Hardware & Technical The New Build for a PC Cube

Right All iv come up with a few more quid so Iv decided to base my me PC around the GTX970 and a i5 CPUPossible the i5-4460 to start with and built in a Cube case. Now all ineed is suggestions for the other bits please Cooling Ram also What about the hard drive Is it better to just use a normal HD or a SSD unis or a iTB HD and sayy a 128 SSD? Any info you can give or pass on would be great Thank you..

Regs Os
 
I would die without an SSD. But get at least 240/256GB. But even then, 480/512GB cost very little.

If you build a new PC now, get Skylake CPUs aka 6000 series.
 
DEFINITELY a SSD for the operating system and really really essential stuff. Big HD for everything else. - And Elite is not essential in this case. 240GB SSD should be fine - you should be able to get away with 128 if money is tight.

*edit* 128 SSD will be fine in almost all cases - I'm paranoid & always need big safety margins :D
 
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First of all, don't use an outdated CPU. Currently, I'd suggest to go for Skylake. Cube case usually means wide open, so not much sense in going for water cooling. Which cooler - will depend on your choice of case, motherboard and RAM.
RAM: as much as you can afford, allthough I probably wouldn't go above 32 GB. Which type, though - well, I'm satisfied with Kingston ValueRam.
HDD/SSD again a matter of what you want to do and how much you can afford. If you can afford it, SSD all the way. Otherwise, SSD for OS and everything the OS insists of keeping on the 'main' drive, HDD as data dump, secong HDD in a quick release bay (if you've got the space in your cube) for backup.
 
First of all, don't use an outdated CPU. Currently, I'd suggest to go for Skylake. Cube case usually means wide open, so not much sense in going for water cooling. Which cooler - will depend on your choice of case, motherboard and RAM.
RAM: as much as you can afford, allthough I probably wouldn't go above 32 GB. Which type, though - well, I'm satisfied with Kingston ValueRam.
HDD/SSD again a matter of what you want to do and how much you can afford. If you can afford it, SSD all the way. Otherwise, SSD for OS and everything the OS insists of keeping on the 'main' drive, HDD as data dump, secong HDD in a quick release bay (if you've got the space in your cube) for backup.

^^^^ This.

Build the cube around the best processor you can buy (i7-6700k), then video card (a 980), then an SDD. 128GB is fine for the SDD, still enough room for Windows and Elite Dangerous. 32Gb of RAM is more than enough.
 
Ashnak has already mentioned Water cooling.

In the OP you mention cooling RAM.

I suggest you concentrate on your cooling in your case. Most of the hardware is a matter of picking what you want, but needless to say, it has to be kept cool. More importantly, it needs to be done without sucking in dirt and as importantly, quietly.

Look carefully at your layouts. On my case, air is blown in from one, filtered point. There are plenty exhaust points all around the case.

Make sure the Intake filter is easily accessible. The way my case was designed by the manufacturer, the intake was on the base and the filter accessed by pulling out from the back! That is now very different with a filter on the front, behind the access door.

Think about putting in a few cardboard fins infront of the fans to increase air turbulence. These can be easily strapped to some passing cables which are generally in every PC case.

Get a decent monitor. I found this one recently. http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/siv_(system_information_viewer).html

SIV.jpg

I partially like this monitor because all the important stuff is displayed right in front, organised into groups, without the need for repeated setups.

Along the bottom are a number of tabs which allow quick access to a number of other, more detailed features which may be useful from time to time.

SIV 02.jpgSIV 03.jpg

Best of all, its free.
 
OP what case are you thinking of getting? Will it be ATX/mini-ITX etc.?

In a gaming PC the graphics card should be the most expensive component (not counting the display) so spend more here even if your budget means compromising on other components.

But do not compromise on the PSU. Get a decent brand.

In the OP you mention cooling RAM.

I think he was just being lazy with punctuation :)
 
Any info you can give or pass on would be great Thank you..

Two questions to start with: do you have a case in mind already, and what is the budget? There's already been tons of suggestions but it could be narrowed down further with some more ideas. A cube case could be one of many sizes and prices. I've been lusting over a Lian Li PC-O8WX for example, with its two glass panels it is possibly the best looking off the shelf case I've ever seen. Snag is that's over £300 before you put anything in it! At the other end of the spectrum I have the AvP Hyperion EV33. Budget micro-ATX case, better than I thought actually in that it doesn't feel too cheap, and you get a rear compartment to hide stuff keeping mobo side relatively clear.

GTX970 and i5 implies a moderate but not too tight budget. As others have said, do check out Skylake too as there isn't a huge price difference between that and older, particularly if you don't intend to overclock. Cooler wise, as a balance between cost, cooling and noise, consider something like the Coolermaster 212 (they have done various models in the series). It is more than sufficient for most scenarios outside serious overclocking. It is a tall cooler though, so make sure there's enough space in the case to fit it!

Ram, most typical tasks aren't particularly sensitive to ram performance so don't worry about it too much as long as you get at least 1600 DDR3 or 2133 DDR4. Quantity again depends on budget. 8GB is generally sufficient, 16GB would give you some future resistance/comfort if you do lots on the system, and more isn't necessary unless you already know why you need it.

Disk wise, definitely get a SSD for OS drive. For value, the sweet spot is 240GB capacity as you don't save much going down to the 120GB class. Expect to pay under £60 for a 240 depending on what's on sale at the time. If you can push the budget a bit, I occasionally see Sandisk's 960GB drive on sale around £160 with a regular price of £200. That would negate the need for a 2nd bulk storage drive.
 
Two questions to start with: do you have a case in mind already, and what is the budget?
At the other end of the spectrum I have the AvP Hyperion EV33. Budget micro-ATX case, better than I thought actually
GTX970 and i5 implies a moderate but not too tight budget. As others have said, do check out Skylake too as there isn't a huge price difference between that and older, particularly if you don't intend to overclock. Cooler wise, as a balance between cost, cooling and noise, consider something like the Coolermaster 212 (they have done various models in the series). It is more than sufficient for most scenarios outside serious overclocking. It is a tall cooler though, so make sure there's enough space in the case to fit it!

Ram, most typical tasks aren't particularly sensitive to ram performance so don't worry about it too much as long as you get at least 1600 DDR3 or 2133 DDR4. Quantity again depends on budget. 8GB is generally sufficient, 16GB would give you some future resistance/comfort if you do lots on the system, and more isn't necessary unless you already know why you need it.

Hi
Iv decided 2 use a 240 ssd and a 3TB segate I have that was never used on the storage front

Right now A few little bits to ask firstly what about this bundle?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Skylake-3-2...8&qid=1459011424&sr=1-17&keywords=Skylake++i5

Then there was this PSU?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thermaltake...=UTF8&qid=1459010618&sr=1-5&keywords=700w+psu
or
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Antec-VP700...UTF8&qid=1459010618&sr=1-10&keywords=700w+psu

And this case.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Antec-ISK-G...ue&ref_=ox_sc_sfl_title_1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE
or
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sharkoon-Sh...TF8&qid=1459012196&sr=1-23&keywords=Cube+Case

or open to suggestions please.

Thanks Os
 
I haven't done an in depth search on pricing, but the bundle price looks in the right ball park. For same CPU + mobo, plus equivalent ram, it came about £10 less at Scan before postage, so not a lot in it.

I would say, it is worth considering an uprated cooler if possible. The one that comes with the CPU will get somewhat noisy under load.

PSUs I can't choose between. I would say, you don't need anywhere near 700W! A 500W PSU would be more than sufficient unless you are planning on going multi-GPU later on.

The two linked cases are Mini-ITX. The previously linked motherboard is micro-ATX. It isn't going to fit. Either change the case or motherboard.
 
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DEFINITELY a SSD for the operating system and really really essential stuff. Big HD for everything else. - And Elite is not essential in this case. 240GB SSD should be fine - you should be able to get away with 128 if money is tight.

*edit* 128 SSD will be fine in almost all cases - I'm paranoid & always need big safety margins :D

Yes 128 is very comfortable for the operating system and few applications
 
I have two of those cases, and the mobo in the earlier bundle should fit. Until recently, I had an Asus Z97M-Plus in it which looks to be slightly larger than the mobo linked previously. Thought price looked a bit high until I noticed this includes PSU. In case you want to get a separate PSU the case alone is cheaper at ebuyer at £21.48. I didn't get a rear exhaust fan with either of my cases though so added my own, but I note the description of the bundle on amazon says you do.
 
I have two of those cases, and the mobo in the earlier bundle should fit. Until recently, I had an Asus Z97M-Plus in it which looks to be slightly larger than the mobo linked previously. Thought price looked a bit high until I noticed this includes PSU. In case you want to get a separate PSU the case alone is cheaper at ebuyer at £21.48. I didn't get a rear exhaust fan with either of my cases though so added my own, but I note the description of the bundle on amazon says you do.

Thank you for the info..Which PSU are you using with the case in question please. Thanks

Regards Os
 
I'm using an ancient 300W from a company that probably doesn't exist any more, but it is only powering a CPU so no heavy GPU to supply.
 
PC Build for Elite Dangerous

Thank you for the info..Which PSU are you using with the case in question please. Thanks

Regards Os

Just a quick question A GTX960 should run Elite OK wont it Only I just dropped and a new boxed unit for £85? Thats OK is it not?

Regs Os
 
Been a while since I had one. It was more than ok in space at 1080p, can't recall if I tried on planets. £85 sounds good for one.
 
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