Mid-High Gaming/Photoshop Build

[vengefulturtle]

Hello!

My current 3-year old laptop (NBLB2 model with i7 M620@2.67GHz and Radeon HD5650) is in dire need of replacement, and I've decided to go for a PC this time around since I won't be needing the mobility of a laptop anymore and I figured with a custom PC I could get higher-performance components for my budget.
Budget is around £1000-£1100 - I could stretch to more if it's worth it, but I am aiming for value for money and that is about as much as I would be comfortable with.

It will be used for gaming and photoshop (photo editing, digital painting), besides obviously browsing etc. The "neediest" games I want to be able to play are things like Tomb Raider and The Witcher 2 (which is unplayable on my current system). No FPS and no overclocking.

This will be the first time putting a PC together myself and building it, so I'd welcome a few opinions on what I've put together. Here goes:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£211.19 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£54.99 @ Ebuyer)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£119.72 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (£70.69 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£42.00 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card (£197.48 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Fractal Design Define Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case (£62.98 @ Ebuyer)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£41.79 @ Amazon UK)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer (£12.50 @ Scan.co.uk)
Monitor: Eizo FS2333-BK 60Hz 23.0" Monitor (£267.42 @ Amazon UK)
Keyboard: Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard (£12.19 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £1092.95
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-12 19:21 GMT+0000)

I have a Win7 64bit license which I hope will be transferable again (it worked last time ...), if not, I'll just have to get it again on top, but I won't consider it part of the budget.

**EDIT** [SOLVED] The final parts selection is further down in this thread.

 

[oajarmeh95]

you should change the PSU to at least 500 watts and i prefer 600 watts if you want to upgrade in the future

 

[Jon Bartlett]

Micro ATX is awfully hard to work with unless you are really good at positioning components/cable management. I recommend at least going mid-atx or full for a first time build
As far as other components go...
CPU-SSD: good
HDD: not so great. I would go with a WD black for that, little bit more but it won't die in 20 months like they always do.
GPU: you could save money with the same gpu. Try this: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-video-card-gtx760dc2oc2gd5
^.05 less GHz and like 50 pounds less
Case: No offense, but get a better case 😀 Micro ATX is not good for first time builders
PSU: good as long as you don't oc
Optical drive: whatever works for you. If you like playing Blu-Ray, then get Blu-ray, but CD/DVD drives aren't ever a biggie with most people.
Monitor: not a great choice, only 1000:1 and 400+ USD. Try this one: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vg248qe
^ ALOT less cost, MUCH better contrast ratio.
Keyboard: Again, your preference.

Last note: I would spend about 1 more week doing research on parts before you buy anything because most first-time builders accidently waste alot of money. I assume the reason you are building is because pre-built costs alot.

 

[vengefulturtle]

Micro ATX is awfully hard to work with unless you are really good at positioning components/cable management. I recommend at least going mid-atx or full for a first time build
As far as other components go...
CPU-SSD: good
HDD: not so great. I would go with a WD black for that, little bit more but it won't die in 20 months like they always do.
GPU: you could save money with the same gpu. Try this: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-video-card-gtx760dc2oc2gd5
^.05 less GHz and like 50 pounds less
Case: No offense, but get a better case 😀 Micro ATX is not good for first time builders
PSU: good as long as you don't oc
Optical drive: whatever works for you. If you like playing Blu-Ray, then get Blu-ray, but CD/DVD drives aren't ever a biggie with most people.
Monitor: not a great choice, only 1000:1 and 400+ USD. Try this one: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vg248qe
^ ALOT less cost, MUCH better contrast ratio.
Keyboard: Again, your preference.

Last note: I would spend about 1 more week doing research on parts before you buy anything because most first-time builders accidently waste alot of money. I assume the reason you are building is because pre-built costs alot.

Thanks a lot for the thoughts! I am not about to buy anything right now, I'll give everything more thought, absolutely.
Case: I was going MicroATX as I could get the help of someone who's built a PC before, and I'm not entirely comfortable with a chunky full size PC, especially as under-desk space is limited. I'll definitely look around a bit more and consider all the options.
Monitor: I am pretty set on an IPS monitor, for the better colour accuracy for my Photoshop work (with decent response time for the RPG gaming). For a cheaper alternative, there would be the Dell U2312HM or Asus/LG/AOC models, but I'd be happy to spend more for the professional-level Eizo - I really need to find some of the cheaper options on the high street and have a look at them, as reviews online are very varied.
GPU: Huh, on Amazon the price difference between the different GTX 760 models is less than 10 pounds, so I figured I'd go for the EVGA as that seems to be the top choice for GPUs.
HDD: Thanks! The price difference there isn't actually too big it seems, so I might as well go for the WD.

 

[sora]

Micro ATX is awfully hard to work with unless you are really good at positioning components/cable management. I recommend at least going mid-atx or full for a first time build
As far as other components go...
CPU-SSD: good
HDD: not so great. I would go with a WD black for that, little bit more but it won't die in 20 months like they always do.
GPU: you could save money with the same gpu. Try this: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-video-card-gtx760dc2oc2gd5
^.05 less GHz and like 50 pounds less
Case: No offense, but get a better case 😀 Micro ATX is not good for first time builders
PSU: good as long as you don't oc
Optical drive: whatever works for you. If you like playing Blu-Ray, then get Blu-ray, but CD/DVD drives aren't ever a biggie with most people.
Monitor: not a great choice, only 1000:1 and 400+ USD. Try this one: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vg248qe
^ ALOT less cost, MUCH better contrast ratio.
Keyboard: Again, your preference.

Last note: I would spend about 1 more week doing research on parts before you buy anything because most first-time builders accidently waste alot of money. I assume the reason you are building is because pre-built costs alot.

Thanks a lot for the thoughts! I am not about to buy anything right now, I'll give everything more thought, absolutely.
Case: I was going MicroATX as I could get the help of someone who's built a PC before, and I'm not entirely comfortable with a chunky full size PC, especially as under-desk space is limited. I'll definitely look around a bit more and consider all the options.
Monitor: I am pretty set on an IPS monitor, for the better colour accuracy for my Photoshop work (with decent response time for the RPG gaming). For a cheaper alternative, there would be the Dell U2312HM or Asus/LG/AOC models, but I'd be happy to spend more for the professional-level Eizo - I really need to find some of the cheaper options on the high street and have a look at them, as reviews online are very varied.
GPU: Huh, on Amazon the price difference between the different GTX 760 models is less than 10 pounds, so I figured I'd go for the EVGA as that seems to be the top choice for GPUs.
HDD: Thanks! The price difference there isn't actually too big it seems, so I might as well go for the WD.

WD is pretty much the standard for hdds.

 

[vengefulturtle]

First of all, thanks for the answers! I did review PSUs, CPUs, HDDs... well, everything, really.

Just wanted to post a quick update of what I will be going forward with, since I find it unhelpful coming across a promising forum thread only to find that it trails off with no indication of the final solution. Here's the changes I made to the config posted above:
- PSU: 550W SeaSonic
- HDD: 1TB WD Black
- CPU: Xeon E3-1230 V3 or 1240 V3, depending on prices/availability
- Motherboard: Gigabyte H87M-D3H
- GPU: Asus GTX 770
- Monitor: LG IPS234V or AOC i2369vm or similar (depending on prices/availability)

 

[Jon Bartlett]

First of all, thanks for the answers! I did review PSUs, CPUs, HDDs... well, everything, really.

Just wanted to post a quick update of what I will be going forward with, since I find it unhelpful coming across a promising forum thread only to find that it trails off with no indication of the final solution. Here's the changes I made to the config posted above:
- PSU: 550W SeaSonic
- HDD: 1TB WD Black
- CPU: Xeon E3-1230 V3 or 1240 V3, depending on prices/availability
- Motherboard: Gigabyte H87M-D3H
- GPU: Asus GTX 770
- Monitor: LG IPS234V or AOC i2369vm or similar (depending on prices/availability)

Ok well 2 things for you.
1. Use pcpartpicker, it finds the lowest prices for parts (usually newegg anyway lol). Also I won't know if you are overpaying for parts (like your psu price for the same item can vary by +-$50 USD
2. Wait until mid february and you can save a lot of money. DDR4 ram and GTX 800s are going to release then, and it'll drop the price of your parts quite a bit (save +$120 USD)

Otherwise everything looks good, I would just make sure that your case will fit everything. If you wait for about 15 min I can try and build your exact same computer on pcpartpicker and save you a bit of money.

 

[Jon Bartlett]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2DNLq
£910, also, spend a little more on your cpu if you want, up to you. i7-4770k is better for hyper-threading, etc.
Also, I noticed that you didn't include a cpu heatsink. That kind of alarmed me that you might not have done enough research. I recommend doing AT LEAST 10 hours of research, not looking for parts but actual research before you order anything. You'll regret it if your psu blows out or cpu over heats, etc.

 

[vengefulturtle]

Thanks again for the feedback!

I do use pcpartpicker, unfortunately the prices aren't always fully accurate (close enough though) and it doesn't take into account stock availability. For example, I was going to go for the Xeon 1240, but it is currently out of stock everywhere, which pcpartpicker of course doesn't know about. And that £240 Asus GTX 770 on Amazon UK won't be shipping for another 1 or 2 months, and the cheapest available models (from any seller) are around £30 more expensive... So I'm still doing quite a bit of price comparing on the individual sites to make sure I really do get the cheapest (available) part in the end - and man do I wish Newegg was an option over here, computer parts seem to be quite a bit cheaper in North America.

As for the CPU cooler, from what I was reading, I won't necessarily need one immediately unless I am overclocking or intend to use the system to capacity all the time. So I thought I could see how temperatures work out with stock cooling, and then add aftermarket cooling later if necessary.

PSU... I am leaning towards 650W now (SeaSonic Gold Standard). Pcpartpicker estimates around 430W for the whole system, so I reckon 650W should cover that and allow for a little headroom if I want to upgrade later.

I'm also considering a mid-tower case and the ATX version of that H87 motherboard. That setup is still small enough for my taste, but should give a bit more room for building (and later upgrades).

The latest configuration is here: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2DYlk (with cooler included)

 

[Jon Bartlett]

Thanks again for the feedback!

I do use pcpartpicker, unfortunately the prices aren't always fully accurate (close enough though) and it doesn't take into account stock availability. For example, I was going to go for the Xeon 1240, but it is currently out of stock everywhere, which pcpartpicker of course doesn't know about. And that £240 Asus GTX 770 on Amazon UK won't be shipping for another 1 or 2 months, and the cheapest available models (from any seller) are around £30 more expensive... So I'm still doing quite a bit of price comparing on the individual sites to make sure I really do get the cheapest (available) part in the end - and man do I wish Newegg was an option over here, computer parts seem to be quite a bit cheaper in North America.

As for the CPU cooler, from what I was reading, I won't necessarily need one immediately unless I am overclocking or intend to use the system to capacity all the time. So I thought I could see how temperatures work out with stock cooling, and then add aftermarket cooling later if necessary.

PSU... I am leaning towards 650W now (SeaSonic Gold Standard). Pcpartpicker estimates around 430W for the whole system, so I reckon 650W should cover that and allow for a little headroom if I want to upgrade later.

I'm also considering a mid-tower case and the ATX version of that H87 motherboard. That setup is still small enough for my taste, but should give a bit more room for building (and later upgrades).

The latest configuration is here: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2DYlk (with cooler included)

That's looking really solid! 😀
My bad about the cooler, didn't know you had that straightened out or not, anyway...
As for case, glad you're considering mid tower 😀 midget cases are a pain to deal with, but can be great if done right.
As for psu, 650W might not be high enough for you. If you decide to upgrade in the future, I assume that you will be going 2-way SLI if the price of 770s drop. So go ahead and calculate your wattage off of 2 cards and then choose the psu (if I were you). Also, read tons of reviews on psus, failure rates, etc, because psus are honestly the most important part of all. Corsair has some really reliable and affordable psus, but a good seasonic is just as good 😀
Also glad to see you got a better monitor 😀 50M:1 is great, 250cd/m2 is fine.
All in all, its 100% better than the initial build, so glad I could help 😀

 

[vengefulturtle]

That's looking really solid! 😀
My bad about the cooler, didn't know you had that straightened out or not, anyway...
As for case, glad you're considering mid tower 😀 midget cases are a pain to deal with, but can be great if done right.
As for psu, 650W might not be high enough for you. If you decide to upgrade in the future, I assume that you will be going 2-way SLI if the price of 770s drop. So go ahead and calculate your wattage off of 2 cards and then choose the psu (if I were you). Also, read tons of reviews on psus, failure rates, etc, because psus are honestly the most important part of all. Corsair has some really reliable and affordable psus, but a good seasonic is just as good 😀
Also glad to see you got a better monitor 😀 50M:1 is great, 250cd/m2 is fine.
All in all, its 100% better than the initial build, so glad I could help 😀

Thanks! Feeling a lot more confident now.

Looking into PSUs (again), see if I can go a bit cheaper there without sacrificing quality.

I did think about SLI, but that would require a motherboard update as well, hmm... Having had laptops for the past 6-7 years I'm quite prepared to stick with the hardware that I have until it fails - the trusty HD5650 on this laptop struggled along just fine at lower settings, but finally threw in the towel at the Witcher 2. I've been going for over 6 months not playing the most demanding games in my library, and I'm prepared to do that again when the new system can't keep up. At least, that's what I'm telling myself now... 😀 I can just hope I won't be eating my words.