Question for PC enthusiasts

[Albion Knight]

I'd say get the monitor next then the OS. Save the things that will come down in price or up in power the most until last. I take it you have the case and Power Supply already. SSD drives seem to be dropping in price recently

 

[Dark Drakan]

I'd say get the monitor next then the OS. Save the things that will come down in price or up in power the most until last. I take it you have the case and Power Supply already. SSD drives seem to be dropping in price recently

I have the case, power supply & an SSD already yeah. OS isn't that expensive so could get that at any point, monitor is next cheapest part left to purchase I believe (depending which I decide on).

 

[Albion Knight]

I always say spend extra on the Monitor because you'll likely keep it longer that the PC lol

 

[Dark Drakan]

Still havent decided on a monitor yet but some decent deals on at moment and in the Jan sales so hoping to save some cash on some components. Going to try and make as much cash as I can in the next few weeks with wages/selling things I no longer need and overtime at work to get my last parts purchased.

Parts I have left to purchase are:

Motherboard: Asus Maximus VII Hero
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K
GPU: nVidia EVGA GTX 970 (Heard EVGA are bringing new model out in Jan)
Windows
Monitor

I have a spare keyboard and mouse I can use but will purchase better ones a little later down the line.

 

[Albion Knight]

Have you thought about getting a multi monitor setup?

 

[Dark Drakan]

Have you thought about getting a multi monitor setup?

Struggling to save cash for one at the min never mind multiple. Everytime I get decent amount saved some bill comes through the door & all my cash is gone again. It's possible down the line though as looks pretty nice.

 

[Dark Drakan]

Finally been a little more progress on my build and ordered myself an Asus Maximus VII Hero Motherboard which should arrive in next few days. Only CPU/GPU/Windows and Monitor left to purchase now and im ready to go.

 

[TRA Rotid]

"only"

 

[Dark Drakan]

"only"

Shouldnt take much longer to purchase remaining parts although they do add up to around £600+ which isnt cheap and most the expensive parts remain but I have cancelled a holiday to free up some cash as ive been struggling lately.

 

[Dark Drakan]

This will be the final specs of my rig after some alterations to save some cash and still get best bang for buck I can parts in red I still have to purchase...

Case: Corsair Carbide 200R
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VII Hero
PSU: Corsair RM850 Plus Gold
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K (Quad Core 3.5Ghz)
GPU: nVidia MSI GTX 970
RAM: Hyper X Fury Black (8GB)
SSD: Crucial CT120M500SSD1 120GB
HD: Western Digital 1TB
Optical Drive: LG 24X DVD Burner
Windows: 7 (now I know you can upgrade to Windows 10 for free with it too)
Monitor: BenQ GL2450HM LED TN 24-inch Widescreen ​

 

[TRA Rotid]

I can't say anything myself, but I can, as always, just pitch the list to a couple of hardcore geeks I know to get some feedback.

Though obviously most parts are already purchased so it wouldn't change much.

 

[Dark Drakan]

I can't say anything myself, but I can, as always, just pitch the list to a couple of hardcore geeks I know to get some feedback.

Though obviously most parts are already purchased so it wouldn't change much.

Been an ongoing thing for a couple of months and specs have changed here and there as I have gone along, the main parts like the CPU/GPU has changed multiple times and havent purchased those yet but these (in post above) seemed the best bang for buck ones based on research and help/suggestions from Steve, Scott (@Gikoku) and Aaron (@Azer249).

Aware of the controversy surrounding the GTX 970 range and the 3.5GB rather than 4GB of accessible memory but power consumption and bang for buck they are still great cards that will last some time and dont break the bank price wise either.

 

[TRA Rotid]

Strange, is it intended that I can't edit my posts?

Anyway, got a pretty quick reply (forwarding only relevant stuff):

• Where is the CPU cooler? Does he plan to not overclock at all? If so, why buying expensive K unlocked CPU, you would be better buying some Xeon of that price range, they would generally offer better performance for the buck if you do not want to overclock.

• RAM, ok, but these days I would go to 16GB already. 8GB is good but I can already see it becoming tight in some situations

• Windows 7 are generally better and less problematic

• This monitor is the biggest heresy on this list. Its a total crap. Please drop this and pick something with at least average panel, not a total crappy one. Just open the 24" list, filter out the TN panels, keep in the IPS and PVa panels, pick few there, list them here and I will pick you the best ok....*

He basically also said you could have saved money on the mobo and could have opted to a lot cheaper one (enough to go for an i7 for the same net total).
Everything else is OK.

*I did some research on this when I bought a new monitor almost two years ago and even then he said to filter out TN panels. I bought myself a Dell UltraSharp U2412M and I am thoroughly pleased. This is the part where you probably don't want to cut costs either, because not only can a good monitor last a lot longer than other parts of your rig, but it's also the thing that you'll be looking at so you want good quality here. All in all, IPS>TN

 

[Dark Drakan]

Strange, is it intended that I can't edit my posts?

Anyway, got a pretty quick reply (forwarding only relevant stuff):

• Where is the CPU cooler? Does he plan to not overclock at all? If so, why buying expensive K unlocked CPU, you would be better buying some Xeon of that price range, they would generally offer better performance for the buck if you do not want to overclock.

• RAM, ok, but these days I would go to 16GB already. 8GB is good but I can already see it becoming tight in some situations

• Windows 7 are generally better and less problematic

• This monitor is the biggest heresy on this list. Its a total crap. Please drop this and pick something with at least average panel, not a total crappy one. Just open the 24" list, filter out the TN panels, keep in the IPS and PVa panels, pick few there, list them here and I will pick you the best ok....*

He basically also said you could have saved money on the mobo and could have opted to a lot cheaper one (enough to go for an i7 for the same net total).
Everything else is OK.

*I did some research on this when I bought a new monitor almost two years ago and even then he said to filter out TN panels. I bought myself a Dell UltraSharp U2412M and I am thoroughly pleased. This is the part where you probably don't want to cut costs either, because not only can a good monitor last a lot longer than other parts of your rig, but it's also the thing that you'll be looking at so you want good quality here. All in all, IPS>TN

CPU cooler would come at later date as I dont intend to overclock straight away as this is my first time back into PC gaming etc for 9 years and still relearning the ropes and new to overclocking too so got some research to do so I dont break anything. So wont be doing any out of the box but wanted to give myself some headroom for the future. I had opted for an i7 processor originally but for gaming alone the i5 was voted as better option and around £90 cheaper. So it suits my needs just as much and saved me cash.

Extra RAM will be purchased as needed, only £54 for an extra 8GB so thats not an issue. Will purchase an extra HD down the road too when needed.

Windows 7 was first choice but can be tough to find from some retailers and might have to opt for Ebay or see if Amazon have any stock left.

The monitor was suggested by @Steve Powell as I have no clue about monitors so open to all suggestions, the filtering option available on Amazon? Always got told for gaming TN panels were recommended due to their exceptional response time & IPS was more for video editing and photo editing.

From Scan.co.uk

When choosing a gaming monitor, you’ll be most probably faced with two options regarding the type of panel: TN or IPS. TN is the most common one and found on about 90% of the monitors out there, it’s also the oldest technology. TN panels are also the cheapest to make but also have the shortest response times (ms). In combination with today’s almost common LED back-lighting, these panels offer really good brightness and consume low energy (especially the LED ones). The cons to TN panels are the horrid color shifting that exists in different viewing angles, even if you play right in front of the monitor, you’ll notice color shifting and inconsistencies around the image, and this fact is even more noticeable the cheaper the monitor is. Regarding color accuracy, they are “ok”, some brands are better, others are worse, some gamers don’t really care about it and want the lowest response time, others actually do, and finding a balance between image quality and response time is something you should really put some thought into.

On the other hand, there’s IPS panels. They are a more recent technology, more expensive, more power consuming, and a lot better regarding colour reproduction in comparison to TN panels. They also offer incredible viewing angles, even at 90 degrees at the side or top, which turns into great color consistency over all the screen. One big drawback gaming related to this is the response times, which are worse than TN panels. With that in mind, there’s a recent technology called S-IPS (Super IPS) that offers the fast response time of TN panels with the excellent image of IPS panels, and that’s the perfect balance for an ideal gaming monitor in my opinion. Then again, there’s another drawback. It still doesn’t exist 120hz IPS or S-IPS monitors, due to lack of technology improvement in that field, so we’re limited to 60hz as for now. But in the near future when the technology is available, I would highly recommend it to any gamer out there, you won’t regret it, even if you have to spend almost twice as much as you would for a standard TN 120hz monitor.

As you have probably gathered by now, there is no single type of LCD that is good at everything. What panel type you choose must be a compromise based on how you use the monitor. Gamers will generally be happy with TN panels and their exceptional response time. Photographers and graphic designers should buy an IPS monitor instead.​

 

[TRA Rotid]

Well you could also give me a budget for the monitor. I'm thinking UK should be well supplied in terms of hardware choices so shouldn't be a problem getting the best one.

Online shops should have filters in place so you can choose which kind of panel technology you want.
TN is an older technology. Quick Google search says that they are cheaper and (generally) have better response times. Their biggest disadvantage is color shift when viewed from an angle.
IPS panels don't have color distortion and can be viewed from all angels (which I consider a big advantage). They also have better colors. IPS monitors can have a thing called black glow, resulting in "muddier" blacks and a strange glow when working in the dark. It depends on the model, though, and I think newer versions are better in that regard anyway.

You also find opinions that the difference between the two is often exaggerated and when viewed head-on, there's almost no difference. When you only use the PC for gaming, it doesn't matter, but in a situation when you want two or more people to view the screen, it can already be a problem.

A short conclusion would then be that IPS is better, but more expensive, and the TN is more limited, but cheaper.

Edit: I also read that and I must say that not only is the response time marginal (unnoticeable), it also depends on the specific model. Unless you are a hardcore gamer, 2ms vs 5ms or even 8ms (which my monitor has) makes no difference.

 

[Dark Drakan]

Well you could also give me a budget for the monitor. I'm thinking UK should be well supplied in terms of hardware choices so shouldn't be a problem getting the best one.

Online shops should have filters in place so you can choose which kind of panel technology you want.
TN is an older technology. Quick Google search says that they are cheaper and (generally) have better response times. Their biggest disadvantage is color shift when viewed from an angle.
IPS panels don't have color distortion and can be viewed from all angels (which I consider a big advantage). They also have better colors. IPS monitors can have a thing called black glow, resulting in "muddier" blacks and a strange glow when working in the dark. It depends on the model, though, and I think newer versions are better in that regard anyway.

You also find opinions that the difference between the two is often exaggerated and when viewed head-on, there's almost no difference. When you only use the PC for gaming, it doesn't matter, but in a situation when you want two or more people to view the screen, it can already be a problem.

A short conclusion would then be that IPS is better, but more expensive, and the TN is more limited, but cheaper.

Its going to be pretty much a gaming only PC that I will be sat in front of, I had heard about color shift and such from angles but the response times were the most recommended for gaming. Only the Super IPS offered the same response times but with better color consistency over all the screen but that pretty much doubles the cost of the monitor. Will have to look and see how much the price differs between TN and IPS as well as response times between models.

That monitor seemed to suit my needs and with my Amazon discount only came to around £90. I know its not an area you should be cutting costs on but the reviews were good and BenQ seemed to be quite well regarded for gaming monitors and Steve had suggested it too.

 

[TRA Rotid]

I also read that and I must say that not only is the response time marginal (unnoticeable), it also depends on the specific model. Unless you are a hardcore FPS gamer, 2ms vs 5ms or even 8ms (which my monitor has) makes no difference.

 

[Dark Drakan]

I also read that and I must say that not only is the response time marginal (unnoticeable), it also depends on the specific model. Unless you are a hardcore FPS gamer, 2ms vs 5ms or even 8ms (which my monitor has) makes no difference.

Well if you know of any better monitors that are of similar price range than this then im all ears (I get discount if they are supplied and stocked by Amazon). Searching through these at moment, aiming for less than £200 if I can as the more I have to save the longer the build will take. I am already around 3 months behind schedule at the moment.

 

[Steve]

Aware of the controversy surrounding the GTX 970 range and the 3.5GB rather than 4GB of accessible memory but power consumption and bang for buck they are still great cards that will last some time and dont break the bank price wise either.

Don't worry about the xGB figure on the end of most modern high-end graphics cards. It's typically only something you need to be concerned with only if you're looking to hook up a triple-monitor (or more - yikes!) Nvidia Surround or Eyefinity screen-splosion.

Case: Corsair Carbide 200R
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VII Hero
PSU: Corsair RM850 Plus Gold
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K (Quad Core 3.5Ghz)
GPU: nVidia MSI GTX 970
RAM: Hyper X Fury Black (8GB)
SSD: Crucial CT120M500SSD1 120GB
HD: Western Digital 1TB
Optical Drive: LG 24X DVD Burner
Windows: 7 (now I know you can upgrade to Windows 10 for free with it too)
Monitor: BenQ GL2450HM LED TN 24-inch Widescreen ​

I love Corsair cases! My modded 800d has served me well for the past... however many years.

Really liking the look of your build! The only thing I'd recommend including is a good Western Digital hard drive into the mix. A common practise if to house your operating system and standard programs on an SSD, and keep your miscellaneous stuff on the hard drive. I keep all of my work, music, photos, downloads, Steam games installed on a 1TB hard drive, for instance. It won't take very long to fill up that 120GB hard drive at all without the help of a secondary 'junk drive'. My Steam folder alone with only about 10 fairly modern games installed already weighs in at 136GB, to give you a better idea.

Note: Ah - somehow missed the hard drive list item... duh me! I'd recommend going for a 'Black' series drive as those things are smokin' fast and very affordable nowadays.

Returning to the case: That's a great case - I'd personally go with the non-windowed option as opposed to the windowed one as it includes an additional two optional fan mounting areas. Mind you, it's easy enough to mod your own fan mounts into the window. I used to have my case's interior lit up with LEDs and all sorts of junk but now I focus more on keeping stuff cool in there. My case is positioned in such a way that I can't see the window panel side anyway.

Optical drive: If you already have one sitting inside an old computer, just rip it out and use that one. It's so rare that I use mine now that I'll typically disconnect it once I've installed the OS and a few old-school games.

RAM: Unless you're intending to run a billion programs and render videos 24/7, you won't need any more RAM. I have 16GB in mine, and it's exceedingly rare for me to go above 30-40%, and I'll typically have 30 tabs open and some other junk running in the background.

SSD: Lovely choice! You can save a tenner and go for a cheaper Kingston model, but I'd stick with the one you've got. Shaz bought me that exact one to power my arcade and it goes from post to arcade screen (shelled) in about 8-10 seconds!

Monitor: IPS' have better viewing angles and better colour reproduction. But TNs are hella cheaper and are better for gaming. I've used both and while both technologies have gotten better over the years, TNs have always suited me better.

PSU: Unless you're going to SLi in future, you could get away with a cheaper model. 850 Gold is very solid future-proofing, though.

 

[Dark Drakan]

My HD is a 1Tb Western Digital Black, I purchased the PSU on special offer and got a good price for it too. The optical drive cost me £14 and I have like 3 spare in the loft anyway incase I want a secondary drive. The SSD will be used just for windows and maybe the odd game that would benefit from it but other than that the 1TB HD will be used. Will pick up another when I start filling that one as it only cost me around £50.