Expert PC builder

[shinigamie]

Anyone on here knows their way around building a PC?

By that I mean you know your components and everything new thats out or is coming out.

Need help building a PC.

Edit: holy shit that typo

 

[CodeGeek]

I had build my PCs for years (or even more than a decade?). The last time - 3 or 4 years ago - I only chose the components, but the shop assembled it (I had enough from these time in which you had to pray that it would boot after you assembled the components). But I'm totally out-of-date. So I unfortunately can't help you much.

 

[Drizew]

Yeah I have built a ton of computers and tend to keep up with what's new and shiny. It's really a simple thing to do once you get past the nerves.

What are you building?

 

[WillEater]

No offense, butt, surplus "Workstation" quality computers are available everywhere, and you can not build a better system for 10 times the $$$
Last week I purchased an HP Quad Core Xeon workstation @ 3.20 Ghz, for $150.00 (USD)
Z400 tower, 6 gig ram, 1 TB HD, DVD-RW...
This system sold new for $2000.00
You do the math..

 

[Drizew]

Where did you get that computer? I might have to pick one up.

And for gaming.. for ten times the price... You bet your ass I can make it out perform that.

 

[Elldallan]

Anyone on here knows their way around building a PC?

By that I mean you know your components and everything new thats out or is coming out.

Need help building a PC.

Edit: holy shit that typo

What do you plan to use the computer for? Gaming or just regular office tasks etc?

Do you plan on using encryption? If you do then you want a CPU that includes the AES-NI instruction set.

 

[Ceewan]

I will let you know after I finish building mine. Doesn't look that hard really. There are plenty of youtube videos on building your own PC, this way you can build it just how you want. A piece of advice, the newest cutting edge stuff costs a mint but you can build a nice midrange computer from between $675-$1100......and by installing windows yourself (if you are going to use windows) you don't have all that unwanted crap on your system prebuilts are famous for. Another thing, go for a power supply that is well over what your system is going to need, sticking you with a barely adequate power supply is a good way prebuilt systems to ensure you are going to need a new system sooner rather than later. I have been reading a lot lately on computer components and bulding and while that far from makes me an expert (although I did, one upon a time, actually fix those things for a living) I do feel pretty confidant about my ability to screw in a few parts to a case without fucking it up ( I just had to get over being lazy and my occasional lack of self esteem).

Two pieces of further advice:

1. build your computer on a table and do not ever set you bare computer components on the carpet.

2. Buy an "Anti-Static Wrist Band with Adjustable Grounding" because static electricty is not a friend of computer chips. Keep the clip attached to your computer case to keep grounded so you don't accidently zap your new unprotected computer chit.

 

[Elldallan]

Another thing, go for a power supply that is well over what your system is going to need, sticking you with a barely adequate power supply is a good way prebuilt systems to ensure you are going to need a new system sooner rather than later.

Not entirely true these days, it used to be this way because all manufacturers would state the peak wattage as the rated wattage. But these days if you make sure to get a PSU with the 80+ certification(preferably silver or above) you should be able to comfortably run close to the rated wattage, you should still try to have a bit of margin but PSU's have gotten a lot better in the past several years at actually delivering what's written on the box.

 

[Ceewan]

True, I tend to ramble a bit on the "conspiracy" minded thinking of corporations, especially when I drink........no real harm done. Ya'll can take that talk with a grain of salt.

But what I said about power supplies was essentially correct. The 80+ rating has to do with how much power is wasted and how much is supplied to your system. A power supply with an efficiency rating of 80 percent provides 80 percent of its rated wattage as power to your system, while losing the other 20 percent as heat. Also most power supplies hit their peak efficiency levels with loads in the range of 40 to 80 percent. Building to about 50 to 60 percent of a PSU's capacity is advisable to achieve maximum efficiency and yet leave room for future expansion. And no, I am no expert. I am merely quoting from "pcworld" who has a superb little article on it:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2025425/how-to-pick-the-best-pc-power-supply.html

 

[Elldallan]

Ceewan I remember reading something about the 80+ standard included a standards requirement that rated wattage being sustainable load and not peak load. 50-60% sounds a bit extreme, personally I think it'd be fine to go as high as 70%-80% from personal experience. But then again as my current computer is built in an old Antec P190 with 650+550W Dual PSU I'm not exactly eating my own dog food here since my system aint running anywhere close to what that can deliver.

 

[Ceewan]

"I'm not exactly eating my own dog food"....love that line. Props bro.

Most of what you said before was on the money, so no worries. Just about getting ready to order the parts for my own build (different thread in this section) and I am only getting a 620 watt PSU for a 382 watt build. Not everyone can afford a platinum 1200 watt PSU and they don't likely need it. The main thing is to have enough juice to keep your PSU running at peak efficiency. Last thing you want to do is spend money and time on a new computer build and not have it running like a swiss clock. Also, if you plan on upgrading your computer build later you should put out the money for a power supply that can handle it right from the get go (which is what I believe they meant by the 50-60% remark) because the PSU is the first thing you install for a reason (biggest, heaviest and most unwieldly part in your computer case) and I for one would not want to have to take it out once I got my new parts in.