# It's that time again. Building a new gaming PC.



## Kusimeka (Sep 7, 2013)

Hey guys. I haven't been around the forum for a while now, i quit hardcore gaming and hardware for Uni and bought a laptop for casual games. I recently broke up with my girlfriend, and I'm now finding myself with a lot more free time than i used too. I started playing a lot more games, but I'm finding it hard to run them at anything other than low. So i thought, why not treat myself to a brand new gaming PC?

So I've been out of the PC hardware loop for a while, so i need some advice. I have a budget of around £800, don't mind going a little higher but that doesn't mean i want to buy the absolute best just cause i can, i want a good deal and to save as much money as possible. So i done a little research, but with so many different kinds of i7's etc i got quite confused. 

So basically to sum it up, i need to be pushed in the right direction with what to get. Is there any new hardware coming out soon that i should wait for? Or should i just build it ASAP? I was looking at a GTX 680, so i'd like some good parts to go with it. With so many i7's out there i have no idea which one to get, same goes for motherboard and memory. Also some suggestions on a case would be great. 

GPU - GTX 760 Super Clocked
SSD - samsung 840pro
CPU - i5-4670K or Intel Core i7 4770K (undecided)
PSU - Corsair Gaming Series 2013 Edition, 800 Watt.
RAM - G-Skill 8GB Ripjaws X DDR3 2133MHZ
Motherboard - ASRock Z87 EXTREME4 Motherboard
Case - NZXT Phantom 410

Thanks for reading


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## Vilius (Sep 7, 2013)

You can look at the post I made you might find something there 
http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=189976


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## Hood (Sep 7, 2013)

The i5-4670K seems to be the new gamer's choice, like the 3570K before it.  PSU - anything by Seasonic, Antec, Corsair, XFX, Enermax, EVGA, and a few others.  Many will say 500-600 watts is enough for any single-GPU system, but I like more headroom (I have 8 drives, 10 fans, etc.).  RAM - ongoing debate about ideal amount & speed for gaming - at least 8 GB, at least 1600 MHz (I have 2x4GB 2400MHz), two sticks for dual channel, stay with top brand names.  MOTHERBOARD - the latest trend is ROG/gamer boards priced for the masses -  I like the Asus Maximus VI Hero for $210.  
CASE - I  like Corsair and NZXT


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## freaksavior (Sep 8, 2013)

Hood said:


> The i5-4670K seems to be the new gamer's choice, like the 3570K before it.  PSU - anything by Seasonic, Antec, Corsair, XFX, Enermax, EVGA, and a few others.  Many will say 500-600 watts is enough for any single-GPU system, but I like more headroom (I have 8 drives, 10 fans, etc.).  RAM - ongoing debate about ideal amount & speed for gaming - at least 8 GB, at least 1600 MHz (I have 2x4GB 2400MHz), two sticks for dual channel, stay with top brand names.  MOTHERBOARD - the latest trend is ROG/gamer boards priced for the masses -  I like the Asus Maximus VI Hero for $210.
> CASE - I  like Corsair and NZXT




Brand names for ram are silly. If you want to pay top dollar for overclocking head room sure, but there is no reason to spend extra unless you just want it. 

The wintec are samsung ram chips which do 2400 ish ask cdawall. I just bought the Mushkin 16GB kit and have it running at 2200 now, that was $120 but I need to see what chips are on it.

PSU I can agree with, any modern PSU is going to be fine. Don't skimp this. Here is a great guide from tomshardware
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supply-oem-manufacturer,2913.html

CPU the i5 is great for gaming, i7 if you are virtualizing.

Motherboard, if you go with the z87 platform the Gigabyte and Asus are great options. I personally like this one the best because of the audio chip: GIGABYTE G1.Sniper 5 LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA ... but if you don't want to pay that much, GIGABYTE GA-Z87X-OC LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6... and the ud4h are pretty nice. MSI's gaming board is also pretty appealing.


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## shovenose (Sep 8, 2013)

For power supplies, Seasonic hands down is the best.
For motherboards, I am an MSI fanboy. You'll want Z87 chipset.
I love my i7-4770K. But for games, an i5-4670K will be plenty.
For video cards, you should consider the GTX770. I don't feel that getting a previous gen card is smart when you're building a new gaming PC, even though the value might be slightly better.
Regarding cases lately I've found Silverstone and Fractal Design to be two manufacturers that make mostly good looking cases at prices higher than the $15 generic junk but lower than some of the overpriced Antec and Corsair stuff, neither of which is (in my opinion) particularly good value.
For RAM I'd stick to Crucial or Mushkin. G.Skill and Team are also alright. Avoid Corsair (yes, I hate Corsair).


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## hat (Sep 8, 2013)

Haha, you've got the same chip I have, running at the same speed. Same RAM too, although a little faster.

I say for now just chuck in a better video card. Throw in a GTX 770 and call it a day. I see you were considering an SSD as well. That's also a good idea. Just get a small one, like a 128GB or even a 64GB, just to install the OS and programs on. Shove a 1TB WDC Black in there (make sure it has 64MB cache) for games and everything else.


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## shovenose (Sep 8, 2013)

hat said:


> Haha, you've got the same chip I have, running at the same speed. Same RAM too, although a little faster.
> 
> I say for now just chuck in a better video card. Throw in a GTX 770 and call it a day. I see you were considering an SSD as well. That's also a good idea. Just get a small one, like a 128GB or even a 64GB, just to install the OS and programs on. *Shove* a 1TB WDC Black in there (make sure it has 64MB cache) for games and everything else.



This one is a better value for the money, has 64MB cache, and is quieter and cooler:
Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB...

Trust me, I have both.


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## micropage7 (Sep 8, 2013)

umm how much your budget so its easier for anyone who wanna help


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## SaltyFish (Sep 8, 2013)

Kusimeka said:


> So basically to sum it up, i need to be pushed in the right direction with what to get. Is there any new hardware coming out soon that i should wait for? Or should i just build it ASAP? I was looking at a GTX 680, so i'd like some good parts to go with it. With so many i7's out there i have no idea which one to get, same goes for motherboard and memory. Also some suggestions on a case would be great.



The only new major hardware due out soon is DDR4 RAM. That will be available whenever Intel decides to release Haswell-E since DDR4 RAM is just sitting and waiting for something that can use it. Best guess is about a year from now.

For PSU, Seasonic Platinum PSUs have been a safe bet and the standard for other PSUs to measure up to. Corsair's AXi line is also good due to that fancy digital power regulation. Something like the AX760i would go well.

The case depends on the size of your motherboard, your available space, and personal aesthetics. Do you like a simple muted design? Or do you prefer a case with a side window and LEDs?



micropage7 said:


> umm how much your budget so its easier for anyone who wanna help


Read the first post again; it's ~£800.


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## Kusimeka (Sep 8, 2013)

Thanks guys for all the posts. been really helpful. I'm going to go with the GTX770 instead.

for CPU, the i7-4770K is a £80 difference between i5- 4670K, which i don't mind paying if the performance is notable. How much difference in performance are these two? Worth the extra £80? 

Also regarding PSU, considering you guys have a rough idea of the parts i'll be getting, how big of a PSU will i need? 750? 1000?

I decided to go with this case http://www.scan.co.uk/products/nzxt...mid-tower-2x120mm-1x140mm-with-window-w-o-psu


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## EarthDog (Sep 8, 2013)

Little performance difference in gaming between the two CPUs...

So long as you are using one GPU, a QUALITY 550W PSU will be plenty. If you want SLI headroom, a QUALITY 750W model will be fine.


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## Fourstaff (Sep 8, 2013)

Kusimeka said:


> Thanks guys for all the posts. been really helpful. I'm going to go with the GTX770 instead.
> 
> for CPU, the i7-4770K is a £80 difference between i5- 4670K, which i don't mind paying if the performance is notable. How much difference in performance are these two? Worth the extra £80?
> 
> ...



I wouldn't pay extra for the 4770K, you wouldn't notice much difference between the two for gaming. That said, 4770K appears to clock slightly better than 4670K, and helps a lot of your work is heavily multithreaded. 

As for PSU, 600w is plenty, even with heavy clocking on both the 770 and 4x70K. You might want to consider 800w if you are going to SLi your 770 in the (far) future. 

Case is good, I have the same one (orange+black). Few minor complaints: PSU can only be mounted one way round instead of two as suggested by the mounting holes. Also, everything is just enough/just not enough, and assembly can be slightly annoying. Other than that, I would not hesitate to recommend the case to anyone at the £80-100 segment.


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## freaksavior (Sep 8, 2013)

As I said, gaming = i5. Virtualization = i7. That's really the only reason I see going for the i7, that and you want it. 

Fourstaff is also right though, the i7 will help with a lot of multitasking. Look at some comparison benchmarks, the i5 and i7 are almost identical in gaming.


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## Kusimeka (Sep 8, 2013)

Okay i'm in the finalising stages of my build. 

For ram and PSU are these okay? 

PSU - Corsair CX 750W PSU - 80plus Bronze Certified | Eb...

RAM - Crucial 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz Ballistix Sport.....

i saw this PSU linked earlier - Corsair Professional Digital AX760i Fully Modular ...

But its a lot more expensive (double the price) i don't want to cheap out on the PSU but is it really worth double the price?


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## Fourstaff (Sep 8, 2013)

CX750 is more than enough. No need digital. Consider 600w instead if you are not running SLI (even if you are planning, CX750 doesn't have 4 PCIE power connectors) 

http://www.amazon.co_uk/dp/B009RMP44O/?tag=tec053-21


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## Kusimeka (Sep 8, 2013)

Fourstaff said:


> CX750 is more than enough. No need digital. Consider 600w instead if you are not running SLI (even if you are planning, CX750 doesn't have 4 PCIE power connectors)
> 
> http://www.amazon.co_uk/dp/B009RMP44O/?tag=tec053-21



Thanks a lot. I plan to overclock CPU to 4.5ghz etc, 600w will still be enough?


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## Fourstaff (Sep 8, 2013)

Kusimeka said:


> Thanks a lot. I plan to overclock CPU to 4.5ghz etc, 600w will still be enough?



IIRC its 250w at 5Ghz, maybe more (say 300w). That still leaves you with 300w for the 770, plenty for a healthy overclock. Numbers quoted are the worst, so in normal use you will be drawing much less than that. I ran my 3570K at 4Ghz + stock 660Ti using 500w without problems for reference.


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## EarthDog (Sep 8, 2013)

A quality 550w is PLENTY  for that setup... So is a 500w. 600w is just spending more money than one needs to IMO.


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## Dent1 (Sep 8, 2013)

Kusimeka said:


> for CPU, the i7-4770K is a £80 difference between i5- 4670K, which i don't mind paying if the performance is notable. How much difference in performance are these two? Worth the extra £80?
> [/url]





Kusimeka said:


> RAM - Crucial 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz Ballistix Sport.....



I agree with the others about the CPU. Not sure it's worth the extra £80. You'd be better of putting the £80 saving on a better GPU.

If your mind is made up on the GPU, I would advise removing those £60 RAM sticks and putting in the 16GB Modules below. It's only £40 more for double capacity.  You've already saved £80 on the CPU so you're still £40 up.

Corsair XMS3, 16GB kit (2x8GB) DDR3 1600MHz Unbuff...

I always turn off virtual memory within windows and I'm surprised how many games today are using 60% of my physical memory!



Edit:

Do you have a OS sorted? You're going to need to move away from XP.


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## EarthDog (Sep 8, 2013)

He needs 16gb of ram like he needs a 1kw psu.


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## Kusimeka (Sep 8, 2013)

Yeah I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the i5- 4670K. i barely run into problems multitasking now on a much older CPU. I do have an OS sorted, already got windows 7 home. (I'm assuming i can use it on 2 computers? would be stupid if i had to buy it again) and windows 8 isn't very good right?



EarthDog said:


> He needs 16gb of ram like he needs a 1kw psu.



i'm guessing you don't think i need 16gb ram then


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## Fourstaff (Sep 8, 2013)

EarthDog said:


> He needs 16gb of ram like he needs a 1kw psu.



http://www.amazon.co_uk/dp/B0066135B8/?tag=tec053-21

For this price, I will take 16 Gb


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## Dent1 (Sep 8, 2013)

Fourstaff said:


> http://www.amazon.co_uk/dp/B0066135B8/?tag=tec053-21
> 
> For this price, I will take 16 Gb



That's a very good deal. Only off-putting part is "Usually dispatched within 1 to 2 months" I wouldn't risk it lol. I did that once on Amazon for a pair of speakers after a few weeks they cancelled the order.



Kusimeka said:


> I do have an OS sorted, already got windows 7 home. (I'm assuming i can use it on 2 computers? would be stupid if i had to buy it again) and windows 8 isn't very good right?



Windows 8 is decent. Have you got Windows 7 Home Basic or Home Premium? You need a x64 OS.



EarthDog said:


> He needs 16gb of ram like he needs a 1kw psu.



At the upgrade price it's worth it. Its £40 extra on a £800 budget. It's a drop in the bucket. Playing GTA IV and Crysis 2 at only 1440x900 with no virtual memory and was exceeding almost 6GB In physical memory these are not even the newest games and at the heels of 8GB already. 

BTW what ever happened to 12GB kits and Triple channel memory? Maybe that would have been the happy medium.


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## Fourstaff (Sep 8, 2013)

Dent1 said:


> That's a very good deal. Only off-putting part is "Usually dispatched within 1 to 2 months" I wouldn't risk it lol. I did that once on Amazon for a pair of speakers after a few weeks they cancelled the order.



Usually happens, but from my experience they will not take money until its ready for shipping. If OP is not in a rush this can be profitable.


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## Kusimeka (Sep 8, 2013)

Fourstaff said:


> http://www.amazon.co_uk/dp/B0066135B8/?tag=tec053-21
> 
> For this price, I will take 16 Gb



That is an amazing deal. When i looked in the description though it says they are running at 1333mhz even though the title states 1600mhz. Bit confusing?

Edit: I have windows home premium. The 64-bit version.


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## Kusimeka (Sep 9, 2013)

Okay before i go and start getting my money together to order, I'd really like some feedback on my finished build.

GPU - EVGA GTX 760 Super Clocked - EVGA GTX 760 SC ACX 2GB GDDR5 Dual DVI HDMI.. | Eb...
SSD - samsung 840pro 256gb
CPU - i5-4670K or i7 4770K (undecided)
PSU - Corsair Gaming Series 2013 Edition, 800 Watt. - Corsair Gaming Series 2013 Edition, 800 Watt, 80..... 
RAM - G-Skill 8GB Ripjaws X DDR3 2133MHZ - http://www.amazon.co_uk/dp/B0050119O0/?tag=tec053-21
Motherboard - ASRock Z87 EXTREME4 Motherboard - http://www.amazon.co_uk/dp/B00CZXYH8G/?tag=tec053-21
Case - NZXT Phantom 410

Okay to explain a few changes. Reason i switched to gtx 760 over 770 was because the price difference was £130 (which is huge) and the benchmarks i saw didn't seem to justify the price increase. I know PSU is a lot larger than i need, but it's only £15 more than the 600watt one and £6 more than 700watt so i thought surely more is not bad?

Some feedback on the build would be great.


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## BarbaricSoul (Sep 9, 2013)

Everything looks good with the build. If your just using this primarily as a gamer, get the 4670k. Next is a new monitor.


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## EarthDog (Sep 9, 2013)

Kusimeka said:


> Okay before i go and start getting my money together to order, I'd really like some feedback on my finished build.
> 
> GPU - EVGA GTX 760 Super Clocked - EVGA GTX 760 SC ACX 2GB GDDR5 Dual DVI HDMI.. | Eb...
> SSD - samsung 840pro 256gb
> ...


more isn't bad except on your wallet. So long as you are not going SLI in the future there is NO need to go bigger than 550w. You can get a 550w psu which helps you get back to your 770. Its just odd to me this is a gaming machine but you are sacrificing the one part that makes games go faster. That said.. I understand where you are coming from with the price difference. But sill. If you can afford the 770, Get it. Wouldn't it be a shame to have a new machine but out of the gate have to sacrifice in game settings?


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## Dent1 (Sep 9, 2013)

I agree with Earth Dog, a 800W PSU isn't going to do anything for your gaming experience. But a GTX 770 is. It makes no sense prioritising a performance enhancing component over a non-performance enhancing component for the same budget.



Fourstaff said:


> GS800 has a weird fan profile, where it will spin up for a short time before spinning down again. Something to take note of it you are sensitive to these things. You don't need 2133 ram either, 1600  -> 1866 yields a pretty negligible performance improvement, and almost nothing from 1866 -> 2133.



Also agree with this.  RAM bus speed isn't going to improve gaming performance much. You'd be better off saving your money and getting 1600Mhz and applying the overclock yourself.


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## Fourstaff (Sep 9, 2013)

GS800 has a weird fan profile, where it will spin up for a short time before spinning down again. Something to take note of it you are sensitive to these things. You don't need 2133 ram either, 1600  -> 1866 yields a pretty negligible performance improvement, and almost nothing from 1866 -> 2133.


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## Kusimeka (Sep 9, 2013)

Okay thanks guys. The reason i was going to go with that 2133MHZ ram though was that for the price it's really affordable and comparable to 1600mhz ones. 

I guess i'll go with the GS600 then if the extra watts is indeed a complete waste.

@Fourstaff do you mean that the noise levels will be a bit odd where the fan comes on and off constantly? If so, not really bothered by this as i usually game with headphones on. However, if there is a PSU with a similar performance at the same price then i would obviously rather get that one.

Edit: What PSU would you suggest Fourstaff?

Also i do understand what you guys are saying but the PSU difference was only £15 where as the graphics card difference is £120+. I can afford it, but i'm just not sure it's worth the extra money. The benchmarks i was looking at it gives around 15fps increase at best, i'm just not sure thats worth all that extra money?

http://www.overclockers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/oc-evga-760sc-graph-metro.jpg

http://www.overclockers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/oc-evga-760sc-graph-bf3_1.jpg

http://www.overclockers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/oc-evga-760sc-graph-batmanac.jpg


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## Fourstaff (Sep 9, 2013)

Yeah it will just spin up for 5 seconds or something silly like that, and then spin down. Happens only at a certain load though, if you stress it enough it will spin continuously, if you don't stress it the fan will not spin. Not worth PSU upgrade since you will never use it, but you will use the 770's power eventually (ie better to spend £120 on something you will use than throw £15 on something you don't use). I would stick to 760/670/660Ti depending on what is on offer as suggested by Hotukdeals, since I am cheap and I don't mind turning eyecandy down a little. If you don't mind turning down eyecandy down slightly you should consider those. GS600w is fine, as is other Corsair 500-600w range. People will (rightly) tell you that the CX and GS series are of inferior construction, but it shouldn't be a problem.


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## da20valve (Sep 9, 2013)

GPU Asus GTX 760 DirectCU II OC          $199.00                           
SSD  Samsung 840pro 256GB                 $130.00
CPU i5 4670K                                      $185.00
PSU Corsair GS700                               $71.00
RAM G-Skill 8GB Ripjaws X DDR3 2133Mhz $62.00
Motherboard - ASRock Z87 EXTREME4     $130.00
NZXT Phantom 410                              $85.00


Its going to run you about 950 with a Corsair H80i


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## Fourstaff (Sep 9, 2013)

da20valve said:


> GPU Asus GTX 760 DirectCU II OC          $199.00
> SSD  Samsung 840pro 256GB                 $130.00
> CPU i5 4670K                                      $185.00
> PSU Corsair GS700                               $71.00
> ...



Nice list, wrong country. Would advise against H80i, its no better than top air cooling which are quieter and price competitive.


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## EarthDog (Sep 9, 2013)

da20valve said:


> GPU Asus GTX 760 DirectCU II OC          $199.00
> SSD  Samsung 840pro 256GB                 $130.00
> CPU i5 4670K                                      $185.00
> PSU Corsair GS700                               $71.00
> ...


Can go less on PSU... DDR3 1600 Ram is also fine. That will save enough money to help get a 770.

Again, no clue why, for a gaming machine, you(OP) are skimping on the GPU. A 760 is a solid mid-range card. But will be long in the tooth in a year or so.


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## Dent1 (Sep 9, 2013)

EarthDog said:


> Can go less on PSU... DDR3 1600 Ram is also fine. That will save enough money to help get a 770.



The 1600Mhz bus memory he was going to get cost the same as the 2133Mhz RipJaws, there is no disadvantage.



Kusimeka said:


> Okay thanks guys. The reason i was going to go with that 2133MHZ ram though was that for the price it's really affordable and comparable to 1600mhz ones.
> 
> I guess i'll go with the GS600 then if the extra watts is indeed a complete waste.
> 
> ...



On reflection the RipJaw memory is definitely a good deal its the same price  as other kits with a lower bus, so I think it's the best option. You've got the OK for the RipJaws.


The PSU I agree its only £15 more, but £80 is on the high side for a PSU. I think this is a personal choice, personally I wouldn't spend more than £60 on a PSU. For £60 price range there are still quality models.



As for the GPU, 15 FPS doesn't seem like a lot, but it's the difference between whether a game is playable or not. 25FPS is choppy, 40FPS can be playable and smooth.

Take a look at TPU review, they cover more games. On average the GTX 770 is 20% faster across all resolutions http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_760_HAWK/26.html

Saying that I agree the GTX 770 isn't a good choice for the price. Cheapest one I could find was £321+. The GTX 760 starts from £191. Do I believe up to 20% performance is worth £130. definitely not. 


You have two options:
1.) buy 2x GTX 760 for £382. It'll cost £61 more than a single GTX 770 but you'll get almost double the performance than a GTX 770 for a mere price upgrade.

2.) Buy 1x GTX 760 and save £130. Then in a year or two when the GTX 760 price drops you can buy another for SLI.  Again cheaper than a GTX 770 for more performance.

But yes on reflection I don't think the price justifies the GTX 770.


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## EarthDog (Sep 9, 2013)

Thanks for the clarification on the ram pricing... 

I still think buying a 760 for a gaming machine is like putting a lawn mower motor on a dragster... ok not THAT bad, but still. This machine is MADE for gaming and we are cheaping out on the GPU... Doesnt make a bit of sense to me. 

I also do not like the idea of SLI the 760's as in two years, 2GB of vram will be limiting. 

Perhaps look to AMD... a 7950? That is faster than a 760 and has 3GB of vram...


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## RCoon (Sep 9, 2013)

Why are we dropping money on 2133mhz RAM instead of using that money for a better GPU? Can somebody please enlighten me as to why this RAM has been chosen for the OP when 1600mhz RAM and a 770/7970 would be a far better use of funds?
There must be cheaper 1600 RAM than the ripjaws. That doesnt make any coherant sense if there is no cheaper RAM.


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## EarthDog (Sep 9, 2013)

Because, as noted above, it costs the same. 

EDIT: THis is newegg.com

 Desktop Memory, 1.5V, 2x4gb DDR3 1600


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## RCoon (Sep 9, 2013)

EarthDog said:


> Because, as noted above, it costs the same.



Then there must be a 1600 kit somewhere for less.


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## Dent1 (Sep 9, 2013)

EarthDog said:


> Thanks for the clarification on the ram pricing...
> 
> I still think buying a 760 for a gaming machine is like putting a lawn mower motor on a dragster... ok not THAT bad, but still. This machine is MADE for gaming and we are cheaping out on the GPU... Doesnt make a bit of sense to me.
> 
> ...



I don't think the GTX 760 is cheaping out. It's an expensive GPU, priced @ £191-319 for the 2GB model, that is a lot of money. Turn that into USD and you'll be shocked.

The 7950 is actually slower than the GTX 770, its a misconception that everyone gets wrong. Look that the TPU chart I linked in my last post.

Also the 7950 starts from £200. Starts @ £10 more than the GTX 760 for arguably less performance.

Cheap Laptops, Tablet PC, and Cheap LED TVs | Ebuy...

Best price to performance is definitely GTX 760 or SLI 760.


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## EarthDog (Sep 9, 2013)

Yeah, I tested myself... on the games we used... the 760 loses out to a 7950. Its about the same for me... or if you are looking only through our glasses (which we shouldnt do) it loses out.

The 760 is a midrange card to me... pricing be damned. It is just not powerful enough to buy and hold on to... especially considering he has the money for something notably, but perhaps not financially, better. Again, gaming rig... should get best card you want to afford. If the OP wants a 760, go for it, but I would get a 770 or 7970 hands down if I had the money. I do agree that it is the best price to performance ratio though.

PS - The card is $250 here in the states... by pricing = midrange.

EDIT: And as far as that chart... no idea how a 760 is beating a 7970...None. This must be the only place that reports that as a result.


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## Dent1 (Sep 9, 2013)

EarthDog said:


> Yeah, I tested myself... on the games we used... the 760 loses out to a 7950. Its about the same for me... or if you are looking only through our glasses (which we shouldnt do) it loses out.
> 
> The 760 is a midrange card to me... pricing be damned. It is just not powerful enough to buy and hold on to... especially considering he has the money for something notably, but perhaps not financially, better. Again, gaming rig... should get best card you want to afford. If the OP wants a 760, go for it, but I would get a 770 or 7970 hands down if I had the money. I do agree that it is the best price to performance ratio though.
> 
> ...



But he doesn't have enough money to buy anything notable. His money only gets him 10-15FPS at best and 20% extra performance @ a £131 additional expense. Turn this into USD. Would you pay 503.81 USD for the cheapest GTX 770? Now the shoe is on the other foot.

His only shot for better performance on his budget is SLI 760 as he'll get  closer to 50-80% better performance rather than 20% for the almost same price.



EarthDog said:


> EDIT: And as far as that chart... no idea how a 760 is beating a 7970...None. This must be the only place that reports that as a result.




Hard OCP actually concluded the same thing. Put the GTX 760 ahead of the 7950 and closer to the 7970. They actually said the 7950 was embarrassing for the price.


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## EarthDog (Sep 9, 2013)

Yes, I would pay that money for it assuming the other cards were also adjusted accordingly, sure. meaning the 770 would be around $700 and the 780 $900...

I am not a fan of SLI, especially at 1080p resolutions when a single card removes all potential issues with multi card setups. Again, gaming rig, get the best card you can afford is how I do it. The OP has PLENTY of information to chew on and make the decision for himself at this point.


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## Dent1 (Sep 9, 2013)

EarthDog said:


> Yes, I would pay that money for it assuming the other cards were also adjusted accordingly, sure. meaning the 770 would be around $600 and the 780 $800....



Would you pay $500 more for 1% performance boost? Where do you stop. You have to put your foot down at some point and say. I need more performance for my dollar or pound.



EarthDog said:


> I am not a fan of SLI, especially at 1080p resolutions when a single card removes all potential issues with multi card setups. Again, gaming rig, get the best card you can afford is how I do it. The OP has PLENTY of information to chew on and make the decision for himself at this point.



In this case the GTX 760 SLI would outperform the GTX 770 at the same price. Never had issue with multi GPU so I'm always up it. Only off-putting thing is fan noise.


OP, get back to us and let us know the end result. I want to see some benchmarks when its all built too.


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## EarthDog (Sep 9, 2013)

Would I pay $500 for 1%? No. But that isn't remotely the case here...15-20 FPS difference is a considerable amount. Maybe not at 100FPS, but as someone mentioned earlier, that can make something not playable, easily playable. 

But, this thread isn't about me and my discretionary income though.


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## Ahhzz (Sep 9, 2013)

shovenose said:


> This one is a better value for the money, has 64MB cache, and is quieter and cooler:
> Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB...
> 
> Trust me, I have both.



Eh, I down-thumb the blues for warranty. I stick with the blacks for my computers, reds for the NAS.


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## Kusimeka (Sep 9, 2013)

You guys sure haven't made it easy for me to decide  but really though, i do appreciate every reply. It's all been very useful. I have been looking at 8gb 1600mhz kits and the cheapest i could find was around £45 where as the ripjaws are £61. So if the ripjaws really do not have any performance benefit then i could switch them out. 

As for the graphics card, what I'll do is order every other part and then see how much cash i am left over with. Trust me, i really am one of those guys who wants the best PC parts possible, i'd get a TITAN if i could. I just can't be too careless with my money


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## MxPhenom 216 (Sep 9, 2013)

Get the Seasonic X650 PSU. much better than the shitty Gamer line from Corsair.


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## EarthDog (Sep 9, 2013)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> Get the Seasonic X650 PSU. much better than the shitty Gamer line from Corsair.


Truth. But no point. Dude isnt breaking records, the Gamer series, while not teir 1 will happily power his PC without flinching.


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## Fourstaff (Sep 9, 2013)

I would switch the ripjaws out, its not worth the £16.


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## Dent1 (Sep 9, 2013)

EarthDog said:


> Would I pay $500 for 1%? No. But that isn't remotely the case here...15-20 FPS difference is a considerable amount. Maybe not at 100FPS, but as someone mentioned earlier, that can make something not playable, easily playable.
> 
> But, this thread isn't about me and my discretionary income though.



It was actually me that 15-20 FPS can make a game playable. I still stay behind that. I don't mind paying a little bit more for performance if the price is reasonable.




Kusimeka said:


> You guys sure haven't made it easy for me to decide  but really though, i do appreciate every reply. It's all been very useful. I have been looking at 8gb 1600mhz kits and the cheapest i could find was around £45 where as the ripjaws are £61. So if the ripjaws really do not have any performance benefit then i could switch them out.
> 
> As for the graphics card, what I'll do is order every other part and then see how much cash i am left over with. Trust me, i really am one of those guys who wants the best PC parts possible, i'd get a TITAN if i could. I just can't be too careless with my money



Show us the £45 sticks. If it's £16 cheaper go with that. Only recommended the Ripjaws in comparison the Crucial 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz Ballistix you linked earlier which were the same price.

Tally up all the components and its price here and let us see what is left over.


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## GSquadron (Sep 9, 2013)

Hey, kusimeka, I really like your choices.
That would be what I would be searching myself and it would be really nice to spend a bit more and getting a 4770k.
You can get one cheaper from people who do hardware reviews around the internet
That would cost you nearly the same as a new i5

++ for the case, but a full tower case would be a more eager choice


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## da20valve (Sep 11, 2013)

Fourstaff said:


> Nice list, wrong country. Would advise against H80i, its no better than top air cooling which are quieter and price competitive.



What do you mean wrong country ?,
The H80i is the best choice for the money


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## Fourstaff (Sep 11, 2013)

da20valve said:


> What do you mean wrong country ?,
> The H80i is the best choice for the money



OP is in UK, and parts were picked from Egg. Prices are of course different. 

Dark Rock Pro 2 is on par with H80i, and £20 cheaper over here. It has better acoustics too. Or Noctua U14S for £15 cheaper, which rivals H100i in terms of cooling performance.


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## Kusimeka (Sep 20, 2013)

Thanks a lot for all the help guys. Really appreciate it. I ended up going with a 760 SC, and I'm glad i did in the end because i had a motorbike problem which cost me £300, meaning I've only just got the money last night to order the processor 

Anyway all parts are finally ordered! and i can't wait!


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