Please help with christmas prezzy!

[Connor_roberts]

Hey guys, have said to my parents that i would like a new computer for xmas, and instead of buying 1 pre-built i would like to build it myself(if i can haha) so they have sent me looking as they haven't the foggiest.

So ive created this system so far on the website 'Overclockers' which seems to be quite popular, what do you think of it? and are there any improvements that could be made?
Dont really want to go over the 550 range as i need to buy a monitor/tv for it.


Already have a case, its a simple packard bell case used for my old pc, should i buy another?

Cheers and much appreciated


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...44_472606014676_730259676_5996016_58084_n.jpg

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-238-AS - GFX as i missed it out

 

[floppybootstomp]

Spend less on the cooler (maybe even stick with the stock cooler for an i5 if it's not going to be overclocked) and spend more on the power supply.

Other than that, looks ok to me, maybe worth spending a few extra pennies for a bigger hard drive.

It would be a crime to put all that nice stuff in a crappy old Packard Bell case, buy yourself a new one, something nice that doesn't break the bank, look at the Antec gamers range.

What are you doing for a video card?

 

[Connor_roberts]

Ah ok cheers mate, thanks for spending the time looking at it, and ahh ok, well i also got a question, on the website ive seen overclocked bundles that seem pretty cheap but im unsure, by overclocking does it increase the chances that it will break? and does it often mean i wont get warranty?

I will have a look at the hard drive, but atm on this ancient thing i have only like 200gb (5 years old) and i havent really filled it up so dont really need all these 2tb+ haha .

And ahhh ok, i probably will end up getting a new case for it and cheers, will have a look at them.

Video card? :OO, we did building a computer in college but we didn't do anythign about a video card?:S what are they and what do they do? ( im a rookie at building pc's so im unsure)
Cheers!

 

[Connor_roberts]

What are you doing for a video card?[/QUOTE]

Dammit scrap that, my bad.... just realised i missed GFX off, lol fail, will choose one now

 

[floppybootstomp]

First off, search out a few guides to building your own computer and have a study. It's not difficult but it could save an expensive accident or two if you start putting it together knowing what you're doing. Plus you can always come here and ask for help and advice.

The video card is the bit that processes all that digital information from the computer to an analogue display on your monitor.

If you're going to be gaming you'll want something half way decent, at least around the £120.00 mark.

Some motherboards have inbuilt graphics 'cards' fine for general comoputing, office, internet, photo editing etc but no good at all for gaming. I haven't checked out the details of your motherboard tbh but Gigabyte is a good make. I don't know if it has onboard graphics or not.

 

[Connor_roberts]

Ahhh cheers, well i feel quite comfortable with putting everything in apart from graphics cards as the college computers we built didn't have them, but i will still take a look and resort to this if needed . And ahh i know what the video card is, they just the same as GFX? and the one ive had a brief look at is, (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-238-AS)

Also about the power supply u said to upgrade... it obviously powers the computer and you need more watts for a powerful computer but wouldn't it be better to have better cooling? (i forgot to say but i will probably be on it for long periods of time, doing work and playing games)

Cheers!

 

[floppybootstomp]

The video card is a good choice for the price.

You want at least 650 watts to give you some headroom with current supply. The power supply, in my opinion, is the single most important component in a computer as it supplies everything else.

Starve the other components of current and you'll start to suffer anomalies.

The latest Intel stock coolers are very good and if you buy the retail version of the CPU it will come with it.

I'd put more importance on PSU than CPU cooler.

Perhaps try the stock cooler and if it doesn't do the job consider something more efficient. Leaving the machine on for long periods doesn't matter, your CPU will reach max temp within twenty minutes or so anyway.

The OCZ PSU's are ok, Corsair and Seasonic are better.

Also, a good case will help cool the CPU, the Antec gamers range have good case fans. If you stick that stuff in an old Packard Bell case it could very well be prone to overheating.

 

[Connor_roberts]

Ahh ok, will try substitute the CPU cooler then, do you think that if i could find a good case with its on fan that it would replace the CPU? and i cant remember but for the processor is OEM with a fan or without? and how effective are they? and are they difficult to put on?

And cheers for replying, been great help!

 

[floppybootstomp]

No, a case fan will not replace the CPU fan.

If you start a machine without a heatsink/fan attached to the CPU it will fry in less than ten seconds.

Just follow the instructions in the motherboard manual and/or the CPU instructions, most stock coolers have a heatpad so you don't have to worry about seperate cooling compound (Google Arctic Silver) so it's usually just a case of clipping the thing on and connecting fan lead to motherboard header.

An OEM CPU comes with no fan and a limited warranty.

A retail CPU comes with stock fooler/fan and a full warranty.

It is worth paying the extra for what, in Intel's case, is a quality cooler.

The tone of your questions, btw, is what prompted me to suggest you search out a few guides and have a read

As for the video card, you just plug it into it's motherboard slot then plug the monitor into the back of it, easy peasy.

 

[Connor_roberts]

Ah ok, so will the cooler that comes with the i5 be able to manage the CPU even if it is being left on for say 5 hours each time?

and cheers, another question(sorry lol, just find it easier on this forum asking than reading guides that can sometimes be complicated to understand) i was looking for an upgrade on the hard drive and i noticed it says OEM, what does that mean as surely it doesn't mean theres no fan? as ive never seen a hard drive fan before ?


Also for the actually case, ive had a look for an antec case, what would be the price range that you personally would spend on one with the components i have chosen? As ive seen ones for 100pounds-50 pounds, not really sure.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Ah ok, so will the cooler that comes with the i5 be able to manage the CPU even if it is being left on for say 5 hours each time?

Yes.

i was looking for an upgrade on the hard drive and i noticed it says OEM, what does that mean as surely it doesn't mean theres no fan? as ive never seen a hard drive fan before ?

OEM simply stands for Original Equipment Manfacturer and denotes the product is 'bare bones' usually with no frills, packaging or accessories. OEM products are targeted at systems builders and those who know what they're doing and are almost always cheaper than their retail counterpart.

So OEM can apply to CPU's, hard drives optical drives and other items. And no, hard drives don't have fans although you can buy hard drive cooling devices.

Also for the actually case, ive had a look for an antec case, what would be the price range that you personally would spend on one with the components i have chosen? As ive seen ones for 100pounds-50 pounds, not really sure.

This one will do @ sixty quid.

 

[Connor_roberts]

Ah ok, so will the cooler that comes with the i5 be able to manage the CPU even if it is being left on for say 5 hours each time?

and cheers, another question(sorry lol, just find it easier on this forum asking than reading guides that can sometimes be complicated to understand) i was looking for an upgrade on the hard drive and i noticed it says OEM, what does that mean as surely it doesn't mean theres no fan? as ive never seen a hard drive fan before ?


Also for the actually case, ive had a look for an antec case, what would be the price range that you personally would spend on one with the components i have chosen? As ive seen ones for 100pounds-50 pounds, not really sure

 

[Connor_roberts]

Haha cheers for all the help, will take a look at the reviews on the case and will hopefully be the one i choose!. Hopefully there might be some pics of the build up on here in the future if theres a section for that but cheers for the help anyways!

 

[floppybootstomp]

Haha cheers for all the help, will take a look at the reviews on the case and will hopefully be the one i choose!. Hopefully there might be some pics of the build up on here in the future if theres a section for that but cheers for the help anyways!

Ok, let us know how you get on and good luck.

If you want to post pix of the build, please do, the general hardware section will be the place to put it.