I'm finally retiring my faithful, nearly a decade old dell. It's barely running. I've decided that I would rather build a new higher-end system then but a mid-range system, which would cost close to the same anyway. The problem is, I've never done this before. It's exciting, and I'm looking forward to learning some new skills, but in the meantime, I'm having trouble figuring some things out. After browsing through some posts here, it appears that this forum is populated by some knowledgeable, helpful folks. So, maybe some of you wouldn't mind helping me out?
I recently bought an i7-920. I'm going to be running Windows 7, probably 64-bit. This computer will be mainly for general usage (messing around online, working from home with word processing, downloading/watching large video files, streaming video, etc), maybe a little gaming, and photo/video editing.
Case
I'm considering the Cooler Master 690 II advanced
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...m_re=cooler_master_692-_-11-119-216-_-Product
or the Antec 900 II, though it's a bit gaudy for my taste
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...129058&cm_re=antec_900-_-11-129-058-_-Product
Both cases are in the $100-$110 range. All i really want in a case is that it's decently quiet, easy to cool, is big enough to hold all my components, and isn't overly complicated for someone who hasn't built a computer before. I don't care about bling, or windows, or anything. Understated is good.
RAM
Considering the following:
Corsair 6GB DDR3, 1600MHz 3x240 DIMM, Unbuffered, 9-9-9-24, XMS3
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0321071
Corsair XMS3 6GB DDR3-1600 (PC-12800) CL8 Memory Kit
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0311100]]
OCZ Gold XTC 6GB DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) CL8 Memory Kit
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0301254
OCZ 6GB DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) Obsidian Triple Channel Memory Kit
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0322203
Most of those options are similarly priced, and i don't really know what the differences are. Your help would be appreciated.
Motherboard
Here is where i really start to get lost. I've been researching for a couple weeks, and the only thing I've learned for sure is that I don't know much of anything.
I've looked at this Gigabyte X58 LGA1366 MAX
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PKUUJ0...e=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B001PKUUJ0
I read the review on this site recommending the ASRock X58 Extreme and I've seen the Asus P6T SE mentioned several times. I don't want to break the bank purchasing a motherboard. I'm not a gaming enthusiast, though playing the occasional game would be fun, and i do like to mess around with some photo/video editing, so I probably don't need the best motherboard around, but I don't want bottom tier either. I also don't know whether I need a MOBO with USB3 or not, but i suppose it would be nice if it was affordable. I'd like to do at least some moderate overclocking also.
Every Thing Else
Here's where i could use some real help. I don't know what kind of power supply I need. Do I need 500W, 650W, 750W? How much is too much? And which brands or models find the right balance between affordability and quality?
Same thing goes for graphics cards. Like i said, I'm not really a gamer, so i don't need anything extreme, but I'd like at least moderate quality.
As for the hard drive, I'm thinking about going with 1TB, though I might go smaller depending on price. I'm not going to be messing with SSDs. Again, I care about quality, but I don't need top of the line if I can get good performance at a decent price.
I realize I'm asking a lot here, but i feel kind of lost. One of my main problems is figuring out whether or not all the components are compatible with each other. Any help with the things I've mentioned, and suggestions about things I've left out would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
I recently bought an i7-920. I'm going to be running Windows 7, probably 64-bit. This computer will be mainly for general usage (messing around online, working from home with word processing, downloading/watching large video files, streaming video, etc), maybe a little gaming, and photo/video editing.
Case
I'm considering the Cooler Master 690 II advanced
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...m_re=cooler_master_692-_-11-119-216-_-Product
or the Antec 900 II, though it's a bit gaudy for my taste
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...129058&cm_re=antec_900-_-11-129-058-_-Product
Both cases are in the $100-$110 range. All i really want in a case is that it's decently quiet, easy to cool, is big enough to hold all my components, and isn't overly complicated for someone who hasn't built a computer before. I don't care about bling, or windows, or anything. Understated is good.
RAM
Considering the following:
Corsair 6GB DDR3, 1600MHz 3x240 DIMM, Unbuffered, 9-9-9-24, XMS3
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0321071
Corsair XMS3 6GB DDR3-1600 (PC-12800) CL8 Memory Kit
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0311100]]
OCZ Gold XTC 6GB DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) CL8 Memory Kit
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0301254
OCZ 6GB DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) Obsidian Triple Channel Memory Kit
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0322203
Most of those options are similarly priced, and i don't really know what the differences are. Your help would be appreciated.
Motherboard
Here is where i really start to get lost. I've been researching for a couple weeks, and the only thing I've learned for sure is that I don't know much of anything.
I've looked at this Gigabyte X58 LGA1366 MAX
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PKUUJ0...e=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B001PKUUJ0
I read the review on this site recommending the ASRock X58 Extreme and I've seen the Asus P6T SE mentioned several times. I don't want to break the bank purchasing a motherboard. I'm not a gaming enthusiast, though playing the occasional game would be fun, and i do like to mess around with some photo/video editing, so I probably don't need the best motherboard around, but I don't want bottom tier either. I also don't know whether I need a MOBO with USB3 or not, but i suppose it would be nice if it was affordable. I'd like to do at least some moderate overclocking also.
Every Thing Else
Here's where i could use some real help. I don't know what kind of power supply I need. Do I need 500W, 650W, 750W? How much is too much? And which brands or models find the right balance between affordability and quality?
Same thing goes for graphics cards. Like i said, I'm not really a gamer, so i don't need anything extreme, but I'd like at least moderate quality.
As for the hard drive, I'm thinking about going with 1TB, though I might go smaller depending on price. I'm not going to be messing with SSDs. Again, I care about quality, but I don't need top of the line if I can get good performance at a decent price.
I realize I'm asking a lot here, but i feel kind of lost. One of my main problems is figuring out whether or not all the components are compatible with each other. Any help with the things I've mentioned, and suggestions about things I've left out would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!