Oolite Bulletins

This kind of continues from a topic I posted on the Frontier forums and also from discussions I've had with others elsewhere, but I was wondering what people on here though before I went ahead with buying a new PC...

I am confused/conflicted between getting an Intel® Core™ i7-4790 (3.6GHz) 8MB Cache and an Intel® Core™ i5-4690 (3.5GHz) 6MB Cache. The difference in price is only £75.00, and obviously the i7 has more power. However some have suggested to me that an i7 is not really needed for a gaming rig, and other have disagreed and said that the extra power will be better for future proofing my machine (as in not having to upgrade for longer).

The full specs are here:

Case
CORSAIR 230T COMPACT GAMING CASE - RED LED + SIDE WINDOW
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4790 (3.6GHz) 8MB Cache (or Intel® Core™ i5-4690 (3.5GHz) 6MB Cache)
Motherboard
ASUS® H81M-PLUS: Micro-ATX, LG1150, USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 770 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
1st Hard Disk
2TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 64MB CACHE
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W VS SERIES™ VS-650 POWER SUPPLY
Processor Cooling
Corsair H60 Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence

Everything else I'm settled on, it's just the processor I'm unsure about...

(BTW the reason I'm choosing between these two processors is based on the choices available on the website I'm buying it from.)

If you can afford it, then there is no harm (and possibly longer-term benefits) in going for the i7 CPU. That case - is it the Corsair Graphite 230T? That case has a very poor quality front bezel (I know - I broke one recently), not enough removable dust filters (only one underneath the PSU), the power-on switch ain't great, and there are no rubber grommits around the cable cut-outs. Oh, and the two red LEDs are rather too bright (and unnecessary, of course).

Edit to add: is that system from PC Specialist? Good people to do business with - I know that from experience too.

Also 8 GB RAM is enough for a gaming ring and you can always upgrade it later if you want. I suggest to invest in a SSD disk instead.
Of course if you don't have problem with your budget you can have it all

StathisR wrote:

Also 8 GB RAM is enough for a gaming ring and you can always upgrade it later if you want.

That mobo only has two DIMMs - better to get an ATX mobo.

Oh is it this one:



I quite liked the look of it. Yes PC Specialist it seemed like the best site for value and reviews all seemed good.

As for RAM surely 16GB is better than 8GB?

Pleb wrote:

Oh is it this one:

Yep... I have one in its box (which is now the subject of a wrangle with Corsair). Yes, it does look cool - but it ain't a compact case, it's a normal mid-tower (thus it will take a full ATX mobo). As for PC Specialist, my brother has bought two systems from them recently - I do recommend them for value and build quality.

Actually i am in the same situation as you. After 4+ plus years with a laptop i decided to build a new box (guess which game i intend to play ).
I lean toward i7 and a GTX770 GPU for the moment. I am building it piece by piece because my budget doesn't allow it to go all in one plus i am not in a hurry.

Pleb wrote:

As for RAM surely 16GB is better than 8GB?

Yes but for games 8GB is enough. You would see much more improvement if you add a SSD.

StathisR wrote:

I am building it piece by piece because my budget doesn't allow it to go all in one plus i am not in a hurry.

That's how I've done it - I gathered the components one-by-one over a nine month period.
That method does have a drawback though - if a component is duff (it happens), then a simple RTM/vendor is often not possible.

I looked into doing it bit by bit but when I did a rough check at the price requirements for each piece it actually worked out cheaper to get it built for me. Plus I'm lazy! I suppose if you shop around you can find cheaper bits I just did a quick search on eBay and Amazon I'm sure you can get them far cheaper but I have no technical experience (good with software not hardware) and I'm lazy!

What case would you recommend if the one I've chosen is no good?

Cody wrote:

StathisR wrote:

I am building it piece by piece because my budget doesn't allow it to go all in one plus i am not in a hurry.

That's how I've done it - I gathered the components one-by-one over a nine month period.
That method does have a drawback though - if a component is duff (it happens), then a simple RTM/vendor is often not possible.

Yes i know. That's why i started with the case. Tommorow i am expecting the PSU and i can test it in a friend's PC. The CPU/MB/RAM will go all in one so i can test them.

Pleb wrote:

What case would you recommend if the one I've chosen is no good?

Don't get me wrong, it is a good case - it simply has a couple of problems, which may not affect you. As regards a recommendation, the case I've bought to replace the Corsair is this one - similar price, but better inside. Mind you, I've yet to re-build the system into it - but I like it so far.

PC Specialist will let you supply your own case, then fit your spec into it, btw.

@ StathisR: you can test the PSU with the old paper-clip trick and a case fan - google it.

Pleb wrote:

What case would you recommend if the one I've chosen is no good?

This is subjective and depends on what you want from the case. I prefer cases that have able space and good airflow because i had problems with overheating in the past. Plus i wan't to mess with the case easily and to have room for upgrades.

Cody wrote:

@ StathisR: you can test the PSU with the old paper-clip trick and a case fan - google it.

Good to know. Thanks

StathisR wrote:

The CPU/MB/RAM will go all in one so i can test them.

You can test that bundle before fitting it into the case too - simply jump-start the mobo (with it connected to the PSU, of course).