General Gaming/Computer Question Thread

[LeeWallaceRFC 3,920]

Thought it'd be a good idea to have one as there seems to be a lot of regular questions that some people have (like I do now) that maybe don't warrant their own individual thread.

So, I actually have a few of questions to start it off ...

1) Where is the best place to buy components for custom builds online? Seen a few people on here recommending both Overclockers & Scan and just wondering what you thought had the best prices, quality etc. I also know there are more such as Aria.

2) When it comes to building a PC you obviously have a few years in mind in terms of how long it will last you with the ever advancing graphics etc, so what do you reckon will handle COD, Battlefield etc for the next few years? I would hazard a guess at an i5 & probably a 2gb GPU.

The minimum for both games atm is a dual core cpu & 512mb gpu, but recommended is quad core cpu & 1gb gpu. So I don't think a 1gb gpu will last for very long, what do you reckon?

Bearing in mind, I'm referring to playing on low/basic graphics.

3) What sort of price do you reckon we'd be talking? £600? Minus the OS that is.

Sorry for the length of the thread and I hope that this helps a few people out in the future, cheers.

PS. If anything I've said is completely wrong and you need to set the record straight, I won't be offended lol as I know I'm not exactly clued up when it comes to this sort of stuff.

Edit: What are people's opinions on AMD & Intel? Being that AMD is much cheaper, is it as simple as that or is there reasons for that, such as build quality etc? Seen a few people mention that the drivers aren't as good.

[Mor3los_1 3,672]

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-307-OE&groupid=43&catid=2385&subcat=1270

Will be ordering this when i have the funds. Will stick in Windows 7, upgrade the cooler, upgrade the PSU and get a 2gb graphics card. Should cost me around £600-£650. I have no idea about building computers but decent price for them to build me one.

[aird 3,810]

http://www.overclock...385&subcat=1270

Will be ordering this when i have the funds. Will stick in Windows 7, upgrade the cooler, upgrade the PSU and get a 2gb graphics card. Should cost me around £600-£650. I have no idea about building computers but decent price for them to build me one.

Why spend that much if you're only going on a dual core.

Case: CoolerMaster HAF 912 Mid-Tower Gaming Case w/ Adjustable HDD Cage (Black Colour)

CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-3570K Quad Core 3.40 GHz 6MB Cache LGA1155 + HD Graphics ***Overclockable XXX*** [+30]

Cooling Fan: CoolerMaster Hyper TX3 with 3 x Direct Contact heat-pipes CPU Cooling Fan ***Overclockable XXX*** [-12]

Motherboard: Asus P8H61-MX Intel H61 chipset, Micro ATX Mainboard w/ 2 RAM slots, 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, SATA-II, 1xGen2 PCIe, 1xPCIe , 1 x PCI (B3 Stepping)

Memory: 8GB (2x4GB) PC12800 DDR3/1600mhz Dual Channel Memory (Corsair XMS3 w/Heat Spreader)

Video Card: AMD Radeon HD 7850 2GB 16X PCIe 3.0 Video Card [+58] (Major Brand Powered by AMD)

Power Supply Upgrade: 650 Watts Power Supplies [+29] ( CoolerMaster 650Watt GX Bronze Gaming Power Supply, SLI / Crossfire ready)

Hard Drive: 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 7200RPM Hard Drive (Single Hard Drive) (Single Hard Drive)

Optical Drive: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE. (BLACK Colour)

That costs £694.80 from http://www.cyberpowersystem.co.uk/ using the Infinity Apollo Elite base package.

Price can be reduced by changing what case you use etc

[Mor3los_1 3,672]

Why spend that much if you're only going on a dual core.

That costs £694.80 from http://www.cyberpowersystem.co.uk/ using the Infinity Apollo Elite base package.

Price can be reduced by changing what case you use etc

That'll be without VAT though taking it to nearer £800?

[aird 3,810]

That was inc vat.

[Mor3los_1 3,672]

That was inc vat.

Followed your instructions and i'm getting £765 inc VAT.

[aird 3,810]

Followed your instructions and i'm getting £765 inc VAT.

Ah i see what's happened. I took it from your original post that you already had a windows 7 disc. It's £765 with Win7 £694 without.

[Iakona 2,271]

Why spend that much if you're only going on a dual core.

That costs £694.80 from http://www.cyberpowersystem.co.uk/ using the Infinity Apollo Elite base package.

Price can be reduced by changing what case you use etc

If he's going with an k series CPU then putting it on a h61chipset is pretty much pointless.. It's like refusing to go above 50mph in a Ferrari.

1.25gb of Vram is the bare minimum for maxing most games at 1080p.. If you're playing on a smaller resolution on the lower graphics settings, then 1gb of VRAM is still more than good enough... However 2GB is a good number to shoot for if you plan on doing any texture modding in Skyrim, GTA4 etc!

[LeeWallaceRFC 3,920]

Case: CoolerMaster HAF 912 Mid-Tower Gaming Case w/ Adjustable HDD Cage

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.00 GHz Eight-Core AM3+ CPU 8MB L2 Cache & Turbo Core Technology

Cooling Fan: Asetek 510LC Liquid Cooling system w/ 120mm Radiator

For Ultra Slient Operation -- SHARKOON Eagle SE Ultra Slient Modular Fan, 500-1200rpm (Custom PC Award Winning !!) ***Overclockable S&S***

Motherboard: Gigabyte 78LMT/USB3 AMD 760G Chipset, Micro ATX Mainboard w/ 4 RAM slot, 7.1 Audio, GbLAN, USB3.0, SATA-II, 1 PCIe X16, 1 PCIe X1, & 1 PCI

Memory: 8GB (2x4GB) PC12800 DDR3/1600mhz Dual Channel Memory

Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti 2GB 16X PCIe 3.0 Video Card

PSU: CoolerMaster Elite 500watt Gaming Power Supply

Hard Drive: 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 7200RPM Hard Drive (Single Hard Drive)

Optical Drive: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE

Opinions?

1 question, is it worth getting a Hard Drive cooler?

My main concern is the GPU, anybody clued up know how long it will last? I'm really only looking to play games on low settings. So first of all will it play BF3 & if so, what about BF4? I don't imagine it will, but it's worth an ask as the 660 Ti 2GB is another £83 on top.

[Iakona 2,271]

Opinions?

1 question, is it worth getting a Hard Drive cooler?

My main concern is the GPU, anybody clued up know how long it will last? I'm really only looking to play games on low settings. So first of all will it play BF3 & if so, what about BF4? I don't imagine it will, but it's worth an ask as the 660 Ti 2GB is another £83 on top.

650ti is a decent enough card.. As for how long it lasts no one can say for definite. Right now you'll be able to play most games comfortably at 60fps on mostly high settings at 1080p. You may be able to push to ultra in some areas, but in others you'll have to drop to mid.

Basically you won't be maxing recent releases at 60fps, but you'll won't be miles away from it. So for the price of the card... The performance is pretty damn respectable.

If you're playing at lower resolutions(less than 1080p) and in the future you're willing to play on the lower settings at 30fps(capped), then this card could easily last you a few years.

[LeeWallaceRFC 3,920]

Cheers Iakona, would be happy if the computer did me a few years. I think most people who can actually run the game on high/ultra settings choose not to, to get the max frames that they can.

[Laudrup91 35]

Cheers Iakona, would be happy if the computer did me a few years. I think most people who can actually run the game on high/ultra settings choose not to, to get the max frames that they can.

I would not get a 650, at least go for a 660.

[LeeWallaceRFC 3,920]

http://pcpartpicker.com/uk/

Seems like a handy wee site for anyone thinking of building their own pc.

[Iakona 2,271]

Cheers Iakona, would be happy if the computer did me a few years. I think most people who can actually run the game on high/ultra settings choose not to, to get the max frames that they can.

I'm the opposite, i'd rather max the graphics at 30fps than play with mid graphics at 60fps. If you've played consoles for most of your life then 30 fps really isn't going to bother you in the slightest! Multiplayer First Person Shooters are the only games i'd seriously consider 60fps over Graphics.

Don't get me wrong If i can, i will run at 60fps.. however there's a few games like Arkham City(terrible optmization) which i'd rather play at a constant 30 than deal with fluctuating frame rates.. it coasts along at 60 then all of a sudden it randomely drops into the 40's. I'd understand if i was going into a demanding area, but it's solely down to piss poor optimization.

As Laudrup said.. if you can get the 660ti. It's a much better card and will last you longer! However if your budget won't stretch that far the 650ti is still fine...

Haven't looked at your other parts.. but just make sure your PSU is a quality one. Also make sure you have enough 6 pin connectors for your GPU!

[Laudrup91 35]

However if you are planning to get a 660Ti then I would recomend getting a Radeon 7950, it is around the same price and outperforms it.

[King in the North 2]

Unless you spend over a grand on a machine you are realistically looking at a 2 year life cycle of playing the best games at decent settings.

My current machine is a £1500 MSI laptop, a PC is much cheaper but I like the mobility.

[King in the North 2]

I'm the opposite, i'd rather max the graphics at 30fps than play with mid graphics at 60fps. If you've played consoles for most of your life then 30 fps really isn't going to bother you in the slightest! Multiplayer First Person Shooters are the only games i'd seriously consider 60fps over Graphics.

Don't get me wrong If i can, i will run at 60fps.. however there's a few games like Arkham City(terrible optmization) which i'd rather play at a constant 30 than deal with fluctuating frame rates.. it coasts along at 60 then all of a sudden it randomely drops into the 40's. I'd understand if i was going into a demanding area, but it's solely down to piss poor optimization.

As Laudrup said.. if you can get the 660ti. It's a much better card and will last you longer! However if your budget won't stretch that far the 650ti is still fine...

Haven't looked at your other parts.. but just make sure your PSU is a quality one. Also make sure you have enough 6 pin connectors for your GPU!

FPS varies game to game. On BF 3 anything above the high 20's seems perfect to me. Skyrim though 'judders' when it gets below about 35fps.

BTW, speaking of COD, I think it's ridiculous how terrible it looks at max settings. The sooner console games hit the next generation the better because there's so many ports holding back the PC industry. BF3 is the only game in recent years that's given me the wow factor. I wasn't impressed by Skyrim either, it's console development held the pc version back.

People say graphics is irrelevant to gameplay but I think we're at the stage now where the two totally intertwine. One needs the other to thrive. A modern day game with crap graphics will be limited on the gameplay front. BF3's graphics facilitate an open, expansive realistic experience while Black Ops 2 just feels like playing an ancient, dull game with little to do.

Mind you, another game that impressed me in recent years is Uncharted 3, I wish other developers would get so much out of old technology.

[Iakona 2,271]

However if you are planning to get a 660Ti then I would recomend getting a Radeon 7950, it is around the same price and outperforms it.

Haven't looked at the benchmarks but i'm pretty sure there's very little difference at stock.. Now if you're into overclocking then yeah the 7950 wins.

[King in the North 2]

For anyone looking at building a new machine, you can get overclockers to do a custom build for a cost not much higher than buying all the components individually and doing a self build.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/productlist.php?groupid=43&catid=2385&subid=1951

Building a PC is easy but I prefer the warranty and lack of effort from getting a pre-build

[LeeWallaceRFC 3,920]

For anyone looking at building a new machine, you can get overclockers to do a custom build for a cost not much higher than buying all the components individually and doing a self build.

http://www.overclock...2385&subid=1951

Building a PC is easy but I prefer the warranty and lack of effort from getting a pre-build

The same with CyberPower.

I don't fancy Overclockers because you get nowhere near the same amount of options. Most things like GPU's only have 2 options when you choose the base system. There are like 20 to choose from with CP.

Same with PSU's, only 2 yet like 9.

Personal choice, but the little choice makes it more expensive imo.

[LeeWallaceRFC 3,920]

If anybody is looking for cheap case ideas, these are both very nice.

http://www.novatech....gn=PCPartPicker

http://www.scan.co.u...er-case-w-o-psu

Probably made a mistake, tired lol.

Edit: It's £605 btw.

Editx2: Changed the case to the Zalman z11 Plus linked above.

[Iakona 2,271]

dupe post, delete please

[Iakona 2,271]

The aftermarket cooler for your CPU really isn't necessary, the one supplied with the CPU is more than adequate at stock speeds. Also the sound card is a waste of money.. in that price range you're really not going to hear any improvement over onboard(motherboard) sound.

Wouldn't bother with the SSD either... Whilst they are nice, it's a luxury item and the money could/should be better spent elsewhere. Ditching these 3 things means your pretty damn close to being able to afford a 660ti instead of 650ti.

Also it may be worth noting that the i5 3570k generally out performs the AMD FX8350 for gaming..

[Iakona 2,271]

Assuming you wish to stick with AMD..

CPU

http://www.scan.co.u...che-125w-retail

Motherboard

http://www.scan.co.u...id-pcie-20-(x16)-d-sub-dvi

GPU (free copy of Assassins Creed 3 + Borderlands 2)

http://www.scan.co.u...s-1344-2x-dl-dv

RAM

http://www.scan.co.u...ucts/8gb-(2x4gb)-corsair-xms-ddr3-pc3-10666-(1333)-non-ecc-unbuffered-cas-9-9-9-24-15v

PSU

http://www.scan.co.u...-12v-fan-atx-v2

DVDDL

http://www.scan.co.u...ram-sata-retail

HDD

http://www.scan.co.u...16mb-cache-85ms

Case

http://www.scan.co.u...er-case-w-o-psu

Total £618.. Though its possible to get free delivery, sign up to avforums make 30 posts and after 14 days you'll qualify for free next day delivery. If you do that it'll cost £607.13.

If you wish to make it an Intel system it'll cost around £20-30 more.. but there's a significant enough improvement.

[geronimoo 1,488]

I guess I could add if you are going to spend a fair bit of money on the CPU or Vid Card then don't skimp on the power supply, buy a quality brand like Antec ot something.