Results 1 to 16 of 16

Thread: High-end Spec (on a budget)

  1. #1
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    33
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    2 times in 2 posts

    High-end Spec (on a budget)

    i5 4690k - £162
    Noctua NH-D15 - £76
    Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 7 - £131
    TeamGroup Xtreem LV 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 PC3-21300C11 - £140
    Corsair AX860 - £128 (for future SLI/Xfire)
    Samsung 840 EVO 500GB - £165
    WD Black 1TB - £56
    Corsair Graphite 760T - £134
    GPU - Radeon 7970 - Already owned
    OS - Already owned
    Optical drive - Already owned

    Total = ~£1000 (prices are rounded)

  2. #2
    Banhammer in peace PeterB kalniel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    31,023
    Thanks
    1,870
    Thanked
    3,381 times in 2,718 posts
    • kalniel's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Ultra
      • CPU:
      • Intel i9 9900k
      • Memory:
      • 32GB DDR4 3200 CL16
      • Storage:
      • 1TB Samsung 970Evo+ NVMe
      • Graphics card(s):
      • nVidia GTX 1060 6GB
      • PSU:
      • Seasonic 600W
      • Case:
      • Cooler Master HAF 912
      • Operating System:
      • Win 10 Pro x64
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell S2721DGF
      • Internet:
      • rubbish

    Re: High-end Spec (on a budget)

    PSU is overkill for future SLi/Xfire, but it's your money. Ditto motherboard is a bit premium if you're wanting to save money, but if that's what you've chosen then fine, it'll work (I don't have a particular recommendation, they're all fine) Stop wasting posts here and go buy it!

  3. #3
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    33
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    2 times in 2 posts

    Re: High-end Spec (on a budget)

    I did want a high end PSU and it was a toss up between the AX760 and the AX860 and in the end I just erred on the side of caution as there's no way to tell how much power GPUs will use in the future, especially with 4k looming. I will review my mobo choice though!

  4. #4
    Moosing about! CAT-THE-FIFTH's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Not here
    Posts
    32,039
    Thanks
    3,910
    Thanked
    5,224 times in 4,015 posts
    • CAT-THE-FIFTH's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Less E-PEEN
      • CPU:
      • Massive E-PEEN
      • Memory:
      • RGB E-PEEN
      • Storage:
      • Not in any order
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EVEN BIGGER E-PEEN
      • PSU:
      • OVERSIZED
      • Case:
      • UNDERSIZED
      • Operating System:
      • DOS 6.22
      • Monitor(s):
      • NOT USUALLY ON....WHEN I POST
      • Internet:
      • FUNCTIONAL

    Re: High-end Spec (on a budget)

    Quote Originally Posted by Little_Dud View Post
    i5 4690k - £162
    Noctua NH-D15 - £76
    Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 7 - £131
    TeamGroup Xtreem LV 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 PC3-21300C11 - £140
    Corsair AX860 - £128 (for future SLI/Xfire)
    Samsung 840 EVO 500GB - £165
    WD Black 1TB - £56
    Corsair Graphite 760T - £134
    GPU - Radeon 7970 - Already owned
    OS - Already owned
    Optical drive - Already owned

    Total = ~£1000 (prices are rounded)
    I would get a cheaper motherboard and cheaper RAM.

    You might be able to get a cheaper cooler.

    I would also get an MX100 512GB.

    You can also get a Toshiba 2TB 7200RPM hard drive for not much more than the WD Black 1TB.

  5. #5
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    41
    Thanks
    2
    Thanked
    1 time in 1 post

    Re: High-end Spec (on a budget)

    Unless your going for looks than I'd recommend ram without massive useless heatsinks, besides that it looks good. You could probably find some cheaper parts that preform the same if you looked but that's not needed.

  6. #6
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    33
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    2 times in 2 posts

    Re: High-end Spec (on a budget)

    Well, I can't see a difference between the Gigabyte Gaming 3, 5 or 7. Do the more expensive ones overclock better? The pages on scan are almost identical. So unless someone can enlighten me, I'll just go for the cheap one. Concerning RAM selection and their heatsinks, I understand, and it bothers me. I really really like the specs, especially for the price, but i know it will cause problems with the NH-D14. I could move the fan to above the heatsinks (I think), or possibly turn the whole cooler 180 degrees? I'm not sure what effect that would have on the performance of the cooler, though.

  7. #7
    Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Louth
    Posts
    125
    Thanks
    7
    Thanked
    7 times in 7 posts
    • mynameissi's system
      • Motherboard:
      • MSI Z97 Gaming 5
      • CPU:
      • i5-4690k
      • Memory:
      • 4x4gb Corsair Vengeance Pro Series (2400)
      • Storage:
      • 1TB Seagate Barracuda, 128GB SSD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • 2 x GTX 970
      • PSU:
      • Corsair 750W Gold Rated Semi Modular
      • Case:
      • Corsair Carbide SPEC-01 Red LED Mid Tower case
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 7
      • Internet:
      • Sky Fibre

    Re: High-end Spec (on a budget)

    I've recently posted about a computer very similar to yours. The difference between gaming 5 and 7 is very slight, there's a few more USB 3.0 slots and a few more fan slots. I also believe the gaming 7 supports water cooling more than the gaming 5 or 3, eg allows for larger coolers, although i'm not sure.
    As far as overclocking goes I think the gaming 5 and 7 are pretty much the same
    Your pc specs look very good, the rams a bit pricey though.

  8. #8
    The Old Fox csgohan4's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    The Fox Hole
    Posts
    1,057
    Thanks
    172
    Thanked
    57 times in 52 posts
    • csgohan4's system
      • Motherboard:
      • MSI Z97 Gaming 9 AC
      • CPU:
      • I7 4770K with Noctua-D15
      • Memory:
      • G SKILL 2400Mhz 8GB
      • Storage:
      • Samsung 840 Evo 500 GB| Seagate 1TB + 1.5TB
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EVGA GTX 780 ACX
      • PSU:
      • Corsair AX 860
      • Case:
      • HAF X with NF-S12B FLX, TY-140, X4 Coolermaster Megaflow 200mm and Demciflex Dust Flters
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 8.1 Pro
      • Monitor(s):
      • LG 24inch LCD W2468L
      • Internet:
      • Sky Fibre Unlimited with Asus DSL N66U

    Re: High-end Spec (on a budget)

    Quote Originally Posted by kalniel View Post
    PSU is overkill for future SLi/Xfire, but it's your money. Ditto motherboard is a bit premium if you're wanting to save money, but if that's what you've chosen then fine, it'll work (I don't have a particular recommendation, they're all fine) Stop wasting posts here and go buy it!
    For platinum supplies, the best efficiency when the load is around 50% or below, not sure what everyone else thinks? article here
    Trust Profile HEXUS Forum FAQ and Colour coding/Post Count awards

    'The Fox is cunning and relentless, and has got his Fibre Optic Broadband'

  9. #9
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    33
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    2 times in 2 posts

    Re: High-end Spec (on a budget)

    Quote Originally Posted by mynameissi View Post
    the rams a bit pricey though.
    Yes I know but it looks soooo good and even though I'll mainly be using this PC to game and RAM speeds mean very little to games, I just can't let go of them. £140 isn't ridiculous for a 16GB kit anyway.

  10. #10
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    21
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked
    2 times in 2 posts

    Re: High-end Spec (on a budget)

    From my pretty noobish perspective this looks really good. Particularly great upgrade potential with the z97 and the possibility of SLi/Xfire. It is a bit expensive though.

  11. #11
    Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Louth
    Posts
    125
    Thanks
    7
    Thanked
    7 times in 7 posts
    • mynameissi's system
      • Motherboard:
      • MSI Z97 Gaming 5
      • CPU:
      • i5-4690k
      • Memory:
      • 4x4gb Corsair Vengeance Pro Series (2400)
      • Storage:
      • 1TB Seagate Barracuda, 128GB SSD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • 2 x GTX 970
      • PSU:
      • Corsair 750W Gold Rated Semi Modular
      • Case:
      • Corsair Carbide SPEC-01 Red LED Mid Tower case
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 7
      • Internet:
      • Sky Fibre

    Re: High-end Spec (on a budget)

    Quote Originally Posted by Little_Dud View Post
    Yes I know but it looks soooo good and even though I'll mainly be using this PC to game and RAM speeds mean very little to games, I just can't let go of them. £140 isn't ridiculous for a 16GB kit anyway.
    The ram I was potentially thinking of getting was this
    http://www.scan.co.uk/products/16gb-...-cas-11-13-13-
    which is about ~£10 cheaper
    But thats because I have a personal preference for corsair hardware
    Your ram is not that absurd price wise, but there are certainly cheaper alternatives

  12. #12
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    33
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    2 times in 2 posts

    Re: High-end Spec (on a budget)

    I'm a bit gutted as the Team RAM was £130 over at overclockers until just a couple of days ago. Oh well.

  13. #13
    Seriously casual gamer KeyboardDemon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    London
    Posts
    3,013
    Thanks
    774
    Thanked
    280 times in 242 posts
    • KeyboardDemon's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus Sabretooth Z77
      • CPU:
      • i7 3770k + Corsair H80 (Refurbed)
      • Memory:
      • 16gb (4x4gb) Corsair Vengence Red (1866mhz) - (Because it looks good in a black mobo)
      • Storage:
      • Crucial M550 SSD 1TB + 2x 500GB Seagate HDDs
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EVGA GTX 980 SC ACX 2.0 (Warranty replacement for 780Ti SC ACX)
      • PSU:
      • EVGA 750 watt SuperNova G2
      • Case:
      • Silverstone RV03
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • Asus Swift PG278Q
      • Internet:
      • BT Infinity (40mbs dl/10mbs ul)

    Re: High-end Spec (on a budget)

    Quote Originally Posted by Little_Dud View Post
    Well, I can't see a difference between the Gigabyte Gaming 3, 5 or 7.
    In that case get the cheapest.

    Quote Originally Posted by Little_Dud View Post
    Do the more expensive ones overclock better?

    The pages on scan are almost identical. So unless someone can enlighten me, I'll just go for the cheap one.
    Usually in terms of OC ability they would all overclock to the same level, usually it's features and not performance that separates the SKUs in a range, unless you are an extreme overclocker and can take advantage of the features in the 7 board.

    Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 3
    Supports 4th and 5th Generation Intel® Core™ processors
    Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi MB3 gaming audio suite
    Audio Noise Guard with LED path lighting
    Realtek ALC1150 115dB SNR HD Audio with Built-in rear audio amplifier
    Killer™ E2200 gaming networking platform
    Extreme multi graphics support
    SATA Express support for 10 Gb/s data transfer
    M.2 for SSDs drives with up to 10 Gb/s data transfer
    Long lifespan Durable Solid caps
    APP Center including EasyTune™ and Cloud Station™ utilities
    GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS™

    Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 has all of the Gaming 3 features plus:
    Gold plated display and audio ports
    High end Nichicon audio capacitors


    Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 7 has all of the Gaming 5 features plus:
    Gold plated display and audio ports
    High end Nichicon audio capacitors

    The main difference I could see between the 5 and 7 was that the 7 has a Power button and some switches near the RAM slots which aren't present on the 3 and 5, it also has probe points for testing voltages with a multimeter, if you are overclocking to a point where you need to monitor voltages in this way then the 7 makes sense, if not and you don't need the Audio enhancements on the 5 then the 3 would be perfect for you.

    Quote Originally Posted by Little_Dud View Post
    Concerning RAM selection and their heatsinks, I understand, and it bothers me. I really really like the specs, especially for the price, but i know it will cause problems with the NH-D14. I could move the fan to above the heatsinks (I think), or possibly turn the whole cooler 180 degrees? I'm not sure what effect that would have on the performance of the cooler, though.
    Great looking ram that's concealed under a massive heatsink will be just as concealed as not so great looking ram concealed under a massive heatsink, however if you still want to go for that ram then get the NH-D15 heatsink instead of the NH-D14 as this has extra clearance for high profile memory modules.

  14. #14
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    33
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    2 times in 2 posts

    Re: High-end Spec (on a budget)

    Quote Originally Posted by KeyboardDemon View Post
    if you still want to go for that ram then get the NH-D15 heatsink instead of the NH-D14 as this has extra clearance for high profile memory modules.
    Yeah, sorry, it was a typo, I was always planning to get the NH-D15.

    I've gone for the Gaming 5 in the end. All bought up now, thanks for your help, guys.

  15. #15
    Seriously casual gamer KeyboardDemon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    London
    Posts
    3,013
    Thanks
    774
    Thanked
    280 times in 242 posts
    • KeyboardDemon's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus Sabretooth Z77
      • CPU:
      • i7 3770k + Corsair H80 (Refurbed)
      • Memory:
      • 16gb (4x4gb) Corsair Vengence Red (1866mhz) - (Because it looks good in a black mobo)
      • Storage:
      • Crucial M550 SSD 1TB + 2x 500GB Seagate HDDs
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EVGA GTX 980 SC ACX 2.0 (Warranty replacement for 780Ti SC ACX)
      • PSU:
      • EVGA 750 watt SuperNova G2
      • Case:
      • Silverstone RV03
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • Asus Swift PG278Q
      • Internet:
      • BT Infinity (40mbs dl/10mbs ul)

    Re: High-end Spec (on a budget)

    Quote Originally Posted by Little_Dud View Post
    Yeah, sorry, it was a typo, I was always planning to get the NH-D15.

    I've gone for the Gaming 5 in the end. All bought up now, thanks for your help, guys.
    Excellent, let us know how the build goes, maybe post pictures if you can and then add your system specs under your profile.

  16. #16
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    33
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    2 times in 2 posts

    Re: High-end Spec (on a budget)

    Hi there!

    I'm posing from my new PC! Everything went well, no major problems.

    I'll upload some photos later, but just one quick question: http://imgur.com/Pjw1S3g

    Normal? or no? Non-RAPID scores are in the sticky note.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •