Anyone who has built a computer

[TJ Wrangler]

In the near future, I'm going to have to upgrade and I decided that I would like to take a shot at building one myself. I've been getting in to PC gaming a lot more recently, so this computer will have to be ready for heavy duty gaming. If anyone has any advice on how to do this or where to get the best parts or to get it put together, please feel free to chime in. Budget isn't a concern of mine here, so please feel free to offer what you think would make the absolute best gaming computer that will last many years.

I already know the basics and where to order online, but I'm not exactly sure of everything that needs to go into it if that makes sense. I know I'll have to get a case, CPU, RAM, Graphics card, power supply, cooling system, hard drive, and stuff like that. Also, are there any stores around the Baltimore area that would be able to sell this stuff and put it together for me?

Sorry if that's a bit of a loaded question, but I have a few months to look into it and I want to be sure I'm going down the right track and am well informed when it comes time to make the decision.

[Goober Noodles]

I would say the consensus of the vast majority of PC builders would be www.newegg.com. If not the best prices online, they're usually very close. Customer service is great and from my experience the shipping routinely arrives a day before tracking indicates it will.

I would advise you stay away from absolute top end stuff unless you really want to blow some cash. For gaming, there isn't that much of a difference in real world performance between a $300 processor and a $1000 one.

It's hard to give you a list of potential parts to put together without an idea of what you would want to pay. A price range would be helpful, as well as when you intend to buy. New hardware is always coming out, and it's a bummer to buy something when the next generation comes out the next day.

Anandtech.com has a fantastic forum for doing research on this type of stuff.

But basically, you're going to want to go for a nice Intel quad core, high end video card, 8+gb of ram, and I'd pair look to get an SSD as a boot/app drive paired with a TB+ data drive. With more details of how much you want to spend when, I can get more specific.

[TJ Wrangler]

I would say the consensus of the vast majority of PC builders would be www.newegg.com. If not the best prices online, they're usually very close. Customer service is great and from my experience the shipping routinely arrives a day before tracking indicates it will.

I would advise you stay away from absolute top end stuff unless you really want to blow some cash. For gaming, there isn't that much of a difference in real world performance between a $300 processor and a $1000 one.

It's hard to give you a list of potential parts to put together without an idea of what you would want to pay. A price range would be helpful, as well as when you intend to buy. New hardware is always coming out, and it's a bummer to buy something when the next generation comes out the next day.

Anandtech.com has a fantastic forum for doing research on this type of stuff.

But basically, you're going to want to go for a nice Intel quad core, high end video card, 8+gb of ram, and I'd pair look to get an SSD as a boot/app drive paired with a TB+ data drive. With more details of how much you want to spend when, I can get more specific.

I was toying around with ibuypower's website and I built a few rigs that were in the 4 to 5 thousand range, but I'd like to stay under 4 if possible. Of course, those rigs were loaded with 24 gb ram, linked video cards, and pretty much high end on everything that actually matters. I'm wondering if I can get the same or close performing stuff much cheaper than that. But to give you an idea of where I'm looking, I'm prepared to spend over 3 for something that I know will be able to play anything without any trouble, although I wouldn't mind saving money where and when I can.

[scOtt]

I use tigerdirect.com mostly, have used newegg some too. Both are good. I'm on tiger's mailing list and they have some killer barebones deals. Sometimes they're low end bargain kits, sometimes full blown gaming rigs.

Building one yourself isn't too hard (and very satisfying.) You can't really screw much up as every connector is different. It's not like you're going to plug something in the wrong hole and have it blow up.

That being said... if you haven't seen it done before, seating a cpu, and the fan on top, is pretty tricky. It's straightforward enough, it all only fits one way... but you have to be really careful about static electricity. One little spark and you can fry the cpu chip. Plus, opening the box the cpu comes in means you bought it. NO RETURNS. Period. If something happens you could be out a couple hundred bucks. I've built upwards of ten computers and never had any trouble.



I did have one horror story, but it was not my fault. Literally blew one whole system up. I had bought half the components from newegg and the rest from tiger. Both companies were EXTREMELY good to deal with and made it all right. Free of charge (well, I think I paid some extra shipping.)

[scOtt]

BTW, the best cpu store out here in the boonies charges $65/hr, min one hour. Probably more in the big city. Could be 2 or 300 bucks just to build it. Something to consider.

[nevadaO]

In the near future, I'm going to have to upgrade and I decided that I would like to take a shot at building one myself. I've been getting in to PC gaming a lot more recently, so this computer will have to be ready for heavy duty gaming. If anyone has any advice on how to do this or where to get the best parts or to get it put together, please feel free to chime in. Budget isn't a concern of mine here, so please feel free to offer what you think would make the absolute best gaming computer that will last many years.

I already know the basics and where to order online, but I'm not exactly sure of everything that needs to go into it if that makes sense. I know I'll have to get a case, CPU, RAM, Graphics card, power supply, cooling system, hard drive, and stuff like that. Also, are there any stores around the Baltimore area that would be able to sell this stuff and put it together for me?

Sorry if that's a bit of a loaded question, but I have a few months to look into it and I want to be sure I'm going down the right track and am well informed when it comes time to make the decision.

Obviously you'll need a new motherboard and chipset as well. Make sure that they are both compatible (AMD board for AMD chipset, Intel for Intel). You also need thermal paste (something a lot of people forget and it is essential).

When buying a case remember that you need a case with really great airflow for gaming. Lots of cards nowadays are also really large (mine is at least a foot in length), hence you may need a case with tons of room inside.

Don't neglect your power supply. Again, lots of new graphics cards need tons of power. I have an ATI HD 5970, which has dual GPU's and have a 1000W power supply to ensure I don't come across power issues.

If you are buying a monitor I recommend one with a very high refresh rate (your Hz value) to avoid screen tearing, a nasty side effect from a crappy monitor.

For graphics cards, NVidia is coming out with a new dual GPU card to rival ATI. I swore before I bought the 5970 that I would never again buy ATI as their drivers and the CCC are always screwed up. Plus I actually just had to RMA the card to the manufacturer as one of the GPU's went bad. If you can wait to buy the newer NVidia I definitely recommend it.

I've built numerous computers over the last decade and I get all my stuff from newegg.com. They are really fast with their deliveries and the prices are great as far as I'm concerned.

[Goober Noodles]

I put together a system for you here:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=13540991

I didn't include video cards here, but I would suggest either going with:

1) 2x GeForce GTX570's for ~$700 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130593)

2) 2x GeForce GT580's for ~$1000 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814162073&cm_re=gtx580-_-14-162-073-_-Product)

or 3) if you really want to have the best gaming setup, wait until the new 6990's are out and get 2 for $1400-$1500. According to ATI, these scale 100% which if true, will blow anything else out of the water.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150529&cm_re=6990-_-14-150-529-_-Product

Let me know if you want to know the reasoning behind any of the components I chose.

[scOtt]

Or if money is no object...

http://www.alienware.com/

[TJ Wrangler]

I put together a system for you here:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=13540991

I didn't include video cards here, but I would suggest either going with:

1) 2x GeForce GTX570's for ~$700 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130593)

2) 2x GeForce GT580's for ~$1000 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814162073&cm_re=gtx580-_-14-162-073-_-Product)

or 3) if you really want to have the best gaming setup, wait until the new 6990's are out and get 2 for $1400-$1500. According to ATI, these scale 100% which if true, will blow anything else out of the water.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150529&cm_re=6990-_-14-150-529-_-Product

Let me know if you want to know the reasoning behind any of the components I chose.

I'm not an expert by any means, but is there any reason why you chose that particular RAM and only 8 gb when other options were available? Also, is there any significant difference between that particular i7 and some of the more expensive ones? Was cost the main factor here, or is the increase in performance not worth it by going with more expensive parts?

[Goober Noodles]

I'm not an expert by any means, but is there any reason why you chose that particular RAM and only 8 gb when other options were available? Also, is there any significant difference between that particular i7 and some of the more expensive ones? Was cost the main factor here, or is the increase in performance not worth it by going with more expensive parts?That RAM is on the pricier side. You're paying for the quicker timings. Which, IMO isn't really worth paying for, but you'll get a bit quicker performance.

Also, for gaming and general desktop usage, 8gb is plenty right now. You can always upgrade, but even 12gb is total overkill for games.

As far as the processor goes, that processor is the best processor for socket 1155. The more expensive processors (i7 980x, etc) use a different chipset/motherboard/socket. While they do perform better, in my opinion it's not great enough to justify the massive jump in cost. Especially for a chipset that will be obsolete with the release of the upcoming "Ivy Bridge".

Ivy Bridge is rumored to be socket 1155, but who knows. If it turns out IB will be 1155, it'll mean you can upgrade your processor to the next generation when it's released.

[TJ Wrangler]

That RAM is on the pricier side. You're paying for the quicker timings. Which, IMO isn't really worth paying for, but you'll get a bit quicker performance.

Also, for gaming and general desktop usage, 8gb is plenty right now. You can always upgrade, but even 12gb is total overkill for games.

As far as the processor goes, that processor is the best processor for socket 1155. The more expensive processors (i7 980x, etc) use a different chipset/motherboard/socket. While they do perform better, in my opinion it's not great enough to justify the massive jump in cost. Especially for a chipset that will be obsolete with the release of the upcoming "Ivy Bridge".

Ivy Bridge is rumored to be socket 1155, but who knows. If it turns out IB will be 1155, it'll mean you can upgrade your processor to the next generation when it's released.

Thanks for the input. I should be good for the next 5-6 months, but I'm just trying to collect as much information as I can. I'll definitely keep you in mind when it comes time to make the decision.

[Goober Noodles]

Thanks for the input. I should be good for the next 5-6 months, but I'm just trying to collect as much information as I can. I'll definitely keep you in mind when it comes time to make the decision.Yeah, 5-6 months is definitely a long time in terms of computer hardware. Doing a bit of research on when new releases are coming out can save you a good chunk of change. Feel free to PM me whenever.

[srock]

It's been along time since I built my own, in fact the last home build I did was a dual Pentium 3 setup!

Browse through Tom's Hardware, the Build Your Own Section (http://www.tomshardware.com/theme-build-your-own,156.html) for the best way to match, motherboard to video to memory to cpu combinations.

I always picked the mother board first, then went from there. Asus is a top notch brand.

Agree with Egg Head for the components, but you can probably save some cash on eBay for some stuff, particularly memory and the case.

For heavens sakes, get a good all around case. The quality of the case goes along way to fitting it all together and in keeping it cool.

[crowmst3k!]

I seem to have a knack for building good gaming rigs for under 800 or so. You have to make a few sacrifices in parts here or there, but nothing that will severely gimp your rig.

I recommend going with AMD at the moment. Their six core Phenom-II is a great bang for buck processor. A good radeon video card can be had for around 200, Get a good ASUS motherboard and 8 gigs of ram and you're around 600. After that, it's all about finding good deals on cases and finding a power supply that will handle all of your rig's power requirements.

I like Solid State, but it's not cost effective yet. If it's a requirement, go for something around 80 gigs as your OS drive and keep a 500 gig HD as your drive for storage.

All in all, you can do well in building a gaming rig for under a grand.

[sbauer]

It's been along time since I built my own, in fact the last home build I did was a dual Pentium 3 setup!

Browse through Tom's Hardware, the Build Your Own Section (http://www.tomshardware.com/theme-build-your-own,156.html) for the best way to match, motherboard to video to memory to cpu combinations.

I always picked the mother board first, then went from there. Asus is a top notch brand.

Agree with Egg Head for the components, but you can probably save some cash on eBay for some stuff, particularly memory and the case.

For heavens sakes, get a good all around case. The quality of the case goes along way to fitting it all together and in keeping it cool.


I seem to have a knack for building good gaming rigs for under 800 or so. You have to make a few sacrifices in parts here or there, but nothing that will severely gimp your rig.

I recommend going with AMD at the moment. Their six core Phenom-II is a great bang for buck processor. A good radeon video card can be had for around 200, Get a good ASUS motherboard and 8 gigs of ram and you're around 600. After that, it's all about finding good deals on cases and finding a power supply that will handle all of your rig's power requirements.

I like Solid State, but it's not cost effective yet. If it's a requirement, go for something around 80 gigs as your OS drive and keep a 500 gig HD as your drive for storage.

All in all, you can do well in building a gaming rig for under a grand.

These two posts sum up my build pretty well. I don't need the best of the best and have a bill over 2k.

- AMD Phenom II
- ASUS Motherboard (w/ USB 3.0 and eSATA)
- 16GB RAM
- AMD/ATI Radeon HD 5850
- 2x 1TB WD Drives

My build process is a bit..different. I upgrade parts of my computer over time. I upgraded the video card before I upgraded the rest. Occasionally I'll upgrade everything at once, but I haven't done that recently.

[srock]

These two posts sum up my build pretty well. I don't need the best of the best and have a bill over 2k.

- AMD Phenom II
- ASUS Motherboard (w/ USB 3.0 and eSATA)
- 16GB RAM
- AMD/ATI Radeon HD 5850
- 2x 1TB WD Drives

My build process is a bit..different. I upgrade parts of my computer over time. I upgraded the video card before I upgraded the rest. Occasionally I'll upgrade everything at once, but I haven't done that recently.

I agree keeping your video cards up to date can really get the most out of a gaming rig. They do the heaving lifting when it comes to gaming.

So you really need 2 TB of local disk space? You running a bit torrent server or something? ;)

How is Win7 doing with gaming? I gotta think so long as drivers are solid it should be a major improvement over XP. The ability to address 16 GB of memory alone is a massive improvement.

I'm hoping my MacBook Pro with 4GB will handle Diablo 3 whenever it comes out. Its the one with the dual nVidia video cards.

[sbauer]

I agree keeping your video cards up to date can really get the most out of a gaming rig. They do the heaving lifting when it comes to gaming.

So you really need 2 TB of local disk space? You running a bit torrent server or something? ;)

How is Win7 doing with gaming? I gotta think so long as drivers are solid it should be a major improvement over XP. The ability to address 16 GB of memory alone is a massive improvement.

I'm hoping my MacBook Pro with 4GB will handle Diablo 3 whenever it comes out. Its the one with the dual nVidia video cards.

Haha. No, not really. I mean, I record stuff with fraps and from an HD capture card, but not much else. I'd like to setup a RAID array, but haven't done it yet.

I haven't had any issues with Windows 7. Much better than Vista for gaming. I'm not a fan of the AMD drivers as they seem to be causing a BSOD every week or so.

Haha. I would think you should be ok. I may be picking up a new MBP later this year. Mine is getting a little old.