Computer advice

[Retro]

Thanks again for all your help.
Coming back to MOBO's There seems to be several Socket variations which confuses me even more.
Kind regards James.

[gptech]

....There seems to be several Socket variations which confuses me even more....

For the CPUs you're looking at you need a Socket 1155 motherboard.

[Retro]

Thanks again.
Kind regards James.

[quickthorn]

I may end up purchasing Items as I can afford it and then putting it all together when I have the whole lot. The only disadvantage I can see in this is if anything is faulty I will not be able to check it until I have everything assembled and this may cause problems with getting replacement Items.

Personally, I'd save up for everything and then buy it all in one go, as the first thing you buy may not be right for the last thing you buy, depending on how long it takes. If you're having it delivered, I'm pretty sure that one big package will be cheaper than lots of little packages.

I am wondering what the cost benefits really are between building a machine yourself or allowing a Company to build it.

I've only ever built two systems, and was worried about buying a load of stuff that wouldn't work together. The first plan was to buy from a firm that offered a system configurator, like here:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/productli ... catid=1951

For the system I was looking at, I added up the costs of the individual bits in my planned system, and they worked out about £70-80 cheaper than the assembled and tested system.

[Retro]

Thanks for that information. Much appreciated.
I am becoming a little unsure now as Geoff with his new Super Computer has said he prefers to run in Legacy Mode as TSX has some problems. Again it makes me wonder. From experience of knowing Geoff and following his progress right from the start in Rail Simulator when we where both attempting to get into Route building, I know he will tell it like it is without favour or bias.
If I am going to be spending a lot of money, for me, then I need more information about TSX Mode and why some people with very High end Machines are not getting what they expected.
Please note this is not being negative about RW 3 just me being slightly concerned about value for money with a new Machine when my old one runs all the other Games I have well including RW 3 in Legacy Mode.
I have noticed some blurring of Assets in TSX and put it down to my present Machine but apparently this is still present on very good Machines. If I was not retired and still working I would just go out and buy the best machine I could and hope for the best. I do also realise some Core Updates are in the Pipeline which might put some things right.
I am also wondering if the specifications I have been looking at would be high enough.
Kind regards James.

[gptech]

....I am also wondering if the specifications I have been looking at would be high enough......

The specs you've been looking at are about as high as you can get...you've been looking at a second generation i5 which is probably more powerful than Geoffs first generation i7.
Basically all you really need to replace is that god-awful graphics card you have, £90-£140 puts you in the nVidia 450, 550, or 460 region which should all run quite happily without stressing your 460W PSU. Admittedly a beefier PSU would do no harm, nor would adding another couple of GB of RAM to enable you to take advantage of the tri-channel architecture your CPU and motherboard feature.

[gptech]

Have a look at http://www.cpubenchmark.net/common_cpus.html, it should give you an idea of where in a 'league table' various CPUs sit. Don't take it as definitive or carved in stone, benchmarks are no substitute for real world tests, but it does give an idea of what's what.

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html for graphics cards.

[partyspiritz]

If I was able to afford a new machine my mind would I mess by now. I was sent by glowball a graphics card not a hi spec one but 3 times better than the one I had and yes there was an improvement in legacy mode.


Regards


John

[asfinmja]

I'm using Tom's Hardware as source for reviews and recommendations by price brackets:

Tom's Hardware articles and reviews

For processors: Best Gaming CPUs For The Money: October 2011

For graphics gards: Best Graphics Cards For The Money: October 2011

New comparison articles are published every month, updated with new hardware (if available).

[Retro]

Thanks Guy's for all that information. It is much appreciated and I will check it all out.
To get back to my present Machine. The problem is that the Media Drive Bay which is internal restricts the length of Graphic Cards you can physically put in. A 9800GT will just fit in but the newer NVidia Cards tend to be longer and will not. The card in ATM a GT120 is tiny in comparison. The Bay structure is in one piece with the Hard Drive Cages so it is not possible to remove it separately. Hence the reason for a new machine which would give me a lot more scope for Upgrades in the future.
Then there is the consideration of a home build or getting one of the companies to build to my Specification. With the knowledge I am gaining because of this thread I could now look at both possibilities.
A company build would give me a full warranty on the whole machine where as a home build would give me the warranty on the parts only. Coupled to that is an inability to find any meaningful information about these various companies. Scan is the nearest one to me but they are quite a bit more expensive than PC Specialist for building a machine for you. Some of these build to specifications companies do not seem to have totally satisfied customers and a lot of complaints are listed all over the WWW. These vary from time taken to deliver to a host of faulty components and Cables not connected properly. Some of these machines have even overheated and destroyed various components if we are to believe some customer reviews.
Going back a long time I used to have my Computers built by a small firm based locally. These small companies had to do a good job or they would have gone out of business. Unfortunately they have all fallen because of huge companies undercutting them. Sorry about the walk down "Amnesia Lane".
It might then be sensible to wait and see what the next Core Update brings in the form of improvements first. I am trying to control my own urge to get a new machine as fast as possible. I have never had a lot of patience and tend not to be happy if I can't run a new Program with everything on Max. You would think as you got older you would become much more relaxed about these sort of things. I however seem to have got worse
Thanks again to all you people who are helping me make sense of all this. A very new area for me to be in.
I am sorry if you find me infuriating.
Kind regards James.

[glowball]

My vote is to build your own. You get to have exactly what you want and your first build - though a slight learning curve, it will give you a better understanding of your PC's components.
There's so much good information and help in these forums, I'm sure you'll always have help at hand.
As for specification, it seems you're almost there. Look at other peoples builds, their signatures, look at the specs of pre-built systems and check out the vendors own qualified parts lists... all this will help you chose matching components and give you a trouble free build.
It's a great achievement to build your own PC and afterwards you'll wonder what all the fuss was about

You could just change your case so that a nice new graphics card will fit....

[Retro]

Thanks for your post glowball. It may take a while to get the Money needed However from the help I have received here so far it maybe a possibility to Home Build.
Kind regards James.

[gptech]

I'd echo glowballs advice and go for a self-build, building a PC is a damn sight easier than deciding which components to use! OK, there are a few 'fiddly' bits---the connections from the case buttons and LEDs can be awkward to get on, but a pair of long nosed pliers, or better still some curved forceps, make that job much simpler.

However from the help I have received here so far it maybe a possibility to Home Build.

There's an absolute wealth of advice and 'How-To's' on the internet, one of your local suppliers (Aria) has a very active forum---might be worth your while having a browse there, you might even find someone local who'd be willing to oversee the job.

Going home build can spread the cost too.....

your greatest need is a new graphics card, but as you've said it may not fit in the existing case...so consider shifting your existing components into a new case. (the nVidia reference sizes for the 560Ti you've considered are: 4 3/8" x 9" which is the same as the 9800GT but of course an OEM card may be bigger)
Cheaper than a new system, afterall your CPU is pretty good, the motherboard obviously works (Pegatron is an off-shoot from Asus, so it's reasonable to assume it'll be of similar quality to Asus branded boards).
Get the right graphics card, if needs be get the right case and you then have the luxury of the time to evaluate if you really do need to upgrade any more components. Of course if you do decide to progress further the graphics card and case haven't gone to waste.
nVidia also recommend a 500W PSU for the 560Ti, you'd probably manage with your 460W unit but worthwhile considering making a new PSU one of the 'must haves' on your list.

[gptech]

I've just looked at a review of the Coolermaster CM Storm Enforcer Case you were considering and whilst the review bemoaned the lack of a side panel fan it came out favourably. Personally I like the styling and particularly that it's follwed the new trend of the PSU sitting at the bottom---this gives you more room for that fiddly 'connecting the case buttons up' job I mentioned earlier. However....the PSU at the bottom can mean that the power cables to the motherboard don't quite reach so if you do opt for this case be prepared to need a new PSU straight away. Modular PSUs tend to have longer cables, and being modular you dont have loads of unused cables getting in the way or obstructing air flow so maybe worthwhile considering one of those?

[Retro]

Thanks for all that information and for checking out the Case. I particularly like that one because it is not just a box.
Kind regards James.