There's no denying it, I have a soft spot (and possibly a bias) for PC Case Gear. They stock a much wider range of products than any other Melbourne based PC/Tech store I know of, and although the prices can be just a few dollars more than competitors, the pure brilliance of the online store more than makes up for this. However, I digress - I am here today not to review, but to critique a pre-assembled system that PCCG offer for $899.
Price - just about right for someone not too serious about getting into PC gaming. Leaving room for some decent peripherals and a monitor, you should expect a complete setup featuring this tower to total at around $1300-1400.
Purpose - it would seem that this is intended to be an entry level gaming PC, as at the time of writing, it is the cheapest offering actually capable of running relatively demanding, modern titles. So, have the folks at PCCG got it right? Well, yes and no... here's why:
Case - Xigmatek Alfar. Run of the mill entry level gaming case. Nothing special, but will serve quite well for an entry level PC. Ludicrously cheap ($55).
Verdict: Approved
CPU - Intel i5 4440 (3.1 gHz Quad Core, 6MB L3 Cache). I can't help but feel like this is overkill. Intel's i5 series of processors have never been slouches; the 4440 could easily push a GTX770. So why is it paired with an HD7770, when an AMD Quad or even an i3 would suffice? Seems like a wasted opportunity to lower the overall cost. However, if this PC is intended to be a platform for future upgrades, the i5 may be justified. I will elaborate on how this is contradicted by other part choices later.
Verdict: Uncertain
Motherboard - MSI H87M-G43. Speaking from experience, MSI motherboards deliver in the quality department. There's only one problem with this choice - there's simply no need to pay the premium for the H87 chipset, when the B85 chipset would provide much the same functionality for less of your hard earned dollars. Both chipsets offer the same overclocking capabilities, both support SATA 6Gbp/s, and both have USB3.0.
Verdict: Unapproved
Memory - GSkill Ripjaws 4gb (1600mhz CL9, 2x2gb). Perfectly acceptable; 4gb is still enough for today's games. GSkill make very reliable (and quite overclockable!) RAM. The only real question is why 4GB and not 8GB? Simple: the roughly 100% inflation of RAM prices seen in 2013. If you're tight on money, make sure you get a motherboard with four DIMMS. That way, you can add another 2x2GB kit down the road. Otherwise, bite the bullet and get 8GB for a frankly offensive $99.
Verdict: Approved
GPU - MSI Radeon HD7770 Power Edition. This card is a shapeshifter, with user customisable fan configurations allowing for greater cooling, or a smaller footprint. It comes factory overclocked to 1100mhz, so it should be one of the faster, if not fastest stock HD7770s on the market. Good choice, but.... (see conclusion)
Verdict: Approved (for now)
Storage - Seagate Barracuda 1TB. Garden variety 7200RPM 32mb cache mechanical drive. Should be nice and reliable, and has plenty of storage for OS, programs, games and media. Normally, you should never accept not having an SSD. When confined by budget, however, sometimes storage is more crucial than a crucial M4 (;D).
Verdict: Approved
PSU - Seasonic G550 80 plus GOLD 550W. The crowning jewel of the build, this PSU would last multiple builds throughout years of load. Seasonic is synonymous with quality and efficiency. There's only one problem... is it necessary? Long story short, no. This PC is unlikely to draw very much power, and although 550W is plenty of headroom for the future, it doesn't actually help the build achieve its goal. Any 80+ bronze power supply of 400W or more (e.g Corsair CX430) would be almost as reliable in the same conditions at much less of an expense. The justification for this PSU choice seems to be lacking...
Verdict: Unapproved (though a brilliant piece of kit)
OS - Windows 7 SP1 64bit. The wisest choice for PC gamers.
Verdict - Approved
Score - 6.8/10
Why
This build seems to be going in different directions. It is not uncommon to see high quality, 'future-proof' parts being bought together, the classic couple being a high end power supply and quality case. What we see, however, is a budget case being paired with a PSU more than twice its value. Furthermore, if the main focus of the build was value gaming, then I can't help but daydream about a cheaper AMD FX or FM2 processor with a cheap motherboard being used to their full potential. Had this route been taken, along with a more fitting power supply, enough budget would have been spared to upgrade to an HD7850, or even add an SSD. It is worth noting that even an older AMD chipset motherboard would not hinder the other components. The mechanical drive would not saturate a SATA 3.0Gbp/s connection, and an HD7850 would not exceed the capabilities of PCI-Express 2.0.
Final words - a willing, capable build, but one with room for improvement.
- Leeroy
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