Building my first comp. - have a few questions

[Galv]

Hey guys, hopefully this is the right forum. If it belongs in tech. support please just move it over.


With that said, I am thinking of building a computer purely for gaming. I have never done this before, all of my computers have been pacakged deals from either walmart or dell website.

I have been looking at the below website alot and had thought about buying one from them. Has anyone had any experience with this site? I dont want to get ripped off if I decide to just buy it from them.

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/landingpages/intel/i7/?gclid=CLr8g8qviqcCFUpJ2godyCShfA


After customizing a computer on this site I decided to go to new egg and see if it would be cheaper to build one. What I did is customize a computer on cyberpower and then model for model entered each piece of hardware in new egg to get a price.

I was surprised to find that if I build it myself I would only save about $100. Doesnt really seem worth it to me considering the time it would probably take me to put it together.

Also I am thinking of using an AMD processor. I have always had intel ones, I have read they are both great and you cant go wrong with either one.

If ya'll could give me any advice I would greatly appricieate it.

[Spewys]

I personally think AMD gives u more bang for the buck. Keep in mind multi core processors can cause u to have issues with EQ. Good luck.

[Messianic]

I personally think AMD gives u more bang for the buck. Keep in mind multi core processors can cause u to have issues with EQ. Good luck.

Interesting - anyone have more info on why this is? :)

[DarkBlazeX]

AMDs also run hotter which runs risk of burning up your processor. But I don't think running EQ will give ya problems.

[Throb]

Interesting - anyone have more info on why this is? :)

This is only the case with dual cores. I have a hexacore (6 physical, 12 virtual processors) and don't have any issues.

Also, Intel > AMD.

http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/

[Harrison]

AMDs also run hotter which runs risk of burning up your processor. But I don't think running EQ will give ya problems.

No, this simply isn't true in the sense you're painting it.

AMD chips do run at higher temperatures, but they are FAR from burning out.

In-fact, AMD chips generally are more tolerant of extremely high temperatures than any Intel chip to date. An Intel chip will burn out long before an AMD would at the same temperature.

But, if you're running that hot in the first place it's probably your fault...

[Spewys]

Yup

[Krimsin]

AMD's do run hot but like stated above, not to the point of risking anything (unless your system would have serious heat issues regardless of chip). I've built both intel and amd both at premium and on the cheap and cooling them is essentially the same.

AMD processor archs are just designed differently than intels, but again, they are designed to handle more heat.

My current system runs an oc'd i7, and I cool it on air (monsoon) with no problems.

To the OP: You are essentially right on about pricing for a "build site" to do the work for you, it'll cost you about 100 bucks extra. But I caution you to consider what you pay for. You are basically paying some taiwanese kid 4 bucks to slap together your computer using VERY basic construction layouts and materials (stock grease, etc.). The wiring won't look professional, and it won't be neatly packed or tacked.

My advice? Take the 100 bucks, build it yourself, buy some case lighting, extra fans, some performance thermal contact, and with it the knowledge of exactly how your system is setup. Plus if you're OCD about wrapping your wiring and making your setup look sharp its really the only way. It'll take a little bit more time, but you'll be glad you did it.

[toddfx]

My advice? Take the 100 bucks, build it yourself, buy some case lighting, extra fans, some performance thermal contact, and with it the knowledge of exactly how your system is setup. Plus if you're OCD about wrapping your wiring and making your setup look sharp its really the only way. It'll take a little bit more time, but you'll be glad you did it.

I also recommend taking the plunge and building your own machine. Not only will it save a bit of cash right now, but it will give you skills required to maintain and upgrade your box as time goes on. It's my favorite hobby.

So many people who buy from Dell or whatever tend to think of computers as one-off builds that that will need to be completely replaced as a whole one day. In reality, that is not the case. If you build your own system with expandability in mind, you will be able to make upgrades to your machine as new hardware emerges and prices drop.

For example, buy a motherboard that can hold a large amount of RAM (12+ gigs) but maybe only stick 6 in it for now. Make sure your motherboard has two PCI-E x16 slots and make sure you choose a graphics card with SLI support. That way, when some uber game comes out in the future that you can't run, all you have to do is buy a second graphics card (of the same model) and you're set. Buy a case that has many extra drive bays so you can add more storage as you go.

Small upgrades a long the way will give you the recurring feeling of getting a new computer. I'm about to install a Solid State Drive into my machine tonight. It will be the first upgrade i've made in over a year, and it will no doubt make it feel like a new cutting edge machine.

It's true that you need to use caution and know what you are doing before diving into your first build, though. Do research, price out some parts, put together a list, and ask for advice on forums (tomshardware.com is great).

One last note: Before mounting your motherboard, REMEMBER to install the standoffs first! Do that, and also remember to use thermal compound on the CPU heat-sink, and you're golden!

[Krimsin]

ISmall upgrades a long the way will give you the recurring feeling of getting a new computer. I'm about to install a Solid State Drive into my machine tonight. It will be the first upgrade i've made in over a year, and it will no doubt make it feel like a new cutting edge machine.

You are going to LOVE it. I put one in over xmas. Loads win7 about 20% faster than my 10k.

Have you ordered yet? Just food for thought but I wished I'd have snagged a 120. After win7 theres only about 45gb left.

[KilyenaMage]

There's a great sense of pride you get every time you sit down and turn on a computer that you built yourself.

I suggest getting a large FULL TOWER. These are very rare to find in pre-built machines, and will allow you to upgrade your machine indefinitely. They also obviously allow for much better air flow (and thusly cooling).

You also get the satisfaction of hand-selecting each component. Sure it may only be a savings of $1-200, BUT you'll likely be getting higher-quality components also.

For example you'll be able to get some nice Corsair gaming RAM for essentially the same price you'd pay for some no-name generic RAM cards otherwise.

I **VERY** strongly suggest going with NVidia for graphics right now -- and eventually getting a 3D Vision Kit and a 120hz monitor. NVidia's 3D Vision is simply amazing, especially with certain games, and you will not be disappointed.

[toddfx]

I stumbled upon this article today and thought of this thread:

http://lifehacker.com/#!5151369/the-first+timers-guide-to-building-a-computer-from-scratch

Should be helpful

[moklianne]

I **VERY** strongly suggest going with NVidia for graphics right now -- and eventually getting a 3D Vision Kit and a 120hz monitor. NVidia's 3D Vision is simply amazing, especially with certain games, and you will not be disappointed.

Do you run p1999 in 3D? I've been wondering how well it looks/works. Years ago when their 3D was still new, I think there was an issue reading text on the screen.

[Japan]

Terrible advice in this thread. "AMDs run hot"? step your game up

[quido]

Building a computer is easy if you have a 2+ digit IQ. If your components aren't defective and you can follow some relatively simple instructions, it's pretty straightforward. I built my first computer when I was a wee lad just by sticking shit where it fits and having a bootable Windows 98 CD.

Troubleshooting a build that runs into problems is where things can get difficult. If things don't go as planned don't try to get tricky or creative. Get a knowledgeable friend or an expert to assist you.

[Obama]

Here is what I would suggest: you need to think of the right things to search for. Google "cpu benchmark comparisons" for example, and you will find which processor is the most bang for your buck (and then read reviews on them to see if they are reliable). If you don't want to spend too much time then browsing newegg will give you an idea of what to get.

Just be confident in your abilities, take your time, do your research, and you may enjoy your blazing fast computer even more.

[SwordNboard]

Don't get too sucked up in one processor having 512MB more cache than another. Instead look for hardware that is maybe 1 step behind (not the "cutting edge state of the art" new release). Buy OEM harware, it's cheaper. Why? Because it doesn't come with 20 "free" games and manuals and 7 different connectors. Don't buy Intel, they're greedy with pricing. Otherwise, just make sure all the DIMM slots and processor pin counts on your hardware and motherboard match up. ATI? Nvidia? Hmmmm, Ford or Chevy? Doesn't matter. I've always built my own PCs with this 1 step behind theory and have made awesome rigs for under $1,000. Way under.

Feel free to PM me with some questions.

[Galv]

Thanks for all the info. I have been on that Toms Hardware site every day reading as much as I can about all the hardware. I've put together several rigs on newegg and was surprised at the machine I could build for ~$850-$900. That's complete with OS, monitor, everything.

It's sad to know just how far behind the curve I am on computers. To give you an idea my last comp. was a Dell 4700 series, my current one is an AMD 2850e from walmart. I am use to playing games on very low settings with frame rates of 10 to 20. So being able to play a game on max settings and get 50 to 60 FPS will be unreal.

I currently play on P99 and I cant even turn the settings up past low on my wiz without it bogging down when I cast an AE. Most of the time i just play with them off.

[Extunarian]

Good advice here and I'd also recommend building it yourself. I like Newegg for hardware purchases or my local Microcenter.

Most importantly, as someone stated above, if/when something goes wrong it is best to get help and don't try to jury rig anything. The time you might save is not worth the time lost in RMAing all the crap you fried.

[odizzido]

toms hardware has some testing problems and a general lack of knowledge.

I would suggest www.techreport.com

[KilyenaMage]

Do you run p1999 in 3D? I've been wondering how well it looks/works. Years ago when their 3D was still new, I think there was an issue reading text on the screen.

No not P99.

Most newer games work very well in 3D though. The only real issues that *SOME* games have is that the UI/Menus won't be in proper 3D.

Also of note is that the 3D MOSTLY consists of "into-the-screen" 3D, not "out-of-the-screen" 3D. Basically adding a very definable level of depth to everything.

Most games also have some "out-of-screen" 3D also -- mostly consisting of particle effects and the like.

Dragon Age. Mass Effect, Starcraft 2 are all amazing in 3D. SC2 in particular, as it feels like you're sitting down and playing a board game, not something on a screen. It's **VERY** cool.

[KilyenaMage]

Also remember that you can the Nvidia 3D vision kit at anytime, so long as you have a 120Hz monitor (60hz for each eye)

I might even stay away from the 3D vision kit for now, and see what comers out in the next couple years. (glasses-free etc) For example I cannot play WoW in 3D, it gives me bad headaches - there's just TOO MUCH going on for your eyes to deal with while being manipulated by shutter glasses.

[Thetan]

I recently purchased a I5-2500K CPU and appropriate motherboard for $300.

Have been able to OC without any effort to 4.4Ghz and others have gotten up to 5 Ghz, so if you want a very fast box that will last for years for a fairly reasonable price, this it the MB/CPU combo I recommend.

PS. There was a flaw discovered in some of the MB chipset silicone after the initial release of P67 and H67 chipset MBs which has been fixed and the MBs are going to be working their way into the channels shortly, so you should wait until those new MBs are available.

PPS. If you already own one of these MBs, Intel is paying for the replacement of all MBs effected by this defect, so contact whomever your purchased your MB from to find out when a replacement will available.

The flaw is with the 3GB SATA interface, the 6GB interfaces are fine on these MBs.

[odizzido]

I don't think I would ever use a 3 megabyte interface....Why did intel even build them?

[Thetan]

I don't think I would ever use a 3 megabyte interface....Why did intel even build them?oops...fixed.