Gaming PC for under £1,000

[rabbitcfh]

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/3acBy

Hello. I've been using my gaming-ish laptop for about 1,5 years now and while it's served me fairly well, I think it's time to go back to a desktop as recently I've had to significantly lower graphics settings in most games.

My budget is £1,000 (up to £900 would be ideal but £1,000 is fine if it's worth it) and that must include everything, including a monitor. The computer will be used daily for gaming so good performance in high settings is a must. I've read some guides on TH and this is a setup I came up with:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£161.99 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.44 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£104.00 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£62.79 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£59.96 @ Scan.co.uk)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card (£242.90 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case (£45.90 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£53.28 @ Amazon UK)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer (£11.78 @ CCL Computers)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£69.96 @ CCL Computers)
Monitor: Hannspree HE225DPB 21.5" Monitor (£86.95 @ Ebuyer)
Total: £924.95
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-15 13:56 GMT+0000)

What do you think of this build? Is it good enough to last me for a while and play all/most games on high (not necessarily "ultra") details? Is there anything you would change to improve performance without increasing the price too much (or maybe even reduce the price without sacrificing performance)? And should I add any parts to this machine?

No SSD as they are quite pricey and loading times are not as important to me as how the games will run.

Also, is the 600W PSU enough or should I go for a 650W one?

And last question, maybe a little odd - will the cooler fit inside as I've read this model is quite large?

Thank you!

 

[AMDRadeonHD]

This one, it has a alot better graphics card, better frame rate in games: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/3adBp

 

[RazerZ]

Do you plan to add a second GPU in the future? That would determine case size as well as PSU wattage.

 

[rabbitcfh]

Do you plan to add a second GPU in the future? That would determine case size as well as PSU wattage.

Honestly I have no idea. Maybe in a couple of years add another GPU, or replace it completely with a new one - really hard to say. I'm guessing the current setup is fine for one GPU but for two GPUs I would need a full sized tower and a larger (how much?) PSU?

 

[RazerZ]

Do you plan to add a second GPU in the future? That would determine case size as well as PSU wattage.

Honestly I have no idea. Maybe in a couple of years add another GPU, or replace it completely with a new one - really hard to say. I'm guessing the current setup is fine for one GPU but for two GPUs I would need a full sized tower and a larger (how much?) PSU?

Dual 760s= 750W

Dual 770s= 850W

And yes you wold need a full tower.

 

[rabbitcfh]

Do you plan to add a second GPU in the future? That would determine case size as well as PSU wattage.

Honestly I have no idea. Maybe in a couple of years add another GPU, or replace it completely with a new one - really hard to say. I'm guessing the current setup is fine for one GPU but for two GPUs I would need a full sized tower and a larger (how much?) PSU?

Dual 760s= 750W

Dual 770s= 850W

And yes you wold need a full tower.

Ouch, that would add over £100 to the price.

Unless I go for a 760 instead of 770 and when it's not good enough anymore, I'd get a second 760 - but would it be a better deal than getting a 770 now? How long do you think a single 760 would last for me until I'd have to significantly lower graphics settings (medium and lower) in games, and how long for a 770?

 

[AMDRadeonHD]

Do you plan to add a second GPU in the future? That would determine case size as well as PSU wattage.

Honestly I have no idea. Maybe in a couple of years add another GPU, or replace it completely with a new one - really hard to say. I'm guessing the current setup is fine for one GPU but for two GPUs I would need a full sized tower and a larger (how much?) PSU?

Dual 760s= 750W

Dual 770s= 850W

And yes you wold need a full tower.

Ouch, that would add over £100 to the price.

Unless I go for a 760 instead of 770 and when it's not good enough anymore, I'd get a second 760 - but would it be a better deal than getting a 770 now? How long do you think a single 760 would last for me until I'd have to significantly lower graphics settings (medium and lower) in games, and how long for a 770?

I'm telling you, just go for this one: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/3adBp

 

[rabbitcfh]

Do you plan to add a second GPU in the future? That would determine case size as well as PSU wattage.

Honestly I have no idea. Maybe in a couple of years add another GPU, or replace it completely with a new one - really hard to say. I'm guessing the current setup is fine for one GPU but for two GPUs I would need a full sized tower and a larger (how much?) PSU?

Dual 760s= 750W

Dual 770s= 850W

And yes you wold need a full tower.

Ouch, that would add over £100 to the price.

Unless I go for a 760 instead of 770 and when it's not good enough anymore, I'd get a second 760 - but would it be a better deal than getting a 770 now? How long do you think a single 760 would last for me until I'd have to significantly lower graphics settings (medium and lower) in games, and how long for a 770?

I'm telling you, just go for this one: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/3adBp

Thanks, but I've read that the 4670K is better for gaming than the 8320? The 8320 is supposed to better for multitasking due to having 8 cores but gaming performance is more important to me. Also the gpu increased the price really close to £1,000 and I would ideally like to also squeeze in a wireless keyboard & mouse and a wireless Xbox 360 controller under £1,000.

 

[RazerZ]

Here's a setup with intel and nvidia:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£161.99 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.44 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£104.00 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£60.55 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£39.14 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card (£186.98 @ Dabs)
Case: NZXT Source 530 ATX Full Tower Case (£72.00 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£110.99 @ Aria PC)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHDS118-04 DVD/CD Drive (£10.78 @ Scan.co.uk)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£69.96 @ CCL Computers)
Monitor: Samsung S22C150N 21.5" Monitor (£71.99 @ Aria PC)
Total: £913.82
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-15 14:59 GMT+0000)

 

[rabbitcfh]

Here's a setup with intel and nvidia:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£161.99 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.44 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£104.00 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£60.55 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£39.14 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card (£186.98 @ Dabs)
Case: NZXT Source 530 ATX Full Tower Case (£72.00 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£110.99 @ Aria PC)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHDS118-04 DVD/CD Drive (£10.78 @ Scan.co.uk)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£69.96 @ CCL Computers)
Monitor: Samsung S22C150N 21.5" Monitor (£71.99 @ Aria PC)
Total: £913.82
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-15 14:59 GMT+0000)

Thanks, it's even cheaper!

You said that I'd need a 750W PSU for dual 760s - do you think I should cut another £30 and get this 750W PSU instead of the 850W one - http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-120pg0750gr .

How long do you think I can comfortably use a 760 until I need to add a second one? And then, how long do you think that will last me for?

 

[RazerZ]

Here's a setup with intel and nvidia:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£161.99 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.44 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£104.00 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£60.55 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£39.14 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card (£186.98 @ Dabs)
Case: NZXT Source 530 ATX Full Tower Case (£72.00 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£110.99 @ Aria PC)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHDS118-04 DVD/CD Drive (£10.78 @ Scan.co.uk)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£69.96 @ CCL Computers)
Monitor: Samsung S22C150N 21.5" Monitor (£71.99 @ Aria PC)
Total: £913.82
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-15 14:59 GMT+0000)

Thanks, it's even cheaper!

You said that I'd need a 750W PSU for dual 760s - do you think I should cut another £30 and get this 750W PSU instead of the 850W one - http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-120pg0750gr .

How long do you think I can comfortably use a 760 until I need to add a second one? And then, how long do you think that will last me for?

Oh right posted the wrong psu, sorry about that. Yes that PSU is a good one since it has great effiency due to the Gold+ rating. It should last you a couple of years, and after a few years you can add in a second 760 which would bring the performance up to the same or greater than a GTX 780.

 

[rabbitcfh]

Oh right posted the wrong psu, sorry about that. Yes that PSU is a good one since it has great effiency due to the Gold+ rating. It should last you a couple of years, and after a few years you can add in a second 760 which would bring the performance up to the same or greater than a GTX 780.

Awesome, thanks! I replaced the LiteOn drive with a LiteOn writer, only £1 difference.
http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/3af8a

Thanks a lot, man!

 

[RazerZ]

Oh right posted the wrong psu, sorry about that. Yes that PSU is a good one since it has great effiency due to the Gold+ rating. It should last you a couple of years, and after a few years you can add in a second 760 which would bring the performance up to the same or greater than a GTX 780.

Awesome, thanks! I replaced the LiteOn drive with a LiteOn writer, only £1 difference.
http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/3af8a

Thanks a lot, man!

Glad to help

 

[sora]

Here's a setup with intel and nvidia:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£161.99 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.44 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£104.00 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£60.55 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£39.14 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card (£186.98 @ Dabs)
Case: NZXT Source 530 ATX Full Tower Case (£72.00 @ Scan.co.uk)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£110.99 @ Aria PC)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHDS118-04 DVD/CD Drive (£10.78 @ Scan.co.uk)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£69.96 @ CCL Computers)
Monitor: Samsung S22C150N 21.5" Monitor (£71.99 @ Aria PC)
Total: £913.82
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-15 14:59 GMT+0000)

Thanks, it's even cheaper!

You said that I'd need a 750W PSU for dual 760s - do you think I should cut another £30 and get this 750W PSU instead of the 850W one - http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-120pg0750gr .

How long do you think I can comfortably use a 760 until I need to add a second one? And then, how long do you think that will last me for?

Go ahead, EVGA is great although I prefer XFX.

Make sure to pick RazerZ's answer as the best solution.

 

[rabbitcfh]

Go ahead, EVGA is great although I prefer XFX.

Make sure to pick RazerZ's answer as the best solution.

Thanks man.

Way ahead of you.