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-   -   New Computer Build! (http://zelaron.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50365)

D3V 2010-09-27 02:47 PM

New Computer Build!
 
It's that time again.

It's been a few month, i've got a little money saved up, and i'm ready to start ordering parts for my new build. Thanks to the addition of Starcraft 2 to my gaming lineup, i'm actaully motivated now to get a better machine instead of trying my 1.8 Dual core laptop (2gigs of ram) to try and run it at low settings. I'm ready to let a new rig release some gaming power.

What do I want? Something fast, something nearly high-end processor wise. I'm not a fan of Intel, so i'll be going with something along the AMD-line.

What RAM am I look at? At least 4 gigs. I feel with 64bit Win 7+gaming full speed it'd be essential to have at least that much, and possibly even 6 gigs.

Hard drive? Doesn't matter. They're cheap. I just put a new 500gig in the parents computer a weekend ago for $60 from bestbuy, that's awesome.

Video? This could be one of the most important components. Dual-SLI? Maybe. I'm on a budget of about $600, but if I can i'd love to stay underneath it. This build will not include the price of a monitor because I already have one, along with a 1080 32" that I can swap to.

Any suggestions? I'm checking on Tigerdirect and Newegg and have a few things I like off the bat, but i'll still be shopping for a week or two.

!King_Amazon! 2010-09-27 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D3V (Post 691086)
I just put a new 500gig in the parents computer a weekend ago for $60 from bestbuy, that's awesome.

For $10 more you could have gotten a 1TB with free shipping from Newegg, and it comes with a $10 rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822145368

D3V 2010-09-27 03:56 PM

That's hilarious. They needed a quick fix, and couldn't wait over the weekend. The errors it was getting were weird, but then again it's a Dell and to be expected.

Kazilla 2010-09-27 04:25 PM

Is there a trick to installing a HD? I tried to stick my brothers TB HD in my system, but can't figure it out...

!King_Amazon! 2010-09-27 04:33 PM

http://www.helpwithpcs.com/upgrading...hard-drive.htm

S2 AM 2010-09-27 09:26 PM

I did have a lot of research and by research I guess I use the term loosely to say reviews and such that I had - I built my computer a month or so ago when I posted here asking about Ibuypower I think and someone suggested I build my own since it's cheaper - and it was.

Just a few things of note:
1 - Were I you, I would at least consider the intel processors. Right now from what I read AMD is behind. I was like you, hellbent on an AMD build especially since their six cores are an order of magnitude cheaper than their intel counterparts. After much reading and searching (It took me about 1 - 1.5 months just to decide on parts) I found out that the intel 4 cores apparently are equal to or superior to the amd 6 cores. As far as games go, however, there was no real difference in the benchmarking. The thing that sold me was CAD - and rendering. Everywhere I read people said that intel was a must if you do CAD. Not sure why this is but I'm sure they know more about it than I do.

2 - Go with 6 gigs. On newegg a lot of RAM is commonly sold in 3 x 2 GB packages, so you can probably get a good deal and not have to spend extra money when you'll likely upgrade anyways

3 - Find a motherboard with 6 RAM slots. Just a future proofing thing you may never use more than 4 slots but who knows. It will make upgrading cheaper anyways. Plus if you're looking on newegg at reviews keep in mind that motherboards in general get a bad rap. I assume this is because they are akin to windows software, in which people get mad that everything under the sun isn't compatible with them. When designers make motherboards it seems like it would be hard to please everyone. I don't think I saw any motherboard get over 80% of 5 eggs. Just something to keep in mind.

4 - Don't get my case. I'll try to find the model and list it for you - I don't know what it is off the top of my head. It's got great airflow but it not only feels cheap but the front panel was broke in shipping due to poor packaging. I will be getting a new case soon

5 - I don't know much about it but from what I read SLI doesn't give a good cost/performance ratio. That is it say, putting two nice cards in SLI does boost performance obviously but does not double it and therefore you really don't get the full benefit of the second card. It's sort of like when the latest and greatest graphics cards come out and they are initially overpriced. If you buy them when they're new you aren't getting a good performance/cost ratio - rather buy one that has been on the market for about 6 months... that plus the older one will be less buggy. From what you say cost is important, so I wouldn't buy the very latest card, and I wouldn't SLI. My graphics card seems good for the price and I can get info for you too if you're interested - although I haven't taxed it greatly with anything more intensive than CAD or SC2.

Alright that's really all I can think of off the top of my head. If you have any questions or problems don't be afraid to ask. My latest build was also my first bottom-up build so I could likely help you with common mistakes you may make that I also made. Good luck

D3V 2010-09-28 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kazilla (Post 691108)
Is there a trick to installing a HD? I tried to stick my brothers TB HD in my system, but can't figure it out...

What do you mean? Find the bay it goes in, or wherever it'll mount. Get the appropriate format HD (plug-wise, don't try and put some bullshit IDE HD in with a SATA-plug MOBO) mount, plug in, add power and you're done.

Quote:

1 - Were I you, I would at least consider the intel processors. Right now from what I read AMD is behind. I was like you, hellbent on an AMD build especially since their six cores are an order of magnitude cheaper than their intel counterparts. After much reading and searching (It took me about 1 - 1.5 months just to decide on parts) I found out that the intel 4 cores apparently are equal to or superior to the amd 6 cores. As far as games go, however, there was no real difference in the benchmarking. The thing that sold me was CAD - and rendering. Everywhere I read people said that intel was a must if you do CAD. Not sure why this is but I'm sure they know more about it than I do.
Yeah not too sure on the CAD point. I figure if the benchmarking is nearly the same, then using CAD or namely anything else should fall into the 'nearly-the-same' category. I've just always liked AMD because i've never, ever had any issues with them for the longest time, and they've usually been cheaper.

Quote:

2 - Go with 6 gigs. On newegg a lot of RAM is commonly sold in 3 x 2 GB packages, so you can probably get a good deal and not have to spend extra money when you'll likely upgrade anyways
Agreed. I'm just going to have to make sure and get Windows 7(imo cracked version FTW-but you didn't hear me say that). And you're right for the price difference it'll make a great difference and I plan on having this rig for a few years, so might as well have it up to par now and not have to worry about anything for a few years.

Quote:

3 - Find a motherboard with 6 RAM slots. Just a future proofing thing you may never use more than 4 slots but who knows. It will make upgrading cheaper anyways. Plus if you're looking on newegg at reviews keep in mind that motherboards in general get a bad rap. I assume this is because they are akin to windows software, in which people get mad that everything under the sun isn't compatible with them. When designers make motherboards it seems like it would be hard to please everyone. I don't think I saw any motherboard get over 80% of 5 eggs. Just something to keep in mind.
Well this depends on what setup I go for. If i'm planning on getting 2x3gb sticks then 4 slots should be fine, I wouldn't necessairily see a point of having one with 6 unless I was going to put individual 1gb sticks into each slot; However, the compatibility issues shouldn't be an issue as i'll have the mhZ planned out before I make the purchase. Some people are just stupid, and don't put the time or effort into their builds. Great patience and research makes for a much better build and machine.

Quote:

4 - Don't get my case. I'll try to find the model and list it for you - I don't know what it is off the top of my head. It's got great airflow but it not only feels cheap but the front panel was broke in shipping due to poor packaging. I will be getting a new case soon
Yeah i'm not too picky on this at all. I have an extra case but I don't think it'll be big enough. I want one at least with two fans on the back and maybe even one on the bottom to get a good flow pumping through. Adding fans and whatnot = peice of cake. But yeah, I'd like to see that model so I can get an idea of where you're coming from.

Quote:

5 - I don't know much about it but from what I read SLI doesn't give a good cost/performance ratio. That is it say, putting two nice cards in SLI does boost performance obviously but does not double it and therefore you really don't get the full benefit of the second card. It's sort of like when the latest and greatest graphics cards come out and they are initially overpriced. If you buy them when they're new you aren't getting a good performance/cost ratio - rather buy one that has been on the market for about 6 months... that plus the older one will be less buggy. From what you say cost is important, so I wouldn't buy the very latest card, and I wouldn't SLI. My graphics card seems good for the price and I can get info for you too if you're interested - although I haven't taxed it greatly with anything more intensive than CAD or SC2.

Alright that's really all I can think of off the top of my head. If you have any questions or problems don't be afraid to ask. My latest build was also my first bottom-up build so I could likely help you with common mistakes you may make that I also made. Good luck
Right. I haven't been reading up on anything hardware related for the past few months and after postin this thread I was getting into the point you're making now that the best bang for your buck won't necessairily come from Dual-SLI. I would be intersted on the specs/model of your card for comparison rating.

Thanks for the little write up, i've got a few ideas mapped out and will post them on here periodically as i'm getting closer to the purchase with the first peices coming as soon as next week or so.

!King_Amazon! 2010-09-28 09:25 AM

Buying by brand is akin to voting straight ticket IMO. Research every buy individually. Any company can fuck you over eventually.

Hayduke 2010-09-28 10:26 AM

If you don't mind used parts and having some patience you can get some amazing deals on Ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ultimate-Gaming-...#ht_500wt_1154
For instance.

Now what I ended up doing was buying my case that already had 3.4ghz dual core processor, a 500gHD, dvd burn drive, and 4 ram slots. Then I bought a used Nvidia card. This thing is a beast! It's probably a cycle or two behind the new cards but I read old reviews on it first and got it on a great deal. I happened to luck into getting Vista right before Win7 came out, so I got Vista on the cheap, and they included a free upgrade for Win7. Found a good deal on a nice 23' flat screen and I'm set. I don't have all my specs now but I put it together a year ago. Set a nice gaming on the cheap for 500$.

Just gotta get on there every day and keep your eyes open. I got the operating system and more Ram off newegg.

D3V 2010-09-28 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by !King_Amazon! (Post 691130)
Buying by brand is akin to voting straight ticket IMO. Research every buy individually. Any company can fuck you over eventually.

Agreed. I've just been buying from them throughout the AMD Duron days, even back when Thunderbird was around, lol. But they have always been consistently cheaper in most instances, and i've yet to recently find anything that would objectively say otherwise.

D3V 2010-09-28 03:05 PM

This guy breaks down the benchmarking pretty well and as far as I can tell 100% accurately.

BORKED

BORKED

D3V 2010-11-23 10:59 AM

In my attempts to stay frugal, the best time of year has finally come. Black Friay.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...7&sku=B69-0267

I think this has a definite possibility of getting ordered by me, as far as I can tell it's a pretty good deal and I haven't found much else out there that really compares, for the price.

!King_Amazon! 2010-11-23 12:22 PM

What kind of graphics card are you gonna stick in that?

D3V 2010-11-23 03:09 PM

basically anything in a $70-100 range, nothing too fancy for now. Which will still get me easily within the range of the games I play, given that I hardly ever run anything 100% full out.

Sovereign 2010-11-24 11:17 PM

Intel's new flagship processor comes out january 5th. Ati's next Gen Radeons come out some time early next year too. AMD is releasing bulldozer hopefully sometime next year. Nvidia also just released not too long ago the GTX 500 series. Havn't really looked into it much though. Friend says its just minor improvements to their gtx 400 fermi's

I'd wait.

D3V 2010-11-29 09:07 AM

Damn, you may be right. At least if not anything the prices of the recently outdated hardware will shift a bit and could maybe save me a little bit of money. I'd wait until tax season, but I really don't want to :(


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