Help with an Intel Build please

[Bonebreaker777]

If you get the 1600Mhz memory modules, at least you know you will not hold back the base system on purpose (CPU plus memory subsystem).

That 7870 XFX looks good to me.

EDIT: or if you can afford to spend a little bit of extra money -> http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00IRTXPBM"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00IRTXPBM

[DanceswithUnix]

right, i get you, when would it help then for the RAM to be faster?

Hard to say. It isn't a general class like "gaming will be faster", but there are some games where it will help. I expect some rendering programs it will help too. The point is that it costs a lot of money on the CPU or GPU to make the system go even 5% faster. If it only buys you 1%, then for £2 that would still seem a bit of a bargain.

Take a look here for example:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6372/m...with-gskill/12

Maya really likes a higher data rate, and you get a 22% boost going to the top of the range RAM in that review. But it isn't that simple, and in some of them the second "fastest" is actually better (too lazy to do the maths but I guess the overall latency is better). But the main takeaway point is that all the other results are better than the baseline 1333 ram. Those SpecViewperf results show a 2% improvement just going from 1333 to 1600, so that is like having a boost of another 0.1GHz on the CPU.

If you read all of that review, don't get excited by the gaming results. That is with integrated graphics. So yes they get 10% improvements, but doesn't translate to if you have a graphics card. You occasionally get things like WinRAR that really benefit though: http://www.anandtech.com/show/6372/m...with-gskill/11.

So hence what people are saying, don't get hung up on memory speeds given it only sometimes makes a difference, but don't throw it away if it is cheap.

[KeyboardDemon]

So hence what people are saying, don't get hung up on memory speeds given it only sometimes makes a difference, but don't throw it away if it is cheap.

I agree with this, I use 1866mhz RAM but only because it was cheaper than 1600mhz RAM when I bought it due to some promotion. I tend to run it at 1600mhz with lower latency settings instead of at 1866mhz.

[hcashmore11]

right, i see, thanks, i guess i'll get the fastest RAM then, i can find for that price, what are your views on unbranded RAM such as the stuff off of ebay?

[DanceswithUnix]

right, i see, thanks, i guess i'll get the fastest RAM then, i can find for that price, what are your views on unbranded RAM such as the stuff off of ebay?

I have, a few times over the years, bought RAM that didn't work properly. Even branded stuff. So I would always want to be happy that I wasn't going to get any grief if I have to return it.

When I build a new PC, about the first thing I run on it is memtest86, and I try and run it all night.

[hcashmore11]

I have, a few times over the years, bought RAM that didn't work properly. Even branded stuff. So I would always want to be happy that I wasn't going to get any grief if I have to return it.

When I build a new PC, about the first thing I run on it is memtest86, and I try and run it all night.

ah right, yeah, that's true, do say, Kingston, take it back if its faulty then? and yeah, i'll run prime95 and memtest on it for about 24 hours each, to 'burn it in'

[DanceswithUnix]

ah right, yeah, that's true, do say, Kingston, take it back if its faulty then? and yeah, i'll run prime95 and memtest on it for about 24 hours each, to 'burn it in'

Never got that far, have had vendors Scan and Amazon take memory back, and after some haggling others I can't remember the name of. Memory that has been running OK for a few months has always been OK for years after for me.

[hcashmore11]

Never got that far, have had vendors Scan and Amazon take memory back, and after some haggling others I can't remember the name of. Memory that has been running OK for a few months has always been OK for years after for me.

ah right, i get you, and i've been an Xbox gamer for 4 years, and PS2 and 1 before that, but really can't wait to get my first gaming computer now, starting to get impatient haha

[watercooled]

I currently have a mix of Corsair, Crucial and Rendition, which I think is Crucial's budget and/or OEM line. Like others I just bought what was cheap at the time, it all does pretty much the same job; I don't really care about overclocking capability or aesthetics. Like DanceswithUnix, I tend to run Memtest then just leave it be.

[hcashmore11]

right, i see, yeah, i dont care about looks either, thats what my strip LEDs are for haha

[watercooled]

Might be worth posting some pics on the build section when you're done.

As a wise Hexite (Kalniel) once said, 'with the side off obviously'.

[hcashmore11]

yeah mate, i will do, show it off a bit haha, and yeah, would be helpful to have the sides off, also, is there any need to 'burn in' like run Prime95 and Memtest for 24 hours each after building? does it serve any purpose, i have friends who swear by it, and some who just play games right away, and some who just use it for facebook and those kinds of things, then game when they have the money to buy some games?

[watercooled]

Well it's useful after overclocking to test stability, and memtest can help identify faulty memory sticks relatively quickly (I've had to return some myself). But in terms of performance it doesn't matter. Thermal cycling can improve the performance of some thermal compounds like AS5, but for most it doesn't really matter. And stuff like that happens with normal use over time anyway.

[hcashmore11]

yeah, i will do it after OC, and is memtest worthwhile then? we use it at work, but ive never used it myself, and yeah, i thought normal usage would be okay

[hcashmore11]

What do you think of the 270X OC WindForce instead of the 7870 for not a lot more, my mates said its loads better, and loads colder

[DanceswithUnix]

What do you think of the 270X OC WindForce instead of the 7870 for not a lot more, my mates said its loads better, and loads colder

If you wait a week, the 285 might be worth a look: http://www.anandtech.com/show/8422/a...-september-2nd

New card, looks very energy efficient. If you can't wait a week, you could buy all the other bits and just run integrated graphics until you make your mind up on that bit.