Opinions on new build for gaming and programming.

[Deleted]

Hey MMOers... my current PC is fast dying (and it was becoming outdated anyway) and so I am looking for a new better replacement.

I'm currently happy to pay around the £700 mark and here are some specs I've recently drawn up.

The build

Processor: i7 2600k / i5 2500k - I do do a lot of multi tasking and want to switch between apps quickly.

Graphics: GTX 560 Ti - Or similar model, not too fussy about pre-overclocked as I can overclock fine myself

Motherboard: Gigabyte H61M-D2 - Suggested in a recent PC gamer article, slightly worried about the lower frequency RAM this forces me into (Is 1600Mhz worth it?)

RAM: 2x8Gb Kingston

Case + Power supply: CM Storm Scout + 700W Coolermaster bundle - Current power supply is having problems and don't like the look of current case so decided to buy both new.


I may also buy 2 extra fans for the side fan and possibly one for the front/rear of the case to increase airflow, I can get the DVD-drive from my old PC, its a good one in working order so no problems there.

What I'm going to use it for

I mostly use my computer for gaming, but when I start my next semester I will be doing a lot of C#/C++ based programming (Not sure on the spec yet, looks like a lot of 3D model rendering and such). Will also be starting with UDK and might dabble in Source SDK in my free time, as I am aware these have a high memory demand. (Computer Games programming course)

I also do a lot of multitasking, I have 2 monitors 1920x1080 and 1400x900 and will usually have the following applications up when in games like WoW or between matches of other games.

*Skype
*MSN
*Steam
*HWMonitor (CPU temps and suchlike)
*Firefox
*Spotify/Windows media player

Opinions/Suggestions? A few friends of mine think I'm going overkill on this build (although several of them are console heavy gamers)

[coldfiredragon]

Don't go with a H61 board no overclocking. Go with a Z68 or P67 board.

Looks good other then that.

[Deleted]

Do you plan on overclocking? If so, switch out that H61 board and get a P67 one.

No plans for overclocking straight away, I'm happy to get around 60fps on high graphics in my games but might do so in the future if and when games become more demanding on my system.

Edit: Think I might have to reconsider if I want to overclock. I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to motherboards unfortunately

[Sykotic13]

Only thing I would suggest is to buy a P67 or Z68 chipset motherboard so that you can set up SLI if needed in the future. Might be worth the extra 30 or 40 quid to have the room to upgrade in the future.

[OhpUldum]

If the computer is for gaming and programming you aren't going over the top. Well 2x8GB for memory is over the top unless you're doing video rendering. You could go 2x4GB and be perfectly fine.

Also don't listen to your friends. You said it yourself they are heavy console gamers, if one was even a bench technician I would treat them with a bit more credibility.

Forgot to mention. If you plan to overclock go with a P67 board or Z68

[Deleted]

Thanks for the tips all!

Given the feedback I think I'll spend that little extra to change out the board as overclocking and SLI are possibilities for me in the future.

If you don't mind me asking, what are the differences between the P67 and Z68 boards?

[OhpUldum]

Z68 = P67 with the ability to use the onboard video and a dedicated card at the same time, at least as far as Quicksync is concerned. That means Quicksync without running solely off the Intel HD video. It also has Smart Cache. Basically, plug in an SSD <= 80GB, set it up, and frequently-used data is automatically cached to it from your hard drive. It's almost as fast as putting your data on the SSD without worrying about being cramped by the low capacity. You don't even see the SSD. It's all done in the background.