Anyone have any PC building advice?

[Rukus.]

All right everyone, I'm planning on building a PC over the course of a few months, but am short on cash, so I'll be buying it part by part over a certain time span. Basically what I'm asking is what is the best way to go about doing that?

What parts to buy first, what parts are most reliable, OS type.

(by OS type I mean what version of windows 7 :3)

 

[zetas]

I'd say buy the case first, then the PSU
Maybe the HDD or MB as third.

After that I guess it doesn't matter, but you'd need something to put 'em in first.

Take the best one you can buy, unless it costs you too much. Of course, there are other methods, but nothing I should mention here.


GL mate!

 

[yellowbadger52]

id say buy a motherboard with onboard video so you can at least use the pc when you get all the needed parts then you can install a videocard later.


Other than that, buy quality parts. go on newegg and read reviews on products. see what people actually think of it.

 

[Ryken]

I would recommend saving your money and buying the whole thing at one time. Prices on computer parts fall quickly, and what is hot today is obsolete tomorrow. Your money will go a lot farther by building it all at once. Set a saving budget, and then when you have the cash, you'll be able to buy more.

A good goal would be around $500-800 depending on what you have already (if anything).

 

[Iceman {Ky}]

I would recommend saving your money and buying the whole thing at one time. Prices on computer parts fall quickly, and what is hot today is obsolete tomorrow. Your money will go a lot farther by building it all at once. Set a saving budget, and then when you have the cash, you'll be able to buy more.

A good goal would be around $500-800 depending on what you have already (if anything).

Spot on, save money and buy it all at one time

 

[MentalSoul]

I totally agree -- that's exactly what I did when I built my gaming rig.

I would recommend saving your money and buying the whole thing at one time. Prices on computer parts fall quickly, and what is hot today is obsolete tomorrow. Your money will go a lot farther by building it all at once. Set a saving budget, and then when you have the cash, you'll be able to buy more.

A good goal would be around $500-800 depending on what you have already (if anything).

 

[shadows5631]

Well you can never wait too long though, because before you know it, everything you had picked out will be out of stock.

 

[PewPewBangBang]

ehh just wait, save money, then with whatever budget you have, build a PC with it. Cases will almost always stay the same, atleast cases like Cooler Master HAF, Antect Nine hundred, those won't really go out of stock any times soon. PSU don't really go obsolete that quickly either.

Just gather all your money together first then build a PC

 

[Artinz]

Wait and buy it all at once. Also, make sure to get an anti-static wrist strap, otherwise you building a pc is a painstaking process. Also, get Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit. You don't need the stuff from Office or Ultimate.

 

[PewPewBangBang]

Wait and buy it all at once. Also, make sure to get an anti-static wrist strap, otherwise you building a pc is a painstaking process. Also, get Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit. You don't need the stuff from Office or Ultimate.

well u dont really need one, i mean its safer to have one but i built mine without one, just anti-static yourself before u touch the stuff........touch another metal. All i did was touch the inside of the computer case each time before i touched a computer part to put in, you don't have to do it each time but i just wanted to be careful.

 

[Cut Chem!st]

well u dont really need one, i mean its safer to have one but i built mine without one, just anti-static yourself before u touch the stuff........touch another metal. All i did was touch the inside of the computer case each time before i touched a computer part to put in, you don't have to do it each time but i just wanted to be careful.

Yeah, i've built a ton of computers and never used a anti-static wristband. Just ground your self to be safe on the case.

I've even forgotten a lot of the time and it still went fine. (not advisable though)

 

[Tour Guide]

Can't you just wear rubber gloves instead of getting an anti static wrist strap?

 

[JunK]

this depends if you are building a separate computer or if you are slowly upgrading the one you have. if you are wanting to build a separate rig then i'd say save up and get it all at once, most definitely.
however if you are upgrading your current one, i would (and did) first assess what you can keep like monitor, HDD, keyboard mouse etc and then build from that. My order went case/PSU. and my cpu/mobo/ram is ok for now so i'll get my video card which will give me the most performance boost until i have enough to get a CPU. from there i'll get a new mobo/ram once i have enough because those HAVE to be bought at the same time if you are switching formats (from ddr2 to ddr3). since i run AMD i can have an am3 cpu in an am2+ socket, so it works out perfect for me.
its just like building everything else tho, you need to start with your foundation which i'd say is your case and PSU.

 

[metro]

I guess you guys have just been lucky because a computer case is most likely not grounded. If you want to ground yourself you should touch the screw holding on the faceplate of an electrical outlet as that is grounded (or earthed). It is possible for a computer case to be grounded, but most modern cases have rubber feet meaning the case is definitely not grounded.

I have never used a bracelet when building computers, just sit down, ground yourself and don't shuffle your feet and you should be fine.

 

[GBear]

To be honest, you can never be careful. I've got an anti static wrist band that I use for building computers. Any arch will burn out your components. My dad has actually been in this field for over 30 years lol.

 

[HansUllrichGrimminger!]

wellity

A case is a case is a case........save your money unti you have enough to buy everything as people have previously said, if that takes 6 months or so, so be it. In six months the i7 920 will be a hundred bucks........and a 5870 hd will be 200 bucks, etc...............if you buy piece by piece now, you'll pay full price for obsolescence.

Put all of your money into the innards..........get the case last, looks are cool, performance is better.

 

[xplag]

If you absolutely want to buy piece by piece (I'm doing so as well) I would say get parts that are less likely to depreciate when you buy it and hold on to those, and buy when things are on sale.

Things that tend to depreciate slowly are the case, PSUs, hard drives, and somewhat RAM. A case that costs 100 bucks now will probably still cost around the same price later down the road (since they're not terribly tech heavy), so if you can find a good deal on a case you like now, then it will probably be a good investment. PSUs also follow the same line, but improvements in efficiency and wattage have caused some price drops. And right now, hard drives are at a near standstill in improvements, so while there are bigger hard drives (2 TB and such) prices aren't going to shift drastically until solid state and HRD (Hard Rectangular drives) get greater market share. And interestingly enough, RAM has a hill-valley-hill type pricing, so you should be okay buying DDR3 now, since it's almost near the valley phase (whereas DDR2 RAM has nearly doubled in price over the past few months).

Processors and motherboards will fall in price rather quickly, but it's unlikely that we'll see an i7 for 100 bucks anytime soon, or a board for current processors fall any more than 25% in price along the same time span. Graphics cards on the other hand are very fickle in price since there are more rapid improvements for them, I would buy those last.
Note: not to be fanboyish, but it seems Intel processors tend to hold value slightly better than their AMD counterparts.

And make sure you never skimp on the PSU. Processors, GPUs, and RAM can fail and be replaced, but a PSU failure usually results in one or more components of your computer frying as well. One of my friends owns a computer retail/repair shop, and he's shown me parts that have literally burned or been scorched from a PSU failure.

And if you're going to buy piece by piece, take time to look for the best deals. I usually like Newegg, but other sites like Tigerdirect and Amazon will occasionally have lower prices or different items available.

 

[3vlNomad]

If you are on a budget the best thing you can do is:

1. buy a nice case. bigger is better, as you will be able to fit almost anything you will need into it.

2. buy a good psu. I'm a big fan of Silverstone. The ST1200 is 80+ certified. Don't get anything that isn't 80+ certified.

3. buy your hard drives and dvd burner/readers/etc

For best results the next step is to save your money and wait til you can buy these at the same time:

1. mobo
2. cpu
3. ram
4. gpu

Those 4 items get upgraded so fast nowadays and for best results you should get them at the same time.

All of my custom computer build parts were bought from Newegg. They have good prices, good customer service and a good return policy.


Side notes:

1. Anti-static wrist band thingers. I have never used them while building my computers, but I have also been very careful as not to build up static charges or touch a plugged in psu to discharge them. The less clothes you wear the less chance of static build up. I usually build in my boxers

2. Cable management. The less cables you have the better your airflow, which is why a modular psu is always good. Also try to tie the cables together with something if you can. Twist ties work nicely and are easy to undo.

3. Fans. Bigger isn't always better when it comes to size. Look for higher CFM's. Also, 28db isn't that loud.

4. Watercooling. If you don't know what you're doing I don't recommend this, but you will get the best temps you've ever seen on a good setup. Just remember to leave the computer off and unplugged for a day or two while leaving the water pumps on to check for leaks. If you're computer is off and it leaks no harm done, just wait for it to dry. If it leaks while it is on be ready to shell out for AT LEAST a new mobo.

 

[JunK]

as for fans, the best i've found so far is this:
http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?product_id=2913

i have 3 of those as intake and 1 as exhaust on my computer, and 1 scythe slipscream for instake and 2 for exhaust. anyway 90 cfm with 19 db is INSANE movement. to be honest you get a nice hum with all of them going at the same time, so it does add up but its sweet music to my ears. if you are not a fan of the LED you can clip some wires to make it disappear

 

[PewPewBangBang]

as for fans, the best i've found so far is this:
http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?product_id=2913

i have 3 of those as intake and 1 as exhaust on my computer, and 1 scythe slipscream for instake and 2 for exhaust. anyway 90 cfm with 19 db is INSANE movement. to be honest you get a nice hum with all of them going at the same time, so it does add up but its sweet music to my ears. if you are not a fan of the LED you can clip some wires to make it disappear

Yea i have 3x230mm cooler master fans that came stock in a Cooler Master HAF 932 and they can move a ton of air............but im gonna have to say that Noctua makes the best fans hands down pretty much. They may come at a premium but Noctua fans are definitely the best or one of the best, they don't come in huge sizes though, my 230mm push a lot of air but are quiet at the same time