that it comes with four fans included - (2 x 120mm intakes, 1 x 200mm intake, 1 x 120mm exhaust) and has fitment points for something like 10 additional fans.

Bang for buck, I think it's fantastic.
http://www.corsair.com/carbide-serie...ower-case.html

[peterb]

Threads relating to the build have been merged for ease of reference by those wishing to help - and the OP

[inaamrahman7]

Thanks for your reply.
I have to admit, the Corsair case does look pretty damn good! Unfortunately, I am on a bit of a tight budget and ideally I want something that looks sleek, has USB 3.0 and costs below £60. I don't think I'll be tinkering with water cooling unless absolutely necessary. So, the NZXT Lexa S works well for me, if it can accommodate my components and have no heat flow issues (I think it allows for up to 5 fans). I think that case has plenty of drive bays, but I'm probably going to be using a max of 3 hard disks and maybe two SSDs in the future.

[inaamrahman7]

Threads relating to the build have been merged for ease of reference by those wishing to help - and the OP

Thanks! I was just trying to avoid people telling me go ask that in a different forum. Guess that went well!

[Ttaskmaster]

I want something that looks sleek, has USB 3.0 and costs below £60.

The Lexa S does not have USB3.0, though...?

I don't think I'll be tinkering with water cooling unless absolutely necessary.

No, these are sealed units, preassembled and minimal fuss. No tinkering required...
http://www.corsair.com/us/cpu-coolin...pu-cooler.html

You simply affix the cooling block to the CPU as you would a normal heatsink fan, then bolt the radiator to an exhaust point with the fan(s) either in front or behind (I prefer behind for a pull configuration), plug the power and PWM connectors in and you're done. 6-8 minutes at a leisurely pace, even for newbies like us. That's it!
These things can be pretty decent bang-for-buck options, especially if you can find them in the sales. In some cases, they rival some mid and high end air coolers but are notably cheaper.

[inaamrahman7]

The Lexa S does not have USB3.0, though...?


No, these are sealed units, preassembled and minimal fuss. No tinkering required...
http://www.corsair.com/us/cpu-coolin...pu-cooler.html

You simply affix the cooling block to the CPU as you would a normal heatsink fan, then bolt the radiator to an exhaust point with the fan(s) either in front or behind (I prefer behind for a pull configuration), plug the power and PWM connectors in and you're done. 6-8 minutes at a leisurely pace, even for newbies like us. That's it!
These things can be pretty decent bang-for-buck options, especially if you can find them in the sales. In some cases, they rival some mid and high end air coolers but are notably cheaper.

This model has 1 USB 3.0 and 1 USB 2.0.
CA-LEXS3-01

Yes, but water cooling would only add extra cost to my build and whilst I'm not afraid to learn how to setup water cooling, I'd prefer not to install if it adds extra cost and if I don't need it. That being said, if I do need it, or decide to get water cooling in the future, would these coolers also work in the Lexa S?
Thanks for being patient with me!