Novice computer builder

[toughwimp11]

Hello,
I wish to build my first computer, but before I do, I have several questions:


1) Is the lifetime for a custom-built computer small? By lifetime, I am refering to the actuall life of the computer (ie. will it work for many years or will something burn out in couple of months). I ask this because I've heard that custombuilt computers break or burn out easier. I realize that there are many factors to this, but overall, if built well, how long will the computer last. Currently I have an HP that has and is still working excellently for over 5 years and I wish for the new PC to last just as much. Also, are there certain parts that I should avoid because they dont last much. I've read that AMD is better and cheaper but doesnt last as long. Is this true? Please list any brands that I should avoid.

2) How important is a good case? I was intrested in buying an Antec case with one 120mm fan and a side duct without a PS. (the link to the case is below)

3) How big is the difference in the performance if I buy the $200 RAM instead of the $90.

4) I was thinking of only getting a DVDRW drive. Is that a good idea, or should I get that and CDRW?

5)What is the best graphics card you can buy for a maximum of $200 at the current time (please provide a link if possible)?

Here is the current computer I would like to make. Please make any suggestions or critiques. Please note that I use my computer about 5 hours a day and am a somewhat frequent gamer. Also, my budget is about $700-$800

Antec Solution Case $50

WD Caviar RE SATA 3.0 160GB $65

OCZ Value Series 1GB (2 x 512MB) $90

ECS KN1 Lite ATX AMD Motherboard $74

Thermaltake TR2 430W PS $25

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ $183

NEC 16X DVDRW $30

I'm completely open to suggestions for a video card. Price should be no more than $200.


Please make any suggestions you have and thank you to all in advance for your help and sorry for the long post.

 

[Gautama2]

Don't buy a thermaltake psu, spend a little more and get a forton 400w.

 

[Howard]

That case is a good one, but you can get it cheaper from Provantage.com.

 

[savvy]

You might want a prebuilt since everything is under a warranty and it's low-end.

 

[imported_fallen]

Hi Toughwimp11

1. The lifetime/usability of a homebuilt computer would depend on the quality of the parts that you put into it, but it is no more or less prone to failure than a name brand. I would say a home built system has advantages in upgradeability.

2. A good case can be an important part of your overall build. having room to work & things that work logiclly make building your 1st machine easier.

3. The difference between the Expensive Gamer Ram, & the more affordable ram is almost nil if you dont plan to OC the system. I would suggest something like kingston valueram.

4. The primary reason to have Two Optical drives is for direct disk to disk copying, but you can accomplish the same thing (Albiet a little slower) by copying your image to the Hard drive 1st. I would suggest getting a 2nd optical drive anyway since good drives can be found at Newegg for around $30.

 

[Texun]

I would second what Fallen has stated and add a few words of my own.

Consider a boxed model like Dell, HP, etc if you want support and the option of extended warranty service. Also, unless you have a WinXP disc available you can add that to the cost of a home built system.

If you are still interested, you certainly can build a system as good as or better than you can buy. The caveat here is that anyone can and will make a dud now and then. There are no certainties that dictate if one will fail before the other. My suggestion, if you want to build your own, is to carefully select solid components and go for it. Start with a good case ? you will be looking at it every day! Get a good power supply. Many people suffer great frustration chasing gremlins that ultimately end up being rooted in the power supply. Look at Fortron, Sparkle, Enermax, Seasonic, OCZ and some Antec models. Not everyone likes all of these but they are popular and proven units. Thermaltake gets a few hard knocks, but I?ve built a few mid range systems and they have held up well going on 2 years and the 430W is quiet. I would use one again? just not in a high end system.

Crucial, Kingston, Corsair all make good value ram. Since you are not overclocking any of them should be fine.

Heat and dust are probably the two greatest enemies you will have to deal with over the long haul. Select a good cooler for the CPU and make sure you have some front and rear fans (larger fans are quieter) to cycle air inside the case. Open the case a couple of times a year, depending on your climate, and use a can of air to blow out dust that accumulates on the fans and heat sink.

AMD or Intel? Depends on your budget and what you feel best about. It?s Ford Vs Chevy and there is no clear winner as to which one would crap out the first. Keep it cool and it should last for years unless something unusual happens.

The same can be said for hard drives. Seagate has a 5 year warranty. Samsung and WD are popular and normally hold up well so pick one you like and hope it holds up for years to come. The OEM drives you can buy on the net offer no less quality than the one that would come with your HP. Dell, or whatever.

Optical drives? They are cheap and easy to install. I would install two but that?s a personal decision. Unless you want to do a lot of copying you should be fine with one. The NEC 3550 is a popular, and so is Benq, Pioneer, LG, and once upon a time LiteOn.

I?m not a big fan of ECS but don?t let that stop you. ECS has many happy customers and is or was a major supplier for OEM boards. Keep it fed with good power and cooled with decent air flow and it should last for years.

Regarding the graphics card.... what will you be using it for? Games? Graphics? TV out?

Link

 

[toughwimp11]

Thanks Texun for your detailed respone, as well as the other people.

First, I do have a copy of WinXP so I did not factor that into the equation.

As far as fans go, how many fans and what size should I have total. Keep in mind that I will use the PC mainly for word processing, internet, and a good time gaming. Also, how recommened is it that I buy a sepereate fan for the CPU since I was originally planning on just using the one that came in the retail box. Is that a bad choice?

In regard to the graphics card: I play a moderate amount of games but I dont nessarily require the most highend graphics. If I can play the newest games on medium settings then I am more than happy. I do play games but graphics are very far down on my list, but I that doesnt mean I'll accept anything. I want my games to run on medium settings as well as run smoothly. My current PC can run WoW only on low settings and it often lags (although the lag is probably a RAM problem). I also want a little time buffer here so that the games of tommorow will also run on medium and smoothly.

Thanks once again!

 

[Texun]

I would do some research on graphics cards and find the one that fits your needs. Since gaming isn't #1 on your list you don't need the latest and greatest. Still, I would take a good look at the one I posted in the link and compare it against what you have now and anything else you may be considering. The 76x series run cooler than the older 68x nVidia cards. Try this link and see what you come up with.... GPUReview

Fans? AMD offers a decent HS\fan combo for stock cooling. I use 50C as my limit although they will run well at higher temps. My old Newcastle 3800 stays near 30C but that's with a larger than stock XP-90 cooler from Thermalright.

Check the cooling forum and see what X2-4200's run. It should be fine as long as you have good air flow in the case. You don't need a tornado, but preferably a balanced flow; input = output. If you cram more air in than your exhaust fan can purge you risk dust bunnies building up on the case. I use an 80mm in the front and rear, and I use a fanmate to volt them down to the slowest speed possible. Because of the large PS exhaust fans I don't have the perfect balance so blowing it out every few months is necessary for me. Undervolted fans naturally don't move as much air but they move enough, and they stay quiet. A large and well designed case helps move the air but it looks like you have that covered. The one in your link also has a 120mm rear and should be very quiet. Install the largest you can get up front between the bezel and the back of your hard drives. An 80mm will probably me the limit, but someone with that same case may be along shortly to comment one way or the other.

Get a quiet PSU with an intake on the bottom near the CPU. This will help pull hot air from the case.

Hope this helps.

*Edit*
Try these....

Antec

Fortron

 

[akshayt]

For gaming the GPU counts the count. In noobish languge:
400$ GPU + 600$ CPU+MB+RAM should be greater than 250$ GPU + 1500$ CPU+MB+RAM