Building my first comp. - have a few questions

[toddfx]

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]

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.

[KilyenaMage]

There's a great sense of pride you get every time you sit down and turn on a computer that you built yourself.

I suggest getting a large FULL TOWER. These are very rare to find in pre-built machines, and will allow you to upgrade your machine indefinitely. They also obviously allow for much better air flow (and thusly cooling).

You also get the satisfaction of hand-selecting each component. Sure it may only be a savings of $1-200, BUT you'll likely be getting higher-quality components also.

For example you'll be able to get some nice Corsair gaming RAM for essentially the same price you'd pay for some no-name generic RAM cards otherwise.

I **VERY** strongly suggest going with NVidia for graphics right now -- and eventually getting a 3D Vision Kit and a 120hz monitor. NVidia's 3D Vision is simply amazing, especially with certain games, and you will not be disappointed.

[moklianne]

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

I **VERY** strongly suggest going with NVidia for graphics right now -- and eventually getting a 3D Vision Kit and a 120hz monitor. NVidia's 3D Vision is simply amazing, especially with certain games, and you will not be disappointed.

Do you run p1999 in 3D? I've been wondering how well it looks/works. Years ago when their 3D was still new, I think there was an issue reading text on the screen.

[Japan]

Terrible advice in this thread. "AMDs run hot"? step your game up

[quido]

Building a computer is easy if you have a 2+ digit IQ. If your components aren't defective and you can follow some relatively simple instructions, it's pretty straightforward. I built my first computer when I was a wee lad just by sticking shit where it fits and having a bootable Windows 98 CD.

Troubleshooting a build that runs into problems is where things can get difficult. If things don't go as planned don't try to get tricky or creative. Get a knowledgeable friend or an expert to assist you.

[KilyenaMage]

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

Do you run p1999 in 3D? I've been wondering how well it looks/works. Years ago when their 3D was still new, I think there was an issue reading text on the screen.

No not P99.

Most newer games work very well in 3D though. The only real issues that *SOME* games have is that the UI/Menus won't be in proper 3D.

Also of note is that the 3D MOSTLY consists of "into-the-screen" 3D, not "out-of-the-screen" 3D. Basically adding a very definable level of depth to everything.

Most games also have some "out-of-screen" 3D also -- mostly consisting of particle effects and the like.

Dragon Age. Mass Effect, Starcraft 2 are all amazing in 3D. SC2 in particular, as it feels like you're sitting down and playing a board game, not something on a screen. It's **VERY** cool.