22 replies to this topic

[andyouarewho]

With my current machine (a dreaful eMachine to be precise) I am finding myself constantly becoming frustrated with it's inability to perform.

In response, I have decided to buy a new computer, preferably of lower cost, yet good enough so that I may enjoy myself in the gaming world (aka a good graphics card + lots of ram).

The ONLY website I know of directly (I know there are more, but I am too lazy to search) where I may buy and customize my own PC is www.ibuypower.com . I wanted to know if any of you fellow mates have an opinion on ibuypower, or a referall to a good website they have had positive experiences with.

[Novahawk]

You should buy parts on www.newegg.com and put it together yourself, it's going be be cheaper and it's fun! But then you'll have to do some research on the parts that you are buying, but it comes out better in the end than buying a computer pre-built.

[Chris82]

buy and customize my own PC is www.ibuypower.com . I wanted to know if any of you fellow mates have an opinion on ibuypower, or a referall to a good website they have had positive experiences with.

First of all, do what Nova said. Only noobs buy premade PCs from vendors. They're of low quality and high price.

So you need to go on Newegg and get:

Processor
RAM
Graphics Card
Mother board
Case
Power Supply

and in some cases you'll need

Sound Card
Proc fan

I bought everything in my PC for $550 and it runs Source at all high settings @ 1280x1024 with 4x AA. I usually get anywhere from 50-140 fps with action on screen in cs_office.

[andyouarewho]

So when you people say "building a computer" all you mean is just throw the parts together like a lego building?

[Florida_Funk]

no lego buildings are high tech, this is just cheaper.

[DarkShadow]

ibuypower sucks balls, heard some nasty shit about their tech policy, go with newegg and just do some reading.

[Komit]

So you need to go on Newegg and get:

Processor
RAM
Graphics Card
Mother board
Case
Power Supply

and in some cases you'll need

Sound Card
Proc fan

Because only noobs use hard drives.

[Jack]

Because only noobs use hard drives.

or if you have more money then time, www.abscomputers.com

[andyouarewho]

Okay so I go to www.newegg.com and find:
1) Case
2) Motherboard
3) Hard Drive
4) Video Card
5) RAM
6) Power
7) Sound Card
8) Uber Awesome Water Cooler Fan Thing-a-majiggy That You'd Normally See In A Sci-Fi Movie

Then order them all.

Wait.
Wait.

Get a few parts.

Wait.

Get the other parts.

Put it together?

[Chris82]

+a processor

If you order them all at the same time, you should get them at a similar time. Default shipping is 3-day, so you won't wait long.

Then you put it together.

And BTW you might want to get a CD and floppy drive too incase you don't have one, but I just used the DVD-burner and floppy drive from my old PC.

Also, they shipped everything to me from California except the case which came from New Jersey, so the case arrived a day late.

Oh and if you're going for Intel, get the E6600 Conroe, but if you like AMD, get the FX-62, FX-70, or if you're a big spender, the FX-74, which just rapes.

And graphics cards, nVidia is an 8800, ATi is an x1950xtx or you can wait for the R600 and get one of those, which is what you should do IMO. You get an FX-74 or E6600 and and R600 and it'll tear through ANY game.

[andyouarewho]

Well I have a perfectly good DVD-CD+/-RW drive and an extra CD drive, and a digital media manager withh the usb SD/MMC/SM/MS/MS-Pro and CF/Microdrive which I'll use. So I'm good there.
Also If I get a motherboard with alot of ram slots I have a gig in this system which I can stick in the new computer, assuming the old wivestale of "mixing ram brands" is bad for your comp.

[Chris82]

Uh, it depends. You see, with different processors, there's different slots. Intel Conroes use LGA 775. The current AMDs use either socket AM2 or socket F. The FX-74 I said uses socket F. So you find the processor you want and look at its socket. Then you find a motherboard that is compatible with your CPU slot and CPU type. Then you look at the ''memory'' part of the motherboard specs and see which kind it says. Most likely it'll be DDR2 800 memory. I'm pretty sure you don't have that kind of memory in your current PC so you'll probably need new RAM.

Oh and yes, it usually is bad to mix memory from different brands. They may have different timings and such.

[andyouarewho]

Okay, after reviewing www.newegg.com and looking at every possibility:
1) I'm realllly eager to get started on this thing.
2) I'm in a completely foreign area, which I have very little experience in.*

*Sad part is, I worked for a computer repairman for a year, but I guess my lack of understanding of all these computer parts is due to the fact that my extensive repairs on computers were basically limited to having people call us up asking why their computer won't turn on and telling them to flip the switch that activated the socket their computer is plugged into, or getting porno-infested virus junked up computers where all I did was take out the harddrive, run norton ghost, wipe the system, re-install all the files while scanning each one for errors/viruses. <== Very boring.

SO due to my lack of experience. I'm definately gonna need quite a bit of help.

I'll search newegg for a simple selection of materials, average graphics card, nothing special motherboard, processor, etc., and I want to know if you friendly BoSS gamers out there can help me out and give me comments and critique on my selection, or query me as to why I'm mixing the TX-1283287+8382XXDUAL chip thingamajiggy with a XX898987Xssi board thingy.

Now please note that I am not aiming for a 1500 dollar computer with a geForce 8800, but a <1000 computer better than my current with a card that will run all of todays games, not necessarily specced to the max, but well enough so that I can enjoy my visuals. On the note of video cards, please know that my experience with ATI cards has always been somewhat negative, and my geForce experiences were always positive, but I'm willing to look at ATI cards as alternatives.

Edited by andyouarewho, 10 April 2007 - 08:21 AM.

[Mike2077]

Use review sites like anandtech.com xbitlabs.com tomshardware.com and research all your parts and you'll be fine. Just research like crazy.

[Sniprwulf]

i made a lil wishlist on newegg for you but it takes a while for it to become public. ill post it when it does.

[andyouarewho]

Okay thankyou very much.

[Janton]

Wait till after the 24th of this month when the R600 releases, cheaper Cards, boards, and RAM all around after a large release like that.

[Sniprwulf]

http://secure.newegg...tNumber=4812032

[andyouarewho]

Wowzorz, I'm really liking this PC setup. Plus I get a nifty ol' GeForce 8800!
Thanks, I'm actually considering just forgetting looking at other possibilities and just getting this!

[Sgt.Buttery]

If you want someone to build it for you, ship the parts to me, just pay shipping, i won't charge anything.