About to click buy on new PC opinions before end of day

[Aada]

Customizations:
CPU: Intel Core i5 3570K @ 4.3Ghz
CPU Cooler: Xigmatek Prime SD1484
Operating System: No Operating System - I will install my own
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LX
RAM:8GB DDR3 1333mhz (2x 4GB)
Hard Drive: 500GB S-ATAIII 6.0Gb/s
Optical Drive: 22x DVD±RW DL S-ATA
Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 2GB
Sound card:Onboard 7.1 Audio
Case:Zalman Z9 Plus
PSU:600W Xigmatek
Warranty:3 Year Platinum Warranty

I can upgrade to 1600 memory but is it worth it?

Also i can copy win7 from this PC onto the new one right?

600W PSU is fine for the overclock @ 4.3ghz/GTX 670?

 

[Raven]

You can't just copy the windows install, you will need the installation disk along with the serial key. Easy enough to install, you pretty much just have to click "OK" a few times.

Personally I would go for a ATI card but that's just my preference.

 

[Aada]

Ah right that's what i meant, i wasn't clear i was just unsure if i would have to buy a new copy of window's for a new PC.

Any reason why ATI? if i replace the 670 with the 7970 3GB it's an extra £76

 

[ECA]

ATI run cooler in general, also I'd get a bigger hard drive.

 

[Aada]

I don't really have a lot on my computer besides games and i don't have a lot of them installed at anyone time either so would the bigger HDD be worth it for me?

 

[Chosen]

My 680 runs cooler then my brothers 7970. So its not always the case, its the matter of taste imo.

 

[ECA]

Maybe not.

 

[Aada]

Think i'll stick with the GTX 670 the benchmarks show it beats the 7970 in almost everything.

 

[Aada]

Went a head and ordered the system should be here Wednesday, I'm like a kid on Christmas eve.

 

[Lamp]

Went a head and ordered the system should be here Wednesday, I'm like a kid on Christmas eve.

Who did you order from?

 

[Aada]

dinopc.com, pretty much the cheapest website i could find when comparing similar builds on other websites including scan,overclockers and all the others i think i looked on about 7 websites in all.

Getting it Wednesday as i paid for faster production/delivery

 

[wolfeeh]

I'd have gone with the 1600mhz memory... when I looked into it the price difference was negligible i.e. if you shopped around you could find them for the same price. Would also consider adding an SSD - pick one up on its own and install it before you install your copy of windows :>

 

[Aada]

I was on a budget of about £900 and it came to just over that, wife might have killed me if i went to £1000

Anyway regarding Dinopc i read a lot of bad reviews just after i ordered (stupid i know) about customer service and just the general build quality, so i cancelled quickly and went to a website called Ginger6 did a lot of review searching on them and they seem to be really good so i ordered this morning and the service has been excellent so far they gave me a call after i ordered to see if there was anything i wanted to know about the brands they use and they use the good stuff Asus etc.

Then had an email earlier saying they had ordered the parts and they will be here tomorrow and my machine will start being built, happy so far.

 

[Lamp]

This is what I came up with on dino:

i5 3570K @4.5Ghz
H60 water cooled
Asus P8Z77-V motherboard
16 GB RAM 1600
2 TB Hard
180GB SSD
22 x DVD
10 x BluRay
Nvidia GE Force GTX 560 Ti
Asus 27" VE276Q LCD monitor (HD)
500W power

About £500 cheaper than PC Specialist! (Yes, I know its cheaper to buy the bits & do it yourself, but its not an option for me). But if they're supposed to be dogshit, I'll give em a miss

Anyone know what that monitor is like? Happy to go elsewhere for one. Don't wanna spend more than £250 on one tho

 

[Aada]

Maybe I just came across a few bad reviews but they all seemed to be the same either build quality was shit and they could never get in touch with them or the delivery was piss poor, they want to charge you £25 for delivery too.

Go Ginger6 and see what they can do price wise, is water cooling a must for overclocking? I went with Artic Freezer pro 7 hope that's enough for some overclocking.

 

[Raven]

Can't go wrong with Asus stuff, I always look at them first and usually go for them. Using an Asus mobo and graphics card at the moment.

 

[Lamp]

You see, for me its getting a machine thats quiet. I heard water cooling is quiet...but that could just be a load of advertising bluff.

My current PC is old. Its so noisy, you can't enjoy playing DVD's on it. Only got three small fans inside, but the hard drive and DVD reader are so noisy! I don't want to spend £1500 on a top machine only to find out the sounds of all the fans inside the cases are noisier than my current piece of crap! And dust is a real bitch. Surely modern cases come with dust filters? But I refuse to spend £300 on a fecking case! Unless it makes my computer silent, and I mean silent.

Meh

 

[Krazeh]

is water cooling a must for overclocking? I went with Artic Freezer pro 7 hope that's enough for some overclocking.

Only really need watercooling if you're looking to push beyond 4.5ghz, air will be sufficient below that. Altho I would've gone with the Arctic Freezer i30 personally.

 

[Aada]

Lamp my current PC is exactly the same, it's so fucking loud especially when the fans really kick in, just priced up your PC on Ginger6 comes to £864 but they don't offer an overclock service unfortunatly but that is easy enough to do these days overclocked my current pc/laptop with ease. Not sure what your price was on dino pc.

 

[Aada]

Only really need watercooling if you're looking to push beyond 4.5ghz, air will be sufficient below that. Altho I would've gone with the Arctic Freezer i30 personally.

Ah fuck i was switch back and forth between the two do you think 4.0ghz would be fine for that cpu cooler? Hell i'm not sure i would go past 3.8ghz would i actually need to?

 

[Raven]

Yeah, with a decent case and not too aggressive overclocking air is fine. I really don't see the point in overclocking at the moment. Absolutely nothing will trouble a stock machine. (not a pop) Consoles are holding back graphics because that is where the money is, PC tech has naturally pulled miles ahead.

 

[Aada]

Yeah, with a decent case and not too aggressive overclocking air is fine. I really don't see the point in overclocking at the moment. Absolutely nothing will trouble a stock machine. (not a pop) Consoles are holding back graphics because that is where the money is, PC tech has naturally pulled miles ahead.

Cheers Raven i probably won't even Overclock then for a while surely the 3570k can handle any game you throw at it especially with the GTX 670 backing it up?

 

[Krazeh]

Ah fuck i was switch back and forth between the two do you think 4.0ghz would be fine for that cpu cooler?

The Artic Freezer pro 7? It should be. I have my 3570 running at 4.5ghz with the i30. Idles at about 30 degrees, running Prime95 kicks it up to about 70. Tends to be around 50-60 when gaming.

 

[Lamp]

Lamp my current PC is exactly the same, it's so fucking loud especially when the fans really kick in.

My machine is upstairs. Just running normally I can hear it from every room downstairs. No way I could leave it on overnight. And the amount of dust it sucks in is amazing. And of course, dust = heat = noise.

If I was God, first thing on the menu would be to ban household dust.

 

[Aada]

FFS just realised my copy of windows 7 is an upgrade boxed copy, take it i need a completely new licence then?

 

[Raven]

Yeah

 

[Aada]

Whats the difference to me buying a OEM version and a full retail copy? OEM says for system builders only but surely the installation is exactly the same and the licence is tied to that PC only forever?

What would you do? full retail boxed copy or is an OEM version fine?

 

[soze]

Whats the difference to me buying a OEM version and a full retail copy? OEM says for system builders only but surely the installation is exactly the same and the licence is tied to that PC only forever?

What would you do? full retail boxed copy or is an OEM version fine?

OEM is tied to the PC or the CPU. So when you upgrade you SHOULD buy a new licence. Boxed is not tied to a machine and for some software a box allows installation at home and work. As you purchased a CPU you can buy OEM.

 

[Aada]

This is what I came up with on dino:

i5 3570K @4.5Ghz
H60 water cooled
Asus P8Z77-V motherboard
16 GB RAM 1600
2 TB Hard
180GB SSD
22 x DVD
10 x BluRay
Nvidia GE Force GTX 560 Ti
Asus 27" VE276Q LCD monitor (HD)
500W power

About £500 cheaper than PC Specialist! (Yes, I know its cheaper to buy the bits & do it yourself, but its not an option for me). But if they're supposed to be dogshit, I'll give em a miss

Anyone know what that monitor is like? Happy to go elsewhere for one. Don't wanna spend more than £250 on one tho

Did you order your system yet Lamp?

 

[Gahn]

Get a SSD imo