# Gaming PC Spec



## Bizcam (Nov 19, 2012)

My son wants a gaming PC. The games he wants to play are Battlefield 4,
Planetside 2, Borderlands 2, Just cause 2, Guild wars 2. Budget £800 -£1000 This is a spec so far. Any Recommendation would be appreciated. Thanks.


Case
1 x Cooler Master K350 Mid Tower Case 
CPU
1 x Intel Core i5 4690K Quad Core (3.5GHz, 6MB Cache, overclockable
4.4GHz+) Socket 1150 
CPU Cooler
1 x Raijintek Aidos CPU Cooler 
Overclocking
1 x No Overclocking 
Tuning and Optimisation

Graphics Card 1
1 x nVidia GeForce GTX 770 2GB GDDR5 PCI Express Graphics Card (FREE
Borderlands Pre-Sequel) 
Memory
1 x 8GB Standard DDR3 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 x 4GB) 
Motherboard
1 x Asus Z97-K Intel Z97 Motherboard (4 Phase Power, CrossFireX) 
System Drive
1 x Seagate 1TB Barracuda 7200.14 64MB Cache SATA III Hard Disk Drive 
RAID Option
Optical Drive 1
1 x DVD-RW 22x 
Power Supply
1 x FSP Non-modular 600W Power Supply (Silver 80 Plus Certified) 
Cable Management
1 x Cable Management 
1 x Standard Case and Radiator Fans 
Sound Card
1 x Onboard HD 7.1 Audio
Operating System
1 x Microsoft Windows 8.1 (64-bit)


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## Richf (Apr 26, 2008)

My son and I have the GTX760 and that easily runs the above games 

We also run the OS on a SSD which makes boot up very much quicker so that might be worth considering


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## Ro22 (Aug 14, 2014)

For 800-1000 I'd go for a similar rig to what I have.

i7
Have an SSD for the main gaming drive the bung everything else on a HDD
Double the ram you are going for
Do Your research on graphics cards but the 770 isn't a bad cookie
If funds allow bung a water cooler on the i7
Don't buy Seagate
Go for an SLi compatible motherboard if you getting an nvidia Graphics card.


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## Bizcam (Nov 19, 2012)

Ro22 said:


> For 800-1000 I'd go for a similar rig to what I have.
> 
> i7
> Have an SSD for the main gaming drive the bung everything else on a HDD
> ...


Thanks for the replies. Not sure about the i7. What would the bennifits be. PC would solely for gaming.


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## Ro22 (Aug 14, 2014)

Future proofing really, protection of you investment not to mention the i7 both overclocks itself and is an 8 core processor whereas the i5 only has 4 cores (or it doesn't have turbo mode, I can't remember which one)


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## Ro22 (Aug 14, 2014)

And my research confirms what I thought, i5 is quad core (4 physical) whereas the i7 is an 8 core (4 physical and 4 virtual) allowing it to do twice as much processing back up with a cache (bit like ram) that is twice the size of the i5 and finally it can overclock its self in the fly. Creme da La creme


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## Bizcam (Nov 19, 2012)

what one would be most suitable for my spec do you think 4820k? I can see the cost rising. LoL


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## hobbs182 (Jul 10, 2013)

My two pence....

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/h4btrH

Use these parts weekly at work in my customers orders

Any questions, just ask!


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

Don't forget that pc games are coded to work on average spec machines, so you often don't see any real increase in performance from better specs. 

Quad core is quad core gaming wise - you wont see any real difference between i5 and i7 speed for speed

8Gb Ram is plenty for gaming

Your spec looks good, but personally I would try to get an SSD drive for booting and would try to get a bigger PSU as 600W is pushing it with your CPU / RAM / Graphics card combo. You need plenty of overhead - a PSU working at the limit will definitely translate as FPS stutter / lag (and / or a nice crispy smell coming out the back of the PC LOL)


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## hobbs182 (Jul 10, 2013)

FYI nothing wrong with Seagate either...


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## _Steven67 (Apr 8, 2014)

Bizcam said:


> Thanks for the replies. Not sure about the i7. What would the bennifits be. PC would solely for gaming.


i7 support hyperthreading which you only really benefit from when doing things like video rendering. If you don't plan to do much more than gaming I'd go for the i5. May I ask if you're building it yourself ?


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## _Steven67 (Apr 8, 2014)

GleemSpray said:


> Don't forget that pc games are coded to work on average spec machines, so you often don't see any real increase in performance from better specs.
> 
> Quad core is quad core gaming wise - you wont see any real difference between i5 and i7 speed for speed
> 
> ...


Pc games aren't coded to work on average spec machines and you will notice a huge difference when you go from high end to low end.



hobbs182 said:


> FYI nothing wrong with Seagate either...


They tend to have a higher failure rate though.


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## Bizcam (Nov 19, 2012)

_Steven67 said:


> i7 support hyperthreading which you only really benefit from when doing things like video rendering. If you don't plan to do much more than gaming I'd go for the i5. May I ask if you're building it yourself ?


Thanks for your reply,no will get it built. Just looking at different specs a bit of a mine field.


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## hobbs182 (Jul 10, 2013)

_Steven67 said:


> They tend to have a higher failure rate though.


Compared to?

Constantly replacing an array of HDDs every day at work and unless comparing to western digital, I'd say Seagate were second best tbh


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## Jedi (May 5, 2014)

My take on it, for just under £940... and I'm a system builder in my spare time for friends and family so I do bolt quite a few of these kind of systems together 

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/YVscNG

The highlights:

i5 4690K CPU - 4 cores is plenty for gaming, and overclockable for free performance

Corsair H105 all in one 240mm water CPU cooler - keep those temps down

EVGA Nvidia GTX970 graphics card - plays everything flat out at 1080p and will continue to do so for quite a while! Never skinp on graphics, the most important component in a gaming rig.

MSI Micro ATX motherboard - small but mighty with all the bits you need and none of the extras you don't.

8GB DDR3 1600mhz RAM

256GB Crucial SSD for OS and games - makes everything fly along!

1TB Western Digital HDD for storage

Aerocool Deep Silence cube case - looks awesome, side window to show off the goodies inside, very good cooling and very quiet. Also very small, saves on desk space and looks so much nicer than chunky towers. Available in a huge range of colours as well.

Corsair 500W power supply - silent and stable. System will pull 340W maximum so 500W is well within a safe limit.

Bluray player / DVD rewriter

Windows 8.1 64bit

This is the sort of system that anyone who knows which end of a screwdriver does what could build in about an hour from start to finish. Everything just screws into place, no special tools or skills required.


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## hobbs182 (Jul 10, 2013)

Jedi said:


> My take on it, for just under £940... and I'm a system builder in my spare time for friends and family so I do bolt quite a few of these kind of systems together
> 
> http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/YVscNG
> 
> ...


Not a bad shout apart from the motherboard and memory with that board,

Low spec board so wouldn't be able to easily upgrade in future, as only 2 ram slots of which you've already filled with that choice of memory specified, old chipset too, would looks more towards the z97 realm tbh as its only going to get older so why go for anything lower than z97


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## Jedi (May 5, 2014)

Cost, basically - z97 will cost an extra £40 or so, and won't get any extra performance out of either the memory, CPU or graphics card. No point spending extra money for no benefit.


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## _Steven67 (Apr 8, 2014)

Bizcam said:


> Thanks for your reply,no will get it built. Just looking at different specs a bit of a mine field.


You'd save a good bit if you can build it yourself or if not find someone who drives and builds computers and offer them a free detail .



hobbs182 said:


> Compared to?
> 
> Constantly replacing an array of HDDs every day at work and unless comparing to western digital, I'd say Seagate were second best tbh


Well not compared to anything, in general they have a high failure rate but yes Western Digital is much more reliable.



Jedi said:


> My take on it, for just under £940... and I'm a system builder in my spare time for friends and family so I do bolt quite a few of these kind of systems together
> 
> http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/YVscNG
> 
> ...


I doubt he'd need watercooling if he's not planning on over clocking. I'd recommend upgrading the power supply in your rig too.


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## Jedi (May 5, 2014)

PSU is fine, this is Corsair we're talking about here, not some no-name random. A 340W system does not need a 750W PSU.


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## hobbs182 (Jul 10, 2013)

Jedi said:


> Cost, basically - z97 will cost an extra £40 or so, and won't get any extra performance out of either the memory, CPU or graphics card. No point spending extra money for no benefit.


Yes another £37 but for that;

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97mds3h

A lot better brand + newer, more features including 6 x sata 3 ports not 2, raid support, USB 3 board header, 32gb ram support and supports a lot more ram speeds for better fps in games, will take 4 x memory so easier to add memory later as appose to replace for 2 x 8....

Worth the money in the long run tbh but all to their own opinions


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## Bizcam (Nov 19, 2012)

Thanks for the replies. I would rather get it built. How much extra would this cost? There is so much info and different specs. Future proof would be good ( if there is such a thing ) Where to purchase from any recommendations. Do they have any warranty,support ect. Thanks again . Dave


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## hobbs182 (Jul 10, 2013)

Bizcam said:


> Thanks for the replies. I would rather get it built. How much extra would this cost? There is so much info and different specs. Future proof would be good ( if there is such a thing ) Where to purchase from any recommendations. Do they have any warranty,support ect. Thanks again . Dave


Depends where you get it from mate,

If you aren't fussed about using an online retailer then id go with overclockers, scan or Pc specialist, these 3 give you the option to create your own and some will build for you for very little extra, they will all come with at least a years warranty and some 3 years

Otherwise I'm sure somewhere local will happily do it for you but I know those places (as I work in one and specialise in the high end builds) charge a bit more against online prices as they are typically family run etc

Yes you can future proof your PC, just depends on your final spec, as I said don't hesitate to pm with any questions and you'll get a response with genuine specs, brands, parts that will last


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## Bizcam (Nov 19, 2012)

hobbs182 said:


> Depends where you get it from mate,
> 
> If you aren't fussed about using an online retailer then id go with overclockers, scan or Pc specialist, these 3 give you the option to create your own and some will build for you for very little extra, they will all come with at least a years warranty and some 3 years
> 
> ...


Thanks I will revise my spec . Thanks for your offer for PM's :thumb:


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## _Steven67 (Apr 8, 2014)

Jedi said:


> PSU is fine, this is Corsair we're talking about here, not some no-name random. A 340W system does not need a 750W PSU.


No offence but when you say "Never skinp on graphics, the most important component in a gaming rig." I'm inclined to not believe anything else you have to say. I think having more than needed is always good in a psu for upgrading.


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## Ro22 (Aug 14, 2014)

hobbs182 said:


> Compared to?
> 
> Constantly replacing an array of HDDs every day at work and unless comparing to western digital, I'd say Seagate were second best tbh


I was kinda getting at that, go WD or go home 😊


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## hobbs182 (Jul 10, 2013)

_Steven67 said:


> No offence but when you say "Never skinp on graphics, the most important component in a gaming rig." I'm inclined to not believe anything else you have to say. I think having more than needed is always good in a psu for upgrading.


Only had to look at his quoted spec for me agree with you there lol

Future proof the machine with a corsair 750w with far more than enough amps at like 80 amps on 12v rails , then you can throw I'm whatever card you like or even two at a later date

As said though, all too their own opinions, everyone knows IT and PC 'gaming' building now anyway... 😂


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## Captain Fizz (Apr 24, 2014)

Jedi's build is pretty much spot on.

A PSU is at the most efficient when about 70% loaded, but who cares about power use 

i5 = Perfect for gaming.
Unless you are playing ArmA or similar games, i7's are redundant, most games don't use the extra cores.

GTX 970 = Best performance/£ at the moment for a higher end card.

8GB RAM is plenty for gaming, I don't know of ANY game which exceeds this - By the time 16GB is required it'll want a new Mobo anyway.

I would go with air cooling though as water cooling doesn't give much better performance unless doing proper overclocks, which I wouldn't recommend for non-overclockers. (Go with a nice overclock but nothing extreme)

SSD = essential IMHO. (Crucial are good)
WD is my favoured HDD manufacturer 

500W PSU will be fine for that.
Single GPU upgrades a few years down the line = better than SLI / possible issues with certain games due to SLI etc.


All IMHO ofc


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

I had lots of problems with Corsair Hydro coolers - air bubbles making noise all the time - tried a few swap-outs and in the end got a refund and went for a high-end Noctua heatsink and fan. Cools just as well as the Hydro and is completely silent.

Was so impressed I upgraded the case fans to Noctua ones too - they are also quiet and powerfull.


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## hobbs182 (Jul 10, 2013)

GleemSpray said:


> I had lots of problems with Corsair Hydro coolers - air bubbles making noise all the time - tried a few swap-outs and in the end got a refund and went for a high-end Noctua heatsink and fan. Cools just as well as the Hydro and is completely silent.
> 
> Was so impressed I upgraded the case fans to Noctua ones too - they are also quiet and powerfull.


Ordered a Noctua nf-p14s recently and I must say their quality of products but also marketing/packaging is very appetising, I thought the packaging cost more than the fan when I received it lol


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

Noctua stuff is really good. Little details like high quality fan bearings and the fan blades / enclosure designed to shift more air and less noise.

I have a 3570K with mild overclock and it is near silent and idles 23 - 25 (30 in high summer ) and never goes over 50 even when maxed out gaming.

My GTX650 is the loudest part.


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## _Steven67 (Apr 8, 2014)

I suggest going for a hyper evo 212 heatsink! Best bang for your buck!


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