First build - Where to Start?

[SoldierOfTheCross]

Hey, I'm attempting to build my own rig for the first time and I need some help. I have no background in computers so I'm going into this blind except for what I've read here on the forums and in your tutorial "Build Your Own PC" (which was a very good article by the way) and a lot of browsing on newegg.

I'm going to be using this computer for light gaming. By light gaming I mean a few games that are somewhat big like Battlefield 1942, a bunch of mods for it and a few newer games down the road. So in other words it doesn't have to be leet

I'm going to attempt to spend under $600 and that will only include what goes inside the Case, I'll worry about the Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse etc. later. I have no computers lying around that I can scrap pieces from so I need to buy everything.

I have a case picked out COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Computer Case - Retail is this a good case or should I find another one?
And since that case does not come with a PSU (I do know what a PSU is) I saw this one XCLIO GOODPOWER 500W ATX 500W Power Supply 115/230 V UL, CUL, TUV, CB, VDE, FIMKO, DEMKO, NEMKO, SEMKO - Retail is this over kill or not enough?

As for everything else I have no clue. I don't know if I should go AMD or Intel. And I don't know anything about Motherboards, Graphics Cards, Processors and just about everything else. Compatibility is another big issue for me since I don't know much about the millions of products that are out there. In other words, HELP!

Some things I would like to be included on this rig are:
- DVD drive: Whatever the technical name for it is I don't know but the drive I have on my Dell won't allow me to copy large files onto disk, I want something that will allow me to do so.
- Plenty of memory: I'll never get a machine with less then 1G ever again. What kind I don't know, don't care. But I want at least one gig of RAM.
- Video Card: Something that's not cheap but not too expensive. I'm sorry I'm not helping you out much.
- Hard Drive: Actually I don't want a big HD. I have an 80G HD on my Dell right now and I'll never be able to fill it up, even with 4 people using it (that includes a photographer with tons of photos + my games). If I could save some money on a smaller HD that'd be great, but I don't want it to be slow either.

So if someone could please help me out I'd appreciate it greatly. I need to know what to buy and what not to buy, and everything inbetween. If someone could even put together a product list from newegg for me that'd be great also! Thanks! And sorry for all the novice questions but like I said, I'm totally new to this.

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by SoldierOfTheCross I'm going to be using this computer for light gaming. By light gaming I mean a few games that are somewhat big like Battlefield 1942, a bunch of mods for it and a few newer games down the road. So in other words it doesn't have to be leet I'm going to attempt to spend under $600 and that will only include what goes inside the Case,

That budget is a little too small to build a decent gamer with. Since you're playing Battlefield you're going to want 2GB of RAM and that will eat almost half your budget.

Originally Posted by SoldierOfTheCross I have a case picked out COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Computer Case - Retail is this a good case or should I find another one?

That case is fine.

Originally Posted by SoldierOfTheCross And since that case does not come with a PSU (I do know what a PSU is) I saw this one XCLIO GOODPOWER 500W ATX 500W Power Supply 115/230 V UL, CUL, TUV, CB, VDE, FIMKO, DEMKO, NEMKO, SEMKO - Retail is this over kill or not enough?

It depends on the video card you select but it should be enough for a budget gaming rig.

Originally Posted by SoldierOfTheCross As for everything else I have no clue. I don't know if I should go AMD or Intel. And I don't know anything about Motherboards, Graphics Cards, Processors and just about everything else. Compatibility is another big issue for me since I don't know much about the millions of products that are out there. In other words, HELP!

That's what we're here for.

Originally Posted by SoldierOfTheCross Some things I would like to be included on this rig are: - DVD drive: Whatever the technical name for it is I don't know but the drive I have on my Dell won't allow me to copy large files onto disk, I want something that will allow me to do so.

Do you want just a DVD-ROM drive or a DVD burner?

Originally Posted by SoldierOfTheCross - Plenty of memory: I'll never get a machine with less then 1G ever again. What kind I don't know, don't care. But I want at least one gig of RAM.

For a gaming rig you'll want 2GB of RAM, especially if you plan to play any future games coming out. And you should care about the RAM you get...you must make sure it's good quality and compatible with the motherboard you're getting.

Originally Posted by SoldierOfTheCross - Video Card: Something that's not cheap but not too expensive. I'm sorry I'm not helping you out much.

A gaming rig is basically built around the video card so you'll want to get something that will play the games you like and play them well. I'm not a gamer but I know most good gaming video cards aren't cheap.

Originally Posted by SoldierOfTheCross - Hard Drive: Actually I don't want a big HD. I have an 80G HD on my Dell right now and I'll never be able to fill it up, even with 4 people using it (that includes a photographer with tons of photos + my games). If I could save some money on a smaller HD that'd be great, but I don't want it to be slow either.

No problems there, you can actually get a good sized HDD for under $100 easily. In fact you could probably get a good 80GB HDD for under $50.

Originally Posted by SoldierOfTheCross So if someone could please help me out I'd appreciate it greatly. I need to know what to buy and what not to buy, and everything inbetween. If someone could even put together a product list from newegg for me that'd be great also!

Sorry, I usually don't do lists but someone else will come along and help you with that.

Cricket

[flanzig1]

$600 is abit thin for even a medium gaming system.
XP Home OEM: $90
Core 2 Duo CPU: $182
1 gig ram: around $130
middle game video card: $150 to $200
So you can see that with just XP,1 gig of ram, and video card your at almost $300.

[newbuilder14]

$600 is a bit low... you'll have to REALLY get creative. Look at AMD. I'd start with 1gb of memory - I'd get 1gb stick and add one more later. 2x1gb would run great.

[SoldierOfTheCross]

Thanks guys. Sounds like my $600 needs to be re-figured, that's fine. I'm not limited to that much but I sure don't want to spend anywhere near $1,000.

So my case is fine, that's a start.

Originally Posted by Cricket Do you want just a DVD-ROM drive or a DVD burner?

What's the difference? I want to be able to write large files to disk, I was told I needed some kind of DVD drive for that.

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by SoldierOfTheCross Thanks guys. Sounds like my $600 needs to be re-figured, that's fine. I'm not limited to that much but I sure don't want to spend anywhere near $1,000.

Normally when you build a gaming rig the budget usually starts around $1200 and goes up from there. Even though you consider yourself a light gamer it's the games you want to play that determine how much computer you need. For future games you're going to need a pretty potent machine or one that can be upgraded easily to meet the higher demands of those future games. Some gamers think nothing of dropping $2500 on a real gaming rig.

Originally Posted by SoldierOfTheCross What's the difference? I want to be able to write large files to disk, I was told I needed some kind of DVD drive for that.

Are you talking about moving files from the optical drive to the hard drive? Or moving files from the hard drive to a burnable optical disc (like a CD-R or DVD-R)?

Cricket

[SoldierOfTheCross]

Originally Posted by Cricket Are you talking about moving files from the optical drive to the hard drive? Or moving files from the hard drive to a burnable optical disc (like a CD-R or DVD-R)? Cricket

Moving files from the HD to a burnable disk. Like stuff you download and want to put on a disk for future use. Or a game or patch that is too big to make it worth downloading again, just put it on disk and voila.

[Alaron]

Thats a DVD Burner then. I'd get a Lite-On, they come with software.

[SoldierOfTheCross]

Originally Posted by Alaron Thats a DVD Burner then. I'd get a Lite-On, they come with software.

OK, so DVD Burner it is. I don't need two drives just yet so can I use a DVD Burner as a Main Optical Drive also?

What order should I purchase everything? I figured I'd wait till I have a list of basicly everything I'm want then start with the Case and PSU. Or do you think I should go ahead and buy the Case now since I know which one I want and then figure out the rest as I go? Or do you think I should know everything I want, and have it all picked out before I start buying even a Case?
Again, sorry for all these stupid questions but I just plain need help

[moodyblues100]

Originally Posted by SoldierOfTheCross OK, so DVD Burner it is. I don't need two drives just yet so can I use a DVD Burner as a Main Optical Drive also?

You only need the one optical drive. If you plan on copying from one CD to another than 2 drives would be helpful

Originally Posted by SoldierOfTheCross What order should I purchase everything? I figured I'd wait till I have a list of basicly everything I'm want then start with the Case and PSU. Or do you think I should go ahead and buy the Case now since I know which one I want and then figure out the rest as I go? Or do you think I should know everything I want, and have it all picked out before I start buying even a Case? Again, sorry for all these stupid questions but I just plain need help

As far as the order of purchase. . . You really should have most of the components before you start the build. The case and PSU are of little use if you don't have the MB and CPU to put in. The other thing is, if you order all the parts from one vendor the shipping charge will be somewhat less. If you want to purchase in stages you could get the MB and CPU, Ram, and Vid card and assemble those outside the case.

[SoldierOfTheCross]

Originally Posted by moodyblues100 You only need the one optical drive. If you plan on copying from one CD to another than 2 drives would be helpful

So the DVD burner will work just like a regular CD drive.

Originally Posted by moodyblues100 As far as the order of purchase. . . You really should have most of the components before you start the build. The case and PSU are of little use if you don't have the MB and CPU to put in. The other thing is, if you order all the parts from one vendor the shipping charge will be somewhat less. If you want to purchase in stages you could get the MB and CPU, Ram, and Vid card and assemble those outside the case.

OK, so now my question is what are good choices for all those? I don't know the difference between a $50 MB and a $200 MB. Or anything else on the inside for that matter.

[moodyblues100]

Dvd Burner will do all a CD burner will and more. (burn DVD's)
The difference in MB pricing is based on the specs of the board, such as FSB, processor type, newness of the board, onboard features such as wireless, video, audio, etc. Many sites such as Newegg will allow side by side comparison of specs.

[glc]

There is also a quality issue. Asus boards cost more than PC Chips boards for a good reason.

[SoldierOfTheCross]

A friend of mine put this list of components together for me. What do you think? The overall price comes out to roughly $650 but that's OK. I know some of the deals won't be around by the time I buy them and the price may even go up, but are these OK? Are they all compatible?

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119068 / http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811156053

PSU: http://shop3.outpost.com/product/458...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Motherboard: http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?Inv...&cm_cat=358129

CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103529 / http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103542


HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822144417

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145440

Pri Optical: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827151133

Graphics Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130062

OS:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116169

[Alaron]

Not a bad start, I would make a few changes though. Most important, skip that Ultra unit. They are very poor quality. Use this one instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104954

I would also switch to this Asus motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131569 MSI's are ok, but that is a proven winner for the 939 chips.

Lastly, I'd switch to a Lite-On DVDRW, they come with burning software.

This will bump your total up about $75. If thats too much, you can trim down on the CPU.

[SoldierOfTheCross]

Here's what I got so far then. Only question now (if everyone would agree that this build will work) is the case. Do I go with the cheaper one or the more expensive?
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811156053
OR... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119068

PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104954

Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131569

CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103529

HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822144417

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145440

Pri Optical: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106043

Graphics Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130062

OS: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116169

[newbuilder14]

Nothing wrong with your parts, and I'd choose the Centurion 5. Also, look at the 7600gt KO, faster memory and clock.

[Mr.Ferrari]

Looks great.
I know that your budget is already being stretched but I highly suggest this hard drive instead:
Seagate 250gb 7200.10
Only 5 bucks more, but a whole lot faster.

Originally Posted by SoldierOfTheCross PSU: http://shop3.outpost.com/product/458...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Thanks for pointing it out. Nice deal..Gonna order two for meself .

[newbuilder14]

Ultra is finally recognizing how much they should be charging for their units! Haha.

[Mr.Ferrari]

Originally Posted by newbuilder14 Ultra is finally recognizing how much they should be charging for their units! Haha.

Actually those V's make very solid powersupplies for mid range pc's. I have 2 X-Finity's powering some of my other machines.

I just spend the extra $4.75 for the "quickie rebate" and have gotten my past Ultra rebates within 5-10 days after I mailed them!


I still suggest the OP stick to the fsp.

[SoldierOfTheCross]

Okay so we're getting mixed reviews on the PSU. I'm actually leaning towards the Ultra V since it's "free" after the rebate and it's not going to be under that much of a load right now and hey, you can't go wrong with anything free right? I can always upgrade it later on if I have to but for now I think it will work.
I'm going to go with the Seagate HD mentioned above and the COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 Case. I'm gonna stay with the RAM I had suggested to me by my friend, he has it and says it works great.
So here's my build so far. Any further suggestions or can I go ahead and start purchasing? I really want to be sure before I buy anything so don't hesitate to say something.

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119068

PSU: http://shop3.outpost.com/product/458...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131569

CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103529

HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148144

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145440

Pri Optical: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106043

Graphics Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130062

OS: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116169

[Mr.Ferrari]

You need to stick to fsp. Otherwise awesome list.

[SoldierOfTheCross]

I'm already over my original budget by $140. How much more is "fsp" and what is the difference?

[asb002]

Originally Posted by Mr.Ferrari You need to stick to fsp. Otherwise awesome list.

Why does a budget machine require a $60 PSU?

BTW, I'm the guy who came up with his original list, and helped him pick the final one.

[newbuilder14]

A budget PC doesn't have to have a $60 PSU... you can get a $20 and put your components at risk. Reliability is first priority.

[jimmyrules712]

well.. you could get a quality brand 400w PSU for $40, and I think it would give enough power to power this system, but it wouldn't leave you much room for upgrading that video card in the future. You could get a high wattage crappy brand, like the Ultra, and risk getting the computer fried.

Or you could get the $60 good brand one that provides enough wattage and won't kill your PC, and will serve you for probably as long as the computer exists.

[Mr.Ferrari]

Originally Posted by asb002 Why does a budget machine require a $60 PSU? BTW, I'm the guy who came up with his original list, and helped him pick the final one.

If you dont mind trying out an off brand then by all means go for it. The single 12v rail is nice, and is enough to power your components. Also is of decent quality.

[Alaron]

Here is our review of Ultra Power supplies: http://www.pcmech.com/show/reviews/980/ Keeping in mind that Ultra delivered these to us directly, two of three units were defective. Don't you think a power supply company could send some tested, good units for a public review?

That is the main reason I don't trust any of their power supplies, even if one line is supposedly better then another.

So again, stick with the FSP. If the budget is too high, downgrade the processor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103535 It will still be enough for gaming.

[Cricket]

Or this CPU...$42 less than the 4000+ but it's still a San Diego with the 1MB cache and only 200MHz slower (you really wouldn't even notice the difference).

Cricket

[12twelve12]

Regarding that MSI board at Geeks.com: I understand that ASUS boards are considered the best but $41 is a great price for that MSI K8n Neo4 Ultra. I consider that board to be one of MSI's best....of course I am biased a bit as I have the Platinum edition. But even MaximumPC put that board just a notch above the ASUS. They are equal at the very least in my opinion. I concede that overall ASUS makes a better product but that MSI one you had listed is a great board for a real good price.

You could also save another $12 (not much I know) by getting the Xclio 450w which has been highly regarded in these forums.

Total savings of $44 using the parts above. One thing I would check though, since I didn't, is if the MSI board is retail, oem or open box.

If saving $44 is not that big of a deal then of course the parts the other members listed are fantastic choices.