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Never built a pc before so I need help.

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  • Games
  • Components
Last response: in Components
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December 24, 2013 4:00:58 AM

I've literally never done this before and i have a budget of around $500-550, but if it can't be done for that price i might be able to squeeze out $600. This is not including os, keyboard, mouse, monitor. I will be using this pc for games, but I'm not sure what games I will be playing. The one I know I will play for sure is League of Legends, but I would like the option to play some of the newer games if i choose to play them. So some questions I have are:
-Intel or AMD?
-How much do i have to spend on a good gaming computer?
-Realistically, what could I get out of my budget?
-What components should I be looking to buy?
-What do I need to do for to get my computer to use wifi and ethernet?
-Also anyone have some ideas that will get me most out of this while leaving open the possibility to upgrade in the future?
-How many USB ports should i get?
-Are there any good resources that will help me with the process of actually putting the computer together?
-Alternatively are there any pcs that would potentially meet my needs that are already built that I could buy on NewEgg?
I think I covered everything. Thanks guys any input is appreciated.

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December 24, 2013 4:48:14 AM

Hi. You can buy something decent for this money...
-Intel or AMD? Well i cant answer that. I know for sure that at the money you are willing to spend intel offers up to dual core solutions with better single core performance and amd has 4 and 6 core products to offer.
-How much do i have to spend on a good gaming computer? That depends. You didnt mention the resolution you will be playing games. Today with 1k you could get an i5 4670k and a r9 290/gtx 770, in other words an amazing build.
-What components should I be looking to buy? There are many reviews here on toms that can help you choose quality products without spending a fortune.
-How many USB ports should i get? Do you have many periferrals? I think you can determine on your own that number, though having something like 2 will be a problem.

Here's what i would buy for that money(choices i made are based on toms Best cpus december and
Best gpus december) :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($114.99 @ Newegg) or CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B85-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Amazon) or Motherboard: MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($59.99 @ Newegg) for fx6300
Memory: Kingston Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 270 2GB Video Card ($183.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z11 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Intel Total: $606.90($651.90 without rebates) or AMD Total: $581.90($636.90 without rebates)
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-24 07:41 EST-0500)
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December 24, 2013 4:56:33 AM

Hey welcome :) 

People usually are more keen on helping when you provide as much information as possible.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/353572-31-build-upgra...
Kind of like a form to fill out when building a new computer so people know your needs and can help you better.

I'm relatively new to building aswell, only built 2 computers so far. But I'll try to answer from my experience.

Quote:
-Intel or AMD?

For medium/high gaming most times it's intel. But there are a few ok options on AMD side.
Quote:
-How much do i have to spend on a good gaming computer?

This will depend a lot on how you answer the questions in the "form". You could probably have a good gaming computer for $650, but you are talking about future proofing which usually adds on quite a bit more.
.
Quote:
-Realistically, what could I get out of my budget?

It sounds like your games aren't that demanding. In 2-3 years if you wanted to play newer games, you might have to play them on a medium setting.
Quote:
-What components should I be looking to buy?

Processor, Graphics card, Motherboard, Ram, Power Supply Unit, Hard drive or SSD , optical drive and a Case. People usually recommend a aftermarket cpu cooler aswell, although I've never needed one. !!!!! Best advice I was given !!! Don't cheap out on the PSU. I'd say $60-70 one at least. IMO anyways
Quote:
-Also anyone have some ideas that will get me most out of this while leaving open the possibility to upgrade in the future?

That's the really hard question haha. Futureproofing really ups the price of your build. My personal opinion is that it's better to just make use of your computer as long as you can without futureproofing. Technology advances so fast that it's usually better to just buy a new one. Another point is that CPU sockets become obsolete within 2 years more or less. So you won't be able to just pop in a new CPU (most times).
My first computer I built in early 2012 and my 2nd I built in mid-2013. The 2nd computer would be a budget gaming computer ($650-700 i think) and it plays LoL as well as my first $1200 computer. The first one was only supposed to be $850, but I wanted to futureproof it :/ 

Quote:
-Are there any good resources that will help me with the process of actually putting the computer together?


Well i'm sure google can help you out the best. But I found this site pretty helpful. There are many videos on youtube of people putting computers together.
http://www.build-gaming-computers.com/
Also, your manual for your motherboard will show you how everything fits together.

I was pretty cautious when I got my first parts, but it's not really that hard. Basically just plugging components into the motherboard. Also, don't worry to much about "static" affecting components when building. Never had anyone in my circle of friends have trouble with this.

Edit: the intel build from ksarex is similar to the 2nd computer I built. (it's be a generation behind now) but it worked fine for LoL. Would spend any extra on a better PSU personally though. (antec/seasonic)
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