Building a computer for the first time

[stars2heaven]

Just so you know I'm not completely alone on this. I have a friend (more of a friend of a close friend really) who works on computers for a living giving me advice here and there, but he is leaving me to do the majority of the work myself. Which is cool, though I don't know a lot. Therefore, I'm here to ask for a little help and advice from people who probably know just exactly what I'm looking for.

 

My price range is right around $1000 bucks. I can go over, but not by much so preferably between 1000-1500 as close to 1000 as possible without skimping on something terribly. So I'd prefer to keep it as close as possible. The computer is gona be for gaming exclusively, also. I have a lower end laptop that I use for everything else. Im especially looking for something that can play Skyrim on max easily, but has some room to grow in the future if I need to.

 

My friend suggested that I find either a cpu and motherboard that I like first, or since I'm going for a gaming computer, look at video cards I like first and use that to help decide the cpu and motherboard and then figure everything else out from there.

 

So far this is what Ive decided on

 

GPU: GeForce 560 ($200ish) or a GeForce 570 ($300ish) (both need a Motherboard with PCI-E 2.0 x 16 bus support)

 

Motherboard: ?

 

CPU: ?

 

PSU: ?

 

Storage: probably HDD of some sort, havent looked at anything yet

 

The rest of what I need that I didn't list I think I can figure out easily. I've been looking at Motherboards and CPUs for the past 2 days and feel totally overwhelmed. Im thinking I want to go with something Intel provides, but I still have no idea what to look for. Anyone have any tips or suggestions that could help me decide on what I should get?

Edited October 14, 2011 by stars2heaven

[hoofhearted4]

alright. first off. do you need a monitor or any of those extra accessories?

 

if not then your list will include:

 

Case

DVD Drive

PSU

RAM

GPU

Mobo

CPU

HDD

 

the only reason i ask about the monitor is that they can be around $150-$200, so including that will cut back on something else.

[stars2heaven]

I don't need the monitor or mouse/keyboard or anything. But essentially I still need everything else you listed.The only thing I have kinda figured out is the video card atm.

 

My primary concern right now is trying to figure out what sort of CPU and Motherboard I should get. I don't really know what is important to look for.

Edited October 14, 2011 by stars2heaven

[hoofhearted4]

well there are two motherboards right now to consider the P67 and the Z68. they both support the newest Intel CPUs (Sandy Bridge...LGA1155) the difference between the two isnt much, the Z86 however (and im not sure of the specifics, but if you search the forum you can find more info on it) allows a SSD, up to 64gb, to be used as cache with your HDD, and basically what that means if im not mistaken, is allows your HDD to run faster, esp on programs you use a lot. the more you use a program, the faster it is....other then this, there is no difference. and unless you have or plan on getting an SSD, the Z68 doesnt do anything special over the P67...and i think they cost a little more too, depending on brand...which i would recommend Asus. many ppl on here recommended me Asus, so i spread the word as well and recommend the same for motherboards.....also, even with an SSD, its not a big deal to go with the P67. i honestly plan on getting a P67 mobo and im getting a SSD too.

 

as for your CPU, i5-2500k. no one will tell you any difference when it comes to Intel.

 

you can also go with AMD. they are a bit cheaper then Intel, both mobo and cpu without any real loss in performance. however, it is undeniable the intel does in fact out perform AMD in benchmarks....will you notice the difference in gaming? nah. but if you got the money to spend, i recommend Intel.

 

so to clearify,

 

Asus P67 or Z68 mobo

Intel i5-2500k cpu

 

as for your other pieces what to look for.

 

Case:

anything you think looks cool really. cases dont really effect performance. some are easier to work with then others. some are more expensive then others. i recommend the Coolermaster HAF series. the HAF 932, while expensive, is a full tower case, allowing for great airflow, ease of use, and room for expandability.

 

PSU:

all depends really. for a built 600W will be enough. however if your thinking about going SLI (two graphics cards) in the future, you should get more then enough wattage because SLI takes a lot of power. something like 750-850W would be good. yes it is over kill. better better to have too much then not enough. also look for 80 Plus Certified. there are different levels (regular, bronze, silver, and gold (and platinum on some of the mad expensive ones)) doesnt matter which level really. the higher the better, but yea. Raidmax, Corsair, and Coolermaster are good brands to look at. also a PSU that is modular is very good. it means that you can unplug wires you dont use, cleaning up the inside of your Tower, allowing for better airflow, and makes it prettier....this is the one area, more then all others, where you dont wanna skimp or go for the cheapest option.

 

GPU:

560ti as youve pointed out is a very good option. you can go 570 if you want, its a little better, but there really is no need. save the money and go with the 560, and use the money saved on something else, or to go for a second 560 in the future for SLI....you can also go with AMD/ATi and get a 6950 or 6970. although ive heard putting AMD GPUs on an Intel board (or nVidia cards on an AMD board) doesnt hurt it or anything, i would say stick with nVidia with Intel and AMD with AMD. just my opinion. EVGA and MSI are two big companies to look for.

 

RAM:

8gb. ddr3. 1333 or 1600. simple. 1600 is gunna cost more, and sometimes you have to do some tweaking to get it to register on your mobo. if you dont wanna deal wit the BIOS or dont know how, just get 1333. a little cheaper. easier as that usually what mobos read RAM at anyways (without tweaking) i would say just go with 1333, but there are other options as well. G.Skill, Corsair, Kingston, all big brand names

 

DVD:

plays DVDs. you can get a blu Ray drive if you want, but be ready for a big price increase. if you have a Ps3, dont bother getting a Blu Ray drive. again not much to say here. Sony, Asus, LG, Samsung......

 

HDD:

and lastly another easy one. you want storage, get a 1tb or even 2tb. 6gd/sec, 7200RPM.....however i would recommend instead looking into the Seagate Momentus XT. it is a 500gb hybrid drive. it has SSD caching, (kind of like what i was talking about on the Z68 board) it is faster then regular HDDs (7200 or 10000RPM drive) not quite as fast as SSDs though, but WAAAY cheaper. its going to cost roughly the same as a normal HDD. its faster. and its still 500GB. for me, and a lot of ppl 500gb is enough. unless you download movies and stuff and save them to your Hard Drive, 500gb will last you for awhile. imo its worth it...for the other HDDs, Seagate, Hitachi, Samsung, and Western Digital are the big names.

 

 

hope this helps, even if it was a long reading. if you want a hypothetical list, as something to compare to or consider, lmk and ill put up a list for you :)

Edited October 14, 2011 by hoofhearted4

[stars2heaven]

Thanks. This is a mobo I've been considering since I posted here. It's a p67 like you suggested. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131701

 

 

 

I was also considering an i7-2600k for CPU. But do you think it is better to use the one you suggested? It certainly would be cheaper which would help with costs. So how about cost to performance ratio?

Edited October 14, 2011 by stars2heaven

[hoofhearted4]

yes, the i5-2500k is a better buy for the money. the only reason to buy the i7 is because it has hyper threading, which basically means it can turns its 4 cores into 8 (4 cores and 4 virtual cores) for gaming, this is basically useless. as games dont really make use of multiple cores, and as such four is enough for gaming. however if you do video editing or graphics work, modding and whatnot, then you might want to consider the i7, as thats where hyper threading/multiple cores comes in handy. but otherwise, save your $100 an get the i5

 

as for the motherboard, your on the right track, however your kind of over paying. you can easily find a good Asus P67 for much cheaper:

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131771

 

and you could prolly go cheaper then that.

Edited October 14, 2011 by hoofhearted4

[stars2heaven]

I want to make use of SLI in the future, but not enough money to do so right away. Is it safe to use a PSU that supplies more than you need? It won't damage the mobo or anything?

[bben46]

A higher wattage PSU is fine. The problems come in when your PSU is underrated and cannot supply enough power. Any wattage value above what is needed will work no matter how much higher it is.

 

A good power supply is very important as everything on the computer uses it. A cheap power supply can cost you more in the long run.

 

Using a weak power supply will cause overheating, drop outs, video anamolies, freeze up while playing and resetting. And if not upgraded, can cause damage to more expensive parts like the motherboard and GPU.

[Fonger]

I want to make use of SLI in the future

why? o_O :D

 

just remember to use SLI you need matched video cards.

 

and any implementation of a single video card will give better results than 2 video cards in sli (each costing 1/2 as much)

[stars2heaven]

I want to make use of SLI in the future

why? o_O :D

 

just remember to use SLI you need matched video cards.

 

and any implementation of a single video card will give better results than 2 video cards in sli (each costing 1/2 as much)

 

Really? I didn't realize that. I figured if I invest a little more in an SLI capable mobo now I'd save a little money in the future when i want to upgrade video cards. You're saying I'd be better off forgetting about SLI and just using one video card? If thats the case I might go with the cheaper mobo that isn't SLI compatible (I wont need as big of a PSU either) and use that to get a better video card anyways haha :thumbsup:

Edited October 15, 2011 by stars2heaven