[Rainingshame]

(Original post by quotidian)
I'm thinking on around 300 - 500 preferably with a decent monitor but I could live with it playing through my TV or using a spare monitor until I save up the cash for a decent one.

I'm not wanting a real benchmark busting setup just something that would be a decent alternative to my ps3 for gaming.

At 300-500 incl. a monitor you're asking quite a bit, 500+a monitor let me have a look....( i use novatech/ebuyer/scan so the links will send you different sites)
processor: http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/c...623i32120.html
Motherboard:
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/gigab...b-dvi-d-hdmi-a
Hard drive:
http://www.ebuyer.com/272944-seagate...che-st500dm002
8GB RAM(can downscale to 4GB if price is too high):
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/8gb-(...9-9-24-xmp-15v
PSU:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/c...00mxsp-uk.html
Case:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/c...5-08300-3.html
Optical drive:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/c...222bbrsms.html
GPU:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/c...01-02-20g.html
Total:£490
It'll play ALMOST everything at 1080p maxed for gaming just hook it up to your HDTV and use your PS3 controller(i think you can anyway)

[Rainingshame]

(Original post by Iqbal007)
Even then 4gb isn't used much at all as the person's not gaming. 6gb maybe if it's an integrated graphics.

mine with a dedicated card use up around 3.5GB most of the time( i have 8 so i'm ok) so i'd say having some headroom would be a decent idea.

[quotidian]

(Original post by hassi94)
Perhaps this:

i5 3570k - £173 - Amazon
MSI Z77A-G43 - £74 - Dabs
Casecom 6788 Case - £28 - Ebuyer
Corsair 500W CX V2 PSU - £51 - Ebuyer
LiteOn iHAS124 DVD Drive - £14 - Ebuyer
Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz 1 X 4GB RAM - £22 - Amazon
Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 500GB HDD - £53 - Ebuyer

That's £415 so you can put the rest of your budget on a graphics card, preferably at least £90 on a 6850.

Though if you have a DVD Drive and a good case you can save money there. It's not very realistic to get a gaming PC (even if a low end one) and a monitor for <£500. You can pick up good full HD monitors with HDMI for about £120 when you get the money.

(Original post by Rainingshame)
At 300-500 incl. a monitor you're asking quite a bit, 500+a monitor let me have a look....( i use novatech/ebuyer/scan so the links will send you different sites)
processor: http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/c...623i32120.html
Motherboard:
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/gigab...b-dvi-d-hdmi-a
Hard drive:
http://www.ebuyer.com/272944-seagate...che-st500dm002
8GB RAM(can downscale to 4GB if price is too high):
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/8gb-(...9-9-24-xmp-15v
PSU:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/c...00mxsp-uk.html
Case:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/c...5-08300-3.html
Optical drive:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/c...222bbrsms.html
GPU:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/c...01-02-20g.html
Total:£490
It'll play ALMOST everything at 1080p maxed for gaming just hook it up to your HDTV and use your PS3 controller(i think you can anyway)

How much would you say is realistic to get a decent gaming setup?

Would it be possible to maybe leave out some components now and then upgrade later?

Or would I be best to just try and save up a bit more than the 500 I have now?

[Intriguing Alias]

(Original post by quotidian)
How much would you say is realistic to get a decent gaming setup?

Would it be possible to maybe leave out some components now and then upgrade later?

Or would I be best to just try and save up a bit more than the 500 I have now?

Well my build was 500 for everything without monitor. So you could leave out the monitor or you could get a monitor and leave the graphics card (using integrated graphics until you can buy the graphics card).

I'd say a comfortable amount if you're including a monitor is £650

[Iqbal007]

(Original post by Rainingshame)
mine with a dedicated card use up around 3.5GB most of the time( i have 8 so i'm ok) so i'd say having some headroom would be a decent idea.

o.O you sure?
My dedicated card uses it's own 1gb, it's barely on load even on a recent game.

[Iqbal007]

(Original post by quotidian)
How much would you say is realistic to get a decent gaming setup?

Would it be possible to maybe leave out some components now and then upgrade later?

Or would I be best to just try and save up a bit more than the 500 I have now?

push it to £500 without a monitor and you can get something pretty good.

[Rainingshame]

(Original post by Iqbal007)
o.O you sure?
My dedicated card uses it's own 1gb, it's barely on load even on a recent game.

8GB or Ram, watching an SD video surfing on chrome and playing runescape. 38% RAM usage, and i have a dedicated 7770. Windows 7 and a lot of the new programmes are really resource hogs.

[Iqbal007]

(Original post by Rainingshame)
8GB or Ram, watching an SD video surfing on chrome and playing runescape. 38% RAM usage, and i have a dedicated 7770. Windows 7 and a lot of the new programmes are really resource hogs.

I'm currently using 26% of ram for chrome on multiple tabs.

[Intriguing Alias]

(Original post by Rainingshame)
8GB or Ram, watching an SD video surfing on chrome and playing runescape. 38% RAM usage, and i have a dedicated 7770. Windows 7 and a lot of the new programmes are really resource hogs.

Run runescape in OpenGL mode (if that exists for runescape) to put more stress on the graphics card.

[InternetGangster]

(Original post by AT82)
The reason I have made this thread is that I have seen too many buying a PC then asking us what we think, only to be told that you have paid too much for it.

So the moral of the story is ask people on here first, we are can offer unbiased advice for free unlike the big computer stores

Call this a public service announcement.

Which one should I get?

[Iqbal007]

(Original post by InternetGangster)
Which one should I get?

You should list down your budget, what you want to do with your PC and what yoour looking for. Then the guys on here will reply to you

[Rainingshame]

(Original post by hassi94)
Run runescape in OpenGL mode (if that exists for runescape) to put more stress on the graphics card.

it does, but i prefer the direct x mode, looks nicer.

[Rainingshame]

(Original post by Iqbal007)
I'm currently using 26% of ram for chrome on multiple tabs.

i always have like 10 open including 2 or 3 flash ones, + a video and a java based game it adds up.

[Iqbal007]

(Original post by Rainingshame)
i always have like 10 open including 2 or 3 flash ones, + a video and a java based game it adds up.

4gb shouldn't be taken up by that much, maybe my pc's weird, I haven't hit 100% of ram yet. Until that day 4gb is fine.

[Rainingshame]

(Original post by Iqbal007)
4gb shouldn't be taken up by that much, maybe my pc's weird, I haven't hit 100% of ram yet. Until that day 4gb is fine.

At 4GB mine wouldn't go above 80% but once i went to 8GB it's around the the 32-40% mark, crysis 2 sends it to 50ish. Always to have to some in reserve though.

[Iqbal007]

(Original post by Rainingshame)
At 4GB mine wouldn't go above 80% but once i went to 8GB it's around the the 32-40% mark, crysis 2 sends it to 50ish. Always to have to some in reserve though.

Well i'm gonna wait till I start hitting such marks, cos most I've seen is 56%.

[Rainingshame]

(Original post by Iqbal007)
Well i'm gonna wait till I start hitting such marks, cos most I've seen is 56%.

You must run real light on background programmes :P I think avast background scanner thing might have something to do with it.

[Iqbal007]

(Original post by Rainingshame)
You must run real light on background programmes :P I think avast background scanner thing might have something to do with it.

I really don't know, I got AMD's control, AI suite for my motherboard, Steam, Rainmeter, hydragrid, and Norton. That's a fair amount.

[quotidian]

I'm currently thinking on this setup:

CPU = I5-3570k
MB = Gigabyte GA-Z77-DS3H
RAM = Corsair Vengeance Red 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit
PSU = OCZ ModXStream Pro 600w Silent SLI Ready ATX2 Modular Power Supply
HD = Seagate 500GB 3.5" SATA-III 6Gb/s Barracuda Hard Drive 7200RPM 16MB Cache
Graphics = Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 1gb
Optical drive = Samsung S222BB 22x DVD+/-RW SATA
Case =Sharkoon T9 Value Gaming Case Black with Green LED Fans

Whats the main difference between http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/c...lue-green.html and http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/c...951012381.html ?

Is there much difference between the 1gb and 2gb graphics cards?

What affect does the cache on the HD have, ie. the 1tb HD has a 32mb cache but the 500 only has 16mb? Would I be better with just getting 1 x 500gb now and then possibly adding a second 500gb later?

I'm sure I'll think on a few more questions later.

Thanks
Al

[Intriguing Alias]

(Original post by quotidian)
I'm currently thinking on this setup:

CPU = I5-3570k
MB = Gigabyte GA-Z77-DS3H
RAM = Corsair Vengeance Red 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit
PSU = OCZ ModXStream Pro 600w Silent SLI Ready ATX2 Modular Power Supply
HD = Seagate 500GB 3.5" SATA-III 6Gb/s Barracuda Hard Drive 7200RPM 16MB Cache
Graphics = Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 1gb
Optical drive = Samsung S222BB 22x DVD+/-RW SATA
Case =Sharkoon T9 Value Gaming Case Black with Green LED Fans

Whats the main difference between http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/c...lue-green.html and http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/c...951012381.html ?

Is there much difference between the 1gb and 2gb graphics cards?

What affect does the cache on the HD have, ie. the 1tb HD has a 32mb cache but the 500 only has 16mb? Would I be better with just getting 1 x 500gb now and then possibly adding a second 500gb later?

I'm sure I'll think on a few more questions later.

Thanks
Al

Seems good. More ram on a graphics card just enables it to load bigger textures more quickly. More is better but on a 6850 it wouldn't make much of a difference (if they do 2gb 6850s).

Have you considered the cooler master storm enforcer case and 650w psu bundle for £100? Don't worry about the HDD cache.as it will make little difference. Have you considered an SSD?