Building First System Ever.

[03mach1]

I finally decided that I am going to try to build my own computer for once because it seems that you get more of your money's worth. I know most of the components of the computer (Names) and somewhat on how a system works. It seems that building a system just takes time and effort, I hope I can handle it! I want this computer to be able to handle sc2 on ultra and D3. Also using it for basic computer stuff for school. So far I have only chosen a processor which is:

AMD Phenom 965 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...7&cm_re=amd_phenom_965-_-19-103-727-_-Product

Need some advice though on how to arrange the parts I need to remain compatible with everything. My Price range is $800-$900.

Overclocking: Not a Huge fan (Not very knowledgable)

Crossfire: Don't quite understand what this is.. yet Still surfing the site.

If you could through me some advice and I would very much appreciate it as I am a "noob" at this but I am looking forward to hearing from everyone so I can learn this and apply everything I get from you guys to make my first computer. Thanks ahead of time!

 

[03mach1]

Also I already have a monitor that I am going to use which is a 1600x1200 monitor I believe. I may have to double check that later on this morning

 

[calguyhunk]

Mobo : ASUS M4A87TD/USB3

RAM : G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB)

HDD : SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3

ODD : LGSATA 22X DVD Burner - with LightScribe Support

GPU : GTX 470 (Fermi) or, if it's too extreme, get a GTX 460 (Fermi)

PSU : OCZ Fatal1ty 550W

Case : Rosewill CHALLENGER Gaming ATX Mid Tower Case

 

[03mach1]

Thanks! I did actually pick that ram for my build! Lucky me. Haha. Is there a different graphics card that you would suggest. I am a big fan ATI and they have always been good to me. Thinking about one with crossfire ready. Also, I am looking for a 750+gb HDD is Hitachi any good? I don't want something that is going to crash on me out of no where within a year or two.. The case that I think I may go with is an Antec Casing Nine Hundred Black casing. I think tere is a bundle to get a power supply aswell but right now there site is down on newegg.

 

[03mach1]

Here is the link to the casse: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021 -109

What you think?

 

[skervy]

asrock 870 extreme over the asus 870 about 15$ cheaper and 8x8 crossfire so you could upgrade later instead of finding a better card. is a monitor included in that price range or just the pc? built mine for a tad under 700 including a 23in asus 2ms so about 550 for the full pc catching stuff on sale and it runs sc2 plus pretty much whatever i want without issues. just seems like your going a little overboard on price for your needs unless money dont matter to you

also half the cost case and more fans
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147144



my full build current total 782 after shipping and 35$ in rebates if you send them in. i dont factor in the cost of rebates though i have like 40$ worth i could send in but would rather deal with newegg if anything goes wrong in the first month. my usage is similar to yours but more games and im satisfied in every way possible except my hard drive. windows 7 score is 7.3 cpu unlocked 6.8 cpu stock? dont remember - 7.4 ram/gpu/gaming - 5.9 hd :/

im sure you could find a couple combos to sweeten it up and drop 200 off by losing the monitor if you dont need one but its a general idea for you to work from. i got my case for 55 with the dvd burner - 50$ psu - 165 monitor - 83 ram -

 

[03mach1]

asrock 870 extreme over the asus 870 about 15$ cheaper and 8x8 crossfire so you could upgrade later instead of finding a better card. is a monitor included in that price range or just the pc? built mine for a tad under 700 including a 23in asus 2ms so about 550 for the full pc catching stuff on sale and it runs sc2 plus pretty much whatever i want without issues. just seems like your going a little overboard on price for your needs unless money dont matter to you

also half the cost case and more fans
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147144



my full build current total 782 after shipping and 35$ in rebates if you send them in. i dont factor in the cost of rebates though i have like 40$ worth i could send in but would rather deal with newegg if anything goes wrong in the first month. my usage is similar to yours but more games and im satisfied in every way possible except my hard drive. windows 7 score is 7.3 cpu unlocked 6.8 cpu stock? dont remember - 7.4 ram/gpu/gaming - 5.9 hd :/

http://i36.tinypic.com/oa97pe.jpg

im sure you could find a couple combos to sweeten it up and drop 200 off by losing the monitor if you dont need one but its a general idea for you to work from. i got my case for 55 with the dvd burner - 50$ psu - 165 monitor - 83 ram -

I actually already have a monitor so it is not included in the price. I have been reading up on the Phenom series processors and they are awesome from what I here. I was going to go with either the 955 or 965 quad cores. The reason I went with the 965 was because it was: A. 13 dollars more B. Not very comfortable with the overclocking but I am still trying to learn how that works. Is it programmable? The overclocking that is. Money is an object to me it just seemed for a pretty good comp it would cost around 800. If less that is even better

 

[03mach1]

btw. You got a pretty nice build there. I am not looking to chunk a bunch of money for a graphics card btw. Those things can be wayyyy up there in price.

 

[03mach1]

Also I like that case. More fans the better right? Hehe

 

[skervy]

if you can wait for free shipping and look for combo deals its well worth it

 

[03mach1]

So far this is what I have been putting together since I am extremely bored at work.

COOLER MASTER Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811119196

ASRock 870 EXTREME3 AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813157198

SAPPHIRE 100283L Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
Item #: N82E16814102858

LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS424-98 LightScribe Support
Item #: N82E16827106335

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL
Item #: N82E16820231277

Total is: $438 So far

Now if you know anything I should take out or change and even add your more then welcome to because that is why I am here. I am a noob at this so I am here to learn.

 

[gwarriornoob]

Hello folks,

I too am in a similar situation (noob) and would love some advice on configuring my first self-built PC!

Only really 2 things to consider - im not made of money, but am willing to buy the best possible system for the cash - i am looking around the £1000 mark (about $1500) as a ceiling and 2) I don't do any extreme things with my PC. I am currently designing a website for my own (sales consultancy) business, but the adobe stuff I have works fine on my old dell desktop (Pentium 4 2.8ghz 1.49gb RAM ,XP Pro).

I have just brought Starcraft 2 - which is crap on my laptop (i use for emails, internet, movies - lounging about on the sofa stuff) which is what pushed me into getting a new PC, otherwise I mainly game on xbox 360 (XBL: StabbyPetey80 or StabbyPete @ www.codnation.net)


The reason i have gone (or at least am aiming to go) with a 'top spec' PC is to future proof it as much as possible - get a good chip with plenty of space for adding bits on later, as opposed to what I did with my Dell, which was to get a medium spec/price machine (5 yrs ago) but which had no space for upgrading.

p.s. im in the UK, so some bits maybe different spec/named :s

So here are the specs on what I was thinking:
Will be using win7 x64 pro OS.

1 x Asus P6X58D-E, Intel X58, 1366, 6DDR3, 3PCI-Ex16, CrossfireX/SLI, 8CHHD Sound, USB3 & SATA6 ATX Mfr#: aP6X58D-E
1 x Intel Core i7 960 3.2GHz 8MB Cache LGA1366 Socket Mfr#: BX80601960
1 x Akasa Intel LGA1366 Copper Core heatsink with PWM Fan Mfr #: AK-980

OR
1 x AMD Phenom II X6 1090T 3.2HGz AM3 Black Edition Processor Mfr#:HDT90ZFBGRBOX
1 x Asus CROSSHAIR IV FORMULA 890FX Socket AM3 8 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard #: CROSSHAIR IV FORMULA
1 x Arctic Cooling Alpine 64 GT Socket 754, 939, AM2, AM2+ Processor Cooler Mfr#: AC-ALP-64GT


1 x Antec CP 850 Watt Continuous Power Supply Unit Mfr#:0761345-06881-9

2 x Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 DIMM 240-Pin 1600Mhz CL9 Mfr#: KHX1600C9D3K2/4

1 x LG 10x Internal SATA Blu-Ray Writer Drive with Software Mfr #: BH10LS30.AUAU

1 x Edimax Wireless N Draft 2.0 Pci Card manufacturer Mfr #: EW-7727IN
2 x Seagate SV35.5 1TB 3.5 SATA Internal Hard Drive Mfr #: ST31000525SV

1x Coolermaster Elite 335 Case - No PSU Mfr #: RC335KKN1GP

1 x Sapphire HD 5770 1GB GDDR5 Dual DVI HDMI DisplayPort HDCP PCI-E Graphics Card Mfr #: 11163-02-20R

OR

1 x Sapphire HD 5830 1GB GDDR5 DUAL DVI-I HDMI Display Port Out PCI-E Graphics Card Mfr #: 11169-00-51R


Based on what I have said for current usage (or future usage), which is better i7 960 or AMD 1090t? There seems to be a lot of angry people on a lot of forums with the net result being very little difference! I have never even heard of overclocking until a few days ago researching this build - do I need to consider it? As I said im not going to be using anything too hardcore, but I am a tinkerer, so if one set-up is better than the other, or I can (say in a few years) boost one better than the other, i'm open to it.

Without going into silly money which graphics card gets the most 'bang for the buck' - are there any better ones for similar budgets? I have used ATI before but am not adverse to Nvidia. I notice different companies make the same cards - is any manufacturer better or worse in this regard? I chose the above cards based on £ / spec and used www.hwcompare.com to narrow the search to the best performers for the £.

Can I make any simple savings by reducing the spec / getting different components whilst still keeping the system 'future proof'.

Have I missed anything??!!?! Like a separate graphics card / system fan?

As you can tell im not too familiar with the terminology or process - if there is anything I haven't explained properly or is unintentionally confusing / at odds please let me know

Would love to hear from you guys and any help / advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[03mach1]

Hello folks,

I too am in a similar situation (noob) and would love some advice on configuring my first self-built PC!

Only really 2 things to consider - im not made of money, but am willing to buy the best possible system for the cash - i am looking around the £1000 mark (about $1500) as a ceiling and 2) I don't do any extreme things with my PC. I am currently designing a website for my own (sales consultancy) business, but the adobe stuff I have works fine on my old dell desktop (Pentium 4 2.8ghz 1.49gb RAM ,XP Pro).

I have just brought Starcraft 2 - which is crap on my laptop (i use for emails, internet, movies - lounging about on the sofa stuff) which is what pushed me into getting a new PC, otherwise I mainly game on xbox 360 (XBL: StabbyPetey80 or StabbyPete @ www.codnation.net)


The reason i have gone (or at least am aiming to go) with a 'top spec' PC is to future proof it as much as possible - get a good chip with plenty of space for adding bits on later, as opposed to what I did with my Dell, which was to get a medium spec/price machine (5 yrs ago) but which had no space for upgrading.

p.s. im in the UK, so some bits maybe different spec/named :s

So here are the specs on what I was thinking:
Will be using win7 x64 pro OS.

1 x Asus P6X58D-E, Intel X58, 1366, 6DDR3, 3PCI-Ex16, CrossfireX/SLI, 8CHHD Sound, USB3 & SATA6 ATX Mfr#: aP6X58D-E
1 x Intel Core i7 960 3.2GHz 8MB Cache LGA1366 Socket Mfr#: BX80601960
1 x Akasa Intel LGA1366 Copper Core heatsink with PWM Fan Mfr #: AK-980

OR
1 x AMD Phenom II X6 1090T 3.2HGz AM3 Black Edition Processor Mfr#:HDT90ZFBGRBOX
1 x Asus CROSSHAIR IV FORMULA 890FX Socket AM3 8 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard #: CROSSHAIR IV FORMULA
1 x Arctic Cooling Alpine 64 GT Socket 754, 939, AM2, AM2+ Processor Cooler Mfr#: AC-ALP-64GT


1 x Antec CP 850 Watt Continuous Power Supply Unit Mfr#:0761345-06881-9

2 x Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 DIMM 240-Pin 1600Mhz CL9 Mfr#: KHX1600C9D3K2/4

1 x LG 10x Internal SATA Blu-Ray Writer Drive with Software Mfr #: BH10LS30.AUAU

1 x Edimax Wireless N Draft 2.0 Pci Card manufacturer Mfr #: EW-7727IN
2 x Seagate SV35.5 1TB 3.5 SATA Internal Hard Drive Mfr #: ST31000525SV

1x Coolermaster Elite 335 Case - No PSU Mfr #: RC335KKN1GP

1 x Sapphire HD 5770 1GB GDDR5 Dual DVI HDMI DisplayPort HDCP PCI-E Graphics Card Mfr #: 11163-02-20R

OR

1 x Sapphire HD 5830 1GB GDDR5 DUAL DVI-I HDMI Display Port Out PCI-E Graphics Card Mfr #: 11169-00-51R


Based on what I have said for current usage (or future usage), which is better i7 960 or AMD 1090t? There seems to be a lot of angry people on a lot of forums with the net result being very little difference! I have never even heard of overclocking until a few days ago researching this build - do I need to consider it? As I said im not going to be using anything too hardcore, but I am a tinkerer, so if one set-up is better than the other, or I can (say in a few years) boost one better than the other, i'm open to it.

Without going into silly money which graphics card gets the most 'bang for the buck' - are there any better ones for similar budgets? I have used ATI before but am not adverse to Nvidia. I notice different companies make the same cards - is any manufacturer better or worse in this regard? I chose the above cards based on £ / spec and used www.hwcompare.com to narrow the search to the best performers for the £.

Can I make any simple savings by reducing the spec / getting different components whilst still keeping the system 'future proof'.

Have I missed anything??!!?! Like a separate graphics card / system fan?

As you can tell im not too familiar with the terminology or process - if there is anything I haven't explained properly or is unintentionally confusing / at odds please let me know

Would love to hear from you guys and any help / advice would be greatly appreciated!

Yo man. Haha. Make a new thread for you build so people can help you out. This thread is for my build that I am trying to do and trying to get people's help. haha

 

[gwarriornoob]

lol fair enough!

 

[calguyhunk]

@ 03mach1

Change your RAM to the GSkill I linked in my original post. It's a bit quicker for only 5 bucks extra.

ODD : I tend to stick to Samsung/LG/Sony/Asus for my builds. Nothing wrong with Lite-On I suppose, but haven't really used one myself. You might wanna go with the one I linked you to.

HDD : Hitachis are always good but if your HDD has to die on you, it will anyways. Seagate, Western Digital, Samsung all are good enough.

Just wondering - you said your budget was 800-900. Did that include the monitor/keyboard/sound/OS? Your current build looks more in the $500 range including a HDD.

 

[03mach1]

I already have the monitor so it is not included in the price range. 700 would be best for me.

 

[calguyhunk]

Yeah, so go with the Asrock Extreme 870 that skervy linked you to and a 5770 should always be good. You wont need a GTX 4xx for Starcraft anyways at any resolution.

If you were playing more gfx intensive games, I'd have said cut down the CPU to a 440 & stick with the GTX 460.

But for SC II & schoolwork, you're much better served with a Phenom II 9xx + 870 Chipset Mobo + Radeon HD 5770 + 4GB Memory + 500 GB HDD. That's all you'll ever need if you don't change your usage pattern drastically.

 

[03mach1]

Ah okay. I use my laptop for school mostly so this is going to be just a gaming of pretty much. I will probably wan to play more fps games once I get it built.

 

[03mach1]

Best answer selected by 03mach1.

 

[calguyhunk]

Thanks man. I appreciate it