The Official PC Building Thread

SynGamer

SynGamer

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Intro mumbo-jumbo coming soon...it would be great if people could take the AMD list of CPUs and start ranking/rating them so that we can weed the list down a bit. Looking for Best Performance, Cheapest, and Best Performance for the Price. Same will go for the Intel list once i complete that.

Choosing a CPU/Processor

  • AMD
    • Phenom X4 Quad-Core
      • Agena 65nm
        • 9100e: 1.8 GHz
        • 9500: 2.2 GHz
        • 9550: 2.2 GHz
        • 9600/9600 BE: 2.3 GHz
        • 9650/9600B: 2.3 GHz
        • 9750: 2.4 GHz
        • 9850 BE: 2.5 GHz
        • 9950 BE: 2.6 GHz
    • Phenom X3 Triple-Core
      • Toliman 65nm
        • 8400: 2.1 GHz
        • 8450: 2.1 GHz
        • 8600: 2.3 GHz
        • 8600: 2.3 GHz
        • 8750: 2.4 GHz
    • Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core
      • Manchester 90nm
        • 3600+: 2.0 GHz
        • 3800+: 2.0 GHz
        • 4200+: 2.2 GHz
        • 4600+: 2.4 GHz
      • Toledo 90nm
        • 3800+: 2.0 GHz
        • 4200+: 2.2 GHz
        • 4400+: 2.2 GHz
        • 4600+: 2.4 GHz
        • 4800+: 2.4 GHz
      • Windsor 90nm
        • 3600+: 2.0 GHz
        • 3800+: 2.0 GHz
        • 4200+: 2.2 GHz
        • 4600+: 2.4 GHz
        • 5000+: 2.6 GHz
        • 5400+: 2.8 GHz
        • 4000+: 2.0 GHz
        • 4400+: 2.2 GHz
        • 4800+: 2.4 GHz
        • 5200+: 2.6 GHz
        • 5600+: 2.8 GHz
        • 6000+: 3.0 GHz
        • 6400+: 3.2 GHz
      • Brisbane 65nm
        • 3600+: 1.9 GHz
        • 4000+: 2.1 GHz
        • 4200+: 2.2 GHz
        • 4400+: 2.3 GHz
        • 4600+: 2.4 GHz
        • 4800+: 2.5 GHz
        • 5000+: 2.6 GHz
        • 5200+: 2.7 GHz
        • 5400+: 2.8 GHz
        • 5600+: 2.9 GHz
    • Athlon X2 Dual-Core
      • Brisbane 65nm
        • 2300 BE: 1.9 GHz
        • 2350 BE: 2.1 GHz
        • 2400 BE: 2.3 GHz
        • 4050e: 2.1 GHz
        • 4450e: 2.3 GHz
        • 4850e: 2.5 GHz

    *BE stands for Black Edition

  • Intel
    • Core 2 Quad
      • Kentsfield 65nm
        • Q6600 2.4 GHz
        • Q6700 2.66 GHz
      • Yorkfield-6M 45nm
        • Q9300 2.5 GHz
      • Yorkfield 45nm
        • Q9450 2.66 GHz
        • Q9550 2.83 GHz
    • Core 2 Extreme
      • Kentsfield XE 65nm
        • QX6700 2.66 GHz
        • QX6800 2.93 GHz
        • QX6850 3.0 GHz
      • Yorkfield XE 45nm
        • QX9650 3.0 GHz
        • QX9770 3.0/3.2 GHz
        • QX9775 3.2 GHz
    • Core 2 Duo
      • Conroe XE 65nm
      • Allendale 65nm
      • Conroe 65nm
      • Wolfdale-3M 45nm
      • Wolfdale 45nm

    *Blah, why doesn't the spoiler tag work properly?
*Stepping is a designation used to identify how much the design of a microprocessor has advanced from the original design.
 
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Parts bought so far:
Thermaltake WingRS 100-$20 (after rebate)
Samsung DVD burner-$24.99
Rosewill RCR-102 52-in-1 USB 2.0 Card Reader $14.99 (decent price on an extra that I get A LOT of use out of in my notebook)
Thermaltake TR2 Series 500W Power Supply-$45 (after rebate)
PNY GeForce 9600 GT 512MB DDR 3- $65 (after rebate)
Vista 32bit DVD system builders- $100
ASRock P45R2000-WifiLGA 775 Intel P45-$135
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM-$90
G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ - Retail-$45
Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 Wolfdale 2.53GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E7200 - Retail-$125
HIPER HFF-1N08N 80mm Transparent Case Fan - Retail-$7

Total $672 for a mid-range gaming machine, it is a little lite on RAM, but I plan building an ultimate computer with my second system. Since this is my first time building a computer I didn't want to invest too much.
 
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Reserved for peripheral discussion.

Also, the budget AMD's of choice would definitely be the Brisbane series, namely these:

Brisbane 65nm

* 3600+: 1.9 GHz
* 4000+: 2.1 GHz
* 4200+: 2.2 GHz
* 4400+: 2.3 GHz
* 4600+: 2.4 GHz
* 4800+: 2.5 GHz
* 5000+: 2.6 GHz
* 5200+: 2.7 GHz
* 5400+: 2.8 GHz
* 5600+: 2.9 GHz

The bolded processors usually fall in the $50-70 range, which is pretty ideal for a fast processor at a budget price. With some overclocking, these babies can pretty easily hit 3.0 ghz, competing pretty easily with the more expensive 5400 and 5600.

If you've got a little more cash in your wallet, the Windsor series will serve you well:

Windsor 90nm

* 3600+: 2.0 GHz
* 3800+: 2.0 GHz
* 4200+: 2.2 GHz
* 4600+: 2.4 GHz
* 5000+: 2.6 GHz
* 5400+: 2.8 GHz
* 4000+: 2.0 GHz
* 4400+: 2.2 GHz
* 4800+: 2.4 GHz
* 5200+: 2.6 GHz
* 5600+: 2.8 GHz
* 6000+: 3.0 GHz
* 6400+: 3.2 GHz

The 90nm chip is a bit outdated in these, but the main advantage they have over the lighter Brisbanes is their cache size. With a 2mb L2 cache, they'll run a little bit faster than their counterparts. Lower clocked models do not really compete with their bretheren because for a big price gap they overclock less efficiently and have only equal stock clock speeds. The 6000+ model can overclock to about 3.3 ghz, which isn't a big difference, barely over 10%. If you want to overclock, save yourself some money and grab the Brisbanes. These are your mid-level processors.

As for your top of the line AMD processors, the Phenoms will certainly fill that space. Without much room to overclock, these processors have more weight in their stock clock speeds:

Phenom X4 Quad-Core

* Agena 65nm
o 9100e: 1.8 GHz
o 9500: 2.2 GHz
o 9550: 2.2 GHz
o 9600/9600 BE: 2.3 GHz
o 9650/9600B: 2.3 GHz
o 9750: 2.4 GHz
o 9850 BE: 2.5 GHz
o 9950 BE: 2.6 GHz

The processor of choice here, in this price range, would really be the X4 9550. At a cool $175, this processor runs at a 2.2 ghz clock speed with the standard 2mb cache on Phenom processors. As I mentioned earlier, these processors are extremely hard to clock with any sort of measurable/significant increase in performance, so I won't go into detail as far as the potential of these processors go. The top of the line AMD would be the most expensive, of course, the 9950. With 2.6 ghz clock speed, this Black edition is advertised for it's unlocked clock. This, however, will only allow you to really overclock this a measly 200 - 400 ghz, depending on your luck. It competes directly with the Q9300, one of Intel's best quad-cores. The 9950 costs $235.
 
i got the windsor 5600, seems to run pretty well, i haven't attempted to overclock it yet, but i just got a fatty cpu cooler so i may try it soon
 
might also put the pluses and minus's of a physics card. They seem to be slowly becoming more standard and I only know the bare minimum about them currently myself.
 
I am also curious as to how the new 1333 fsb intel quads are doing.

Currently sporting the q6600. Used to be diehard behind amd until this gen..

There really is no reason to upgrade right now though so im pretty happy with what I have..seems to be finally running stable. I had a heck of a tedious experience with my first intel build..
 
Thats what I am trying to figure out as well. I don't want to break the bank so I am trying to pick between a GeForce 8800GT or a Radeon HD 4850. They are both close enough in price that I could go either way. I think the Radeon is the faster of the 2 though.
 
I am thinking of building a new PC or picking up a laptop. I build my current computer in 2002 and it spits a ton of hot air.

The thing is a 1.1 GHz AMD Athlon XP w/ a Radeon Comp USA 7000 and 512 Mb of SD-RAM.

Any suggestions on whether or not to build a new PC or buy a laptop? I leave the thing on for up to 12 hours a day and I don't play games on it. If I did play anything it would be Team Fortress 2.

Also do the current desktops spew tons of hot air like mine? It runs well and hasn't been modified since 2002 yet it spits hot fire.
 
I have a dell xps m1530 laptop and it only spits out a lot of hot air when I play games on it. Otherwise it stays nice and cool. I leave it on all the time.
 
Have a 4850hd and a 8800gts 320.

4850 rapes my 8800gts.

My Old CPU:
Athlon XP 2400+

Overclocked like a champ, lasted me until last year. Still can play Steam games on medium settings just fine paired with my 9600 pro.

8800gts 320-
Disappointing tbh. It runs most things fine, but I really wish I had gone with the 512 or 640 model. Still, am able to run Crysis demo on a mixture of medium/high with using it, and it plays bioshock no problem on max.

4850-
Sex.

Oh, current CPU in one rig is the e4400. Fantastic chip, OC'd to 2.8ghz on air. Minor voltage increase needed, using stock intel cooling.



Just got an e8400 in the mail today, and have yet to start ocing. Will lyk.
 
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[quote name='willardhaven']I am thinking of building a new PC or picking up a laptop. I build my current computer in 2002 and it spits a ton of hot air.

The thing is a 1.1 GHz AMD Athlon XP w/ a Radeon Comp USA 7000 and 512 Mb of SD-RAM.

Any suggestions on whether or not to build a new PC or buy a laptop? I leave the thing on for up to 12 hours a day and I don't play games on it. If I did play anything it would be Team Fortress 2.

Also do the current desktops spew tons of hot air like mine? It runs well and hasn't been modified since 2002 yet it spits hot fire.[/quote]
I would say spewing a lot of heat is good if it's coming out of your exhaust fan/vents. I'm going to be building my new/first PC today and will hopefully have temp. results posted by tomorrow. My system will have 2 120mm fans, nothing else aside from a CPU HSF and the fan on my graphics card.
 
[quote name='Klank']Thats what I am trying to figure out as well. I don't want to break the bank so I am trying to pick between a GeForce 8800GT or a Radeon HD 4850. They are both close enough in price that I could go either way. I think the Radeon is the faster of the 2 though.[/QUOTE]

IF you decide on the 4850 (which you should imo) be aware that ATi's driver support is always less than stellar compared to nVidia. There are no updated drivers for the 4000 series atm which is actually a problem, because the fan controller does not currently work. This means you'll have temperatures of 80c+ idling.

Luckily, you can use a tuner program to set the fan speed manually with minimal effort as a fix till ati gets the driver out.

Also, if you buy the asus 4850, they include a program called smart doctor which takes care of everything automatically. Temperatures I get using smart doctor are sub 50c.
 
Need help. Posted this on Toms Hardware and will post here.

Here is my build. This is my second build and am sort of confused what is wrong.

780i mobo
Q9450
4GB DDR2
640GB WD SATAII HDD
320 GB Maxtor HDD SATAII ( reused )
8800GT ( reused )
DVD-RW (reused )
CD-RW (reused )
Antec 850W PSU

I can list whatever else as needed.

When I power up, the computer turns on, loads up for 5-10 seconds and then powers off. It runs through identifying parts, including 4GB of RAM, the CPU, the 2 optical drives, and the 2 HDDs as connected, then will power down. Any attempt to enter the setup or boot order does not give me enough time, it will shut down anyway.

Please give me some tips/advice/things to try to figure this out.
 
[quote name='SynGamer']I would say spewing a lot of heat is good if it's coming out of your exhaust fan/vents. I'm going to be building my new/first PC today and will hopefully have temp. results posted by tomorrow. My system will have 2 120mm fans, nothing else aside from a CPU HSF and the fan on my graphics card.[/QUOTE]

Heat = inefficiency, heat is not a good thing. The energy being "lost" in the form of thermal energy comes from somewhere -- your outlet, and you pay for it.
 
I tried unplugging all HDDs and optical drives, and still same symptoms.

there seems to be an error code display that I watched last attempt that stopped at 7F, which my manual says "POST error check -- check POST error and display them and ask user for input."

I am booting right now with only the monitor and power plugged in.

Right before it turns itself off, it displays FF, which my book tells me only "boot".
 
It sounds like the motherboard is not posting properly. It's not unheard of to have a broken motherboard.

Who makes your 780i motherboard? You may want to post on a forum dedicated to that motherboard manufacturer. However I don't know what you can do about a motherboard shutting down in 5 seconds... either the motherboard is broken or something is attached wrong. Maybe the CPU is overheating if you didn't put a heatsink on it.

Oh, one thing to try is only 2GB of memory. Maybe even remove the hard drives... sure it won't boot up but it shouldn't turn itself off.

[quote name='cdietschrun']Need help. Posted this on Toms Hardware and will post here.

Here is my build. This is my second build and am sort of confused what is wrong.

780i mobo
Q9450
4GB DDR2
640GB WD SATAII HDD
320 GB Maxtor HDD SATAII ( reused )
8800GT ( reused )
DVD-RW (reused )
CD-RW (reused )
Antec 850W PSU

I can list whatever else as needed.

When I power up, the computer turns on, loads up for 5-10 seconds and then powers off. It runs through identifying parts, including 4GB of RAM, the CPU, the 2 optical drives, and the 2 HDDs as connected, then will power down. Any attempt to enter the setup or boot order does not give me enough time, it will shut down anyway.

Please give me some tips/advice/things to try to figure this out.[/quote]
 
I've determined it was the stock intel heatsink sucking at its job. I had an old Arctic Cooler 7 that I put on and it was fine. Problem now is the Arctic Cooler is broken from old age and I had to order a new one off newegg, so more waiting. But thanks for the advice.
 
When is the best time to build a computer? I really want to build a good desktop (currently using a HP laptop w/ 2.0 GHZ processor and only 512 MB memory). I am currently doing an Internship in Cleveland for the summer. In early September I will be moving to a different apartment to finish college and in November I will be graduating and moving again. Ideally I will wait until November since I will be moving to a 3rd apartment and finally getting settled in but I was wondering how much prices will drop by then. I'm not sure how much (if any) it would hurt the computer moving it around so much. If prices aren't going to drop much by November I may just go ahead and build one this summer. Thanks in advance.
 
Well, here is my budget build that I plan to do at the end of this month if all my finances are in order...

Mobo $98 (ASUS M2N-SLI)
CPU $66 (AMD 64 X2 5000+ retail box)
ram $52 (A-DATA 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 800)
video card $109 (SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 3850 512MB 256-bit)
case $90 (Sigma Phantom)

Total of $415 ($385 after rebates) to replace my aging pc. And, yes, I know I'm putting an ATI card in an SLI board but I really like that board and card. They both have stellar reviews and are cheap. If anyone has some substitutions that they would like to recommend, I'm open to suggestions. I'm already about $65 over budget though so any suggestions would have to be cheaper.




*Already have a 22" LCD, optical drives, power supply, hard-drive, 5.1 speaker system, and mouse/keyboard.
 
Well, you could easily save money on a cheaper case...even if you could find a case on sale for $50, that would save you about $40.
 
I actually love that case. It's slick and has a very refined style. I could actually continue to use my blue dragon tower but I really love that Sigma Phantom case. So, I will not budge on the case. Thanks for the advice though.
 
[quote name='R1V3R5']And, yes, I know I'm putting an ATI card in an SLI board but I really like that board and card. They both have stellar reviews and are cheap. If anyone has some substitutions that they would like to recommend, I'm open to suggestions.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='R1V3R5']I actually love that case. It's slick and has a very refined style. I could actually continue to use my blue dragon tower but I really love that Sigma Phantom case. So, I will not budge on the case. Thanks for the advice though.[/QUOTE]

Soo... you want suggestions on the Ram/CPU? lol.
 
[quote name='crystalklear64']Soo... you want suggestions on the Ram/CPU? lol.[/QUOTE]

I will still take advice on the mobo and video card. I was just pointing out that I'm aware that the board is SLI and the card is Crossfire before someone else points it out. I actually don't think I'll find a better deal on ram that plays well with that particular motherboard but I'm not 100% set on that board. So, neither the board or the ram are set in stone.

Maybe it's weird that I asked for suggestions and then went and shot down the first one I got. I guess the case is the only thing I will not budge on because so many cases out there are cheap or tacky.
 
I'm struggling to find what I consider a 'deal' on the MB/CPU. It does look like the midrange intels are more efficient than the midrange AMD's. It also seems like that is reflective in their price. I settled on a 500w PSU, so the intels are more appealing to me at this time.
 
General suggestion for this thread... if you could post links to items in your build, it would be quite helpful. Even if you aren't ordering the parts online (getting your bargain prices at a B&M or something), it would still be good so we can compare to some of the things we might want to suggest.
 
Hello everyone,

I'm new to these forums and sort of new to the whole building of PCs. I have built a few PCs before during school while having the parts already bought and knowing they are compatible and etc. I have never actually bought everything needed for a new computer from the ground up myself.

My laptop just made a nice grinding sound when i turned it on this morning and my warranty ran out last month, so i figure its time for a change. I don't like gaming on laptops anyways.

So, my budget is pretty tight at the moment, 600$ max. I can hold off on a monitor atm since my TV has VGA input, but i will need everything else. The thing i need help with i guess is how do i know what is compatible with what.

Sorry if this just sounds like random babbling :\
 
Finished the build tonight, I'm typing this message from it. Besides replacing the POS stock intel fan I'm done. Now I need to find a good deal on COH.
 
I'm thinking about building a computer, this will be my first time. I won't be gaming much on it, but maybe later on in the future. The only gaming on PC right now is WOW and the occasional CS/HL2. I mostly just surf on the web, listen to music, and type papers. The newest processors that came out are the Core i7, I most likely won't need that. I don't think I can utilize a quad core, so....a duo core then i guess.

Thinking about this one: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
They also have a package deal where you get the cpu and the motherboard here
It's $120 in savings, you guys's thoughts on the board?

Also thinking about getting the Antec 300 case

how am I doign so far?
 
Budget? Or you want the cheapest possible that can play older games (cs/hl2/wow)?

And normally I'd say that mobo is overpriced, but thats actually decent at that combo price.

Looking over the board, it looks like its got all the stuff an average person needs and then some. Its the x48 chipset, so it can do "true" crossfire (it has x3 pci-e slots as well I dunno wtf you'd use three for though unless theres a tri-xfire like the tri-sli.) Its got a nice high fsb speed and memory support, ie. it won't be limiting any of your overclocking.

If you wanted an i7, you'd have to purchase an x58 chipset mobo which are really expensive along with the i7's being expensive themselves.

Note on your case. I don't know if its true of the antec 300, but, I'm guessing the 300, 600, and 900 are similar in design, and with the cpu fan on, it is hard to get it to fit inside the 900.
 
[quote name='crystalklear64']Budget? Or you want the cheapest possible that can play older games (cs/hl2/wow)?

And normally I'd say that mobo is overpriced, but thats actually decent at that combo price.[/quote]

As of right now, budget is about $600, more if I can get rid of my current laptop that I am using. Wouldn't mind getting older stuff though. I think I would be more concerned about the processor and memory (hdd space and ram). I would like a computer that runs smooth. I don't need a high end vid card, just something that lets me play wow at decent frames and med-high settings on css/hl2

What is usually a good price for a mobo?

Should I go 64 bit?

[quote name='crystalklear64']
Note on your case. I don't know if its true of the antec 300, but, I'm guessing the 300, 600, and 900 are similar in design, and with the cpu fan on, it is hard to get it to fit inside the 900.[/quote]
Hmm...any recommendations on another case?
 
Just built a new sff computer, because my Shuttle SN25P just died

Case: Silverstone Sugo SG01-F ($95 + rebate)
CPU: Intel Core 2 Q9650 ($335)
Memory: G.skill 8gb DDR2 ($75)
GPU: BFG GTX 280 OC2 ($237)
Hard Drive: 1 TB Seagate ($100)
PS: Silverstone ST70F 700W ($120 + rebate)
DVD Burner: LG 22x ($25)
Card Reader: ($20)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Shuriken ($30)

It's up and running, but I need to put in a couple more fans that I'm waiting on grills for, and I haven't installed the card reader yet.
 
[quote name='ZerotypeX']As of right now, budget is about $600, more if I can get rid of my current laptop that I am using. Wouldn't mind getting older stuff though. I think I would be more concerned about the processor and memory (hdd space and ram). I would like a computer that runs smooth. I don't need a high end vid card, just something that lets me play wow at decent frames and med-high settings on css/hl2

What is usually a good price for a mobo?

Should I go 64 bit?


Hmm...any recommendations on another case?[/QUOTE]
I am happy to spend about 100$ on a mobo.

As for the video card, even a 9800gt is overkill for what you need a card to do, so you could look at the ati 3870 or the nvidia 9600gt if you want to save some money in that area.

Tom's charts has those running hl2 ep2 with full AA/AF with very high settings at 61fps for the 3870 and 80fps on a 1gb 9600gt.
 
[quote name='msdmoney']Just built a new sff computer, because my Shuttle SN25P just died

Case: Silverstone Sugo SG01-F ($95 + rebate)
CPU: Intel Core 2 Q9650 ($335)
Memory: G.skill 8gb DDR2 ($75)
GPU: BFG GTX 280 OC2 ($237)
Hard Drive: 1 TB Seagate ($100)
PS: Silverstone ST70F 700W ($120 + rebate)
DVD Burner: LG 22x ($25)
Card Reader: ($20)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Shuriken ($30)

It's up and running, but I need to put in a couple more fans that I'm waiting on grills for, and I haven't installed the card reader yet.[/quote]

That's a pretty good build for the money.

Did you order online?
 
[quote name='will52']That's a pretty good build for the money.

Did you order online?[/QUOTE]

I just realized I forgot the motherboard

MB: P5E-VM HDMI ($125)

Almost everything was ordered from newegg, and those prices don't include tax and shipping, although a lot of the stuff shipped free.

Bought the CPU from Amazon, for no tax + free shipping.
Bought the video card from Buy.com through Amazon so I had to pay tax, but no shipping. They were clearing out some of the GTX 280's when the 285/295 came out.

I didn't include some of the misc. extra stuff I bought, like a few quiet case fans + grills, and a few left angle sata cables, because longer graphics cards interfere with the sata ports on the motherboard.
 
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