New to Building a Rig/Gaming PC. Help please?

[Streakz180]

i was browsing earlier and came across something tempting from ibuypower.com(listed below) but i got curious and did some looking around to check on comparisons and came across this forum and an old archived thread where Don Karnage had hooked a guy up. I'm paranoid about building a pc and would very much like some assistance from you guys. my budget is 1k but i can definitely settle for 800. I'm looking to play bf3/WoW/LoL/Sims/Walking Dead and would like for them to play smoothly without hindering the graphics. Any kind of guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Case
AZZA Solaris Gaming Case Black

Case Lighting
None

iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction
Advanced - iBUYPOWER Harmony SRS Sound Reduction System

iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion
None

Processor
AMD FX-4100 CPU (4x 3.60GHz/4MB L2 Cache) Free Upgrade to AMD FX-6100 6-Core CPU

iBUYPOWER PowerDrive
None

Processor Cooling
Liquid CPU Cooling System [AMD] - Standard 120mm Fan

Memory
16 GB [4 GB X4] DDR3-1600 Memory Module - Corsair or Major Brand

Video Card
AMD Radeon HD 7770 - 1GB - Single Card

Motherboard
ASUS M5A97 R2.0 -- AMD 970

Power Supply
400 Watt - Standard

Primary Hard Drive
1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 32M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive

Data Hard Drive
None

Optical Drive
24X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black

2nd Optical Drive
None

Flash Media Reader / Writer
12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer - Black

Meter Display
None

Sound Card
3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard

Network Card
Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100)

Operating System
Windows 8 + Office 2010 Trial [Free 60-Day !!!] - 64-bit

[TheStu]

Wow, that's a lot of money for not much system. You might want to take this over to the General Hardware section. You'll find some good assistance there. I asked another Mod to move it, don't make a new post.

[Streakz180]

thanks bro. that system is going for 800 thats why it caught my attention but then i read something about amd processors and it made me 2nd guess it. i'm glad that i did.

[TheStu]

Originally Posted by Streakz180

thanks bro. that system is going for 800 thats why it caught my attention but then i read something about amd processors and it made me 2nd guess it. i'm glad that i did.

Well, while we wait for the move to happen...

Can you use a screwdriver? Have you ever done any work inside a computer?

Putting a system together isn't too terribly difficult so long as you are patient and take your time. There are plenty of guides out there. The most important thing is getting the right parts.

[Streakz180]

I'm familiar with the inside of the pc. its just that i'm paranoid about the motherboard and just making sure that i don't mess anything up while i'm installing them.

[TheStu]

Well, if you want to fill this out:

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

6. If YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.

7. What resolution will you be using?

8. WHEN do you plan to build it? Note that it is usually not cost or time effective to choose your build more than a month before you actually plan to be using it.

9. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?

[Streakz180]

Originally Posted by TheStu

Well, if you want to fill this out:

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

6. If YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.

7. What resolution will you be using?

8. WHEN do you plan to build it? Note that it is usually not cost or time effective to choose your build more than a month before you actually plan to be using it.

9. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing. - PC will be used for gaming.



2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread. - 800 - 1000



3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from. - US of A



4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc. - Intel/Nvidia



5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are. - No i do not.



6. If YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds. - Default Speeds



7. What resolution will you be using? well i'm planning on getting a 22" lcd monitor.. im thinking 1680x1050 resolution



8. WHEN do you plan to build it? Note that it is usually not cost or time effective to choose your build more than a month before you actually plan to be using it. - within the next 3 months.



9. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?[/QUOTE] I already have a windows 7 cd. not interested in windows 8. Not interested in Blu Ray playback (ps3 )

[Zap]

Originally Posted by TheStu

You might want to take this over to the General Hardware section. You'll find some good assistance there. I asked another Mod to move it, don't make a new post.

<-- not just another mod.

Originally Posted by Streakz180

8. WHEN do you plan to build it? Note that it is usually not cost or time effective to choose your build more than a month before you actually plan to be using it. - within the next 3 months.

Whether you end up building your own or buying a pre-built, I would suggest waiting until around 2 weeks before you are ready to actually spend the money, before asking for more specific recommendations. The reason is because we're talking about computers here. The only constant is change. For instance, new hardware may come out and old stuff discontinued. You may spend hours/days researching the perfect components, only to find out in a few months that they are out of stock.

What you can do in the meantime (and which you seem to be doing, so props!) is to do some general research, plus decide if you can figure out building your own. Also of, of course, budget concerns. Decide on a budget and make sure you save up for it by your self-imposed deadline.

One more question is whether the monitor is included in your budget, or outside of it?

[TheStu]

Originally Posted by Zap

<-- not just another mod.

Too true

[Streakz180]

Originally Posted by Zap

<-- not just another mod.



Whether you end up building your own or buying a pre-built, I would suggest waiting until around 2 weeks before you are ready to actually spend the money, before asking for more specific recommendations. The reason is because we're talking about computers here. The only constant is change. For instance, new hardware may come out and old stuff discontinued. You may spend hours/days researching the perfect components, only to find out in a few months that they are out of stock.

What you can do in the meantime (and which you seem to be doing, so props!) is to do some general research, plus decide if you can figure out building your own. Also of, of course, budget concerns. Decide on a budget and make sure you save up for it by your self-imposed deadline.

One more question is whether the monitor is included in your budget, or outside of it?

hmm its not in the budget but i should include it in there.. thanks for the tips though. really appreciate it.

[Termie]

So since you need a monitor, you're at $800 for a full system and monitor, but no OS. That leaves about $650-680 for the computer components, assuming you'll get some sort of 1080p monitor.

Even if you're building three months out, you can count on these things:

(1) Case - $40-$50
(2) Power Supply - $30-$50
(3) DVD drive - $20
(4) Hard drive - $60-$80
(5) RAM (8GB DDR3) - $30-$40
(6) CPU (i3 dual core) - $120-140
(7) Motherboard (H77) - $60-90
(8) Video card (HD7850) - $150-$180

That puts you in the following range: $510-$650. If you buy on the cheaper end of each of the above, you can add in a 60GB SSD for your OS, or alternatively go for an i5 non-K processor. Your choice - both have significant benefits depending on your usage. For gaming, the i5 will be the bigger jump, for general use, the SSD will be the more beneficial.

Compared to the pre-built system you described, I think this is a better setup. It's slightly less expensive (partly because you're not buying an OS you don't need), but more importantly, you'll learn much more by building it. I'd encourage you to try your hand at that - and don't worry, motherboards are pretty tough. You probably can't do much to break them when assembling the system if you're careful.

By the way, you referenced Don Karnage - I'm glad you got some good tips from his posts, but beware - he was a scam artist, and stole thousands of dollars from forum members here. It was a real shame.

[Streakz180]

Originally Posted by Termie

So since you need a monitor, you're at $800 for a full system and monitor, but no OS. That leaves about $650-680 for the computer components, assuming you'll get some sort of 1080p monitor.

Even if you're building three months out, you can count on these things:

(1) Case - $40-$50
(2) Power Supply - $30-$50
(3) DVD drive - $20
(4) Hard drive - $60-$80
(5) RAM (8GB DDR3) - $30-$40
(6) CPU (i3 dual core) - $120-140
(7) Motherboard (H77) - $60-90
(8) Video card (HD7850) - $150-$180

That puts you in the following range: $510-$650. If you buy on the cheaper end of each of the above, you can add in a 60GB SSD for your OS, or alternatively go for an i5 non-K processor. Your choice - both have significant benefits depending on your usage. For gaming, the i5 will be the bigger jump, for general use, the SSD will be the more beneficial. Compared to the pre-built system you described, I think this is a better setup. It's slightly less expensive if you (partly because you're not buying an OS you don't need), but more importantly, you'll learn much more by building it. I'd encourage you to try your hand at that - and don't worry, motherboards are pretty tough. You probably can't do much to break them when assembling the system if you're careful.

By the way, you referenced Don Karnage - I'm glad you got some good tips from his posts, but beware - he was a scam artist, and stole thousands of dollars from forum members here. It was a real shame.

iDidnt know that about Don Karnage.. no bueno and thanks for the tips. i do play on going for an i5. do you think i7 would be overkill? also heres where i get paranoid lol.. doesnt the power supply have to be compatible with the motherboard?

[Termie]

Originally Posted by Streakz180

iDidnt know that about Don Karnage.. no bueno and thanks for the tips. i do play on going for an i5. do you think i7 would be overkill? also heres where i get paranoid lol.. doesnt the power supply have to be compatible with the motherboard?

With your budget, an i7 is not a good investment.

And don't worry - any modern brand-name power supply (Corsair, Antec, etc.) will have the necessary connections for a modern motherboard and modern drives, and above a certain wattage, additional connections for a video card (~400w and above).

[DSF]

There are only two main compatibility questions in a modern PC - CPU to motherboard, and motherboard to case. (And the only question with the case is making sure your case is large enough to hold your motherboard, which it almost always is.) Everything else is designed to be pretty much interchangeable. Even the RAM is pretty hard to mess up right now, as everything has switched over to DDR3. It's really only an issue when you're on the cusp of a RAM standard change.

There are occasionally other concerns, but if you post in here everyone will help you iron it out. For example, if you're buying a GIANT processor cooler or video card it might not fit in your case, but even that is rare.

If your only hang-up about building your own is in making sure you get parts that play nicely together, I would wholeheartedly recommend DIY. It's fun, it's not that hard, it's more cost-effective for a gaming PC, and for me it's very satisfying to be able to say I built every computer in the house exactly the way I wanted it. (Except for my wife's iMac, but we don't talk about that.)

[mfenn]

Originally Posted by Streakz180

iDidnt know that about Don Karnage.. no bueno and thanks for the tips. i do play on going for an i5. do you think i7 would be overkill? also heres where i get paranoid lol.. doesnt the power supply have to be compatible with the motherboard?

Termie has laid out a very good general plan for you in his post. A key rule of thumb when building a gaming PC is that the GPU should always cost more than the CPU. If you find yourself dropping $200 on a CPU (i5) but only $180 on a GPU (7850), you are very likely building an inefficient system.

[riversend]

One of the great things about power trends is that most components have lower power requirements than previous generations. That means that if you get a decent PSU now it will likely last you for some time. Same goes for the case and HDDs. So, if you go into this with the right long term view of your system you can really see the value of building your own. Good advice above.