Taking the plunge into the custom built world

[BC_Programmer]

one thing- do you absolutely need a blu-ray capable drive right away, or would you be able to use the DVD-RW to start with? If so you could either save a little dough or get a better motherboard or whatnot(up one of the system components) (maybe even more RAM; Adobe programs are notorious heavyweights for RAM, probably right up there with 3d modelling programs like 3ds max); so I'm sure it would be a worthy investment- (of course you could always get RAM later, too). I say this because for the most part you'll be using the motherboard/CPU for the longest time out of most of the components, and they are a pain to replace on their own-  and a Blu-Ray drive is a easy addition later on down the road.

Regarding the video card I'm pretty clueless- I don't know wether it compares similarly to the one in my build (I think the price is similar, in CDN- my card (Geforce 9800GT) was around 125$ CDN - but the specs seem comparable and the price is right.

Since your time frame is so loose maybe you can wait for calum to get back from his holiday, he might have some good cost-cutting advice- my build was both made better and reduced in price thanks to his advice, so I can't see how it wouldn't be the same for others

[hejlik]

One way I have found to make sure everything will work together is to first pick out which cpu you want.  Then go to their web site and find a list of recommended motherboards for your particular cpu. After picking out a motherboard, go to their web site and find a list of recommended ram. This will almost surely guarantee compatibility.

That's not to say that other cpu's, mb's and ram wont work together, but it does at least give you a starting point.

[kpac]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

When ordering your parts check if everything will work together, then DOUBLE CHECK.

Thanks, Nate. This definitely is something I've done before and always do, not just with computers.

The big companies will come out with a new video card about every year. Wait till they release the latest card and then look at last years card. Theres always a significant price drop on last years card. If you don't mind having the " that's so last year " card.

As I said, I'll be waiting until around/after Christmas, so that is usually when all the new gear comes out.

Organization. This is a big thing to a successful build. Get a small box to hold ALL of your screws. Trust me its alot nice to rumage around for 10 Min's in a small box than 10 Min's in an entire room. I always put my screws in in the box wether if I'm going to use them right away or if never again. Just good a practice.

Thankfully, I can say that I have always been very organised. There is a right and a wrong way to do things - I'm usually good at doing it the right way.

RMA. Iv had some real bad experiences with returns. If ordering from newegg id recommend not ordering for a return. Nothing on neweggs fault just the shipping service i used i guess. Whenever i return something UPS always never tracks it well at all.

Thanks, although I won't/can't go with with Newegg because of shipping anyway.

do you absolutely need a blu-ray capable drive right away, or would you be able to use the DVD-RW to start with?

I was thinking about that... I might leave it for the time being as you said and add it at a later stage. 80 pounds could come in handy with some other part.

or get a better motherboard or whatnot(up one of the system components)

Motherboards are probably my worst area of "expertise", but I have been looking at other member's posts in the SBCC and other places, and seem to be learning bit by bit. I have made sure that the motherboard (and the rest of the parts) will work with each other.

(maybe even more RAM; Adobe programs are notorious heavyweights for RAM, probably right up there with 3d modelling programs like 3ds max); so I'm sure it would be a worthy investment- (of course you could always get RAM later, too)

I would definitely be thinking of getting more RAM in the future. That motherboard I picked is capable of 16GB RAM - but it might be a while before I get to that!

Regarding the video card I'm pretty clueless- I don't know wether it compares similarly to the one in my build (I think the price is similar, in CDN- my card (Geforce 9800GT) was around 125$ CDN - but the specs seem comparable and the price is right.

Yeah, I thought it would be more expensive. I've gone with Sapphire because of the AMD CPU - apparently they work great together.

Since your time frame is so loose maybe you can wait for calum to get back from his holiday, he might have some good cost-cutting advice- my build was both made better and reduced in price thanks to his advice, so I can't see how it wouldn't be the same for others

I thought of that already, actually! I read somewhere where you said he had gone on holiday so if he doesn't see this post, I might ask him to take a look.

One way I have found to make sure everything will work together is to first pick out which cpu you want.  Then go to their web site and find a list of recommended motherboards for your particular cpu. After picking out a motherboard, go to their web site and find a list of recommended ram. This will almost surely guarantee compatibility.

Thanks - I find Amazon give great descriptions on their products, and they say exactly what will work with what.


Since I started thinking about doing this, I've used Buildacomputerguide.com, which seems like great advice (for me anyway).

[Aardobard]

Ouch.  My eyes are bleeding from trying to generate ideas for hardware only to find out that the prices in the UK are inflated for certain items, but not for others. Kinda makes this too much like work. Bleh!

Let me give you the lowdown on what I've found so far.  The PSU you selected is unknown to me and the little bit of information I did find on it's brand siblings did not impress me.  500-650 watts on a quality unit should do you.  Check 12v amps as a guide. Corsair, some OCZ, PcP&C, and Antec are generally solid vendors, but there are others. It seems like you are going to be looking at about £75-£90 for a PSU offered through Amazon.UK.

Your CPU is fine, although it is at the higher end of the AM2+ sockets, and I might encourage you to look into the AM3 socket chips.  I think you'll have an easier time with upgrading options and the AM3-only boards also have DDR3 RAM slots, both of which should help you with CPU heavy operations.

For a 23" monitor, I'd recommend at least a 4850 GPU.  They are a great value at the moment and you can find them with 1Gb of memory.  I just don't think a 3650 is going to make you happy at 23".

If I was planning a build today, for HDD's I'd get three.  Two small ones (160-320Gb) to set in RAID0 for OS and applications and a single, larger (500Gb-1Tb) drive for files/media/etc.  The RAID0 drives will make your OS and apps load quickly and feel very responsive.  There is a higher risk of loss due to disc failure with RAID0, so that is why I recommend storing all non-application information on the secondary drive.  Definitely wait on the Blu-ray drive unless you need it.

That's all for now.  If I find a good online vendor for the UK, I'll work on this some more.

[Aegis]

There is a higher risk of loss due to disc failure with RAID0

Then why subject your operating system to that potential?

[kpac]

The PSU you selected is unknown to me and the little bit of information I did find on it's brand siblings did not impress me.  500-650 watts on a quality unit should do you.  Check 12v amps as a guide. Corsair, some OCZ, PcP&C, and Antec are generally solid vendors, but there are others. It seems like you are going to be looking at about £75-£90 for a PSU offered through Amazon.UK.

Okay... How about either this or this?

Your CPU is fine, although it is at the higher end of the AM2+ sockets, and I might encourage you to look into the AM3 socket chips.  I think you'll have an easier time with upgrading options and the AM3-only boards also have DDR3 RAM slots, both of which should help you with CPU heavy operations.

Maybe this?

For a 23" monitor, I'd recommend at least a 4850 GPU.  They are a great value at the moment and you can find them with 1Gb of memory.  I just don't think a 3650 is going to make you happy at 23".

Something like this?


Thanks for the help again.

[Aardobard]

Then why subject your operating system to that potential?

Because the guaranteed speed increase is worth the possibility of disc failure.  In the event that you do have a disc failure, you don't 'lose' data, you simply need to replace the disc and reinstall OS and apps.  It's a hassle, sure, but even one disc has a risk to fail. Besides, I'm in the habit already of re-installing my Windows OS every 6-12 months. 

@kpac,
The two links for PSU's are the same PSU.  It is a brilliant PSU and will make you very happy.  I'm not sure yet it is the most cost effective PSU for you.

The Phen2 955 is a great CPU that when teamed with a 790xx chipset will not only perform like a rocketship, but gives you some nice overclock potential should you decide to pursue that.

Pretty much any of the ATI HD48xx cards will do. The one you selected, a Sapphire 4870 1Gb, should have you in high or highest quality graphics in demanding games with solid, fluid frame rates.

The fact that you have so much time to make your decisions is a great boon to you.  You can watch for sales and deals and pick up what you want when it is advantageous to you.  Between now and the end of the year, I expect GPUs, CPUs, and motherboards to drop in price along with DDR3 DIMMs.  I don't see cases, HDDs, DVDs, or PSUs changing much.  So if you wait, you might be able to snatch that 4870 up for ~£100. =)

[kpac]

Thanks for the advice.

So if you wait, you might be able to snatch that 4870 up for ~£100. =)

There is a big price difference between the 512 MB and the 1GB card, so £100 would be a nice drop...

I didn't realise the two PSUs were the same....

[Aardobard]

Here's a quick build from overclock.co.uk.  You can also check NCIX.  Your original monitor selection is a better price.
Sometimes it's cheaper to buy cases locally, because shipping charges on them are heinous. Plus, more than any other component, you are going to have to get elbow deep in that case, so make sure it'll suit your needs. The CM 690 in this list is a good, easy to use case. Cheers!

[kpac]

Woah, thanks so much Aardobard. That is a great list - a lot more than I expected. And it's over £100 pounds cheaper. I'd being using at least Vista Home Premium, though, but the other monitor will balance the price. And 6 Gigs of RAM? Great!

Forgot to ask.......Do they ship to Ireland? I can't find anything on shipping.

The CM 690 in this list is a good, easy to use case.

Thanks, but I'd like something a bit more stylish! See-through panels with LEDs...
Is it full-tower I need? How about this one?

[BC_Programmer]

yeah Home basic would be a bit silly to use with that system...

[kpac]

yeah Home basic would be a bit silly to use with that system...

I don't think I'd use a 64 bit version either, to be honest.

[BC_Programmer]

I don't think I'd use a 64 bit version either, to be honest.

that makes 6GB of RAM pointless then.... 32-bit OS's can only access up to around 3.5-4GB.

[Aegis]

Room for future expansion.  It's only 2 - 2.5 Gig...

[patio]

Because the guaranteed speed increase is worth the possibility of disc failure.

What speed #'s can you come up with here....IE Raid vs. normal drive status ? ?