View Full Version : Got A Budget of £550 For New Gaming Rig Newbie Seeds Some Serious Advice..
Right looking at a new tower for gaming budget is £550 and i realy dont have a clue whats hot and whats not CPU wise and could realy do with some of your knowledge of what would be the best for my dosh as i realy would like as high a Gaming Rig i can squeeze out of every single penny.
Looking to play Dragons Age Origin, CODMW2,Crysis games PES2010/FIFA10 and NFS Shift mostly lol and i would liek to game at 1080p as i have a 1080p full HD Screen.
So in short...What you reckon???
Current rig i have is:
Amd Phenom Quad-Core 2.0ghz
2.00gb Ram
320 Sata HDD
Pioneer Dual Layer Burner
ATI HD4850 512 Gpu
500watt PSU.
Many thanks in advance.
Glazza.
You'll have to say what people say about this build. This does mean reusing your current DVD Drive :)
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/3463/15720991.png
I also presumed your into overclocking?
You'll have to say what people say about this build. This does mean reusing your current DVD Drive :)
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/3463/15720991.png
I also presumed your into overclocking?
No mate never ever overclocked,can i get all that lot in the basket built into the tower already as i wouldnt have a clue doing it meself lol.
No mate never ever overclocked,can i get all that lot in the basket built into the tower already as i wouldnt have a clue doing it meself lol.
The short answer is yes I believe so, but I don't work at Aria. I think it's around £50 to get to pre-built and tested.
I wouldn't go off what me or anybody else is saying I would look around research whats the latest and greatest. Whats best bang for your buck. Future upgradability, and be weary of biases towards AMD vs Intel & ATi vs Nvidia.
www.tomshardware.com is a good website to start reasearching...looking at benchmarks etc
The short answer is yes I believe so, but I don't work at Aria. I think it's around £50 to get to pre-built and tested.
I wouldn't go off what me or anybody else is saying I would look around research whats the latest and greatest. Whats best bang for your buck. Future upgradability, and be weary of biases towards AMD vs Intel & ATi vs Nvidia.
www.tomshardware.com (http://www.tomshardware.com) is a good website to start reasearching...looking at benchmarks etc
Sounds like excellent advice Will,many thanks mate i will indeed look into it all first was just hoping to get a few rigs thrown at me see if the same CPUs,Gpus come up ect give me a rough idea.
What about these HD 5850s Will is there a chance with my budget of getting one of them in a decent gaming system??
Hi Glazza,
£550 is great for a decent gaming rig. Whats hot? Intel right now with there new line up. That said, the i5 750 is where it's at for now. AMD? Sadly not much news other than the C3 versions of the Phenom II chips like the top of the line X4 965 BE.
To squeeze the most, i suggest hang on to your Pioneer drive (SATA i hope), case & HDD. If that 500W is a plain generic PSU, i'd look at something better.
Is that 2Ghz Phenom the Phenom X4 9350e by any chance mate? The old Phenom's were never that great, even the quads. Poor OC'ers too.
The games and HD movies should be fine on the following setups. I'll give you an AMD setup for you. Note, the £550 budget can be more by selling the old stuff. i reckon if you sold your CPU, RAM & GFX you could net roughly £90. So i'll put that into consideration.
AMD:
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/8634/captureyp.png (http://img191.imageshack.us/i/captureyp.png/) http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/captureyp.png/1/w1024.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img191/captureyp.png/1/)
I'll let the other guys here, come up with an Intel setup for you.
However, that said. The setup i've given you is perfectly able for your needs. The new 5 Series from ATI so you can play DirectX 11 games in the future, not to mention the 5850 is a beast of a card. A bit of simple OC'ing using free software can clock it near a 5870 performace levels while saving the cash.
The X4 Ph. II 925 is the best AMD quad for the money i think. 2.8Ghz may seem low a bit, but if you learn some basic OC'ing, you can hit a safe 3.6Ghz fine. Need better cooling than the stock cooler though like this (https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Fans%2C+Heatsinks%2C+Coolers/XIGMATEK+DARK+KNIGHT+S1283V++HEAT+SINK+AND+FAN+FOR +AMD+AND+INTEL+?productId=38536). Great bang for buck cooler there. Plus is quieter than that noisy stock cooler that comes with the CPU. You also have probably one of the best bang for buck AM3 board; the UD3P. May have only one GFX card slot, but CF/SLI is over-rated. Just slap a top card in there and your all set. That 5850 is more than enough buddy. The UD3P is a very nice OC'er too!
Last we have some top low latency 1600Mhz RAM. Great RAM and very OC'able from Patriot, and a nice stable (& quiet) PSU from Corsair. They make cracking top PSU's!
Sounds like excellent advice Will,many thanks mate i will indeed look into it all first was just hoping to get a few rigs thrown at me see if the same CPUs,Gpus come up ect give me a rough idea.
What about these HD 5850s Will is there a chance with my budget of getting one of them in a decent gaming system??
These 5850s are probably the best high performance best bang for your buck cards around at the moment as Rawz has also said, but they're expencive compared to other cards. You would have to sacrifice CPU performance for graphics performance but if your just a gamer then graphics is what you want rather than a powerful CPU.
If you wanted to go with my suggestion (that could probably do with some tweaking) then I'm sure you could stretch £6 to get it within your budget :p
Rawz thank you so much for the input..trust me its realy apreciated but for me the biggest problem i have is fitting it all together cos im a bit shaky on the hands to begin with,and normally stay away from putting things in the PC and just buy new towers when the time comes for me to move on again lol.
Rawz its a Amd Phenom Quad-Core Processor@2.2hz is what it says view my ststem iforrmation.
These 5850s are probably the best high performance best bang for your buck cards around at the moment as Rawz has also said, but they're expencive compared to other cards. You would have to sacrifice CPU performance for graphics performance but if your just a gamer then graphics is what you want rather than a powerful CPU.
If you wanted to go with my suggestion (that could probably do with some tweaking) then I'm sure you could stretch £6 to get it within your budget :p
Yeah Will theres no doubt about it for me mate dont mind sacraficing the CPU as the graphics end is what deffo floats my boat mate..:)Snigger
If your not keen on putting it together I think Aria still do custom builds through telesales or the sales counter.
If I remember right its about 30 quid extra.
Coiler would know for sure tho.
I would tell you for sure, but i only started last Monday and i'm not sure myself *slap. I'll find out tomorrow for you unless another staff member posts here :)
I would tell you for sure, but i only started last Monday and i'm not sure myself *slap. I'll find out tomorrow for you unless another staff member posts here :)
Haha I been there a tad longer (5 an half yrs) but not in telesales so not 100% on it.
It was £50 last I heard....and I don't even work there :p
Hahha..all your replys and input are realy apreciated.
Thank you..:)
£50 seems a bit much just for building a system. If coiler dont but it the i will find out tomorrow for ya.
£50 seems a bit much just for building a system. If coiler dont but it the i will find out tomorrow for ya.
Agreed £50 does seem a little steep and if you can find out for sure for me be most apreciated :clap
The previous prices for system builds were £35+vat but before they stopped doing them they hiked the price to £49.99+
I'm waiting on confirmation on the current price....
Just in £49+ so yeah still expensive :(
Im sure they did one over the counter the other day an it was cheaper than that. Will look in to it in the am.
Just checked with a reliable source who gave the price FL
Counter price was probably tech labour charge which would have been cheaper ;)
So anyone think i have a good chance of getting a half decent setup with a HD5850 and at a big push and a bit of creeping maybe get another £50 towards the budget but would rather not go that route if possible lol:)
Maybe i should take a trip to bowlers do a bit of haggling lol.
£50 for building and testing a system doesn't seem bad to me, i mean we're talking a few hours work here, if that was a car in a garage you could easily be looking at the thick end of £100 for 3 hours work?
:rolleyes: should have listened to me. I remember so much absolute junk it's untrue, such as that but sometimes it's actually useful (like our global warming/carbonated drinks discussion).
Just checked and looks like they do charge around £50 plus VAT for a custom build.
Myself I would just get the parts for that cost and try it myself and if not grab a mate to help you out.
Just checked and looks like they do charge around £50 plus VAT for a custom build.
Myself I would just get the parts for that cost and try it myself and if not grab a mate to help you out.
Should have took my word for it mate :) told you i got it from a reliable source ;)
But yeah agreed once you done your first build you'll wonder what all the fuss was about and be thankful you saved yourself £50
Yeah £50 is just right for a custom build which in itself can pose problems putting unique components together which can conflict. Then you have the software install and extensive testing.
Look at how many first time builders we get on the forum who bend pins, put the gold standoffs in wrong place, can't get their system to boot up...
Its good if you like a challenge but for someone who admits their shaky in the hands £50 is a bargain!
You'll have to say what people say about this build. This does mean reusing your current DVD Drive :)
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/3463/15720991.png
I also presumed your into overclocking?
How does this board work, DDR2 memory on a AM3 board. Or is it a AM2+ baord in disguise?
It's one of those things where people put it in ther AM3 section because it can support AM3 chips, but it is DDR2 only. OC past 1200Mhz on that board.
How does this board work, DDR2 memory on a AM3 board. Or is it a AM2+ baord in disguise?
It's a sneaky AM2+ board :p
Could you not keep the HDD, DVD and case and get an i3 setup with the HD5850?
Could you not keep the HDD, DVD and case and get an i3 setup with the HD5850?
I dont realy know mate thats whay i joined this forum for some realy good info.
Besides if i can i want t stay well away from fitting anything myself as im not realy confident with the idea of it and plus my hands are a bit shaky to begin with lol.
Could you not keep the HDD, DVD and case and get an i3 setup with the HD5850?
Good idea
I dont realy know mate thats whay i joined this forum for some realy good info.
Besides if i can i want t stay well away from fitting anything myself as im not realy confident with the idea of it and plus my hands are a bit shaky to begin with lol.
Shame it can't me used :(
Seriously a i3 setup with a 5850 would be awesome!
Its fitting the Mobo that scares me and getting all the figity things fitted,cos otherwise i would do what you boys have said above.
Its fitting the Mobo that scares me and getting all the figity things fitted,cos otherwise i would do what you boys have said above.
The motherboard is one of the easier parts tbf as it's so big. The harder parts is the cabling but you get a manual with the motherboard to tell you what goes where and you have us guys :)
Seriously I would recycle what parts you can from your current machine and get an even better gaming machine with your £550
Your 4850 graphics card would fetch a fair bit on E bay :) or on here
The motherboard is one of the easier parts tbf as it's so big. The harder parts is the cabling but you get a manual with the motherboard to tell you what goes where and you have us guys :)
Seriously I would recycle what parts you can from your current machine and get an even better gaming machine with your £550
Your 4850 graphics card would fetch a fair bit on E bay :) or on here
Realy..Mmmmmmmmmm.
Heres my setup know what would i get for it on here do you think if i decided to put it up for sale?
Amd Phenom Quad-Core Processor@2.2hz
4.00gb Ram
320 Sata HDD
Pioneer Dual Layer Burner
ATI HD4850 512 Gpu
500watt PSU.
All in a Black tower excellent condition.
£300 or less??
to be fair with your current spec why not just buy a monster GFX card, everything will plough through games.
Put the entire budget on a 5870!!!
to be fair with your current spec why not just buy a monster GFX card, everything will plough through games.
Put the entire budget on a 5870!!!
dude :closet come on Coiler switch on the thinker BEFOREEE the writer :p
I don't think a 2.2GHz CPU will be able to handle a 5870 :p
Realy..Mmmmmmmmmm.
Heres my setup know what would i get for it on here do you think if i decided to put it up for sale?
Amd Phenom Quad-Core Processor@2.2hz
4.00gb Ram
320 Sata HDD
Pioneer Dual Layer Burner
ATI HD4850 512 Gpu
500watt PSU.
All in a Black tower excellent condition.
£300 or less??
Sell the 4850 separatly....people will actually pay a fair amount of it
You want to keep the case, RAM, hard drive and DVD drive for the new build. That can all be reused :)
dude :closet come on Coiler switch on the thinker BEFOREEE the writer :p
I don't think a 2.2GHz CPU will be able to handle a 5870 :p
:cry
I too dont think 2.2gz will handle a 5870 pretty sure it will bottle neck it.
I too dont think 2.2gz will handle a 5870 pretty sure it will bottle neck it.
sorry, too lazy to check back, but why not look at a new cpu and gfx only, what board do you have?
DT.
sorry, too lazy to check back, but why not look at a new cpu and gfx only, what board do you have?
DT.
DT you've got a point there.
If you don't know what board it is download CPU-z
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
Which on the 'mainboard' tab and tell us the model number :)
Thinking of buying this but would it be better for gaming with the car that comes with it the 512 4850 or would it be better with a 1 gig HD5750
Antec Screwless Case
OCZ StealthXStream 500W Silent
AMD Phenom ll X4 955 3.2ghz
ASUS M4A79xTD EVO.
4 Gig DDR3 1066 Ram
1TB HDD
ATI 4850 Gfx Card
Dvd Writer
Any thoughts be most apreciated.
G.
DT you've got a point there.
If you don't know what board it is download CPU-z
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
Which on the 'mainboard' tab and tell us the model number :)
told you I was shooting in the right direction :D :D :D :clap
Thinking of buying this but would it be better for gaming with the car that comes with it the 512 4850 or would it be better with a 1 gig HD5750
Antec Screwless Case
OCZ StealthXStream 500W Silent
AMD Phenom ll X4 955 3.2ghz
ASUS M4A79xTD EVO.
4 Gig DDR3 1066 Ram
1TB HDD
ATI 4850 Gfx Card
Dvd Writer
Any thoughts be most apreciated.
G.
Don't bother with the 955 mate. If it was me, i'd be buying the X4 925 instead @ £25 cheaper. The 955 is more aimed at OC'ing which i don't think you will be i think you said right? That board is a cracking board there. Do you need 1TB?
I'd get 1600Mhz DDR3 mate. Have a look at these (http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Memory/DDR3/DDR3+1600+%28PC3-12800%29/Patriot+Viper+II+%22Sector+5%22+4GB+%282x2GB%29+DD R3+PC3-12800C7+1600MHz+Dual+Channel+Kit+?productId=39264) . Nice tight timings there for 1600Mhz.
OCZ PSU's are good, but i'd recommend this (http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Power+Supplies/500w+%2B/Corsair+VX+Series+550W+ATX2.2++Power+Supply+?produ ctId=29383). I have the lower 450W version. Had for a year no probs at all. Nice, stable, quiet power. Rock solid!
4850 and 5750 have similar performance depending on game/res/settings. However, gaming pc.. might aswell be ready for DX11 games, so i'd pick the 5750 and OC to a 5770 standard.. it's simples with free software that comes with it on the disc i think.
So its very easy to Over clock these processors then Rawz safely without the need to buy xtra fans n that with th softwar that comes with it?
If your unsure, i suggest read up more. The 925 i suggested. You can get to 3.2Ghz on stock volts safely on stock cooler. I wouldn't suggest OC'ing on a stock cooler if you increase the voltage. I do it in the BIOS for CPU. GFX you can use software.
So its very easy to Over clock these processors then Rawz safely without the need to buy xtra fans n that with th softwar that comes with it?
Glazza your using the same graphics card as before...your not going to notice much change in your gameplay speed :lol:
Your buying a card you've already got :lol: you need to rethink this :)
How about the Gladiator Trident X3? Nets you a nice 5750 at only £528, sliding nicely under your budget. It's a pretty good deal - I was looking at one myself before I decided to go for the next step up.
https://www.aria.co.uk/Systems/Gaming+Range/Trident/Gladiator+Trident+X3+OC+Gaming+PC+?productId=39185
I figure all the build-it-yourself replies will be useless to you since you're a newbie and have a problem with building your own PC (like me!).
Edit: Only problem is you're not quite getting the beast of a 5850 :/
Broadsword1976
16-01-10, 04:48
OCZ PSU's are good, but i'd recommend this (http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Power+Supplies/500w+%2B/Corsair+VX+Series+550W+ATX2.2++Power+Supply+?produ ctId=29383). I have the lower 450W version. Had for a year no probs at all. Nice, stable, quiet power. Rock solid!
Totally agree with that - the only StealthX' OCZ PSU I ever ordered was a big dissapointment, maybe I was unlucky but the one I put into a mates' rig was unacceptably loud and I personally felt the build quality was far inferior to Corsair or Enermax.
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