Building a PC - Socoder

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Socoder -> On Topic -> Building a PC
Wed, 30 Dec 2009, 23:04
Stealth	I'm in the process of doing what all computer gurus dream of, building a fully custom PC. Been spending weeks on this little project of mine. I basically jumped in to this without really deep hardware knowledge (the kind you need to build a computer confidently), so it's been a learning experience. I'm really surprised with how much I can do with my money. Alright--so what's this PC for? I'm building it to record TV, watch movies, and do some serious gaming on. I hope to rip my DVD collection to it and have a fully digital movie gallery. It needs HDMI out as it will be connected to a high-definition TV. It also needs some serious power for gaming. I shot for spending around $600.00 for it. So I've selected everything. I listed all the parts below and why I chose them (all links are to newegg.com). This is my first PC build, so criticism isn't going to offend me as I'm no expert. Motherboard: ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO AM3 AMD 785G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard ($99.99) I chose this board because it supports all the parts I want to put on it. It features a AM3 (AMD) CPU socket for my processor, 8-Channel audio, x16 PCIe slot for my video card (nevermind the second crappy x4 PCIe slot), 3 PCI slots for expansion, PATA and SATA connectors, support for DDR3 memory, and integrated graphics that are pretty decent (including an HDMI out in case my video card ever fails me). CPU: AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition Callisto 3.1GHz ($99.99) I had to pick between Intel and AMD and I finally chose AMD because I feel it offers the best performance for my price point of $100. This processor is a defective Phenom II quad-core with two of the faulty cores disabled. This means I can enjoy the plentiful L3 cache of the quad-core series. It features AMD's Cool'n'Quiet 3.0 technology to stay cooler and it can be easily overclocked to 3.5GHz using the stock heatsink or a whopping 3.9GHz with a better one. Memory: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 ($95.99) It's 2 sticks totaling 4GB of fast DDR3 1600 memory. A price point of $95.99 seemed good for the speed and amount I bought. I was reading that there are some issues with DDR3 memory and AMD processors when you go over 2 sticks. Not sure, don't plan on putting more than 4GB in though. Video Card: HIS H487Q1GH Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 ($144.99 after rebate) Here I had to pick between ATI or Nvidia. ATI was an easy pick because Nvidia is lagging behind in HDMI support (e.g. no audio is carried on the HDMI cord). The ATI Radeon 4870 series GPU offer a lot of bang for the buck. It has 800 stream processors that can kick some Crysis ass. It also has 1GB of DDR5 memory--3.6Gbps fast. The memory will be helpful in keeping a decent frame-rate with the HDTV. It has the much required HDMI out (with audio). It also expels the heat it generates out the back of the card slot keeping the inside of the computer cooler. One minor but very important detail is that this card supports HDCP, a requirement to watch protected Blu-Ray movies (I'll be adding a drive for that later on). Power Supply: Rosewill BRONZE series RBR750-M 750W ($79.99 + $5.99 shipping) The video card I am putting on needs some serious juice. This is a 750 Watt / 54 Amp power supply. It features all the connectors I need and they are connected in a modular fashion (cords coming out of the back of the power supply don't have to be attached if they aren't needed). This is an efficient and stable power supply. TV Tuner: Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1250 Hybrid TV Tuner ($48.99) I can't record video without one of these. Hauppauge is pretty much the leader in this market (how do you pronounce that though?) This comes with a remote control which is pretty important. I'll be using this in conjunction with Windows Media Center that has an on-screen guide and TV-recording capabilities. Everything Else: I already have a case, hard drive, and DVD drive. I'll upgrade my hard drive soon to a 500GB since it's only currently 80GB. ;] Total: $575.93 (approx 400 euros) All the parts except the video card are on the way (I'll use the on-board video until I have some more money saved). I'll update you when I get it built (hopefully it goes well!) So the "topic" of this topic just has to do with your own experiences building a PC. If you haven't built one--do you ever plan to? -=-=- Quit posting and try Google.
Thu, 31 Dec 2009, 01:11
Jayenkai	I built a couple in the past, but I guess in all honesty, I just don't care that much anymore! I lost track of caring about motherboard specs around about when nVidia came out with their kick-ass all-in one board. Graphics haven't really bothered me since Half Life 2, what with that game being pretty much the last PC one I bought in a store. And, I can't remember the last Soundcard I cared about! .. Actually that's a lie, I can, it was a cheap-ass £14 one I bought, but it had a really fantastic Yamaha XG midi system in it, and to this day it's the best midi I've heard. .. And that was about 10 years ago. Things have gone downhill since then, and I kinda don't care about it all. It may be cheaper to get the parts and self-build, but .. I'm just not there anymore. -=-=- ''Load, Next List!''
Thu, 31 Dec 2009, 05:56
CodersRule	Will you overclock anything? Will it have good enough ventilation to overclock?
Thu, 31 Dec 2009, 06:03
Stealth	I'll overclock the processor to 3.5GHz and eventually the video card once I buy it. The case I'm using has 4 fans so it should stay nice and cool in there. If I push it much past 3.5GHz, then I'm asking for heat issues. -=-=- Quit posting and try Google.
Thu, 31 Dec 2009, 14:44
Andy_A	I used to custom build all of my PC's until I recieved a bad motherboard. Then all of the separate vendors started pointing fingers at the 'other guys' product. A real nightmare. I would highly suggest going to www.pricewatch.com and buying a 'bare bones' system and adding the components that you want later. Most vendors let you customize the system online so there's not usually much to add afterwards. The pro's of buying a bare bones system and adding stuff later is: 1)if the computer arrives 'DOA' you only have one vendor to deal with. 2)most of the vendors have been rated by previous buyers 3)if worst comes to worst you can have your credit card company push back on your behalf. 4)many companies offer free or reduced shipping versus paying shipping of every single item bought from different vendors. The con's: 1)you may end up not getting the exact components you wanted but should not be an issue when getting a bare bones system. 2)some companies have not been rated and could be 'dicey' at best, but again your credit card company will back you up.
Thu, 31 Dec 2009, 20:03
JL235	With a barebones system isn't there a risk of having a crap motherboard? I was always told this is the most important component, as it limits how far your can overclock and upgrade your PC. I personally was thinking of building a PC a few months ago. In the end I just gave in and got a good deal on a mid-to-high end desktop. One of the main reasons was because it arrived the next day, all built and ready for use.