This forum has been a tremendous help to my research these past two months, and it's almost time for me to purchase parts.
This is my first time ever building a desktop, or even modifying or changing any parts in a computer. I don't have any parts already so I will need everything (except the parts in the parts not required section). If I don't have it included in my list of parts I'm purchasing, or list of parts I don't need, I will assume I don't need it.
Approximate Purchase Date: Late March/Early April
Budget Range: $2000-2500 after rebates - I have $2800 total but I'd like to be able to afford some games
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Home Theater, Music Production/Video Editing, Programming
Parts Not Required: Screwdriver, desk, chair. Don't think anyone includes these in builds but I don't need a microphone either. Need EVERYTHING else.
Preferred Website for Parts: Newegg.com
Country: United States
Parts Preferences: 16 GB of RAM (I have had 8 in past machines and will definitely need more, 12 would be ok, 16 is best), 27 inch monitor with HDMI support (for hooking up cable box or Xbox to monitor) (is 27 inches too big?), Keyboard with macro keys (at least 6 would be ideal), at least 1 TB hard drive, cheap case lighting. Will not give any of these up, must have.
Overclocking: Likely, for the CPU. Don't think I will overclock anything else.
SLI or Crossfire: No
Monitor Resolution: 1920 x 1080 OR 1900 x 1200
Additional Comments: I'd prefer a case with at least a small window, but not a necessity. Speakers that have a good sound and some bass would be nice. Finally, if the case is going to have any lit up parts (such as fans) I prefer the color red. But yeah... I'm not going to be too picky.
Also if it makes any difference, I like playing all kinds of games. Although my personal favorite are RPGS. And if you think it's worth buying a controller for some games (such as FIFA 12) please let me know and I'll try to fit it in.
I'm also wondering if I should buy an air filter. I live on a dusty dirt road and my room has a lot of dust in it. I'm worried about it getting stuck in my computer. If need be, I have family who will buy this for me so it doesn't need to be included in the build price.
IMPORTANT: My biggest fear is DOA parts. Company reliability is extremely important in this build. I have a monthly income of only $200 from my websites, because I'm only 16. This build will leave me just about broke.
If you read all that, thanks. Here is my build so far.
Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced RC-932-KKN5-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - $144.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge - $224.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
CPU Cooling: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 (includes thermal paste, so I won't need any, right? - $34.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099
GPU: PowerColor Radeon 7970 (should I switch to Sapphire if it comes back in stock? haven't seen it in stock for two weeks...) - $559.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131452
MOBO: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard (I don't know much about motherboards) - $129.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271
Hard Drive: SAMSUNG EcoGreen F4 HD204UI 2TB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (Couldn't find a 1-2TB hard drive with great ratings... speed is not that important on this as long as it's not annoyingly slow, hard drive will mostly be used for stuff like small programs, pictures, movies etc.) - $149.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152245
SSD: Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2CCA 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC - $169.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148448
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) - $89.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231315
PSU: RAIDMAX RX-850AE 850W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply (I know nearly nothing about PSUs, except that modular = good)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817152043
Optical Drive 1: LG Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 10X BD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA 12X Super Multi Blue with 3D Playback & M-DISC Support WH12LS39 LightScribe Support - OEM (Anyone got a suggestion for Blu-Ray playing software?) - $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136241
Optical Drive 2: ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - OEM (needed a DVD burner, two drives is convient also) - $20.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204
Monitor: Asus VK278Q Black 27" 1920x1080 2ms Full HD HDMI LED BackLight LCD Monitor w/Webcam 300 cd/m2 10,000,000 :1 (ASCR) - $329.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236101
Keyboard: Logitech G510 Black 18 Function Keys USB Wired Gaming Keyboard - $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126100
Mouse: Logitech G500 10 Buttons Dual-mode Scroll Wheel USB Wired Laser 5700 dpi Gaming Mouse (very skeptical about this mouse, comfort is important when it comes to a good mouse though) - $58.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104318
Mouse Pad: RAZER Goliathus Gaming Mouse Mat - Fragged Speed Edition - Omega S - $14.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826999067
Speakers: Logitech Z506 75 watts RMS 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers - $90.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121044
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM - $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986
Ethernet Cable: Link Depot C6M-50-WHB 50 ft. Cat 6 White Network Cable - $10.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189038
Anti-Static Wrist Strap: Rosewill RTK-002 Anti-Static Wrist Strap - $4.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16899261005
Surge Protector: CyberPower 850 6 Feet 8 Outlets 2400 Joules Home/Office Surge Protection - $20.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812120401
Cable Ties: Cables To Go 43221 50Pkg 6in Releasable/Reusable Cable Ties - $7.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16899996091
Extra SATA Cables: (I don't know how many my MOBO comes with): BYTECC Model SATA-118C 18" Serial ATA-150/300 Cable w/Locking Latch (x3) - $10.29
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812270093
Case LEDs: NZXT CB-LED20-RD Sleeved LED Kit - Red, 2 m (Just for fun, also I realize I can not line the whole inside of my case with just 2m) - $17.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812170031
Battlefield 3: (I can take this off if it's worth it... rest of my games will come from Steam or other digital downloads) $47.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832130293
Grand Total: $2,520.36 (including shipping, after rebates). Need to bring down $20 (see parts preference for things I will not give up)
That's it! Please let me know if I forgot anything I will need. Remember, if it's not included here in this post I'll assume I don't need it. I have no spare parts of anything. Thank you so much for reading all of this and thanks for helping me out. If you have any questions or comments please post. Thank you.
This is my first time ever building a desktop, or even modifying or changing any parts in a computer. I don't have any parts already so I will need everything (except the parts in the parts not required section). If I don't have it included in my list of parts I'm purchasing, or list of parts I don't need, I will assume I don't need it.
Approximate Purchase Date: Late March/Early April
Budget Range: $2000-2500 after rebates - I have $2800 total but I'd like to be able to afford some games
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Home Theater, Music Production/Video Editing, Programming
Parts Not Required: Screwdriver, desk, chair. Don't think anyone includes these in builds but I don't need a microphone either. Need EVERYTHING else.
Preferred Website for Parts: Newegg.com
Country: United States
Parts Preferences: 16 GB of RAM (I have had 8 in past machines and will definitely need more, 12 would be ok, 16 is best), 27 inch monitor with HDMI support (for hooking up cable box or Xbox to monitor) (is 27 inches too big?), Keyboard with macro keys (at least 6 would be ideal), at least 1 TB hard drive, cheap case lighting. Will not give any of these up, must have.
Overclocking: Likely, for the CPU. Don't think I will overclock anything else.
SLI or Crossfire: No
Monitor Resolution: 1920 x 1080 OR 1900 x 1200
Additional Comments: I'd prefer a case with at least a small window, but not a necessity. Speakers that have a good sound and some bass would be nice. Finally, if the case is going to have any lit up parts (such as fans) I prefer the color red. But yeah... I'm not going to be too picky.
Also if it makes any difference, I like playing all kinds of games. Although my personal favorite are RPGS. And if you think it's worth buying a controller for some games (such as FIFA 12) please let me know and I'll try to fit it in.
I'm also wondering if I should buy an air filter. I live on a dusty dirt road and my room has a lot of dust in it. I'm worried about it getting stuck in my computer. If need be, I have family who will buy this for me so it doesn't need to be included in the build price.
IMPORTANT: My biggest fear is DOA parts. Company reliability is extremely important in this build. I have a monthly income of only $200 from my websites, because I'm only 16. This build will leave me just about broke.
If you read all that, thanks. Here is my build so far.
Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced RC-932-KKN5-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - $144.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge - $224.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
CPU Cooling: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 (includes thermal paste, so I won't need any, right? - $34.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099
GPU: PowerColor Radeon 7970 (should I switch to Sapphire if it comes back in stock? haven't seen it in stock for two weeks...) - $559.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131452
MOBO: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard (I don't know much about motherboards) - $129.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271
Hard Drive: SAMSUNG EcoGreen F4 HD204UI 2TB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (Couldn't find a 1-2TB hard drive with great ratings... speed is not that important on this as long as it's not annoyingly slow, hard drive will mostly be used for stuff like small programs, pictures, movies etc.) - $149.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152245
SSD: Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2CCA 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC - $169.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148448
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) - $89.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231315
PSU: RAIDMAX RX-850AE 850W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply (I know nearly nothing about PSUs, except that modular = good)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817152043
Optical Drive 1: LG Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 10X BD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA 12X Super Multi Blue with 3D Playback & M-DISC Support WH12LS39 LightScribe Support - OEM (Anyone got a suggestion for Blu-Ray playing software?) - $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136241
Optical Drive 2: ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - OEM (needed a DVD burner, two drives is convient also) - $20.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204
Monitor: Asus VK278Q Black 27" 1920x1080 2ms Full HD HDMI LED BackLight LCD Monitor w/Webcam 300 cd/m2 10,000,000 :1 (ASCR) - $329.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236101
Keyboard: Logitech G510 Black 18 Function Keys USB Wired Gaming Keyboard - $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126100
Mouse: Logitech G500 10 Buttons Dual-mode Scroll Wheel USB Wired Laser 5700 dpi Gaming Mouse (very skeptical about this mouse, comfort is important when it comes to a good mouse though) - $58.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104318
Mouse Pad: RAZER Goliathus Gaming Mouse Mat - Fragged Speed Edition - Omega S - $14.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826999067
Speakers: Logitech Z506 75 watts RMS 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers - $90.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121044
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM - $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986
Ethernet Cable: Link Depot C6M-50-WHB 50 ft. Cat 6 White Network Cable - $10.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189038
Anti-Static Wrist Strap: Rosewill RTK-002 Anti-Static Wrist Strap - $4.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16899261005
Surge Protector: CyberPower 850 6 Feet 8 Outlets 2400 Joules Home/Office Surge Protection - $20.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812120401
Cable Ties: Cables To Go 43221 50Pkg 6in Releasable/Reusable Cable Ties - $7.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16899996091
Extra SATA Cables: (I don't know how many my MOBO comes with): BYTECC Model SATA-118C 18" Serial ATA-150/300 Cable w/Locking Latch (x3) - $10.29
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812270093
Case LEDs: NZXT CB-LED20-RD Sleeved LED Kit - Red, 2 m (Just for fun, also I realize I can not line the whole inside of my case with just 2m) - $17.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812170031
Battlefield 3: (I can take this off if it's worth it... rest of my games will come from Steam or other digital downloads) $47.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832130293
Grand Total: $2,520.36 (including shipping, after rebates). Need to bring down $20 (see parts preference for things I will not give up)
That's it! Please let me know if I forgot anything I will need. Remember, if it's not included here in this post I'll assume I don't need it. I have no spare parts of anything. Thank you so much for reading all of this and thanks for helping me out. If you have any questions or comments please post. Thank you.