So with my laptop having issues (see other thread), i've realized i'm pretty dependent on computers. I've decided that aside from fixing my laptop, i'm going to build a PC. I'm pretty new at this but I figure the experience will be handy to have and the one consistent thing i've heard is that building your own is cheaper than buying the equivalent preassembled. Things to know about me to help answer my questions: My pc gaming is on the low end, I play a lot of LoL and some steam games like DOTA 2 etc but that's about it. Besides gaming, I watch a lot movies, animes, tv shows, and listen to a ton of music.
A couple questions for those who know this sort of stuff.
How much am I looking to spend on a PC that fits with what I need (listed above)? Doesn't have to be exact, a ballpark should give me a rough feel for this.
Any reliable brands I should know of when selecting parts?
Which parts should I splurge on given what I need?
Intel and nVidia is all I run in my PC builds. I like Corsair for PSUs. If you don't mind used parts, you can get great deals on Craigslist. Much of your gaming needs will be dependent on your GPU. SSDs are nice, but not necessary. Get good cooling, too. It's the difference between your computer lasting a generation or two to beyond that.
Well, you don't necessarilly need a huge graphic card, what you need is the power to drive it. I posted my build in another thread ( http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2XOJL ) and it's a performance type. If you want a ''for games only'' PC, you can get away with around 800$ if you are on a tight budget. But I suggest you spend more to get it to your tastes, that way, you are sure to not have to amke any upgrades for around 5 years, which is the time needed for a cheap PC to attain the same level of technology my PC has now (mine is planned to last 5 to 10 years).
Best suggestion I can give you is shop your parts. Read as much as you can about the parts that interest you and build your PC after carefull choosing.
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Casual crazy magic player, otaku maniac, unrully cosplayer, what did you expect me to be?
Well, you don't necessarilly need a huge graphic card, what you need is the power to drive it. I posted my build in another thread ( http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2XOJL ) and it's a performance type. If you want a ''for games only'' PC, you can get away with around 800$ if you are on a tight budget. But I suggest you spend more to get it to your tastes, that way, you are sure to not have to amke any upgrades for around 5 years, which is the time needed for a cheap PC to attain the same level of technology my PC has now (mine is planned to last 5 to 10 years).
Best suggestion I can give you is shop your parts. Read as much as you can about the parts that interest you and build your PC after carefull choosing.
Is there any difference between buying it for the long run or upgrading as you go along? $800 sounds very doable to me and I don't mind shelling out a bit of cash every year to upgrade it.
So i guess I don't need a great GPU and I should splurge a bit on cooling?
What do you use your computer for scrublord? I honestly don't think I want to spend $1500
I do a lot of heavy gaming. BF4, Titanfall, DOTA2, ARMA3, DayZ, stuff like that. But I also use it to work when I'm at home so it's good to have both. A lot of my expenses were from things that the average person doesn't need, like the water cooling.
CPU is good for processing particles and stuff like that in game, but most of the time, these settings can be turned off if you don't mind it looking a little less cool. San thing with physics. GPU is where you wanna invest most of your money if you're gonna be gaming. That, and RAM.
PC parts will always be obsolete sooner than you'd like. I bought the best I could now so that I could handle the stuff that comes out in the next few years. If you buy crap parts now, you'll have to upgrade later anyway. Just remember that when you upgrade, you can always liquidate your old gear.
I run LoL at full settings with my PC. All you need is a good processor, preferably i5 if you go intel, with a decent graphic card (one with at least 2 go of ram minimum) and at least 8 go of ram. You also need a Mobo (motherboard) with a decent lan connection (don't go with the wireless stuff, not the best stuff around). You will also want to invest in decent gaming stuff, like a keyboard and a mouse.
Those are the parts you might want to check out first. I will explain, the mobo seems good, only features one Lan port, features enough Sata ports for your needs and has more USB 3.0 than 2.0 (faster is better, 3.0 is faster). The processor is an i5 3470 (no need for the unlock, you pay more for the exact same power), supports the graphics but that's not what you will main it for, you want to keep it's perfs for what you want to use it. Ram is the exact same stuff I run in my PC, no need for more, it's good and stable ram. SSD, you will want to run one of these babies as boot drive (my pc boots in 5 secs because of that), so you don't really need a big drive there. The 500 Go WD is a basic thing, don't wander in the realm of Teraoctets unless you plan to store huge amount of data, also, they are slower due to their size, so the 500Go will be your game drive. Video card, you can't go wrong with EVGA, has the minimum RAM needed and should give you a decent upgrade from the onboard graphics. PSU, you want modular and at least 80+ glod minimum, ecologic, silent and all the power you need without all the wires that cram up your case. Makes a nice clean build too.
The rest is your choice, you are in control of your money here. But what I posted should at least be a basic build that runs Windows 7 with no problem (another thing you will want to have, don't go 8 now, it's not good). Also, those parts were choosen following my tastes on the companies, I suggest you read reviews of parts that interest you before (best reviews are on Newegg, but you can also visit TigerDirect). You are now behind the wheel now.
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Casual crazy magic player, otaku maniac, unrully cosplayer, what did you expect me to be?
CPU is good for processing particles and stuff like that in game, but most of the time, these settings can be turned off if you don't mind it looking a little less cool. San thing with physics. GPU is where you wanna invest most of your money if you're gonna be gaming. That, and RAM.
Not true perse. There are quite a few games which are heavily reliant on the CPU. KSP for example, as well as most games made in the Source engine.
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We have laboured long to build a heaven, only to find it populated with horrors.
idk whats been said above but from my experience most modern games rely HEAVILY on a good GPU rather then a CPU. most CPU's are within the same price range anyways. but people still rock out AMD Phenom 850's just fine and there like 8 years old now. i would suggest a focus on GPU with decent cpu cooling. 8 gigs of RAM min (not really necessary to have more most games cant even benefit 4 GIGS) just more so you can have games open and do to other stuff as well. AS for the video cards. you want to look in the ~$300 range . An Radeon 7950 3gb or Nvidia GTX 760 is about the range. these cards can handle modern games blasted on high no problem. i would say there about 1-2 years future proof. i myself have the cheaper version of radeon 7950. It runs a fully modded and ENB's Skyrim at 60 fps all day. (which is more graphic intense then most games) so just an anecdote for you to base your decision. as for cooling. a fan cooler in the ~$40 should be just fine or most low end water coolers will keep everything nice. i have an Antec H20 cooler that was $80 and two COUGAR CF-V12HP (considerably the best fans out there) fans in a push pull config through the radiator ($15 each) keeps the CPU nice,quiet and cool during loads. i dont think you need a dedicated cooler for the GPU. as long as your tower as sufficient airflow and you maintain the dust the stock cooler should do fine on most mid-high end cards.for the PSU a good quality 500-600 watt is more then enough. if its decent quality the advertised wattage threshold is usually more than it says. i have a Silencer Mk II 500 Watt that really pushed 600 just fine havent had problems for 4 years now. my computer doesnt draw anymore then 300 watts during heavy game load last time i tested so i wouldnt get too crazy about the PSU. ur looking in around the ~$100 ballpark . Oh yeah and one other thing raise your tower off the ground. i have mine on the desk. it will SIGNIFICANTLY decrease the amount of dust that is take in. And for the Brands question i really wouldnt worry to much about it. the Price of w/e item your buying is a good indicator of the quality Hope this helps. Thanks!
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A couple questions for those who know this sort of stuff.
How much am I looking to spend on a PC that fits with what I need (listed above)? Doesn't have to be exact, a ballpark should give me a rough feel for this.
Any reliable brands I should know of when selecting parts?
Which parts should I splurge on given what I need?
Thanks in advance
Legacy: Infect, Lands, Eldrazi, Storm
Modern: Infect, UW Eldrazi
This is my current build. It set me back about $1500. All new parts.
Legacy: Infect, Lands, Eldrazi, Storm
Modern: Infect, UW Eldrazi
Thanks. This was my first attempt at watercooling. Surprisingly easy. Just gotta be careful.
Legacy: Infect, Lands, Eldrazi, Storm
Modern: Infect, UW Eldrazi
What do you use your computer for scrublord? I honestly don't think I want to spend $1500
Best suggestion I can give you is shop your parts. Read as much as you can about the parts that interest you and build your PC after carefull choosing.
Is there any difference between buying it for the long run or upgrading as you go along? $800 sounds very doable to me and I don't mind shelling out a bit of cash every year to upgrade it.
I do a lot of heavy gaming. BF4, Titanfall, DOTA2, ARMA3, DayZ, stuff like that. But I also use it to work when I'm at home so it's good to have both. A lot of my expenses were from things that the average person doesn't need, like the water cooling.
Legacy: Infect, Lands, Eldrazi, Storm
Modern: Infect, UW Eldrazi
PC parts will always be obsolete sooner than you'd like. I bought the best I could now so that I could handle the stuff that comes out in the next few years. If you buy crap parts now, you'll have to upgrade later anyway. Just remember that when you upgrade, you can always liquidate your old gear.
Legacy: Infect, Lands, Eldrazi, Storm
Modern: Infect, UW Eldrazi
Here's what I suggest:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115234
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145345
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147248
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130833
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371065
Those are the parts you might want to check out first. I will explain, the mobo seems good, only features one Lan port, features enough Sata ports for your needs and has more USB 3.0 than 2.0 (faster is better, 3.0 is faster). The processor is an i5 3470 (no need for the unlock, you pay more for the exact same power), supports the graphics but that's not what you will main it for, you want to keep it's perfs for what you want to use it. Ram is the exact same stuff I run in my PC, no need for more, it's good and stable ram. SSD, you will want to run one of these babies as boot drive (my pc boots in 5 secs because of that), so you don't really need a big drive there. The 500 Go WD is a basic thing, don't wander in the realm of Teraoctets unless you plan to store huge amount of data, also, they are slower due to their size, so the 500Go will be your game drive. Video card, you can't go wrong with EVGA, has the minimum RAM needed and should give you a decent upgrade from the onboard graphics. PSU, you want modular and at least 80+ glod minimum, ecologic, silent and all the power you need without all the wires that cram up your case. Makes a nice clean build too.
The rest is your choice, you are in control of your money here. But what I posted should at least be a basic build that runs Windows 7 with no problem (another thing you will want to have, don't go 8 now, it's not good). Also, those parts were choosen following my tastes on the companies, I suggest you read reviews of parts that interest you before (best reviews are on Newegg, but you can also visit TigerDirect). You are now behind the wheel now.
Thanks, that should give me a good idea of what i'm dealing with. I'l start researching now.
Not true perse. There are quite a few games which are heavily reliant on the CPU. KSP for example, as well as most games made in the Source engine.