The Ultimate 'Build-A-PC' Thread. Complete With Pricings & Recommendations (06/06/10)

PSU is overkill.

EDIT: And since you're getting a 3570k, I'm assuming you're overclocking. You'll want a new heatsink for the CPU.
 
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Honestly, I would stick to that 650watt that you had earlier.

550w is more than enough, but that modular PSU for $79 is a good price.
 
Again, if you aren't getting a separate heatsink for the CPU, there's no point in getting something with a "K" suffix.

EDIT: fuck
 
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Did you mean to say CPU instead of PSU?

/edit:

Regardless, the PC parts are nice, but it is missing a Graphics Card and harddrive.
 
[quote name='The Crotch']Again, if you aren't getting a separate heatsink for the PSU, there's no point in getting something with a "K" suffix.[/QUOTE]

Maybe I will when I get more knowledgeable in computer gaming, plus I will be using this setup without a graphics card for a while and that CPU comes with Intel 4000.

@j-cart

I'll buy the harddrive separate, but will save for a decent card for later. I just want to have this computer up and running and also be ready for graphics card.
 
Once you get a gfx card in that thing, it will be an awesome gaming PC.

Try to spend the same amount on a gfx card as you did on your CPU and welcome to the master race :D
 
Thanks for all the input CAGs, couldn't have done much without it.

I seriously can't wait to get this going and will be ordering tomorrow,

I'll probably end up getting the 660 ti or something similar.
 
[quote name='ral1121']Thanks for all the input CAGs, couldn't have done much without it.

I seriously can't wait to get this going and will be ordering tomorrow,

I'll probably end up getting the 660 ti or something similar.[/QUOTE]


Look into the 7950 as something "similar."

Enjoy your PC and never skimp on a decent chair.
 
So I have a question about ram. I currently have 8gb (2x4) of ram in my computer set up like this x-I-x-I with my cpu cooler I am not able to get a 4th stick of ram in the last spot. What I'm wondering is if I can get a single 8gb stick of ram and have three slots filled up like X-I-I-I for a total of 16gb ram (8, 4, 4). I'm using corsair vengeance ram and would be putting in corsair vengeance low profile or regular ram
 
[quote name='The Crotch']...

Why do you need 16 gigs of ram?

I mean, I'm not saying you don't. It has its uses. But most consumers don't.[/QUOTE]

I really don't need it. I don't do anything on my PC but game, and stream movies/sports, but like the other person said Ram is so cheap that I just figured "why not". My computer is running really well though so I may not bother
 
not really building my own PC.. but figured I might as well as in here and not create an entirely new thread.

Samsung Series 7 gamer, what are people's thoughts? Right now it's at $1,700 on Amazon... I know gaming laptops are relatively expensive but I don't have room for a desktop and I like the portability. For a laptop under $2,000 is this the best one out there in people's opinions? i'm looking to upgrade my laptop and this is the one I like the most but not sure if there are any better options out there now or coming soon?
 
I don't know shit about laptops.

But one of the headlines on Samsung's page for that particular laptop was "PWNS the Competition".

So fuck them.
 
Thanks yeah the origins are nice but as soon as you start adding some of the real hardware it gets upwards to 2k. As for being able to customize laptops "aftermarket" I'm pretty sure the reviews have stated that everything on the Samsung series of 7 gamer is upgradeable and relatively easy to do.... Could be wrong though.
 
[quote name='xCappax']not really building my own PC.. but figured I might as well as in here and not create an entirely new thread.

Samsung Series 7 gamer, what are people's thoughts? Right now it's at $1,700 on Amazon... I know gaming laptops are relatively expensive but I don't have room for a desktop and I like the portability. For a laptop under $2,000 is this the best one out there in people's opinions? i'm looking to upgrade my laptop and this is the one I like the most but not sure if there are any better options out there now or coming soon?[/QUOTE]

I have a Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 that runs games pretty well. You should be able to find that for just under $1000. But if your budget is higher, you can definitely get something that will run games on higher settings.
 
Does anyone know if you can use a vendor Windows key on a standard copy of Windows?

I have an Asus laptop with a legit Windows 7 Home key, but I hate all the bloatware included with the pre-loaded Windows install. I get that I can uninstall it all but there's seriously so much crap.

So I was wondering if I could just use the Windows key that came with my Asus to install a retail version of Windows 7?
 
[quote name='Vinny']Does anyone know if you can use a vendor Windows key on a standard copy of Windows?

I have an Asus laptop with a legit Windows 7 Home key, but I hate all the bloatware included with the pre-loaded Windows install. I get that I can uninstall it all but there's seriously so much crap.

So I was wondering if I could just use the Windows key that came with my Asus to install a retail version of Windows 7?[/QUOTE]


Yes you can.
 
I'm looking to get more involved in PC gaming and I'm going to start building a gaming rig soon. I have never been involved with PC gaming too much and would like some advice on my potential build, and I want to get an idea of what I'm going to be buying so that I can watch for deals on the parts around Black Friday/Cyber Monday. I would like to keep it around $500-600. I don't have to have the most powerful build, but I would like to be able to run most games on high. This is my prospective build, let me know your opinions.


HAF 912 Case
1TB HD
8GB DDR3 RAM
ASRock Z77 Extreme3 Mobo
Intel Core i3-2120 Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz
Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W
SAPPHIRE 100355OCL Radeon HD 7850 2GB

Thanks!
 
[quote name='sandman8288']I'm looking to get more involved in PC gaming and I'm going to start building a gaming rig soon. I have never been involved with PC gaming too much and would like some advice on my potential build, and I want to get an idea of what I'm going to be buying so that I can watch for deals on the parts around Black Friday/Cyber Monday. I would like to keep it around $500-600. I don't have to have the most powerful build, but I would like to be able to run most games on high. This is my prospective build, let me know your opinions.


HAF 912 Case
1TB HD
8GB DDR3 RAM
ASRock Z77 Extreme3 Mobo
Intel Core i3-2120 Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz
Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W
SAPPHIRE 100355OCL Radeon HD 7850 2GB

Thanks![/QUOTE]


If you can fork over the little bit of extra cash, get an i5-2500K at the very least. The i3s are great, but for gaming they will bottleneck your performance for high demanding games.
 
It's not like the 7850 is a super powerful GPU, though...

PSU's a bit overkill. Other than that, nothin' much.

EDIT: And if you get a 2500k then you might as well tack a fan on to that and come to think of it you don't need a Z77 board with an i3 2120 but it's not like that board is super expensive or anything...
 
Just finished building my very budget,but functional gaming build.I recycled a few parts like a laptop hard drive,keyboard,mouse,case and monitor.

ASRock H61M-DGS LGA 1155 Intel H61 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel G860 Sandybridge
2gb Ram Gskill
Antec Vp-450
GTX 650 (haven't bought)
 
That is a very budget build. I know you are trying to save money, but if you can fork over the cash for maybe a 560 ti instead of a GTX 650. The 650 might be a newer model, but it is of a lower grade compared to the GTX 560.
 
Let me first say that I've never upgraded a PC before and I'm not very knowledgeable. Anyways, my old laptop finally died a couple months ago and I bought the following desktop at a decent price: I660s.

Now that I have a new job, I was thinking of upgrading the desktop to play some games. I'm not looking to play any new games really, maybe just some older PC games like the witcher. So, I picked up the following video card: Radeon hd 7750 Low Profile. Now, the description says it requires a min. power supply of 400 watts; my desktop has a 220w psu. Reviews on the site mention someone running the card with as low as a 150w psu while others saying they've succesfully done it with a 220w - 300w psu. What are the consequence of doing this?

While I realize I could just upgrade the psu, I've had a hard time finding a proper power supply upgrade. Any help on that? I was thinking it might be easier/cheaper to replace the guts into a bigger tower... but honestly, I'd rather not spend more money if I don't have to.
 
The problem you have is that you bought a budget PC and they are usually designed with the intention of not allowing people to upgrade (in turn for them to buy a new PC).

I don't think you will be able to find a power supply to support your PC case. The solution would be to buy a new PC case and PSU and gut your dell for parts. More money is gonna have to be spent if you want to properly upgrade it.

My advice? Save your money. Save it until you have $800 ready to spend, until then hang in there. PC games become really cheap fast with Steam Sales and all.
 
[quote name='j-cart']That is a very budget build. I know you are trying to save money, but if you can fork over the cash for maybe a 560 ti instead of a GTX 650. The 650 might be a newer model, but it is of a lower grade compared to the GTX 560.[/QUOTE]

Good suggestion. Another option would be to go with a 650 Ti. They are around $150 and come with Assassin's Creed III. You could get $25-30 for AC3 (assuming you don't want the game) on e-bay and essentially pay $120-125 for a 650 Ti.
 
Ok.

I finally decided to go for the GTX 660 ti after owning my new build for about a month and looking for a good deal.

Now, this is a Re certified MSI GTX 660 ti Overcloked edition, a refurb.

They will throw everything in but no manuals.

The price is $239, no tax plus free shipping.

They will also add in Borderlands 2. I can sell that for about $25, so total price would be about $215.

The downside is that it only has a 90 day warranty, vs the new item warranty of 3 years.

Should I go for it?

NVM?:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/MSI-GTX-660-670-overvolting-PowerEdition,18013.html
 
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So for X-mas, my wife suggested she get me some upgrades for my PC. I'd like a new video card but I think I'd be better off getting a new power supply first. I have a crappy Rosewill PS that came with the bundle I bought a few years back, and I honestly have expected it to die since day 1.
I'd like something modular, and probably 650 watt or higher. Also I'm thinking $100 would be the maximum price we could do.

After xmas we'll think about a new video card to replace my Radeon HD 5600 with something better, hopefully with PhysX
 
[quote name='Waughoo']So for X-mas, my wife suggested she get me some upgrades for my PC. I'd like a new video card but I think I'd be better off getting a new power supply first. I have a crappy Rosewill PS that came with the bundle I bought a few years back, and I honestly have expected it to die since day 1.
I'd like something modular, and probably 650 watt or higher. Also I'm thinking $100 would be the maximum price we could do.

After xmas we'll think about a new video card to replace my Radeon HD 5600 with something better, hopefully with PhysX[/QUOTE]


PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151088

GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130826

This should fit exactly your needs. Just make sure to remove any Radeon software before installing the GPU.
 
So I have been looking at upgrading my PC for a while and since my roommate is interested in buying my old one, I think I just might do it. However I have been out of the PC part scene for so long I am not sure what the best deals are.

I am looking to spend around $1000. I already have all the accessories and an HDD but I will need everything else. I am a big Intel/Nvidia fan and will only buy those two brands. Otherwise I am flexible. Does anybody have suggestions for parts?

I was looking at getting something like this:

CPU: Intel i5 3570K
GPU: EVGA Superclocked Nvidia GTX 660
Case: Corsair Carbide 500r
Mobo: Not sure, something DDR3, USB 3.0 and SLI compatible
RAM: Best deal on 16GBs of DDR3 I can find
SSD: I would like an SSD to place my OS on. Something like 64GB or so?
PSU: Something modular with the ability power all this and possibly SLI.
 
[quote name='darthbudge']So I have been looking at upgrading my PC for a while and since my roommate is interested in buying my old one, I think I just might do it. However I have been out of the PC part scene for so long I am not sure what the best deals are.

I am looking to spend around $1000. I already have all the accessories and an HDD but I will need everything else. I am a big Intel/Nvidia fan and will only buy those two brands. Otherwise I am flexible. Does anybody have suggestions for parts?

I was looking at getting something like this:

CPU: Intel i5 3570K
GPU: EVGA Superclocked Nvidia GTX 660
Case: Corsair Carbide 500r
Mobo: Not sure, something DDR3, USB 3.0 and SLI compatible
RAM: Best deal on 16GBs of DDR3 I can find
SSD: I would like an SSD to place my OS on. Something like 64GB or so?
PSU: Something modular with the ability power all this and possibly SLI.[/QUOTE]

Pretty close to my build.
I got an i5 3570k, Gtx 670, 16gb of Corsair ram, Asus mobo, 256gb Sammy SSD, and a 750W Corsair PSU. You may want an 800-850W though, cause a 750W is barely enough for a 660/670 sli. Also got 6tb of HDD.
 
Hey all. I've been looking into getting a good gaming pc some quite awhile now, and with Black Friday around the corner I figure now is a good time. However, in terms of specs and parts for a good but affordable setup, I'm as clueless as they come as I've always been a console gamer. I checked the front page, but I wanted to ask if those builds are still viable since they are listed as being last updated two years ago.

Also, my friend recently bought a new pc from cyberpowerpc, pre-built and all. I don't mind shelling over a few more bucks in order to avoid putting it together myself (I'm pretty sure I'd break something) and am curious if their "mega special 1" deal is any good. http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Mega_Special_I/
Worried about jumping the gun and whether or not I should actually wait until Black Friday/Cyber Monday.

Any recommendations or feedback is welcome.
 
Budge: You've good reasons for going for 16GB of RAM and an expensive case and plans for SLI, yes? I ask this only because... well, most people don't, and with most people I would advise that they not do... those things... and spend that money on a bigger SSD or a better monitor or whatever the fuck. So what's the story?

Prota: The fact that you can only choose from AMD processors alone makes it unappealing as all fuck.
 
[quote name='The Crotch']Budge: You've good reasons for going for 16GB of RAM and an expensive case and plans for SLI, yes? I ask this only because... well, most people don't, and with most people I would advise that they not do... those things... and spend that money on a bigger SSD or a better monitor or whatever the fuck. So what's the story?
[/QUOTE]

16GB of RAM was really just a "fuck it, it's only an extra $50" kind of deal. Honestly I would spend $50 on a video game that I would be done with in 2 weeks, so why not spend it on a machine that I will probably use for the next 5+ years?

An expensive case? Well I went with a budget one on my last build and I kind of regretted it. My GPU physically barely fit in it. I had a bunch of cooling issues because lack of fan mounts and other issues. This was again one of those things I want to buy and be happy with for a while and have space to work in.

SLI? I don't really have any plans to use SLI. But I figured why not have that option?

I already have a very nice monitor and other accessories. I could get a bigger SSD I guess. Do you better suggestions for parts?
 
I got 16GB to run a VM. I semi-regret it, because I've never seen my computer get to even 40% usage. I'm not butt hurt over it though, since the price was like $40 more.

If I went back in time, would I have just bought 16GB though? I'm actually not sure.
 
Like I said, that 40-50 dollars is something that you could put in to your SSD or GPU. Same goes for a cheaper case, though if you really want the room, I ain't gonna argue the point. And the same goes for getting a cheaper PSU if you aren't going to go for SLI, which... really, not a fan of.

My personal recommendations? 3570k, Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo, ASRock Z77 Pro4 or Extreme4, 8 GB Ram (Corsair, Gskill, whatever), a reliable PSU, a 1 TB HDD and a 128 GB SSD (say, Crucial M4 or Samsung 830), and while the GTX 660ti isn't amazing dollar:value, Nvidia doesn't have any other offerings at that price point, so sure, go for it. Case is really your choice. Those parts fit alright in a cheaper, less flashy mid-tower case, but... eh.
 
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[quote name='The Crotch']
My personal recommendations? 3570k, Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo, ASRock Z77 Pro4 or Extreme4, 8 GB Ram (Corsair, Gskill, whatever), a reliable PSU, a 1 TB HDD and a 128 GB SSD (say, Crucial M4 or Samsung 830), and while the GTX 660ti isn't amazing dollar:value, Nvidia doesn't have any other offerings at that price point, so sure, go for it. Case is really your choice. Those parts fit alright in a cheaper, less flashy mid-tower case, but... eh.[/QUOTE]

This is a very good recommendation. In fact, except for the GPU, it's identical to my build. The 660ti was my leading choice until the last minute, when I lucked into a really good discount on the 7950 Twin Frozr. So far (it's my first high performance ATI/AMD card) the 7950 has held up really well.

I also agree that sinking any extra cash into the GPU is well worth it. For an honest cheap ass, splurging in the extra 20-50 dollar sense on one component (and one only) is made a lot easier if you hold to a budget on all other components.
 
Hello, I need some help. I have been a mac user since I was like 7 but their hardware but have decided to build a pc for the first time (for gaming and because my last 2 macs developed problems way to soon). However one thing has me totally confused right now, how do I choose a mother board, and should it be wifi enabled or should I get a different device to do wifi?
 
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