Building a Gaming PC

Kurt Baird

Kurt Baird

Geek Trainee
Hello!

I'm looking at building a gaming PC in the next month or two. Going off the advice of friends and reading articles / reviews of various items I've come up with a list of components that I think should do the job. However, I'm no expert and there is a good chance that I've chosen some items that are way over the top or not very good!

As I said, it will be a gaming PC. It will be running games in 1920x1080. Specifically, it will be used mainly for Mass Effect 3, The Old Republic, World of Warcraft, Battlefield 3 and Skyrim.

Case: Fractal Design Define XL
PSU: Seasonic SS-660KM X-Series 660W
Mobo: Asus Crosshair IV AMD 890FX AM3
CPU: AMD 955 (My current CPU, don't really feel the need to upgrade, but please advise if you feel it is necessary)
GFX: MSI GeForce GTX560Ti 448 Core
RAM: 2x4GB Corsair XMS3 DDR3

So, whats your thoughts? Is that OTT? Also, the GFX card is out of stock everywhere. If you could recommend a decent alternative I would be grateful.

As for budget, I think all that comes to between £600+700 - Not looking to go over that, but if there is anyway of saving money, please let me know! :) However, if there is a part which is a little dearer but offers alot more bang for buck, then please suggest it.

Finally, I'm looking for something that is quiet as possible. My current setup sounds like a train.

Thanks for your time, guys.
 
Do you ever plan on using SLI? I ask because if you do, you should invest in a more powerful Power Supply. Otherwise it's fine.
This is just me, but... that case is way too expensive. Even by American standards. A case looking like that should cost half the price. I would take another look and see what you could find to save some cash.
That card is a beast. You can find them on newegg.com (if you're willing to buy international).
 
Hi Cube, thanks for the reply! :)

I don't plan on SLI, not at the moment anyway.

I've decided with the case to probably stick with my Antec 300 and possibly fiddle about with the fans.

What do you reckon on the CPU? Stick with my 955 or go for something newer?
 
No problem!
Stick with what you have. It's a decent cpu and can handle games on high settings. And glad to hear you're using your own case. Other one was pricey.

Some might suggest you get more memory. But if all you're going to do is play video games, browse the web, and use simple apps like photoshop, 4gb is fine. Just remember, more RAM does not make single tasks faster. It only leaves room for multi tasking and heavy rendering programs.
 
I'm thinking of possibly holding off for a month or so; a friend of mine mentioned that AMD are bringing out the 7800 series of cards which will apparantly rival the 448 core 560TI in performance but run more efficiently. In that time I think I will keep an eye out for a deal on an i5 2500 - you never know! :)
 
Great idea, actually. It's always best to wait for pc parts. Theirs something new out almost every quarter-half year. Remember though that nvidia and ati each have had their days. ATI at one point was very popular with their Radeon 9 series between 2003-5. Then nvidia crushed them with the 8800 ultra around 2008. So the point i'm trying to make is no one company is better than the other. Each are at war with each other and offer similar products to compete with each other. The 7000 series is supposedly going to put the current nvidia cards in the dust.... but did everyone forget of nvidias plan for the 680??? It's supposed to compete with 7000 shortly after it is released. In the end its all a matter of personal preference.

In regards to cpu's however, intel takes the cake. Always more expensive, but theres a reason for that ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top