Soon to buy gaming/editing pc

[JozaP]

In the next few days I will be buying a new computer from PCS and I would just like to see what everyone thinks and to see if anyone thinks something needs changing. Don't be afraid to criticise any of my choices

edit: forgot to add insurance on this draft, will be the £135 top warranty

Case
CORSAIR CARBIDE SERIES™ 500R WHITE MID TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-3570K (3.4GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® P8Z77-V: PCI-E 3.0 READY, WIFI, SLI, CROSSFIREX
Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)
Graphics Card
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 660 Ti - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
120GB INTEL® 520 SERIES SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd 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 750W ENTHUSIAST SERIES™ TX750 V2-80 PLUS® BRONZE (£86)
Processor Cooling
SPIRE GEMINI REV.3-THERMAX HDT TWIN FAN CPU COOLER (£39)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL (MIN 2 FRONT PORTS) AS STANDARD
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 8 to 10 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £1,165.00 including VAT and delivery.

 

[Fear]

Nice spec nothing i would really change but if you want to save a bit of money and you won't be OC'ing you can drop the K series CPU and just get the normal i5-3570 and drop the CPU cooler to the super quiet option and as the case you have chosen has no side window you can drop the Ram to the samsung 1333MHz option because unless the system is OC'ed you will see not benefit to the higher clock Ram. The other option if you have a bit extra to put to the build is possibly getting an i7 for your editing but that depends if the editing software you use will make use of the i7's hyperthreading or not as to any extra benefit.

 

[JozaP]

Thanks for the reply, in fact I will be OC'in hence the K series and the 1600MHz RAM, but maybe a good call on the CPU cooler. Does the super quiet have equal cooling power, as is was more the performance than the asthetics that I was looking for.

On the i7, ill have to see if I can get a bit more money together as it may be worth it

 

[Fear]

Ok as you are going to OC then leave it as it is i was only saying to drop the CPU cooler down if you were not OC'ing.

You might want to think about getting a OC'ed setup done by PCS as you have the option there for a better thermal paste also you are covered on the warranty should you have any problems, but if you OC yourself and it causes any faults you might find your warranty is void.

 

[JozaP]

Just saw that the C240 is on offer and seeing as I may now go for a pre-overclocked system, I may include it in my pc.

Just have one question, will this cooler fit into the top compartment of the 500r that is designed for dual fan radiators?

 

[JozaP]

Just found this thread, http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?16975-Cooling-on-the-Corsair-500r-confused, which uses pretty much the same motherboard and the same identical case. In this case they could not fit the C240, can someone please confirm that PCS wont be able to fit it?

What other option should I use if I cannot have the C240 as I want a cooler that is nearly hidden in the case without disrupting airflow through the case?

 

[keynes]

Just found this thread, http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?16975-Cooling-on-the-Corsair-500r-confused, which uses pretty much the same motherboard and the same identical case. In this case they could not fit the C240, can someone please confirm that PCS wont be able to fit it?

What other option should I use if I cannot have the C240?

Coolit Eco II fatboy, Coolit Eco II advanced liquid cooler or the Spire. I was told by PCS that there was not a significant difference in temperatures when overclocking the CPU between the dual radiator and the fatboy.

 

[JozaP]

Coolit Eco II fatboy

Where would that be fitted? as would it not be rather wide seeing as it uses a push/pull config?

 

[keynes]

Where would that be fitted? as would it not be rather wide seeing as it uses a push/pull config?

It should fit your case.

 

[JozaP]

It should fit your case.
http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=977&d=1329773491

Ok, thank you very much may still order with C240 and see if PCS say it cant be done, then if so, swap to fatboy.

Just because I would much rather have the C240 as it is hidden very well in the top compartment that was designed for rads and is also on special offer.

 

[JozaP]

Just saw this: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1678786 In which someone changed the side panel of a 500r for acrylic to give it a window. Would PCS be alright with me doing this? or will it void warranty on the case?