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

[quote name='Trusty Mutsi']One more question: How can you tell if you can disable the onboard video card?[/QUOTE]


Easy, plug the monitor into the video card you want to use. :D
 
[quote name='Trusty Mutsi']Hey guys, I looked further into the combo deal Mid Boss posted, and the Motherboard has a lot of reports of having issues, so I made another list. This one uses a more advanced CPU and MOBO. It's not state of the art, but I think I came up with something decent. Think it would play Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, or Mass Effect 2?

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=11435849[/QUOTE]

I'd recommend dropping the case or at least get a separate PSU from a better manufacturer for it. I've heard nothing but bad things about Apevia power supplies.
 
[quote name='Mid Boss']I'd recommend dropping the case or at least get a separate PSU from a better manufacturer for it. I've heard nothing but bad things about Apevia power supplies.[/QUOTE]

Is it usually better to get a seperate power supply, when buying a case?
 
That does look better. This Antec would be a better PSU though.

You do tend to get better quality when you buy separately. Most of the time the PSUs included with cases are cheap crap.
 
[quote name='Mid Boss']That does look better. This Antec would be a better PSU though.

You do tend to get better quality when you buy separately. Most of the time the PSUs included with cases are cheap crap.[/QUOTE]

Excellent. I'll put that PSU in instead. Thanks so much for your help!
 
If someone could help me that would be great.

I bought a headset that is a single line, which can be split into audio in and mic. My onboard sound however can not pick up my mic. I have tried everything, so I am at the point where I think my onboard sound is just unable to determine the difference between the two lines.

If I do need a sound card what would you guys recommend? I need just need it for headphone/mic use.
 
[quote name='j-cart']If someone could help me that would be great.

I bought a headset that is a single line, which can be split into audio in and mic. My onboard sound however can not pick up my mic. I have tried everything, so I am at the point where I think my onboard sound is just unable to determine the difference between the two lines.

If I do need a sound card what would you guys recommend? I need just need it for headphone/mic use.[/QUOTE]

im assuming youve set the mic line to default comm device?
 
[quote name='j-cart']How would I go about doing that?[/QUOTE]

right-click sounds icon
left-click recording devices
select the mic and set as default

hope that helps, that stuff is a pita.
 
I see "set as default" but it is not highlighted. Currently right now when I plug my headset in, I see my mic, however it just goes on, the goes off.

It also makes this hissing sound when it turns on and off.
 
[quote name='j-cart']I see "set as default" but it is not highlighted. Currently right now when I plug my headset in, I see my mic, however it just goes on, the goes off.

It also makes this hissing sound when it turns on and off.[/QUOTE]

is it possible the mic/line is bad? have you tried using it through the other 3.5mm in off your soundcard/mobo?
 
It works on my netbook. What I have found out is the my PC is unable to determine which is the mic and which is the audio when the line comes from a single cable. I have a POS headset that uses two cables, audio and mic are always separate.
 
I'm thinking about selling my PS3 and PSP and building a nice gaming system.

I'm mainly looking for expandability. I would like to pay like $400 or $500 now on the main components like the motherboard, processor, and case, and get ram on the cheap (maybe 1GB or 2GB) and take a disk/hard drive from one of my older computers, then upgrade the storage and memory when I come into cash down the road. I'm undecided on the video card, maybe something decent on board for now with the ability to upgrade later.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance
 
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Good guide shrike especially for people who are worried about putting it together.
Anyways I found this build on Goozex and I was thinking about moving forward with it.
Its a
 
[quote name='kube00']Good guide shrike especially for people who are worried about putting it together.
Anyways I found this build on Goozex and I was thinking about moving forward with it.
Its a
 
[quote name='kube00']
My only concern is the power supply, since I heard Roswill stuff is sketchy.

I'm not super familiar with power supply brands anymore I'm guessing I'm looking for at least a 600w for this build. Anyone have a recommendation near the $50 price?

Thanks

If you have a better build around $500 I would be more then willing to see it.[/QUOTE]
Here's a 550 Watt that seems to be a really good one (and only $40.)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817822003

Also, here's a $500 build (roughly) that I made not too long ago (well, $500 without the keyboard, mouse, and monitor)
Untitled-8.jpg
 
Bah so my pc died on my last night. When I turned it on it made this weird beeping noise then paused then made it again(repeat this process with no boot up till I forced a shut down). It randomly let me turn it on then and ran fine for an hour or two at which point I shut it down. This mourning the same issue though and it simply wont turn on!

Anyone have a clue what the issue could be? I am debating if its even worth fixing it if it costs more then like $100 since the PC is like 5-6 years old at this point.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']Bah so my pc died on my last night. When I turned it on it made this weird beeping noise then paused then made it again(repeat this process with no boot up till I forced a shut down). It randomly let me turn it on then and ran fine for an hour or two at which point I shut it down. This mourning the same issue though and it simply wont turn on!

Anyone have a clue what the issue could be? I am debating if its even worth fixing it if it costs more then like $100 since the PC is like 5-6 years old at this point.[/QUOTE]
Could be mistaken, but I think my friend's motherboard made beeping noises and used lights to indicate a problem at post. You might want to google around to see if there's a connection between beeping and your motherboard. That's my only guess, anyways. Good luck.

[quote name='kube00']My only concern is the power supply, since I heard Roswill stuff is sketchy.

I'm not super familiar with power supply brands anymore I'm guessing I'm looking for at least a 600w for this build. Anyone have a recommendation near the $50 price?

Thanks

If you have a better build around $500 I would be more then willing to see it.[/QUOTE]
Personally, I'd advise agaisnt skimping on the power supply. It's an area most people cheap out on when they should really pony up the extra bit of money for quality parts, because it has the capability of damaging components if it fails. Why risk all that other expensive tech to save $20-30? I'd personally recommend Corsair or SeaSonic. They have great user reviews, and are consistently in the top tier of PSUs. They're somewhat pricey, but a good one should last you a while. Do some research and pick a really good brand if the budget allows it.
 
[quote name='JustYourAverageJoe']Could be mistaken, but I think my friend's motherboard made beeping noises and used lights to indicate a problem at post. You might want to google around to see if there's a connection between beeping and your motherboard. That's my only guess, anyways. Good luck.


Personally, I'd advise agaisnt skimping on the power supply. It's an area most people cheap out on when they should really pony up the extra bit of money for quality parts, because it has the capability of damaging components if it fails. Why risk all that other expensive tech to save $20-30? I'd personally recommend Corsair or SeaSonic. They have great user reviews, and are consistently in the top tier of PSUs. They're somewhat pricey, but a good one should last you a while. Do some research and pick a really good brand if the budget allows it.[/QUOTE]

Thanks will check it out.
 
I need help with finding a video card! My PC is from 2007 maybe is it time to just get a new one in general? But my video card burned out and I need someone to help me find one! I was going to buy one but I'm not sure if my system can handle it! Price range is 100 dollars! Thanks a lot I posted my system specs below!
------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 4/23/2011, 11:02:30
Machine name: ELSOM-PC
Operating System: Windows 7 Enterprise 32-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_gdr.101026-1503)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: INTEL_
System Model: DG965SS_
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 4300 @ 1.80GHz (2 CPUs), ~1.8GHz
Memory: 3072MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 3046MB RAM
Page File: 1312MB used, 4777MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7600.16385 32bit Unicode
 
Just wanted to thank justyouraveragejoe again! I did a quick google search on the subject and found that it was not the mother board it was either the RAM or the processor had dust in it. I had already sprayed it out earlier today so I did not think it was the problem, but so many people said that after the dismantled their PC they found thick dust hidden in various spots and after cleaning theirs worked. Sure enough after popping my fan off and cleaning around the processor and taking my ram sticks out and cleaning that area it booted right up!
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']Just wanted to thank justyouraveragejoe again! I did a quick google search on the subject and found that it was not the mother board it was either the RAM or the processor had dust in it. I had already sprayed it out earlier today so I did not think it was the problem, but so many people said that after the dismantled their PC they found thick dust hidden in various spots and after cleaning theirs worked. Sure enough after popping my fan off and cleaning around the processor and taking my ram sticks out and cleaning that area it booted right up![/QUOTE]

Sounds good. I personally, make a schedule for dusting that requires me to dismantle the PC every month (sometimes more) but light dusting every week. Not sure what case you have but as you get deeper into pc gaming or what not look into cases that give you room to clean them out faster and easier and also avoid cases that have inner rims at the top to slide the doors...they trap and gather dust and over time those heavy dust balls fall into various other parts and hide.
 
Just sold my old build which included a 275 GTX, now I'm stuck with an 9800GT. The good news is I have the money to upgrade. I'm debating between going with a GTX 480 instead of a GTX 570. If anyone has any options or articles you know of comparing these two options it would be much appreciated.
 
[quote name='52club']Just sold my old build which included a 275 GTX, now I'm stuck with an 9800GT. The good news is I have the money to upgrade. I'm debating between going with a GTX 480 instead of a GTX 570. If anyone has any options or articles you know of comparing these two options it would be much appreciated.[/QUOTE]

Both are very similar in performance. The 580 is going to be the better choice though, less power consumption, newer drivers, etc. However the 480 will most likely be a cheaper buy.

You are just going to have to determine if you want a cheaper older AWESOME GFX card or a newer AWESOME GFX card that costs more.

Either choice will let you play any PC game at almost, to max settings at a stable frame rate.

/edit: Anyone have sound problems with Windows 7? I can't get certain microphones to work.
 
[quote name='j-cart']
/edit: Anyone have sound problems with Windows 7? I can't get certain microphones to work.[/QUOTE]

elaborate.
 
[quote name='Megazell']Sounds good. I personally, make a schedule for dusting that requires me to dismantle the PC every month (sometimes more) but light dusting every week.[/QUOTE]

you must have them in a wicked dusty environment. I open mine and clean it out every 4-6 weeks. theres minimal dust after that long, I cant imagine needing to clean it every week.

filters and positive pressure help keep dust out, I wish my filters were a bit easier to remove for cleaning.
 
I am running onboard sound with Realtek HD audio software (all up to date) on a windows 7 64 bit OS.

Now my sweet headphones (older version of the sennheiser PC 151s) work as long as just the audio 3.5mm is plugged in. Once I plug my mic in, the sounds goes to shit and becomes unusable. My other 32 bit Windows 7 PC has the same problem. Now my netbook that runs XP has no problem with the sennheiser.

My POS $12 altec lansing's work with the mic plugged in perfectly on all systems (they are just falling part though). I actually bought a nice pair of headphones that had the same exact problem and had to return them. Is this a windows 7 sound issue? All of my firmwares are up to date and works perfectly as long as the mic 3.5mm plug is not connect.

I have tried both front and back sound connections. Both give the same problem.
 
[quote name='paz9x']you must have them in a wicked dusty environment. I open mine and clean it out every 4-6 weeks. theres minimal dust after that long, I cant imagine needing to clean it every week.

filters and positive pressure help keep dust out, I wish my filters were a bit easier to remove for cleaning.[/QUOTE]

Nah, I'm just a neat freak when it comes to the home and electronics. All I can say is that I have machines and tech that should have died out on me years ago and they still run excellently and the routine maintenance helps.
 
Decided to step back a little further from the bleeding edge (GTX 480 vs GTX 570) and go with this GTX 560 from MSI. It looks to have a transferrable 3year warranty based on manufactured date/serial number. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004JLNZXU

Plus a lot of favorable reviews, anyone else have this? How has your experience been so far?

I'm coming from a GTX 275, but due to an old build it was paired with a Q6600. Now I've got a new build with Intel Core i5 2500k, so that might slant my perception slightly.
 
[quote name='52club']Decided to step back a little further from the bleeding edge (GTX 480 vs GTX 570) and go with this GTX 560 from MSI. It looks to have a transferrable 3year warranty based on manufactured date/serial number. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004JLNZXU

Plus a lot of favorable reviews, anyone else have this? How has your experience been so far?

I'm coming from a GTX 275, but due to an old build it was paired with a Q6600. Now I've got a new build with Intel Core i5 2500k, so that might slant my perception slightly.[/QUOTE]

Your PC will be a beast with a 560. Expect to run games at or around max settings with a stable 40 fps (most will be well above 60).

Just note, this is apart of the big class of gfx cards, so hope you got a good size and well ventilated case.
 
[quote name='j-cart']Your PC will be a beast with a 560. Expect to run games at or around max settings with a stable 40 fps (most will be well above 60).

Just note, this is apart of the big class of gfx cards, so hope you got a good size and well ventilated case.[/QUOTE]

I've got an Antec 300, the card is also a little shorter (9.37" according to Newegg) than its big brothers that run 10+". Just in case I've made sure to leave the HD cases empty that are on the same plane. I've learned that lesson the hard way before:lol:.

Just noticed the power connectors come into the rear of the card, so that should make things a little more interesting. :roll:
 
EVGA 01G-P3-1371-AR GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) FPB EE 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop

ASRock P67 EXTREME6 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W

I'm about to pull the trigger on this mobo/CPU/RAM/Video Card combo. Any thoughts or suggestions?

**edit**

I already have a case, a 650W Corsair power supply, hard drive and DVD drive for this rig (I bought them when they were cheap)
 
Looks great Zforce915. However for the amount that you are paying for the rest of your rig, your GFX card seems dated. Not saying it isnt bad, but if anything your gfx will be what limits your awesome sandy bridge.

52club posted this gfx earlier http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127565

I think it would fit perfectly with your setup, at a small increase of a price. General rule spend the same amount on your CPU and on your GPU.

Also anyone got a solution for my problem?

I am running onboard sound with Realtek HD audio software (all up to date) on a windows 7 64 bit OS.

Now my sweet headphones (older version of the sennheiser PC 151s) work as long as just the audio 3.5mm is plugged in. Once I plug my mic in, the sounds goes to shit and becomes unusable. My other 32 bit Windows 7 PC has the same problem. Now my netbook that runs XP has no problem with the sennheiser.

My POS $12 altec lansing's work with the mic plugged in perfectly on all systems (they are just falling part though). I actually bought a nice pair of headphones that had the same exact problem and had to return them. Is this a windows 7 sound issue? All of my firmwares are up to date and works perfectly as long as the mic 3.5mm plug is not connect.

I have tried both front and back sound connections. Both give the same problem.
Click to expand...
 
Can anybody recommend a wireless network adapter for windows 7 64 bit that actually works? My old linksys 802.11n pci wasn't compatible so I replaced it with the Rosewill pce-n150PC which works very poorly (1 bar despite only being 1 room away but that's what you get for a $15 adapter). I finally found the Asus pce-N13, which worked great when it wanted to and caused stuttering in my system whenever I accessed the internet.
tl;dr Wireless network adapter for windows 7 64 bit. USB, PCI/PCI-e it doesn't matter. Thanks guys
 
[quote name='WongTongSoup']Could somebody help me on deciding on what video card to buy!?!?[/QUOTE]
What are the specs of your current computer, what resolution do you play at, what's your price range?
 
Can anyone recommend me a PSU and/or a cheaper part than the ones listen below without losing too much performance? I'm trying to keep this under $600, and so far, its about $604 without the PSU :(

CPU: i5 2400
Mobo: ASRock P67 Pro3
GPU: Radeon 5850
Hard drive: WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache
Ram: A-DATA XPG Gaming Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
CD Drive: ASUS Black DVD/CD Burner

Basically I just need a PSU, and maybe replace a couple parts with cheaper ones, and I'm set to go.
 
[quote name='jbang']Can anybody recommend a wireless network adapter for windows 7 64 bit that actually works? My old linksys 802.11n pci wasn't compatible so I replaced it with the Rosewill pce-n150PC which works very poorly (1 bar despite only being 1 room away but that's what you get for a $15 adapter). I finally found the Asus pce-N13, which worked great when it wanted to and caused stuttering in my system whenever I accessed the internet.
tl;dr Wireless network adapter for windows 7 64 bit. USB, PCI/PCI-e it doesn't matter. Thanks guys[/QUOTE]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166025

Haven't personally used this, but reviews say that is does not need any drivers for x64. Also for that price it doesn't seem like a dent to your wallet.


[quote name='v1et r1ce']Can anyone recommend me a PSU and/or a cheaper part than the ones listen below without losing too much performance? I'm trying to keep this under $600, and so far, its about $604 without the PSU :(

CPU: i5 2400
Mobo: ASRock P67 Pro3
GPU: Radeon 5850
Hard drive: WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache
Ram: A-DATA XPG Gaming Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
CD Drive: ASUS Black DVD/CD Burner

Basically I just need a PSU, and maybe replace a couple parts with cheaper ones, and I'm set to go.[/QUOTE]

Regardless of how much "cheaper" you change out your computer parts, there is an "E-Tax" applied to all computer parts. My PC was listed at around $700 and after tax it went above $780. The tax ends up being a good percentage of your PC.

Here is a PSU that would work for your system.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182199
 
[quote name='j-cart']http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166025

Haven't personally used this, but reviews say that is does not need any drivers for x64. Also for that price it doesn't seem like a dent to your wallet.




Regardless of how much "cheaper" you change out your computer parts, there is an "E-Tax" applied to all computer parts. My PC was listed at around $700 and after tax it went above $780. The tax ends up being a good percentage of your PC.

Here is a PSU that would work for your system.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182199[/QUOTE]

Really? I checked the states that newegg and amazon charge tax to and my state is not on there (PA). The only part I would get taxed on is the processor, which I would get at microcenter.
 
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