Building a computer: Need advice.

Zachles · Jan 6, 2014

I plan on making a gaming computer, and I was looking at this and I showed it to my friend. He asked me if I had ever considered building my own, and said I could probably get the same exact specifications for less. I gave it some thought, and decided it'd be fun and it'd be nice to know in the future. So, here I am.

Where do I start? I've been looking at desktop cases, but I have to ask: what size is good for what I intend to be using it for? Should I use an AMD or Intel processor? Is a Nvidia graphics card preferable for gamers (I do plan on overclocking, if that's relevant at all)? Module or non-module power supply, and what's the difference between the two? What kind of sound card should I get? What's the difference between a hard drive and an SSD and which one is better? Also, what is the difference between DDR2, DDR3 or SO-DIMM RAM?

I have so many questions, but as a general rule, I do want something similar to the extent of the computer I linked above. I'd like to know where I should begin looking. I've been shopping around on Newegg quite extensively for the past few hours looking at all the possibilities.

Thanks in advance.

Finair14 · Jan 6, 2014

Hello
I dont mean any offence but those question are what you have to spend time researching yourself and that will take up much of your time because there is no quick way of finding which parts you need specifically when building a pc.

Tradesman1 · Jan 6, 2014

What's your budget and we can pop some ideas out

tachybana · Jan 6, 2014

#1 You need to be certain as how much money you're to spend initially (what is your budget with all components)

Also try www.pcpartpicker to put together your build (so you know what would you pay if you got the least costly prices)

Dont bother with a sound card. All major board come with building sound processors (some support 7.1 setup as well).

1. AMD tends to be cheaper than Intel, but the later is better for all around tasks.

2. NVIDIA vs AMD = Your choice as long as you choose the proper component for your gaming needs (note that AMD cards tend to run hot, if you're considering a small case)

3. Latest board run DDR3 ram (its faster) don't bother with anything over 1600mHZ and 8GB is more than enough for gaming

4. IF you tend to overclock you need to make certain that you get a decent cooler (there is Close Loop Cooler, but my choice i stay away from those). There is the Cooler Master EVO 212 for under $30 ultra cheap great performance or the one of the top 3 best Noctua NH-U14S (remember these are not needed if you're not overclocking)

Best luck finding your parts

geofelt · Jan 6, 2014

Your friend gave you good advice.
The link shows a slow/expensive laptop equivalent which will be a poor gamer.
A $1500 budget buys you a much better rig.

1. If you have limited deskspace, look for a M-ATX sized motherboard and case.
Here is what I use: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163182 15.16" x 8.27" x 14.72"
You can go smaller, but with some compromises.
2. Intel and amd are both good. For gaming with your budget, Intel is best. Look at a i5-4670K cpu.
A mild conservative overclock will get you a 20% boost.
3. For gaming, the graphics card is all important. AMD and Nvidia are equivalent at every price point. You are looking at a
Graphics card like a GTX770 or R9-280X I would not plan on overclocking the graphics card. Buy a factory overclocked version instead.
4. Modular/non modular psu should be a non issue. You are going to use most of the supplied power cables. Modular means that unused cables are removable. If not modular, you just leave them out of the way inside the cadse.You will want about a 650w psu. Buy only a quality brand like Seasonic.
Here is a list:
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx

5. Motherboard HD 7.1 sound is very good; you need no discrete sound card.

6. I will not build without a ssd. It is 50x faster than any hard drive for the os. Look at a 240gb ssd.
If you ever need more room. you can always add a hard drive later.

7. You motherboard will use DDR3 ram. DDR2 is an older and more expensive desktop ram. SO-dim is a format for laptops.
Buy a 8gb kit of 2 x 4gb of ddr3 1600 ram. If you wish, buy 2 x 8gb kit.

8. Look at a 27" 2560 x 1440 ips monitor like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA2RY0X59885

Post a prospective build, and we can critique the details.

Zachles · Jan 6, 2014

Tradesman1 :

The MSI desktop I was looking at was $1,600 before shipping and taxes. I would like to spend up to $1,000, but I have some wiggle room.

tachybana :

Thanks a lot for that PC Part Picker website. I'm going to look around with that for a while and see if I can find a good build. I'll post it here to get it critiqued, I think.

geofelt :

1. I decided on this desktop case. I think my favorite part about this so far is the glass side-panel; being able to look at my hard work in action after it's all done should be very satisfying!

2. I haven't decided on the two. My biggest concern is if I get an AMD card it might overheat. I previously owned an HP, and had it for a few years, but it overheated so much that the computer kinda melted, I guess. I know that HP has a notoriously crappy heating system, and the great thing about building my own computer is I can choose my own cooling system and stuff.

Skipping to 4.

4. If I get a non-modular, should I perhaps invest in some zip ties to organize all of the excess cable? Or is it better to just get modular?

I've picked a decent-sized case, and I don't want an overwhelming amount of cord taking up airflow in the desktop, if you follow me.

Thanks for all the feedback and stuff. I'm going to start fiddling around with a build, and try my best to not reach $1,500. I'll post it here when it's finished.

Zachles · Jan 6, 2014

I think I did it!

After several hours of fiddling around with it (and most of that time choosing between AMD and Intel) I came up with this.

Before calculating the monitor, keyboard, mouse, headset and speakers, the total is about $1200, which is good enough for me. Anyways, a fast thing:

I went for 16GB RAM and 3TB HDD because it's a step-up from my current laptop, which has 8GB RAM and 1TB HDD. My decision to go from 1TB to 3TB was because for 1TB, I could get 1GB per $0.070, whereas if I got 3TB, I'd get 1GB per $0.30. It costs about $40 extra by my calculations for 2TB more hard drive space.

I think everything else is self-explanatory. Please critique. Is it good or bad for it's price? I tried not to go overboard, but going under the board was hard, too. Thanks.

geofelt · Jan 6, 2014

It's a start.

My thoughts:

1. Gaming is mostly dependent on the graphics card, more so than the cpu.
A i5-4670K will perform equally well, and the $100 saved an better be spent on a stronger graphics card like a GTX760.
Here is one: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-02gp42762kr
2. The Intel motherboard has a H87 chipset which does not let you get the full capability of a "K" suffix cpu. For that you want a Z87 based motherboard. Here is one example, it costs no more: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z87mpro4
3. I will not build a pc today without a ssd for the "C" drive. A 120gb ssd will hold the os and a handful of games. Samsung evo would be my pick. If you will not be storing large files such as video's, I suggest a 240gb ssd. It can hold a good number of games. You can defer on the hard drive until you need more space.

Search

Building a computer: Need advice.

Zachles

Honorable

geofelt

Finair14

Honorable

Tradesman1

Legenda in Aeternum

tachybana

Distinguished

geofelt

Titan

Zachles

Honorable

Zachles

Honorable

geofelt

Titan

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page