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PC Build/Tips/Progress/Diagnostics Thread

Smithy

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Smithy

Smithy

Posted
Posted 
[b]Your budget:[/b]
[b]Your country (offer a site where you want to buy from):[/b]
[b]What do you need the build for?[/b]
[b]Do you plan to overclock?[/b]
[b]Do you need a full build or just mobo+ram+cpu+gpu?[/b]
[b]Do you have any components you want to use from the old setup?[/b]

Bringing over my old thread from another community that had over 2,000 replies and seemed to be very helpful!

 

So the main question, obviously, why?
There are way to many reasons to list as to why you should consider building your own computer, instead of purchasing one. Customization, the fact you can get what you need, no need for bloatware, an array of answers. The simple way I can sum this up for you all is an article I wrote a while back for Windows.AppStorm. It's short, but a decent read and simple to understand the reason as to why. https://web.archive.org/web/20160319074717/http://windows.appstorm.net/general/opinion/have-you-considered-building-your-own-pc/

 

So where do we begin?
To begin, we'll need to decide what parts we're looking to get and where from. If you're from America, NewEgg is a great store to purchase your goods. For the Brits, it'd be Novatech. But each country and each company have their own individual preferences, so browse for pricing before buying.

 

However, to build a computer, you need the following components (I will use acronyms throughout as it's shorter to write and at times, cleaner. Each acronym is found within the brackets):

 

 

  • Motherboard (MOBO)
  • Processor (CPU)
  • Hard Drive (HDD)
  • Power Supply (PSU)
  • RAM
  • Case
  • DVD Drive(?Optional)

 

We also then have those that are optional, for gamers that are usually also preferred.

  • Graphics Card (GPU)
  • Sound Card
  • Solid State Drives (SSD)

 

So, as you can see, graphics card are not always needed (as a majority of MOBO's come with integrated graphics), however for gaming they are obviously the best thing.

 

Setting a Budget
There are two ways that I feel work when setting a budget for a computer build. For those who genuinely have a budget, use target budgeting. This is when you have a fixed amount you're willing to spend, and no lee-way on it. An example would be if someone has collaborated $600 over a period of time, and ONLY has that money to spend, therefore the build has to sum up to less than or equal to $600.

 

Secondly, we have zero budgeting. Zero budgeting is when you set a goal for how much you're willing to spend, but then once you've completed the build you're happy to continuously add to it to improve it. I for example, bought all of my parts for my system 6 months ago. Since then, I've improved it and therefore my budget on my build has increased over time.

 

What does each part do?
Components are important, as you've probably guessed. As stated above, not all are MUST HAVES, but they are useful and helpful when building a computer.

 

Motherboard


So, the motherboard. The thing that basically links each and every component together. To start with, you can cheap out on a motherboard, but it's not recommended. It's something that does a major part in the system so therefore, you need it to be good. My top three brands for motherboards are ASUS, MSI and GIGABYTE. They all make outstanding boards and do their job perfectly. Generally, there are three sizes that modern computers use. ATX, Micro ATX and MINI ITX. Each one is specific for each type of case, which will be in the description of the case model itself.

 

CPU


The processor, formally known as the Central Processing Unit. Almost all modern processors are multi-core, which means they contain more than one core within the main processor. Cores work alongside each other and focus on helping each other when needed to make tasks run quicker. Each processor also has threads, which can again be used to boost the speed in your PC. The two major companies in CPU manufacture are Intel and AMD. Intel being the 'great quality, expensive' ones, while AMD being the 'lower quality, cheap'. Either way, it's the PC vs. APPLE kinda war-... each has their benefits and flaws. Personally, I use AMD because I've had AMD PC's for 6 years, never had a problem.

 

HDD


Hard Disk Drives are standard, large data storage devices. They can contain up to 4TB per module, and are generically 3.5" in size. Laptop ones however are 2.5". This means that there are two different types, but they also focus on RPM. As hard drives are mechanical (meaning they have moving parts), the RPM is rotations per minute. It dictates how many rotations the pin that detects the information, rotates within a minute. The larger, the faster and quicker (technically) data should be shown.

 

PSU


The power supply, the 'power' to the computer. Each power supply is usually measured in Watts (or Wattage), and are commonly 400W, 500W, 600W, 800W and 1000W. There are two types of power supply. There are standard ones which have all cables installed already, coming out of normally one corner in the power supply. These are good if you're just looking for a basic setup and you'll find these in your standard home computers. You then have modular power supplies, which are usually the power supply itself, and a bunch of cables. These are beneficial, primarily as they provide you the option to pick how many cables you use, and they're great for cable management when you need may upgrade. The two cables that are needed for a computer to boot are the 24-pin ATX cable, and the 4-8PIN CPU cable. There are also 'Branded' power supplies, which are basically those made by PC component specialists, such as Corsair, OCZ, etc. These are recommended at all times when building a gaming system, as they're more reliable and usually have a longer warranty.

 

RAM


RAM is basically what holds the computers programs that you currently have open, operating system bits and bobs, and runs them while you open the program. It's the link between the program itself and hard drives. RAM commonly comes in DDR, DDR2 and DDR3 form, with DDR4 soon coming in the wings. For a modern computer, you'll want to use DDR3 with the frequency of 1066 or higher. Frequencies go up in stages, so 1066, 1333, 1666, 1888, then onto the two thousand odd. Good RAM manufactures are normally Kingston, Corsair, and a few others I find reliable.

 

We're now at DDR4 RAM, and using higher frequencies across the board.

 

Case


Cases range from tiny, to huge full tower cases. Your selection on case will vary from how much room you have, your cooling needs, how many hard drive bays it needs, that kinda thing. For example, I have 4 hard drives in my computer, therefore I need at least 4 HDD bays. I also utilize the airflow in my case. Typically, cold air should flow in from the front of the computer, and out the back and top. Mine is different, to the fact that it flows cold in from the front and back, and pushes hot out the top. It's your preference, but you can look online for info. too.

 

DVD Drive


A DVD drive is what is used to take DVD's, and show the information on a computer. Although not needed due to thumb drives and Cloud storage being used, it can be helpful when first installing the OS.

 

GPU

Graphics cards, the controversial subject after processors. As you can guess, they run the graphics in your computer. If you have integrated graphics, once installing a dedicated one it takes over. The 'better' your graphics card, normally, the better quality gaming experience you'll visually have, and more capability to increase monitors. So, we have two major manufactures, AMD and NVIDIA. NVIDIA are the GPU version of Intel basically, pricier but from their customers, 'better'. No need to go into a war on this, but you can see tables yourself for results. Both the GTX series and the R series are the top series on each manufacture, with each company than having subsidiary style companies to purchase the design, then modify. These again, can range from XFX, ASUS, MSI, GIGABYTE, ZEON, loads of companies. The main thing when it comes to graphic card selection is using this table, as I find it very helpful. The most common right now is GDDR5 and ~4-6GB dedicated RAM in a graphic card. http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

 

Sound Card


Most motherboards come with sound cards. Unless you have a special need (7.1 surround sound), or desperately love sound quality to be at it's peak, sound cards aren't usually needed as an extra. For more info on this, just comment.

 

SSD


Solid State Drivers are outstanding, so to speak. They provide the speed which is multiple times faster than standard HDD's, while also being more reliable and smaller. This makes them easier to store, which combined with their storage speeds makes them outstanding small components for any computer. They're also the same size as laptop hard drives, which mean they can be swapped in and out easier.

 

Frequent Q&A's
 

AMD or Intel?
Personal preference, it depends what you need. I personally went with AMD when I got my first gaming PC because it's all I could afford. Nowadays, I could afford Intel, but because AMD never let me down I don't see why I should switch.

 

AMD or NVIDIA?

Same as before, personal preference. Old saying, don't change it if it's not broke.

 

You didn't cover watercooling?
I'll write a bit on that shortly, with aftermarket cooling itself as I think theres' a lot to say there.

 

But how to build?
For now, you can use the following link to see basically HOW to put them together. I will make my own video soon, once I get my new parts it'll be easier to do so.

 

 

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Unlimited

Unlimited

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Great thread.

I just finished my new build after selling my old one to help funding for a motorcycle.

 

My new build -

CPU - i7 7700k

GPU - Gigabyte 1080 Turbo OC

Mobo - MSI Z270I Carbon

Ram - Corsair Vengeance 2x8(16gig) 2666Mhz

CPU Cooler - Corsair H100i V2

PSU - Corsair TX650M

Case - Fractal Design Define Nano S

 

I'm having an issue with the RGB header lighting on my mobo though. It doesn't seem to want to work with the gaming app controller... Not sure what the issue is.

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Smithy

Smithy

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Sounds silly - have you tried an alternate RGB lighting strip or alternate header on the mobo?

 

My current build:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($309.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($19.99 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Asus - SABERTOOTH Z170 MARK 1 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard 
Memory: Kingston - HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($169.88 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Crucial - MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($92.88 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: *Crucial - MX300 275GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($92.88 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Seagate - BarraCuda 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($110.38 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Seagate - BarraCuda 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($110.38 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Seagate - BarraCuda 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($110.38 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Western Digital - BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($118.89 @ OutletPC) 
Storage: Toshiba - 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($77.34 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Superclocked Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card  ($554.98 @ Newegg) 
Case: Phanteks - Enthoo Pro M Tempered Glass ATX Mid Tower Case  ($99.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Corsair - RM 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply 
Monitor: AOC - G2460PF 24.0" 1920x1080 144Hz Monitor  ($201.44 @ Amazon) 
Monitor: AOC - G2460PF 24.0" 1920x1080 144Hz Monitor  ($201.44 @ Amazon) 
Keyboard: Corsair - STRAFE RGB Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($109.99 @ Amazon) 
Mouse: Logitech - G502 Wired Optical Mouse 
Speakers: Bose - Companion 2 Series III 0W 2ch Speakers  ($99.00 @ Adorama) 
Total: $2479.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-10-10 04:57 EDT-0400

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Arnzeal

Arnzeal

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Nice thread, always enjoyable to share specs and discuss the PC market.

 

When I built my computer I prioritized to keep the sound levels down. As such I opted for the Be Quiet Silence 900 chassi with sound padding inside + 7 additional low-noise fans inside for proper airflow, large 1000w quiet PSU, a beast of a CPU watercooler replaced with custom low-noise fans. And at last, the ASUS GTX 1080ti STRIX which has the best cooler on the market, that made it possible to set a custom quiet fan curve since this beast of a cooler keeps the temps down (never above 75 degree's celsius) even on 40% fanspeed at full load.

 

The one singular issue I have with this build: I can not hear if I turned my computer on or off. (Not a joke)

 

Here's my specs:

Chassi: Be Quiet Silent 900 | Motherboard: Asus Z170 Pro Gaming | CPU: Intel Core i7 6770K 4.8 GHz | CPU Chooling: NZXT Kraken X61| GPU: ASUS GTX 1080Ti STRIX GAMING| PSU: Corsair RM1000i | RAM: Kingston HyperX 16GB 2133MHz| Storage: 2x 1TB Seagate Barracuda + 840 evo SSD 250gb| Monitor: Qnix QX2710 105hz| Headset: Sennheiser PC 373D + Sennheiser GSX 1200 PRO AMP| Keyboard: Corsair K95 Mechanical Keyboard | Mouse: QPad 8k Optical|

Edited by Arnzeal
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Arnzeal

Arnzeal

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3 minutes ago, Mecovy said:

Should I invest in this?

 

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/H6h6Gf

 

Its a good setup, though I would recommend adding a few bucks and replacing your CPU cooler with this one: https://www.ebuyer.com/288855-cooler-master-hyper-212-evo-4-heatpipes-1x120mm-fan-cpu-air-cooler-rr-212e-16pk-r1

 

Its worth it, trust me. That cooler of yours is barely going to have an impact compared to the standard cooler.

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Mecovy

Mecovy

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1 minute ago, Arnzeal said:

 

Its a good setup, though I would recommend adding a few bucks and replacing your CPU cooler with this one: https://www.ebuyer.com/288855-cooler-master-hyper-212-evo-4-heatpipes-1x120mm-fan-cpu-air-cooler-rr-212e-16pk-r1

 

Its worth it, trust me. That cooler of yours is barely going to have an impact compared to the standard cooler.

im only going so cheap as I either buy it in one go and live off noodles for a month, or invest the cost split between two months.

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