Building a computer, first time

[Random189]

I hope this is the right part of the board to post this in. Anyways I have finally decided to build my first computer. I never really learned to much about the internal parts of a computer and basically am asking if any of you know of resources that would be helpful. I was thinking I could go to Barnes and Nobles but before I go there and spend $40 on a book which will tell me what basic parts I need and how to stick them together (which isnt the type of information im looking for) I would figure id ask on a forum. IWhat I really want to know is how do I figure out what are the best components for my needs so I can get the most bang for my buck.

Like I have no clue what the difference is between between any type of processors, I mean I could go with the the higher the numbers in the name of the processor, the better it must be, but this is wrong.

I dont know what the difference between any motherboards are.

Basically im asking where I can learn what the difference of all the type of parts there are. Why this one is better or isnt or why this one would be specifically better for me then another part and of course I would need it all to be compatible. IMO once I obtain all this information then I could build a sweet piece of machinery for my needs and I just dont know where to look exactly. All the websites are just generally telling me how to stick a computer together which is not the information I need.

 

[mechBgon]

Welcome to the Forums This should help with the general assembly of ATX computers, and what stuff is called: http://www.mechbgon.com The parts kit used there is kinda old, but the core knowledge is mostly the same. If you don't really need that info, the Windows security info is still worth checking out. It's getting dangerous-er out there.

As for what to get, you came to the right place Someone line up a build kit for him?

 

[yh125d]

What will you be using this PC for? What is your budget?

 

[Random189]

Well there really isnt a budget, I mean im not looking to spend 2k on a crazy computer because I deff wont need to spend that much money on what id be using it for. It would be used for general stuff id say. Internet, movies, music etc.

Im not much of a hardcore gamer anymore or anything like that. As a matter of fact I dont play any games on my computer really anymore (just started playing cs:s after not playing cs since 1.3 and im only playing it when im bored) but id like to have some sort of performance dedicated to gaming just incase I was to play some games here and there and even then it wouldnt matter much to me. IMO if im playing a game as long as it isnt lagging online and im having fun its all good, dont need crazy insane graphics where I could see every detail thats 30 feet away from my guy ya know.

 

[imported_flounder]

I would spend a good portion of your budget on a nice monitor rather than on core components as it seems you aren't going to be pushing the system too hard.
Pick out a nice case on newegg and decide how large a monitor you want. I recommend a 24 if you can afford it otherwise I love my 22 (although some aren't too fond of the TN panels I like how its $400 less than a 24)
I would say:
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813128042 $110
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814130061 $230 (Overkill but its not much more than the mainstream options)
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817341001 $130 (Probably more than you need but I always like a nice psu)
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819115004 $218 (Will be $183 in a few weeks and the 6600 will be $228 go for the 6600 then)
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820220144 $187
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822136073 $140
Subtotal: $1,014.95

Oh yea don't forget to buy an operating system. Don't worry about cables/screws they come with the motherboard and case respectively

 

[Random189]

Well I do appreciate the responses and the time taken out to list those links but that still puts me as to why should I buy those parts? I mean I can go and order all those parts and put them together but that kind of still leaves me as to why did I buy these parts. Seems like a decent setup as far as my knowledge goes for pcs but I still dont understand why those parts would be best for me. Im not asking to be fed the answers but still seeking/asking if theres a general place with this type of knowledge, whether it be an internet site or a book I have to buy that explains alot of my questions in depth as to what the difference between components/upgrades are.

Also the case I was looking at comes with a 450W power supply, is there really any need for 600W

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: Random189
Well I do appreciate the responses and the time taken out to list those links but that still puts me as to why should I buy those parts? I mean I can go and order all those parts and put them together but that kind of still leaves me as to why did I buy these parts. Seems like a decent setup as far as my knowledge goes for pcs but I still dont understand why those parts would be best for me. Im not asking to be fed the answers but still seeking/asking if theres a general place with this type of knowledge, whether it be an internet site or a book I have to buy that explains alot of my questions in depth as to what the difference between components/upgrades are.

Also the case I was looking at comes with a 450W power supply, is there really any need for 600W

Hell no, there is no reason for you to get a 600w power supply. Forget that guys list (no offense flounder, but that is not what he needs).

I would suggest this...

Case/PSU - you said you were looking at a case with a 450W power supply? What exactly is this? The reason i ask is because a lot of cases come with very low-quality PSU's, which could kill other components along with its self.

Motherboard
Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813128042
Very good board, Intel chipset (stable), works with Intel Core 2 Duo.

CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=80859
Very fast at stock speeds. Dual core. Will do everything you need to do.

Memory
2GB Kit DDR2 667mhz
http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4565617
I assume you are not going to OC the cpu, and for what you are doing with this PC, it is no needed anyway. Memory is cheap right now, and 2GB is plenty for what you need. This is literally half the price compared to a few months ago.

Video Card
MSI 8600 GTS
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=327724
A few here may disagree with me here, but this card offers the performance you need, plus it supports DX10. Plenty to run CS:S.
IF you want better performance, then this is an option...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130082


Optical
LITE-ON 16X DVD±R DVD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106046
SATA DVD burners are cheap now, and many prefer the thinner cable over the large PATA connection. Might as well go SATA, as PATA is on its way out anyway.

Hard drive - Capacity is up to you - how much space do you need?
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=101220-12
http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4795199
http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4697788
Seagate makes the best drives and has a great warranty (5yr). Western Digital is good too, and has a good rma service. With prices pretty low these days, I don't see much sense in going with anything less than 250GB.

Onboard audio is very good these days, I'd use it.

Also, do yourself a big favor, and read through mechBgon's links. Very popular, and for good reason. Excellent material there.

 

[bX510]

The reason we choose intel over amd right now is because Intel currently holds the crown for fastest cpu. I would suggest an eVga instead of MSI for the video card.

 

[Random189]

I was looking at this case http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications...ls.asp?EdpNo=2549301&Sku=TC3J-4032%20P

Im not sure on overclocking, I recently found out what it was and figured if I came make my system go faster for free then why not? But if there really is no need for it and itll start voiding any possible warranties then I see no point but I will still take a look over in the over clocking section to try and see how to do it properly just to have the knowledge stored away incase I ever want/need to do it.

When you say the onboard audio do you mean dont even bother buying a seprate sound card and just use the one that comes with the motherboard? (im not even sure if the motherboard is the right componenet, haha sad me )

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: Random189
I was looking at this case http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications...ls.asp?EdpNo=2549301&Sku=TC3J-4032%20P

Im not sure on overclocking, I recently found out what it was and figured if I came make my system go faster for free then why not? But if there really is no need for it and itll start voiding any possible warranties then I see no point but I will still take a look over in the over clocking section to try and see how to do it properly just to have the knowledge stored away incase I ever want/need to do it.

When you say the onboard audio do you mean dont even bother buying a seprate sound card and just use the one that comes with the motherboard? (im not even sure if the motherboard is the right componenet, haha sad me )

Definitely lose the PSU in that case, it is junk. The power supply of course powers everything in your computer, and a junk power supply could potentially ruin all your other hardware. I would suggest this...
http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?p=PS-E56...000d7b99ca9130884e3eaad380dab40098ed62

If you do want to OC, you can get a mild OC with the memory I linked to above. For C2D cpu's, even a mild OC will get you a significant performance increase. Again though, at stock speeds, it is very fast.

As for audio, yes, the motherboard's integrated audio will suit you well. No need to spend extra money on a sound card. If in the future, if you do find a reason for a sound card, you can certainly add one, and turn off the integrated audio in the computer's BIOS.

BTW, that case is probably all plastic. That may be ok with you, but personally I prefer metallic cases. This is the one I have (black)
Black
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=141774
Silver
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=141775

It has proven to be a solid case. However, one thing I did was remove the side duct, and replace it with an 80mm fan, like this...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999343

Easy to do with a screw driver.

 

[Random189]

Yea I was thinking maybe I should get a diff case. I mean the only reason I want that case is because of the fancy LED temperature read out and the see through side but where this will go ill never even get to see the side lmao. So I should probably stop using the looks over quality mind set and and just get another case

Edit:

Description says its made out of steel so might not be that bad after all

 

[Random189]

 

[crimson117]

I had a flashy case with a LCD on the front and a window on the side. For the first few days it was cool. Then it just got annoying. I switched to a Antec P180 for my most recent build, and aside from it getting a bit cramped at the bottom of the motherboard with all the cables coming up from the Power Supply, I've been very pleased with it.

I prefer the flashiness to be in my computer's performance, not in its case

By the way, you might want to read this short tutorial just to get acquainted with building a PC:

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/build-a-computer.htm

 

[Random189]

Well it seems like ill be getting that mother board as you both posted it
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813128042

I believe ill get the Intel 2 Duo E6600 Processor 2.40GHz once the price drops since should only be a little more than the 2.13ghz from what im hearing
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=80860

The memory you posted bamacre seems good for the price. I thought about the the other one that flounder posted but im assuming that the only difference in the price is because its 800mhz and that I really would not need that fast of memory (im assuming thats what it has to do with, speed of the memory) I mean sure, id love to have the fastest components, who wouldn't. I'm sure we would all love 8 gigs of memory and intels quad processor with the highest priced/fastest components out there but ill be sensible here.

I'm torn on video cards. I said to myself I would not buy a 512mb card before I posted cause there really was no need for it. Ones saying get this MSI card and another says get an eVga. Well I looked at eVga cards and came up with this.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications...tem-details.asp?EdpNo=2751849&CatId=28

I tried comparing the one above to the MSI 8600 GTS but the link you listed bamacre has suddenly started redirecting to another page and the quick minute I tried searching on google for some specs the same link you posted were posted on other sites and just redirected to a wrong page again. (I could be way off here and that the MSI 8600 GTS blows away the eVga card I posted but like I said im a sad pathetic noob and didn't have time to try and compare and figure out what differences are there)

Also whats this whole DirectX10 support by the video cards, should I get one that supports it. Did a quick search to try and figure out what all the differences are but didn't find anything really in my 5 min search. When I get the time later ill try and spend time figuring stuff out. Will it need DirectX10 support if I decide to run vista, i thought I read DirectX10 was made for vista or something (I dunno I could be off here with my so called "facts")

I'm also torn on if I should stick between XP or get vista. Do places like best buy these days let you go to there store and actually browse around the whole desktop etc on there computers that have vista installed. Last time as far as I know all those computers in the store don't really allow you go any where on the computer and are locked down etc. I mean I just don't want to get vista and then just be disappointed in it.

And yes I read your links mechBgon, minus the whole safety tips on how not to get my bike stolen. Didn't understand it at first but then realized you wanted people to use limited accounts as there regular, good write up.

 

[BladeVenom]

Originally posted by: Random189
I was thinking I could go to Barnes and Nobles but before I go there and spend $40 on a book which will tell me what basic parts I need and how to stick them together (which isnt the type of information im looking for)

By the time a book gets published, most of the info you're looking for is already out of date. A magazine would be better if you want a hardcopy. Of course all you want to know can found on the internet.

For your first build get several recommendations, or build whats popular. That will save you some problems and any questions you might have would have already been answered in the forums.

You want to learn what's better and why. Start reading the reviews here. Go back through the review archives and read the articles and benchmarks. Check out hardware sites and read as many reviews as you can. Download some of the benchmark tools and start playing with them.

Find a popular motherboard, go the manufacturers website, and download the manual. Once everything in the manual makes sense, except for the bad engrish, you should be ready to assemble.

 

[Darrvid]

I've been out of the computer loop for about 5 years, which is pretty much the same thing as never having built a computer. You've certainly found the right site to learn about the parts so you can start making you own decisions on which parts to get. Use the reviews to learn the basics. Then, post some specific questions on the forum with the choices you've made after reading through anandtechs write ups. It's what I did the past week and I feel very confident I'm now building a computer that will meet my specific needs (and I know *why* it meets my needs).

Oh, and there's always a budget (despite you saying you didnt have one). Make a budget, even if you're not married to it. That's about the #1 issue that will narrow down your choices, and help you decide where to spend your money.
---------

For general guidelines:

Use at least 2gb of ram, with vista out there's really no reason to go lower.

Intel will likely be your best bet for the CPU, not only because they'll be much cheaper on the 22nd, but also because you'll get a lot more feedback with questions regarding them since they're the favorite at the moment.

There's several good choices for motherboards, so figure out all of your needs (ie: overclocking, firewire, etc)

It sounds like you're willing to go up to around $1,500 in which case I agree with what's said above. Get a killer monitor, since you won't be getting a top end video card etc.
------------

Anyway, I don't think I really used any other resources than anandtech and newegg and I've learned tons over the past couple weeks. Good luck with the new system.

Edit: Oh, and you've posted some links to tigerdirect. My experience with them is horrible, and I don't think I'm the only one. I buy more online than in actual retail shops, and they're the only site out there I would persuade people not to use. YMMV of course, but just be aware that they sent me the wrong part repeatedly. This is important when you're inexperienced and dealing with mobos where you might be after a certain revision.

 

[chusteczka]

Originally posted by: Random189
Well I do appreciate the responses and the time taken out to list those links but that still puts me as to why should I buy those parts? I mean I can go and order all those parts and put them together but that kind of still leaves me as to why did I buy these parts. Seems like a decent setup as far as my knowledge goes for pcs but I still dont understand why those parts would be best for me. Im not asking to be fed the answers but still seeking/asking if theres a general place with this type of knowledge, whether it be an internet site or a book I have to buy that explains alot of my questions in depth as to what the difference between components/upgrades are. ...

It is funny how quickly we can forget that this forum evolved from a website designed for computer hardware reviews and other informational articles.

A couple years ago, I was looking for information similar to your situation. I came to this website and started reading all the articles I found interesting within the various tabs at the top of the page. I stayed due to the high quality of the hardware reviews followed by the high quality of discussion on these reviews found in the forum here. My advice is to start reading the hardware review articles that seem interesting. As you learn more and become more comfortable then you will naturally visit new sections of the website to pick up more information. When you have questions, you can ask them within the forum here.

I recommend starting with the following tabs:

• Systems
• System Build Guides

This website is full of information for beginner's and experts.

 

[Darrvid]

I'm torn on video cards. I said to myself I would not buy a 512mb card before I posted cause there really was no need for it. Ones saying get this MSI card and another says get an eVga. Well I looked at eVga cards and came up with this.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications...tem-details.asp?EdpNo=2751849&CatId=28

Also whats this whole DirectX10 support by the video cards, should I get one that supports it. Did a quick search to try and figure out what all the differences are but didn't find anything really in my 5 min search. When I get the time later ill try and spend time figuring stuff out. Will it need DirectX10 support if I decide to run vista, i thought I read DirectX10 was made for vista or something (I dunno I could be off here with my so called "facts")

I'm also torn on if I should stick between XP or get vista. Do places like best buy these days let you go to there store and actually browse around the whole desktop etc on there computers that have vista installed. Last time as far as I know all those computers in the store don't really allow you go any where on the computer and are locked down etc. I mean I just don't want to get vista and then just be disappointed in it.

You'll want to figure out how large of a monitor you want to get, as this will affect your choice of video card. If the monitor is very large, running games at the naitive resolution can require a better card than you might think.

As for DX10 vs DX9; since you stated you're not too concerned about graphics, don't worry about this. DX9 is fine. This is related to Vista because Vista supports DX10 (although it's backwards compatible if you get a DX9 card).

Which brings us to Vista vs XP. For the time being, I (and most users) suggest sticking with XP for now. Vista still seems quirky, espically with games (not to mention the tons of small programs you might use off the net, considering most video/sounds apps are made for xp and not vista) If you want to give Vista a test drive, just ask someone at the store to help you if the desktop is locked down. I'm sure they'll be willing to help.

 

[Roguestar]

bamacre's list is great, but I would have recommended an X1950 Pro because I didn't realise the 8600 was actually out and available yet.

OP: I can't recommend mechBgon's PC building guide enough, it's great and importantly shows it's not nearly as scary and complicated as we're led to believe.
http://www.mechbgon.com/

 

[Random189]

Alright so I choose all my components, did my reviews and this is what I came up with. I read through a few articles on buildings pcs, havnt fully finished that part of the journey yet.

The case, decided not go get the one with the clear panel. I figured I probably did what most people do when they build there first computer, want the casing that has a see through side cause its something "new" looking but I said screw it.
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=141815

A second 120mm fan to put in the front of the case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835129030

The gigabyte ga-965p mother board, got this basically cause well you both listed it and it seems to do the job for what I need, got to finish reading the manual for it.
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813128042

The patriot ram.
http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4565617

The power supply, looked at a bunch, this one seemed fine?
http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?p=PS-E56...000d7b99ca9130884e3eaad380dab40098ed62

dvd drive.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106073

500 GB Seagate hard drive, has perpendicular recording, had to look up what that was, said why not. Would love to get a 10k rpm main drive for main programs and what not but there just to expensive and not worth it
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148136

and the video card, after looking over many reviews, and all different cards and going back n fourth I finally ended up between the MSI 8600GTS and the Evga 8600 GTS, pretty much what I started off with. I just laughed and could have saved all the time. Went with the evga, I swear I chose it cause of pure research and not just subconsciously...
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=321211

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe Processor 2.4GHz, will wait for price drop
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=80860

and finally!! the floppy drive. Its not extinct yet
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=110601

Well this is it, the final product I believe, no more tweaking

EDIT

Im not upgrading my monitor as of right now, dont really need to. No need for a keyboard or a mouse either really but I might get this dell multi media keyboard which has some multi media keys

keyboard
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/prod...spx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=310-7940

USB ports as well
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815274001

Looking over manual now, seeing if everything is compatible/going to work the way I think it works, comments anyone