Building a new rig.

[reignofdeath]

So... I may have asked this a while back, but now that things are settling down and Im going to actually have money to spend soon. I've realized, if I am going to continue PC gaming, I want to get a Fast Desktop.

Now I have known that possibley the best way to do such is build one yourself, I've read some articles and magazines and so far it seems putting one together is just a matter of some common sense, and some careful hands, and Im ready for the challenge. My plan is to part it out and build it piece by piece over maybe 6 months or longer. My question is two-fold..

1) What could I expect to spend on something that would crush just about any game out on the market right now but still be reasonably decently priced. Like around $2,000 USD.

2) Are there any REALLY in depth articles that show you what to grab first if your parting out, and give you some basic ideas of what does what compared to other similar products. (Better graphics cards for overall performance vs better cards with better AA qualities and such)

I think I know enough about PC pieces to have a grasp on what I basically should get, I'll just need a bit more in depth tutoring from you all out there.

I know that I dont want to skimp on my PSU first and foremost, but other than that its been a while so any helps appreciated. Thanks guys.

Casey

[Herr-Berbunch]

Due to the law of something better always around the corner I wouldn't recommend a build over six months, save the cash and in six months buy the inevitably better components. :up:

[Gargamel]

While you can learn to build one on your own, don't. Find a friend who has built one before to help you out. It'll make the process easier.

[ReallyDedPoet]

While you can learn to build one on your own, don't. Find a friend who has built one before to help you out. It'll make the process easier.

And if you make a mistake you may fudge the whole build.

[stoppro]

It's not to hard,I built mine about 3years ago and it still runs great plays any game no problem. just be sure to research so every thing is compatable. If done right you won't have to do it again for a long time[unless you want to keep upgrading] Good luck!

[Gerald]

^And do you have any questions regarding graphics card, so have Stoppro solution on them.:)

[stoppro]

this is true, the 480 card tried to kill me. now all is good

[Gerald]

this is true, the 480 card tried to kill me. now all is goodI remember it, it was several years ago, there was trouble before it came into place,now all fine.:yep:

[Herr-Berbunch]

Thought it was a 470 you got for your birthday, you replaced successfully with a 480 (and PSU). :O:

[stoppro]

That maybe right. It wouldn't work with XP. so I scrapped it and built the one I have now.It was the best thing and the 580 is much quieter . since then I have gotten my A+ cert and network+ cert. So now if it screws up.I am supposed to know how to fix it.but so far rock solid.

[reignofdeath]

Graphics cards.. hmm whats the latest and greatest that isnt the most expensive thing on the market?

SERIOUS bang for the buck.

[Arclight]

Imho the graphics card story is a bit tricky at the moment. AMD came up with their Mantle thingy, which could make AMD the preferred camp for any game that supports Mantle. Questions at this point are "is Mantle really that great?" and whether or not developers will support it in future games.

AMD is claiming a 45% improvement in Battlefield 4. Hard to really verify anything at this point, but promising enough to not dismiss hastily. :hmmm:


Apart from that, have a look at the 200,- to 250,- segment. Think you'd be pretty happy with a card like that.

[reignofdeath]

Imho the graphics card story is a bit tricky at the moment. AMD came up with their Mantle thingy, which could make AMD the preferred camp for any game that supports Mantle. Questions at this point are "is Mantle really that great?" and whether or not developers will support it in future games.

AMD is claiming a 45% improvement in Battlefield 4. Hard to really verify anything at this point, but promising enough to not dismiss hastily. :hmmm:


Apart from that, have a look at the 200,- to 250,- segment. Think you'd be pretty happy with a card like that.

Are you talking nVidias??

[Skybird]

2000 dollars? I spend 800 Euros three years ago, and the system still can handle all and everything I throw at it.

Just do not buy the latest, the newest, the most recent. That stuff, especially CPUs and graphics boards, is hopelessly overpriced.

Look out for for example a GPU card generation that is one generation behind the current market top leaders. You get maybe 5% more performance with that best of the best. And pay twice as much money. Never forget to consider the bang-for-the-buck ratio. Else you get eaten alive by those shops.

I would check a solid i5 or i7 (try to find an i5 that almost reaches the performance of the more expensive i7, at least three years ago some i5's where not inferior to i7's in gaming purposes, it depends, of course), a solid mainboard of good reputation, a good nVidia GTX 660. Windows 7 x64, 8 GB RAM or more.

And get a good PSU, quality here pays off. Many people underestimate the importance of good PSUs.

You will cry less when buying not the most expensive, because PC tech incredibly fast looses its monetarian value.

[ReallyDedPoet]

2000 dollars? I spend 800 Euros three years ago, and the system still can handle all and everything I throw at it.

Just do not buy the latest, the newest, the most recent. That stuff, especially CPUs and graphics boards, is hopelessly overpriced.

Look out for for example a GPU card generation that is one generation behind the current market top leaders. You get maybe 5% more performance with that best of the best. And pay twice as much money. Never forget to consider the bang-for-the-buck ratio. Else you get eaten alive by those shops.

I would check a solid i5 or i7 (try to find an i5 that almost reaches the performance of the more expensive i7, at least three years ago some i5's where not inferior to i7's in gaming purposes, it depends, of course), a solid mainboard of good reputation, a good nVidia GTX 660. Windows 7 x64, 8 GB RAM or more.

And get a good PSU, quality here pays off. Many people underestimate the importance of good PSUs.

You will cry less when buying not the most expensive, because PC tech incredibly fast looses its monetarian value.

:agree:

[Jimbuna]

Me too but if I'm to be honest I go to a friends computer shop and have them build one to roughly the specs I ask for without being overly detailed.

[Arclight]

Are you talking nVidias??
Er, where?

[reignofdeath]

Imho the graphics card story is a bit tricky at the moment. AMD came up with their Mantle thingy, which could make AMD the preferred camp for any game that supports Mantle. Questions at this point are "is Mantle really that great?" and whether or not developers will support it in future games.

AMD is claiming a 45% improvement in Battlefield 4. Hard to really verify anything at this point, but promising enough to not dismiss hastily. :hmmm:


Apart from that, have a look at the 200,- to 250,- segment. Think you'd be pretty happy with a card like that.


I just saw the 3 digits and always think of nVidias. Lol

[reignofdeath]

2000 dollars? I spend 800 Euros three years ago, and the system still can handle all and everything I throw at it.

Just do not buy the latest, the newest, the most recent. That stuff, especially CPUs and graphics boards, is hopelessly overpriced.

Look out for for example a GPU card generation that is one generation behind the current market top leaders. You get maybe 5% more performance with that best of the best. And pay twice as much money. Never forget to consider the bang-for-the-buck ratio. Else you get eaten alive by those shops.

I would check a solid i5 or i7 (try to find an i5 that almost reaches the performance of the more expensive i7, at least three years ago some i5's where not inferior to i7's in gaming purposes, it depends, of course), a solid mainboard of good reputation, a good nVidia GTX 660. Windows 7 x64, 8 GB RAM or more.

And get a good PSU, quality here pays off. Many people underestimate the importance of good PSUs.

You will cry less when buying not the most expensive, because PC tech incredibly fast looses its monetarian value.


Meh, I mean 2000 was a a rough number I threw out there.


I could go for 1200-1500 if I could get something real quality built.

[Skybird]

I could go for 1200-1500 if I could get something real quality built.
That sounds realistic to me. Currently, 1000 Euros are 1350 Dollar. You probably can safely aim for the lower mark in your price span.

Also note that gfx cards tend to have a limited lifespan, no device in my PCs have technically failed me more often, and broke down after 2-3 years. Another argument why one must not want too too high with the price mark there. They simply wore out.

If its in the budget, consider a second drive: a SSD either for Windows and system alone, or FSX alone. 64 GB for FSX, 128 for Windows would be sufficient.

[Red Devil]

I always used to build my own from late 90s, to 2 years ago. Then bought one off shelf and will never build my own again. Support is there if needed, which, of course, is not available if self built.

[Skybird]

It pays off to have a local shop of trust where you go and tell them about your idea for components and if they have any technical recommendation or objections, then ask them to put the stuff you have chosen together for you. That's how I do it. In case of problems, I can ask them and always go back there. That they also have fair, even cheap prices, I do not complain about. :) But d09jn g some internet research on choosen items and what customers say about these, is a must, I would say. Never blindly trust any salesman - NEVER.

[ReallyDedPoet]

I have thought about building my own rig a few times, and have installed various components through the years, but I would still opt for a pro to do a complete build.

[Red Devil]

I do my own upgrades eg: new cards etc. The problem with 'puters' is the same as all electronics, take it home, its obselete. within the next 5-7 years we will have graphene screens and hardware - look it up in google, amazing stuff. Tougher that steel. I can see 'towers' going down to the size of a hard drive!!

[tater]

I'm in the market for a new rig as well. Maybe it will get me back to modding (though I now have an ulterior motive that involves black powder, not torpedoes ;) , and requires DX11, and just "more horsepower").

I have a P180 case already (which should take any ATX board I think), and presumably I can reuse my current HD as a secondary drive.

Any specific suggestions for vid card, CPU? Was thiking maybe an i5, looks like cpu/mobo for a little over $300. Then a middle of the road vid card (since high-end is out of date by the time you open the box, anyway).

[Arclight]

Mm maybe 2500k or newer Ivy Bridge equivalent, and a GTX660. T'is what i've got so easy suggestion off the top of my head. $400 to $450 I'd guess.

[tater]

I was looking at a 3350, seems a fair bang for the buck.

[Arclight]

That works, I think. Seems it would only miss the on-die GPU, which is rather useless beyond an emergency backup anyway.

Get a new CPU like that nowadays and you're set for a while. Bit of overkill for current gaming unless you run enthusiast card or SLI/Crossfire. Or run into that occasional CPU-intensive game that can really only use 1 core.