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

well the 550 Ti is ok but I've seen prices down to 80 dollar after rebates. A 5770/6770 is a slightly better card but the prices have been somewhat higher due to bitcoin miners, but still seen em at 90ish. If you have time to kind of piece things together, you can probably save a bit on the psu and vid card. The Asus board probably could help you overclock a bit better, but it's not worth the premium in my opinion since for gaming the cpu is usually not the bottleneck. RAM prices are probably going to drop, that's why 8gb kits have been seen for 25 to 30 after rebate recently.

Do not get the 460 SE, get a 460 1gb.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133326
or similar which has gone to 120 before as a daily deal.

A really frugal build by taking time to get parts only when they are on sale can be done for 400 dollars pretty easily.
 
Anyone recommend a good wifi card? (preferably from newegg). I'm moving into an apartment and the router will be too far for me to connect via ethernet...
 
I have a quick question for just about anyone.

I have a gtx 570 and I am considering getting another for sli. Would that be worth? I am thinking that it is based on some benchmarks, but I am not sure if it is overkill. Only games like Metro would really benefit from it.

I do plan to get BF3 and Skyrim, so those games are factors for my decision.
 
[quote name='Gamehead']I have a quick question for just about anyone.

I have a gtx 570 and I am considering getting another for sli. Would that be worth? I am thinking that it is based on some benchmarks, but I am not sure if it is overkill. Only games like Metro would really benefit from it.

I do plan to get BF3 and Skyrim, so those games are factors for my decision.[/QUOTE]

i also have a 570 and was considering grabbing another in the future. i don't know what you've been reading but from what i've seen it does give a decent performance boost, but its not as dramatic as say 2 6950's. its going to be a good chunk of money for what i consider a small upgrade and by the time you get around to doing it, it might be better to look at whatever the newest cards on the market are. if its more expensive to get another 570 i'll just go with the newer card.

i've also been playing metro and have had a 50-60 fps range with everything maxed at a 1680 resolution. while a solid 60 would be nice those 10 fps aren't worth the money to me.
 
I'm looking to reinstall Windows 7 as 64-bit, would anyone have tips/recommendations to get my PC back to full use as quickly as possible?

Thanks!
 
Going with this

Part list permalink: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1t5Y
Part price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1t5Y/by_merchant

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($111.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock M3A770DE ATX AM3 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($43.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 1GB Video Card ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Gamma Classic (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($35.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Antec 650W ATX12V Power Supply ($53.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($25.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $536.89
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated 2011-09-29 02:56 EDT-0400)

Based on newegg's parts it should be close to $500
I'll get a monitor cheap.

Although, combat I'll check out that mobo
 
My current system is over 5 years old so I finally bit the bullet and ordered some parts to upgrade it.

Old system:
ABIT AN-M2HD Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 X2 2.8GHz CPU
2GB Memory
Stock OEM CPU cooler

New system:
ASRock 880GMH/U3S3 Motherboard ($76.99)
AMD Athlon II X2 270 Regor 3.4GHz 65W CPU ($69.99)
G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2x4GB) Memory ($51.99)
SilenX EFZ-100HA-1 Fluid Dynamic CPU Cooler (29.99)
---------------------------------
Total = $228.96

I'm hoping my existing power supply will be fine for this setup, it's a 480W Antec. If not it's only another $50 or so for a new one. My current video card is an AMD Radeon HD 6850 1GB and I recently replaced my main hard drive.

While i'm still happy with the performance of my current system it has issues such as difficulty booting from SATA DVD drives, problems recognizing USB keyboards at boot-up, and I accidentally damaged 1 of the SATA ports (pulled on a cable which ripped the bracket off the mobo).

Looking forward to Battlefield3 and Diablo3, hoping this will be enough to get decent performance with them.
 
if you can swing it, an x3 processor is probably a better deal. some of them can unlock the 4th core and even if you can't, the 3rd core seems to help quite a bit for somewhat newer games. Microcenter also has the 2500k for 150 this weekend and motherboards as low as 80 bucks too and probably the cheapest price for a AMD processor and motherboard (I think a 955 BE with a motherboard only comes in at 120 or so after discounts)

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-processor-core-i3-athlon-ii,2666-11.html
 
Guys. Some of you are severely overspending and getting less in return compared to some of the deals you can get. That RAM pjarvi ordered could be had for 50% less.

I got my friend on some awesome deals that saw him come out with:

AMD Phenom II X4 955 + Gigabyte GA-990XA-UD3 AMD = $200
HAF 912 = $20
Patriot 8GB RAM = 25$
650W PSU - 40$

All that is left is the HDD, GPU, and DVD Drive.

Total: $285.00
 
[quote name='Ansé Solis']Guys. Some of you are severely overspending and getting less in return compared to some of the deals you can get. That RAM pjarvi ordered could be had for 50% less.

I got my friend on some awesome deals that saw him come out with:

AMD Phenom II X4 955 + Gigabyte GA-990XA-UD3 AMD = $200
HAF 912 = $20
Patriot 8GB RAM = 25$
650W PSU - 40$

All that is left is the HDD, GPU, and DVD Drive.

Total: $285.00[/QUOTE]
So why not post these deals, instead of claiming they exist and making people feel bad about their purchases?
 
Microcenter has even cheaper deals for motherboard and cpu, just not everyone can drive over to one.

RAM just requires waiting for a mail in rebate, they usually are around 45 to 50 so the prices people are showing are not out of line. I got an enermax psu 500 watt psu for 15 bucks but that required fingers crossed on the rebate. same with my antec case.

As far as posting deals, apparently PC hardware should be posted in the Other Deals forum so I've been told, just no one really reads it.
 
[quote name='Lawyers Guns N Money']So why not post these deals, instead of claiming they exist and making people feel bad about their purchases?[/QUOTE]

I don't know about this dude but I do about the same or lower myself but those deals are local. For example there was an electronic store that went out of business on Broadway and 230th street in The Bronx about 2 months ago. They were selling everything for $1 on the last day. Picked up KB, Mouses, Gamepads, Routers, RAM and USBs for $1 a pop. Posting that stuff on here won't help much since it's a local thing.

Like a section that has deals broken down by state or coast would be nice. Unless I missed a forum section that does this already let me know.

AMD Phenom II X4 955 + Gigabyte GA-990XA-UD3 AMD = $200 - http://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-GA-990XA-UD3-990X-SATA-Motherboard/dp/B0055QYKQ4 for $159
HAF 912 = $20
Patriot 8GB RAM = 25$
650W PSU - 40$

Total: $245.00

The rest of this must have been local and/or overnight deals.
 
the patriot ram has been 45 - 20 MIR at newegg recently (2 or 3 weeks ago), I picked up a set myself.

The case is a steal, no clue on the psu as brand / efficiency wasn't listed. But I have seen a 650 watt lepa with 80 plus bronze on newegg 2 months ago so its not unheard of.
 
I assembled my PC last week. There are a few problems that happen every now and then. First off, here are the specs:

Mobo: Asus P8Z68-V PRO
CPU: Intel i5 2500k 3.3GHz
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB
PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W
Case: Lancool PC-K58
Storage: Samsung 1TB HDD
--
Problem 1: After I shutdown the computer, I have problems turning it back on. I have to resort to turning off/on the power supply (turn off the PSU until the power and reset button on the mobo turn off).

Problem 2: There are times when using the computer (happens the most when I'm watching a video, streaming or offline) where the computer will just freeze and the sound of the video will sound very choppy/slooooooow. I have to restart the computer to fix it.

Problem 3: After I wake up my computer from sleep mode, sometimes a popup will say the USB hub needs to be restarted because it isn't receiving enough power and asks to replug my devices. My USB devices (keyboard+mouse) work fine and even after I replug, the popup still comes up.
 
did you run memtest/prime95 yet for problem 2? the usb thing sounds like something weird with the motherboard after waking up from the sleep state, might try to update the bios/chipset driver then see if any fixes posted by MS. Problem 1 might just be an issue with OCZ psu's and/or ASUS motherboards, I had the same issue with my Fatality 550 and an ASUS p5n-e, just more annoying than anything else.
 
Sorry if this has been asked a million times, but is pretty simple to put together a PC? I've never done it before (only owned macs and laptops). I'm a mechanical engineer, so I'd like to think I'm technically sound enough to build one, but I literally have zero experience with computer parts. I'm looking to spend between $1000 to maybe $1500.

Seems like the i5 2500K or the i7 2600K are the go-to gaming processors. My friend who just built a huge rig recommended one of the new Nvidea graphics card. I'm also not to familiar with motherboards, but it sounds like they control your compatibility with future parts.
 
[quote name='Hiei69']Sorry if this has been asked a million times, but is pretty simple to put together a PC? I've never done it before (only owned macs and laptops). I'm a mechanical engineer, so I'd like to think I'm technically sound enough to build one, but I literally have zero experience with computer parts. I'm looking to spend between $1000 to maybe $1500.

Seems like the i5 2500K or the i7 2600K are the go-to gaming processors. My friend who just built a huge rig recommended one of the new Nvidea graphics card. I'm also not to familiar with motherboards, but it sounds like they control your compatibility with future parts.[/QUOTE]
I just built my first PC last week. I'd say it's fairly easy but time consuming. There are some tricky parts here and there (I watched some YT videos before I installed the CPU). My experience with building computers prior to this was very minimal. I think when you start researching parts, you'll slowly start piecing information together. Honestly, reading threads like this and others (I read a lot from NeoGAF's PC thread as well) are very valuable.
[quote name='runsongas']did you run memtest/prime95 yet for problem 2? the usb thing sounds like something weird with the motherboard after waking up from the sleep state, might try to update the bios/chipset driver then see if any fixes posted by MS. Problem 1 might just be an issue with OCZ psu's and/or ASUS motherboards, I had the same issue with my Fatality 550 and an ASUS p5n-e, just more annoying than anything else.[/QUOTE]
Hm, I don't know what memtest/prime95 is, but I'll check it out.

I did uninstall a USB utility. I could reinstall it, maybe it can fix it.

Ugh, I hope it's not a lingering issue. =[
--

I have a few other questions:
1) I don't have a GPU, but one of the power supply cables (8-pin) is running across the mobo instead of snaking behind the case. Should I be concerned when I eventually install the GPU? Should I buy an extension cable so it could snake behind?

2) When I plugged the network card into the second PCI-e slot, the PC wasn't recognizing it (though the LED light was on from the card), so I had to use the first PCI-e slot. Could there be a problem with the second PCI-e slot? =p
 
NCIX has the i5 2500K on sale right now for $189.99. I got that and a 650W power supply. I'll probably get the rest of the components in the following week off Amazon since I have Prime. The GTX 570 is looking like a good option for graphics.
 
[quote name='shinryuu']I assembled my PC last week. There are a few problems that happen every now and then. First off, here are the specs:

Mobo: Asus P8Z68-V PRO
CPU: Intel i5 2500k 3.3GHz
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB
PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W
Case: Lancool PC-K58
Storage: Samsung 1TB HDD
--
Problem 1: After I shutdown the computer, I have problems turning it back on. I have to resort to turning off/on the power supply (turn off the PSU until the power and reset button on the mobo turn off).

Problem 2: There are times when using the computer (happens the most when I'm watching a video, streaming or offline) where the computer will just freeze and the sound of the video will sound very choppy/slooooooow. I have to restart the computer to fix it.

Problem 3: After I wake up my computer from sleep mode, sometimes a popup will say the USB hub needs to be restarted because it isn't receiving enough power and asks to replug my devices. My USB devices (keyboard+mouse) work fine and even after I replug, the popup still comes up.[/QUOTE]

There might be some tips here that will help.

http://www.overclock.net/intel-motherboards/1012874-official-asus-p8p67-p8z68-series-owners.html
 
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Well, pulled the trigger after researching Tom's Hardware, NeoGaf, New Egg etc.

NCIX:

CPU: i5 2500K - $189.99
PSU: Antec Earthwatts Green 650W Power Supply - $49.99

Amazon (Thank you Prime shipping)

Case: Corsair 400R Case - $99.99
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme4 - $184.99
Heat Sink: Cooler Master 212 Plus - $25.42
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8 GB ( 2 x 4 GB ) DDR3 - $51.99
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F4EG 2 TB - $79.99
Optical Drive: Lite-On LightScribe 24X SATA DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive - $25.99
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 580 1536 MB GDDR5 - $489.99 ($459.99 after MIR + Batman AC!)
Thermaltake TG-1 thermal grease - $12.88

TOTAL: $1181.73 after MIR

Amazon orders should arrive Tuesday, followed by NCIX on Wednesday. I can't wait to put this together and finally learn how to build a computer. So geeked to have a project to take on and have a beast computer.
 
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[quote name='shinryuu']That should solve the power and USB issue, thanks! Surprised I didn't find that earlier.

Now to find a fix for the slowwww/freeze problem. Just happened without a video playing... I don't think it's a overheating problem either. Hrm.[/QUOTE]

That PLL overvoltage scared me on my latest build. "Not again" then I disabled it and had no problems the Asus P8Z68 v is a Mobo and easy to overclock with the 2500k. I did auto clock and I'm at just under 4.5ghz (4.496.x)

[quote name='binici']Anyone know of a good deal on SSD's?
That is my last component upgrade for my system.
Thanks![/QUOTE]
Microcenter had a crucial m4 128gb on sale for $180 but now its $210. I would keep an eye out for that I seen for $170 at amazon at one time too.

[quote name='Lubis']I'm thinking of either upgrading my current PC or building a new one, but I don't know where to start.

Current PC's specs http://support.gateway.com/s/PC/R/1009464/1009464sp2.shtml

I just want to run the latest games in a medium setting.[/QUOTE]

Always check out Microcenter. When you buy a mobo & CPU combo you get a $40 off when there in your cart.
 
Frys has corsair force 3 SSD 90gb for 99 AR [dead]
Compusa has 2600K cpu for 220 with a 2nd purchase of parts, also they have a 560 Ti video card for 190 AR which is similar to Newegg. Very good pricing for the cpu. You also get Arkham City for the PC with the video card.
Price effective 10/21 and 10/22
 
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[quote name='shinryuu']Problem 2: There are times when using the computer (happens mostly when I'm watching a video, streaming or offline) where the computer will just freeze and the sound of the video will sound very choppy/slooooooow. I have to restart the computer to fix it.[/QUOTE]
Ugh, this problem still happens and I'm not sure what it is. I ran memtest and I passed the tests. Anyone have an idea? I have a feeling it may be the drivers, but I dunno which to reinstall. =p
 
[quote name='Hiei69']NCIX has the i5 2500K on sale right now for $189.99. I got that and a 650W power supply. I'll probably get the rest of the components in the following week off Amazon since I have Prime. The GTX 570 is looking like a good option for graphics.[/QUOTE]

I know i might be late on this but what is NCIX? and is the 2500k still available for that price?
 
^I'm pretty sure you can put the rest of the parts together, unless you just want to put it altogether at once. It can be a long process so might as well start while you can.
 
[quote name='shinryuu']Ugh, this problem still happens and I'm not sure what it is. I ran memtest and I passed the tests. Anyone have an idea? I have a feeling it may be the drivers, but I dunno which to reinstall. =p[/QUOTE]
update your cpu's video drivers. grab drivers off of intel or wherever

also make sure it's not because it's going to sleep or something

[quote name='shinryuu']1) I don't have a GPU, but one of the power supply cables (8-pin) is running across the mobo instead of snaking behind the case. Should I be concerned when I eventually install the GPU? Should I buy an extension cable so it could snake behind? [/quote]
no


also the reason why the network card works in the first slot is because not all the pci-e slots are pci-e x1 compatible which is what the network card is. the second pci-e slot is probably for dual-SLI videocards, the first slot is compatible with all pci-e cards.

yes, i know you're in the room right next to me and yes i bought all your parts anyway but i want to make fun of you over the internet.
 
[quote name='Hiei69']http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=57962&vpn=BX80623I52500K&manufacture=Intel&promoid=1339

Looks like it is still in stock and they offer free shipping. Mine is scheduled to arrive Wednesday.

All my stuff arrives from Amazon tomorrow, but I can't build my computer until the processor arrives on Wednesday. Guess I'll take the extra time to read some manuals.[/QUOTE]

Looks like I missed out by a couple hours.

Still looking to pick the 2500k at this price, anyone have any leads? or sales coming up?
 
[quote name='runsongas']can you drive to microcenter? they've been 180 there for a while[/QUOTE]

Closest one is about an hour, not really worth it. i might jump on newegg at 205. might wait it out but really want one for bf3. i shall see
 
I just finished building my computer. I screwed up installing the Cooler Master 212, but everything worked out (although the thermal paste job was affected by this). I can't install Windows or any drivers until tomorrow, but the two front mounted 120mm fans on my case won't work. I'm using a Corsair 400R and I can't even get the white leds on the fans to work. The CPU fan and the fan near the back work fine, but nothing from these two. The cables coming from the two fans connect into another pair of cables that lead to the front inputs above the first optical drive. I figured that they would receive power this way, but I don't see any other way to configure/install these. Is this a software/bios problems or am I just missing something?
 
When I was building my PC, I connected the fans to the motherboard using the 3-pin connectors. Check the manual to see where you should connect the fans. Should have labels like chassis.
 
Well, I was able to reach one of the fan connectors to the motherboard and it is now working. The second fan doesn't reach, so I can't use it. Do they make cheap fan extension cables? Also, the LED's won't power on (This isn't really important to me). I think that I would need a female 3 pin fan connector to molex power cable for the LED's. I posted on Corsair's forums for help. Other than that, my first computer build is working great. I just got windows 7 and a bunch of drivers and updates installed. Tech demos look great with the GTX 580. Haven't had much of a chance to try any intensive games yet, but I'm sure they'll run great.
 
[quote name='Hiei69']Well, I was able to reach one of the fan connectors to the motherboard and it is now working. The second fan doesn't reach, so I can't use it. Do they make cheap fan extension cables? Also, the LED's won't power on (This isn't really important to me). I think that I would need a female 3 pin fan connector to molex power cable for the LED's. I posted on Corsair's forums for help. Other than that, my first computer build is working great. I just got windows 7 and a bunch of drivers and updates installed. Tech demos look great with the GTX 580. Haven't had much of a chance to try any intensive games yet, but I'm sure they'll run great.[/QUOTE]

If I am reading this correctly, you are having trouble with the LEDs on the fans, which you don't care about, and also powering your fans mounted on the front of your case.

You might need a 3pin extension cable (Amazon example) or am I way off base?
 
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