My (possibly disastrous) attempt to build a PC

Discussion in 'Unrelated Discussion' started by teju__, December 14, 2013.

  1. teju__

    teju__ Active Member

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    There have been several threads like this in the recent past, but I didn't want to hijack anything so I decided to make my own one.

    The title pretty much says it. I plan on building a new computer soon, but I'm not particularly confident in my knowledge about hardware (as in: absolutely clueless).
    The only thing I know so far is that I will probably be able to spend around 1000€ on it.
    I'll probably use win7 rather than 8 or a Linux alternative and I'd prefer to use one stronger graphics card instead of 2 weaker ones since that should make it easier to upgrade later on (right?:confused:).

    So far I have problems deciding which parts I should get. There have been some sites in the other Pc building threads that were helpful in that regard, but I just don't know where to start. Is it wise to choose a certain component first and then look what goes well with it and pretty much build around that?
    Or should I look for already finished builds?
    Any kind of advice is greatly appreciated.
    Last edited: December 15, 2013
  2. arseface

    arseface Post Master General

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    If you want to make a gaming computer, pick the GPU you want first.
    Find a motherboard that'll take it.
    Find a CPU that'll go in it.
    Add some RAM.
    Steal a hard drive from a previous machine.
    Get a power supply with some power to spare.
    Get a case.
    Put some fans in it.
    If the case doesn't come with a disk drive, get one of those.
    Use your old monitor.

    Done.

    EDIT: Depending on what you want there are different things to consider. If a game you care about doesn't like a brand of graphics card(like AMD black smoke bugs) or something, go with the other build. Otherwise it really doesn't matter.
    And if you want the computer for reasons other than gaming there other ways to go about choosing what you want.

    Double edit: Don't build it on a carpet.
    Last edited: December 15, 2013
    thetrophysystem, mkrater and teju__ like this.
  3. JammySTB

    JammySTB Well-Known Member

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    >picking a motherboard before the CPU

    Holy ****, what?
    easybox and tatsujb like this.
  4. arseface

    arseface Post Master General

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    I haven't seen a need for a new CPU for a gaming rig in years. It's at the point where I don't really care what I put in the CPU slot, and there's a chance a motherboard won't fit in my current case.

    EDIT: That probably means I should rearrange my list to choose the case before the mobo then.
    Last edited: December 15, 2013
  5. teju__

    teju__ Active Member

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    Sounds easy. I'll probably screw it up :rolleyes:

    Ok, I'm a massive newb. Why is that bad? I assume having a specific motherboard is not as important as having a specific cpu (as long as everything is compatible of course)?
  6. JammySTB

    JammySTB Well-Known Member

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    Despite what arseface said, the CPU can make a difference in the framerate you get in games. Some more than others, of course, but it does make a difference. You'll be able to find a motherboard with the features you'll need for any CPU.

    Have a look at /g/'s logical increments guide: http://www.logicalincrements.com/

    There's also a bunch of information in the sidebar of http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/

    I'm not going to give any specific advice, because I largely stopped following new hardware releases about a year or so ago, but if you need any general advice, just ask.
    teju__ likes this.
  7. poiuasd

    poiuasd Well-Known Member

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    edit: nevermind
  8. teju__

    teju__ Active Member

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    Just for the tower, no additional peripherals.
    I also noticed that Pc parts seem to be ridiculously expensive in Europe, compared to other regions :confused:

    Edit:
    Ok, nevermind then :D
  9. JammySTB

    JammySTB Well-Known Member

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    PC components are expensive here because of high VAT.
  10. teju__

    teju__ Active Member

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    Ah of course, didn't think of that.
  11. knickles

    knickles Well-Known Member

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    Pick which LEDs you want first. The rest will fall into place
  12. JammySTB

    JammySTB Well-Known Member

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    Red for speed, blue for temperature and green if you want to conserve energy.
    teju__ likes this.
  13. teju__

    teju__ Active Member

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    I was thinking about yellow actually. I heard that protects you from burglary and since this is quite a major investment for me, it might be worth it.
  14. Timevans999

    Timevans999 Active Member

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    Haf-x coolermaster tower intel cpu ivybridge 6 core, ssd (240 gig), at least 16 gig ram, 660ti or 280x for card, single 12 volt rail power supply at least 800 watts(8 pin pci express leads in case you get a more powerful card in the future)

    Wouldn't advise air cooling the chip luck that the case will take any water system.If you want more information email me and I can provide details on how to futureproof and get maximum out of your euros. Finally get an antistatic wrist band and always touch the case before handling the components to release static charge.
  15. JammySTB

    JammySTB Well-Known Member

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    I would not recommend listening to anything timevans says.
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  16. teju__

    teju__ Active Member

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    I don't see how that is even anywhere near the budget I gave above (antistatic wristbands are expensive, you know), but thanks anyway.
  17. knickles

    knickles Well-Known Member

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    Best buy sells em for 5 dollars, but they're kind of a waste unless it calms your paranoia. Stay off carpet, ground yourself before handling the parts. Worst case scenario, you somehow mess something up, it'll probably still be eligible for replacement/refund.
    teju__ likes this.
  18. poiuasd

    poiuasd Well-Known Member

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    2/5 for effort.
  19. teju__

    teju__ Active Member

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    Yeah, and also flying to a place that actually has best buy would clearly exceed my budget :p
  20. JammySTB

    JammySTB Well-Known Member

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    I always work on carpet and I hoover my PC to dust it.

    #thuglife

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