How do I build a gaming PC?

[Guitarmasterx7]

Tons of tutorials posted by now so I guess your question's been answered, but I'd recommend it, its really not that hard. A motherboard is pretty much just a flat board with a bunch of "plug in x thing here" slots. I knew nothing about building computers and I've done it like three times so if I can do it you should be able to.

 

[The Lugz]

My first build? I bought a Corsair H80 Liquid CPU cooler, put it in, I see two cables coming from the pump. One goes into the CPU fan header on the motherboard and me being the amazingly intelligent person that I am, immediately decide that that's enough to power the thing. I see the other cable is left hanging and guess what I decide to do with it? I cut it. With a pair of scissors. That's right, I later discovered that the cable I cut was meant to power the damn thing, while the CPU fan header cable was strictly temp monitoring. I remember freaking out when I first powered everything on, and the BIOS is there telling me the CPU is cruising along at a slightly uncomfortable 100 degrees C.

ouch.
is that seriously not in the instructions?

yep, well anything that is not on the main board is going to need power of some kind best idea as you now obviously know is not to cut any cables off anything or modify the components in any way. i once heard of a guy hack-sawing the pci pins down to size so he could fit his graphics card in the 1x slot he had..

I mean, think about it .. 'sigh'

 

[Longstreet]

My first build? I bought a Corsair H80 Liquid CPU cooler, put it in, I see two cables coming from the pump. One goes into the CPU fan header on the motherboard and me being the amazingly intelligent person that I am, immediately decide that that's enough to power the thing. I see the other cable is left hanging and guess what I decide to do with it? I cut it. With a pair of scissors. That's right, I later discovered that the cable I cut was meant to power the damn thing, while the CPU fan header cable was strictly temp monitoring. I remember freaking out when I first powered everything on, and the BIOS is there telling me the CPU is cruising along at a slightly uncomfortable 100 degrees C.

Dude, i downloaded speccy, a program wildly recommended here, and that thing tells me my CPU is at about 97 degrees C every day all day.

Either i am royally fucked or that program isn't as good as people claim

God i hope i don't jynx it now.


To the OP; pick the parts for whatever money you can spend. Then let someone else build it. Might cost an extra buck or two but at least you can assume they won't fuck up.

If you get all your parts in one shop, you might be able to negotiate the installation for free.
Don't be afraid to haggle a bit when you are spending 1000 bucks.

 

[Daveman]

It's really easy, but remember not to fuck with it too much. You'll generally be able to fix it but more often than not it's just easier to get somebody who knows what they're doing to help. Prebuilds get slated a lot because they are obviously a bit pricier but they have warranty and customer support that can be invaluable should something go wrong. Generally if you shop around with them too you'll get a decent deal.

 

[Kinitawowi]

yep, well anything that is not on the main board is going to need power of some kind best idea as you now obviously know is not to cut any cables off anything or modify the components in any way. i once heard of a guy hack-sawing the pci pins down to size so he could fit his graphics card in the 1x slot he had..

I mean, think about it .. 'sigh'

Oh, that's nothing. I had a guy in at work not so long ago who bought the wrong travel mains adapter for his device - his had three pins, the adapter had two - and he decided the solution was to drill another hole into the adapter to fit the other pin.

And then he used it.

And then he wondered why it caught fire.

 

[DragonStorm247]

Any recommendations for services in the US?

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

I would say you shouldn't build a PC if you're not all that familiar with it. Its not impossible for a beginner but I don't see the point. Do you want to do it because it sounds like fun and you want to learn about computers? Then I'd say go for it! But if you just want a decent pc in order to really get into pc gaming then I'd get a pre-build first. You can a lot more bang for your buck in a pre-build than people are willing to admit. Of course, if your budget is low or if you know someone who's good with computers that can help you then building might be worth it. But if your price is like a $1,000 then that's plenty for a good enough computer

 

[EstrogenicMuscle]

You can a lot more bang for your buck in a pre-build than people are willing to admit.

Not really.

I'd honestly recommend having a friend build a computer for them before going with most pre-builts.

But pre-builts are fine if you get them from a good provider and are willing to pay a premium.
To be honest, there ought to be more ways for people who build computers to make money off of it and people who want computers built for them to get them.

There's loads of people out there who'd love to make a living building computers. And there's loads of people who'd love to be saved the hassle of it all.

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

You can a lot more bang for your buck in a pre-build than people are willing to admit.

Not really.

I'd honestly recommend having a friend build a computer for them before going with most pre-builts.

But pre-builts are fine if you get them from a good provider and are willing to pay a premium.
To be honest, there ought to be more ways for people who build computers to make money off of it and people who want computers built for them to get them.

There's loads of people out there who'd love to make a living building computers. And there's loads of people who'd love to be saved the hassle of it all.

Do you mind if I ask where you're from? Someone pointed out that you can get computers cheaper in the US so maybe I'm just spoiled. I've seen decent towers for less than prohibitive costs. The premium of a $100 or $200 or so on a $1000 machine doesn't really bother me

 

[The Lugz]

You can a lot more bang for your buck in a pre-build than people are willing to admit.

Not really.

I'd honestly recommend having a friend build a computer for them before going with most pre-builts.

But pre-builts are fine if you get them from a good provider and are willing to pay a premium.
To be honest, there ought to be more ways for people who build computers to make money off of it and people who want computers built for them to get them.

There's loads of people out there who'd love to make a living building computers. And there's loads of people who'd love to be saved the hassle of it all.

well as you rightly point out there is a market for everything, but i'd like to point out a system here that is pretty decent and comes with a warranty and would sort most anyone that needs a pc for current gen games.

Go look here and pick the 'kfa2 GeForce GTX 670'
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-210-OK&groupid=43&catid=2475&subcat=2485

it will not be the fastest thing on the planet, but honestly it's hard to fault any of the components for the price

it comes to just over £700, if you stick a cheap ssd in there for a games drive it's just under £800 that actually answers the original post quite well, i think
oh, and you're going to need an operating system if you don't already have an install disk or are a giant pirate.

you're essentially paying about £50 for it to be picked and assembled, and you get a warranty which is nice.

you could always just pick the components knowing they work together and assemble it yourself too.

 

[The Lugz]

Dude, i downloaded speccy, a program wildly recommended here, and that thing tells me my CPU is at about 97 degrees C every day all day.

Either i am royally fucked or that program isn't as good as people claim

God i hope i don't jynx it now.

the program just reads the cpu temperature probe, it is likely correct.

cheack your airflow, fans and heatsink if you have a clogged up cpu cooler, just tug the crap out gently, and if it's very dusty get a vacum cleaner and suck it clean
but don't bash the cooler, or even touch it if you can avoid it because you might disrupt your thermal paste or introduce air gaps under the cooler as it's generally only stuck on with a few pins or springs

else the cooler may need to be re-seated, or there could be other problems.

but i guarantee there is an issue with a cpu if it's running at over 90*
and it's well worth looking at it, most fixes are free or cheap ( new thermal paste is usually under £5 )

 

[XUnsafeNormalX]

I highly reccomend anyone thinking about building their own PC watch this video series. As some one who had never built before it helped me immensely.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lPIXAtNGGCw

 

[Not Lord Atkin]

building your own computer is going to be significantly cheaper than a pre-built with the additional inconvenience of having to put it together. I find it pretty simple myself, I mean I've built my own computer and it hasn't exploded (yet)... the only slightly difficult part is connecting the front panel (the leds and the power buttons). The bad news: all the pins look the same and you need to be careful not to confuse them. connecting LEDs the wrong way around can damage your motherboard. The good news: If you are afraid to do it yourself, you can leave LEDs be and only connect the power and reset buttons. You won't miss much aside from a few flickery lights on your PC case.

For the most part, it's like building things from lego. It's fairly easy to tell which component goes where and if it isn't, you can always check the manual. Just make sure to be careful not to damage the components, especially around the parts that have small metal thingies sticking out of the back. And wear rubber gloves. Or at the very least touch a grounded metallic surface before you start working with the components. Static electricity can potentially fry them. I mean that's what I've heard somewhere and I'm not about to risk it. Oh, and don't force the components in. if it's difficult to get them in their slots, check if you're putting them in the right place and if they are in the right position.

it all comes down to whether you feel you can build it yourself (although I'd recommend asking a friend who's built a computer before to supervise and let you know if you're about to brick your CPU) or you'd rather pay double for a pre-built machine BUT get full warranty and customer support. Or you could always buy the components and have a computer repair shop or something build it for you.

 

[Azriel Nightshade]

$299.99 gets me an Xbox 360, which plays games well enough. Where can I get a PC that plays games as well as that, or better, for the same price? I have Sub-Zero intrest in building one myself, so thats not really an option.

 

[Roxor]

Three pieces of advice for building your own: read the manuals, cultivate a light touch and take your time.

The first because the instructions on how to set up the hardware are usually quite good at setting you on the right track.

The second because most connections in a computer need very little force to get them to sit right. Especially the CPU. If you've got the right chip, the right motherboard and the right orientation in the socket, it'll just drop into place.

The third because taking things slowly will reduce the chances of you making a mistake, which will help avoid unneeded frustration.

 

[Techno Squidgy]

*This thread has probably come up multiple times, and if you've already answered this question, I apologise

So, I am a console gamer, I just found it easier to put the disk in and play rather than put the disk in, install it, update it fifty-million times, check if my operating system is compatible, etc.

However, the consoles have been getting increasingly mediocre titles filled with cut-scenes, quick time events, heavily scripted gameplay, micro-transactions, and not actual fun or exciting gameplay, while PCs have been getting fantastic games from AAA and indie developers and it just frustrates me.

So, if it's not too much trouble, can you tell me what the steps are to building a gaming PC? or is it much more simple than I think it is?

I actually have a book somewhere in my house that goes through step-by-step how to build a PC. It's not too hard to find the necessary tutorials online either. However, it's generally best to get someone to help you your first few times building a machine. They can help you choose parts, help with the actual assembly and teach you how not to fry the components.

Going though a shop is less than ideal in my personal opinion, but if you don't have the time or the help you need it's probably the safest option.

$299.99 gets me an Xbox 360, which plays games well enough. Where can I get a PC that plays games as well as that, or better, for the same price? I have Sub-Zero intrest in building one myself, so thats not really an option.

I'm not really sure on the price of components at the moment, especially not Stateside, but I imagine it should be possible. However, the 360 is seriously out of date now, you'd be better off spending more and getting a machine that's future-proofed for the next 2-3 years or so and can play games at far better settings than the xbox.

 

[rofltehcat]

As for picking parts: When I built my pc, I went to the German computerbase forums where they have a regularly updated thread with several well balanced setups for different budgets (even with alternative parts e.g. AMD instead of intel). I just picked the 750 ? setup, picked another case and then ordered the parts.
I'm sure there must be some english-speaking forum with something similar...

As for assemly and setup: If you haven't done it before, you should get a friend who has done it before. Additionally, watch one of the videos linked here earlier by someone. You might even want to make a checklist based on that so you don't forget heat paste or some other fatal mishap.
Then have that person instruct you. You'll probably need to do it yourself sometime in the future as well as be able to upgrade parts and do basic maintenance so having him build it for you won't help you in the long run.

 

[The White Hunter]

*This thread has probably come up multiple times, and if you've already answered this question, I apologise

So, I am a console gamer, I just found it easier to put the disk in and play rather than put the disk in, install it, update it fifty-million times, check if my operating system is compatible, etc.

However, the consoles have been getting increasingly mediocre titles filled with cut-scenes, quick time events, heavily scripted gameplay, micro-transactions, and not actual fun or exciting gameplay, while PCs have been getting fantastic games from AAA and indie developers and it just frustrates me.

So, if it's not too much trouble, can you tell me what the steps are to building a gaming PC? or is it much more simple than I think it is?

It's not as difficult as you think, watch this:
There's plenty of other guides that can be really helpful for every step of building your PC and getting it up and running. I highly recommend building your own for the sense of satisfaction and it's a fair bit cheaper usually. If you hop over to tek syndicate with a budget the guys on the forum will even help you with your parts, just specify that you need UK pricing. If you were to BUY a PC, I'd recommend importing it from the US as you can get a lot more for your money because they generally have less shitty taxes on the stuff.

It really is very simple, just watch a few videos and maybe have one to reference while you build. It's literally putting things in the right socket.

 

[The White Hunter]

$299.99 gets me an Xbox 360, which plays games well enough. Where can I get a PC that plays games as well as that, or better, for the same price? I have Sub-Zero intrest in building one myself, so thats not really an option.

I'm not really sure on the price of components at the moment, especially not Stateside, but I imagine it should be possible. However, the 360 is seriously out of date now, you'd be better off spending more and getting a machine that's future-proofed for the next 2-3 years or so and can play games at far better settings than the xbox.

AMD A10 5800K APU with a good motherboard, 400W gold rated PSU, entry level chassis, $30 on an air cooler, fastest RAM the motherboard supports and get 8GB of it. I'd look up the specifics but yeah, will likely beat the XBox at 720p handily, even plays stuff in glorious 1080p.

 

[Techno Squidgy]

$299.99 gets me an Xbox 360, which plays games well enough. Where can I get a PC that plays games as well as that, or better, for the same price? I have Sub-Zero intrest in building one myself, so thats not really an option.

This guy appears to have your answer, but I'd get it checked out by somebody with more time than myself.

$299.99 gets me an Xbox 360, which plays games well enough. Where can I get a PC that plays games as well as that, or better, for the same price? I have Sub-Zero intrest in building one myself, so thats not really an option.

I'm not really sure on the price of components at the moment, especially not Stateside, but I imagine it should be possible. However, the 360 is seriously out of date now, you'd be better off spending more and getting a machine that's future-proofed for the next 2-3 years or so and can play games at far better settings than the xbox.

AMD A10 5800K APU with a good motherboard, 400W gold rated PSU, entry level chassis, $30 on an air cooler, fastest RAM the motherboard supports and get 8GB of it. I'd look up the specifics but yeah, will likely beat the XBox at 720p handily, even plays stuff in glorious 1080p.