Thoughts on first pc build

[JackM512]

Hi, I'm new to these forums, and i have decided that I would like to build a pc, as my current computer (lenovo t410 netbook) just doesnt cut it for many games at all, so here is my planned partslist

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Western Digital Blue 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)
Total: £529.26

If there is anything i should change, just say. It's my first build, so I'm not sure how good it is. My budget is £530 ($800, 751 eur)

Thanks

 

[~Darkseeker~]

Depends on how long you want it to last/how long you want to be able to use it for before it becomes effectively obsolete. If you want to add longevity to your PC, I'd make the following changes:

1. Add an SSD as a boot drive. Single biggest 'user experience' upgrade you can make, and SSDs cost £ for £ about the same as mechanical drives do - you can pick up basic SSDs for £30-50. Doesn't have to be big to be a boot drive, and you can always add more mechanical storage later.

2. Up-spec the GPU. 750Ti is a decent low to mid range card, but there are better price-2-performance options out there. The price for performance killer at the moment is the GTX 970 (in my opinion). Should last you a bit longer, and they usually overclock well for free extra performance.

3. Opt for a higher wattage PSU - 500W gold rated will be fine for now, but if you want to upgrade the GPU to something meatier in the future, or add a second GPU or whatever, you'll probably be more comfortable in the 650-750W range with 80+ bronze or gold.

 

[cb600fshornet]

Adding to what Darkseeker said:

1. Yep, SSDs are brilliant so I'd recommend adding one
2. I agree that the GTX970 is excellent, but you'll struggle on a £530 budget to get this card in. A GTX 960 would be great for pretty much all gaming at 1080p (full HD) or below.
3. Ideally yes, but as long as it's a good quality power supply for now, you can always upgrade later. Dual graphics card systems can be very temperamental and I'd only recommend running a single powerful card anyway!

With that said, pcpartpicker have put together a PC of pretty much the spec you want, for exactly the budget (well, a few pence over) you've specified!

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/guide/xfmPxr/i5-4460-gtx-960-gaming-pc

Bear in mind (this applies to your build above too), that this does not include an optical drive (Blu-ray or DVD player), and doesn't include the operating system. If you don't have a screen already then expect to put aside upwards of £80 for a nice 1080p one.

 

[BikerEcho]

In addition to what the guys above said, I'll recommend at least considering going for a skylake CPU.
The I5-6500 is better than your listed CPU at only 15 bucks more and you will be rocking a more modern platform with support for DDR4 memory (that is if you choose a motherboard that supports it. But most of the LGA1151 boards does).
Note that DDR4 RAM will not grand you any noticeable performance gain in real world tasks.
It's up to you if you want to spend the extra 10-15bucks or so on DDR4. however they should be more stable and more efficient.

Intel Core i5-6500 3.20GHz (Skylake) Socket LGA1151 Processor - Aria PC

You can't use your current listed motherboard for this CPU. But you can find plenty of those for the same price as the one you have listed.

 

[BikerEcho]

You should also consider buying a 2x4gig RAM kit instead of a 1x8. That way your RAM is gonna run in dual channel resulting in better performance.

 

[JackM512]

Just to say, this PC would be a consistent project, so I would change parts out every so often for more modern parts, so I wouldn't need to futureproof it, and I want to run windows on it. Also, I'm not interested in 970's or 980's as they throw the budget right out of the window, as I only have £530 ($800)
Thanks

 

[BikerEcho]

If it's a consistent project be sure to follow my advice and buy a skylake platform.
That way it's possible to get a great CPU upgrade down the line without also having to buy another motherboard.
If you buy Sandy bridge, there are no way around a motherboard upgrade aswell when CPU horsepower aren't gonna cut it no more.

And also go DDR4. That way you already have the RAM or the motherboard if you want to upgrade one of them down the line.

 

[JackM512]

OK, so after a while of contemplation, here is my build, which I have all the parts for
Intel Core i5 4460
Zotac 960 with 2GB VRAM
Gigabyte H81M-S2H Motherboard
8GB of Ram
(Windows 10 and a soundcard tomorrow )