I'm looking at building a new system. I've been researching components for the last few weeks, and I'm looking to make the purchase in the next month. As my username suggests, this would be my first build.
What I'll be using it for:
- *) lots of internet browsing, mail client, word/excel, itunes
*) watching/recording tv
*) moderate gaming - for once in my life I'd actually like to be able to play decent games at decent settings, but I am certainly no hardcore gamer. I'd also want to play Civ 5 when it comes out in the fall.
*) lots of multitasking - I love having lots of things open at once e.g. TV, internet, mail client, word.
*) powering a 1920 x 1080 monitor - and possibly adding one or two more in the future
My current plan:
Case - £90
Fractal Define R3
Due to be released in the next few weeks - I won't start my build until this is available. Looks beautiful, and seems pretty good with sound dampening, so I'm very keen on this.
Fans - ?
Ok, I'm really not sure on what fans I'll need, or how to set them up.
I was thinking, use the 2 stock fractal fans on the front as intake. Buy another 2 fans and use one on the bottom of the case as intake, and the other at the back as exhaust. Does this even make sense? Not sure about this.
As for fan models, I thought maybe the Nexus? Advice would be great here.
CPU - £210
Intel i7 860 - LGA 1156 socket (Retail)
I was planning on using the heatsink that comes with it, as I have no plans to overclock. I've read that many people say you should get a CPU cooler. Do I really need one? Also, I was under the impression that the i7 - 860 didn't run that hot.
Motherboard - £110
ASUS P7P55D-E iP55 Socket LGA 1156
Some future proofing as it gives me USB 3 and SATA II support I believe.
RAM - ?
Corsair 4GB
I'm looking for the best deal on Corsair RAM. I found:
scan.co.uk/Products/4GB-%282x2GB%29-Corsair-XMS3-Classic-DDR3-PC3-12800-%281600%29-Non-ECC-Unbuffered-CAS-7-8-7-20-165V
scan.co.uk/product.aspx?ProductId=30579
The first one is £95, the second is £75. Will I really notice the difference in real world situations? Any better suggestions?
GPU - £130
Sapphire 5770 Vapor-X
Its only a few pounds more than the non vapor version.
SSD - £110
Corsair Force 60GB
I'm undecided between this and the OCZ Vertex 2E 60GB. Also, I'm hoping the price drops a little more in the next few weeks
HDD - £45
Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB
External HDD - ?
Unsure between:
WD Elements External at £55
amazon.co.uk/Western-Digital-Elements-Desktop-External/dp/B002E7HEVU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1282137158&sr=8-1
or the USB 3.0 Verbatim at £65
overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-010-VB&utm_source=froogle
Which one will work better as a backup drive? The Faster USB 2.0, or the slower USB 3.0, from a lesser brand?
PSU
Undecided. Thinking of the Seasonic 650W, though that's quite pricey (can't find it for less than £105. The Corsair 650W HX (non-modular I believe) is at about £60. Again, recommendations appreciated.
DVD drive - £45
Samsung SH-B083L
Has Blue Ray playback as well for £25 over a standard DVD drive. Supposed to be quiet too.
Monitor - £270
Samsung 2770H 1920 x 1080
I'd rather get a 1920 x 1200, but there are no good monitors in this resolution in the 25"+ range. And I'd like a large monitor without breaking the bank on 2560 x 1600.
Speakers - £35
Logitech Z323 Speaker System
Seems a decent budget, compact 2.1 system.
Any advice much appreciated.
[note that I had to remove the "h t t p / / w w w ." part from the links, because I'm not allowed to post links as a new member]