New Build

slave1

Hi all,

Great and informative forum all, already gleamed knowledge previously but 5years since my last build so want to touch base for recommendations and advice please...

1. What is your budget? €500 - €600

2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? Main PC for everyday use, downloading and transferring files across homegroup, I hate slow PCs so overkill, I have a quad-core with a fresh install and it's too slow for me. Perhaps a bit of modest gaming should the opportunity/time present.

3. Do you need a copy of Windows? I'll get a W7 key from Reddit

4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? I have a rake of bits and bobs but open to stripping the majority of what I have and passing it on the the young one and will sell her old dual core Dell on Adverts

5. Do you need a monitor? No.

5b. If no, what resolution is your current monitor and do you plan to upgrade in the near future? [1920x1080] [No] I doubt I'll upgrade as this monitor is in perfect nick and higher resolution ones just way too expensive at present

6. Do you need any of these peripherals? No

7. Are you willing to try overclocking? No

8. How can you pay? Not mad on bank transfer after our friends in Germany

9. When are you purchasing? Now

10. If you need help building it, where are you based? Can build

So far I'm happy with my case, only niggle is no USB 3.0 on it so if a nice one is out there I'll take a gander at it, I like full size.
I just picked up the following

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00K8KJ6Y8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005LUXLHS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

Really the priority is CPU and RAM, don't mind Adverts...

Digital Solitude

What is your current CPU?

slave1

Quad core Q8300 @2.5GHz, had a 4 year old i5 2500k (I think) in it up to about a month ago and all was good but I needed to move to my new 4k TV so after something a lot better than the quad I have now.

Should mention those orders are Amazon so can be cancelled within the next day or so...

Digital Solitude

I'd cancel your motherboard and get a cheaper Haswell or Skylake one (B85, H81, H110, B110)

I'd go with a Pentium at the minute, your Q8300 is ancient at this stage, and Intel have come on so much a Pentium vs an i7 will be indistinguishable for your general uses.

Go for an i3 if you want to turn this into a full gaming PC.

4gb RAM is loads of overhead for you, you can always upgrade in future

slave1

Cheers, time to get the PC off for the night but I'll touch base in the morning with some ideas

Aka Ishur

slave1 wrote: »

Quad core Q8300 @2.5GHz, had a 4 year old i5 2500k (I think) in it up to about a month ago and all was good but I needed to move to my new 4k TV so after something a lot better than the quad I have now.

Should mention those orders are Amazon so can be cancelled within the next day or so...

Why z97 instead of z170? Plenty of decent boards in the same price range.
Eg http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B012XL0FOE/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1451152407&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=MSI+Z170A+PC+Mate&dpPl=1&dpID=51-d8hGVo6L&ref=plSrch allows you the option to upgrade easier later with USB 3.1too as a nice bonus

A i5-6500 and an 2x4gb kit will run you 300 euros, I presume you are keeping your hard drives etc but there's room in the budget for a cooler and an ssd if you don't have one.

TerrorFirmer

An i5-4460 with a H81 mobo would only be about €220, also definitely get an SSD. You won't see any advantage with Skylake really. I'd rather save the money and put it towards an SSD/better graphics card, which will make a difference - skylake vs haswell won't make any difference really.

slave1

Cheers guys, have a 120g SSD in the PC at present which is only a month or so old so fully intend on using that, cancelled that motherboard order too

slave1

Okay guys, have had a gander at the i3-4160 and the i5-4460 and given the price difference I'm happy with going with the i5 (€180 on mindfactory).
So next is the m/board and (given the price) 8gig RAM, I've no need for any HDMI on the motherboard as I'm likely going to pick up a graphics card, I do want lots of USB on the motherboard though, and really want a good few USB 3.0 at least 3/4 if at all possible, not a fan of anything other that ATX size and will also want at least 6 fast SATA headers as I've a good few hard drives with storage...
Was using Chrome to view mindfactory but it stopped translating which is annoying, any m/board/RAM recommendations

Digital Solitude

Have a look at skinflint.co.UK with German sites on to find a motherboard, you can pick fairly exact specs so whatever you want.

Any socket 1150 board is good

RAM is RAM for the most part, I'd just go for something cheap and reliable

slave1

That website is excellent alright, really like the customisation of search.

Settled on this one which is a fair compromise in terms of connections and pricing...€72 from MindFactory
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CXOMKJ0/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=

RAM, 8gig Kingston from Amazon, was a rake of hits for 8gig RAM around this price so just picked the one that was lowest on Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/b00gwbyr3c/geizhals07-21/ref=nosim?m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

All okay so far?

Digital Solitude

They haven't got an 8gb kit there.

Check out Crucial Ballistix Sport, its pretty cheap

slave1

Digital Solitude wrote: »

They haven't got an 8gb kit there.

Check out Crucial Ballistix Sport, its pretty cheap

Don't know what happened there with my link, must have had too many bloody windows open
Anyhow, here she blows, link from Amazon but cheaper at €37 from mind-factory
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/b006yg94y2/geizhals07-21/ref=nosim?m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

slave1

GEForce GTS-450 is my current Graphics Card, it's a Palit and would rather steer clear of them for next purchase, I'm a NVIDIA man so open to suggestions...budget just under the ton, quiet would be nice but not critical as I'll rarely be pushing it

Digital Solitude

GTX750 or 570 are pretty good at that price, may have to look second hand

TerrorFirmer

Usually you won't get a GTX570 for less than about 80, GTX750 is just 100, and would be brand new, have a warranty, as well as consume far, far less power. Get a 2GB GTX750 as well - 570 is just 1.2GB.

slave1

Okay so far we're looking at the following....

Case - Existing Cooler Master because loads of space and very happy with it, only downer is no USB 3.0 on it but will sort that with a new Multi Card reader

Motherboard - MSI B85-G43 ATX €79 from Mind Factory

RAM - http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/b006yg94y2/geizhals07-21/ref=nosim?m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE €37 from Mind Factory

CPU - Intel i5 4460 €180 from Mind Factory

Primary Hard Disc is either a 240 or 120 Crucial BX20 SSD, already purchased

Power Supply is a Be Quiet 400w E9, picked it up for €57 on Amazon the other day

GPU will be a GTX750 which I already have to hand, I will take this from an existing setup and replace it with a 2gig version from Mind Factory €108

OS will be W7 64bit OEM €20

Want to pick up an illuminated keyboard so say €20

New multicard reader with at least one USB3.0 port say €20

So looking at around €550 for a PC to serve me the next 5+years...

Thoughts before I pull the trigger??

TerrorFirmer

If you already have a GTX750 you should get €80 for that, I'd consider getting a GTX750Ti, or maybe even stretching for a cheap GTX950.

Regards the illuminated keyboards, the cheaps ones aren't particularly good - I have one very similar to what you've linked, and even though it looks good at night, the level of illumination is poor, and unless you're hovering directly over the keys at a perfect angle it's hard to see the labels on the keys.

Digital Solitude

Unless you're getting a quality keyboard I'd leave illuminated ones out, there's just a big blue glow off low quality ones as Terror has pointed out.

Rest of it looks good

slave1

Cheers guys, any recommendation for decent illuminated keyboard so?

Digital Solitude

Budget?

Assuming you don't want to go as far as a mech keyboard?

slave1

Up to around the €50 mark I suppose...

slave1

Motherboard, RAM, CPU and GPU ordered from MindF, they ran out of stock of the card reader so I'll just pick that up elsewhere rather than slow the order up.
Would be nice to have by the weekend...

slave1

Digital Solitude wrote: »

Budget?

Assuming you don't want to go as far as a mech keyboard?

Went with this guy, good rating and reviews, if it turns out to be crap Amazon are great with returns, never refused me yet

slave1

slave1 wrote: »

Motherboard, RAM, CPU and GPU ordered from MindF, they ran out of stock of the card reader so I'll just pick that up elsewhere rather than slow the order up.
Would be nice to have by the weekend...

Shipped this morning which is quick enough, doubt I'll get it before I'm back to work Monday but such is life