A budget of £500, what specs could I be looking at?

[Deleted]

So after deciding against getting another laptop by my uncle who told me he will be able to build my computer for me I have decided that I want a desktop computer I have a budget of £500 this is without monitor etc so just for the parts/tower etc. Also wondering how much extra are we talking for liquid cooling?

So if you can please post a good spec for around the price I listed above I would greatly appreciate it. Also please state what settings this would be able to run the latest games at, thank you.

[Deleted]

You could go with something like this.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/buy...de-july-2011/2

Although you need to add £70 for Win7.

[Deleted]

I wouldn't consider a custom water loop for a computer under £1000, as a good loop for CPU and GPU can go for as much as £300-500 and requires maintenance every 4-6 months or so, not to mention that it can be complicated to set up properly. You could go for a closed-loop watercooling solution if you want the bragging rights I guess. A closed loop can be anything from £50-150 depending on what you want, for example a Corsair H60, but will rarely give you better cooling/quid compared to air.


£500 is a slim budget, but I will try to help.
MoBo: Gigabyte GA-P67A-D3-B3 http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...67A-D3-B3.html
CPU: Intel i3 2100 3.1Ghz http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...623I32100.html
RAM: Corsair 2x2Gb XMS3 1600Mhz http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...M2A1600C9.html
PSU: Corsair CX 500W http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...U-500CXV2.html
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 500Gb http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...b/HD502HJ.html

So far, £285 (incl. VAT)

Now, will you need an optical drive? Because those usually go for around £20, leaving around £200 left. Will you need a case? If yes, a nice midi-tower can go for around £50, while a full tower is usually around £70 for a cheap one. That leaves £130-200 for a GPU.

GPU:
GTX 550 ti, £113: http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...550OC-1GI.html
GTX 460, £143: http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...460OC-1GI.html
R6870, £165: http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...79-07-40G.html
GTX 560 ti, £187: http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...560OC-1GI.html

Edit: When picking a case, make sure it supports the size of the motherbord as well as the length of the GPU.

[Deleted]

Optical drive would be useful I was checking chauds build on a recent news post and I think it may be worth saving the extra 150-200 pounds to buy those level of components.

[Deleted]

Optical drive would be useful I was checking chauds build on a recent news post and I think it may be worth saving the extra 150-200 pounds to buy those level of components.

Certainly yes, but the computer I linked above is nowhere near a bad gaming rig for the money. The i3 2100 is an excellent gaming CPU and pair it with a 560ti or a 6870 and you will not be disappointed.

Edit:
Optical Drive: £15
Case: £47

Get that together with the previously linked Radeon 6870 and you are set with a wonderful computer for around £512.

[Yeyinde]

Those Bit-Tech lists are corking btw. Very good starting point.

As Marest says, the closed loop, pre-built watercoolers are good, but high end air cooling wins. I threw a H70 in my box because it entertained me as a gadget purchase and I had cash burning a hole in my pocket
Doing a custom loop can run you from £150 to £400.
Depends what you cool with it really....

[Deleted]

I wouldn't consider a custom water loop for a computer under £1000, as a good loop for CPU and GPU can go for as much as £300-500 and requires maintenance every 4-6 months or so, not to mention that it can be complicated to set up properly. You could go for a closed-loop watercooling solution if you want the bragging rights I guess. A closed loop can be anything from £50-150 depending on what you want, for example a Corsair H60, but will rarely give you better cooling/quid compared to air.


£500 is a slim budget, but I will try to help.
MoBo: Gigabyte GA-P67A-D3-B3 http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...67A-D3-B3.html
CPU: Intel i3 2100 3.1Ghz http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...623I32100.html
RAM: Corsair 2x2Gb XMS3 1600Mhz http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...M2A1600C9.html
PSU: Corsair CX 500W http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...U-500CXV2.html
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 500Gb http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...b/HD502HJ.html

So far, £285 (incl. VAT)

Now, will you need an optical drive? Because those usually go for around £20, leaving around £200 left. Will you need a case? If yes, a nice midi-tower can go for around £50, while a full tower is usually around £70 for a cheap one. That leaves £130-200 for a GPU.

GPU:
GTX 550 ti, £113: http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...550OC-1GI.html
GTX 460, £143: http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...460OC-1GI.html
R6870, £165: http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...79-07-40G.html
GTX 560 ti, £187: http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...560OC-1GI.html

Edit: When picking a case, make sure it supports the size of the motherbord as well as the length of the GPU.

Since the P67 is basicly a H67 that's overclockable and since you can't overclock the 2100 is not overclockable, you don't really need it.

---------- Post added 2011-09-01 at 08:39 PM ----------

I wouldn't consider a custom water loop for a computer under £1000, as a good loop for CPU and GPU can go for as much as £300-500 and requires maintenance every 4-6 months or so, not to mention that it can be complicated to set up properly. You could go for a closed-loop watercooling solution if you want the bragging rights I guess. A closed loop can be anything from £50-150 depending on what you want, for example a Corsair H60, but will rarely give you better cooling/quid compared to air.


£500 is a slim budget, but I will try to help.
MoBo: Gigabyte GA-P67A-D3-B3 http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...67A-D3-B3.html
CPU: Intel i3 2100 3.1Ghz http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...623I32100.html
RAM: Corsair 2x2Gb XMS3 1600Mhz http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...M2A1600C9.html
PSU: Corsair CX 500W http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...U-500CXV2.html
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 500Gb http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...b/HD502HJ.html

So far, £285 (incl. VAT)

Now, will you need an optical drive? Because those usually go for around £20, leaving around £200 left. Will you need a case? If yes, a nice midi-tower can go for around £50, while a full tower is usually around £70 for a cheap one. That leaves £130-200 for a GPU.

GPU:
GTX 550 ti, £113: http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...550OC-1GI.html
GTX 460, £143: http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...460OC-1GI.html
R6870, £165: http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...79-07-40G.html
GTX 560 ti, £187: http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/p...560OC-1GI.html

Edit: When picking a case, make sure it supports the size of the motherbord as well as the length of the GPU.

Since the P67 is basicly a H67 that's overclockable and since you can't overclock the 2100, you don't really need it.

[Deleted]

specs from first post is actually pretty decent, but i would go for the 6870 hawk edition from scan for only a tenner more than the listed 460. i'm sorry but the saphire 6870 Marest posted is frankly a ripoff when you consider this. http://www.scan.co.uk/products/1gb-m...rocessors-2x-d if you're paying £165 you'd be silly to not step up to a 560ti, but at £140, the leap to the 560ti is considerably higher for not so much performance increase.

[Deleted]

Since the P67 is basicly a H67 that's overclockable and since you can't overclock the 2100, you don't really need it.

P67 gives the option to upgrade further down the line, say to Ivy Bridge. But your point is valid, OP could save a few bucks going with a H67 board instead.

specs from first post is actually pretty decent, but i would go for the 6870 hawk edition from scan for only a tenner more than the listed 460. i'm sorry but the saphire 6870 Marest posted is frankly a ripoff when you consider this. http://www.scan.co.uk/products/1gb-m...rocessors-2x-d if you're paying £165 you'd be silly to not step up to a 560ti, but at £140, the leap to the 560ti is considerably higher for not so much performance increase.

Very true. I'm not very familiar with UK sites so the pricing model I have in my head might be £20 off in either direction. I'm used to dealing with setups in terms of dollars.