Buying a new computer please comment on parts :)

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Frazer1992

Hello people i am updating my computer next weekend and so far i have been looking at this bundle pack...tell me what you think please :)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showprodu ... =BU-085-OE
umbongo(uk)
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i take it you have all the other parts to go with it ...os ,gpu and case etc

its a very nice set up dosent break the bank should run anything you wish to throw at it

follow link for a heads up on performance of the cpu and a nvidia GeForce GTX 580
http://www.guru3d.com/article/amd-fx-81 ... -review/10

check out intels i5 2500k if u can find one similar price and set up as there supposed to be nippier in real world non gaming programs as well as games


edit:: here pretend the 8150 is the 4100 (look i know its not but its to give you an idea )this is how it compares .i have seen these around in bundle for a similar price to amd system your looking at
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/434?vs=288

edit;;2 i just noticed u fell for the gaming bundle title all that means is u get a crossfire board and you dont state that this is were your headed with your rigg

what are u wanting from this system ???????.more info on what you are looking for (ie a mr plow im a silly fecker heres my cash im premium or umbongo i smell burning id best buy a new one of them realy cheaply before the cat sets on fire)

edit 3 :
i5 kit,,you can shave a further 20 quid off getting the asus board instead in the configurater part
http://www.cclonline.com/product/73623/ ... INTEL-MID/

other shops novatech.ebuyer etc
Frazer1992

Hello mate i am mainly going to a gaming pc so i can play battlefield 3 nicely, and too be honest with other games as well (bioshock , metro, fry cry etc that have a high or medium requirement and most of all Total war shogun 2 I love that game) So if that bundle pack will actually run those games nicely then that would be Great.
umbongo(uk)
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Frazer answer me these questions:

1> What current graphics card(s) do you have?
2> Are you wanting to use CrossFire now or in the future?
3> Are you an overclocker or do you have an idea about overclocking?
4> I take it you just want something that works, is relativly cheap and will get the job done?

If the answer is yes to 1 & 2 or just 2 then the motherboard you get in the Bulldozer bundle you linked to will be fine for a future extra card to be installed.

If you dont plan on adding another card, they do an offer of the same machine but with a single slot PCIe x16 for £60.00 cheaper but it will run in the same region as the one your looking at. Also note it has a 4GB single stick or RAM so you wont get the 15% extra speed from a Dual-Channel setup, I'd suggest you buy another stick the same RAM. The OC'd RAM has low CAS timings so just get another stick to give you 8GB in total for an extra £18.00 but remember you have to use a 64 bit OS to make use of it.

Overclocking the FX 4100 is simply a case of either leaving the machine running in turbo all the time or going into bios and upping the multiplier for a higher clock (you wont need to, it has enough grunt). At its default settings it will run any game going at high settings (the machine is practically the same as mine - AMD 955 3.2GHZ ATI 6870 graphics 4GB RAM and all games high settings played @1080 on 25" monitor).

Here is a link to the same machine but without crossfire and dual ram: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showprodu ... 47&subcat=

DISCLAIMER:
Im only giving you a general idea. It is up to the person buying the item on whethter it suits their needs, this information was written while sober so could include inaccuracys and coherrant sentences!
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Dont forget a decent PSU!!!
Also, unless you already have one - get a good branded PSU such as Corsair or else you may cook your overclocked goodies. There is a huge difference in component quality amongst PSU's, and power ratings are measured differently. Some 600W PSU's cannot actually handle 600W for more than few seconds before they die, others have unstable power fails causing fluctuations in power, some could even cause spikes in power which could kill one or more components in your PC.

Corsair are one manufacturer who make decent PSU's, I have one of their 650W TX Series PSUs, I also have OCZ GamerXStreme 600W PSU but I prefer the Corsair one.
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Just to add:

Intel i5 Processors (Sandy Bridge or Ivy Bridge?)
When it comes to Intels i5 processors, you have 2 flavours to consider:

:: Sandy Bridge (SB) - such as the 2500k (@3.3Ghz)
:: Ivy bridge (IB) - such as the 3570k (@3.4Ghz)

The latest version of i5 processors are the Ivy Bridge processors (released in April 2012). A table comparing the features of these 2 i5 CPUs can found at: http://hexus.net/tech/reviews/cpu/38421 ... vy-bridge/

The most noticeable benefits of the Ivy Bridge processor is: lower power consumption, higher speed, smaller die, faster IGP, higher RAM speeds.

So, if you're going down the i5 route I'd consider getting a newer Ivy Bridge processor such as the i5 3570k.

Intel Chipsets
Prior to the Ivy Bridge processors being launched the latest Intel chipset was the Z68. Now, the latest Intel chipset is the Z77.

The Z77 supports both the older Sandy Bridge and newer Ivy Bridge CPUs. That said, so will most of the Z68 motherboards with a BIOS update!

Ideally, the newer Ivy Bridge i5 processors should be paired with Intels latest Z77 chipset. The Z77 chipset, whilst similar to the Z68 chipset, has several improvements which can be found at: http://hexus.net/tech/reviews/mainboard ... therboard/

Do you really need to Overclock?
Overclocking increases the chance of reducing the lifetime of components. Something to consider is do you really need to overclock?

I personally DONT overclock my PC, and it can run every game I own at max settings, though sometimes I dont do that for MP games to give me more FPS. Rather than buying an already overclocked bundle, you could buy an OEM setup and see how it performs, and then if your not happy look into overclocking it.

As an example:
For £255.42 (inc vat) you could get an Intel i5 3570k (@3.4Ghz) with a Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H motherboard (mid-range mobo) from eBuyer. You will then need to get memory on top of that, but this motherboard supports Intels Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) RAM modules - Memory Support List (I'd recommend Corsair).

Overclockers do a bundle on this CPU/Motherboard for £360 inc vat, the difference being this is overclocked to 4.2Ghz and comes with 4GB Kingston RAM and a 3rd party cooler to replace the boxed retail one.

AWD-IT also do a bundle on this CPU/Mobo for £299.99 inc vat (never shopped there though!) - and thats clocked at 4.4Ghz and you can double the RAM from 4gb to 8gb for an extra £13 !!! (and its Corsair RAM).

What do you need from your motherboard?
Something else to consider is what features you need from your motherboard. How many USB slots do you need? ...do you need onboard audio? ...do you need dual-lan? ...eSata? ...etc etc.
The best defence against software piracy is producing a game worth buying.
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bongo why you make sense when youre talking to people that you dont already know? :uwhat:
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