Building My 1st Computer

[Zempten]

Hi everyone

So the christmas holidays have passed and I got a motherboard . This is my first time building a computer and I only know the bare minimum. I was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction for computer cases and video cards. There are so many to choose from and I have no clue what to look for. Also I heard intel is comming out with new processors next year. Will this cause a price drop on the i7s? Thanks alot for your help! Also if anyone have some pointers or tips please share.

[Mhurron]

Re: Building My 1st Computer

lso I heard intel is comming out with new processors next year. Will this cause a price drop on the i7s?

Yes.

However, prices will always drop. You'll never buy anything if you wait for that to stop happening. All I'm going to say is buying the absolute latest is a waste of money. What was top of the line 6-9 months ago is still very powerful, really only a hair less then what is the best right now, and has fallen in price to be a much better buy.

The latest is priced so high to take advantage of people who must have the latest shiny thing. Don't be taken advantage of.

Also get a case that can takes 120mm fans for intake and exhaust, then look for quiet 120mm fans. They can move as much, or more, air then a 80 or 92mm but can be much quieter doing it.

[DakAttack]

Re: Building My 1st Computer

What motherboard you have determines what case you buy, because the case has to accomodate the size of the motherboard. Other than that, it's up to what you're looking for. Find one with a decent amount of space for fans and that looks good. Always read the reviews.

Video cards are also undergoing a lot of updates, currently. GeForce and AMD are pushing their next generation of graphics cards, but they're all extrememly high-end, at the moment. You're better off with either HD 5800 series or GTX 400 series. Again, always read the reviews.

As far as processors go, just grab an i7 and overclock it. It's easier enough, and wont be outdated anytime soon. You'll need a good cooler for this. Again, always read the reviews.

Check out newegg.com for a good selection of both products and reviews.

[Zempten]

Re: Building My 1st Computer

I don't really need the newest and latest ^ ^ I was just hoping for an additional price drop on the i7s if intel is pushing out newer stuff in Jan or Feb, which is great cause that's when i'll get my paycheck to buy stuff.

Oh the fan tip is awesome. Thanks! Does the type of case matter? Also what exactly is a "good cooler"? Is that water cooling or something?

[DakAttack]

Re: Building My 1st Computer

Water cooling is complex, and probably shouldn't be attempted unless you don't mind the possibility of ruining certain parts.

I'm using the Megahalems Revision B, but it's huge. It barely fits in my case and takes up a lot of space. There are prefabricated water cooling solutions that take up a lot less space, but they're expensive. Check for CPU coolers on newegg and sort the list by rating, that should give you a good start.

[Armando]

Re: Building My 1st Computer

For picking out video cards, I generally go by Tom's Hardware's Best Video Card for the Money articles and benchmarks.

[Aeni]

Re: Building My 1st Computer

If you got money you should pick up a 6950. A friend of mine got it just a few days ago and played FFXIV in full x16 and everything maxed and said the game was running silky smooth. I'm so jealous

That being my troll bait comment of the year...

Anyway, regarding Sandy Bridge and the rest of the Intel "we're gonna take this year and turn it into the most profitable season yet" technology ... I wouldn't wait for the top end i7s to drop in price. Namely because the demand for i7s will still be strong and the next gen stuff from Intel are going to be priced at only early adoptors and hardcore tech heads could afford (namely, they'll pay whatever price Intel slaps on those things) Maybe by summer 2011 things will shake out a fair bit and we'll see if AMD fires off the first salvo and try to grind down Intel's massive marketing push.

Don't bother waiting on price drops for discrete graphics. Usually after the holiday season the prices will go back up and/or stagnate for months to come. This is a pattern that has been a norm for the industry the past decade and I don't expect drastic changes anytime soon. So basically just go with what you can afford and pick up something worthwhile. Many cards now come in a variety of OC versions and so no benchmark can be accurate unless the reviews clearly indicate what is and what isn't stock. Waiting on price drops will have you wait for a new PC well into summer and by that time you've probably not have saved any money and only caused additional aggravation on "missing out buys" on products that are no longer being manufactured and are considered "still good today" (i.e., 260 GTX)

[Zempten]

Re: Building My 1st Computer

well i wasn't looking at the high end i7s. I was looking at the intel i7-950 . Do you think there will be a price drop on that?

i'll keep that video card in mind. thanks alot for all the tips guys.

[Aeni]

Re: Building My 1st Computer

I doubt there'll be any price drops for that. There will be for i5s though. But if you're still strictly looking at i7s, only the very low end will go down (possibly to compete with AMD's Phenom hexa cores) but the middle tiers aren't going to move up or down significantly over the next few weeks, if not a few months. I remember having this issue back when I purchased the Q9400 and wondering if the price would drop and a year later the price hasn't really declined all that much (maybe -$25?)

[Zempten]

Re: Building My 1st Computer

Alright, so I've been looking at the RAM supported by my motherboard and it says triple channel DDR3 with speeds of 2200/2133/2000/1866/1800/1600/1333/1067 MHz. I was wondering at what point do you see a smaller return for the price you pay for these? I mean I've looked around at sites like newegg and tigerdirect and for 2133 it's around $200 where as for 1800 it's around $130. I mean is that $70 difference worth it? Thanks again guys!

[Freelancer]

Re: Building My 1st Computer

1333 is the standard, anymore isn't really worth it, personally I wouldn't go over 1600 and that itself needs some overclocking to get the most out of.

1333 G.skills are great, and so is Corsair.

[Khalus]

Re: Building My 1st Computer

First off, what is the max budget you're willing to spend, then I can better help you in picking out parts.

I've built 5 custom high-end PCs for myself over the past decade, and just finished with my latest last month. If you want something good that will last you for years and years, plays FFXIV at x16 max settings, but not top-end super powerful and expensive from the latest parts then I can help you out.

[Zempten]

Re: Building My 1st Computer

Thanks guys.

Let's just say i want to play FFXIV at max settings then. Your thoughts Khalus?

[DakAttack]

Re: Building My 1st Computer

Dual GTX 460s, they're cheaper now than they were when I bought them. An i7 you can OC, an X58 motherboard, and a nice CPU cooler.

[Khalus]

Re: Building My 1st Computer

FFXIV doesn't support SLi or Crossfire yet, best to get a GTX 570 or GTX 580

When I get a moment I'll build a PC for ya to look over...