Building my first computer!

[Julian]

Basically, my old pc is dead, and it was a bit outdated, so I've decided to build my own new one.

I'm not really sure where to start, I have a basic idea but I'm not sure what would get the best bang for my buck. I'm basically looking at a budget of about $700~$800, but if needed I may be willing to go up to around $1k.

Any advice, inputs, etc, greatly appreciated =)

[Olo401]

Can fit quite a bit into that budget, so it's best to ask what you need and want in your new machine.

-Leftovers: What parts & software would you want to carry over to the new machine. This is important mainly because adding a monitor and/or OS would be a major budget buster.

- Games: do you just want a balanced machine or do you want to push the FPS and CPU/GPU heat limits playing Crysis?
-Performance: Same thing as above.. do you want just good or breaking records in 3DMark09? Do you plan to overclock, or just hum along nicely?
- Functionality: These days your computer can control your home theater, or just be a gaming monster, or both.

I've got a few different parts lists already saved based on the answers.

[Diamicles]

I'm glad this topic was posted, I'm planning to build a computer for the first time this year as well, with a budget similar to Julian's (but probably closer to the 1k mark). I want mine to be a home entertainment machine, primarily focused on hardcore gaming. I'm interested to see what is recommended here.

[Blabj]

I can't really comment on the OP, but Diamicles, if it's much later this year, this thread will probably be out of date, since I expect most manufacterers to probably bring out now parts later in the year.

[Diamicles]

I'm going to be building late enough in the year to get the free upgrade to windows7 that is going to be offered (my buddy who works in IT for a bank told me about it).

At least I'll be able to get an idea of what to look for, my laptop is about 3.5 years old and out of date, and my PC (even though it has been recently overhauled) is about 7 years old. All I'm looking for right now is ideas

[Mabubeezareel]

I'm putting together a build for a friend of mine who wants to max out some older games like WoW, and use it for other general purposes (movies, music, web browsing, etc). Here's what I came up with:

Case: Newegg.com - Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases
PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Power Supplies
Mobo: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards
CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Processors - Desktops
GPU: Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100245L Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards
RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory
HDD: Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - Internal Hard Drives
Cooler Newegg.com - ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - CPU Fans & Heatsinks

Total w/shipping - $830, and $50 in mail-in rebates. Throw in an extra $20 for an optical drive, and another $40-$50 if he needs a second HDD.

That should be a very solid build for most anything, and you could probably use it as a base for your own as well.

[Olo401]

That's a really nice build. BTW if you're looking to buy soon I have a Newegg free shipping code for that motherboard. I'm getting one too cuz my motherboard is kinda.. meh old old design. :D

Edit: The Corsair TX series power supplies are nice for the modular cabling, but if you need to save some money the HX series is fine - I have a 550HX and the cables are all good length to reach my parts and a good variety of connectors are included. You can use the savings to bump up to a 4870 if you wanted..

[Olo401]

BTW when I get my new mobo I'm gonna do a photo journal of the rebuild. I'll post it as a guide for those wanting to build their own machines.

[Julian]

Can fit quite a bit into that budget, so it's best to ask what you need and want in your new machine.

-Leftovers: What parts & software would you want to carry over to the new machine. This is important mainly because adding a monitor and/or OS would be a major budget buster.

- Games: do you just want a balanced machine or do you want to push the FPS and CPU/GPU heat limits playing Crysis?
-Performance: Same thing as above.. do you want just good or breaking records in 3DMark09? Do you plan to overclock, or just hum along nicely?
- Functionality: These days your computer can control your home theater, or just be a gaming monster, or both.

I've got a few different parts lists already saved based on the answers.

I already have a 1tb and 500gb hdds, but thinking of getting another 1tb, maybe maybe not. Everything else in my old machine is outdated and I want to replace. I have XP, and plan to keep using it if at all possible. (Also plan to keep using my monitor, although it's a bit old, may look into replacing it soon, but regardless it isn't going to be part of my pc budget)

I don't really play games much anymore, (I still do from time to time,) but I still would like a somewhat powerful machine. I don't plan on overclocking, and would really like for it to be as quiet as possible. Basically I want something that will last me a good few years, and wont become outdated very quickly. (as long as possible)

I've been using my laptop as my mini-dorm room theater, and it works out ok for me. (I don't watch anything super HD because they're way too huge in size, and I just don't have the space)

Thinking about that, the main reason I used to do that was because I could keep my desktop connected to my monitor, and I'd hook up my laptop to my TV, so that I could multitask stuff on my desktop while watching a movie. I've never really messed with dual monitors and what not, but would it be possible to have both monitor and tv hooked up to the desktop pc, and do what I normally do on my monitor, while it outputs a movie to my tv? Not really sure I'm describing it right but I think you get the basic idea <.< I'd like to do that if possible

[Julian]

Shameless bump, and still curious about my previous question.

But I also have one more question. On my old pc, I had two 160GB HDDs connected, and the computer basically read them as one (in the disk management and such, it just displayed one 300gb drive) Anyway, I tried hooking one of them as an external hdd, and it isn't working <.< I'm guessing because the old pc was using both hdds as one, and I'm only connecting one of them. Is there any way to retrieve my files?

[Kohan]

Just to mention another deal:

Amazon.com: Sapphire Radeon HD4870 512MB DDR5 Dual DVI / TVO PCI-Express Graphics Card: Electronics

This qualifies for free shipping on Amazon, and if you're in an area which won't be taxed, that means you'll get a brand new 4870 shipped for $180. You can also use the same rebate NewEgg offers on this one, since it's done through WorldWideRebates.com. That'll fetch you an additional $15 off, if you bother with it. The rebate code is Alt-5156.

[Julian]

I'm putting together a build for a friend of mine who wants to max out some older games like WoW, and use it for other general purposes (movies, music, web browsing, etc). Here's what I came up with:

Case: Newegg.com - Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases
PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Power Supplies
Mobo: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards
CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Processors - Desktops
RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory
Cooler Newegg.com - ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - CPU Fans & Heatsinks

Total w/shipping - $830, and $50 in mail-in rebates. Throw in an extra $20 for an optical drive, and another $40-$50 if he needs a second HDD.

That should be a very solid build for most anything, and you could probably use it as a base for your own as well.

Ok so I'm currently looking at the above pieces.

Total w/ shipping comes to $623, and has $40 in mail-in rebates.

So basically 580ish so far, leaving me with a good $230-430 for everything else.

I'm not too sure about the graphics card, no idea which one to go with.

Also, what's the difference between: Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb&#47;s Hard Drive - Internal Hard Drives and Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb&#47;s Hard Drive - Internal Hard Drives ?

So after throwing in $100ish for the hdd, that will leave $130~330 for the graphic card and everything else. I'm curious though, what should everything else include? Things like, DVD(burner), sound card(?), usb slots, etc. I'm guessing some of these might be integrated into the mobo and stuff, but, first time building, don't really know for sure

(Still looking for an answer to the two questions I made in the previous posts :<)

Thanks for the input, everyone

[Kryssan]

First question: As long as your tv can be used as a monitor for a computer, this is essentially just a "Can I use a *insert number of monitors here* display solution" and the answer is yes ~ providing you can actually use it as a monitor. Some HDTVs will tell you in their user manual NEVER ATTACH THIS TO A COMPUTER so yeah.... they even do it in cool bold ink with warning tags. Can't tell you how many times this has bit people in the ass.


Second question: Most likely not. From what it sounds like, those two hard drives were linked in one of two ways: As a software RAID on the MB bios (JBOD configuration most likely), or in Windows by use of disk management. Either way, without the original computer, with the harddrives connected to the motherboard via the exact same ports, and additionally, if done via disk management, with the exact same OS configuration and system settings, no, you cannot get your data back. Data in that configuration is just written spanning across the disk volume. Sorry, but that's filed under please plan ahead, and, hindsight is 20/20.


Third question: The more expensive hard drive is a Black series and the lesser a Green series. Want something more specific? Please check the manufacturer's site, it outlines it pretty clearly. The link can be found on the pages under Manufacturer's Information, but for the lazy ones, here you go: Black / Green.


Fourth Question: Do you like AMD/ATI or nVidia? Graphics cards is a personal choice question. I swap back and forth between both companies depending on the current technology offered and the price it is offered at. My current gaming rig uses ATI and Crossfire and I'm quite happy with it. You might like a different setup, so this is not something we can help you with. Unless of course you're just waiting for the fanclub/boy/girl "I love AMD/I love NV.... and this is why" arguements. Which you'd probably get more of at a computer forum.


Other questions: Most motherboards come with expansion slot Firewire/USB/Serial etc connectors ~ but most people honestly don't use these. For one, putting in dual vid cards for gaming takes up lots of space. Secondly, most people don't need all those extra connections. Look at the specifics offered on the motherboard you're looking at and specifically for Newegg in the pictures. You'll see what's offered in the accessory pictures (where they show the manual, disc, and included extra hardware). For sound, most motherboards have their own Sound and Network provided. Some even offer onboard WiFi. However, for the most part, it is often better to go with an independent solution. Motherboard hardware use will put extra load on your CPU, whereas independent extra cards that carry the same function (IE: A real sound card or a high grade network card) will take this load off the CPU thereby increasing performance and often times the quality of the end product. In addition, you'll probably get advanced features the onboard equipment cannot handle ~ such as if you're interested in recording/editing sound hardware you'll need a good sound card, or if you want NIC Teaming you'll want the hardware that can support that. Most often it is not offered on the baseline hardware of a motherboard unless said motherboard is rather high end and/or specifically geared to a given application (server MB) and therefore typically expensive. The rule of you pay for what you get is applicable here generally speaking. TL;DR ~ Find a MB you like, go to the manufacturer site, download and read it's applicable manuals and documentation. This will honestly tell you everything you need to know about it and help you plan for what extras you will need to add to it.


I believe that adequately answers all the questions you've asked thus far, anything else on your mind?

[Julian]

Alright so here's what I got so far

Case: Newegg.com - Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases
PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Power Supplies
Mobo: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards
CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Processors - Desktops
RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory
Cooler Newegg.com - ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - CPU Fans & Heatsinks

These are the same from the above poster (thanks a lot for these links!) and here's what I added myself:

HDD: Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - Internal Hard Drives
DVD Burner: Newegg.com - LG Black 22X (CAV) DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X (CAV) DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD±R DVD Burner - CD / DVD Burners

Wondering whether I should get a 2nd dvd drive. My computers have always had one DVD burner, and one regular DVD drive, so that's what I'm pretty much used to. Even if I were to grab two dvd drives, it probably wouldn't be a smart idea to burn two dvd's at once huh <.< lol

The only thing which I'm really not sure about is the graphic card. So far the build has come up to $758.83 after shipping, with $40 in mail-in rebates. So I've still got a good $300ish at most that I'm willing to spend. I try to look through all the different graphic cards, but the differences between them don't really mean anything to me, and the only thing that goes through my mind is that expensive = better, which isn't always the case. Any opinions would be appreciated, and thank you @ everyone who has posted so far.

edit: oh, and a quick question about the cases: wtf is the point of all those blue lights? or are they just for show <_< I really don't like them, and the ones in my past computer I would just like cover up with some sort of paper or tape cause it pissed me off. That one case I got right now looks like it's gonna be full of those lights, is there any way to turn em off? Or any recommendation for another case that's still good but isn't full of those flashy light? >.>

[Tythera]

For a case, I went with a Antec 300 and I like it (little brother of the one you posted without all the lights):
Newegg.com - Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases
You'll want to buy at least two 120mm fans if not three (two in front, one in the side). It comes with the two exhaust fans on the back and top. Here's a shot of mine installed, the only light is the little tiny blue lights for the power / hard drive:

http://i42.tinypic.com/357hg7s.jpg

As for a video card, if you can wing it, GTX285. It's the best single GPU solution currently at about the price you wanted:
Newegg.com - EVGA 01G-P3-1281-AR GeForce GTX 285 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

In regards to the two burners, unless you're doing a bit by bit copy there's no reason to have them. One drive suffices for everything you need for 99% of people.

[levish]

I have a 300 its decent, as expected though its kinda cramped and with the psu on the bottom you should make sure your cables will reach the appropriate ports. The aux 8 pin motherboard cable is a bit short on my psu.