Building new Multi-Use Rig

The wifey wants me to get a 3rd PC so we can all play games with our eldest son
She also wants a better rig as she is excited to play the elder scrolls online
 
Esentially I am going to build myself a new one, she will have mine (or most of) and he can have hers
although it is getting on a bit so may need at least a GPU upgrade fr some of the more modern games.
 
 
My current rig
 
MOBO: ASUS M4A87TD/USB3 MOTHERBOARD
Processor: AMD PHENOM II QUAD CORE 955 AM3
Ram: G.SKILL RIPJAW 8GB (2X4GB) DDR3
HD: 1x300gb Velociraptor 1 x 500gb WD Caviar Blue 1 x 2tb WD Caviar Green
PSU: OCZ MODXSTREAM PRO 700W SILENT S
CASE: Antec 900
Heatsink: ZALMAN CNPS9900-LED DUAL FLOWER
GPU: SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 5770 VAPOR-X 1GB
Sound: M-Audio Delta 10/10 LT
 
Gaming wise it plays pretty much everything really well, gets a little bit jerky around water and lots of spell effects in skyrim but then it IS on the highest settings and doesn't need to be.
This rig essentually would be great for her, minus the sound card which I am definitly going to be keeping.

I use my PC for audio production, DJing, Excel programming, Databases and Gaming, hers will be gaming and facebook - so maybe the above rig is a little bit overkill.
Essentially the two most important things for my Rig is the DJing and Gaming.
 
I've always been a bit of an AMD fan, but do appreciate at the high end intel are usually better, but you pay quite a bit more for them.
Also if I keep on with AMD there MOBO's are usually backwards compatible, so if I upgraded in the future it would be easy to do it in bits and pass the benefits on to my other PC's
 
What I am trying to decide between is, do I build myself an i7 rig or not?
Assuming I go the AMD route, What should I buy?
 
Is there a site where you can put specifactions of certain elements in?
 
Personal Specifications
 
CASE: I'm going to need a new case to house everything in.. I love the antec 900, it's not too big, has a great design, and keeps everything really cool. I like black cases and blue lights, as well as the top side USB ports. My 2 main issues with it is, the drive bays, it is not easy to slide new drives in and out, i'd like hot swap drive bays that faced out, and maybe just a little bit more space to tie up the wiring. - I have looked around but can't find anything that has this
I was thining about this: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-023-NX&campaign=pcm/googleshopping/PUP_Cases/NZXT/CA-023-NX&pup_c=gs
 
 
Processor: AMD FX 8-CORE (FX-8150) seems quite good for the price
http://www.morecomputers.com/extra.aspx?pn=FD8150FRGUBOX - £148 however has been out for a while now and I am sure there are better ones. There seems to be a lot in the PILEDRIVER series - I've read up on many sites and I don't know what people benchmark against but everyone gets different results, sometimes i5's are better, sometimes the bulldozer work best, sometimes they are on par with the low end  i7's - all in all it is very confuing and I am not sure what to get
 
Motherboard: now it would be good if I could get a mobo/processor/ram in some sort of bundle... a while ago someone advised I get this mobo: Asus SABERTOOTH 990FX - the R2.0 is now out but I was wondering if there was anything else better out. I want to stick with ASUS, and if I am honest the Sabertooth looks great for the money.
Can be found here: http://www.morecomputers.com/extra.aspx?pn=90-MIBJA0-G0EAY0VZ £139.15 Free Delivery
or here: http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/motherboards/amdam3plus990fxchipset/90-mibja0-g0eay0vz.html 139.99 free devlivery and lifetime support
 
Can't find a bundle with that motherboard though.
 
BUNDLES
 
I have found these bundles - what do you think? - which give the best performance per pound spent?
 
This is insane, and I don't think i can really justify spending this much money but I would love it: Workstation PRO X79 Intel Core i7 3930K 3.20GHz DDR3 Bundle - 32GB http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=BU-064-OP&groupid=43&catid=2384&subcat= £1200
Super Nova X79 OVERDRIVE Intel Core i7 3820 3.60GHz @ 4.20GHz DDR3 Overclocked Bundle: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=BU-148-OE&groupid=43&catid=2384&subcat= £564
- this is a more acceptable price range
"Krypton Z77 OVERDRIVE" Intel Core i7 2700K 3.50GHz @ 4.20GHz DDR3 Overclocked Bundle: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=BU-142-OE&groupid=43&catid=2384&subcat= £436
 
Oh, I found a sabertooth bundle afterall
AMD "Ultimate Constructor" Bundle - Eight Core: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=BU-083-OP&groupid=43&catid=2384&subcat= £330
 
Krypton TURBO AMD Piledriver FX-4 4300 3.80GHz @ 4.20GHz DDR3 Overclocked Bundle: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=BU-109-OE&groupid=43&catid=2384&subcat= £300
 
Krypton Crosshair 800a AMD Bulldozer FX-6 6300 3.50GHz @ 4.20GHz DDR3 Overclocked Bundle: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=BU-086-OE&groupid=43&catid=2384&subcat= £400
 
or do you know of any other bundles that would be worth gettng?
I have been looking at them on here: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/productlist.php?groupid=43&catid=&sortby=priceDesc&categoryid=2384 - there are lots to choose from and just picked a few out due to price/being on offer
 
Perhaps it would be better to get the mrs a cheaper bundle and do some minor upgrades myself rather than a complete system overhuall?
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=BU-189-OK&groupid=43&catid=2384&subcat= then a GPU on top?
or http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=BU-136-OE&groupid=43&catid=2384&subcat= - I wonder how good the onboard graphics are? Probably need a decent GPU really
this is a very cheap option: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=BU-129-OE&groupid=43&catid=2384&subcat=
Krypton Crosshair 800a AMD Bulldozer FX-6 6300 3.50GHz @ 4.20GHz DDR3 Overclocked Bundle
 
If none of those bundles seem worth it then I guess I need to keep looking

I've also been thinking about a solid state hard drive for windows and my audio software...
 
Any help you guys can offer would be great

 As a builder it has been my experience that the AMD offerings are more than powerful enough to run everything you want and more. I have been building high end systems for several years now and I cannot complain about any of the AMD products. If you want the most "bang for your buck" I would stick with AMD. Yes the I7 is a nice proc but for the price I think you could do more with the rest of the system if you went with AMD. As for the bundles you have listed I would probably choose either the sabretooth or the crosshair V. Asus makes a wonderful board, easy to oc and maintain. I have been using the crosshair III for a couple years now on my personal rig and it has served me well with absolutely no failures whatsoever since installation in 2009. I hope this helps!

Thank you for your response!

 

Rather than buying one of the bundles, would you advise a different route to take

 

eg using either the sabertooth/corsair board with a different processor?

 

The reason I ask is because I have speced up that sabertooth bundle, buying it separately for cheaper, and it doesn't come pre-made, I'm fine with building, just being lazy and found most bundles to be cheaper. 

I have always taken my builds rather personally lol. I have never purchased a pre-built or bundle. I like to select my components individually. It's a personal thing I guess but I want to know my rig inside and out. My advice for you would be to select your components based on your needs and thier compatibility.

Any proc on this page... http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007671%2050001028%20600213781&IsNodeId=1&name=Socket%20AM3%2b  will fit either of those boards (assuming you meant Crosshair and not Corsair). The vishera chips have greater l2 cache than the zambezi chips but they are both fine chips.

If you find the cost is lower buying the individual parts then by all means do it.

I haven't bought a pre-built or a bundle ever either, I think i built my first one at the age of 15 and haven't looked back. 
I was more thinking bundles would be cheaper and easier, but from looking into it they seem a little bit more expensive
 
Just had a quick look at that site, I will definitly play around with specing a few bits up on that and see what I come out with
 
in between our last posts I did a little bit of bargain hunting:
 
 
I've been searching a bit more, found some of these products for even cheeper on places like amazon:
 
MOBO: Asus SABERTOOTH 990FX R2.0 Motherboard Phenom/Athlon/Sempron AM3+ 990FX/SB950 ATX Gigabit LAN - 129.22 - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008RPYAS8/ref=asc_df_B008RPYAS811862117?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B008RPYAS8
 
PROCESSOR: AMD FX 8-CORE (FX-8150) 3.6GHz Processor 8MB (Boxed) - £137.73 - http://www.amazon.co.uk/AMD-FX-8150-Eight-Core-Processor/dp/B005UBNLFK/ref=sr_1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1360441161&sr=1-2 - The box says black edition, but title doesn't - can't see any difference to the one on more computers though, can you?
 
I've also found the liquid cooling version on ebay for the same price: http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/350656047636?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&cbt=y
Though unfortuantly has 44.20 postage to the UK (Just thought I would post for anyone in the US who might want a bargain of a processor)
 
RAM: I'm going to get 16GB, this is largely due to some of the audio production and databasing work I do (that and I get a hardon for RAM)
Trying to decide between these two that are roughly the same in price at £69.
 
Corsair, is the trusted make, from a trusted site, but the latency is slightly more (CL10) - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006EWUO22/ref=asc_df_B006EWUO2211862117?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B006EWUO22
 
Patriot is a make i haven't heard of before today, and I haven't seen this site before either however slightly better latency (CL9): http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/12699028/art/patriot/pc-viper-3-series-2-x-8-g.html
 
Is the patriot worth the gamble?
 
Case: Very Tempted by the NZXT Phantom USB 3.0 Big Tower Chassis - Black http://www.amazon.co.uk/NZXT-Phantom-USB-Tower-Chassis/dp/B003WE9WQY/ref=cm_cmu_pg__header - £105 - though not sure if the wife will like the space a full tower case takes up, we have a couple of antec 900 at the moment and love them, but I wanted something with the hotswap drive bays - know any similar ones that are a bit smaller?
 
GPU: I currently have a SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 5770 VAPOR-X 1GB and I am very happy with it, skyrim gets a little jerky at times when near water and fighting but I have it on the highest settings.. I don't need much more and the latency might not even be the GPU... however I either need to get myself a new one and give this to the wifey or get something around the same spec. I think if I am going to be spending the money I want the shiney new toy for myself.
 
HD: I was thinking of 2 new HDDs for me, I was thinking of running windows plus my core programs of an SSD: Corsair CSSD-F60GBGT-BK Force Series 60GB Solid State Drive - £69.87 - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005ACIYXI/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&psc=1&s=computers 
I was also thinking of getting an accelerator drive: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007HBLFKY/ref=asc_df_B007HBLFKY11862117?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B007HBLFKY - £46.50 - the reason for this is mainly the DJing side of things. 
(plus my existing - 1x300gb Velociraptor 1 x 500gb WD Caviar Blue 1 x 2tb WD Caviar Green)
 


For the above rig would i need a new PSU? 

Sounds like you have a good start here. The only thing I would personally change is your selection of ram. I repair systems and of the pc's I have repaired that came in for ram issues Patriot is a frequent one. I personally use Mushkin for all my builds. I'm really not trying to advocate for any particular brand of component but from an experienced and personal perspective Mushkin blackline is some of the best ram money can buy. Corsair makes nice ram too but Patriot is not on my list of "quality" ram.

I'd never heard of patriot before today, the only thing that interested me was the price, so thank you for saving me from the mistake of buying it. 

I'll look into this Mushkin in a bit more detail but found some for £73 including delivery: http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/130794531893?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&cbt=y

Would you recommend Mushkin over Corsair? I nearly always go Corsair, though went G.Skill under the advisement of someone here, and I must admit I have been very happy with it so I very much trust the opinion of people round here. 

Personally I would say Mushkin, professionally they are comparable. I have never had to repair a ram failure that included Corsair ram so I am comfortable in stating it is a good manufacturer.

hmm, well it would seem there isn't really anywhere to get mushkin in the uk (at least not the blackline 2 x8gb)

I could buy in from the US via ebay... and there are a couple of shops i've never heard of that have sites that look a bit crap - I get paranoid about a site looking not professional and legit. 

 

I'm not making the purchase till pay day though, so maybe something will come up before then, either way the ram will be good

 

Thank you for your help. 

 

Now all I need to do is work out if I am getting the wifey an ok GPU or upgrading mine and giving her this one - although looking into it, my GPU seems to have gone up in price - I got it on a special offer, but it goes for £200-£300 now. 

 

I think I might end up getting her something cheaper - just need to find something that can play skyrim quite well, doesn't need to be top of the range... at the moment there is just a 5 year old 512mb nvidia card in there. it's probably older than 5 years, as it only cost £70 then

 

Hmm... well not sure the best way to proceed with that one, but I am sure I will think of something

 

Thank you for your help!

http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Memory+-+RAM/DDR3/Dual+Channel+-+%281600MHz%29/8GB+Mushkin+Enhanced+BlackLine+Frostbyte+LV+%23996988+%282x4GB%29+1600+%28PC3-12800%29+240-Pin+DDR3+SDRAM+CAS+9-9-9-24+1.35V+?productId=43961

 

I don't know anything personally about Aria but they seem to have a pretty good selection.

 

Here is the link to the Mushkin partner list, maybe you can find a vendor there.

http://www.mushkin.com/Partners.aspx

 

Hope this helps

If you can't find Muskin ram on Amazon and most of your parts are coming from Amazon then don't worry about it. Any brand of ram can be DOA or die eventually, Corsair, G.Skill and Kingston are all fine brands you can pick from. Muskin does have DOAs and zedsed420's experience with Muskin have been fine but someone out there will get a bad ram, same can be said for Patriot.

The amazon reason is because after looking all round my usual retailers I then search online for the best price/site i trusted combo and amazon had the best prices. 

 

Thanks all for your help I am going to start building this rig after pay day

I'd take GSkill over mushkin any day, I have both of them and the mushkin enhanced blacklines do not overclock at all,  the GSkill value ram on the other hand will overclock from 1333 to 1600 stably

As far as the Accelerator SSD I'd suggest you either buy a bigger primary SSD 90-128gb with the money, and or, get 4Gb(2x2gb)  more  ram and use it for Fancycache(download the free beta software) 

You could also use the extra ram for a Ram disk(also free) or, for both ram disk and  fancycache

 

Also I believe the Patriot is an excellent overclocker but Corsair has a good reputation, I'm getting a pair of Corsairs myself in a few days so I'll get to see what the fuss is about.

 

Cpu hmm, I'd say you could get an Fx 6300 and get it up to 4.4-4.5ghz and save some money over the 8150

 

GPU Any Msi, Sapphire, Giga 2gb HD 7850

I'd take GSkill over mushkin any day, I have both of them and the mushkin enhanced blacklines do not overclock at all

 I have been running Mushkin for years and I have never heard of nor had a problem with overclocking it. It is some of the most stable ram money can buy.

I'd take GSkill over mushkin any day, I have both of them and the mushkin enhanced blacklines do not overclock at all

 I have been running Mushkin for years and I have never heard of nor had a problem with overclocking it. It is some of the most stable ram money can buy.

Cool, but thats my experience with Mushkin