Cigar Forums banner

Anybody Build Computers?

10K views 90 replies 27 participants last post by  CamoSutra 
#1 ·
I've been getting frustrated with my laptop lately, and have been looking into building a powerful desktop. Maybe I'm asking too much for a low-mid range laptop, but I'm getting sick of it not being able to handle running Adobe Lightroom 4 and Photoshop Elements along with a browser and music player. Anyways, I've been doing lots of research and learning A LOT about computer parts and just wondered if anyone here builds their own. If so, I'll post my parts list once I get it squared away.
 
#3 ·
I used to. I actually only built maybe three from scratch, but I did lots of hardware swapping and upgrading besides. Even played with water cooling. Unfortunately, I havent had my hands dirty in 5 or 6 years, so any knowledge I have about hardware is woefully out of date, so I'm no help on specific recommendations. A couple of things to point you in the right direction - buy the motherboard with the largest RAM capacity you can, and buy as much RAM as is feasible (as much as you can afford, up to whatever the newest OS's can access....I don't know what that number is now). The hard drive is one of the biggest bottlenecks in the system - so read a bunch of reviews on those and go for speed.. (they always advertise capacity but you've gotta do your homework and read reviews for speed ratings). Don't dismiss on-die cache, it's as important as processor clock speed. And, again, take my advice with a grain of salt, as it's been a while since I've researched hardware. Good luck, brother!
 
#4 ·
I have built a few myself. I would say since technology changes daily, a good source I've always used when it comes to components is Tom's Hardware. They even show builds based on budget as well as what you want to use it for. A really good site. IMO
 
#6 ·
Allen, I will definitely be posting questions because I know there will be more.

Clifford, thanks for the advice! I'll be going with an SSD for my OS and most likely browser and associated files and a 6.0Gb/s HDD for general storage. I'll probably get 8GB of RAM to begin with, possible add on another pair of 4's later if needed.

Chuck, I've already been reading a ton on Tom's for about a week now. It definitely is a great site.

Warren, that's a great looking build. But reading over your thread, I've realized I completely forgot to budget for kittens! :lol: That case looks sick. I know looks shouldn't be a big deal, but it's gotta look good. Here's the case I'm going to go with:

Output device Rectangle Communication Device Automotive design Bumper


Anyways, here's my tentative parts list (just discovered this site yesterday and it's been great):
Intel Core i5-3570K, EVGA GeForce GTX 550 Ti, NZXT Phantom (Black/Green) - System Build - PCPartPicker
 
#7 ·
Allen, I will definitely be posting questions because I know there will be more.

Clifford, thanks for the advice! I'll be going with an SSD for my OS and most likely browser and associated files and a 6.0Gb/s HDD for general storage. I'll probably get 8GB of RAM to begin with, possible add on another pair of 4's later if needed.

Chuck, I've already been reading a ton on Tom's for about a week now. It definitely is a great site.

Warren, that's a great looking build. But reading over your thread, I've realized I completely forgot to budget for kittens! :lol: That case looks sick. I know looks shouldn't be a big deal, but it's gotta look good. Here's the case I'm going to go with:

View attachment 40225

Anyways, here's my tentative parts list (just discovered this site yesterday and it's been great):
Intel Core i5-3570K, EVGA GeForce GTX 550 Ti, NZXT Phantom (Black/Green) - System Build - PCPartPicker
A great site for custom builds is Performance-pcs.com
 
#8 ·
I've built my last 4. Kind of like cigars I would sign up on various forums and ask lots of questions. I'm kind of out of the loop as the tech changes so fast but the new technology is amazing and a screamer of a box can be done for less than a grand these days depending on you requirements. Keep us posted and good luck! It's a lot of fun and very satisfying when it posts on the first start up :D

P.S here's my latest build.


Warren,
That's a good looking box you built, sir!
 
#9 ·
Chuck, I've already been reading a ton on Tom's for about a week now. It definitely is a great site.
Eh, Tom's used to be good, a while ago, but it's not the best by a long shot. The guys at hardocp are generally the best, IMO, in that they strike the best balance between good knowledge and approachability. Most guys aren't crazy overclockers anymore, just a mixed group with a lot of knowledge.

I've built every computer I've owned since 1998, and have built many for other people. I've only built one machine in the last 3 years (just this past Christmas), so I'm not quite as up to date as I usually am, but I'd also be happy to field any questions. Oh, and with RAM prices being what they are, just buy 16GB now and be done with it. You'll be glad you did.*

*If your MB can support 4 RAM sticks. The 2x8GB packs still seem to be overpriced.
 
#10 ·
Allen, I will definitely be posting questions because I know there will be more.

Clifford, thanks for the advice! I'll be going with an SSD for my OS and most likely browser and associated files and a 6.0Gb/s HDD for general storage. I'll probably get 8GB of RAM to begin with, possible add on another pair of 4's later if needed.

Chuck, I've already been reading a ton on Tom's for about a week now. It definitely is a great site.

Warren, that's a great looking build. But reading over your thread, I've realized I completely forgot to budget for kittens! :lol: That case looks sick. I know looks shouldn't be a big deal, but it's gotta look good. Here's the case I'm going to go with:

View attachment 40225

Anyways, here's my tentative parts list (just discovered this site yesterday and it's been great):
Intel Core i5-3570K, EVGA GeForce GTX 550 Ti, NZXT Phantom (Black/Green) - System Build - PCPartPicker
Just a suggestion. I would not put the browser on your SSD. Too much paging going on and the read/writes kill SSDs. I have a SSD (crucial 128 ) and a pair of 1tB WD caviar blacks in RAID zero.SSD for boot, etc and I keep all my DLs, browsers, etc on the Raid array. Just my $.02.
 
#11 ·
Eh, Tom's used to be good, a while ago, but it's not the best by a long shot. The guys at hardocp are generally the best, IMO, in that they strike the best balance between good knowledge and approachability. Most guys aren't crazy overclockers anymore, just a mixed group with a lot of knowledge.

I've built every computer I've owned since 1998, and have built many for other people. I've only built one machine in the last 3 years (just this past Christmas), so I'm not quite as up to date as I usually am, but I'd also be happy to field any questions. Oh, and with RAM prices being what they are, just buy 16GB now and be done with it. You'll be glad you did.*

*If your MB can support 4 RAM sticks. The 2x8GB packs still seem to be overpriced.
+1. Toms is kinda behind the times Now this is my personally opinion and if you look at my GPUs you'll label me a fanboy but eVGAs forums are a fantastic resource! I've asked LOTS of questions and always gotten good advice and info from kind folks. Make good stuff too if you like nVidia ( and that's another can of worms ;) )
 
#12 ·
I'm glad I'm not the only one that has noticed that. Tom's staff seem to be either behind or unable to write a bad review of a big product (adding to the ad income, perhaps?), and their forums have too large a percentage of, if I may state this kindly, ignorant persons. I'd steer clear.
 
#13 ·
Thanks guys, I'm going to check out some other forums as well. When I was first researching mostly questions about how things worked and different terms, etc. Tom's came up a lot in Google searches. And since a lot of what I was looking at didn't have anything to do with the most recent technology, the older posts at Tom's were very helpful. I haven't really read much on there about newer stuff though.

This has been a fun and informative process so far. I'm really looking forward to finalizing my parts list and starting my build. Don't know when I'll have enough cash for sure (probably should stay off CBid :lol:), but I'll post pics as I go.

Just a suggestion. I would not put the browser on your SSD. Too much paging going on and the read/writes kill SSDs. I have a SSD (crucial 128 ) and a pair of 1tB WD caviar blacks in RAID zero.SSD for boot, etc and I keep all my DLs, browsers, etc on the Raid array. Just my $.02.
I haven't heard that before. I will definitely look into this. Or maybe just skip the SSD all together.
 
#14 ·
Pc looks good to me

The only difference is I would go 2x8gb on the ram. It's an investment because you will eventually crave a 32gb system and will have to replace all the 4s anyways.

Also make sure you are running win7 64 bit pro or better. The others only go to 8 and 16g ram max

I just purchased the same processor and think its the he's for the money. I am also doing a ssd for os/video games so smart move there. Are you using this pc for gaming or just daily use?
 
#15 ·
Allen, thanks for letting me know that! No one had brought that to my attention. I was planning on running Home Premium (64-bit), and it supports 16GB of RAM. 16gb is more than I need now. I'll look into the 64-bit Pro, but I don't know if I can extend the budget for it over Home Premium.

Are there any performance differences between running 4x4gb and 2x8gb? I've done a little research on this and some seem to think so, others say its so insignificant it doesn't matter.

My biggest concern with this computer is being able to handle mutlitasking. Running both my Adobe Photoshop programs (LR4 and PSE), browser, music player, etc. all together. I don't do a lot of gaming. And occasional game of LoL here and there with my friends who are big gamers.

I've been looking into setting up a RAID array instead of going with a separate SSD. That would give me faster performance and give me redundancy to keep all my important school files and stuff safe (depending on RAID type). I'd just want to go with 6.0gb/s HDDs, so I'd need a mobo that can take 3 of them for RAID 5...
 
#16 ·
As an IT guy, NO RAID 5. RAID 5 sucks and you can end up losing a whole array along with all its data with it's crazy rebuilding. Either RAID 1 or RAID 10 if you are going RAID. You can also do backups to a larger HDD instead of going RAID.

Looking at your computer needs, it doesn't seem like you need a whole bunch and your shopping list looks good. Probably won't notice a difference in RAM 4x4 or 2x8.
 
#17 ·
As an IT guy, NO RAID 5. RAID 5 sucks and you can end up losing a whole array along with all its data with it's crazy rebuilding. Either RAID 1 or RAID 10 if you are going RAID. You can also do backups to a larger HDD instead of going RAID.
Thanks for the advice, I'll stay away from RAID 5. I had just started some research on RAID at about 2am last night, lol. RAID 10 definitely seems like the best choice, as it provides better performance and redundancy. Just don't know if I can swing the price of 4 HDDs and a mobo that will support 4 6gb/s HDDs. How much of a pain is it to start out with a single HDD and switch over to a RAID array later on?

Looking at your computer needs, it doesn't seem like you need a whole bunch and your shopping list looks good. Probably won't notice a difference in RAM 4x4 or 2x8.
Thanks for the opinion on my parts list. I've been slowly tweaking from my original build and I've dropped about $400 off as well as still meeting my requirements. I've made some compromises (like no $300 27" HD monitor :D), but I feel it will still work great for me and last quite a while.

On another note, one of the simplest things has been confusing the crap out of me... Power supply: right now, I've got an ~$50, 600W, modular power supply on my parts list. However, aside from power usage (80+ certified) what is the major differences between a $50 power supply and a similarly spec'd, 600W modular power supply that costs $150ish? Is it worth the price increase or is a power supply a power supply?
 
#18 ·
Well the price difference between the two is $40. I would say to upgrade to it because as you grow the home premium will have a lower ceiling compared to the pro version.

It would matter between the 4x2 or 2x4 unless you plan on eventually upgrading your ram. Instead of having to replace 4 sticks, you'll just have to add 2 more to reach te 32gb. That being said you don't need 32gb, it's a luxury fr now, but in a year or 2 you might want to go down that route

As far as aid you can set it up but the easier option would be to just get an external hd on sale and just copy important things into it as stated in other posts. Just my opinion.

The options I recommended gives you room to grow and continue to upgrade for less money should you want to throw more $ into your computer later on.
 
#19 ·
+RG to everyone who's helped me out so far! (well, as much as I could give today, will give the rest tomorrow. ;))

The price between Home Premium and Pro is about $100 (according to pcpartpicker.com's lowest available prices). My cousin works for Dell. I'm going to see if he's got any special promotions (they often get stuff from Microsoft at discounts). Unfortunately, Windows 7 is only available to faculty through my university, but fortunately, I know a professor who may be able to get me a copy.

Edit: Checked with my university again and Windows 7 is only available as an upgrade (Pro or Ult). After reading around online, it seems like I wouldn't be able to install on a clean disk, even though I am technically eligible to purchase and install an upgrade to either of the old Windows XP laptops gathering dust in the basement or the Windows Vista desktop in the spare bedroom.
 
#20 ·
I would spend the extra money and and get a 128gb ssd instead of the 64. You will want the extra room to run the large adobe caches and databases off of. I recently have done a lot of research on ssd's and I would run all caches off the SSD and not worry too much about killing the drive. The current generation does not have any problem with dying from overuse (outside of a enterprise database server that is.) My preference on a drive would be the Plextor M3 but the crucial is fine as well. On the secondary drive I would definitely go with the WD black over the blue.

I would not recommend you go RAID. First of all a RAID 0 with two raptors is still way slower than a single SSD and has a much higher failure rate. If you go with a RAID 1 your performance will most likely not improve much if at all and you only are protected against one of the drivess dying. This is much more important on a server that is supplying information to a lot of people so it needs maximum uptime. For a home user your money and effort is better spent on a offsite backup solution that will protect you against all catastrophic loss (at least since your last backup)

Regarding that ram I do not believe that motherboard can utilized 4x4 faster than 2x8. You would be better off with the 8gb ram sticks as it would give you a cheaper upgrade path in the future if you feel you need it.
 
#21 ·
On another note, one of the simplest things has been confusing the crap out of me... Power supply: right now, I've got an ~$50, 600W, modular power supply on my parts list. However, aside from power usage (80+ certified) what is the major differences between a $50 power supply and a similarly spec'd, 600W modular power supply that costs $150ish? Is it worth the price increase or is a power supply a power supply?
Here is a really good site for PSUs. JonnyGURU.com - PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III 1200W Review His reviews can answer your questions about the price difference better than I can and more expensive isn't always better but I never cheap out on a power supply. A cheap PSU (Even the good guys make them) can end up killing a mobo, HDD, etc. Modular isn't necessary unless you are a cable management nut (like me) but a good clean, stable source of power is. Just my humble opinion of course :)
 
#22 ·
Showing my age....I didn't realize SSD had become cost feasible for the home consumer. When I was playing with hardware, they were still a pipe dream.

I ran RAID 0 on my box back in the day. Definite real world performance boost you can feel, but it's a hassle to set up, you double your risk of hardware failure, etc etc...but it sounds like you've done your homework there. I don't know how worthwhile it would be nowadays, with SSDs on the market.

re - monitor - You'll have to decide for yourself if that 27 incher is overkill for you or not (it would be for me....but that's me ;) ). But remember that the monitor is likely to be the one piece of hardware that you'll keep around when everything else is obsolete. I'm still using a 19 inch CRT that is close to 10 years old, and still serves my purposes just fine. So don't skimp. If you have any thoughts about maybe upgrading in a couple of years, I'd go ahead and splurge now.

re - power supply - Besides your monitor, this is the second most likely piece of hardware that you'll keep around through a couple of upgrades. Buy more than you think you need. Don't skimp - cheap no-name brands really are garbage. I've had to replace a few failed power supplies in my time. There are differences in good ones and cheap ones - more robust capacitors, better cooling, etc.
 
#23 ·
I've built my last 4-5 systems, save money and get exactly what I want without extra crap on it...

I like modular PSUs, not a cable management nut, per se, (even though my latest case is a Lian Li and I now understand the hype) but it's still handy to just eliminated the cables you aren't using, and most of them are sleeved if they're modular.
I use Bit-tech.net and Tom's Hardware for research and reviews, and Newegg.com for most of my components...
 
#24 ·
I ran RAID 0 on my box back in the day. Definite real world performance boost you can feel, but it's a hassle to set up, you double your risk of hardware failure, etc etc...but it sounds like you've done your homework there. I don't know how worthwhile it would be nowadays, with SSDs on the market.
You can RAID SSD's but it's a matter of how much speed do you need and how much is it going to cost you to get it. Most consumer SSD's will transfer 350-500MB/s vs. a WD Black that averages ~85MB/s across the drive. On top of that, the extremely fast random access time on the SSD makes fragmentation irreverent. With transfer times that fast most files that most people use load to ram in less than a second. If you spent the money to add a second drive to stripe it then you would only be shaving a fraction of a second off your load time and would likely not be noticeable outside of a benchmark.
 
#25 ·
I joined the HardOCP forums and they've been very helpful so far. I was actually kind of disappointed in the response I got to my thread on Tom's. Only a few reply and one guy keeps talking about overclocking, even though I said I won't be. :confused::confused::confused:

Anyways, I've updated the build again...

Bumped the SSD up to a 128GB for about a $30 price increase. Debating on saving some cash on the similarly spec'd Intel Core i5-3550 (over the 3550K) since the general consensus is the 3550k is really only better if I'm going to be overclocking. Ditched the OCZ PSU for a more expensive, slightly less powerful, but better quality Seasonic unit. Debating the choice of the ASRock mobo per the recommendations on the HardOCP Forum... I will probably go back to an ASUS.
 
#26 ·
I joined the HardOCP forums and they've been very helpful so far. I was actually kind of disappointed in the response I got to my thread on Tom's. Only a few reply and one guy keeps talking about overclocking, even though I said I won't be. :confused::confused::confused:

Anyways, I've updated the build again...

Bumped the SSD up to a 128GB for about a $30 price increase. Debating on saving some cash on the similarly spec'd Intel Core i5-3550 (over the 3550K) since the general consensus is the 3550k is really only better if I'm going to be overclocking. Ditched the OCZ PSU for a more expensive, slightly less powerful, but better quality Seasonic unit. Debating the choice of the ASRock mobo per the recommendations on the HardOCP Forum... I will probably go back to an ASUS.
ASrock is just Asus' budget line as it were. My last two builds have employed Asus and I've been very happy. My next rig will probably sport a ROG MoBo unless I hit the lottery the it's a eVGA SR-X board baby!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top