New PC - what specs should I go for

[sharky_ob]

Hello all

I'm thinking about getting myself a pc with the following requirements:

- Small base unit
- Works with my plasma tv - connections aren't a problem but I've heard there's an issue with pixel size?
- will play driving games such as rfactor and race 07 well
- optical out for connection to my stereo
- budget of ?300 to ?400

Can anyone recommend what gear I should be going for (cpu, gpu, motherboard, soundcard etc). This all seems like a bit of a minefield to me, as I've not had a pc for years, and I'm not sure what the specs mean anymore!

PS. Can I use my 360 wireless steering wheel with my PC?

[Ian(not Ian)]

I'm thinking a wee Shuttle XPC will do you fine.
You gotta build it yourself though, but should be able to get a decent spec which should work fine with your plasma* and hi-fi for around your budget.

*With a decent GFX card which will give you component out.

[sharky_ob]

I'm thinking a wee Shuttle XPC will do you fine.
You gotta build it yourself though, but should be able to get a decent spec which should work fine with your plasma* and hi-fi for around your budget.

*With a decent GFX card which will give you component out.

Thanks for your responce

Just had a look at these, they certainly look like the type of thing I'm after, but seem a bit more expensive than other systems I've looked at. Can you recommend a retailer?

Cheers

[Ian(not Ian)]

http://www.overclockers.co.uk

Is where I've bought my Shuttle cases and components from. The biggest outlay is the Shuttle itself, then you need a CPU, HDD, DVD-R, RAM and GFX, if you don;t aim too high those 5 components can come in at around £200 ish. Shuttle on top brings it up to around 350 and XP Pro finishes off your 400 pounds, maybe. Let's have a look....

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-087-SH&groupid=701&catid=110&subcat=&name=Shuttle%20T-Series%20SS21T%20Barebones%20System%20-%20AMD64%20(Socket%20AM2)

AMD 64, the cheapest, and looks like the biggest! at < 100 quids

next up...

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-219-AM&groupid=701&catid=6&subcat=&name=AMD%20Athlon%2064%20X2%20Dual%20Core%204600+%202.40GHz%20(Socket%20AM2)%20-%20Retail

Not I recommend AMD btw, but yours for &#163;44

And the RAM...

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-072-OC

2GB 800mhz, just the ticket 35 sovs

HDD

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-027-HI&groupid=701&catid=14&subcat=59&name=Hitachi%20Deskstar%207K160%20160GB%20ATA-133%208MB%20Cache%20-%20OEM

Going IDE here, OC's SATA are expensive, not too sure if SATAII work ok in SATA boards, someone will will chip in their 2 bob.
32 british pounds

DVD-RW less then &#163;20, also IDE btw

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CD-041-AS&groupid=701&catid=10&subcat=185&name=Asus%20DRW-2014L1%2020x%20DVD&#177;RW%20IDE%20Dual%20Layer%20Lightscribe%20ReWriter%20(Black)%20-%20OEM

Now for the piece d'resistance, the GFX, PCI-E x16, literally any modern ATI or NVidia will do the trick and come with component connectors for yer telly.

lets say 256MB Nvidia for a laugh

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-128-AS&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=912&name=Asus%20GeForce%208600%20GT%20256MB%20GDDR3%20HDTV/Dual%20DVI%20(PCI-Express)%20-%20Retail

70 quids.

&#163;279 the lot above + around 50 for XP, any of the above can be 'upgraded' to a higher spec with more pounds.
Fitting all that lot into a shuttle is a dawdle btw due to a pictorial manual showing just what goes where.

Disclaimer - the above is a possible way to go, not an absolute.

[sharky_ob]

Ian, that is amazing mate!

This could well be the way I go - it would be very satifying to put the PC together myself. One last question, how easy is installing the o/s once you've put it all together?

Thanks again!

[EvilBoris]

Very easy.

You literally change an option in the bios or press a button as it is booting and it will load up the installation CD in the drive.

[briareos_kerensky]

Quoting everything except...

lets say 256MB Nvidia for a laugh
70 quids.

Go for an Ati, like an HD3850 if you intend to use it as a media center.

[Matt]

Do yourself a favour. First, buy an Intel Core2Duo rather than AMD. MUCH faster, cost not too much more.

And wait 2 weeks for the new ATI 4850 graphics card. Around &#163;110 (may take an extra week for prices to settle here), may be twice as fast as the 3850 and nVidia 8600. Also does 7.1 sound via HDMI (I think) so perfect for a HTPC.

[sharky_ob]

Do yourself a favour. First, buy an Intel Core2Duo rather than AMD. MUCH faster, cost not too much more.

And wait 2 weeks for the new ATI 4850 graphics card. Around ?110 (may take an extra week for prices to settle here), may be twice as fast as the 3850 and nVidia 8600. Also does 7.1 sound via HDMI (I think) so perfect for a HTPC.

I was going to have to wait a couple of weeks until pay day so that sounds great. Would the card have optical out on it too? My tv has HDMI but my amp doesn't.

[Matt]

No I don't think so (not out yet, so can't check though). TBH I'm not sure how it even handles the sound. What you want, to be absolutely sure, is a mobo with optical out - this is often called SPDIF on the mobo specs, not "optical out" but it's exactly the same port, and what I use in to my amp. HDMI sound output is just a nice future bonus for most of us without the correct amps.

When you are set to buy, post in this thread what parts you're looking at and ask the guys here to check them out, you'll get help. If it comes to it drop me a PM.

[Ian(not Ian)]

Going C2D with a Shuttle is jolly good indeed, I have one myself, whisper quiet and perfect for a media PC, but your budget will go out the window, at least 60 quid more for the shuttle case which accepts C2Ds.
Additonal cost of the C2D chip iself will also add a bob or two.....
Then you'd really want SATAii drives to go with it, more dosh.
Then you'd really want that ATI3850 or better, another added cost.....

Don't go too mad with the GFX though as Shuttles have dinky PSUs, 250W for the AMD one above and 350W for the C2D types. SuperGFX cards can draw 150W on thier own.

Edit- Also reckon you'd be after 1066MHZ RAM for a C2D Shuttle, double the cost of the 800MHZ jobbies, not entirely necessary, but jolly nice.

[sharky_ob]

Going C2D with a Shuttle is jolly good indeed, I have one myself, whisper quiet and perfect for a media PC, but your budget will go out the window, at least 60 quid more for the shuttle case which accepts C2Ds.
Additonal cost of the C2D chip iself will also add a bob or two.....
Then you'd really want SATAii drives to go with it, more dosh.
Then you'd really want that ATI3850 or better, another added cost.....

Don't go too mad with the GFX though as Shuttles have dinky PSUs, 250W for the AMD one above and 350W for the C2D types. SuperGFX cards can draw 150W on thier own.

Edit- Also reckon you'd be after 1066MHZ RAM for a C2D Shuttle, double the cost of the 800MHZ jobbies, not entirely necessary, but jolly nice.

I did check all that out, and it was working out substantially more expensive. I'm wondering if it's all necessary for what I need? It would be nice to have all the bells and whistles but I really don't want to go too far over ?400.

That said the silver shuttle case looks amazing!

[Matt]

Depends what it's for. I have a BR player in my HTPC, and I used the PowerDVD site that said what minimum processor you'd need - I settled on a 6400 C2D, which are really cheap nowadays. I don't see any point building a HTPC without taking BluRay into consideration. Drives will be cheap soon (I paid &#163;60, they'll be under &#163;40 by Xmas), so you may as well at least build a PC that you can add on in to even if you don't plan to just yet.

As Ian wrote, you'll have to find the power requirements of the gfx card and work it out with the PSU you get. If you just want to use it as a HTPC, you don't need any graphics card at all to be honest, just get a mobo with inbuilt HDMI and you'll be sorted. It was a little tight, but I squeezed a 8800GTS 512 in to mine (I don't have a shuttle, I started with a small Silverstone case) and I can play literally any PC game on it now Managed to overclock my 6400 from 2.1 to 2.65GHz no problems at all either. I do like my PC games

This is the case I have, but then with all the gubbins you'd be looking at &#163;600 I reckon LOL.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-032-SV&groupid=701&catid=7&subcat=1092&name=Silverstone&#37;20Sugo%20SG01%20Evolution%20Aluminium%20Micro-ATX%20Case%20-%20Silver

Your best bet, set a FIRM budget, and regardless how tempting it is, don't go over it.

[sharky_ob]

Ok guys, thanks for all the help you've already given me, these are the components I'm looking at:

The case - a shuttle which can take C2D:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-094-SH

Processor:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-190-IN

Memory:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-024-GS

Graphics (may still wait for that better card mentioned on last page):

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-162-AS

HDD:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-023-HI

Optical Drive:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CD-099-SA

That lot with windows comes in at &#163;441.72 inc. VAT. I've tried to find power requirements for these components, but drew a blank to be honest.

Does anyone have any feedback on this?

Cheers

Matt

[Ian(not Ian)]

That all looks ok Matt.
The whole system with that GFX card should draw a max of 228W (under load, playing Oblivion or suchlike) according to hothardware. The 250W PSU in the Shuttle you've chosen will be there or thereabouts.