Help starting a computer build

[SusieBlu]

A call for help-

It has been a few years since I have cracked open a computer and did any type of modifications so I am have mostly lost all knowledge on what are the best products for a PC.

I am looking to build a gaming computer that can run most online games pretty well but can be used for everyday office stuff without being a overkill. I am not looking to overclock anything. I would like the system to be somewhat quiet and most importantly duel voltage.

I have began browsing around Newegg and others but I really don’t know what is good, bad, or overkill. Another thing is I really don’t want to spend over $1000 on everything.

Anybody know of a good starting point. Most of my searches for “building a PC†get me how to put it together guides but not part lists.

[Librarian of Doom]

When I was building my computer, I used http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc and http://pcpartpicker.com/. I also picked my husband's brain a lot, but I did most of my research from the starting point of buildapc and then used pcpartpicker to make sure everything was compatible. If you want any specifics on my build, let me know! I spent about $600 and got a computer that can run a lot of recent PC games with good graphics quality.

[Jcannon98188]

A decent system that I recently built:

AMD Phenom X4 975 Processor (3.6 ghz)

8gb RAM

NVIDIA GeForce GT520

Those are the "core parts" you need for a build. I forgot what my mobo is. Anyways, this build cost me ~500 to do, so pretty affordable, and can run most games on medium-high graphics.

[WizardTrip]

You should be able to build what you're looking for under a $1000 without a problem. Any box you build these days will handle office stuff with ease. As for the gaming piece, you'll want to spend a little extra on the graphics card. And although OCing can be fun, it is not at all necessary.

A good place to start will be the ArsTechnica system guides. They normally have a budget box, hot rod, and god box.

Latest Budget Box Build (Apr '12) - http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/04/ars-bargain-box/

The other builds haven't been updated since Dec '11, but can be found here: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2011/12/ars-technica-system-guide-december-2011/

There is a discussion that kicked off in May to update all the system builds here: http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1173184

And a go to for me regarding graphic cards is the Tom's Hardware Graphic Card Hierarchy Chart (July '12) - http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

[WizardTrip]

Any system you build these days can be made great no matter the direction you take on these items, but here are my personal preferences without getting into the details:

CPU: Intel over AMD

GPU: NVIDIA over Radeon (but this one is very close)

[IrishPirate]

This is the build I just did for the same reasons for Mr Pirate for his bday gift. Might be a good place for you to start

CPU: Support for Intel Core i7/i5/i3/Pentium/Celeron processors in the LGA1155 package. Chipset: Intel H61 Express Chipset

Memory: 2 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets supporting up to 16 GB of system memory. Dual channel memory architecture. Support for DDR3 1333/1066/800 MHz memory modules. Support for non-ECC memory modules.

Audio: Realtek ALC887 audio codec. High Definition Audio. 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel. LAN: 1 x Realtek 8111E chip (10/100/1000 Mbit)

Expension Slots: 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x16. 3 x PCI Express x1 slots.

Storage Interface: 4 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors (SATA2 0/1/2/3) supporting up to 4 SATA 3Gb/s devices. 2 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors (GSATA3 0/1) supporting up to 2 SATA 6Gb/s devices. Support for RAID 0 and RAID 1.

Back Panel Connectors: 1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse port/1 x D-Sub port/1 x DVI-D port/4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports/2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports/1 x RJ-45 port/3 x audio jacks

Internal I/O Connectors: 1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector/1 x 4-pin ATX 12V power connector/4 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors/2 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors/1 x CPU fan header/1 x system fan header/1 x front panel header/1 x front panel audio header/2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers/1 x Clear CMOS jumper

USB: Up to 8 USB 2.0/1.1 ports. Up to 2 USB 3.0/2.0 ports on the back panel.

500 GB SATA 6.0 Gb-s 16 MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive ST500DM002

Crucial Ballistix Sport 4 Dual Channel Kit DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM BL2CP25664BA1339

Total before rebate: $718.41

GRAND TOTAL AFTER REBATE : $678.41

[Jcannon98188]

I have never bought an Intel device before. Ever. Everytime I go to buy one, I see an comparable AMD chip for like $100 less and buy that instead

But I agree, GeForce FTW

[WizardTrip]

Everytime I go to buy one, I see an comparable AMD chip for like $100 less and buy that instead

And it is that reason that I need to not hate too much on AMD since I 100% agree this is typically the case.

One of the main reasons for me choosing Intel is outside of the OP's question, but it is because they tend to be easier to deal with regarding hackintoshes

[Jcannon98188]

Oh def. AMD hackintoshishes have little to no support.

[joeyb]

Here's what you do. Pick a processor. Pick RAM. Pick motherboard that supports processor and RAM. Everything else, you just look for deals. You don't need high-end graphics cards unless you are trying to get 120fps in the most cutting-edge of games. The last thing you pick is the power supply and you make sure that you have enough power for your computer. There are sites that will help you calculate, but I just go with like 600W in case I add anything in the future.

If you go with Intel, I'd get an i3, or maybe i5. You don't need i7. I'd look for anything that is on sale just because it gets you slightly more bang for your buck.

Bare minimum, you need 2GB of RAM. Realistically, if you don't want to add more down the line, you need 4GB. I think 8GB will be way more than what you need for your purposes, but RAM is cheap, so splurge if you want. I'd make sure you get DDR3.

Certain chipsets on the motherboard do include good-enough onboard graphics. Many will now play 1080p video. If you get one of these and you aren't playing any cutting edge video games or rendering video, you probably don't need to get a graphics card.

Realistically, you can build the computer for under $500-600 if you want. Here are the parts that my friend and I used to build him a computer about a month ago. It was under $800 with the monitor after rebates.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16824236052

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16814130625

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16819115077

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16813138355

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16820231277

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16822148766

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16817151095

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811129042

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16827136247

[Jcannon98188]

Also, to save a few bucks, scrap some parts from your current machine. Your harddrive, dvd drive, mouse, keyboard, and monitor can all be saved from your last computer, saving you ~$80+ dollars. Not a whole lot, but every bit helps.

[WizardTrip]

On the graphic card discussion and what joeyb said, I guess I should have asked this question.

What specific games are looking to be able to play "pretty well"?

Your statement "I am looking to build a gaming computer that can run most online games pretty well" would seem to include a large assortment of games since so many games these days can be considered "online".

[SusieBlu]

MMORPGs. Nothing Crysis level. I basically don't want to have to turn down all the setting on a game to play it/enjoy it. I really doubt I will play any FPS online (or FPS for that matter). I want to pick up Bioshock Infinity and Portal 2 first since I really enjoyed the first ones in college. I currently don't have desktop and been operating off of a netbook so anything really is an upgrade. I don't own other game consoles so I am looking for more a Mainstream system versus a hot rod or god box. I am willing to pay more now because I am lazy and don't want to be constantly thinking about the next upgrade. Unless of course something like Crysis comes out and blows every thing out of the water again.

[Librarian of Doom]

My current build (which can run WoW on max settings, FWIW):

Cheapo motherboard from Newegg. Had to get an updated BIOS, but other than that has worked like a champ

Intel i5 3550 processor

4 GB RAM - I'll probably eventually add some more, but I am the queen of the multi-taskers, and the only time my computer has started chugging was when a game locked up and needed to be killed via task manager.

GeForce GT 440 video card

[joeyb]

MMORPGs.

Oooohhhhh...that changes everything. When you said "online games" I thought you meant Facebook games or something.

You'll need a dedicated graphics card, then. The one above works well for Diablo 3 on its highest settings, which is what we built his computer for. It should be able to MMOs as well, but you need to check hardware recommendations of the games you'll be playing to be sure.

[WizardTrip]

Oooohhhhh...that changes everything. When you said "online games" I thought you meant Facebook games or something.

I had a feeling that's the way you read it from your original recommendation and why I figured I'd ask for more clarification.