Budget Build Recommendations

t1mm

Hi there,

Time has come to put together a new computer. I won't be overclocking or doing any heavy gaming, most resource intensive game I'd ever play is Half Life 2. I'm on a relatively tight budget - here's what I'm sure of:

Intel Core i5 2500k
4gb RAM

Here's what I'm unsure of - I'd greatly appreciate if you could comment on these choices and possibly suggest better alternatives:

Motherboard
http://www1.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=48252&agid=1603

PSU
http://www1.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=30074&agid=1627
Will 450w suffice?

Graphics Card
Willing to spend up to 100 euro - open to suggestions.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Cheers

cherryghost

Whats your exact budget? 450W PSU is alright if you're not getting a mid/high end graphics card

t1mm

Thanks for the reply! On hardwareversand, I'd rather not spend more than 450 euro. Bear in mind that I don't need a hard drive, but I am buying a cheap case and dvd writer too.

deconduo

A 6770 or even a 5670 would run HL2 without much bother. For either of those that PSU will be plenty.

t1mm

Cheers deconduno, should be sorted now then Thanks again!

deconduo

t1mm wrote: »

Cheers deconduno, should be sorted now then Thanks again!

I'd recommend posting the full build you are going to order just so we can double check it You never know what you might have overlooked by accident.

Monotype

HL2 runs pretty well on the integrated graphics on the 2500K! Maybe not at 1080p though... If it's really just HL2 that's the limit, I'd scale back the GPU in favour of a better motherboard.

t1mm

Thanks again for the replies lads! This is the setup:

CPU
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=41224&agid=1617

RAM
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=38487&agid=1192

CASE
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=49125&agid=635

PSU
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=30074&agid=1627
(what does 80+ actually mean? Is it a performance rating?)

Mainboard
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=48252&agid=1603

DVD-RW
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=47362&agid=699

I'll be sticking with mechanical drives for the time being - those are all sorted. I also want to use 2 monitors with the computer - does the i5's onboard memory allow this if there are two outputs on the board?

Any suggestions massively welcome

Monotype

Yeah, you can use two monitors with the onboard graphics.

80+ refers to efficiency.
So 80+ bronze says it's 81% efficient at 20% and 100% load and 85% efficient at 50% load.
http://www.plugloadsolutions.com/80PlusPowerSupplies.aspx?type=1

If you decide to overclock, you could get a Z68 mATX board for €30 more. Overclocking is extremely easy on this platform and you can get an extra 20% speed for little extra heat or risk.
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=50899

t1mm

Seeing as I won't be buying a beefy graphics card anytime soon I reckon I'll take that advice and upgrade the board using the onboard graphics.

Out of interest - does the i5's graphics blow the likes of a 7900 GTX out of the water?

Monotype

No, it wouldn't be that good. More like a 7600gt maybe.
It's come a lot way over previous generations of integrated graphics but by no means replaces a dedicated card for gaming. It will run HD videos and older games - such as those built on the source engine. Any newer games and you'll be turning down the details a lot.

t1mm

Will 450w of power be alright with the 7900 GTX?

Monotype

Do you already have a 7900GTX? 450W will be enough, given that it's a good PSU.

t1mm

Yeah I've got the card already in another machine!

Monotype

Hmm... well a new lowish-mid card would still beat the 7900GTX, be more efficient and quieter. On the other hand it wouldn't be free.

Your spending is ~€400 including shipping now. If you don't get a card and are looking to spend the rest of the budget elsewhere, maybe get 8GB of RAM which should last you a long time. The cheapest 8GB is this:
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=44315
But you can get others around the €40ish mark with nicer heatsinks. Actual performance is likely to be exactly the same.

Otherwise a board with more slots?
http://www2.hardwareversand.de/articledetail.jsp?aid=50842
(Sometimes I put too much emphasis on motherboard spending but I like to have a solid base).

That DVD-RW drive is very much out of stock, so don't order that one as you could be waiting.

t1mm

Thanks again for taking the time to lend a helping hand!

I'm going to go for the first board you suggested, 8gb of ram and use the 7900GTX for the time being (i'd doubt i'll need anything better for a while). Last time I built a machine you could barely get 1gb of ram for the price you now get 8 - how things change!