Your Rig...

[Searley]

I Don't understand most of that, but if i still get good fast and fluid gameplay on games like DayZ on high graphics settings, then brilliant.

You will max out all of them!

 

[Deva]

Dropping the graphics card to improve other things is a bit pointless when it's gaming we're looking at here. Prices change all the time so as you say, things like CPU's may vary a bit but if you were to try one then the other you'd find it difficult to tell.

The system I provided has 8GB (already more than enough) of RAM and is quad core. The speed of the RAM will be fine, I can't imagine he will be overclocking. Why switch to a different brand? From my experience Corsair have had the least failures. The bulk went on the graphics card to future-proof it in terms of gaming for as long as possible. I'd definitely recommend an EVGA card as if you get the right one you can get a 10 year warranty on it (seriously worth considering).

If you wanted to save the £100 on the graphics card and drop to a 570, the better option would be to get an SSD with that spare £100 and use it as your OS/program drive. You will notice that!!

 

[Lickystrike64]

Gents, both are fair points, and I'm grateful you've taken the time out to assist a technotard like me.

However, Devastator, I'm more inclined to go with your way of thinking... From my limited experience in computers, new PCs seem to be obsolete within six months to a year, so future proofing, in my mind, seems to be the way ahead (and in the long term, easier on the wallet). And if what you suggest means I can run DayZ et al on max settings then I'm happy!

 

[Searley]

Dropping the graphics card to improve other things is a bit pointless when it's gaming we're looking at here. Prices change all the time so as you say, things like CPU's may vary a bit but if you were to try one then the other you'd find it difficult to tell.

The system I provided has 8GB (already more than enough) of RAM and is quad core. The speed of the RAM will be fine, I can't imagine he will be overclocking. Why switch to a different brand? From my experience Corsair have had the least failures. The bulk went on the graphics card to future-proof it in terms of gaming for as long as possible. I'd definitely recommend an EVGA card as if you get the right one you can get a 10 year warranty on it (seriously worth considering).

If you wanted to save the £100 on the graphics card and drop to a 570, the better option would be to get an SSD with that spare £100 and use it as your OS/program drive. You will notice that!!

The point about dropping the GFX card wasn't to improve other things, it was to save money. The GTX570 is a perfectly acceptable card and is not going out of date anytime soon. The CPU could be upgraded to a superior model for an extra £10, which would be silly not to upgrade for that price really. Besides, some games are extremely demanding on your CPU not just your GPU.

Re: switching brand of memory I didn't say do it, I just know the price of it because I own it and know its that, the point was why get 1333MHz when 1600Mhz is available at the same price? Even if it is for a couple of % here and there.

SSD is vital though I agree with that, can get some pretty good deals at the moment as well. Couldn't be without mine!

Gents, both are fair points, and I'm grateful you've taken the time out to assist a technotard like me.

However, Devastator, I'm more inclined to go with your way of thinking... From my limited experience in computers, new PCs seem to be obsolete within six months to a year, so future proofing, in my mind, seems to be the way ahead (and in the long term, easier on the wallet). And if what you suggest means I can run DayZ et al on max settings then I'm happy!

New PC's seem to be obsolete within 6 months to a year? If you build your own that should never be the case!

 

[Lickystrike64]

Well I was referring to the PCs you buy from PC Ripoff - er, World etc.

I've just pulled my old Fujitsu-siemens tower out of my cupboard. it was bought new in 2005, I was just musing if I could use that as a base and replace some of the internals to uplift its speed etc... Or gut it completely and go for a complete re-build

 

[Tariq]

My 580 is still running everything beautifully so you its not really a bad compromise to drop down to the 5 series.

Corsair make great parts so i'd stick with them.

Probably worth an entire rebuild. Old parts so most likely most of it will need replacing anyway.

 

[SheriffHD]

Games Like Dayz, doesnt matter what GPU you have, as its a CPU heavy game engine.

Quad core isnt always better for gaming only as most game engines wont utilize more than 2 cores any way. so if you have an Old Duo core CPU (so long as its intel) it should still work for gaming, SO you can save a few bob and just Update the RAM and GPU to get a machine up to Par.

If you have a budget, You could consider getting a Mid performance card (450/550/650) they are cheaper than the top teirs and perform well. and if you are new to PC gaming and like i said, are on a tight budget, it is a nice way to save a few quid and still get decent gameplay.

As for the discussion on ram, more Mhz is better, so if you can get the same GB + more Mhz for the same price (4gb 1333mhz for same price as 4gb 1600Mhz) Then go right ahead. You wont lose any thing only gain.

And with parts, a general rule of thumb, Asus & Cosair, pretty much the two best names you will come across for Pc components.

 

[SheriffHD]

Sorry for the double post, but thought id weight in on the topic of the GPU suggested as well.

The 600 series of GPU from Nvidia far out perform the 500 series, more so in the lower bracket of their cards (610-650)

How ever, I would say, drop the 670 and go for the 660 TI. the 660 and 670 both use the same GPU, There will only be about a 5 fps difference between the cards.

Palit GTX670 - http://www.ebuyer.com/367979-palit-geforce-gtx-670-2gb-gddr5-displayport-hdmi-dual-dvi-pci-e-graphics-ne5x67001042-1042f

Palit GTX660 TI - http://www.ebuyer.com/393225-palit-gtx-660-ti-2048mb-gddr5-dual-dvi-hdmi-displayport-pci-e-graphics-ne5x66t01049-1043f

I did mention before about dual cores, basically it depends on the game itself, some games that are focused mopre for CPU (Dayz) Whil others are more for GPU, So as a rule of thumb its a good idea to try and have a balanced set up. also try not to bottle neck your set up.

You could go for a cheap CPU and a pricy GPU, but you would lost most of the performance from the GPU due to the CPU not being able to handle it (think of a 50cc moped, with a 1000cc super bike engine in it)

So a key thing to remember when building a set up, is to try and keep it as balanced as you can.

Although sometimes it is impossible to avoid some kind of bottle neck, so i would advise gearing more towards a bottle neck in the favor of the CPU (Putting non premium fuel in a super car is a better choice than putting super unleaded in a banger)

Some CPUs actually have a feature where you can assign a core (or two ) to aid the GPU thus improving performance (The main selling feature of the new FM2 socket from AMD)

 

[Deva]

I don't think anyone has suggested he gets a poor CPU anyway

Intel's lowest quad offering is still more than capable and I mentioned I bet you'd have a hard job noticing the difference if someone stepped you up 1 notch overnight. I never used to find there was not a *significant* difference when I overclocked from 2.4GHz - 4.0GHZ, it's just what the benchmarks say. As we know benchmarks are just that, they aren't really a *proper* real world indication. Sometimes you have to go on actual real world performance and reliability rather than just what all the numbers say.

 

[SheriffHD]

in terms of gaming, You wont notice much difference between a 2.8Ghz I5 and a 4.2Overclocked I7, But if you are an advanced user you most defently will.

The CPU like i said was mearly to insure that you get the most from the GPU, An I5 will handle a 660/670 easily, but if you aim to say. use 680/690 or go with an SLI set up (Multiple GPUs) you may find that you will also need a very High performance CPU to insure that you get the added gaming performance when gaming.

 

[Lickystrike64]

I think my head's going to explode... But still, some good advice and tips being picked up!

 

[SheriffHD]

Well, The simple truth to build a computer is this.

If you can do the above, Then you can build a computer, its that easy

 

[Lickystrike64]

Well, The simple truth to build a computer is this.

If you can do the above, Then you can build a computer, its that easy

Looks a bit complicated to me... Does it require a large hammer to make it work?

Just a thought, if I was to gut my old tower and put new internals inside it, would the old hard drive go mental because it detects new hardware and not work, or would it just be fine and require the relevant driver software to be installed?

 

[Deva]

You can make it work, but it will be a pain. I'd recommend starting fresh. It's really really the much better option. I certainly wouldn't do it for anyone.

Note down your programs, backup your files. Start fresh. That old HDD is likely to be on the IDE interface where as we use SATA now for things like DVD drives, SSD's and HDD's. This would mean more effort. Fresh is best

IDE = big ribbon cable

SATA - typically red, much thinner

 

[Lickystrike64]

sweet. It's just iTunes stuff and tour pics i'd be backing up really. not much.

 

[MZKaleem]

Don't really know if I went a little over the top but whatever, it's my first desktop PC and it meant for gaming, I like ArmA 2 Combined ops and I am also thinking of getting BF3 as I enjoy it a lot on console (360)

here we go:

Intel i5 3570K 3.4ghz

8gb Corsair Low Profile RAM

Aerocool Strike X Mid tower

1TB Seagate HDD

Asrock motherboard, forgot the actual name but the onboard graphics are pretty good, although I am looking forward to ordering an XFX 7870 particularly this one: http://www.scan.co.u...hdmi-mdp-plus-4

great deal hope you guys find the link useful. As said above, building a PC is actually quite easy, I came home from school on friday and built it all, and used it a couple of hours after starting.

If it interests any of you i run with Win8 64bit. I personally don't mind the layout of it but obviously this stuff comes down to personal preference...

Overall I'm very happy with what I have and I look forward to getting that graphics card I mentioned, with some free games The one I want the most is Far Cry 3 looks amazing!!!

EDIT also i have a 24" acer moniter and some really old speakers that was used in the really old family PC. I think the speakers were made in 2000 or a few years after that but they're more than fine! Also have X12 turtle beaches from my xbox 360 that i can use interchangeably

 

[Lickystrike64]

The more I watch DayZ videos on YouTube, the more I want to build a gaming PC. I need to spend lots of money on a good system either way.

Anyone want to buy a PTW? And a Kidney?

 

[SheriffHD]

DayZ is a good reason to get into PC gaming, the game is awesome. Should expect the standalone to come out the start of next year with all hope.

 

[Lickystrike64]

So I still have time to get a good PC then!

I read that support and DLC for the ARMA 2 mod will still continue, so if the two games have separate servers, I might get both...

EDIT: Oooh, just discovered Cyberpowersystem.co.uk Some good deals here... will post up a piccy of my dream build later

Another EDIT: Just saw this on Gumtree:

I have for sale my custom built gaming computer. Its a few years old, but some parts are about 8-12 months old.

Does NOT come with a keyboard or mouse.

Specs of the PC are.

Comes with a 21.5" LG screen.

Windows 7 Ultimate. 64Bit.

Q6600 AT 3GHZ, OVER CLOCKED.

P5Q DELUXE Motherboard.

6GB DDR2 RAM

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 1.5GB

Aftermarket cooler with push/pull config.

Corsair Carbide 400R Case with all fans fitted. light up blue.

Xenta 12" Blue Dual Cold Cathode Kit (Still in box un-used)

Thoughts, Gents? The seller is asking for £650 ono.

 

[SheriffHD]

errr, well. Id haggle a bit.

I mean the 580's retail at the £300 mark alone.

My guess is that the GPU is only 8 or so months old, the rest of it seems to be at least a few years (SImple fact DDR2 Ram is a give away)

Breakdown;

Q6600 £107 new, £50 Second hand.

P5Q Delux, £96 new, £30 second hand.

6GB RAM, retails at around 8gb for DDR3 new, Second hand DDR2, £10

Cosair Carbide 400R £90 new, £60 Second Hand (In good condition)

LG monitor, I'll take price of the lowest LG HDMI Monior i can find due to no model number. Retail at £101, Second hand £50

GTX580 GPU, £300 new, £130 second hand.

These Prices are gathered of Ebay UK, at the avaerage sail price of these components second hand.

I wont say what Id pay for the rig, but Theres my little input.