Building a Gaming Setup

[Gryffon Etheras]

One more addition . We've shown you what a PC at your budget looks like. How about a PC well below it for comparison? This one will run a little above $1,000 after monitor and such. It isn't the worlds fastest, but it' still a beast. Add in a Solid State drive and it'll rock out anything you throw at it - the difference between this one and the PC above is that this one probably won't rock the socks off of everything you throw at it three years from now. The one above probably will. The $5k rig is fishing with dynamite - best analogy I can think of :P.



http://files1.guildlaunch.net/guild/library/118791/budgetpcbuild.png <- If you can't read the above

[Cmelt]

travisccook wrote:

CmeltTheBoss wrote: I just have no clue where to start creating my own custom rig... The best question might be: Do you want to learn, or just have it appear on you doorstep? We can point you to resource to learn if you want to learn. Happy to help

I suppose I want to learn

[Cmelt]

I'll start sorting through the recommended components from ya'll but I have no idea where to begin the actual "building". Any suggestions?

[Atrayu Yung]

CmeltTheBoss wrote:

I'll start sorting through the recommended components from ya'll but I have no idea where to begin the actual "building". Any suggestions?

This is a great video that I used on youtube when I started building my pc. Keep in mind that the components are just about a year old right now, but it is still a really great instructional video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUY0tP5jYIo

[Gryffon Etheras]

Check out Tom's Hardware Guide's guide to building a PC:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-your-own-pc,2601.html

Read through it and maybe you'll have a bit better idea. Note that this was in 2010, so any reference to components might be outdated but you'll at least know what a socket is, how to determine if a mobo and processor work together, etc...

(Just to note, follow the links in this guide too! It'll link you out to a guide on how to select a motherboard, links to CPU benchmarks and reviews that /are/ current, etc... - the links are where more specific information lies.)

[Cmelt]

I really appreciate this guys. It's so great to be able to access so many great people at once!

[Blind Equilibrium]

Based on everything I have read on Tom's Hardware and other enthusiast sites, Bulldozer is not a good chip set, a number of flaws including excessive heat and power draw.

That being said, I always check www.hardware-revolution.com , they have 12 tiers of custom DIY builds that are already verified for part compatibility to take some of the guess work out of the equation. Also things to account for in your budget if you are building are your OS and any other peripherals you want.

Edit: Fixed link... stupid comma

[Tobinius]

mrmarko wrote:

Coolermaster HAF X Case

I have this - love it.

Another selling point of doing it yourself is that you can get the newest leading edge tech components - something that you aren't guaranteed to get with the more expensive pre-built computers. It also isn't as hard as it might seem to put your own computer together.

Before you make any decisions, you should use sites like Travis's recommended tomshardware.com site to get to understand what all the components are (as listed by mrmarko) and what they do. Then using this knowledge, create your imaginary computer on paper to see what the cost would be for your dream computer. Then compare this with what you could get pre-made. I think you will find that the computer you have "created" is far superior and much cheaper. Now you just need to watch some videos and read some articles about how you put the components together and get your new computer up and running. It really isn't as hard as you think and it is really fulfilling knowing that you did it yourself (it also means you are more likely to be able to fix or upgrade you computer yourself down the road). It may be a bit of a steep learning curve at first, but there are lots of great sources on the net to work from.

Good luck on your research - I look forward to seeing what you finally decide on.

Cheers

[ATownArmy]

I would like to add, just to be fair, some downsides to building your own PC. Keep in mind that I am completely for you building it, i think you'll save money, get a better computer, and one that you'll know more about and be better equipped to fix if it should break. However, keep in mind you will have to troubleshoot problems. Maybe your BIOS won't pick up new hardware, certain hardware won't come with drivers that you'll spend hours hunting down the correct version of, and if you're going all out, a lot of high end components are large and will potentially have trouble fitting in your case. It will take time a patience as opposed to buying a complete package, but in the end I think you will agree that building is better than buying.

As far as construction goes, once you have all your components picked out, it is super easy. Putting everything together is child's play now. Most hard drives don't even require tools. You can put the whole thing together in under an hour. Just be sure to follow everything exactly as it says. New builders often tighten screws too tight, use too much Arctic Silver, and generally do more than is required, not realizing that doing this hurts your PC. So just do what each component says (your case will probably come with instructions on how to put it all together) and you'll do fine. JUST MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS COMPATIBLE WITH YOUR MOTHERBOARD

[mrmarko]

ATownArmy wrote:

I would like to add, just to be fair, some downsides to building your own PC. Keep in mind that I am completely for you building it, i think you'll save money, get a better computer, and one that you'll know more about and be better equipped to fix if it should break. However, keep in mind you will have to troubleshoot problems. Maybe your BIOS won't pick up new hardware, certain hardware won't come with drivers that you'll spend hours hunting down the correct version of, and if you're going all out, a lot of high end components are large and will potentially have trouble fitting in your case. It will take time a patience as opposed to buying a complete package, but in the end I think you will agree that building is better than buying. As far as construction goes, once you have all your components picked out, it is super easy. Putting everything together is child's play now. Most hard drives don't even require tools. You can put the whole thing together in under an hour. Just be sure to follow everything exactly as it says. New builders often tighten screws too tight, use too much Arctic Silver, and generally do more than is required, not realizing that doing this hurts your PC. So just do what each component says (your case will probably come with instructions on how to put it all together) and you'll do fine. JUST MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS COMPATIBLE WITH YOUR MOTHERBOARD

Yeah, make sure you get a very large case (if you have room) as it will make the build about 10 times easier + much more enjoyable.

[Gryffon Etheras]

Since we're talking about cases, gotta throw out my dearly beloved Antec P180 : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129154

I love this thing like whoa.

[JamesSaul]

Cmelt you're really stating to freak me out about my laptop!
Are you sure urs isnt up tp par because the alienware laptop you have is the one that Bioware was using when they had stations where people could test swtor.

The lag your experiencing in the game are you sure its cause by you system and not your connection or the game being in beta stage