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When using this resource, please read FragKrag's opening post. The Tech Support forum regulars have helped create countless of desktop systems without any compensation. The least you can do is provide all of the information required for them to help you properly. |
Hi, I mostly lurk here on TL, but after saving up a little bit of pocket money I thought I'd try my hand at building a computer. 
So, I'm reading the OP, and I'm going to answer the questions provided in the first spoiler.
What is your budget?
Right now? 700$. However if I need more money I can save up some more and come and try again later. What's the optimal budget to build a computer that'll last me ~2-3 years?
Resolution?
I actually have a weird eMachine monitor, runs at 1366x768. Yeah, I've never come across this resolution, either. Before this one I had a 1280x1024 that I was quite happy with. You guys think it's worth the money to drop on a new monitor at that resolution?
What am I using it for?
Pretty much gaming and storage for music/pictures/movies and whatnot, and surfing. I don't see myself using it for say, Photoshop, movie editing, or 3d modeling, but if I do decide to I'll let you guys know. Games I play are things like sc2, dota 2, and I occasionally get the newest AAA title on Steam, like Deus EX:HR, Serious Sam 3, and whatnot (Dishonored looks fucking cool). Being able to play them at a solid 60fps would be awesome.
Upgrade cycle?
Well this computer is at least 2-3 years old, and my computer before that was 2-4. So, pretty long I guess.
When do I plan on building it?
Eh, if I assemble all the parts in the next week or 2, then next month?
Overclocking?
I don't even know how to overclock lol
Second GPU?
Uh, what?
Where can I buy parts from?
I do have access to a Microcenter, if not there then Amazon and Newegg's or something will probably do. I live in US east coast.
If you guys need any more info, then just ask. Hope I wasn't a total noob.
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What is your budget?
I'd prefer to stay around the $600 range, but can go to $700-$800 if needed.
What is your resolution?
Minimum resolution 1920x1080
I have a 60 inch Pioneer Kuro 6020FD TV that I use as a monitor so maybe you can recommend a card and resolution.
TV Specs here. I'll be going with a Widescreen 24" HD monitor for my second monitor so I can keep tabs on the stream quality and twitch chat while I play on my TV. (the 2nd monitor will NOT be part of the build
What are you using it for?
I'll use it to periodically play SC2, but the main use is for photoshop and livestreaming Xbox games.
What is your upgrade cycle?
Not really important to me, my main focus is the best stream quality possible for my price range.
When do you plan on building it?
ASAP as I need the rig built before November 12th.
Do you plan on overclocking?
Yes, but not right away, possibly a few weeks after the build.
Do you need an Operating System?
No.
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
Possibly, but a mobo ready for SLI (I prefer Nvidia) would be great in case the build cant afford a second GPU. I also plan to add a PCI-E capture card (Avermedia LiveGamer HD) in the future and would like to have at least 3 PCI-E slots so I can eventually go SLI although not absolutely necessary.
Where are you buying your parts from?
I'd prefer to buy all of my parts from Newegg, but Tiger Direct is fine.
I currently have a server-turned-computer IBM x3200 4362 MT Specs here. Intel Xeon Dual Core 2.4 Ghz CPU, 8GB DDR2 RAM, GeForce 260GTS, 5TB of Hard Drive space so I don't think I'll need HDDs, maybe a really small SSD would be fine for the build list.
So my main concern is to be able to stream at a MINIMUM of 720p (preferably 1080p) with no issues, its impossible with my current setup. Using XSplit I'll notice I'm only streaming 8-9 fps, nowhere near the 30 that Xsplit restricts you to. Not to mention the choppy, laggy, and pixelated video my viewers experience. And YES trust me I've tried all sorts of settings on XSplit, lower quality, 360p resolution, 15-20 fps manual setting and still nothing worth watching. Task Manager is at 90-95% CPU load with 3GB RAM load. My internet connection is no issue with 35 down and 8 up. I've had enough and definitely need something new. And of course, if there is anything we can recycle from my current setup, I'm all for saving money Thanks for all your help guys.
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5930 Posts
Don't use the Pioneer Kuro as a desktop monitor! The desktop is actually the most stress you can put a display through and plasmas aren't exactly the most resilient displays to shit like burn in. The Pioneer Kuro is worth far too much to be put through such pointless stress.
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On October 29 2012 16:44 Womwomwom wrote:
Don't use the Pioneer Kuro as a desktop monitor! The desktop is actually the most stress you can put a display through and plasmas aren't exactly the most resilient displays to shit like burn in. The Pioneer Kuro is worth far too much to be put through such pointless stress.
Yeah I know, but I have all settings on to prevent it, screensaver, TV settings like power saver, 5 minute TV timer if I step away etc. Trust me, this TV is like my kid lol, I clean the screen every week.
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Screensaver wont help you while you use it.
If the unit is a couple years old it should be ok for PC use. But if the unit is still malleable then its not going to work out. Plasma TV's will even burn in TV station watermarks if your not careful.
Video games same thing. UI elements are generally stationary. So even a few hours of gaming will burn something into the screen.
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What is your budget?
Near 500$ but if I need to, I can hold off a month and go 750$. However, as my requirements are rather low, I'd like to get by on the lower budget. ^^
Resolution?
1920x1080
What am I using it for?
Low-requirement gaming. SC2/LoL/Football Manager.
Upgrade cycle?
2-3 years.
When do I plan on building it?
I plan on upgrading what I have. Would love to start with the bare minimum; a workable motherboard/processor.
Overclocking?
I have a monster heat sink already so I can overclock if necessary but probably don't need to.
Second GPU?
No
Where can I buy parts from?
Newegg or any internet retailer in the US.
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Yeah I hear you Medrea. Do we get the build specs in a pm? Or is it just the people who do the buildouts havent come online I'm guessing?
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Whenever we are feeling charitable. Most of us work for a living ya know.
Let me get some lunch in me and then Ill make a visit to newegg and see whats up.
Im already thinking:
i3-3220 or i5 3550
i5-3550 ($209)
or
i3-3220 ($130)
Cheap h77 motherboard.
Motherboard ($70)
8gb of whatever is the cheapest 1333 mhz RAM newegg is peddling.
Pareema ($32)
Haf 912 or similarly priced case.
Haf912 ($60)
Low wattage power supply. Pref Gold. CAPSTONE 450W if available or maybe one of those newer Seasonics.
CAPSTONE 450W ($65)
1TB hard drive.
Hard Drive ($80)
Generic optical drive.
Drive ($19)
RADEON 7770 or 7850
RADEON 7770 ($110 after MIR)
or
7850 ($170 after MIR)
Should be between $500 for the low end choices and $700 for the higher end ones. We are coming up on quite a few holidays here as well so, watch out.
TOTALS:
$566 for the budget build.
$705 for the somewhat better build.
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LOL I do too Medrea, I'm just off today and I'm excited to see what you guys can muster up
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There you go. I accommodated both budgets. Links included.
You can get that now. Or wait and see what drops during the holidays.
The second build can stream if you have the internet for it, but nothing tournament quality obviously.
You can also choose the cheap build, and get an SSD if thats what you want.
Comparisons
7770 versus 7850
Approximate comparison between CPU's
The second build is quite a bit better. So if you can stretch for it, do so. The 7850 in particular is a very good deal, if you care about AAA gaming at all.
Also if you need an OS, you can get Windows 8 right now for $40. That won't last for long.
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Mystik add in this processor:
i5k
And a Coolermaster hyper 212.
If you want to overclock. Streaming 360games is simple with a PC dedicated to it. Now and later SLI builds dont work out.
There, I just handled all 3 build queries on this page. Im not doing 3 builds when they are all just about the exact same. if you want to save money go the budget route. Otherwise add in better processor, GPU, and a cooler if you are overclocking (with unlocked processor).
Anyone have questions? Kaos, Mystik or Theinan
Don't worry, I made sure you have space for your capture card, even though the board is micro ATX. Its not built for SLI/Crossfire though. If all you want to do is stream Xbox games and play SC2, you can get the 7770 and the i5 build instead.
I'm not checking Microcenter. They have deals that go all over the place but I think they have a nice CPU and motherboard combo thing they are running.
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Thanks Medrea anything a little bigger than micro atx?
Also it's fine I dont HAVE to go SLI, so do you have an Nvidia card to go with that build?
And also, what do you think about this prebuilt from Best Buy? Can those same or similar specs be built for any cheaper?
Best Buy Pre-built Asus
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Hey guys! After building my awesome computer in college, I'm thinking of building a budget computer at home for my brother for his birthday, and make it looks a cool as possible. He plays stupid games, but just in case he gets into bigger games I'm thinking of building it with the AMD 7770. It could possibly become a family computer, so I'm thinking of giving it a nice monitor and large HDD too.
I'm thinking a full tower NZXT case and a 2x4gb crucial ballistix tactile tracer 8gb lightup RAM.
Link to the good-looking RAMs:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=20-148-555&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfo
The reviews said the default setting for those RAM sticks are 1066 MHz, and I have to boot in BIOS to make it 1866, in my case, I'd like to make them 1600 since I'm not overclocking. Is this possible with a H77 budget motherboard?
All in all, my build would be something like
ASRock H77 mobo
i5-3570 CPU
AMD 7770
Crucial 2x4gb RAM
wifi card (SUGGESTIONS? there is only 1 ethernet cable in my house so my bro would need wifi.)
cheap dvd drive
windows 8
samsung 830 SSD
5400RPM 2TB HDD (will probably buy this back home)
overkill monitor (i'll buy this back home)
Stuff is a lot cheaper in newegg than in hong kong, from what I know, so i'm thinking of buying the RAM, the SSD, the HDD, the CPU, and perhaps the windows 8 here. (the rest is too much to carry).
Does anyone have a good suggestion for a wifi card?
What PSU do I require? seems like 350-400w would be more than enough, seeing that I"m running a similar rig with a 7870 in college and my rosewill 450w is sufficient.
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On October 30 2012 07:00 MystikMiami wrote:Thanks Medrea anything a little bigger than micro atx? Also it's fine I dont HAVE to go SLI, so do you have an Nvidia card to go with that build? And also, what do you think about this prebuilt from Best Buy? Can those same or similar specs be built for any cheaper? Best Buy Pre-built Asus
The ASUS prebuilt isn't for gaming but if you want something similar than just take Medrea's build, get an i7 instead and get no graphics card.
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On October 30 2012 07:04 findingthelimit wrote:+ Show Spoiler +Hey guys! After building my awesome computer in college, I'm thinking of building a budget computer at home for my brother for his birthday, and make it looks a cool as possible. He plays stupid games, but just in case he gets into bigger games I'm thinking of building it with the AMD 7770. It could possibly become a family computer, so I'm thinking of giving it a nice monitor and large HDD too. I'm thinking a full tower NZXT case and a 2x4gb crucial ballistix tactile tracer 8gb lightup RAM. Link to the good-looking RAMs: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=20-148-555&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfoThe reviews said the default setting for those RAM sticks are 1066 MHz, and I have to boot in BIOS to make it 1866, in my case, I'd like to make them 1600 since I'm not overclocking. Is this possible with a H77 budget motherboard? All in all, my build would be something like ASRock H77 mobo i5-3570 CPU AMD 7770 Crucial 2x4gb RAM wifi card (SUGGESTIONS? there is only 1 ethernet cable in my house so my bro would need wifi.) cheap dvd drive windows 8 samsung 830 SSD 5400RPM 2TB HDD (will probably buy this back home) overkill monitor (i'll buy this back home) Stuff is a lot cheaper in newegg than in hong kong, from what I know, so i'm thinking of buying the RAM, the SSD, the HDD, the CPU, and perhaps the windows 8 here. (the rest is too much to carry). Does anyone have a good suggestion for a wifi card? What PSU do I require? seems like 350-400w would be more than enough, seeing that I"m running a similar rig with a 7870 in college and my rosewill 450w is sufficient.
Yes, H77 supports 1600MHz. But why waste money on 1866MHz memory if the rest of your build isn't good and you don't even plan on running 1866MHz in the first place?
Any decent budget 400w power supply will be overkill for the build.
Generally, putting an i5 in a family computer is just throwing money away. The same goes for getting a full tower.
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I like to stream and play Playstation 2 games on an emulator on an i3-2100.
Food for thought.
On October 30 2012 07:00 MystikMiami wrote:Thanks Medrea anything a little bigger than micro atx? Also it's fine I dont HAVE to go SLI, so do you have an Nvidia card to go with that build? And also, what do you think about this prebuilt from Best Buy? Can those same or similar specs be built for any cheaper? Best Buy Pre-built Asus
Theres nothing to fear from micro ATX. It goes in every ATX form factor case. And has everything you need.
That computer you linked almost has no graphics card at all. nVidia's entries in that pricerange are pretty abominable so I would wait and see what they do with the price of the Geforce 660 and 650ti.
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On October 30 2012 07:18 skyR wrote:Show nested quote +On October 30 2012 07:04 findingthelimit wrote:+ Show Spoiler +Hey guys! After building my awesome computer in college, I'm thinking of building a budget computer at home for my brother for his birthday, and make it looks a cool as possible. He plays stupid games, but just in case he gets into bigger games I'm thinking of building it with the AMD 7770. It could possibly become a family computer, so I'm thinking of giving it a nice monitor and large HDD too. I'm thinking a full tower NZXT case and a 2x4gb crucial ballistix tactile tracer 8gb lightup RAM. Link to the good-looking RAMs: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=20-148-555&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfoThe reviews said the default setting for those RAM sticks are 1066 MHz, and I have to boot in BIOS to make it 1866, in my case, I'd like to make them 1600 since I'm not overclocking. Is this possible with a H77 budget motherboard? All in all, my build would be something like ASRock H77 mobo i5-3570 CPU AMD 7770 Crucial 2x4gb RAM wifi card (SUGGESTIONS? there is only 1 ethernet cable in my house so my bro would need wifi.) cheap dvd drive windows 8 samsung 830 SSD 5400RPM 2TB HDD (will probably buy this back home) overkill monitor (i'll buy this back home) Stuff is a lot cheaper in newegg than in hong kong, from what I know, so i'm thinking of buying the RAM, the SSD, the HDD, the CPU, and perhaps the windows 8 here. (the rest is too much to carry). Does anyone have a good suggestion for a wifi card? What PSU do I require? seems like 350-400w would be more than enough, seeing that I"m running a similar rig with a 7870 in college and my rosewill 450w is sufficient. Yes, H77 supports 1600MHz. But why waste money on 1866MHz memory if the rest of your build isn't good and you don't even plan on running 1866MHz in the first place? Any decent budget 400w power supply will be overkill for the build. Generally, putting an i5 in a family computer is just throwing money away. The same goes for getting a full tower.
but my post also says my initial intention is just to build a cool looking comp for my little brother... the ram with glowy lights only come with the 1866 MHz model, and my question is not whether H77 supports it, but whether I have to boot into BIOS to make it happen.
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On October 30 2012 10:49 findingthelimit wrote:Show nested quote +On October 30 2012 07:18 skyR wrote:On October 30 2012 07:04 findingthelimit wrote:+ Show Spoiler +Hey guys! After building my awesome computer in college, I'm thinking of building a budget computer at home for my brother for his birthday, and make it looks a cool as possible. He plays stupid games, but just in case he gets into bigger games I'm thinking of building it with the AMD 7770. It could possibly become a family computer, so I'm thinking of giving it a nice monitor and large HDD too. I'm thinking a full tower NZXT case and a 2x4gb crucial ballistix tactile tracer 8gb lightup RAM. Link to the good-looking RAMs: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=20-148-555&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfoThe reviews said the default setting for those RAM sticks are 1066 MHz, and I have to boot in BIOS to make it 1866, in my case, I'd like to make them 1600 since I'm not overclocking. Is this possible with a H77 budget motherboard? All in all, my build would be something like ASRock H77 mobo i5-3570 CPU AMD 7770 Crucial 2x4gb RAM wifi card (SUGGESTIONS? there is only 1 ethernet cable in my house so my bro would need wifi.) cheap dvd drive windows 8 samsung 830 SSD 5400RPM 2TB HDD (will probably buy this back home) overkill monitor (i'll buy this back home) Stuff is a lot cheaper in newegg than in hong kong, from what I know, so i'm thinking of buying the RAM, the SSD, the HDD, the CPU, and perhaps the windows 8 here. (the rest is too much to carry). Does anyone have a good suggestion for a wifi card? What PSU do I require? seems like 350-400w would be more than enough, seeing that I"m running a similar rig with a 7870 in college and my rosewill 450w is sufficient. Yes, H77 supports 1600MHz. But why waste money on 1866MHz memory if the rest of your build isn't good and you don't even plan on running 1866MHz in the first place? Any decent budget 400w power supply will be overkill for the build. Generally, putting an i5 in a family computer is just throwing money away. The same goes for getting a full tower. but my post also says my initial intention is just to build a cool looking comp for my little brother... the ram with glowy lights only come with the 1866 MHz model, and my question is not whether H77 supports it, but whether I have to boot into BIOS to make it happen.
Well to be honest... how likely is he to look at the ram in the PC and say "oh cool!"? It won't be very visible from the outside anyways. You can get flashier, more noticeable stuff on the PSU and case itself, especially when you save the 20$ from the RAM.
But if you have to buy it, yes you'll have to go into the motherboard to change the ram speed(edit: only sometimes necessary I guess (listen to skyr) but still). It still sounds like an odd thing to light up though, it's going to be rather difficult to see RAM on a computer that will be on the floor/under the desk when you're sitting in a chair. (And even if it's on the desk... it will be hard to see).
"Cool looking" cases that light up are available in non full-tower cases as well fyi. And the i5 like skyr said probably isn't necessary, and obviously it has no aesthetic value over a pentium.
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On October 30 2012 10:49 findingthelimit wrote:Show nested quote +On October 30 2012 07:18 skyR wrote:On October 30 2012 07:04 findingthelimit wrote:+ Show Spoiler +Hey guys! After building my awesome computer in college, I'm thinking of building a budget computer at home for my brother for his birthday, and make it looks a cool as possible. He plays stupid games, but just in case he gets into bigger games I'm thinking of building it with the AMD 7770. It could possibly become a family computer, so I'm thinking of giving it a nice monitor and large HDD too. I'm thinking a full tower NZXT case and a 2x4gb crucial ballistix tactile tracer 8gb lightup RAM. Link to the good-looking RAMs: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=20-148-555&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfoThe reviews said the default setting for those RAM sticks are 1066 MHz, and I have to boot in BIOS to make it 1866, in my case, I'd like to make them 1600 since I'm not overclocking. Is this possible with a H77 budget motherboard? All in all, my build would be something like ASRock H77 mobo i5-3570 CPU AMD 7770 Crucial 2x4gb RAM wifi card (SUGGESTIONS? there is only 1 ethernet cable in my house so my bro would need wifi.) cheap dvd drive windows 8 samsung 830 SSD 5400RPM 2TB HDD (will probably buy this back home) overkill monitor (i'll buy this back home) Stuff is a lot cheaper in newegg than in hong kong, from what I know, so i'm thinking of buying the RAM, the SSD, the HDD, the CPU, and perhaps the windows 8 here. (the rest is too much to carry). Does anyone have a good suggestion for a wifi card? What PSU do I require? seems like 350-400w would be more than enough, seeing that I"m running a similar rig with a 7870 in college and my rosewill 450w is sufficient. Yes, H77 supports 1600MHz. But why waste money on 1866MHz memory if the rest of your build isn't good and you don't even plan on running 1866MHz in the first place? Any decent budget 400w power supply will be overkill for the build. Generally, putting an i5 in a family computer is just throwing money away. The same goes for getting a full tower. but my post also says my initial intention is just to build a cool looking comp for my little brother... the ram with glowy lights only come with the 1866 MHz model, and my question is not whether H77 supports it, but whether I have to boot into BIOS to make it happen.
Actually your question was whether this was possible (aka is 1600MHz supported). Whether you need to boot into the BIOS or not is irrelevant. In most cases, yes you need to go into BIOS if you are purchasing an XMP kit.
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