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Original post by Zorg
By platform I'm refering to the motherboard's socket. Each CPU is plugged in to a socket on the motherboard. Now the systems you've linked have been end of lifed, that's to say no more products will be released for that socket. Does that make sense? Sorry, I'm quite bad at explaining stuff like this :smile:

Lol, if he is a techie then he probably has about 8 other people waiting on him as well. Just be patient. Nothings more annoying than someone yelling at you why you can't do them a favour faster :smile:

Any reasons as to the ATi card? AMD CPUs can be good for the money, but the current market is targeted far better by Intel's Sandybridge platform, so we'll ignore that for now.

Oh! I understand what you mean now. Ugh, that's a bit shady of them. T n T;;;;;
The issue is, I know it's a bit silly but I usually tend to buy new PC's every 3 years anyway so I dunno if it being end of lifed will matter.
However, know I now it's more cost-effective to buy a PC with a motherboard that is still being supported (this is something I didn't even realise, so thank you!) I'll keep looking about.

The PC's from ebay are just back-ups, I'm waiting on the man's reply since I know he'll be able to glean better info and get better components for me.

I promise I've been super patient, I find it hard to ring people up when I feel that it's been too soon because I'm worried about being rude. ; n ;
We rang him on Wednesday, he said he'd ring me on Thursday - he didn't, so I left it till Friday and he said he'd call me back in the hour and he didn't.

I don't like ATI. I lurk the WoW tech support forums (for reference, I've been trying to brush up on my techie info) and people've reported quite a few issues with those cards. Also, I've always been with NVIDIA and that's what the bloke says he prefers using.

Basically, it's company bias. Not very wise when it comes to things like this, but I feel more comfortable and settled with NVIDIA.
Reply 5721
Original post by Leeshur
Oh! I understand what you mean now. Ugh, that's a bit shady of them. T n T;;;;;
The issue is, I know it's a bit silly but I usually tend to buy new PC's every 3 years anyway so I dunno if it being end of lifed will matter.
However, know I now it's more cost-effective to buy a PC with a motherboard that is still being supported (this is something I didn't even realise, so thank you!) I'll keep looking about.

The PC's from ebay are just back-ups, I'm waiting on the man's reply since I know he'll be able to glean better info and get better components for me.

I promise I've been super patient, I find it hard to ring people up when I feel that it's been too soon because I'm worried about being rude. ; n ;
We rang him on Wednesday, he said he'd ring me on Thursday - he didn't, so I left it till Friday and he said he'd call me back in the hour and he didn't.

I don't like ATI. I lurk the WoW tech support forums (for reference, I've been trying to brush up on my techie info) and people've reported quite a few issues with those cards. Also, I've always been with NVIDIA and that's what the bloke says he prefers using.

Basically, it's company bias. Not very wise when it comes to things like this, but I feel more comfortable and settled with NVIDIA.


Not really shady as much as certain innovations mean that some CPUs won't work on some motherboards, to make it easier they just change the socket. There's a multitude of reasons, that's just one of the more frequent ones.

If you brush up on your knowledge a bit you should be able to make simple upgrades yourself. When your friend builds you the computer ask if you can watch, don't pester too much though, just watch and you'll learn a fair bit :smile:

Even if it comes to it, I wouldn't recommend buying from Ebay. Buy from somewhere like Aria/Scan/Overclockers, at least then you'll get a warranty as well.

I do seem to remember ATI having issues with WoW, but I thought that was sorted. It was mainly a driver issue, and while nVidia are much better in this respect I wouldn't rule out ATI completely.

Personally though I'm an nVidia fan myself, but sometimes the price to performance ratio leans to the ATI side.

Now then, remind me what your uses are? What games would you like to play? Also what do you need, like monitor/mouse/keyboard/OS etc?

I could throw up some specs for you to show your friend and ask if he'll put it together for you. Or if you feel comfortable look around on google for pc building guides, it's fairly simple, kinda like lego for adults. zxh800 built his first one not long a go, I'm sure he'll be willing to answer any worries you have.

Whatever you decide, I'm happy to answer any questions or if you run in to any troubles :smile:
Original post by Zorg
Not really shady as much as certain innovations mean that some CPUs won't work on some motherboards, to make it easier they just change the socket. There's a multitude of reasons, that's just one of the more frequent ones.

If you brush up on your knowledge a bit you should be able to make simple upgrades yourself. When your friend builds you the computer ask if you can watch, don't pester too much though, just watch and you'll learn a fair bit :smile:

Even if it comes to it, I wouldn't recommend buying from Ebay. Buy from somewhere like Aria/Scan/Overclockers, at least then you'll get a warranty as well.

I do seem to remember ATI having issues with WoW, but I thought that was sorted. It was mainly a driver issue, and while nVidia are much better in this respect I wouldn't rule out ATI completely.

Personally though I'm an nVidia fan myself, but sometimes the price to performance ratio leans to the ATI side.

Now then, remind me what your uses are? What games would you like to play? Also what do you need, like monitor/mouse/keyboard/OS etc?

I could throw up some specs for you to show your friend and ask if he'll put it together for you. Or if you feel comfortable look around on google for pc building guides, it's fairly simple, kinda like lego for adults. zxh800 built his first one not long a go, I'm sure he'll be willing to answer any worries you have.

Whatever you decide, I'm happy to answer any questions or if you run in to any troubles :smile:


I originally was going to go for Overclockers, but they're a bit too expensive for me. e___o;;
The others (Aria + Scan) seem to charge way more as well, and put lower-end DX11 cards in the machine. Like the GTX 550 isn't as good as the 460 but they're still charging 700 quid for the machine.

My uses are gaming and work really, I play games like WoW, L4D2, Sims and stuff. Also, Dead Island when it comes out, that game looks amazing - but I'm sure the specs'll be higher. Basically, I want to play most games Steam sells with high settings and no lag/high FPS. My broadband is 50mbps and I get an average of 34mbps on busy days.
I need Windows 7 with the machine, I have my own monitor, USB keyboard and mouse + speakers which're brand new.

Please give me some specs, I'll love you forever. xD
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 5723
Original post by Leeshur
I originally was going to go for Overclockers, but they're a bit too expensive for me. e___o;;
The others (Aria + Scan) seem to charge way more as well, and put lower-end DX11 cards in the machine. Like the GTX 550 isn't as good as the 460 but they're still charging 700 quid for the machine.

My uses are gaming and work really, I play games like WoW, L4D2, Sims and stuff. Also, Dead Island when it comes out, that game looks amazing - but I'm sure the specs'll be higher. Basically, I want to play most games Steam sells with high settings and no lag/high FPS. My broadband is 50mbps and I get an average of 34mbps on busy days.
I need Windows 7 with the machine, I have my own monitor, USB keyboard and mouse + speakers which're brand new.

Please give me some specs, I'll love you forever. xD


Haha, I'll throw something together tomorrow (I'll try my best. If you haven't heard from me before 5pm throw me a PM to remind me)

Aria/Scan/Overclockers tend to charge more because they will put decent PSUs and motherboards in. The only way you'll get that off ebay is going second hand and then buying it off someone who actually know's what they're doing. If you're buying second hand you may as well check out the buy/sell forums on Overclock.net, AVForums and TechPowerUp.
Reply 5724
Original post by Leeshur
I originally was going to go for Overclockers, but they're a bit too expensive for me. e___o;;
The others (Aria + Scan) seem to charge way more as well, and put lower-end DX11 cards in the machine. Like the GTX 550 isn't as good as the 460 but they're still charging 700 quid for the machine.

My uses are gaming and work really, I play games like WoW, L4D2, Sims and stuff. Also, Dead Island when it comes out, that game looks amazing - but I'm sure the specs'll be higher. Basically, I want to play most games Steam sells with high settings and no lag/high FPS. My broadband is 50mbps and I get an average of 34mbps on busy days.
I need Windows 7 with the machine, I have my own monitor, USB keyboard and mouse + speakers which're brand new.

Please give me some specs, I'll love you forever. xD


This is good. Add Windows 7 to the basket and it's in your budget. 5850 is equal if not better than the 460. Sadly, it's not Nvidia so that's the downpoint for you. Although, I have one and they're a great option for your budget (in terms of prebuilts). If you were to custom build however, I reckon you could fit in a 560Ti at a push or a 6950 on the ATI front (or a 6870 at the least). I'm an ATI man myself, so I know more about their cards although the 560Ti is just beastly.
Reply 5725
Original post by jackf1337
So what would you recommend that runs logic?

Thanks for that, awesome deal

No worries, I know you didn't want a desktop but this would be a great one.

Laptop...hmmm not many are designed for music production, but I'd be looking at this. Super fast second generation processor and graphics card and plenty of ram. :wink: :biggrin:
Original post by Sarky.
No worries, I know you didn't want a desktop but this would be a great one.

Laptop...hmmm not many are designed for music production, but I'd be looking at this. Super fast second generation processor and graphics card and plenty of ram. :wink: :biggrin:


Neither run logic.
Reply 5727
Original post by jackf1337
Neither run logic.


There's better alternatives than Apple software...
Original post by Sarky.
There's better alternatives than Apple software...


Not when the uni you're going to only runs logic
Original post by zxh800
This is good. Add Windows 7 to the basket and it's in your budget. 5850 is equal if not better than the 460. Sadly, it's not Nvidia so that's the downpoint for you. Although, I have one and they're a great option for your budget (in terms of prebuilts). If you were to custom build however, I reckon you could fit in a 560Ti at a push or a 6950 on the ATI front (or a 6870 at the least). I'm an ATI man myself, so I know more about their cards although the 560Ti is just beastly.

Thank you for the suggestion. I'm really concerned about HDD space, I want at least 1TB. > o <;;;

I'll see what this bloke says and then I'll ring Aria and see how much they'd charge for 1TB HDD, Win 7 + a GTX 460 with that rig.

Do you think using Skype/MSN while gaming (I know Skype's a bit of a memory nommer) would warrant me needing more RAM? I also use IRC for staffing purposes on another site.
I s'pose I could buy more when it's cheaper though. xD

Also, will 530W be enough for a GTX 560 TI? It requires 500W so it's slightly over, but I want to make sure it won't suffer too much.


Godddd, I thought I'd researched so much with my mates helping me but I feel dumber. xD
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Zorg
Haha, I'll throw something together tomorrow (I'll try my best. If you haven't heard from me before 5pm throw me a PM to remind me)

Aria/Scan/Overclockers tend to charge more because they will put decent PSUs and motherboards in. The only way you'll get that off ebay is going second hand and then buying it off someone who actually know's what they're doing. If you're buying second hand you may as well check out the buy/sell forums on Overclock.net, AVForums and TechPowerUp.


Ah, I see now. Thank you. c: <3
I thought the Corsair PSU was good though, so it's the motherboard that's biting me in the butt atm? > n <
Reply 5731
Original post by Leeshur
Ah, I see now. Thank you. c: &lt;3
I thought the Corsair PSU was good though, so it's the motherboard that's biting me in the butt atm? &gt; n &lt;


Corsair PSUs are good, but I'm not a fan of the CX series. Corsair seem to have just traded in their name for some money if you ask me.

Either way the motherboard is crap.

Forgot to ask last night, what resolution is your monitor?



This is what I came up with. It's fairly simples. Could cut back on the motherboard a bit if you wanted, I'd have liked a better case in there but budget constraints and all. Quick note though, I don't think you'll utilise the 2500K in which case I'd suggest you consider dropping to the 2300 or 2400. You could then get a better case, such as the Antec Three Hundred.
If you stick with the 2500K, the stock cooler should do you until you feel comfortable and have £30 spare to get a decent cooler and start overclocking.

The 560Ti should be fine for your gaming purposes.

You can take a look around for a prebuilt system but I doubt you'll find anything that compares for the price.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 5732
Original post by Leeshur
Thank you for the suggestion. I'm really concerned about HDD space, I want at least 1TB. > o <;;;

I'll see what this bloke says and then I'll ring Aria and see how much they'd charge for 1TB HDD, Win 7 + a GTX 460 with that rig.

Do you think using Skype/MSN while gaming (I know Skype's a bit of a memory nommer) would warrant me needing more RAM? I also use IRC for staffing purposes on another site.
I s'pose I could buy more when it's cheaper though. xD

Also, will 530W be enough for a GTX 560 TI? It requires 500W so it's slightly over, but I want to make sure it won't suffer too much.


Godddd, I thought I'd researched so much with my mates helping me but I feel dumber. xD


Ooh, they've upgraded the rig to a 6870 which i'd say is superior to the GTX 460. Plus it's a newer gen card so I'd advise biting the bullet and going 6870.

HOWEVER, I think Aria do a feature where you can choose all the components and they assemble and stress test it etc... all for you for a £50 extra. Snoop around the forums and you'll find out more. And if you're not in a hurry 50 posts this month will give you free delivery for the entirety of next month.

As for the other questions, 4GB should handle Skype and Gaming at the same time. I regularly have MSN and a game on at the same time (haven't tried with skype. PSU wise, it would work but the future upgradeabilty may be limited. Also, it would depend on what make. An unknown make of PSU at 500W may actually be deceptive and deliver less or be unstable.
Reply 5733
Original post by Leeshur
Thank you for the suggestion. I'm really concerned about HDD space, I want at least 1TB. &gt; o &lt;;;;

I'll see what this bloke says and then I'll ring Aria and see how much they'd charge for 1TB HDD, Win 7 + a GTX 460 with that rig.

Do you think using Skype/MSN while gaming (I know Skype's a bit of a memory nommer) would warrant me needing more RAM? I also use IRC for staffing purposes on another site.
I s'pose I could buy more when it's cheaper though. xD

Also, will 530W be enough for a GTX 560 TI? It requires 500W so it's slightly over, but I want to make sure it won't suffer too much.


Godddd, I thought I'd researched so much with my mates helping me but I feel dumber. xD


500W will be more than enough unless you start thinking about CF/SLi
Original post by Zorg
Corsair PSUs are good, but I'm not a fan of the CX series. Corsair seem to have just traded in their name for some money if you ask me.

Either way the motherboard is crap.

Forgot to ask last night, what resolution is your monitor?

[]

This is what I came up with. It's fairly simples. Could cut back on the motherboard a bit if you wanted, I'd have liked a better case in there but budget constraints and all. Quick note though, I don't think you'll utilise the 2500K in which case I'd suggest you consider dropping to the 2300 or 2400. You could then get a better case, such as the Antec Three Hundred.
If you stick with the 2500K, the stock cooler should do you until you feel comfortable and have £30 spare to get a decent cooler and start overclocking.

The 560Ti should be fine for your gaming purposes.

You can take a look around for a prebuilt system but I doubt you'll find anything that compares for the price.

What website did you use for that build? I'd rather choose the build you've got. The guy's been quoting figures at me and I'm getting £745 minimum for the i5 2500, and a GTX 460 with more or less the same specs, when you've got the 560 ti in there for cheaper.
The issue seems to be with the case, he's got me an antec case which costs about £50 + the PSU which is 40 quid.

Will that machine be pre-built? I don't want to fiddle with the components, because I wouldn't know what I'm doing.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 5735
Original post by Leeshur
What website did you use for that? I'd rather choose the build you've got. The guy's been quoting figures at me and I'm getting £745 minimum for the i5 2500, and a GTX 460 with more or less the same specs, when you've got the 560 ti in there for cheaper.

Will that machine be pre-built? I don't want to fiddle with the components, because I wouldn't know what I'm doing.


No those are just components. All you need apart from that is a screwdriver :smile:

Can you mum's work colleague's husband not put it together for you?

I'd consider building it yourself, otherwise it'll be about £50-£100 more for the same specification. It's fairly simple, I'll see if I can find a decent video. But seriously the hard part is choosing the parts, the rest is just plugging bits in.

Is that the 2500 or the 2500K he's quoting you for...?
Original post by Zorg
No those are just components. All you need apart from that is a screwdriver :smile:

Can you mum's work colleague's husband not put it together for you?

I'd consider building it yourself, otherwise it'll be about £50-£100 more for the same specification. It's fairly simple, I'll see if I can find a decent video. But seriously the hard part is choosing the parts, the rest is just plugging bits in.

Is that the 2500 or the 2500K he's quoting you for...?


I can't build it myself because we have carpeting here and I live in a flat. I can't put it in the bathroom or the kitchen.

He charges £100 to put it together. ;/

Not sure, I'll ring him tomorrow since this is giving me a headache. I'm not paying £50 for a case, Antec seems overpriced and Coolermaster seem to be good quality + cheap.
Reply 5737
Original post by Leeshur
I can't build it myself because we have carpeting here and I live in a flat. I can't put it in the bathroom or the kitchen.

He charges £100 to put it together. ;/

Not sure, I'll ring him tomorrow since this is giving me a headache. I'm not paying £50 for a case, Antec seems overpriced and Coolermaster seem to be good quality + cheap.


Lol, easy. £100 doesn't seem out of the ordinary but cheaper places will charge around £50. However you tend to get what you pay for in that those that take their time will do a better job.

All you need to build a computer, space-wise, is a kitchen table... just somewhere you can lay the case down on it's side and screw stuff in to it.

£50 for a case is cheap. Incidentally it's the case I have. The cheaper you go the worse the quality of the materials; more plastic, less steel/aluminium etc. Also you tend to get less funtionality. The Three Hundred is well-known for it's cooling capacity. Although the 335 isn't absolute ****e, it's nothing great.

This guy seems to know what he's talking about. He makes it slightly more complicated than needs be. His case is slightly easier to work in the 335 will be slightly smaller.

Obviously I can understand it seems daunting, but just take a look through some of the videos etc. Not only will this save you money now, but it'll help if anything goes wrong with your computer in the future, you'll be able to get stuck in and take a look as opposed to paying some goon £60 to just take a look (this is why techies get swamped by family and friends :p: )
Reply 5738
Original post by Leeshur
I can't build it myself because we have carpeting here and I live in a flat. I can't put it in the bathroom or the kitchen.

He charges £100 to put it together. ;/

Not sure, I'll ring him tomorrow since this is giving me a headache. I'm not paying £50 for a case, Antec seems overpriced and Coolermaster seem to be good quality + cheap.


The hardest part for me building the PC was putting the backplate on LOL. The thing had these bits sticking out which stopped the motherboard fitting in nicely. I spent 20 minutes before I managed to twist the bits sticking out around enough to fit the motherboard in nicely. Luckily, the crappy backplates with bits sticking out only come with MSI motherboards, so if you buy from another brand you won't have the hassle. Obviously, it was a nuisance but manageable in the end.

But, the hardest problem being the backplate shows how easy the rest is really. It's just plugging stuff in after you get the motherboard into the case.
Reply 5739
Original post by zxh800
The hardest part for me building the PC was putting the backplate on LOL. The thing had these bits sticking out which stopped the motherboard fitting in nicely. I spent 20 minutes before I managed to twist the bits sticking out around enough to fit the motherboard in nicely. Luckily, the crappy backplates with bits sticking out only come with MSI motherboards, so if you buy from another brand you won't have the hassle. Obviously, it was a nuisance but manageable in the end.

But, the hardest problem being the backplate shows how easy the rest is really. It's just plugging stuff in after you get the motherboard into the case.


She'll be using a stock cooler, so no backplate :smile: just pushpins

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