Need decent high-end PC - is this any good?

[Bob_the_lost]

CPUs ... 35 to 130 watts ??? (eg Q6600 65nm TDP 95W/ E8400 45nm TDP 65W)
mobo ... 25-50 watts
ram ... ???
drives ... 15-20 Watts each
graphics cards ... 30 - 230 watts
...add 'headroom' for future upgrades and any overclocking
+ ? 30% "to be on the safe side"
+ an allowance for the actual efficiency of the power supplies
+ check ampage each of the rails (3v/5v/12v) to make sure actual wattage can be delivered.

***so it is hard to say exactly***

Slight niggle with that, RAM sucks down a couple of W and is typically bunded in with the motherboard estimate. HDs draw is more like 10-15 even at max.

The real important thing is the efficiency as PSU numbers are quoted for output, a more efficient 350W PSU will draw less from the wall than a low efficiency 350W but they can both deliver the same power to the components. As rightly stated the 12V rail is the only important one these days.

I agree with everything off float's recent post, except the graphics card, you should be able to get a 1GB model for only a tenner more and it does make a decent difference according to anandtech.

 

[_float_]

I agree with everything off float's recent post, except the graphics card, you should be able to get a 1GB model for only a tenner more and it does make a decent difference according to anandtech.

That's the only 1Gb one on ebuyer.

I found
this one at ginger6:

XPERTVISION 1GB RADEON HD 4870 SONIC PCI-E 2.0 DUAL EDITION RETA
£183.55 inc.vat (nb. poss. need to add postage)

Edit: The mobo I listed is a P31 chipset. Any opinion about upgrading this to a P35 or newer? Also maybe more features eg more max. RAM, onboard wifi, RAID, more SATA etc?

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Hmmm, motherboards are much of a muchness unless you're overclocking, which i haven't been keeping track of recently. I'd pull one of the ones off the recomended anandtech list. More RAM'd be a waste of time, RAID is nearly always a waste and we don't have the budget to do it right here. More HDs are only useful if you want backup (which of course everyone does ) etc. It's a good build as is.

Yeah, ebuyer's only got the one, scan's got a 1Gig at 200 on preorder, they're only just hitting the channel it seems.