Building a PC, advice please!

[Tubezz]

Unless you find 2x rams with 3gb each you should not use 6 gb ram.

Since AMD is using dual channel and therefor if you are using 3x rams you will actually loose performance.

So I would suggest that you either find 2x 2gb ram or 2x 4gb ram.

 

[Dectomax]

Unless you find 2x rams with 3gb each you should not use 6 gb ram.

Since AMD is using dual channel and therefor if you are using 3x rams you will actually loose performance.

So I would suggest that you either find 2x 2gb ram or 2x 4gb ram.

Ooooh, didn't know that! Thanks, I might hop it up to 2x4GB then. Sticking with OCZ RAM though, I love their make haha.

EDIT: Just found these: http://www.ebuyer.com/274404-corsair-16gb-4x4gb-ddr3-1333mhz-xms-memory-kit-cl9-9-9-9-24-1-5v-cmx16gx3m4a1333c9

Edit: On second thought, they might actually be worse than standard Corsair 8GB...Due to PErf loss...

 

[AmrasCalmacil]

A 460 should do you pretty good for a while, your PSU leaves a lot of room for upgrading since I'm currently running a gtx 570 on a 750w PSU, so you should do pretty well with that set-up..

 

[Waaghpowa]

The 500 series Nvidia GTX cards have dropped in price, it might be worth your time to look into getting one of those instead of the 460.

 

[Dectomax]

The 500 series Nvidia GTX cards have dropped in price, it might be worth your time to look into getting one of those instead of the 460.

Way ahead of you, found a GTX560 for not much more than the 460, might pick that up instead.

 

[SageRuffin]

Though unnecessary, I recommend a liquid cooling system. It'll keep your processor cool and quiet, even while OCed.

 

[Cowabungaa]

A Phenom 2? As in a Phenom dual core? Scratch that, that'll make you want to upgrade way too soon. Go for the Phenom X4 965 or 955. Really good performance to price ratio, but do buy an aftermarket cooler as the stock one is horribly noisy. I recommend the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 because that's incredibly easy to install on an AMD-based system. No need to screw around with cooling paste, AC has all of that covered for you.

The PSU is also definite overkill. For a regular gaming PC I suggest getting a 550W PSU, you only need the real heavy stuff, like 750+, when you start doing funky shit like getting an SLI/CrossFire setup and power-intensive stuff like that.

Edit:
Nevermind, read that wrong, seems you want to go for a Phenom hexacore. Well, power to you I guess. A hexacore won't do you much good, but I doubt it can hurt either.

 

[Dectomax]

A Phenom 2? As in a Phenom dual core? Scratch that, that'll make you want to upgrade way too soon. Go for the Phenom X4 965 or 955. Really good performance to price ratio, but do buy an aftermarket cooler as the stock one is horribly noisy. I recommend the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 because that's incredibly easy to install on an AMD-based system. No need to screw around with cooling paste, AC has all of that covered for you.

The PSU is also definite overkill. For a regular gaming PC I suggest getting a 550W PSU, you only need the real heavy stuff, like 750+, when you start doing funky shit like getting an SLI/CrossFire setup and power-intensive stuff like that.

Phenom ii x6 Black Series is a six core CPU. I mad the mistake of looking for a Phenom 2 at first aswell... :')

 

[Cowabungaa]

Phenom ii x6 Black Series is a six core CPU. I mad the mistake of looking for a Phenom 2 at first aswell... :')

Yeah I fixed that in my original post.

But my point about the PSU still stands. You really should tone that down. It's getter to get a 550W of a really good brand than a cheap 800W one. Also, which motherboard and harddrive are you getting?

 

[Hoplon]

Ok, so as the title says I'm building a PC, so without dragging this on too much, here is what I've been looking at so far.

GTX460 ( Possibly a GTX560 )
AMD Phenom ii x6 Black Series
8GB Ripjaws DDR3 RAM
AM3 Motherboard
1TB 7200RPM Hard Drive
800wt PSU

All together, that'll cost me around £340. ( Nabbing bits in deals on ebay is awesome! )

So, what do you guys think? Anything I can upgrade or change without adding too much more to the cost?

For £340, that's pretty damned good. most of the advice here is missing the budget slant, the GFX card is more than enough for gaming unless you are wanting retard frame rates at very high resolution.

A case that would work shouldn't be more £30.

 

[Grospoliner]

Ok, so as the title says I'm building a PC, so without dragging this on too much, here is what I've been looking at so far.

GTX460 ( Possibly a GTX560 )
AMD Phenom ii x6 Black Series
8GB Ripjaws DDR3 RAM
AM3 Motherboard
1TB 7200RPM Hard Drive
800wt PSU

All together, that'll cost me around £340. ( Nabbing bits in deals on ebay is awesome! )

So, what do you guys think? Anything I can upgrade or change without adding too much more to the cost?

Unless you are running Win 7 64-bit, don't bother buying 8gig of ram. I don't know what MB you are getting but that stuff minus the MB would run about 324 GBP for me to pick up, so all in all it's a pretty good price. Check Newegg and Tiger Direct on each component or a comparable alternative. I think both those sites ship to the UK but don't quote me on that.

 

[Dectomax]

Phenom ii x6 Black Series is a six core CPU. I mad the mistake of looking for a Phenom 2 at first aswell... :')

Yeah I fixed that in my original post.

But my point about the PSU still stands. You really should tone that down. It's getter to get a 550W of a really good brand than a cheap 800W one. Also, which motherboard and harddrive are you getting?

The CPU was recommended to me by a friend who said it was pretty good and managed to support his PC well.

I'm leaving the PSU as it is, just means I won't have to upgrade down the line for a while and also means I'm open to adding other stuff in the mean time.

I'm still looking for a Motherboard, that's the one area where I lack real knowledge. ( I know about RAM and CPU compatibility but that's about as far as it goes. )

I've seen a nice Samsung 1TB 7,200RPM HDD for £60.

 

[Dectomax]

Ok, so as the title says I'm building a PC, so without dragging this on too much, here is what I've been looking at so far.

GTX460 ( Possibly a GTX560 )
AMD Phenom ii x6 Black Series
8GB Ripjaws DDR3 RAM
AM3 Motherboard
1TB 7200RPM Hard Drive
800wt PSU

All together, that'll cost me around £340. ( Nabbing bits in deals on ebay is awesome! )

So, what do you guys think? Anything I can upgrade or change without adding too much more to the cost?

Unless you are running Win 7 64-bit, don't bother buying 8gig of ram. I don't know what MB you are getting but that stuff minus the MB would run about 324 GBP for me to pick up, so all in all it's a pretty good price. Check Newegg and Tiger Direct on each component or a comparable alternative. I think both those sites ship to the UK but don't quote me on that.

Alas, I am planning on running Windows 7 64-bit...( I just like the look of it ) Also, I need 4GB min to run some of the software I need. ( Unreal Development kit, Autodesk Maya and Mudbox )

I checked both of those sites, it's where I'm getting a few bits from.

 

[illas]

An other important thing, have one set of fans as air intake and one set of fans as the out take, this causes a "breeze" in the case and keeps everything cooler.

This.

So many people build high-spec custom PCs and forget to keep it aerated. For minimal extra cost you can double your fans and significantly prolong your PC's life.

 

[Dectomax]

An other important thing, have one set of fans as air intake and one set of fans as the out take, this causes a "breeze" in the case and keeps everything cooler.

This.

So many people build high-spec custom PCs and forget to keep it aerated. Seriously, for minimal extra cost you can double your fans and significantly prolong your PC's life.

Was thinking of adding water cooling to it at a later point, possibly. Though I plan on keeping the side open. ( I'm a clean freak, so there's not much dust in my house...)

 

[Cowabungaa]

The CPU was recommended to me by a friend who said it was pretty good and managed to support his PC well.

I'm leaving the PSU as it is, just means I won't have to upgrade down the line for a while and also means I'm open to adding other stuff in the mean time.

I'm still looking for a Motherboard, that's the one area where I lack real knowledge. ( I know about RAM and CPU compatibility but that's about as far as it goes. )

I've seen a nice Samsung 1TB 7,200RPM HDD for £60.

It's a good CPU, that's for sure, but if you're building that PC for gaming than a hexacore just won't do you any good.

Also, a too big PSU isn't just a waste when you buy it, it's a waste in terms of electricity and efficiency as well. Really, get one that fits your PC nicely, and if you're planning on getting a dual-graphics card setup, 650 or 700 will do nicely. Just look at this post. [http://www.xoxideforums.com/997252-post8.html] While the parts he lists are outdated, his point still stands. There isn't that much to add that adds a lot to your power usage anyway.

As for a motherboard, except for compatibility with other parts, it's important to look for what kind of features you want. You can buy an up-to-date, fast and relatively barebones mobo (no fancy gadgets and all that) for a relatively low price. Or you can go all-out and super expensive mobo.

But it's like that with every part; what, ultimately, do you want to do with your computer? Are you planning on heavy overclocking? Just gaming? Etc.

 

[Dectomax]

The CPU was recommended to me by a friend who said it was pretty good and managed to support his PC well.

I'm leaving the PSU as it is, just means I won't have to upgrade down the line for a while and also means I'm open to adding other stuff in the mean time.

I'm still looking for a Motherboard, that's the one area where I lack real knowledge. ( I know about RAM and CPU compatibility but that's about as far as it goes. )

I've seen a nice Samsung 1TB 7,200RPM HDD for £60.

It's a good CPU, that's for sure, but if you're building that PC for gaming than a hexacore just won't do you any good.

Also, a too big PSU isn't just a waste when you buy it, it's a waste in terms of electricity and efficiency as well. Really, get one that fits your PC nicely, and if you're planning on getting a dual-graphics card setup, 650 or 700 will do nicely. Just look at this post. [http://www.xoxideforums.com/997252-post8.html] While the parts he lists are outdated, his point still stands.

As for a motherboard, except for compatibility with other parts, it's important to look for what kind of features you want. You can buy an up-to-date, fast and relatively barebones mobo (no fancy gadgets and all that) for a relatively low price. Or you can go all-out and super expensive mobo.

But it's like that with every part; what, ultimately, do you want to do with your computer?

A few friends have got the Phenom ii x6 and they've all said good things about it. PSU is, to be fair just so I have room to upgrade if needs be.

The main use of the PC is focused towards gaming, though I need to run Programs such as the Unreal Development kit and Autodesk Maya/Mudbox too.

 

[Vrach]

Ok, so as the title says I'm building a PC, so without dragging this on too much, here is what I've been looking at so far.

GTX460 ( Possibly a GTX560 )
AMD Phenom ii x6 Black Series
8GB Ripjaws DDR3 RAM
AM3 Motherboard
1TB 7200RPM Hard Drive
800wt PSU

All together, that'll cost me around £340. ( Nabbing bits in deals on ebay is awesome! )

So, what do you guys think? Anything I can upgrade or change without adding too much more to the cost?

I'd say consider an i5/i7 instead of AMD, especially the 6 core that's gonna stand around looking useless in most games (most games atm use 3-4 cores). Coming from someone who both loves and uses AMD right now, Intel's just got superior tech atm from what I can see (or is at least better utilized).

Definitely a 560 rather than a 460 if you're aiming for a top range gig.

Be careful when buying a motherboard, check everything out twice. While you're at it, don't buy RAM at over 1333 MHz, it only works overclocked at higher speeds atm and it's prone to failing. Check compatibility between RAM and mobo as well as everything else obviously, don't want it bottle-necking you somewhere. Oh and 6GB of RAM is more than enough for your needs atm if you ask me (running everything on highest settings with 4GB myself). But up to you, not much difference.

Pick your PSU carefully. Don't (just) watch the Wattage, check the other specs about it (need to check if it's actually able to provide for everything in your PC, certain PSUs are built to have the wattage, but not be able to do it anyway, I forgot the whole deal about it, something with the number of 12v lines and the like, look it up) and if you ask me, grab yourself one of the 80+ certified PSUs - not getting one just means you're gonna be paying off the difference in house bills.

Oh and my last 2 cents. Before buying your custom built PC, go around. Check as many stores as you can. You might well be able to find a PC that's already put together by the company and these things can sometimes be priced cheaper. I've had several incidents where I've custom built a machine, triple checked everything and then just found a better configuration for less money in the store. Just avoid the ones with the OEM, they'll typically be marked up higher than what it would take you to buy a retail W7.

Speaking of a retail W7, since you're young enough to be a student, might wanna check this out:
http://e5.onthehub.com/WebStore/OfferingsOfMajorVersionList.aspx?ws=24df2766-530c-e011-bed1-0030487d8897&vsro=8&pmv=b01abaf7-4588-de11-8cd1-0030487d8897&cmi_mnuMain=20abd7bb-44c7-e011-ae14-f04da23e67f6
Need an ISIC (international student identification card) for it, but that's actually cheap enough to grab if only for that one discount.

 

[Cowabungaa]

A few friends have got the Phenom ii x6 and they've all said good things about it. PSU is, to be fair just so I have room to upgrade if needs be.

The main use of the PC is focused towards gaming, though I need to run Programs such as the Unreal Development kit and Autodesk Maya/Mudbox too.

There's pretty much nothing you would need, for doing the things you listed, that you need a whopping 800W PSU for. Really, it's wasted money and won't do your PSU any good either. Mind you, it's not just wattage you want either. You want your PSU to deliver enough amps as well. But if you get a PSU of a good brand you usually don't have to worry about that all too much. Just don't get pointless stuff.

But yes, it's a good CPU, no doubt about it. If you got the cash, sure go for it. I wonder by the way, what's your budget? Because you don't look to be too budget conscious. If that's indeed the case, why not go for an Intel i7 CPU? Nothing wrong with AMD, and they're fantastic for budget-conscious gamers, but if you don't care too much and just want power, go for Intel. An i7 quadcore is in the end quite a bit more powerful than AMD's hexacores. Having more cores isn't everything.

How much is that hexacore you're looking at anyway? That might help knowing what's the best option to take.

 

[Dectomax]

A few friends have got the Phenom ii x6 and they've all said good things about it. PSU is, to be fair just so I have room to upgrade if needs be.

The main use of the PC is focused towards gaming, though I need to run Programs such as the Unreal Development kit and Autodesk Maya/Mudbox too.

There's pretty much nothing you would need, for doing the things you listed, that you need a whopping 800W PSU for. Really, it's wasted money and won't do your PSU any good either.

But yes, it's a good CPU, no doubt about it. If you got the cash, sure go for it. I wonder by the way, what's your budget? Because you don't look to be too budget conscious. If that's indeed the case, why not go for an Intel i7 CPU? Nothing wrong with AMD, and they're fantastic for budget-conscious gamers, but if you don't care too much and just want power, go for Intel. An i7 quadcore is in the end quite a bit more powerful than AMD's hexacores. Having more cores isn't everything.

I'm having a look about at different PSU's now. As for budget. I've got around a £400ish budget. ( It's more about waiting for my pay, this month I'll have £300ish spare, so I could wait until next month and have maybe £100/£200 more )