Building my first comp. - have a few questions

Galv · #1 02-15-2011, 10:34 AM

Hey guys, hopefully this is the right forum. If it belongs in tech. support please just move it over.

With that said, I am thinking of building a computer purely for gaming. I have never done this before, all of my computers have been pacakged deals from either walmart or dell website.

I have been looking at the below website alot and had thought about buying one from them. Has anyone had any experience with this site? I dont want to get ripped off if I decide to just buy it from them.

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/landingp...FUpJ2godyCShfA

After customizing a computer on this site I decided to go to new egg and see if it would be cheaper to build one. What I did is customize a computer on cyberpower and then model for model entered each piece of hardware in new egg to get a price.

I was surprised to find that if I build it myself I would only save about $100. Doesnt really seem worth it to me considering the time it would probably take me to put it together.

Also I am thinking of using an AMD processor. I have always had intel ones, I have read they are both great and you cant go wrong with either one.

If ya'll could give me any advice I would greatly appricieate it.

Spewys · #2 02-15-2011, 11:19 AM

I personally think AMD gives u more bang for the buck. Keep in mind multi core processors can cause u to have issues with EQ. Good luck.

Messianic · #3 02-15-2011, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spewys [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I personally think AMD gives u more bang for the buck. Keep in mind multi core processors can cause u to have issues with EQ. Good luck.

Interesting - anyone have more info on why this is? [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

DarkBlazeX · #4 02-15-2011, 11:45 AM

AMDs also run hotter which runs risk of burning up your processor. But I don't think running EQ will give ya problems.

Throb · #5 02-15-2011, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Messianic [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Interesting - anyone have more info on why this is? [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

This is only the case with dual cores. I have a hexacore (6 physical, 12 virtual processors) and don't have any issues.

Also, Intel > AMD.

http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/

Harrison · #6 02-15-2011, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkBlazeX [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

AMDs also run hotter which runs risk of burning up your processor. But I don't think running EQ will give ya problems.

No, this simply isn't true in the sense you're painting it.

AMD chips do run at higher temperatures, but they are FAR from burning out.

In-fact, AMD chips generally are more tolerant of extremely high temperatures than any Intel chip to date. An Intel chip will burn out long before an AMD would at the same temperature.

But, if you're running that hot in the first place it's probably your fault...

Spewys · #7 02-15-2011, 04:40 PM

Krimsin · #8 02-15-2011, 04:59 PM

AMD's do run hot but like stated above, not to the point of risking anything (unless your system would have serious heat issues regardless of chip). I've built both intel and amd both at premium and on the cheap and cooling them is essentially the same.

AMD processor archs are just designed differently than intels, but again, they are designed to handle more heat.

My current system runs an oc'd i7, and I cool it on air (monsoon) with no problems.

To the OP: You are essentially right on about pricing for a "build site" to do the work for you, it'll cost you about 100 bucks extra. But I caution you to consider what you pay for. You are basically paying some taiwanese kid 4 bucks to slap together your computer using VERY basic construction layouts and materials (stock grease, etc.). The wiring won't look professional, and it won't be neatly packed or tacked.

My advice? Take the 100 bucks, build it yourself, buy some case lighting, extra fans, some performance thermal contact, and with it the knowledge of exactly how your system is setup. Plus if you're OCD about wrapping your wiring and making your setup look sharp its really the only way. It'll take a little bit more time, but you'll be glad you did it.

toddfx · #9 02-15-2011, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krimsin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

My advice? Take the 100 bucks, build it yourself, buy some case lighting, extra fans, some performance thermal contact, and with it the knowledge of exactly how your system is setup. Plus if you're OCD about wrapping your wiring and making your setup look sharp its really the only way. It'll take a little bit more time, but you'll be glad you did it.

I also recommend taking the plunge and building your own machine. Not only will it save a bit of cash right now, but it will give you skills required to maintain and upgrade your box as time goes on. It's my favorite hobby.

So many people who buy from Dell or whatever tend to think of computers as one-off builds that that will need to be completely replaced as a whole one day. In reality, that is not the case. If you build your own system with expandability in mind, you will be able to make upgrades to your machine as new hardware emerges and prices drop.

For example, buy a motherboard that can hold a large amount of RAM (12+ gigs) but maybe only stick 6 in it for now. Make sure your motherboard has two PCI-E x16 slots and make sure you choose a graphics card with SLI support. That way, when some uber game comes out in the future that you can't run, all you have to do is buy a second graphics card (of the same model) and you're set. Buy a case that has many extra drive bays so you can add more storage as you go.

Small upgrades a long the way will give you the recurring feeling of getting a new computer. I'm about to install a Solid State Drive into my machine tonight. It will be the first upgrade i've made in over a year, and it will no doubt make it feel like a new cutting edge machine.

It's true that you need to use caution and know what you are doing before diving into your first build, though. Do research, price out some parts, put together a list, and ask for advice on forums (tomshardware.com is great).

One last note: Before mounting your motherboard, REMEMBER to install the standoffs first! Do that, and also remember to use thermal compound on the CPU heat-sink, and you're golden!

Krimsin · #10 02-15-2011, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toddfx [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

ISmall upgrades a long the way will give you the recurring feeling of getting a new computer. I'm about to install a Solid State Drive into my machine tonight. It will be the first upgrade i've made in over a year, and it will no doubt make it feel like a new cutting edge machine.

You are going to LOVE it. I put one in over xmas. Loads win7 about 20% faster than my 10k.

Have you ordered yet? Just food for thought but I wished I'd have snagged a 120. After win7 theres only about 45gb left.