Opinions/Tips on self build PC rig?
February 8th, 2014
I’m a noob when it comes to building PCs and knowing what’s what when it comes to components, what fits together, what doesn’t, what is considered good, what’s “not good”. I need a new PC, and from the advice I’ve gotten so far, my best bet would be to build one myself. My criteria is that I need to be able to multitask, run a browser, photoshop cs5, music, watch Blu-ray movies/tv shows, open files with many huge images on it, you get the picture.
I’m not a gamer, but I might run SIMS on this PC in the future.
After some searching and recommendations I’ve come up with the following list:
Case:
FRACTAL DESIGN MIDITOWER DEFINE R3 USB3 BLACK
http://fractal-design.com/?view=product&category=2&prod=48
Motherboard:
ASUS M5A97 PRO 970 AM3+ ATX
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/AMD_AM3Plus/M5A97_PRO/
Processor:
AMD PHENOM II X4 955 BE 3.2GHZ 8MB SOCKET AM3 BOX
http://www.amazon.com/AMD-HDZ955FBGMBOX-Phenom-3-2GHz-Retail/dp/B002TQYUAE
Graphics Card:
ASUS RADEON HD6850 V2 1GB GDDR5 PCI-E DVI/HDMI/DP
Power Supply:
OCZ MODXSTREAM PRO 600 WATT PSU
http://www.ocztechnology.com/ocz-500w-700w-modxstream-pro-power-supply.html
HDD:
SEAGATE BARRACUDA GREEN 2TB 5900RPM SATA/600 64MB
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/products/desktops/green-drive-barracuda/
SDD:
??? Any recommendations?
RAM:
??? I’m looking for 8GB 2X4, suggestions, please.
DVD/CD burner/reader:
??? Suggestions are very much appreciated.
Screen (not included in the budget)
DELL U2412M ULTRASHARP 24″ WIDE TFT LED BLACK
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=19&sku=320-2676&baynote_bnrank=0&baynote_irrank=0&~ck=baynoteSearch
I probably need some extras cooling fans too, so if you maybe have the case I’m getting, and you know which fans and how many too use, please let me know.
I already have a mouse and keyboard.
My budget is 750 Euro/1000 USD. I live in North West Europe, so things might be more expensive here though, than in the States for example.
I would appreciate any opinions/tips you have regarding this list. Is it good? Can I get something better than this, for the same price. Most importantly, can I get a finished PC from the store, which is as good as this, or better, so I don’t need to build to get the preferences I want?
Should I maybe choose a Intel Setup instead?
Specific advice/tips/links would be awesome, as I’m not really great with the whole component/PC thing, I would also prefer that the components suggested will work together.
I’m also looking for a good SSD disk. I plan to use it to run Windows 7, and also, maybe, Photoshop CS5 and an anti-virus Program. Any recommendations for a good SSD disk would be great.
As said above, would love any tips/advice on which RAM, SSD and DVD burner/reader to choose.
Thanks so much for any comments and suggestions!
AMD FX (Bulldozer) processors are to be released on October 12th and are even cheaper than we thought! Eight-core FX-8150 and FX-8120 will carry pricing of just $245 and $205, respectively. As for the six cored FX-6120, that is expected to come in at $175
Consider waiting a few weeks if you can.
My advice to you is do alot of research. There are a number of review websites and which compare different parts. Google hardware benchmarks and reviews.
The advantage of building a PC yourself is you can use all the parts you want. You may also save yourself some money.
Saying this however there are companies which can build PCs with parts you request as well as some which put together decent rigs. In my experience, the common retail brands of computers havent been as good as selecting the parts myself.
Technology is always changing, so the longer you wait, the better parts you can get for the same price.
There are a number of things which are important in each part you buy, and will vary depending on your requirements.
Consider the following:
Case: Is noise or size a issue
Motherboard: Depends on the processor, and number of memory and graphic card slots you will like.
Processor: I suggest Quad core at minimum to help with your multitasking.
GPU: I suggest looking not only at memory size. Look at reviews, Cpu Benchmarks has a good comparison.
PSU: Very important. 600W might not be enough to power some high end GPUs. Also look at what protection it covers.
HDD: I suggest 7200RPM, however it is more expensive with the TB drives. Also consider some of the 10000RPM drives with a second drive for storage.
Ram: You will need to do research to understand the different timings, size is not the most important.
Screen: I suggest not getting a Dell screen, have a look around. High Contrast ratio, low response time. Full HD.
I could explain more, but it might take a few pages. I suggest just looking at different parts and setups through reviews and forums. Youtube and google will help you with this. Always look at multiple reviews, and stick to your budget. Here is a good place to start http://lmgtfy.com/?q=computer+benchmarks
Good luck