New gamer looking for suggestions

[kruppsy]

Which card would you invest in?

Its hard to say as the game isn't out yet (if we look at maxing out BF4), so its all guesswork really, but maybe the GTX 780? That'd take you way over budget though. The R9 280X offers great price/performance and isn't that far off the GTX 780 anyway.

 

[DaelpixPhotos]

Also what case should I buy? Surely the ones with the windows and lots of mesh will let more air in? At the moment, I'm looking at the PCS ALPHA TRION 7622B BLACK CASE which is £39........At the moment, I have The Stylish Trident Case on my family's computer.

 

[Deklore]

Which card would you invest in?

Dont get me wrong. The R9 280X is a great card (i have one myself). Its the best card you can get for your budget. You'll be able to play most games at 1080p with ultra or very high settings.

 

[Cadwah]

I'll just leave this here incase you would rather go the Nvidia route:

Case
PCS DEFENSOR 7203B BLACK CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-4670 (3.4GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® Z87M-PLUS: m-ATX, USB3.0, SATA 6.0, XFIRE
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 770 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
Free Item
FREE ASSASSINS CREED BLACK FLAG & MORE with GTX 660 & 7 Series GPUs!
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON V300 SSD, SATA 6 Gb (450MB/R, 450MB/W)
2nd Hard Disk
1TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 32MB CACHE
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W VS SERIES™ VS-550 POWER SUPPLY
Processor Cooling
INTEL STANDARD CPU COOLER
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 2 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Monitor
AOC 21.5" WIDESCREEN LED TFT - 1920 x 1080, 5MS, D-Sub, DVI-D (£85)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £998.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/intel-home-office-pc/NSktE9ZFWP/

That's a whopping 2 quid cheaper!

 

[kruppsy]

Also what case should I buy? Surely the ones with the windows and lots of mesh will let more air in? At the moment, I'm looking at the PCS ALPHA TRION 7622B BLACK CASE which is £39........At the moment, I have The Stylish Trident Case on my family's computer.

I'd have liked to have got a better case in the spec I made but was trying to get you the most/best hardware for the money. Idealy you want to spend £50+ on a case for a PC that'll be used for some serious gaming. The ALPHA TRION is ok, but get the absolute best you can afford. Good airflow is often overlooked.

 

[Deklore]

If you are looking for specific BF4 benckmarks on different cards the comparison can be found here.

But bear in mind BF4 will most likely be more demanding on a system than most games out just now meaning BF3 should run no problem at max on an R9 280x.

EDIT - for your price range (or most price ranges) you would always have to sacrifice something to get the best value for money. If you really dont want to go over budget but get a better PC case you could consider not having an SSD.

 

[DaelpixPhotos]

Ohh I thought the game was out? My mistake.

How about the 2GB AMD RADEON™ HD7850...

Surely it will be fine for simulators such as Flight Sim and Euro Truck Sim?

 

[kruppsy]

@ Cadwah, I'd forgotton about the price drops on the GTX 770, good shout mate. Toss a coin....maybe NVIDIA though if im honest for better driver support (in my experience), think performance is about the same (stock v stock)?

 

[Deklore]

At stock speeds the GTX 770 is still more expensive than a R9 280x even with the recent price drop, but is also generally faster.

 

[kruppsy]

Ohh I thought the game was out? My mistake.

How about the 2GB AMD RADEON™ HD7850...

Surely it will be fine for simulators such as Flight Sim and Euro Truck Sim?

Because you mentioned BF4 and COD:Ghosts I think we were trying to get you the best possible card, Im not 100% sure on the requirements for those games but I think they are more cpu dependant so a 7850 might be ok for them. Its a card that will really struggle to give much better than 'medium' settings with new and future releases however.

 

[Cadwah]

If you were to drop the SSD you could get a bigger HDD, better cpu cooler, better motherboard and better case still under budget... The 770 and 280x are interchangeable with only an £8 difference... that's your choice.

Case
COOLERMASTER HAF 912 PLUS MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-4670 (3.4GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® Z87-A: ATX, USB2.0, USB3.0, SATA6GB/S, SLi, XFIRE
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 770 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
Free Item
FREE ASSASSINS CREED BLACK FLAG & MORE with GTX 660 & 7 Series GPUs!
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
2TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 64MB CACHE
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W VS SERIES™ VS-550 POWER SUPPLY
Processor Cooling
Super Quiet 22dBA Triple Copper Heatpipe Intel CPU Cooler (£19)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 2 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Monitor
AOC 21.5" WIDESCREEN LED TFT - 1920 x 1080, 5MS, D-Sub, DVI-D (£85)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £996.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/intel-home-office-pc/uvs0qnqgFE/

 

[DaelpixPhotos]

Alright guys. Thank you for your help so far. I'll stick with the 280X card .

Nope I wouldn't want an SSD. I already have an external hard drive and I update my files moreorless every month..

I'll stick with the highest possible i5 processor and I won't change the PSU.

The PCS Defensor case looks fine to me.

 

[DaelpixPhotos]

I think I've got a pc configuration.

Case
PCS DEFENSOR 7203B BLACK CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-4670 (3.4GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® Z87M-PLUS: m-ATX, USB3.0, SATA 6.0, XFIRE
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
3GB AMD RADEON™ R9 280X - DVI, HDMI, DP - DX® 11, Eyefinity 4 Capable
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
1TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 32MB CACHE
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W VS SERIES™ VS-550 POWER SUPPLY
Processor Cooling
INTEL STANDARD CPU COOLER
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 2 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL
Monitor
AOC 21.5" WIDESCREEN LED TFT - 1920 x 1080, 5MS, D-Sub, DVI-D (£85)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)


Total cost £940

 

[kruppsy]

I would make the HDD a Caviar Black if doing away with the SSD so you get as much speed as possible, shouldn't affect the budget too much. A better case wouldnt hurt but thats up to you.

 

[vanthus]

Nice build,only suggestion I would make is changing hard drive to a Caviar Black and consider the Triple Copper Heatpipe cooler.
Also consider upgrading motherboard to give more scope for future add ons/upgrades if intending doing so.

 

[DaelpixPhotos]

Changed to 1TB WD Caviar SSD and the PCS Trail-Breaker 7206B black case

 

[kruppsy]

Changed to 1TB WD Caviar SSD and the PCS Trail-Breaker 7206B black case

That's looking a bit better. IMO upping the case is better than the CPU cooler as it helps the overall condition of components not just one (do both if you can afford it). vanthus is right about the motherboard, but unless you want to SLi then you would be fine with what you have chosen I'd have thought, you can have 2x 280x's in Crossfire with the board you have already if you ever want to. You would need a better power supply though.

 

[Cadwah]

So for below £1000 with no SSD I think the following is your best bet, Good luck have fun!

Case
PCS TRAIL-BREAKER 7206B BLACK CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-4670 (3.4GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® Z87-A: ATX, USB2.0, USB3.0, SATA6GB/S, SLi, XFIRE
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
3GB AMD RADEON™ R9 280X - DVI, HDMI, DP - DX® 11, Eyefinity 4 Capable
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
1TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD1002FAEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 550W VS SERIES™ VS-550 POWER SUPPLY
Processor Cooling
Super Quiet 22dBA Triple Copper Heatpipe Intel CPU Cooler (£19)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 2 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Monitor
AOC 21.5" WIDESCREEN LED TFT - 1920 x 1080, 5MS, D-Sub, DVI-D (£85)
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £980.00 including VAT and delivery.

Unique URL to re-configure: http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/quotes/intel-home-office-pc/BZatmUOf9Z/

Still a bit of wiggle room if you wanted a better case

 

[DaelpixPhotos]

Oh no! Not more ideas!

Your confusing me even more! lol

Edit: I would be fine with my chosen list wouldn't I ?

Edit 2: Don't forget to add the card reader in the quotes

 

[Cadwah]

Post up what you have so far, I'm pretty sure that you're close enough that we're just tweaking from here...