New computer build

[AnonymousRam]

Hey people, in a situation where I really need to buy a new PC as mine is as quick as a potato. I want to get into computing for a career as well in the future so want this PC to be able to multi task and and run databases smoothly. I have drawn up a plan so far for what I want:

CPU - intel i7-4790k
Mobo - Gigabyte GA-H81M-S2H micro ATX
RAM - 8GB hyperX fury 1866MHz DDR3 blue series
Case - Xenta B138A
PSU - EVGA 500W 80+ bronze
SSHD - Seagate 1TB 3.5"

I am on a bit of a budget here of around £500 (preferably lower) and may have to strip down my old PC to get so components here and there such as the gpu (some cheapy ASUS if it helps but idk which one, sorry). Please guys, if you find any faults or can recommend any improvements please point them out! I will be completely new to building a PC as its my first time so will probably have screwed up somewhere! Cheers for your time guys, appreciate it!


Also guys, can anyone reassure me that all these parts will work together and anything else I need? Cheers again

 

[Miky5983]

I think that you will beed a BIOS update with that motherboard. Buy a H97 or Z97 (z97 is better for overclocking). You can also buy a 2tb seagate sshd for around $70 if you want more space.

 

[AnonymousRam]

I think that you will beed a BIOS update with that motherboard. Buy a H97 or Z97 (z97 is better for overclocking). You can also buy a 2tb seagate sshd for around $70 if you want more space.

Thanks for your reply Miky, just need to bear in mind that I am on a bit of a budget here. looking to spend not much more than £75 on a motherboard. It could be an area which I may upgrade in the future I suppose. Dont think I need to much space atm though which is also something a may look to upgrade later on though. Also what this BIOS update please mate? ahah That might sound incredibly stupid but what is it please?

Update - Just checked the prices of the z97 motherboard, could be an option. Cheaper than what I thought it was! Are we talking about the ASRock z97 here please or have looked at the wrong one? Thanks again

 

[WildCard999]

You could save quite a bit of money by switching that CPU to the Xeon 1231 V3 and still have enough power to utilize HT.

 

[AnonymousRam]

You could save quite a bit of money by switching that CPU to the Xeon 1231 V3 and still have enough power to utilize HT.

Cant find it on my UK ebuyer site mate, is it widely available?

update - Apologies, just found it I'll have a look at some reviews of it, but the i7 seems to be top dog for my money in terms of multi tasking.

 

[WildCard999]

Not sure where it would be available in the UK. It doesn't need to be that exact model but if I were you I'd look into the possibility of using a Xeon since there just as powerful as the I7 except most of them don't have a built in GPU but that won't matter since you have a dedicated card and there usually significantly cheaper.

I don't have access to any UK sites since im on a work pc but try checking through pcpartpicker and see if you can find that unit and something similar.

 

[AnonymousRam]

Not sure where it would be available in the UK. It doesn't need to be that exact model but if I were you I'd look into the possibility of using a Xeon since there just as powerful as the I7 except most of them don't have a built in GPU but that won't matter since you have a dedicated card and there usually significantly cheaper.

I don't have access to any UK sites since im on a work pc but try checking through pcpartpicker and see if you can find that unit and something similar.

Will do! Thank you very much for your time!

 

[Miky5983]

Do you want to overclock?

 

[Miky5983]

I'd build this. You can also get 16GB of RAM for 30 british pounds more.



PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (£252.00 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£69.25 @ CCL Computers)
Memory: Kingston Beast 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£35.37 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive (£68.34 @ Aria PC)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (£34.98 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 450W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply (£65.99 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £525.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-01 15:10 BST+0100

 

[Miky5983]

Another overclockable AMD build with a 250GB SSD, 2TB SSHD, 16GB of RAM.
http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/3qmWqs

 

[Miky5983]

I think that you will beed a BIOS update with that motherboard. Buy a H97 or Z97 (z97 is better for overclocking). You can also buy a 2tb seagate sshd for around $70 if you want more space.

Thanks for your reply Miky, just need to bear in mind that I am on a bit of a budget here. looking to spend not much more than £75 on a motherboard. It could be an area which I may upgrade in the future I suppose. Dont think I need to much space atm though which is also something a may look to upgrade later on though. Also what this BIOS update please mate? ahah That might sound incredibly stupid but what is it please?

Update - Just checked the prices of the z97 motherboard, could be an option. Cheaper than what I thought it was! Are we talking about the ASRock z97 here please or have looked at the wrong one? Thanks again

The h87/h81 motherboards were designed for the 3rd gen Intel CPUs. In order for those motherboards to work with Haswell Refresh/4th gen CPUs you will need to update the BIOS. Its like updating a driver.

 

[WildCard999]

I'd build this. You can also get 16GB of RAM for 30 british pounds more.



PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (£252.00 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£69.25 @ CCL Computers)
Memory: Kingston Beast 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£35.37 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive (£68.34 @ Aria PC)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (£34.98 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 450W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply (£65.99 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £525.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-01 15:10 BST+0100

You paired a unlocked CPU with a locked MB so either switch the CPU to a non K or Xeon or change the MB to a Z series.

 

[WildCard999]

Cheaper and just as effective as the I7.

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646e31231v3

 

[Miky5983]

I'd build this. You can also get 16GB of RAM for 30 british pounds more.



PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (£252.00 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£69.25 @ CCL Computers)
Memory: Kingston Beast 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£35.37 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive (£68.34 @ Aria PC)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (£34.98 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 450W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply (£65.99 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £525.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-01 15:10 BST+0100

You paired a unlocked CPU with a locked MB so either switch the CPU to a non K or Xeon or change the MB to a Z series.

Oops, didnt see the K. Thanks.

 

[Miky5983]

Heres a build with the Xeon that @WildCard999 recommended





PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£196.14 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£69.25 @ CCL Computers)
Memory: Kingston Beast 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£35.37 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive (£68.34 @ Aria PC)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case (£34.98 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 450W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply (£65.99 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £470.07
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-01 15:27 BST+0100

 

[AnonymousRam]

Loving all the replies guys, thank you all so much! Btw, a lot of your recommended builds are stating that I should be getting 2x4GB RAM sticks rather than 1x8GB stick which is actually better because I think its supposed to work more efficiently, though I would personally prefer 1 stick of 8GB so I can potentially upgrade it to 16GB down the line which is cheaper in the long run.

 

[AnonymousRam]

Can anyone please point out the difference between the intel i7-4790k and the Xeon E3-1231? Thanks

 

[WildCard999]

Loving all the replies guys, thank you all so much! Btw, a lot of your recommended builds are stating that I should be getting 2x4GB RAM sticks rather than 1x8GB stick which is actually better because I think its supposed to work more efficiently, though I would personally prefer 1 stick of 8GB so I can potentially upgrade it to 16GB down the line which is cheaper in the long run.

If your using a mini-itx board then yes 8gb stick would be much better. I came up with this build with a full ATX MB (4 slots) and changed the RAM to a good company and color-coded to the MB if that matters to ya. I left out a case since thats more of the OP's choice but you have around £100 to work with so you can get a really nice case.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£196.14 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: MSI H97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£62.33 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£38.68 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive (£49.89 @ Ebuyer)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£57.35 @ Aria PC)
Total: £404.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-01 15:51 BST+0100

The main point though is that Xeon and being able to upgrade to 16gb RAM later on in the build. The PSU I added in is a personal favorite and is a top tier PSU but the Seasonic is good as well.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

 

[WildCard999]

Can anyone please point out the difference between the intel i7-4790k and the Xeon E3-1231? Thanks

The biggest difference is the clock speeds between them, 4.4ghz on the I7 and 3.8ghz on the Xeon but you won't notice the difference. The i7 can be overclocked while the Xeon is locked. If you wish to overclock and don't mind paying the additional cost then the i7 and a aftermarket cooler for it, then it might be more beneficial but for your budget I think the Xeon will be a much better option.

 

[AnonymousRam]

Loving all the replies guys, thank you all so much! Btw, a lot of your recommended builds are stating that I should be getting 2x4GB RAM sticks rather than 1x8GB stick which is actually better because I think its supposed to work more efficiently, though I would personally prefer 1 stick of 8GB so I can potentially upgrade it to 16GB down the line which is cheaper in the long run.

If your using a mini-itx board then yes 8gb stick would be much better. I came up with this build with a full ATX MB (4 slots) and changed the RAM to a good company and color-coded to the MB if that matters to ya. I left out a case since thats more of the OP's choice but you have around £100 to work with so you can get a really nice case.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£196.14 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: MSI H97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£62.33 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£38.68 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive (£49.89 @ Ebuyer)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£57.35 @ Aria PC)
Total: £404.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-01 15:51 BST+0100

The main point though is that Xeon and being able to upgrade to 16gb RAM later on in the build. The PSU I added in is a personal favorite and is a top tier PSU but the Seasonic is good as well.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

That's a great build, thanks mate! I'll take a good look at that one but I still really like the idea of the i7-4790k for some reason... I might merge the two (builds) and see what happens

 

[AnonymousRam]

Could anyone make me a decent build plan which includes an i7-4790k CPU and a micro ATX motherboard? Idk much about motherboards but for what I'm after in my budget, I feel that I would be getting good value for money with a microATX compared to a full size which tends to be more expensive? Thanks again guys

 

[WildCard999]

Could anyone make me a decent build plan which includes an i7-4790k CPU and a micro ATX motherboard? Idk much about motherboards but for what I'm after in my budget, I feel that I would be getting good value for money with a microATX compared to a full size which tends to be more expensive? Thanks again guys

There's really no price difference between ATX & min-ITX. Better off getting a full ATX MB unless you want a smaller case that only can fit mini-ITX MB.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (£252.00 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£24.95 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£64.24 @ Ebuyer)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£38.68 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive (£49.89 @ Ebuyer)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£57.35 @ Aria PC)
Total: £487.11
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-01 16:12 BST+0100

The price is much higher and doesn't even have a case. You may not need that aftermarket cooler initially but will need it for overclocking.

 

[AnonymousRam]

Could anyone make me a decent build plan which includes an i7-4790k CPU and a micro ATX motherboard? Idk much about motherboards but for what I'm after in my budget, I feel that I would be getting good value for money with a microATX compared to a full size which tends to be more expensive? Thanks again guys

There's really no price difference between ATX & min-ITX. Better off getting a full ATX MB unless you want a smaller case that only can fit mini-ITX MB.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (£252.00 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£24.95 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£64.24 @ Ebuyer)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£38.68 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive (£49.89 @ Ebuyer)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£57.35 @ Aria PC)
Total: £487.11
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-01 16:12 BST+0100

The price is much higher and doesn't even have a case. You may not need that aftermarket cooler initially but will need it for overclocking.

Excellent, cheers mate! Think you may have solved some of my dilemmas there! I'll have a good look at the setup once I get back home

Also does it really need the CPU cooler?

And how well rated is this motherboard please?

 

[Miky5983]

Could anyone make me a decent build plan which includes an i7-4790k CPU and a micro ATX motherboard? Idk much about motherboards but for what I'm after in my budget, I feel that I would be getting good value for money with a microATX compared to a full size which tends to be more expensive? Thanks again guys

There's really no price difference between ATX & min-ITX. Better off getting a full ATX MB unless you want a smaller case that only can fit mini-ITX MB.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (£252.00 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£24.95 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 PC MATE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£64.24 @ Ebuyer)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£38.68 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive (£49.89 @ Ebuyer)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£57.35 @ Aria PC)
Total: £487.11
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-09-01 16:12 BST+0100

The price is much higher and doesn't even have a case. You may not need that aftermarket cooler initially but will need it for overclocking.

Excellent, cheers mate! Think you may have solved some of my dilemmas there! I'll have a good look at the setup once I get back home

Also does it really need the CPU cooler?

And how well rated is this motherboard please?

The motherboard is one of the most popular ones for the LGA 1150 socket. It has good reviews and its cheap. Yes you need a CPU cooler if you want to overclock, if you want to save some money you don't have to buy it, but it is recommended to get a cooler for overclocking.