Help me decide what does everyone think for gaming

[Sylar]

500 GB SATA-II HDD UDMA 300 7200 16MB
Intel Core i5 750 (2.66GHz) 8 MB 4.8GT/s
No Security Software Included
Motherboard Integrated 7.1 Sound
Intel i5 - i7 Heatsink & Fan - Low Noise
10 X USB 2.0 Ports
1 Port Firewire IEEE 1394 (Built In)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 - 896MB - 2xDVI/VGA (XFX) (Includes Batman Game & 3D Glasses)
Standard Operating System Backup
Corsair 8GB XMS3 PC3-12800 1600MHz (4x2GB) - Lifetime Warranty (DDR3)
Edimax Wireless LAN 300Mbps (PCI)
X-Blade Silver
Internal Card Reader 50-in-1
Samsung (S222A) DVD PLUS/-RW 22x Dual Layer - Black (IDE)
650W PSU
Asus P7P55D (Intel P55) (Includes 2 Free Games)
Services
Build Time: Standard (7-9 Working Days)
Shipping: UK Mainland
Timed Delivery: Standard - 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Support: E-Mail/MSN Support
Warranty: 12 Months Return To Base
System Total (Ex Vat): £ 660.57
Delivery: £ 0.00
Services: £ 0.00
Vat: £ 99.09
Grand Total Inc Vat: £ 759.66

or

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Processor i5-750 (2.66GHz) 8MB Cache
Memory (RAM)
8GB CORSAIR XMS3 DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz - LIFETIME WARRANTY
Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-P55M-UD2: DDR3, SATA II, 2 PCI, 1 PCI-Ex
Operating System
NO OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRED
USB Options
4 PORT USB 2.0 INTERNAL PCI CARD (TOTAL: 12 USB 2.0 PORTS!)
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
500GB SERIAL ATA 3-Gb/s HARD DRIVE WITH 8MB CACHE (7,200rpm)
1st Hard Disk Partitions
140GB, 140GB, 110GB, 110GB
2nd Hard Disk
NONE
RAID (HDD 1 & 2)
NONE
1st CD/DVD Drive
22x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
2nd CD/DVD Drive
NONE
Graphics Card
896MB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX260 PCI EXPRESS
2nd Graphics Card
NONE
Sound Card
ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities
WIRELESS N 300Mbps PCI CARD (£16)
Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (READS XD, MS, CF, SD, etc)
Case
STYLISH PIANO BLACK FUSION CASE inc. 2 FRONT USB
Power Supply & Case Cooling
600W Quiet Quad Rail PSU + 120mm Case Fan (£59)
Processor Cooling
STANDARD CPU COOLER
Firewire & Video Editing
2 x IEEE 1394a FIREWIRE PORTS (1 onboard, 1 at back panel)
Warranty
1 Year Return-to-Base incl 1 Year Free Collect & Return (£5)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 11 to 13 working days
Price (excluding VAT)
£652.17
Price
£750.00
Order Quantity
1
Bulk discount
£0.00
Total order price (Ex VAT)
£652.17
Total order Price
£750.00

thanks ppl!

[CrowdAds]

[johnrr6]

Processor Power = Excellent
Ram = Excellent----the P55 chipset is not set up for Triple Channel RAM like the X58----so 8 gigs is great
Mobo = Excellent----though I'm partial to Asus----and your specs show both a Gigabyte board and an Asus board???
PSU = unsure----need more specs on this CRITICAL component
Video Card = OK
Storage = OK

If you have a tad more to spend-----I'd consider another 500 GB Hard Drive and put the system in RAID 0 (Helps with faster level loads, especially in gaming) and a 500 GB drive by itself just seems rather small to me.....

The GTX 260 is a fine card----but have you considered the newer ATI Radeon 5870...

Or even a 1 gig Radeon 4870 which is VERY inexpensive right now and will absolutely outperform the 260 by a substantial margin.

Another HD and a Radeon 5870 would make your gaming machine absolutely top of the line and able to handle virtually ANY game in existance----or the near future.....

Also---get the exact specs of your PSU from your builder-----CRITICAL!!!!!

It all boils down to money.....

[PeterT]

In addition to John's comments re vid card and PSU...
For a mechanical HDD, I would recommend the Western Digital 640GB Black:
WD Caviar Black 640 GB SATA Hard Drives ( WD6401AALS )
FAST, quiet, dependable, affordable.

[Sylar]

Hi johnrr6 in response to your comments I'm not sure if this is right but according to the manufacture this the motherboard I'm using on my second spec will support "4gb DOMINATOR GT TRI-DDR3 200MHz (8-8-8-24) - LIFETIME WARRANTY" is this not what you were reffing to? As for your comment on the mb please understand these are two different specs from two different companies. My second spec is from Pc Specialist and my first from computer planet. So this may be the source of the confusion. Please let me know if its not as I'm more of a software buff not hardware. As for PSU the only information I have is the information give in the post I will contact each company and find out more I thought it was just a case of the wattage however. As for the hdd i am trying not to go over £650 as I also need to budget £100 at least for a monitor. As for 500gb being small etc I wouldn't really use the space however I would have liked to hdd or a 1tb drive but I'm trying to keep within my means. As for the graphics card many people have given me mixed reviews I have looked at bench marks but I must admit I don't really understand them very well but what I do know is part of it is depend on resolution of the monitor right which I haven't got as yet but it should be between about 19" maybe a little more maybe a little less. Have not considered other graphics cards other than the brand listed however I will do my research as long as everyone give good performance and works with windows 7 64bit I am happy. And to PeterT thanks for your input and valid suggestion however I am kind of limited as to what the online shops provide.

And finally thanks again for both your input if anyone else whats to have their say feel free.

[johnrr6]

Understand now....two different companies.....

I'd go with the Asus board if possible....

At Newegg, here in the States, a Radeon HD 4870 will cost you anywhere from 30 -60 dollars LESS than a GTX 260----and it will outperform a GTX 260 in almost any catagory.

Don't get me wrong----the GTX 260 is a VERY solid card----but for the money-----the ATI HD 4870 outperforms----AND is cheaper (a win-win situation----and you could even possibly use what you saved to get that additional Hard Drive----or a bigger single hard drive.

Either card will drive that monitor EASILY!----and it will be GORGEOUS....

I've used ATI Radeon 4850's and 4870s on my last five builds----superb cards!!! They run HOT----but don't let that scare you----they are MADE to run HOT!

I'm still concerned about the PSU----make sure they give you some specs besides just wattage----like Amps on each 12V Rail??

That piece is so critical----and is so often skimped upon.

The components you have quoted are excellent---but it doesn't mean a thing if your PSU is junk.....

Your memory choice is fine----My i7 920 and X58 chipset are set up for Triple Channel----not dual channel like the P55 chipset.

an X58 board has 6 memory slots----a P55 board has four

Means nothing unless you are going to do video editing and rendering or do heavy photoshop work where you need all the RAM you can get. 8 gigs on your P55 board will be superb for gaming!!!

[Sylar]

Hi thanks for the response you say go for Asus but what is your reasoning if i may ask? Thanks for the reassurance on the approximate monitor vs the graphics. Will look into and get a new quote for the ATI HD 4870 in the morning as its just gone midnight here and i will also get more information on the power supplies asap will email in the morning. Now i understand about the ram i learn quick many ppl say 8gb of DDR2 is more than enough but i want it for gaming and windows xp mode in windows 7 so need the ram.

Thanks hope to keep in contact will follow up on the PSU tomorrow.

[johnrr6]

Gigabytes are great boards---solid---well made with excellent power controls and I think they still do the dual bios chips----which is a superb feature.

Asus----well Asus is simply the Gold Standard of motherboards....

I think Gigabyte's standards of quality and actual manufacturing will probably equal the Asus.....

but with Asus----you always get:
Better BIOS
More BIOS updates
Better documentation
Better Tech Support
Better Forum
More frequent updates to drivers and associated free applications

Asus is simply the best----and belive me I have used them all....well ALMOST all...LOL

Abit
Albatron
Aopen
AsRock
Asus
Biostar
DFI
ECS
Epox
Foxconn
Gigabyte
Jetway
MSI
Shuttle

Abit went bust (a shame) so they are no longer in the picture----Albatron is limited---Shuttle is Small form Factor only.

If you wanted to Overclock----then I'd recommend a DFI board as nothing beats a DFI produced BIOS for overclocking.....

I'm older----wiser ----and crankier now and I doubt I will EVER use another motherboard other than Asus because I simply don't have the patience for other manufacturers anymore.....

Dealing with Taiwan based tech support and Taiwan produced documentation can be.....challenging.....

[wonderwrench]

Ditto on what has been said. IMO the hard drives listed are questionable. Any newer performance 7200 rpm drive is going to have 32 megs cache. The new WD black drives have 64 megs cache. The first build you list has 16 megs cache and the second only 8 megs. I would guess both places are trying to get rid of old stock. How big of a drive do you need? How much more do they charge for a 32 meg cache 7200 rpm drive? I would hate to see you totally cripple your new system with years old technology.

[Sylar]

OK update time on PSU here is the link (which I got off the company) for my second build (the one from PC specialist) FSP and for my first build from computer planet I have the following information on the PSU hope it is what's needed if not shall email then but there kind of slow;
AC Input 230VAC 10A 50-60Hz Connectors Molex Connections: 6
Floppy Connections: 1
SATA Connections: 1 Depth 40mm Height 83.3mm Over Load Protection Built-in Special Features 12 CM Silent Fan Warranty 1 Year Width 150mm

As for the suggestion of an ATI Radeon 5870 I could be blind but I don't see that PC specialist offer it yet (as the 1GB ATI Radeon HD PCI Express Direct X 11 is on Pre-Order). As for the 1 gig Radeon 4870 I found that if I recalled on computer planet its not much more but I'm trying to not let the cost go out of control wanted originally to spend £500 quickly went to £600 then £650 and now I'm trying to keep it at £750 and that's without a monitor. But ill consider it but I really don't want to have to cut back.
As for going with an Asus board ill consider as long as it wont affect the price too much. As for the hdd really dint need that be of a drive since I store my stuff on my external drive and in the cloud.

I invite anyone who wants to to go to PCSPECIALIST.CO.UK - Custom PCs, Custom Computers, Custom PC, Custom Built Computers, Gaming PC hit build your own desktop hit i5 and show me what you come up with as well as Custom Built Computers & Custom Gaming PCs - Computer Planet again hit i5 i will be coming up with a new quote too so ill post my new spec idea when Ive got it. Let me know what you all come up with kudos to anyone who can advise me. PS i know its more expensive buying from online dealers however I'm no computer builder...

[johnrr6]

Fortron is a solid PSU manufacturer

what model???? If you can just give me a model number I can check....

You are saying that a HD 4870 is more expensive than a GTX 260????

that is clearly not the case here in the US----interesting.....

I would not do gaming off an external drive----or a cloud.....

[Sylar]

What model what PSU dont know 600w? lol im good on software a total noob on hardware why im helping out in the windows 7 forum and not in this part of the site lol.

Unless im misktaken which I might be ill check again on both sites the 4870 is a little more or about the same. And as for gaming from an external hdd noooooo I was just making the point I dont need a massive hdd for data of course the games will be run off the main hdd. As for raid how does that work is it like when your parition your drive only you have two drives and they both show up and raid allows the speed of both to be used at once if so am i not better getting to 250gb drives and raiding them?

Update Computer planet are out they use Asus mb but there pcs are £50 more.

[GWillakers]

To Johnrrr:

ASUS has a reputation for solid boards.
I have always been intrigued with the components Gigabyte has offered on their boards.

JohnRRR you left Intel off your list.
Intel, while not known for producing boards with friendly Overclocking BIOS's, they are definitely some of the most reliable boards.

No one compares to Intel for documentation,
If ASUS is one or two steps ahead of the other vendors...
Intel is several steps ahead of even ASUS.

[johnrr6]

Originally Posted by GWillakers

To Johnrrr:

ASUS has a reputation for solid boards.
I have always been intrigued with the components Gigabyte has offered on their boards.

JohnRRR you left Intel off your list.
Intel, while not known for producing boards with friendly Overclocking BIOS's, they are definitely some of the most reliable boards.

No one compares to Intel for documentation,
If ASUS is one or two steps ahead of the other vendors...
Intel is several steps ahead of even ASUS.

You know what----I did an Intel board a LONG time ago and you are right----it was solid with great support, updates and docs!!!

Forgot all about them.

But I stopped doing Intel because I started to overclock and they didn't support Overclocking which I've done to every build for years.....in fact since that one Intel board that ran special RAMBUS Ram

I just don't even consider Intel because of that....although I understand now that they allow limited overclocking.....

But take an Intel BIOS and compare it to an Asus BIOS----or a DFI BIOS----or even a Gigabyte BIOS-----and there is no comparison for an overclocker....

ABIT used to be my favorite boards in the old days: "built by overclockers, FOR overclockers".... but they slipped away from doing one thing really well----to doing a LOT of stuff badly----and their engineers migrated----the most famous being Oskar Wu who went to DFI....

I digress.....

For a stock setup----no overclocking and no "experimenting"----an Intel board would be a superb choice....

But for an "enthusiast"----someone who pushes the board and chips----an overclocker and an experimenter....Asus is consistently the Gold Standard.....

[Sylar]

Can any one explain to me why DDR3 is better than DDR2 all I know is its somthing to do with the clock speed but what real plus is is to the system I could save a load if I went for DDR2.

[wonderwrench]

Originally Posted by Sylar

Can any one explain to me why DDR3 is better than DDR2 all I know is its somthing to do with the clock speed but what real plus is is to the system I could save a load if I went for DDR2.

Fast DDR3 has more bandwidth than fast DDR2 so it is faster. The two are not interchangeable. If you build an i5 or i7 DDR3 is your only choice. If you build a Core 2 or AMD system you could opt for a older motherboard that supports DDR2. Its a tough call. DDR2 is cheaper today but will soon cost more than DDR3. So if you want to add ram later I'd go DDR3 for sure.