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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. |
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I'm a total novice when it comes to computer building, and not really that well versed in computers in general. Still, I'd like to become more knowledgeable as I find it very interesting, and I think going through the process of building would help me greatly bolster my knowledge.
I'll start by answering the basic questions as best I can, and then hopefully gain some more knowledge as we go along. 
What is your budget?
I can probably go up to about 1300, but I'd rather keep it a bit lower.
What is your resolution?
I'm going to have to get a new everything, including a monitor so to be honest I'm not really sure.
What are you using it for?
A lot of downloading, messaging, and Starcraft 2 at the moment. In the near future I'm keen on Diablo 3 and streaming.
What is your upgrade cycle?
I haven't had a desktop in like... five years, so not very often.
When do you plan on building it?
Soon as possible.
Do you plan on overclocking?
Never done it before, but I'd like to.
Do you need an Operating System?
Yes
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
To be truthful, I'm not entirely sure I understand this.
Where are you buying your parts from?
My friend recommended me NCIX, it's also very close to where I live.
Thanks in advance! ^_^
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Hi all I was wondering if someone would be willing to take a look at my current build and make some recommendations.
What is your budget?
I am looking to do a budget build so $400-$600 (without monitor or operating system)
What is your resolution?
1280x1024 for my current monitor. I may get a second monitor so I can have dual monitor at some point (not including monitor in cost)
What are you using it for?
Some gaming but mostly web browsing streaming...nothing to high end.
What is your upgrade cycle?
Roughly 4-6 years
When do you plan on building it?
Probably sometime next month.
Do you plan on overclocking?
I do not plan on it but I am willing to if it is worthwhile for my purposes
Do you need an Operating System?
No
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
I would like to have a second monitor at some point so I think that I need to do this?
Where are you buying your parts from?
Most likely newegg
Current Build Idea
(Do I need two graphics cards)
HIS H545H1GDL Radeon HD 5450 (Cedar) 1GB 64-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Video Card
Model #:H545H1GDL
Item #:N82E16814161323
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161323
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power …
Model #:CMPSU-650TXV2
Item #:N82E16817139020
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020
AMD Athlon II X4 640 Propus 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor ADX640WFGMBOX
Model #:ADX640WFGMBOX
Item #:N82E16819103871
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103871
Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT2KIT25664BA1339
Model #:CT2KIT25664BA1339
Item #:N82E16820148262
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148262
Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EARS 1TB 5400 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Model #:WD10EARS
Item #:N82E16822136490
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136490
HP 24X Multiformat DVD Burner Black SATA Model 1270i LightScribe Support
Model #:HP 1270i
Item #:N82E16827140041
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827140041
If someone could recommend a case and anything else I may need it would be appreciated.
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Hey guys! I got tired of my old gaming laptop so i figured i should buy a new stationary computer. This is the setup i've been looking at
ASRock P67 Pro3 REV B3
640GB Western Digital Black 64MB SATA III
Corsair 4GB (2x2048MB) 1600MHz XMS3
Intel Core i5 2500K 3,3GHz
Gigabyte Radeon HD6950 2GB
Fractal Design Tesla 550W 80+
Fractal Design Define R2, Silver
Samsung SH-S223C 22X DL Svart
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Svensk OEM
Since i don't really have that much knowledge of computers i would like to hear your thoughts on it before i order it. All this for 860 Euros.
So whats your thoughts?<3
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@bburn
No you do not need two graphic cards for two monitors. A single graphics card can be used for a two monitor setup and sometimes even three (depending on the graphics card).
You probably need to rework the how much you spend on each component for this build. For a casual gaming rig with a mid-range graphics card, you'll never ever need more than 500W so something like a Seasonic 380W unit would work: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151072 . But if you are looking into the future and have plans to keep the power supply for your next build as well, you can get the Antec Truepower New 650W @ $80 ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371021 ).
The RAM is expensive. You can get a 2x2gb GSkill 1333MHz cas9 for $40 ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231253).
Get a Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB for $55 (sale price). It's less expensive and faster than the Caviar Green lineup: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185
For cases, just pick one that suits your taste. Something like the Coolermaster HAF 912, Centurion 5, or Elite 330 would all work.
If you are going to play some games, you should atleast get a mid-range graphics card such as the Radeon HD5770 which can be found for around $130 ($110 AMIR).
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What is your budget?
1300 US Dollars
What is your resolution?
This is not going to be a gaming machine but instead a workstation to run programs for a small business like Quickbooks word documents, skype etc. but 1920 x 1080 would be good on the desktop 
What are you using it for?
Quickbooks, skype, word processing, occasional youtube.music. Pretty much a work station but I want the speed so that it will turn off and shut down fast without the background programs making the system slower.
What is your upgrade cycle?
Probably upgrading CPU/processor then the RAM.
When do you plan on building it?
Around April/May
Do you plan on overclocking?
No
Do you need an Operating System?
No I have windows 7 Ultimate
.
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
No I'm looking for more of a casual GPU thats not too expensive because I will not be doing any gaming on this computer
Where are you buying your parts from?
newegg.com
frys.com or the fry's store near me but sometimes its a bit expensive because its retail.
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Hey everyone,
I need a new computer, but i dont really now if my buildup for the new pc is good enough for the money i have. My budget is about 700 €. The pc should support SC2 on high quality. Although it should support newer games on at least medium quality. I'm currently playing on 1680x1050 but it should support full hd (1920x1080) for the future, too. I think i'll buy the pc around april. The budget excludes the OS.
My first look at the hardware is:
CPU: Intel i5 2500k
Motherboard: ASUS P8H67 Rev 3.0, Sockel 1155
RAM: 4GB-Kit G-Skill PC3-10667U CL9
CPU-Cooler: Scythe Katana 3
GPU: ATI 6870 or nVidia GTX 560, idk
HDD: Samsung EcoGreen F3 1TB,SATA II HD105SI
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430
PSU: Antec Basiq 500W
Any suggestions ?
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@bburn: Here is a build that's in budget that should suit your needs, along the lines of what skyR suggested. Most is just the same.
+ Show Spoiler [parts list] +
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@aLuLz
The competitor to the GTX 560 is the Radeon HD6950 1GB so you should be deciding between those two cards. Just go with whichever is less expensive / the brand you trust more as they both offer similar performance.
Are you going to be overclocking or have plans to do so in the future? If you do plan on overclocking than you need a P67 motherboard as the H67 does not allow overclocking. If you are not overclocking than you can just get the standard core i5 2500.
The Antec Basiq is decent but not a great power supply. Depending on price, you should probably look for other options.
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@skyr
Is there anything I can get better for my RAM and Processor because I kind of want the top of the line stuff for those things since I'm not a big fan of long computer booting times and I want to be able to use voice chat and a lot of other things too. Also I'm looking for the computer to last around 4-5 years so I kind of want the top of the line stuff just not the graphics card.
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On March 14 2011 06:23 psp219 wrote:
@skyr
Is there anything I can get better for my RAM and Processor because I kind of want the top of the line stuff for those things since I'm not a big fan of long computer booting times and I want to be able to use voice chat and a lot of other things too.
Honestly you'll just be wasting money on faster speed ram as it has little to no impact on performance.
The processor has little effect on bootup time. That mostly is dependent on the speed of the storage device. I already picked out an SSD for you but if you want an even faster one, you can grab the newer Intel 510 120GB SSD @ $315: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167042 . You also have the option of waiting for the Vertex 3 to be released (which is suppose to be coming out in Q2).
Most of the software you listed don't heavily tax the processor but if you want something better, you should look at the core i5 2300 @ $185 (4 physical cores) or core i7 2600 @ $300 (4 physical cores, 4 virtual cores = 8 cores total).
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@skyr
Is the SSD Just the Hard drive or is there anything I can get with around 750 GB Storage space? Also for the core i7 2600 will these new parts that you suggested work with the motherboard you presented in the original answer to my post?
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On March 14 2011 06:32 psp219 wrote:
@skyr
Is the SSD Just the Hard drive or is there anything I can get with around 750 GB Storage space? Also for the core i7 2600 will these new parts that you suggested work with the motherboard you presented in the original answer to my post?
Yes all the core i3 / i5 / i7 2x00 series processors work on any socket LGA 1155 motherboard (H67 / P67). You want the least expensive H67 board from a reputable brand you can find so you will be able to use the integrated graphics found on these processors.
Yes, the SSD (Solid State Drive) is just a storage device (a lot faster than an HDD, programs will open up instantly). You want to put Windows and all your programs on this drive and I picked out a 1TB HDD (Samsung Spinpoint F3) for you to store all your documents, media, etc on.
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Thanks man. The only game I'd be playing right now is SC2, and D3 when it comes out. I want to be able to play these at the highest possible settings. I've heard these kind of games aren't really that demanding in terms of a graphics card, but are largely CPU dependent? I guess this would come down to the ghz?
CPU in themselves are a confusing prospect to me, most notably in terms of the cores. In looking up on it, the number of cores seems to constantly increase. Is this just a marketing ploy? I've heard people say even a six core is relatively useless, so what's the point in twelve cores and all this stuff?
I suppose the biggest thing for me is having a fast computer that won't get bogged down if I'm gaming and downloading in the background etc.
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Uh so for the Solid State Drive is that kind of an external hard drive thing or is it inside my computer. Also, how would I go about installing windows and stuff on a blank computer after I build it? This is my first time building a custom computer. Would I also need to get a better PSU if I want to buy the Intel i7 processor like you said
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@Talz
The core i5 2500 is currently the fastest processor on the market atm in the $200 range. The only processors that beat it in performance would be the core i7 2600 @ $300 and the core i7 990x @ $1000.
You can easily overclock the core i5 2500k to 5GHz. Most games aren't coded to use more than 2 cores so yes it is sort of a marketing ploy for those gamers who are less knowledgeable. There are a few games that take advantage of more than two cores such as BFBC2.
You'll be able to play SC2 on Ultra and quite possibly D3 on Ultra without a hitch using that setup. I personally have a i5 2500 and gtx 460. SC2 runs at 100 - 200 FPS at the start of game (depending if its 1v1 or 4v4) and the only time I notice slowdown is when a mothership comes into play with 400+ things on the screen.
@ psp219
Yes, the SSD goes inside your computer. It's just like a HDD except it uses flash memory instead of spinning platters to store its information.
Once you put together your computer. You will boot up for the first time, hit DEL to enter the BIOS, switch your primary boot device to your DVD-Drive, insert Windows DVD and reboot to start the installation process. Windows will prompt you to select which storage device you want it to be installed to, select the SSD, and let it do its thing. Once the installation process finishes, download / install drivers, software, etc before rebooting. Once you reboot, press DEL to enter the BIOS again and set your primary boot device to the SSD.
No, you don't need to buy a better PSU. Power requirements on all the core i3 / i5 / i7 2x00 processors are the roughly the same.
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What about DvD-Drives and some Sound cards or something to listen to music? Would the motherboard be able to fit those items?
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EPT
