Newbie who has no idea what she's doing- Computer Build

[hanz1234]

Hi guys!

Basically, I have never built a PC before and am feeling a bit overwhelmed.

I've chosen the parts that I want but I just want to know if their all compatible with each other? I'd hate to spend a load of money only to find I've messed it up somewhere.

If anyone could take a look at this list a let me know I'd really appreciate it
Or if anyone could a suggest a tool that will let me know?

Motherboard- Asus P8Z77-V
CPU- Intel Core i5 3570K
GPU- Gigabyte Geforce GTX 670
Memory- Corsair 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz Vengeance Memory Kit CL9 1.5V
PSU- Corsair TX 750W V2 PSU - 80plus Bronze Certified
DVD- Samsung SH-224BB SATA DVD Write Optical Drive
Hard drive- Seagate 500GB Momentus Hard Drive - 2.5" SATA-II - 5400RPM 8MB Cache
Case- Coolermaster Silencio 550 Case

Hopefully that makes sense :L :biggrin:

 

[daveybrat]

Everything looks fine except for the hard drive. That drive you picked is designed for a notebook, not a pc. It's 2.5" and very slow (5400RPM).

You probably meant this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148767

Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

 

[hanz1234]

Ah thank you! Knew I'd get something wrong!

Also, I feel like I need someone to calm my nerves- how hard is it actually putting the bits and pieces together?

 

[Cogman]

Ah thank you! Knew I'd get something wrong!

Also, I feel like I need someone to calm my nerves- how hard is it actually putting the bits and pieces together?

Just make sure everything fits . Most of the stuff can't be put in wrong. The two things that I generally have the biggest problem with are the case sound/usb/ect ports (they often can be plugged in wrong) and ram (it is JUST close enough and can be wedged in wrong if you force it, yet it often requires a bit of force to get it in.)

Everything else has connectors that should prevent you from plugging things in the wrong way.

Really, the case parts are generally just a PITA. (mostly just lights as direction matters with them and they only have 2 pins).

 

[Cogman]

Just a note, for $10 more, you can get this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820144615

Looks like a steal to me.

 

[hanz1234]

Just make sure everything fits . Most of the stuff can't be put in wrong. The two things that I generally have the biggest problem with are the case sound/usb/ect ports (they often can be plugged in wrong) and ram (it is JUST close enough and can be wedged in wrong if you force it, yet it often requires a bit of force to get it in.)

Everything else has connectors that should prevent you from plugging things in the wrong way.

Really, the case parts are generally just a PITA. (mostly just lights as direction matters with them and they only have 2 pins).

Ah I'll make sure to check all the measurements etc first then

 

[hanz1234]

Just a note, for $10 more, you can get this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820144615

Looks like a steal to me.

Oh sweet! Thanks for pointing this out- might as well go bigger for that amount

 

[mlc]

building a pc for the first time can be a daunting experience.. but if you're a patient person, and prepared to stub your toes a few times it can be fun and rewarding..

Take special care with the following:
1)mounting the motherboard to the case.. being sure that the standoff pins/screws that mount between the case and board line up with the each of the mounting holes on the motherboard.. otherwise you could short out the board
2) mounting the heatsink fan to the processor.. I think the i5's come with thermal paste pre applied.. so it's then just a matter of mounting the hsd to the board/processor.. paying

the rest of the components are just plugged in, so to speak... so just be gentle and don't force anything in.. You'll need good eyes to see the case switch connector wire labels.. making sure to keep the + and - straight...

also.. in addition to the 24 pin PSU connector to the board, folks sometimes forget to connect the ATV +12v connector to the board as well... and don't forget about the psu connectors into the graphics card...

folks on this board are pretty helpful, and patient.. so you should be able to get through it with some assistance.. if needed.

 

[Steltek]

building a pc for the first time can be a daunting experience.. but if you're a patient person, and prepared to stub your toes a few times it can be fun and rewarding..

Take special care with the following:
1)mounting the motherboard to the case.. being sure that the standoff pins/screws that mount between the case and board line up with the each of the mounting holes on the motherboard.. otherwise you could short out the board
2) mounting the heatsink fan to the processor.. I think the i5's come with thermal paste pre applied.. so it's then just a matter of mounting the hsd to the board/processor.. paying

the rest of the components are just plugged in, so to speak... so just be gentle and don't force anything in.. You'll need good eyes to see the case switch connector wire labels.. making sure to keep the + and - straight...

also.. in addition to the 24 pin PSU connector to the board, folks sometimes forget to connect the ATV +12v connector to the board as well... and don't forget about the psu connectors into the graphics card...

folks on this board are pretty helpful, and patient.. so you should be able to get through it with some assistance.. if needed.

+1

Should you be thinking about overclocking in the future (due to your purchase of the 'k' variant of the i5-3570), you might want to consider purchasing a better CPU cooler than Intel's standard retail boxed cooler (I hate the d@mned push pins on those things) for the i5-3570k. That way, you won't have to pull the motherboard to install the new cooler later.

The ASUS boards are generally newbie-friendly and have good manuals. One of the most daunting things (after figuring out how to mount the CPU/cooler) is figuring out where all those little case wires plug in to the headers on the motherboard. ASUS includes what they refer to as a Q-connector which helps with this -- you plug all the case wires into the marked Q-Connector, then just plug the Q-Connector in to the motherboard headers (it will only fit one way). Every manufacturer ought to include one of these just for beginners as it is a great idea.

When you get ready to assemble the system, start out simple. Once the CPU/cooler is mounted, install the motherboard to the case. Only install the video card, and one stick of DRAM to start. Make sure the power supply cables from the power supply are properly and tightly connected (24 pin main motherboard, 6 pin CPU, and video card power cables). It is a good idea to route as many cables as you can UNDER the metal motherboard tray - cable management improves airflow, reduces the number of things dust can cling to, and overall makes your build look so much better (plus, it saves you from having to go back and do it later when it starts bothering you because you didn't just do it in the first place). Connect the monitor, and try to power up the system. If everything works, you should cycle through the BIOS and will eventually get a boot error as you don't have a bootable device installed. If you get this far, power down and install the rest of your hardware. Re-power the system and attempt to install your OS.

As a last step, it is always a good idea to run multiple MEMTEST86+ passes to test your memory - the little effort doing this is worth avoiding the head scratching involved if you start to get errors down the road.

Most of all, have fun!

 

[hanz1234]

Thanks everyone for all the advice

You guys are really helpful. If I happen to run into any issues I'm happy to know there's people on these forums that know what their talking about :biggrin:

About the overclocking- I'm such a noob I don't even know what that is! Can someone explain it to me? I chose the K version because it only cost a bit more so thought it might be worth it to keep my options open.

 

[daveybrat]

The 'K' version will make it very easy to overclock. Unfortunately you will need to purchase a better cooling solution that the dinky little Intel heatsink/fan that comes with the processor.

I'd recommend this to go with your build:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835103065

Should be more than enough to give you some good overclocking options.

And with the Intel K series chips, it's as easy as going into the bios and changing the multiplier to a higher setting and you're done.

 

[mlc]

About the overclocking- I'm such a noob I don't even know what that is! Can someone explain it to me? I chose the K version because it only cost a bit more so thought it might be worth it to keep my options open.

basically overclocking refers to running a CPU processor at faster than stock/default values... many CPU's today are conservatively spec'ed.(particularly the K series), so there is usually some headroom to improved performance with some bios tweaks (e.g. voltage and frequency settings).

However, with reward there comes risk. If you tweak voltage settings, then you run the risk of damaging the processor due to overheating, etc.. which is why Steltek mentioned using an aftermarket heat sink/fan if you choose to go that route..

It's probably best to lay low with overclocking until you get your feet wet with the first build, then once you have a stable system.. you can think about pursuing that path.. Most of the folks on these boards are the adventurous sort, so we don't give overclocking a second thought..

 

[hanz1234]

basically overclocking refers to running a CPU processor at faster than stock/default values... many CPU's today are conservatively spec'ed.(particularly the K series), so there is usually some headroom to improved performance with some bios tweaks (e.g. voltage and frequency settings).

However, with reward there comes risk. If you tweak voltage settings, then you run the risk of damaging the processor due to overheating, etc.. which is why Steltek mentioned using an aftermarket heat sink/fan if you choose to go that route..

It's probably best to lay low with overclocking until you get your feet wet with the first build, then once you have a stable system.. you can think about pursuing that path.. Most of the folks on these boards are the adventurous sort, so we don't give overclocking a second thought..

Oh I see!

In that case I'll probably stay away from that until I'm a bit more experienced.

You fearless devils!

Do you think it's worth upgrading to a core i7? Ideally I'd like to play the odd game of Skyrim but I won't be using it for constant gaming. Would the CPU I've got now be good enough for this?

Also, I'm wondering if it would be recommend to buy second hand parts? I saw on Amazon that the memory I was thinking of buying is half the price if I buy it second hand. Or is this a bad idea?

 

[Ketchup]

Oh I see!

In that case I'll probably stay away from that until I'm a bit more experienced.

You fearless devils!

Do you think it's worth upgrading to a core i7? Ideally I'd like to play the odd game of Skyrim but I won't be using it for constant gaming. Would the CPU I've got now be good enough for this?

Also, I'm wondering if it would be recommend to buy second hand parts? I saw on Amazon that the memory I was thinking of buying is half the price if I buy it second hand. Or is this a bad idea?

Good idea, get it running first, you can get a better cooler later if needed, and it will overclock with the stock cooler, it will just run a bit hotter. In fact, I doubt you will find the need to overclock that chip for a while anyway.

Hard drive. The Seagate 1 TB will give you twice the storage for $10 more (not counting the promo code.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148840

There are a lot of sites out there that will walk you through the processes, and we are always here to help.

 

[Steltek]

Oh I see!

In that case I'll probably stay away from that until I'm a bit more experienced.

You fearless devils!

Do you think it's worth upgrading to a core i7? Ideally I'd like to play the odd game of Skyrim but I won't be using it for constant gaming. Would the CPU I've got now be good enough for this?

Also, I'm wondering if it would be recommend to buy second hand parts? I saw on Amazon that the memory I was thinking of buying is half the price if I buy it second hand. Or is this a bad idea?

There is very little real world performance difference between the i5-3570k and the i7-3770k for the majority of users. Both are quad core processors - the i7 advantage is that it has a larger integrated cache and provides the capability to run 8 software threads versus the 4 threads available to the i5. Since the majority of software isn't inherently multithreaded, you probably wouldn't see major advantages for the majority of stuff you do.

Problem with buying second hand is you don't know whether what you get will work properly. Also, the manufacturer warranties won't transfer and in general, your ability to return second hand parts will likely suck - you are totally dependent upon the good will and honesty of the seller.

Were it me, I'd go all new for your first build to make everything go as smoothly as possible. Once you get some experience, obviously the 2nd hand market could provide you with some opportunities for cheap upgrades. Just make sure you stick with well known sellers to protect yourself (you can check out the For Sale/Trade forum in the Merchandise & Shopping section here, for instance).

 

[hanz1234]

There is very little real world performance difference between the i5-3570k and the i7-3770k for the majority of users. Both are quad core processors - the i7 advantage is that it has a larger integrated cache and provides the capability to run 8 software threads versus the 4 threads available to the i5. Since the majority of software isn't inherently multithreaded, you probably wouldn't see major advantages for the majority of stuff you do.

Problem with buying second hand is you don't know whether what you get will work properly. Also, the manufacturer warranties won't transfer and in general, your ability to return second hand parts will likely suck - you are totally dependent upon the good will and honesty of the seller.

Were it me, I'd go all new for your first build to make everything go as smoothly as possible. Once you get some experience, obviously the 2nd hand market could provide you with some opportunities for cheap upgrades. Just make sure you stick with well known sellers to protect yourself (you can check out the For Sale/Trade forum in the Merchandise & Shopping section here, for instance).

In that case i'll stick with the i5.

Fair enough. I kinda want everything for my first build to be nice and new anyway

One more thing, I'm just wondering what the difference between these 2 graphics card is? (if there are any?)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Palit-GeFor...UTF8&qid=1356895212&sr=1-12&tag=10xxx11360-21

http://www.amazon.co.uk/PNY-Geforce...s/dp/B009SHYFT8/ref=lh_ni_t?tag=10xxx11360-21

 

[hanz1234]

Good idea, get it running first, you can get a better cooler later if needed, and it will overclock with the stock cooler, it will just run a bit hotter. In fact, I doubt you will find the need to overclock that chip for a while anyway.

Hard drive. The Seagate 1 TB will give you twice the storage for $10 more (not counting the promo code.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148840

There are a lot of sites out there that will walk you through the processes, and we are always here to help.

Yeah I don't wanna overdo it on my first go!

Thanks for the heads up on the hard drive

 

[Steltek]

In that case i'll stick with the i5.

Fair enough. I kinda want everything for my first build to be nice and new anyway

One more thing, I'm just wondering what the difference between these 2 graphics card is? (if there are any?)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Palit-GeFor...UTF8&qid=1356895212&sr=1-12&tag=10xxx11360-21

http://www.amazon.co.uk/PNY-Geforce...s/dp/B009SHYFT8/ref=lh_ni_t?tag=10xxx11360-21

The cards are roughly equivalent. However, the Palit card has a reputation for being a relatively noisy card and also from being constructed with lesser components. I've also seen references indicating that it takes up three slots in your case, which might cause issues with future add-in cards. You generally compare cards of the same model class by looking at the features --clock speed, memory, output ports, included games, warranty, etc. The benchmarks on same-class cards will usually be within a 5-10% range, which is not really noticeable in real world applications.

You know, you've never actually said what you intend to do with this system beyond an occasional game of Skyrim. If you are not a major gamer, you might want to consider going with mid-range graphics card and not a higher-end one. Otherwise, you're just spending money to waste power and generate heat and fan noise.

If you look around, you can find graphics and performance benchmarks for all sorts of uses (various games, application software, Photoshop, video editing, etc). You need to tailor the system to YOUR needs.

You might want to seriously consider making a post to the General Hardware forum. Complete the sticky information (as requested in first few sticky posts), and post your proposed system configuration and budget. You'll get a lot of good feedback there as to your planned system and what would be the best configuration for your needs. It might save you a lot of money that you don't really have to spend.

Once you have the system components, post back here if you have any problems with assembly.

 

[hanz1234]

The cards are roughly equivalent. However, the Palit card has a reputation for being a relatively noisy card and also from being constructed with lesser components. I've also seen references indicating that it takes up three slots in your case, which might cause issues with future add-in cards. You generally compare cards of the same model class by looking at the features --clock speed, memory, output ports, included games, warranty, etc. The benchmarks on same-class cards will usually be within a 5-10% range, which is not really noticeable in real world applications.

You know, you've never actually said what you intend to do with this system beyond an occasional game of Skyrim. If you are not a major gamer, you might want to consider going with mid-range graphics card and not a higher-end one. Otherwise, you're just spending money to waste power and generate heat and fan noise.

If you look around, you can find graphics and performance benchmarks for all sorts of uses (various games, application software, Photoshop, video editing, etc). You need to tailor the system to YOUR needs.

You might want to seriously consider making a post to the General Hardware forum. Complete the sticky information (as requested in first few sticky posts), and post your proposed system configuration and budget. You'll get a lot of good feedback there as to your planned system and what would be the best configuration for your needs. It might save you a lot of money that you don't really have to spend.

Once you have the system components, post back here if you have any problems with assembly.

Cant thank you enough for all your help/advice

Honestly, I chose that graphics card purely because I wanted to keep my options open and because I didn't want to have to go and buy another graphics card a few months down the line because it doesn't run a specific game :L I'm not going to be doing anything fancy, I just wanted something that could run all the latest games on the highest settings. Knowing me I probably will end up using it for gaming a lot more than I think!

Other than games though I won't do anything more. Though I would like to have a second monitor for it to run with as well.

Though obviously if I can do all this at a cheaper cost that would be ideal!

I'll definitely go and check out that forum though.

Thank you so much

 

[hanz1234]

The cards are roughly equivalent. However, the Palit card has a reputation for being a relatively noisy card and also from being constructed with lesser components. I've also seen references indicating that it takes up three slots in your case, which might cause issues with future add-in cards. You generally compare cards of the same model class by looking at the features --clock speed, memory, output ports, included games, warranty, etc. The benchmarks on same-class cards will usually be within a 5-10% range, which is not really noticeable in real world applications.

You know, you've never actually said what you intend to do with this system beyond an occasional game of Skyrim. If you are not a major gamer, you might want to consider going with mid-range graphics card and not a higher-end one. Otherwise, you're just spending money to waste power and generate heat and fan noise.

If you look around, you can find graphics and performance benchmarks for all sorts of uses (various games, application software, Photoshop, video editing, etc). You need to tailor the system to YOUR needs.

You might want to seriously consider making a post to the General Hardware forum. Complete the sticky information (as requested in first few sticky posts), and post your proposed system configuration and budget. You'll get a lot of good feedback there as to your planned system and what would be the best configuration for your needs. It might save you a lot of money that you don't really have to spend.

Once you have the system components, post back here if you have any problems with assembly.

I'm not sure if anyone here is still watching this thread but I thought I'd try post here first before starting a new thread seeing as you were all so helpful last time

I finally managed to assemble my PC (it took me AGES mind you!) and it's all working properly from what I can tell.

However i've noticed 2 small problems and was wondering if anyone had any suggeststions on how to fix them.

Firstly, I can hear a high pitched frequency coming from my pc? Not sure what it is- I think it might be my psu as the sound goes away when I switch the psu off (I have a seasonic xseries 750 w).

Secondly, I can't seem to get sound from the front headphone jack. However, the jack on the back panel works fine ?

Any suggestions from you lovely geniuses

 

[ch33zw1z]

I'm not sure if anyone here is still watching this thread but I thought I'd try post here first before starting a new thread seeing as you were all so helpful last time

I finally managed to assemble my PC (it took me AGES mind you!) and it's all working properly from what I can tell.

However i've noticed 2 small problems and was wondering if anyone had any suggeststions on how to fix them.

Firstly, I can hear a high pitched frequency coming from my pc? Not sure what it is- I think it might be my psu as the sound goes away when I switch the psu off (I have a seasonic xseries 750 w).

Secondly, I can't seem to get sound from the front headphone jack. However, the jack on the back panel works fine ?

Any suggestions from you lovely geniuses

Problem 1. Good observation, can you try the PC on a different outlet or a UPS?

Problem 2. Did you hook up the front headphone jack to the motherboard? If so, reseat it and consult the manual to make sure you plugging it right.

 

[hanz1234]

Problem 1. Good observation, can you try the PC on a different outlet or a UPS?

Problem 2. Did you hook up the front headphone jack to the motherboard? If so, reseat it and consult the manual to make sure you plugging it right.

Yeah I've tried the PC in 3 different outlets and still have the annoying sound :/

I'm sure I did wire it up properly- it looked like there was only 1 thing to connect which was labelled "HD audio" which I hooked up to the place the mobo manual said. I'm kinda scared to open it up again and check in case I make a mistake and make things worse :L

 

[ch33zw1z]

Yeah I've tried the PC in 3 different outlets and still have the annoying sound :/

I'm sure I did wire it up properly- it looked like there was only 1 thing to connect which was labelled "HD audio" which I hooked up to the place the mobo manual said. I'm kinda scared to open it up again and check in case I make a mistake and make things worse :L

You learn more by doing It pays to double check and make sure it's seated firmly in the right place.

If you know for sure the PSU is making the noise, can you try to RMA it? Have a spare laying around?

 

[hanz1234]

You learn more by doing It pays to double check and make sure it's seated firmly in the right place.

If you know for sure the PSU is making the noise, can you try to RMA it? Have a spare laying around?

True I'll give it a look.

I'm debating whether to. Although I don't think I'll bother- i normally have my headphones on anyway so I rarely hear it As long as it doesn't blow everything up of course :L

 

[ch33zw1z]

http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1155/P8Z77-V/E7074_P8Z77-V.pdf

Section 2.2.1, page 26. #19 is the Front Panel Audio Connector header.