Need help building a computer

[triggrhappy94]

Well, my current computer is becoming outdated, so I've decided to try to build my own.
I know I'm going to need to do a good amount of research on how to put all the peices together and which peices to get. I just wanted to know if there was anything I should know in advance, and any tips.

EDIT:
I want something that can support new games, with some RAM left over. And also be well rounded in other things.
My budgets, let's just say its low. I'd say nothing more then $750 (changed), i guess. Time's not a factor though so I can always get more money

 

[BENZOOKA]

It's eeazyy.

The first thing to start with: What's your budget?

 

[Wolfram23]

This is a great place to start and get some ideas
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/forum-31.html

Just set yourself a budget and do what you can. The monitor resolution is imporant for deciding what GPU to get, and also of course whether you want to do a lot of gaming and what games/how demanding they are.

If it's for gaming, don't pair a fast CPU with a shit GPU. Picking a GPU is probably the hardest part, and frankly aside from suggestions there's not too much you can do beyond lots of research. Read reviews and look at benchmarks. Places like Guru3D, Tom's Hardware, Anandtech, Hardware Canucks are all good places for that.

Oh and don't skimp on the PSU! Get something quality like Corsair or Antec. A bad PSU can ruin everything :/

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Well we can't really do much without a proposed budget. Remember get a graphics card relative to your monitor. No point in getting a beast of a card but lacking a monitor and ram to use it. I'd suggest getting in excess of 6gb of ram if you have the money for budget. 4gb is good enough at the moment but you do want a little extra. Don't forget you will or should spend a bit on a decent enough mouse and mouse mat it will help. I'd suggest searching for a power calculator. Here [http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp] is one I found on a quick search. Also if you have no experience putting a comp together find some tutorials on youtube for help.

 

[CCountZero]

Well. If you don't mind having a large case, I'd recommend doing that. Large cases provide better airflow, which means you need a smaller jet engine to keep your rig cool.

Also makes it a lot easier to work with, and obviously has more drive racks for installing various optical drives, harddrives etc.

Make sure you're not wearing artificial fabrics when handeling your electronics, and wear sneakers with rubber soles or similliar. And, before you start working on your stuff, decharge yourself on something. Can be done by touching a radiator or by plugging in your PSU prior to installing it, turning it on, and then touching the metallic casing.

Always make sure that the electronics are placed on top or inside of the plastic wrapping it comes packed with, to avoid static electricity from the table you're working at. And don't work at a metallic table, use a wooden one preferably.

Keep pets the hell away from your electronics. Your cat is a KILLER.

Otherwise, as others might have said, don't skimp on the PSU. Better have something a little bit more powerful than a little bit too weak.

RAM is cheap. Get a Motherboard that supports DDR3. If you want the got stuff, buy Corsair Dominator. If you want the cheap but still perfectly adequate stuff, buy Kingston ValueRAM.

I'll recommend the Samsung SpinPoint series of hard drives, and again, hard drive space is cheap, but it's also one of the easiest things to upgrade on the fly, so if you gotta save money, this is where you do it.

For your Operating System, make sure you get a 64bit version. If you're the type who can follow instructions, or have a basic understanding of software, get an OEM version. If not, get a standard Retail package.
(Important in relation to whether or not you can get Microsoft Support to help you, or can get the net to help you, if anything ever goes wrong)

For CPUs, I'd recommend Intel. Don't go below Core2Quad, and make sure it's at or above 2.66Ghz.

For the GPU, well... that's where things get really damn messy, and the only thing you can do is look at prices and benchmarks for each one. And keep in mind that your GPU will be the most expensive part of your rig.

 

[flaming_squirrel]

Always make sure that the electronics are placed on top or inside of the plastic wrapping it comes packed with, to avoid static electricity from the table you're working at. And don't work at a metallic table, use a wooden one preferably.

For your Operating System, make sure you get a 64bit version. If you're the type who can follow instructions, or have a basic understanding of software, get an OEM version. If not, get a standard Retail package.

For CPUs, I'd recommend Intel. Don't go below Core2Quad, and make sure it's at or above 2.66Ghz.

^ The rest of this was pretty useful, but...

Dont put your components on top of anti-static bags, those bags are designed to dissipate the charge outwards, so can potentially cause problems if something's put on the outside surface. Stick them on some cardboard or anti-static mat.

Dont get OEM. Just buy a retail copy as it'll give you the ability to re-install the OS on another motherboard/system if you upgrade or suffer from hardware failure.

Dont buy anything from Intel yet, wait until the new AMD bulldozer processors are released, then make a decision. Do not give in to brand loyalty, get whatever is best suited to your needs and good value for money.

 

[CCountZero]

snip

^ The rest of this was pretty useful, but...

Dont put your components on top of anti-static bags, those bags are designed to dissipate the charge outwards, so can potentially cause problems if something's put on the outside surface. Stick them on some cardboard or anti-static mat.

Dont get OEM. Just buy a retail copy as it'll give you the ability to re-install the OS on another motherboard/system if you upgrade or suffer from hardware failure.

Dont buy anything from Intel yet, wait until the new AMD bulldozer processors are released, then make a decision. Do not give in to brand loyalty, get whatever is best suited to your needs and good value for money.

Suppose I'll take your word for it on the bags.
Does mean I've put eleven rigs in danger though.
I usually open them up in such a way that only one side is still holding together, and then lay it down with the "seam" underneath, so maybe that's why I've never had a death.

OEM's only really a problem if his motherboard dies, or if he buys a shit motherboard that needs to be replaced early.
Personally, I've been quite unlucky with Dead On Arrival motherboards, but once I had them replaced (free of charge ofc) I've never been informed of any of my rigs dying, and as such it doesn't seem that likely to be a problem from where I'm sitting.
But you're right in the sense that the absolute safest course of action is to buy Retail.

Waiting for AMD's new lineup isn't a bad idea as such, that's true. Does still require him to wait, though, which I figured wasn't the plan

 

[Jack Macaque]

CPU goes in motherboard, motherboard goes in case, everything else goes in motherboard wherever it fits, kinda like Lego. Lol.

Other than that, get a case with either big fans, or lots of small fans, or at the very least, a case with a lot of places to put fans.

Less but bigger fans are more effective for cooling than smaller fans in larger numbers, I learned this from trial and error with Thermaltake, few people know this but it does make sense.

I'll run by a few things, this is mostly from getting your money worth and my own personal experience, I don't have a preferred brand for anything, I just like what makes sense.

Motherboard - ASUS or EVGA
Case - Thermaltake
RAM - Corsair
Harddrives - RaptorX
CPU - AMD is all around more affordable, but still just as powerful
GPU - ATI is more affordable for the same output
PSU - Thermaltake

Now this is all IMO from my experience, no flames please

 

[flaming_squirrel]

If your on a budget like mine, buy a DDR3 motherboard, but get DDR2 ram. Unless you intend to run max settings at crazy resolution, you probably won`t notice it. And it lets you upgrade later, as prices for RAm are always dropping. Try to go no less than 4gb.

Er, DDR2 physically will not fit in a DDR3 slot. They're keyed differently. Not only that but DDR3 is cheaper due to the fact that no-one is making DDR2 anymore.

So not only would it be more expensive, but it just wouldnt work.

Suppose I'll take your word for it on the bags.
Does mean I've put eleven rigs in danger though.
I usually open them up in such a way that only one side is still holding together, and then lay it down with the "seam" underneath, so maybe that's why I've never had a death.

OEM's only really a problem if his motherboard dies, or if he buys a shit motherboard that needs to be replaced early.
Personally, I've been quite unlucky with Dead On Arrival motherboards, but once I had them replaced (free of charge ofc) I've never been informed of any of my rigs dying, and as such it doesn't seem that likely to be a problem from where I'm sitting.
But you're right in the sense that the absolute safest course of action is to buy Retail.

Waiting for AMD's new lineup isn't a bad idea as such, that's true. Does still require him to wait, though, which I figured wasn't the plan

To be honest I've used bags to sit things on a lot in the past as well, very much doubt there's a huge risk involved but it's just one of those things that's handy to know.

Mobo's are (luckily) a rare part to die once the system's up and running but it's always nice to have a re-usable Windows key to use in the future rather then a £20 cheaper but otherwise completely useless OEM copy.
I'm not completely sure, could just be imagining this, but I think I read somewhere that Bulldozer is set to come out in just a couple of months time, so could be worth a look.

 

[Wolfram23]

[quote="flaming_squirrel" post="9.266354.10153558Dont get OEM. Just buy a retail copy as it'll give you the ability to re-install the OS on another motherboard/system if you upgrade or suffer from hardware failure.

Dont buy anything from Intel yet, wait until the new AMD bulldozer processors are released, then make a decision. Do not give in to brand loyalty, get whatever is best suited to your needs and good value for money.[/quote]

I disagree with both. Well, sort of. I bought an OEM version of Win 7 to save a couple bucks. I also had to get my original MSI P55GD65 motherboard replaced with an Asus P7P55D Pro. Reinstallation was fine the only "issue" was to reauthenticate I had to use the automated phone service. I had to do that again when I bought an SSD. But it's not a big deal.

As for the CPU, well yes waiting for Bulldozer would be nice but the options out there now are quite good anyway. The new SB i5s are ridiculously fast (i5 2500k can overclock to 5ghz :O) and the older gens aren't slouches either. And if a bit of a cheaper solution is needed, the Phenom II X4 955/965 BE is there.

 

[triggrhappy94]

My budget? Um, whatever's reasonable. I'll be saving for some of the more expensive things.

 

[flaming_squirrel]

I disagree with both. Well, sort of. I bought an OEM version of Win 7 to save a couple bucks. I also had to get my original MSI P55GD65 motherboard replaced with an Asus P7P55D Pro. Reinstallation was fine the only "issue" was to reauthenticate I had to use the automated phone service. I had to do that again when I bought an SSD. But it's not a big deal.

As for the CPU, well yes waiting for Bulldozer would be nice but the options out there now are quite good anyway. The new SB i5s are ridiculously fast (i5 2500k can overclock to 5ghz :O) and the older gens aren't slouches either. And if a bit of a cheaper solution is needed, the Phenom II X4 955/965 BE is there.

You got lucky with the OEM copy, those are supposed to be only valid for installation on one machine, considering you're not saving that much money and if unlucky could be forced to buy an entirely new copy, it's not a risk I'd say is worth taking.

Indeed the second gen i's are all very nice CPU's, but the forced competition of the new AMD line could help prices and give a (possibly) much better value option.

My budget? Um, whatever's reasonable. I'll be saving for some of the more expensive things.

To be honest that's less then helpful when asking for a component recommendation.

 

[BENZOOKA]

My budget? Um, whatever's reasonable. I'll be saving for some of the more expensive things.

It all depends on the budget, so there isn't a point to even begin this if you don't know it at least fairly accurately. The components are chosen and put together as a whole and in relation to each other.

First you choose the socket and get a motherboard that has it. Then you know what kind of a CPU you're looking for. Then you can look for some RAM, a graphics card that won't be an overkill nor a bottleneck[footnote]This goes for all of the parts[/footnote], a trustworthy hard drive that's big enough or two, a power supply that'll give your system enough power, a case to your liking that can include these things, preferably armed with a good ventilation. An audio card if you want good sound, a monitor to fill your needs if you don't have one, mouse, keyboard, headphones/speakers. Then there are the necessary other things: DVD-drive, SATA-cables, power cables and other stuff that isn't necessarily included.

You can't even begin that, if you don't know what all of that can cost you. I can build rigs for different purposes for 800 ? or 900 ? or 2000 ? or anything in between. And they'd all be, more or less, completely different.

 

[Sleekgiant]

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af150/The_FalconO6/CurrentLogicalPCBuyingGuide/Guide.png

So glad The Falcon got this stickied on /g/

Use this guide and build.

 

[The Lawn]

First off, ask your PC gaming friends for advice also ask if they have any spare hardware you could buy/borrow off them until you can get your own.
That's how I got my 4850x2 for the cost of shipping it off for RMA.

Also, you don't need super expensive hardware to run games well.
The Athlon II x2 250 Regor is a great dual core, and it's only about 60 bucks.
If you're really hurting for cash, you can get a cheap as chips case with a 500 watt power supply for 30 bucks.

I was able to put a computer together for less than 300 that run every game I had at mid to high settings.

My current PC has a 3.2ghz Quad core, 8gigs of ddr3, 1.5tb of hd space and the aforementioned 4850x2 and cost about 600.

 

[Private Custard]

If you plan on overclocking, or even if you live somewhere warm, you have to consider a decent heatsink for your CPU.

Just by adding a Noctua NH-U12P SE2, my 3.72Ghz overclock temps dropped by a third.

It makes sense to do it properly from the start, as most big coolers require the motherboard to be removed for fitting. It'd be a shame to have to strip it all down again.

 

[Uszi]

Well, my current computer is becoming outdated, so I've decided to try to build my own.
I know I'm going to need to do a good amount of research on how to put all the peices together and which peices to get. I just wanted to know if there was anything I should know in advance, and any tips.

EDIT:
I want something that can support new games, with some RAM left over. And also be well rounded in other things.
My budgets, let's just say its low. I'd say nothing more then $750 (changed), i guess. Time's not a factor though so I can always get more money

Is that $750 for your box, or for the box + monitor, speakers etc?

$750 for just the box is pretty reasonable. The expensive stuff, unfortunately, is going to be the monitor.

I built my computer in August, so I'm sure some of this stuff is already obsolete, but these are my parts. My only goal was a box under $1000 that would run SC2 on ultra settings with no problem, which I achieved:

Case: $90
http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1320&ID=1430

Mobo: $90
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131406

Processor: $140
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103808&cm_re=AMD_PHENOM_2_X4_955-_-19-103-808-_-Product

RAM: $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145263

Hard Drive: $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320&cm_re=WD_Caviar_Black-_-22-136-320-_-Product

Graphics Card: $137
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150447&cm_re=XFX_Radeon_HD_5770-_-14-150-447-_-Product

PSU: $90
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

Optical Drive: $18
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10440897&PID=3067296&SID

Total Box Cost: $685
You can probably save some money by going with a lower wattage PSU. 650w is total overkill, and that specific PSU is like some thick tentacled octopus which dominates my case no matter how i try to organize it.

You also may want to invest in a better CPU fan.

I rolled out with this one: $40.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118030

Which brings the price up to $725.00... w/o S&H, mind you. The only thing on this list I'm not 100% happy with is my CD burner, which stopped working randomly.