# First Build Advice, Basic!



## kyle2020 (Apr 18, 2008)

Just thought I would create a small post to put many first time builders minds at ease.

Before any of this, please consider what you will be using this system for - if its for everyday home use, such as searching the internet or doing word processing, you wont need a top of the line graphics card, you can suffice on integrated. If yu plan on using programs such as photoshop and video editors often, youll be wanting higher ammounts of RAM, a more powerful processor and possible a mid level GFX card. Just consider this before purchasing parts! 

Right, first things first, before you even consider looking up all those quad cores and 9 series Nvidia cards - 

1. Your budget. Please please PLEASE set yourself a strict budget and stick by it, or else you could find yourself buying things that cause you to scrimp out on other, possibly more important items later on. e.g you spend an extra £20 - £30 on a graphics card, then end up cutting that £30 or so on a cheaper quality PSU. see? DONT RISK IT!

2. Do as much research as you possibly can - research until your keyboard works no longer if you must. Dont go head first into buying something, only to be dissapointed over compatability issues down the line. You can never do enough research, and the more you do, the more clued up youll be, and this will put your mind at ease BIG STYLE.

3. Price search - youll never begin to imagine the bargains you'll find if you hunt about, and everyone wants to save some pennys. Just think, if you find the RAM you where after for a tenner cheaper, you can put that towards a better CPU or something. Just dont go buying cheaper quality to save money, it'll cost more in the long run should something go wrong.

4. Ask around! not sure on a part, ask a friend who has more build knowledge or drop a thread on here - asking questions is free and can only help!

5. The build. Once you have researched, bargain hunted and HOPEFULLY stuck to your budget, the biggest part arives. actually, i shouldnt say that, because building a PC yourself is easy if you take your time. Just google "how to build a pc" and im 100% sure you will get an idiot proof guide. Or even better, get a computer thats of a similar setup to what you've purchased, rip the side off and have a poke about! I have just finished my first build and can personally say, that with NO help what so ever, i found the hardest part to be the Power Supply. Everything else just dropped into place from common sense. Take your time building, and you will get through it a'okay. 

6. Once your confident your done, check everything is sat correctly, everything that needs juice from your power supply is getting it and that none of the cables are loose, and then take a deep breath. With any hope, you'll have finished building your rig and can stand back and think "I just did that myself". And allow the grin to spread across your face upon first boot up when Vista asks for your Language settings.  Again, any problems arise, ring someone or drop a thread on here, im sure theres someone that can help!

This is a very very basic guide, but from the little help i had, im sure it will give reassurance to someone in my position. Just take your time, and enjoy the fruits of your labour:

YOUR FIRST BUILD!!!!​
we salute you!  haha.

(all feedback appreciated, be kind =D)

Oh, and remember, if i helped you in any way, remember to click thanks


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## Black Panther (Apr 18, 2008)

Very good post! When I built my own pc I thought I had done everything perfectly. I was very lucky in that after assembley the pc POSTED without problems, considering it was my very first build and I was so nervous I nearly had sweat dripping off my hands onto everything! 

Sure I was correct (imo) as far as the processor and motherboard choices were concerned because I easily oc the proc to 3.2Ghz on the zalman and achieve benchmarks close to the 8400. I keep it on 3.0Ghz for day to day with speedstep so that it is 2.0Ghz while I'm not gaming. 

However I realised my mistake of the 8600GTS a couple of months later. It's a very weak card but at least I managed to get some bucks for it from my dad by putting it in my brother's pc! The 8800 series were very out of my budget in early 2007. 

Now, some months later I realise that my PSU isn't that powerful were I to upgrade...

But wait a second... it's true that I was lucky in that my E4300 overclocks well and keeps cool but then I realised that I had bought one of the lowest end core 2's on the market....

I also feel sorry that the P5B which I have doesn't support sli because that'd be a future investment, but at least it supports the new 45nm processors which means I still got something to look forward to. 

However the new 45nm procs have an FSB of 1333Mhz which would then mean that my poor P5B would be maxed out hence no more overclocking adventures for me....

Sigh, I sooo wish I could keep ahead of technology. 

If only I was filthy rich I'd get all the highest stuff and pwn even k|ngp|n.......  That'd be nice!


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## MKmods (Apr 18, 2008)

I would put as rule #1 the comps purpose. You really need to set a guideline for what the comp is gonna be used for.
Surfing the internet
Gaming
Video Editing
etc..
Once you know what its gonna do you can look for info on the parts ur gonna need.
Than Budget 
than shop for deals

Very good thread idea, it would be nice to have a guideline to help people new to building.


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## kyle2020 (Apr 18, 2008)

thank you panther! and as you said, im sure that if we could all be rich we would all keep bang on time with technology, but where would the excitement of waiting for a new upgrade be? 

MK, thanks for the reply, and i really didnt think about purpose, very good point! when you say guideline, do you mean structure a plan on what to buy if your after a home use system, or a budget gaming setup? if so i could include some other aspects.

The feedback is greatly appreciated!


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## MKmods (Apr 18, 2008)

I think if you add specific hardware it becomes too complicated. 

Better to stick with things like Purpose, Budget,shopping for deals, ask friends and so on

(oh yea a new Rule #1, get a good PS first, lol)


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## Black Panther (Apr 18, 2008)

MKmods said:


> I would put as rule #1 the comps purpose. You really need to set a guideline for what the comp is gonna be used for.
> Surfing the internet
> Gaming
> Video Editing
> ...



Exactly. Nothing pi$$es me off more than having someone buy a computer unsuitable for one's needs. I'm sorry for being so blunt and  but I'm really irritated from personal experience.... my mum bought a Qosmio G20 in '05....... just for the reason that from the UK it was half the price that it is in my country. In Malta the price was $3000 and in the UK it was half the price.

Now at that time that laptop had a good gaming video card, a tv tuner, 2 HDD's in raid 0, a powerful processor.... you name it and it got it. High end for 3 years ago. When she came from the UK I had to teach her how to switch it on , and for the last 3 years she did nothing except browse the internet and chat on msn with relatives and send a couple of emails...  What a waste.... 

(And yeah I've been begging her to sell it to me and she keeps refusing  )


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## kyle2020 (Apr 18, 2008)

i see where you're coming from, thanks for the feedback haha.

Bad experience with PSU's then?


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## kyle2020 (Apr 18, 2008)

Black Panther said:


> Exactly. Nothing pi$$es me off more than having someone buy a computer unsuitable for one's needs. I'm sorry for being so blunt and  but I'm really irritated from personal experience.... my mum bought a Qosmio G20 in '05....... just for the reason that from the UK it was half the price that it is in my country. In Malta the price was $3000 and in the UK it was half the price.
> 
> Now at that time that laptop had a good gaming video card, a tv tuner, 2 HDD's in raid 0, a powerful processor.... you name it and it got it. High end for 3 years ago. When she came from the UK I had to teach her how to switch it on , and for the last 3 years she did nothing except browse the internet and chat on msn with relatives and send a couple of emails...  What a waste....
> 
> (And yeah I've been begging her to sell it to me and she keeps refusing  )





i totally agree! it seems to be something either the older generations will do or people with more money than sense!  A neighbour of mine recently purchased 2 laptops, one for himself and for his wife, both of whom are in their 70's. The poor guy didnt even understand how to set windows up. I sat him down for about an hour and taught him the UTTER BASICS, such as turning on / off, how to use the internet, copy&pasting, etc. A month down the line hes taught himself and is now very PC savvy for his age


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## Black Panther (Apr 18, 2008)

kyle2020 said:


> i see where you're coming from, thanks for the feedback haha.
> 
> Bad experience with PSU's then?



Not exactly because my PSU in my system specs is still serving me well so far. However I admit that I got a bit worried that it wasn't a very reputable brand especially when I got my 8800GT. It is 550W but I wondered if my dual +12V rails of 16A and 18A were sufficient to deal with the 26A required on the +12V rail for the 8800GT..... Now I know that they can.... *sigh of relief!*


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## Jimmy 2004 (Apr 18, 2008)

Nice guide, short but informative. Thread stickied


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## kyle2020 (Apr 18, 2008)

Black Panther said:


> Not exactly because my PSU in my system specs is still serving me well so far. However I admit that I got a bit worried that it wasn't a very reputable brand especially when I got my 8800GT. It is 550W but I wondered if my dual +12V rails of 16A and 18A were sufficient to deal with the 26A required on the +12V rail for the 8800GT..... Now I know that they can.... *sigh of relief!*



Thats good then! i had the same worry, i purchased a 700W PSU from a company called EZ-Cool, after a reccomendation from a friend, but i had personally never heard of them. 2 months down the line, it hasnt skipped a beat. fingers crossed! =D


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## kyle2020 (Apr 18, 2008)

Jimmy 2004 said:


> Nice guide, short but informative. Thread stickied



Wow, thanks! Might do a bit more of an in-depth one  some time, but still keep it simple so it doesnt scare off first timers. Thanks!


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## CrackerJack (Apr 21, 2008)

Nice guide man!!


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## Azazel (Apr 21, 2008)

nice guide dude


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## kyle2020 (Apr 21, 2008)

CrackerJack said:


> Nice guide man!!



thank you very much, comments are well appreciated


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## kyle2020 (Apr 21, 2008)

azazel said:


> nice guide dude



you too azazell


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## Azazel (Apr 21, 2008)

kyle2020 said:


> you too azazell



 np....and your ava makes me hungry...i feel like a fully loaded...


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## kyle2020 (Apr 21, 2008)

azazel said:


> np....and your ava makes me hungry...i feel like a fully loaded...



haha! please dont, im hungry enough as it is . . . urgh, i might have to go to KFC tomorrow now, thanks alot! haha.


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## Azazel (Apr 21, 2008)

kyle2020 said:


> haha! please dont, im hungry enough as it is . . . urgh, i might have to go to KFC tomorrow now, thanks alot! haha.



haha lol..sorry hehe


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## JrRacinFan (Apr 22, 2008)

Great guide Kyle. You may need to add as a rule of thumb though. *Most important parts are your motherboard and power supply to base off of.* From those items you can then consider which video cards, which processor, which ram .... etc.


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## kyle2020 (Apr 23, 2008)

JrRacinFan said:


> Great guide Kyle. You may need to add as a rule of thumb though. *Most important parts are your motherboard and power supply to base off of.* From those items you can then consider which video cards, which processor, which ram .... etc.



good suggestions Jr, im currently writing a more comprehensive guide so ill keep that in mind. cheers!


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## saadzaman126 (Apr 23, 2008)

sick post im trying to build a pc my self... yes i am a newbie firstimer... so u can imagine


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## kyle2020 (Apr 23, 2008)

saadzaman126 said:


> sick post im trying to build a pc my self... yes i am a newbie firstimer... so u can imagine



i can haha, i was in your position 2 or so months ago. stick at it, and dont get scared off by fancy names and numbers, its really simple once your into it  if you need any help, just message me and ill be happy to assist!


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## saadzaman126 (Apr 23, 2008)

thanx a lot, and don't worry i definitly will take u up on that offer


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## SUPERREDDEVIL (Apr 24, 2008)

please check my rig and tell me if it´s a good machine for gaming.

(right now i´m playing assasin´s creed with everithing maxed)

thank´s pal!


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## kyle2020 (Apr 24, 2008)

SUPERREDDEVIL said:


> please check my rig and tell me if it´s a good machine for gaming.
> 
> (right now i´m playing assasin´s creed with everithing maxed)
> 
> thank´s pal!



All looks good my friend, only two areas that stand out for me mind - the maxtor drive, ive heard a few bad reviews about them, just keep an eye out for it. Also, the 8600GT - smashing crad but ive heard they dont perform to the best of standards against 8800GT's - 8800GTS on games like crysis etc. if your not going for newer, more resource hungry games like that and COD then your fine. if so, you can pick up an 8800GT now for £100  overall your system kicks arse mate. keep up the good work!


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## saadzaman126 (Apr 24, 2008)

SUPERREDDEVIL said:


> please check my rig and tell me if it´s a good machine for gaming.
> 
> (right now i´m playing assasin´s creed with everithing maxed)
> 
> thank´s pal!



looks sick and all but i have to say the same if u don't got enough for 8800GT then get 8800 gs or 8600 gts and i had a maxtor drive then hardrive crash more than other companies


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## kyle2020 (Apr 28, 2008)

getting close to 500 views! thanks for all the support guys of TPU!


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## saadzaman126 (Apr 28, 2008)

472 right now


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## kyle2020 (Apr 29, 2008)

well, we did it! 500 views! thanks to everyone for the support! thanks to TPU as a whole!  :cheers:


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## saadzaman126 (Apr 29, 2008)

congrats good job


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## saadzaman126 (Apr 29, 2008)

SUPERREDDEVIL said:


> please check my rig and tell me if it´s a good machine for gaming.
> 
> (right now i´m playing assasin´s creed with everithing maxed)
> 
> thank´s pal!



great system man, but instead of maxtor i'd go for seagate barricuda 250 gb on sites u can find them for around for $52.00 and the 8600 gt is a good card if its enough for u good but u could go for 8600 gts or 8800 gs or the best id say the palit 9600 gt at ncix its going for $132.00


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## kyle2020 (May 7, 2008)

666 views at time of posting! thanks for all the support TPU! be sure to hit the thanks button if this has helped you!


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## Odin Eidolon (May 7, 2008)

this rig u see is my first build (althought i had some previous computer experience, this is the only i built myself), and i was wondering: what do you think is the bottleneck???

Great idea you had with this post kyle!


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## kyle2020 (May 7, 2008)

Odin Eidolon said:


> this rig u see is my first build (althought i had some previous computer experience, this is the only i built myself), and i was wondering: what do you think is the bottleneck???
> 
> Great idea you had with this post kyle!



thanks for the positive feedback!

if i be completely honest, you will have to speak to a more "seasoned" computer builder than myself to get an answer to that question. My system has only been built around 4 months and i have only jusr recently delved into the world of overclocking, so i really couldnt tell you.

thanks for the view/feedback though!


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## kyle2020 (May 13, 2008)

800 Views! thanks everyone here on TPU! i look forward to the milestone that is 1000 views! Thanks again!


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## kyle2020 (May 21, 2008)

wow! never thought i would get this many views, but at a shade over 1000 views i must say thanks to TPU!


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## -Skream- (May 23, 2008)

good thread thanks!


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## kyle2020 (May 24, 2008)

-Skream- said:


> good thread thanks!



Glad i have helped! if you need any additional advice or anything, just message me!


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## ste2425 (May 30, 2008)

i onestly wish id read this post bout three months ago when i did by first build. I was foolish enough just to go for it and buy the first thing that cam up on ebay I ended up with a pentium 4 1.9 ghz, 512mb ram, nvidia 6800gt video card, which i gues aint too bad untill i realised the socket motherboard (423) is redundant and carnt be upgraded to anything o well it was good fun but yea this post was very helpfull for me


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## kyle2020 (May 30, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> i onestly wish id read this post bout three months ago when i did by first build. I was foolish enough just to go for it and buy the first thing that cam up on ebay I ended up with a pentium 4 1.9 ghz, 512mb ram, nvidia 6800gt video card, which i gues aint too bad untill i realised the socket motherboard (423) is redundant and carnt be upgraded to anything o well it was good fun but yea this post was very helpfull for me



ouch! sounds like you rushed in 

Well im glad my post could have helped - now all we need is a deloreon and jiggawatts . . .


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## ste2425 (May 30, 2008)

hahaha yea, but one good thing came out of it.... i now ave a lime green case


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## kyle2020 (May 30, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> hahaha yea, but one good thing came out of it.... i now ave a lime green case



pictures please? haha. sounds like some alienware shit going on right there!


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## ste2425 (May 30, 2008)

Ok lol here goes






















And there we go  not fully finished yet and only added the toggle switch today oh and used to have 'flames' comeing out the top of the blow-hole but the fabric stuff got ripped

wat bout ur rig? any special paint jobs


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## kyle2020 (May 31, 2008)

wow that looks pretty awesome  very nice!

no special paint job here, just a bog standard antec 900 with a few parts manufacturers stickers on the side 

i prefer minimalistic 

*might put some pictures up later*


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## ste2425 (May 31, 2008)

lol cheers, maby i should ave thought about the inside more then the outside when building it o well. Seeing as this is a guide to building your own rig there's still one thing that confuses me. I want to purchase a nvidia 8800gt graphics card but i needs a 6-pin pci express card connector from my psu with 22 amps on that connector. Well the one i have doesnt have the connection but i don't no what the amp's thing is all about i don't understand it all. When i first built it and bought my psu i thought they we all generic and the same. Could u shine a ligth on the situation please  cheers


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## kyle2020 (Jun 1, 2008)

ste2425 said:


> lol cheers, maby i should ave thought about the inside more then the outside when building it o well. Seeing as this is a guide to building your own rig there's still one thing that confuses me. I want to purchase a nvidia 8800gt graphics card but i needs a 6-pin pci express card connector from my psu with 22 amps on that connector. Well the one i have doesnt have the connection but i don't no what the amp's thing is all about i don't understand it all. When i first built it and bought my psu i thought they we all generic and the same. Could u shine a ligth on the situation please  cheers



Right. Your current psu, what brand is it? if its a none named psu i wouldnt trust it at 400W to power all that and a GT. Your best best would be to invest in a new one - go for a brand such as OCZ, hiper, arctic cooling, etc. Even if you only go for another 400W one, itll handle the task better. I purchased my 700W one because it was cheap and i had read some good reviews about it, even though its not a major brand. If you do buy a major branded one, it will come with your 6 pin input - mine has 2 seeing as its a gaming specific one for an SLI rig. 

Remember, spend a bit more for better quality and you wont regret it


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## kyle2020 (Jun 1, 2008)

For example, this is a spot on PSU (wish id have had one of these purely for removeable cables)


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## JrRacinFan (Jun 1, 2008)

Kyle, no offense, but I wouldn't touch a Hiper with a ten foot pole (2 meters ).

EDIT:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/135159

That is much better IMO.


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## kyle2020 (Jun 1, 2008)

JrRacinFan said:


> Kyle, no offense, but I wouldn't touch a Hiper with a ten foot pole (2 meters ).
> 
> EDIT:
> http://www.ebuyer.com/product/135159
> ...



really? why not?


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## JrRacinFan (Jun 1, 2008)

Too many horror stories of rigs catching on fire and the such.


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## kyle2020 (Jun 1, 2008)

JrRacinFan said:


> Too many horror stories of rigs catching on fire and the such.



i always assumed by reviews and how many people buy them that they were one of the best brands of psu 

i took the risk and bought a not - so - heard - of one and its been fine so far


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## JrRacinFan (Jun 1, 2008)

Well, if you can find me the UL "eXXXXXX" number on the label I can research for you and tell you exactly who the OEM was on it.


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## ste2425 (Jun 1, 2008)

hey thanks for the help, ill check out the ocz one coz ive heard allot about them and they seem quite good from what ive heard. And the reason im upgrading is coz now i have a 30 pin 300 wat psu coz my ova broke, maby not a smart idea usin it with a 24 pin motherboard but it seem's to work fine


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## kyle2020 (Jun 1, 2008)

haha i would go with the OCZ - did a quick review read up and they seem good.


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## thoughtdisorder (Jun 1, 2008)

Don't know how I haven't stumbled on this yet! Nice Job Kyle!


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## kyle2020 (Jun 1, 2008)

thoughtdisorder said:


> Don't know how I haven't stumbled on this yet! Nice Job Kyle!



thank you very much!


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## ste2425 (Jun 1, 2008)

hey i said 30pin hahaha i mean 20pin woops maby in a nova couple of years


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## kyle2020 (Jun 3, 2008)

maybe! haha. Anymore build aspects upcoming ste?


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## ste2425 (Jun 5, 2008)

actually ive just bough 16 green Leds for the front window, 8 on either side, to give it a glow effect, itl be fun tryin to wire them up to a connector from my psu but hey if all goes wrong ill no not the cut the wire or attach one wire to the other


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## ilike2lol (Jun 13, 2008)

I'm very new to learning about computers and am on my way to building my own I'm so glad I found this thread 
This stuff is great to know


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## kyle2020 (Jun 13, 2008)

ilike2lol said:


> I'm very new to learning about computers and am on my way to building my own I'm so glad I found this thread
> This stuff is great to know



im glad to hear it! 

If you need any additional information, im always here to help!


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## ste2425 (Jun 14, 2008)

hahaha if if you want any things NOT to do then ask me  coz i wished id listend when ppl told me instead of blowin up half my computer


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## kyle2020 (Jun 14, 2008)

bless 

Anything at all, just pm me


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## ste2425 (Jul 25, 2008)

Just letting u no that ive finish me mods lol added the lights the front window which has a lime green tint, looks great, got all the lights for power hdd etc an fan speed controlls etc an a spare cd drive bay cover thing, Two toggle switched on the bay cover for power an restet errrrrrrrrm i also added i done like thing on the top of the blow hole it mean i dont actually see the hole as its facing backwards but it still suck air in. An its finished, oh i also bought a ati hd 2600 xt graphics card (hope it was a smart mive)


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## kyle2020 (Jul 25, 2008)

sounds good ste! lets have some pictures then!


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## bignokki (Jul 26, 2008)

Hello, i have a x-cruiser cabinet, and i was wondering if you can change the blues led's in the front with green led's... just wondering if they use different volts and so... ?


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## kyle2020 (Jul 26, 2008)

bignokki said:


> Hello, i have a x-cruiser cabinet, and i was wondering if you can change the blues led's in the front with green led's... just wondering if they use different volts and so... ?



hey bignokki, welcome to TPU - what your asking is for the fan LED's am i correct?


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## bignokki (Jul 27, 2008)

no it's not the fan LED's it is LED's that is installed in the front... (connected with the 4-pin-molex from psu.. )

i dont hope I post more than one msg, got a bit internet-probs...


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## kyle2020 (Jul 27, 2008)

Nope, only one message haha - im having internet problems too . . . damn wireless. Anyway, if your wanting to replace case LED's you will have to see how the originals are being held in place - most likely by glue or solder. You will have to remove them like and then re-glue or solder your new ones in, and im sure a different colour wont draw any more power away than the old ones.


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## ste2425 (Jul 27, 2008)

I don't no much about this i just read a how-to sort of guide but my led's are connected straight to the psu through a 4-pin molex and i needed some resistors i think it was one for every four led's or sumit otherwise they didnt work. I had this website that told me what resistor i needed, i just filled info about the led's an power voltage. i can get the website again if you wish, Hopes this helps


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## bignokki (Jul 27, 2008)

that website would be very nice  if you can get it to me plz? then I atleast have something to read instead of just guessing...


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## ste2425 (Jul 28, 2008)

The website is http://ledcalc.com/ Its good but u have to make shure you no the power supply voltage is. Which will depend on what wire your using if you using a four pin molex. I can like give u some basic info of what i did for mine of you want coz it sounds like were doing/did the same thing.

The website is good as itl even tell you in what order you need to set the circuit up as well as how strong the resistor needs to be an how many per LED you may need.

When youve been on the website an put in you power supply voltage an the info on you LED's an clicked claculate. In the table that comes up below look at the 'Nearest higher rated resistor'. Which is the second box on the left. Thats the size resistor you will need. It'l make sense when you go on the website


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## bignokki (Jul 28, 2008)

nice that looks awesome... now I'll just have to go and buy my LED's and then calculate my resistor and get one of those


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## ste2425 (Jul 28, 2008)

kwl  i got mine of ebay  so what is it your actually doing with them? any photo's when there done?


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## bignokki (Jul 29, 2008)

post pics? sure.. when I've done tha mod i will  ... but im in spain atm, and will first be home on monday/tuesday...


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## JrRacinFan (Jul 29, 2008)

If you guys need help with LED calculations and resistance just PM me. I used to work with original Xbox1 cosmetic mods and needed to calculate the resistance needed alot. The best rail to draw from for your LEDs is the +5v rail. 

I should put up a guide and help thread, but too lazy LOL.


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## techjunkie (Jul 31, 2008)

Hey guys!
I'm new here and i joined because i wanted some advice on building my first pc. I've done a lot of research and have come up with what i believe is a good combination of parts . So here goes :

Q6600 with a zalman cooler(will oc until it doesn't bottleneck my video card)
nforce 680i
9800 GTX (will oc mildly)
4X 1GB hyperX ddr800
500 gb WD
antec 900

haven't still decided on a PSU though. What do you guys recommend?
any advice will be appreciated


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## kyle2020 (Jul 31, 2008)

techjunkie said:


> Hey guys!
> I'm new here and i joined because i wanted some advice on building my first pc. I've done a lot of research and have come up with what i believe is a good combination of parts . So here goes :
> 
> Q6600 with a zalman cooler(will oc until it doesn't bottleneck my video card)
> ...



Welcome to TPU my friend!

Right, lets get started. 

Might i ask what zalman cooler you intend to use? Quads need a high end cooler to dissipate heat efficiently, what model have you chose?

With the 9800, if you intend to overclock it, have you thought about buying an aftermarket cooler? You should really either run it naturally aspirated or if you do want to overclock, try and buy a new VGA cooler - stock ones just dont cut it.

The rest sounds fine, but id do a bit of surfing around for cases - I own a 900, great cooling etc, but the cable managements an absolute pain on them and theres no motherboard tray. 

Now as for a PSU, dont go buying a cheapo 700W MeGA P1mPIng one with thousands of LED's and so on - go for a well known brand like corsair, hiper or tagan. And try and go modular if you can afford it, makes everything alot tidier (Modular means you can remove cables that you arent using). Make sure there enough juice aswell, You'll need 600W+ to power a quad and a 9 series. I would recommend a Thermaltake Toughpower series, or if you have the money and like rock solid stable power + it to be flashy and modular, try and get a Tagan Piperock.

Hope i have helped in some form, any more questions, ill be more than happy to help!


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## techjunkie (Jul 31, 2008)

thanks for the post
i'm thinking of getting a zalman 9700 as i've seen it around a couple of builds. And about the vga cooler, would i need it if i'm only going up to, say, 750 on core given that i have lots of ventilation? I'm trying to keep to my budget of 850$

About cable management in antec 900 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnePBkCor1E
this guy makes it look easy. I'd give it a try as i love the 900 and wouldn't like to give up on it

thanks for your help on this 
really appreciate it


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## techjunkie (Jul 31, 2008)

also i'm considering going with 9600GT SLI as it seems to have an edge over the 9800GTX.

What do you think?


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## kyle2020 (Jul 31, 2008)

techjunkie said:


> thanks for the post
> i'm thinking of getting a zalman 9700 as i've seen it around a couple of builds. And about the vga cooler, would i need it if i'm only going up to, say, 750 on core given that i have lots of ventilation? I'm trying to keep to my budget of 850$
> 
> About cable management in antec 900 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnePBkCor1E
> ...



the 9700 is what im purchasing soon - looks nice + great cooling, good choice!

Even overclocking by a small ammount isnt recommended with stock coolers - go for an Arctic Cooling Accellero S1 or an Akasa Vortexx NEO - i dont know if either fit any 9 series, but i have had both on my GT @ 800-1850-2100 and they both cool it excellently.


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## ste2425 (Aug 1, 2008)

can i just show imput for the nvidia 8800 gt card? when i was asking for advice bore gettin the ati i was told its a great card, gues its worth the extra five min research if it is better, i dont actually no.


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## bignokki (Aug 1, 2008)

techjunkie said:


> Hey guys!
> I'm new here and i joined because i wanted some advice on building my first pc. I've done a lot of research and have come up with what i believe is a good combination of parts . So here goes :
> 
> Q6600 with a zalman cooler(will oc until it doesn't bottleneck my video card)
> ...



i brought a q9300, which i regret, think q6600 will be better when you do oc... 
copare the prize on 2x250gb WD, and 1x500gb WD, where i brought 2x250 came out cheaper... (both 7200rpm)
the zalman 9700 (black/green), is ok, i have it my self, it rly looks cool... i can't tell any results about cooling, as my cpu is barely oc'ed... 
psu: i have a corsair (650W sli-rdy) and im happy with it... no fire yet.. it keeps up my system (q9300 / hd3870 / dvd-drive / 2xhdd / 4xfans / and some LED's) 

GL on your upgrade/build...


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## bignokki (Aug 7, 2008)

got home from spain... (a bit late... my car broke...  ) but i've come to another prob... i went in to the internet to buy my LED's, resistors and some cable... but what cable do i need i have alot of options:

- 0.15mm²
- 0.25mm²
- 0.50mm²
- 0.75mm²
- 1.00mm²
- 1.50mm²
- 2.50mm²
- +2.50mm² 

what to chose?! :O


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## kyle2020 (Aug 7, 2008)

bignokki said:


> got home from spain... (a bit late... my car broke...  ) but i've come to another prob... i went in to the internet to buy my LED's, resistors and some cable... but what cable do i need i have alot of options:
> 
> - 0.15mm²
> - 0.25mm²
> ...



well you dont want it too thick or else it will look messy / be hard to work with, but thinner cable will be prone to snapping / be awkward for cable management. Go for the 1mm or so, just order one, try it then order more if its right.


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## bignokki (Aug 7, 2008)

ok, i'll try that... thx again..


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## kyle2020 (Aug 7, 2008)

No problem - id give more advice but have never done any mods with LED's before.


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## JrRacinFan (Aug 7, 2008)

bignokki said:


> got home from spain... (a bit late... my car broke...  ) but i've come to another prob... i went in to the internet to buy my LED's, resistors and some cable... but what cable do i need i have alot of options:
> 
> - 0.15mm²
> - 0.25mm²
> ...



I would opt for 1.5mm, so it would not snap as easily.


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## ste2425 (Aug 8, 2008)

it also depends where on your case it is, mine's hidden behind the front cover so i didnt need to worry bout it being moved and snapped so i could use the cheaper and smaller size for example.


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## kyle2020 (Aug 8, 2008)

Thought id save this for my stickied thread . . . POST NUMBER ONE THOUSAND EVERYONE!


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## kyle2020 (Aug 15, 2008)

close to 4000 views! thanks guys!


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## bignokki (Aug 17, 2008)

Gz
np rly...


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## drdaver (Sep 29, 2008)

#1, setting a strict budget is essential!  too easy to get drawn into buying more then you need, thanks for te guide


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## kyle2020 (Sep 29, 2008)

drdaver said:


> #1, setting a strict budget is essential!  too easy to get drawn into buying more then you need, thanks for te guide



Couldnt agree with you more. When you start spending money like its going out of fashion it just gets silly.


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## Ahhzz (Oct 28, 2014)

Came across this site this morning, and it looks like it might help tweak some first-timers who need basic advice 

http://choosemypc.net/


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