Help me build a PC

[CaramonLS]

Ok, looking to spend up to about $1200 - don't need a mouse/keyboard/monitor, just the machine. I've got a case (just a crappy dell one, I can use that, right? Or should I upgrade?)

Basically I want it to be a gaming beast.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. I don't really care about the noise factor at all.

[Muffins]

With how cheap you can get a decent case nowadays, there's really no point in re-using it. I know some Dell cases in the past haven't been compatible with some standard PC components, so depending on which one it is, you may need a new case anyway.

[Vulcan]

Here's a good Canadian site that discusses builds with prices.

http://forums.ncix.com/forums/?mode=section&forum=191

NCIX will even build it for you for $50 when you pick out your parts. Here's the sales page. Pretty much only use this for pricing of components from this site.

http://ncix.com/promo/promosale.php?webid=GrandSlam2012



Price match all your components as NCIX (Vancouver etc.) and Memory Express (Calgary, Edmonton, Richmond) will do this.
There are a couple of sites that do this, here's one.

http://www.shopbot.ca/

I'd go for a new case. You should find one with cable management options for $60 to $100. Here's a nice little one for $67.

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?s...r&promoid=1068

Have fun and get a brand name power supply (not OCZ). Check out reviews for your components and probably go for an Intel I5 for gaming.

Oh yeah, get an SSD for your OS. You can pick up a 120GB Sata 111 for a $100 or less.

[SHOGUN]

Don't make the mistake I did where I bought everything but the video card from memory express. Unfortunately the video card I bought did not work... so I had to pay a 15% restock fee and a shipping fee back to direct canada.. whereas if I bought it at memory express, I could of just gone to the store and exchanged it for a new one.

Also I really recommend building your first rig on your own... it's reallllllly easy if you follow the youtube videos (newegg). The only slight difficult part of building the pc is being very gentle with placing the motherboard onto the the case... you'd be surprised how many new pc builders short circuit their motherboard.

[HPLovecraft]

You should be able to build a great gaming PC for that much money, and even save some since you don't need a monitor. I built my gaming PC for about $800, and it can easily run Battlefield 3 at max settings with some AA on.

You may want to shop around at different places online for the best prices, though it can be frustrating ordering from different places and having everything arrive at different times. I ordered parts from Direct Canada, Newegg, Memory Express, and NCIX. Direct Canada has good prices but terrible, terrible customer service. If something messes up on their end, it will be a bitch to get things sorted out, so I would avoid them if at all possible. Newegg was my best experience.

You might want to look at a site like this when choosing a video card:

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

I got the Radeon 6870, and it runs like a dream. Not the best video card money can buy, but more than enough to run anything on the market right now. It's good value for money.

Also, go to NCIX and post in the forum you want to build a gaming PC and this is your budget. People will respond recommending builds and parts. I went with an AMD build (not bulldozer) because it saved me some money and I like AMD. Most will probably recommend Intel though because their processors are currently better than what AMD can offer.

Also, is this PC being built for the impending Guild Wars 2 release?

[HPLovecraft]

Oh, I forgot to mention the PC case! Just get a new one. I got this one:

Antec Three Hundred Two - Around $60-$70

It's the upgrade to the classic Antec Three Hundred gaming case. It offers lots of room, a good bit of cable storage space, and looks nice, to boot.

Also, make sure you get a power supply that is powerful enough for all the parts you get, especially your chosen video card. The homepage for your video card usually lists a number of recommended power supplies, or at the very least required voltages. You don't need to go overkill on a power supply like a lot of people on NCIX will recommend, but you definitely don't want to buy a budget brand. Look for reviews on them. I'm not sure how experienced you are with building PCs, but the power supply is something that can be easy to overlook, but you should definitely invest a few extra bucks into it to get a reliable brand and a decent voltage.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by SHOGUN

Don't make the mistake I did where I bought everything but the video card from memory express. Unfortunately the video card I bought did not work... so I had to pay a 15% restock fee and a shipping fee back to direct canada.. whereas if I bought it at memory express, I could of just gone to the store and exchanged it for a new one.

I'm curious about this. Why did it not work?

[cDnStealth]

With the size of video cards these days it's a really good idea to get a new case. Plus you can get a great case for under $100. The one HPLovecraft has linked is a great case. I have an Antec and it was easy to get everything installed inside it (although I did have to swap the 2 front fans with each other to get my video card in). Not only that, but the Antec probably has a lot more fans in it then your Dell one which is important for a gaming rig.

Do yourself a favor and pick up your parts from Memory Express and build it yourself. You can get them to mount the processor to the motherboard in store, for free, which only takes a few minutes and is probably the only difficult part. Just remember to remove the excess contacts from your case when you mount your motherboard. Memory Express is great for taking care of your problems too. If something doesn't work properly they'll replace it. They ended up swapping almost every component for my PC because they found issues with them.

You probably want at least 6 GB or Ram and 1 TB Hard Drive. Probably don't need to get the most expensive video card on the market. You can get a great card for around $300. By comparison I have a Radeon HD 4800 (which they don't even sell anymore) and I can run BF3 on max settings.

[SHOGUN]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

I'm curious about this. Why did it not work?

When I connected the video card to my monitor with a DVI or HDMI cable, my monitor did not catch a signal. I have two monitors, both did not catch a signal. I went to memory express for a quick test, they also did not catch a signal with the video card. So there was definitely something wrong with it. Instead of trying to fix the issue I exchanged it with a new one before it was too late.

So yeah, make you if you go to memory express, test all your parts, they do it for free then build it yourself at home.

[SHOGUN]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

Oh, I forgot to mention the PC case! Just get a new one. I got this one:

Antec Three Hundred Two - Around $60-$70

It's the upgrade to the classic Antec Three Hundred gaming case. It offers lots of room, a good bit of cable storage space, and looks nice, to boot.

Also, make sure you get a power supply that is powerful enough for all the parts you get, especially your chosen video card. The homepage for your video card usually lists a number of recommended power supplies, or at the very least required voltages. You don't need to go overkill on a power supply like a lot of people on NCIX will recommend, but you definitely don't want to buy a budget brand. Look for reviews on them. I'm not sure how experienced you are with building PCs, but the power supply is something that can be easy to overlook, but you should definitely invest a few extra bucks into it to get a reliable brand and a decent voltage.

I have the same case... it's a excellent case for the price.

[CaramonLS]

I used to know what a good processor was (i.e. 1.3 gigs was better than a 1 gig processor), but with this whole i7, i5 and i3 core - as well as AMD not even knowing what the hell they're doing with the product naming, I have no idea what is good and what is not.

It is like reading a foreign langauge.

I don't understand why:

Core™ i7-3770K Processor, 3.50GHz w/ 8MB Cache

is MORE expensive than:

Core™ i7-3820 Processor, 3.60GHz w/ 10MB Cache

Help me Hack!

[Diemenz]

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

I used to know what a good processor was (i.e. 1.3 gigs was better than a 1 gig processor), but with this whole i7, i5 and i3 core - as well as AMD not even knowing what the hell they're doing with the product naming, I have no idea what is good and what is not.

It is like reading a foreign langauge.

I don't understand why:

Core™ i7-3770K Processor, 3.50GHz w/ 8MB Cache

is MORE expensive than:

Core™ i7-3820 Processor, 3.60GHz w/ 10MB Cache

Help me Hack!

The Core™ i7-3770K Processor, 3.50GHz w/ 8MB Cache is Intels 3rd generation i7. 3rd generation i7's use less power, have more intelligent turbo boost and 95/100 times benchmark and real world perform better then their Gen 2 counterparts (like 4% better). There is also concern that some Gen 2 CPU's can bottleneck big bad GPU's and actually hamper an otherwise great GPU. Gen 3 CPU's also have considerably better on board video.

IMO being someone who went to a 3rd gen from a 2nd gen I noticed a huge difference in gaming using the 3rd gen.

[sameg]

The 3770k has an unlocked multiplier. This means you can easily over clock it and get huge gains.

Any Intel CPU with a "k" at the end has the unlocked multiplier.

[fundmark19]

Quick question decided against its own thread. I need to get a desktop computer going since mine has been down for 6 months. All I need it to do is be able to is play counterstrike 1.6 download torrents and stream the files to my ps3's via media server and have 2+ hard drive slots. I don't plan on using it for any gaming other than at most CS. It is really there just to download and act as media hub.

Would one of the memory express bundles fit the need now a days? http://www.memoryexpress.com/Product...0_F1A55MLX_4GB

I should also state I plan on having 3 playstations using ps3 media server on the machine. Would be great if I could do them all at once but realistically only 2 would ever be on at same time at most.

[GreenLantern]

I am playing around with the idea as well.. I've got an old system that was built about 6 years ago this fall. It's been good to me, only thing I had to replace so far was the Vid card (by choice, upgraded to Radeon HD 6800) and now the ram is starting to fail.

I was going to buy new ram but I have a 2 TB HD that isn't compatible with this mobo sitting here, my 1 year old vid card and about to spend 100 bucks on new ram... and I am thinking, how much more would it cost me just to keep going and build the whole thing?

So I would be looking at purchasing a new Tower, Mobo, Processor, Ram and Power Supply. With the vid card and hard drive already purchased, stuff like CD-ROM I could take off the old tower as well.. that tower HP posted looks good like a good place to start..

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by sameg

The 3770k has an unlocked multiplier. This means you can easily over clock it and get huge gains.

Any Intel CPU with a "k" at the end has the unlocked multiplier.

I just picked up one of these. So awesome. Also you HAVE to buy a new case if you want to have front USB 3.0 ports. I picked up one of these Antecs. Boy with the new cases are they easy to build.
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX36511

Also pick up one of the new gen of the Intel SSD harddrives.

[sameg]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

I just picked up one of these. So awesome. Also you HAVE to buy a new case if you want to have front USB 3.0 ports. I picked up one of these Antecs. Boy with the new cases are they easy to build.
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX36511

Also pick up one of the new gen of the Intel SSD harddrives.

Yah, newer cases are awesome. Tool-less drive bays are such an awesome feature.

This is another good case, that I am using right now, if you are looking for something a bit cheaper.
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX37673

Also, if you plan on heavy overclocking the stock heatsink/fan won't be good enough. A great CPU cooler is the Cooler Master Hyper 212

[fundmark19]

Well this is what I ended up getting http://www.memoryexpress.com/Product...K_F1A75MPROR20 came to 220 bucks with warranty and 8 gigs of ram. As long as it plays CS 1.6 I am happy

[HELPNEEDED]

Just make sure you get the 8mb voodoo II video card.

[Hanni]

Originally Posted by HELPNEEDED

Just make sure you get the 8mb voodoo II video card.

Wow does that take me back.