# Building my 1st gaming computer



## Jackofblades (Jul 12, 2010)

My current computer is kinda old and I always wanted to build my own gaming machine. So I finally am  but im on a budget ($800 is pushing it) and I dont know everything about computers so I came here for advice. 
Heres what I got so far (if you know something better for less Id like to know)
(I might fail so hard some parts aren't even compatible >.>)

mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16813121396

graphics card: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6076195&CatId=3669

CPU: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5975150&Catid=4072

power supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182070
(I really don't know how much power I need...advice there would be great!)

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147023
(not looking for cool looks but more so effectiveness)

RAM: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6044665 X4

optical drive and hard drive will be pulled from my older comp (maybe upgrade that later)

thoughts?


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## CJCerny (Jul 12, 2010)

You do not need a 850 watt power supply for that kind of rig unless you plan to greatly expand it in the future. 500 watts would be plenty.


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## ocgmj (Jul 12, 2010)

Your mobo & cpu don't match. You selected a 1156 socket mobo with a 1366 socket cpu.
MOBO
CPU


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## Jackofblades (Jul 12, 2010)

Yeah that was a derp moment on the CPU... originally I was decided between the two and i choose 1156 just forgot to switch the CPU though >.>

 The right CPU lol http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4959972&CatId=4726


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## Arrakis9 (Jul 12, 2010)

if your on a budget go for a socket 1156 proc not a 1366. also get something other than an intel board as the price/performance ratio is very low with intel vs other brands such as asus msi & gigabyte


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## ocgmj (Jul 12, 2010)

The link you posted for the ram points to laptop ram.


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## Jackofblades (Jul 12, 2010)

Sigh...


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## Jackofblades (Jul 12, 2010)

ocgmj said:


> The link you posted for the ram points to laptop ram.


/facepalm indeed it does I wondered why it was so much cheaper


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## ocgmj (Jul 12, 2010)

I have used this ram in cheaper builds worked great.


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## Arrakis9 (Jul 12, 2010)

also if your going to be pulling a hard drive out of your old system to supplement the new one. make sure you back up all the data first & then run a hard drive checking tool such as seatools to make sure the drive is in good condition.


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## Jackofblades (Jul 12, 2010)

ocgmj said:


> I have used this ram in cheaper builds worked great.



I will use those they sound good.
thanks


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## ocgmj (Jul 12, 2010)

Jackofblades said:


> I will use those they sound good.
> thanks



Cool. Here is a suggestion on a PSU.


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## Jackofblades (Jul 12, 2010)

ocgmj said:


> Cool. Here is a suggestion on a PSU.



Looks good.
If I need to start making price cuts on stuff do you think I could do with a lower PSU?


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## ocgmj (Jul 12, 2010)

IMHO a PSU is not where to make your price cuts.


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## zithe (Jul 12, 2010)

If you need to make price cuts, I'd suggest getting an i5 750 and a 5750.


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## Jackofblades (Jul 12, 2010)

Like I said I don't know much on how much power I need


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## ocgmj (Jul 12, 2010)

I came up with $645.94(plus if you have tax in your state) guessing shipping would be around $25. Also have $30 in rebates.


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## 20mmrain (Jul 12, 2010)

Jackofblades said:


> My current computer is kinda old and I always wanted to build my own gaming machine. So I finally am  but im on a budget ($800 is pushing it) and I dont know everything about computers so I came here for advice.
> Heres what I got so far (if you know something better for less Id like to know)
> (I might fail so hard some parts aren't even compatible >.>)
> 
> ...



Like someone else has already said. You don't need that high of a power supply if you are not planning to upgrade in the future.

And if you are .... I would plan on buying a better brand of PSU then that one. 

I would go for a brand more like Corsair/ Antec/ Seagate.

But if you are not going to upgrade in the future. Get a lesser PSU. maybe a 650Watt Corsair. You might be getting less power but you would be getting a better brand. 

When looking at PSU's you have to remember the wattage is not always the most important thing. AMPS per Rails are also important. 

I prefer a single Rail PSU with higher AMPS opposed to those that say Multi Rail PSU's with moderate amps is better. But I think most would agree with me. 


Also if you will be using this computer for mostly if not all gaming. Remember the GPU is the most important thing for that.

You could get away with a lesser CPU..... something like an i5/ higher class i3 or even go AMD with there Phenom II quad cores.

Then use the extra money to get a better and more powerful GPU like a 5850 or the new GTX 460. Possibly scrounge up more and even get a 5870.

I also notice your CPU and MOB are not compatible. You need a Socket 1156 CPU opposed to a socket 1336 CPU

Also your RAM that you have picked out is not for your MOB either. 

You should really do some more research bud  

Good luck


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## 1nf3rn0x (Jul 12, 2010)

Jack, it all depends what you want, do you want the latest quad core cpu, or you wouldn't mind buying a high end socket 775? They still perform great. An e8400 is a great dual core, it's cheap effective and fast. This is what I would of built for you, it's cheap, powerful and effective.!

$167 CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cach...

$100 Motherboard: http://ijk.com.au/branch/ijk/product_info.php?cPath=51_270&products_id=127811
(Asus make some of the best motherboards)

$99 RAM: Corsair TWIN2X4096-6400C5C

$89 PSU (power supply): CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready...

$249 GPU: Palit NE5X460HF1102 GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) SONIC ...

$64 CASE: Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid T... 

I transferred it to American currency. In total it will cost $768 and provide a large performance boost over the 5770, i mean like double the performance.
Anyway it's your decision not mine, but if I were you, I would've bought the above system. -1nf3rn0x


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## Jackofblades (Jul 12, 2010)

20mmrain said:


> I also notice your CPU and MOB are not compatible. You need a Socket 1156 CPU opposed to a socket 1336 CPU
> 
> Also your RAM that you have picked out is not for your MOB either.
> 
> ...



I already fixed the cpu. I gave the wrong link


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## TheMailMan78 (Jul 13, 2010)

PSU= Most important component. Go with Enermax, Antec, or Corsair. DO NOT GO CHEAP ON THIS.

RAM= G-Skill, Patriot, Corsair

Mobo= Asus, Gigabyte

Whats your budget?


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## 1nf3rn0x (Jul 13, 2010)

TheMailMan78 said:


> PSU= Most important component. Go with Enermax, Antec, or Corsair. DO NOT GO CHEAP ON THIS.
> 
> RAM= G-Skill, Patriot, Corsair
> 
> ...



His budget is $800, I don't see whats wrong my suggestion..? It performs better than other systems posted.


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## 20mmrain (Jul 13, 2010)

Alright bud.... I will right you out a very basic guide to picking out parts for 2010 for a gaming rig.

*Motherboard:*Picking out the motherboard is very important. It will decide in many ways what type of parts you will need. 
For most gaming rigs in 2010 you will be using middle to high end motherboards. 

With that said your first choice should be the socket type. This is very important because the type of socket you get on your motherboard will tell you what type of CPU's you have to choose from. 

*Intel Sockets*
Socket 775(older no more upgrades)
Socket 1156(newer will be upgraded middle end)
Socket 1336 (Newer will be upgraded highend)

*AMD sockets*
Socket AM2(older no more updates)
Socket AM2+(Newer Moderate updates)
Socket AM3 (Newest upgradeable and most often Highend sometimes backwards compatible with AM2+)

So lets' pretend for all intents and purposes you want to go with Intel Socket 1156. That means when you pick out your Intel CPU. You have to choose from the Intel CPU's that are compatible with Intel's socket 1156.

*Motherboard and RAM*

Your Motherboard will also tell you what types of RAM you have to choose from. This spec is usually located at the E -tailer's (That you will be buying it from) list of features about the Part.

Again let's take you are building a Socket 1156 Intel System. You then would look in your motherboard Feature Spec list.... and see what type of RAM you would need to make your motherboard work. 

I know most Socket 1156's (If not all) Need DDR3 Duel Channel RAM. That same spec would tell you what type of speed of your RAM you could use with your motherboard. 

Again just for example most Intel Socket 1156 Motherboards use standard 1066Mhz to 1333Mhz of RAM. 

So that is what type of RAM you would need. So that is how you would pick it out.  

***Be carful at this point though Make sure it is Desktop RAM you are looking for and not Laptop RAM. There is a huge Size difference and it just won't work!****

*Expansion Cards on Motherboard*

This is important.... you need to make sure the motherboard you are looking at has the right type of expansion slots so that you can install the Video card you want/ Sound Card(if needed) Exc......

So for example if you are building a Gaming system.... You would need at least one PCIe 2.0 slot for your video card. Two if you are planning to go SLI or Crossfire in the future.

****Be careful though. There are different speeds for the PCIe slots. Make sure you are looking for PCIe 2.0 x16 (But often just called PCIe 2.0)

*Motherboard and Storage* 

You also have too know what type of connectors you Motherboard has for connecting your Hard Drive (s) and CD/DVD Drive. 

This will come in handy latter when picking out your compatible Hard Drive and Optical Drives. You don't want to buy SATA drives when you only are compatible with IDE.

(But most Motherboards have both Luckily)

*CPU*

So now that you now the very basics of how to pick out your Motherboard.... now you move on to your CPU.

Make sure first and for most that you pick out your CPU's performance. You don't want to buy anything that is unnecessary to your needs or that is not strong enough either for your needs.

Again remember the make believe case that we choose a Socket 1156 motherboard. Well that means we now need to look at Intel Socket 1156 CPU's.

So we would look under that and make sure before we order that the CPU is compatible with Socket 1156 (Or what ever you decide on)

*RAM*

Same way we picked out the CPU is basically the same way we will pick out your RAM. 

You just check your Motherboard specs and match it accordingly.

Same thing for your RAM pick out how much you need and the speed according to your needs. 

In the case of a gaming Rig..... You would want no less the DDR 2 800 Mhz But in reality DDR3 1333 Mhz is probably were you want to be for future proofing. Also because of todays high end operating systems and Programs I probably wouldn't go less then 4 Gig of RAM for the Amount.

* Video card....*

This part we talked about a little already.... for a gaming system you want something powerful. But if you play on a little screen you don't want overkill either.

So look around at reviews and get an Idea of how much power you need. Different Video cards work better on different size screens. Some cards are overkill if you are playing on a small screen some are just perfect for a small screen. And Visa versa. 

You also want to make sure that your Video card is compatible with your motherboard. You don't want to buy a AGP slot video card if your motherboard only has PCIe 2.0 slots.

make sure it is compatible.

But for a gaming Rig in 2010 for a middle budget.... I would look at the GTX 460/GTX275/GTX260 and on ATI's side 5770/5750/4870/4850

*****Taking a break will right more in a couple of minutes...... I am only writing this because it seems like you have a few things confused about the parts you listed on your first gaming rig build.******


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## TheMailMan78 (Jul 13, 2010)

Here is a solid build with the future in mind. 799.94 BAM! On the money.


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## Jackofblades (Jul 13, 2010)

Nice guide there.
Im not terrible with computers I actually was originally trying to decide between 1156 and 1136 and I linked the wrong link. And I actually did accidentally pick laptop RAM earlier but fixed that lol. (still found the guide useful though)


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## 20mmrain (Jul 13, 2010)

Jackofblades said:


> Nice guide there.
> Im not terrible with computers I actually was originally trying to decide between 1156 and 1136 and I linked the wrong link. And I actually did accidentally pick laptop RAM earlier but fixed that lol. (still found the guide useful though)



Well my bad bro.... sorry 

I just thought you might have been starting out building and I know when your trying to teach yourself ( coming from a guy who originally did) It is sometimes hard to get good information. 

Some people don't want to take the time to give the knowledge up. (People at TPU usually do though)

So it you got any other questions don't hesitate to ask bud.


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## mdsx1950 (Jul 13, 2010)

+1 to MailMan's build.


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## brandonwh64 (Jul 13, 2010)

1nf3rn0x said:


> Jack, it all depends what you want, do you want the latest quad core cpu, or you wouldn't mind buying a high end socket 775? They still perform great. An e8400 is a great dual core, it's cheap effective and fast. This is what I would of built for you, it's cheap, powerful and effective.!
> 
> $167 CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cach...
> 
> ...



IMO this would be a waste of money. he should just go with a 1156 COMBO or A AM3 combo. theres no need to pay this much, Especially for that CPU!


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## 20mmrain (Jul 13, 2010)

brandonwh64 said:


> IMO this would be a waste of money. he should just go with a 1156 COMBO or A AM3 combo. theres no need to pay this much, Especially for that CPU!



+1 on this statement.... especially if he would like more upgradeable in the future. You know as well as I once someone get's the build bug.... they always want to improve on it.

A build with either AM3 or 1156 would give that person more options in the future. Socket 775 will be dead sooner then later unlike these.


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## brandonwh64 (Jul 13, 2010)

20mmrain said:


> +1 on this statement.... especially if he would like more upgradeable in the future. You know as well as I once someone get's the build bug.... they always want to improve on it.
> 
> A build with either AM3 or 1156 would give that person more options in the future. Socket 775 will be dead sooner then later unlike these.



Yea 775 would be good for someone that doesn't use the PC for gaming and doesn't use the PC much, just to email browse web, LIGHT gaming. I know there are still some high end 775 CPUs but the price/performance ratio is horrible and wouldn't be worth it in the long run.


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## yogurt_21 (Jul 13, 2010)

brandonwh64 said:


> Yea 775 would be good for someone that doesn't use the PC for gaming and doesn't use the PC much, just to email browse web, LIGHT gaming. I know there are still some high end 775 CPUs but the price/performance ratio is horrible and wouldn't be worth it in the long run.



sigh, only if you buy new, used it's price/perf ratio becomes better and really did you just write that it's only good for web browsing?

my athlon xp 1800 is good for web browsing
pentium 2's are good for web browsing.

I get the price/perf argument, but don't just post up whatever bs manages to migrate into your head. seriously

http://www1.techpowerup.com/reviews/Intel/Core_i5_661/11.html

based on the tpu review the heavier you game the less the cpu matters, and that's supported by almost eevry review out there. CPU encoding, memory performance, file compression, and etc. thiese are where the i5's and i7's excel gaming is really down to the gpu. and on that note, I'm you're hucklberry.


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## JrRacinFan (Jul 13, 2010)

TheMailMan78 said:


> Here is a solid build with the future in mind. 799.94 BAM! On the money.
> 
> http://img.techpowerup.org/100713/Untitled.jpg



Nice build! Although 3 changes I would make to this.

Bump down motherboard(brand only):
ASRock 890FX DELUXE3 AM3 AMD 890FX SATA 6Gb/s USB ...

*EDIT Instead why not an SLI motherboard to pair with that Fermi card:*
ASUS M4N98TD EVO AM3 NVIDIA nForce 980a SLI ATX AM...

So you can afford to go this route:
AMD Phenom II X6 1055T Thuban 2.8GHz 6 x 512KB L2 ...

Ram, this one is rated for same bandwith but cas latency 7 instead of 9:
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 ...



20mmrain said:


> +1 on this statement.... especially if he would like more upgradeable in the future. You know as well as I once someone get's the build bug.... they always want to improve on it.
> 
> A build with either AM3 or 1156 would give that person more options in the future. Socket 775 will be dead sooner then later unlike these.



Never is such as thing as futureproofing. Basically 1156 socket is "dead". AM3 at least will have (99% sure) Bulldozer.


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## TheMailMan78 (Jul 13, 2010)

JrRacinFan said:


> Nice build! Although 3 changes I would make to this.
> 
> Bump down motherboard(brand only):
> ASRock 890FX DELUXE3 AM3 AMD 890FX SATA 6Gb/s USB ...
> ...



I have no issues with SLI. However as of today the 58xx series offers better over all performance but NOT in the 200 range. That is why I went with a crossfire broad (future proofing) with a 460 (best now in his range). Also remember his budget is 800 bucks. A 1055T will knock him over that but the board will be good for "Bulldozer" later on. This is a gaming rig. A 955 is more then enough 

See I did in fact give some thought to the rig I posted. If I were building for long term that is what I would do for him as a gaming rig.


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## Jackofblades (Jul 14, 2010)

why  that graphics card?
isn't the original one I posted better than that 1?


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## TheMailMan78 (Jul 14, 2010)

Jackofblades said:


> why  that graphics card?
> isn't the original one I posted better than that 1?



No. The 5770 is a good card no doubt. However the 460 eats its lunch in raw performance.

Here is an example....







See where the 5770 is compared to the 460?


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## Jackofblades (Jul 14, 2010)

how is it better though? whats making it outperform?


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## MadClown (Jul 14, 2010)

+1 to whatever mailman says, listen to him.


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## TheMailMan78 (Jul 14, 2010)

Jackofblades said:


> how is it better though? whats making it outperform?



More ROPS, Transistors and a completely different architecture.


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## 20mmrain (Jul 14, 2010)

I am an ATI fan for sure. But because of your price range.... I would also suggest a GTX 460 .... Most definitely better then ATI's offerings for that price range. 

If you had a higher budget I would easily suggest a 5850 or 5870 or Crossfire either. In that price range ATI has Nvidia beat hands down IMO.

But since not...in that price range....

GTX 460 FTW!


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## Zen_ (Jul 14, 2010)

I put a Rosewill RG530 in my dad's computer about 18 months ago and it's been running nicely since. There are some decent Rosewill units but the deal is that it's a newegg house brand, all they do is rebrand products so quality does vary. 

About a month ago I got the Cooler Master 600w Silent Pro on newegg for $70, which I thought was an amazing deal. It was rated well on JohnnyGuru, is very quiet, has nice modular cables and very stable rails. If you're not buying this stuff right away I'd keep an eye on it going back down to $70.


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## Deleted member 74752 (Jul 17, 2010)

If you should decide to go socket 775, here is a kick ass deal on a Evga 790i Ultra SLI... http://www.evga.com/products/prodlist.asp?switch=20

With a decent cooler you can expect around 4GHz 24/7 with a chip such as an e8400. Coupled with a Evga 460 this would be a cheap little barn burner for gaming. For that matter, look at the GTS 8800 640mb on sale there as well...two of those in sli would be pretty sweet for the money.


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## joeyck (Jul 17, 2010)

1nf3rn0x said:


> Jack, it all depends what you want, do you want the latest quad core cpu, or you wouldn't mind buying a high end socket 775? They still perform great. An e8400 is a great dual core, it's cheap effective and fast. This is what I would of built for you, it's cheap, powerful and effective.!
> 
> $167 CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cach...
> 
> ...



Okay I've made some stupid decisions in my past with computers but wtf??? a GTX460 with that CPU? I wouldn't go under a quad core with this GPU... get a q9550 or shit even a q6600 and if looking for AMD get a 955 / 965 and for a first time builder a GTX460 would be extreme... i would get a GTX 260 or a 5770 but its up him in the end.


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## Jackofblades (Jul 17, 2010)

Going with themailmans build. Its a good build that I can upgrade later without it going out of date soon


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## joeyck (Jul 17, 2010)

now thats what i call a monster go with mail on this one i'm looking at the same exact GFX as well  460s r nice also considering a 260 but i will open up my own thread and ask there


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## TheMailMan78 (Jul 17, 2010)

Jackofblades said:


> Going with themailmans build. Its a good build that I can upgrade later without it going out of date soon



Like I told ya in the PM, you will want to get a better case later on. Other then that you will have one hell of a build.


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