Decided to customize my own rig myself. Need some expert tips.

[chicken_wang]

I decided to build my own rig since it's the most reliable way to do it. I need some tips on how to customize my own rig. I honestly don't know where to start. Here are some things you should. My PC is as old as it can get. The old thing is about 6-7 years old. I mainly use it to surf the web, watch movies, and research for school work.

Should I start out with a cheap pre-built PC from sites like iBuyPower or CyberPowerPC and then buy the components from Bestbuy? Or can I just buy a standard PC from Bestbuy and then turn it into a gaming PC with the right components? If you're curious as to how good I want my PC to be, it has to be running Crysis 1 or 2 at high (maybe max) settings. I'm also trying to keep the price under the $900 mark. Help a nub out pleease.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Hey chicken wang, welcome to the Anandtech forums

I would stop thinking of prebuilt systems from national chain stores like Best Buy as a basis of a system to build off of. Most of those systems try to cut overhead as much as possible and sell the customers on 'Power' marketing terms that if you really asked them to explain everything they tried selling you on as how it applies to your case scenario it would take them all day to describe and you would definitely run across alot of lies. IMO you are at the right place to start.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Check this thread out and edit your Opening Post (OP) with the pertinent info.

 

[chicken_wang]

Cool, good to feel welcome. I'm really excited to start building my first PC and I'll be sure as hell to ask questions frequently on this forum starting by tomorrow. Looks like people know their stuff here.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Cool, good to feel welcome. I'm really excited to start building my first PC and I'll be sure as hell to ask questions frequently on this forum starting by tomorrow. Looks like people know their stuff here.

If there was a "Like" button for that, I'd like it, haah

 

[betasub]

Welcome, chicken_wang!

Although some B&M stores may have occasional short-lived deals (check out the HotDeals forum), in general you'll find the majority of components cheaper at online etailers.

You can get a lot of help here on building your own just by asking questions & heeding advice. If you don't feel up to the full-build experience, you can still get advice on buying a reliable base-unit (e.g. Dell) that is suitable for adding in your own extras (e.g. graphics card).

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

For Crysis, it looks like your best CPU choice/option (price for performance) according to Anandtech, is the New Egg 2500K - 224$ or at Micro Center 2500K - 179$. Micro Center is IN-STORE PICKUP ONLY. The i3 2100 did pretty good in the review but I think if you are looking to do some gaming in the enthusiast category then you will fare better with the 2500K One of the major difference between the 2500 & the 2500K is the 'K' model offers an unlocked multiplier giving the user the ability to overclock the CPU by the multiplier. And this is a good thing because doing the old fashion bclk overclocking on a SandyBridge is limited these days. On a Nahalem you could raise the bclk to 200 + where as on SandyBrige it's been chocked to ~ 105 so this is one of the major differences, IMO, between the 'K' and non K chips that makes the 'K' version more attractive.

Read this on Crysis gaming performance.

Start with that chip and either a P67 or Z68 motherboard and if you want to build off it later for a gaming rig you are in the right position.

 

[mfenn]

Check this thread out and edit your Opening Post (OP) with the pertinent info.

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Fill this out and we can get started in earnest.