Another 'Help Me Build a Computer' thread

[Tsukika]

Thank you very much for all of the assistance, everyone. :)

 

Now, when I do get the parts, piece it together, etc.. Do I simply install my operating system and I'm good to go? Or, are there other steps involved to get the computer ready before the OS?

[FMod]

Post your final selection before you order. May need to check if it's all done properly.

 

There are a few tricks to getting everything the best way, I'll explain once the build's in since they depend.

[Tsukika]

Post your final selection before you order. May need to check if it's all done properly.

 

There are a few tricks to getting everything the best way, I'll explain once the build's in since they depend.

 

I'm actually going with exactly what you suggested, plus this optical drive:

 

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135247

 

Other than that, I literally went with that first build you showed me.

As I said, I have no experience in picking parts and no idea what to look for, so really no grounds on which to go picking things out on my own. And, with prices converted to US, ordering through Newegg, it leaves me with some money in my budget to pick out a nice monitor, keyboard, speakers, etc. (:

 

--

 

Just an edit in case I wasn't specific enough.. This was the build I meant:

 

As for what to do spend it on, I'll link a post I made recently to a question regarding a 3k-4k AUD build:

http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/1311907-good-cpu-and-motherboard-and-stuff-about-cooling/?p=11049876

It's Australian prices, USD prices will be lower. Follow the 1st (AUD 2700) build, should be US$2,000 or so.

 

I followed it part for part, and added that optics drive I linked.

Edited January 14, 2014 by Tsukika

[Rennn]

 

Sorry if I offend the elitists, but some people still like to play older games that use discs.

It's not like equestrianism is quite dead either.

 

It's really rare to find games today that don't have a no-CD version. Everything on Steam or any other digital distribution network has CD DRM ripped out and replaced with web DRM.

 

Virtually everyone who has games on CD or DVD discs has them left over from before, you don't go around buying them for a brand new PC. If you have the media, you usually have the drive, that's why I didn't include one.

 

 

Many people upgrade to gaming desktops from laptops, and other people (like me) would take the chance to switch to a blu-ray drive instead of a DVD drive. Your point is probably true in 70% of cases, but I don't think it warranted a backhanded comparison to horses versus cars. One of the main reasons I first got into PC gaming a few years ago was because I wanted to try the massive backlog of 15 years of games. I still buy the disc version of a game when it's available, because nobody offers quick internet way out here in the middle of nowhere, so downloading a full new game can take more than 10-12 hours. It's especially maddening not to have a physical disc if I uninstall a game and reinstall it several times over the years.

[FMod]

It's especially maddening not to have a physical disc if I uninstall a game and reinstall it several times over the years.

 

This is why digital distribution is - provided good connection - generally better. The chances of Steam disappearing altogether are much lower than those of your CD being lost or damaged.

 

 

I'm actually going with exactly what you suggested, plus this optical drive:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135247

Other than that, I literally went with that first build you showed me.

As I said, I have no experience in picking parts and no idea what to look for, so really no grounds on which to go picking things out on my own. And, with prices converted to US, ordering through Newegg, it leaves me with some money in my budget to pick out a nice monitor, keyboard, speakers, etc. (:

 

I see. Just to be clear, though, are you in the US or Canada? I think we started with links to newegg.ca, which is fine for an overview, but if you're in the US, for final selection we should use the .com site.

It's mostly the same, but the deals are different. That's why it's best to go over the build right before a purchase, check if something has a better alternative right that moment.

 

For instance, the BD-drive would better be replaced by this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135252

It's also an Asus drive, but it can record BD-R, worth the extra $6 in case you ever decide to.

 

Another thing is that Seasonic Platinum and Corsair AX*6* are the exact same PSU, but one costs more and the other less depending on pretty much random factors.

Right now the best PSU choice would probably be this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139044

Or this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139042

 

I would swap the motherboard for this Asrock: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157460

Each of the features is a small deal, but all together they make a better motherboard, and Asrock pricing in the US is very aggressive.

 

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352029

It's ~as good as Antec P280, maybe a little better, probably just pick which you prefer the looks of.

 

Memory: Best choices would be one of these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820313449 (better)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231671

 

Video card: This one, right? Possibly best on the market.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127770

 

That's it I think.

These are all small improvements, never a big deal.

Post keyboard, mouse, monitor selections before ordering just in case, sometimes it's better to check them.

[Tsukika]

Well, I guess I will go ahead and post my final build, then, taking some more of your advice:

 

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129179

I'm sticking with this one mostly because I do enjoy the looks of it a bit more.

Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157460

Took your advice on this one; I don't know enough about this piece of hardware to know what the differences mean, but you said the minor changes do add up to a better motherboard.

Power Supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139044

This was the one I picked out based on the first build you showed me, and I think it was one of the ones you just linked in your last post, too.

Processor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116901

Hard Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145912

SSD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0AT0PC2604

Fans/Cooling: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181032

I think this is the same one from the first build you linked to, but I had trouble matching up product numbers between Newegg and that other site..

Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127770

Swapped to this one, at your suggestion.

Memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820313449

Optical Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135247

Sound Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132006

This was the one listed on that first build, as well, but Newegg doesn't currently have it in stock, so I'll be waiting for them to get it, unless you have another suggestion.

 

As far as keyboard, mouse, etc, I planned to get the tower up and running first, then replace my current keyboard and such. Other than the monitor, which is an HP w2207 (that's what it says on the front), everything else is USB, so there shouldn't be any problems, right?

[FMod]

Took your advice on this one; I don't know enough about this piece of hardware to know what the differences mean, but you said the minor changes do add up to a better motherboard.

Hard Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145912

Motherboard: Basically it's loaded with features - better network unit, better power system, less bad onboard sound.

 

Hard drive: Need a change here. The one linked is a NAS drive, which means it's designed for RAID arrays, which means TLER is enabled by default, which (yeah, lots of acronyms, it's not really important) is undesirable if it's not in a RAID array.

 

Right now the best price/performance ratio drive is this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822149408

The same drive as Hitachi 7K4000, so it's one of the fastest drives out there.

 

 

Sound Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132006

This was the one listed on that first build, as well, but Newegg doesn't currently have it in stock, so I'll be waiting for them to get it, unless you have another suggestion.

Sound cards are a tricky part. The sole purpose of a sound card is to drive your speakers, so it's always subservient to them, not vice versa. And it all depends on what kind of speakers you have or plan to get. Motherboards already have onboard sound, sometimes it's enough, other times not.

 

Plastic speakers - onboard sound is enough, no need for a sound card

Good speakers (at least a few lbs each, wood/MDF cabinets) with built-in or analog amplifier - require a decent sound card

Digital receiver - has the expensive bits of a sound card included already, so onboard sound is just fine again.

 

 

As far as keyboard, mouse, etc, I planned to get the tower up and running first, then replace my current keyboard and such. Other than the monitor, which is an HP w2207 (that's what it says on the front), everything else is USB, so there shouldn't be any problems, right?

It's not compatibility. Just that some keyboard and mice are good and some are not so good, it's not always obvious.

 

Regarding the display, HP W2207 is OK, its biggest drawback is probably small size. If you're looking to upgrade it right away, what's your target size limit?

 

Generally, if you can make room for a 32", it's worth looking at some high-end TVs, since their image quality is visibly ahead of even the best monitors (higher contrast, brightness, better backlight consistency, color depth, local dimming, etc). 32" is the minimum for quality TVs, all new panels in the last 8+ years just aren't made in smaller sizes and obsolete junk is substituted. If there's definitely no way to fit that, it comes down to a few choices.

[Tsukika]

 

Hard drive: Need a change here. The one linked is a NAS drive, which means it's designed for RAID arrays, which means TLER is enabled by default, which (yeah, lots of acronyms, it's not really important) is undesirable if it's not in a RAID array.

 

Right now the best price/performance ratio drive is this: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822149408

The same drive as Hitachi 7K4000, so it's one of the fastest drives out there.

 

Well, I did go ahead and make that change; thanks again.

 

 

 

Plastic speakers - onboard sound is enough, no need for a sound card

Good speakers (at least a few lbs each, wood/MDF cabinets) with built-in or analog amplifier - require a decent sound card

Digital receiver - has the expensive bits of a sound card included already, so onboard sound is just fine again.

 

I'd like to use more than the on-board sound; that's what I'm doing with this current machine, and I'm not a big fan of the quality. I will either be keeping my good speakers or getting some other similar-quality ones, depending on whether I'm handing this set down along with this computer. They're average speakers that would fall in line with that middle option. Or, do you think I should stick with on-board sound and make the decision later on if it's still bothering me?

[FMod]

I'd like to use more than the on-board sound; that's what I'm doing with this current machine, and I'm not a big fan of the quality. I will either be keeping my good speakers or getting some other similar-quality ones, depending on whether I'm handing this set down along with this computer. They're average speakers that would fall in line with that middle option. Or, do you think I should stick with on-board sound and make the decision later on if it's still bothering me?

That really comes down to the exact make and model of the speakers. It's often a borderline case.

 

Also, the choice of sound card depends on whether you plan to play Fallout 3 or FONV or other games with advanced EAX based sound effects. Skyrim specifically doesn't count for this because it uses OpenAL, and Oblivion doesn't because its sound effects are useless anyway.

 

 

 

BTW, some other potential savings: i7-4770K may be replaced with i7-4770. Haswell overclock is very limited and 4770 at 102.5 and max turbo comes out to 4.4/4.2 GHz which is pretty much its ceiling without advanced cooling anyway. Whether to pay extra for the "K" version comes down to whether you plan on selling it in the next 2 years, 3 tops, in which case you'll get that $30 back on resale (people are really particular about getting the best-in-socket), or not, in which case it can be skipped.

 

Different cooling can also be installed, I picked the water set for the "cool factor", but practically, if not trying to OC a "K" CPU to the limit, a near-passive air cooler is easily as good.

[Tsukika]

I do enjoy and plan on playing some Fallout games, yes. So, I should invest in a sound card?

 

As for cooling, do you have a suggestion? Once again, no idea how to go pick something compatible.