The PC Build Thread

[EmileS]

ok.. seems like i'm a bit more out of touch than I thought.. getting really confused as to which components to take (brand-wise)

I would like to setup a decent gaming rig (budget of roughly 10k)
It will also serve as a media server, so I need a couple of big hard drives.

minimum i5 or similar amd cpu
appropriate motherboard
a 64 gig ssd is possible
2 x 2tb sata hd (or 3tb of possible)
an optimal amount of dd3 ram
a good graphics card (the r9 270x looks good)
standard chassis (nothing fancy)
a good power supply as I will be plugging in 3 external drives as well.
a cheap dvd writer

Would I be able to get all that within my budget, or am I crazy?

Those HDDs make it a bit tough... Can you use some of the HDDs you have currently? And 64GB SSD is not really feasible anymore. 128GB is the budget side. Can you do 1x 2TB now and just add one on a later date?

CPU: i5 4440 (or bit higher if the budget allows)
RAM: 8GB DDR3 (~R1050)
Mobo: H87 (R1100 ~ R1500)
R9 270X is good (are you going to game?)
Chassis: There are load of chassis to choose from, but you require HDD space. So, have to look into that.
PSU: 550W or 650W 80+ would be good for a long time to come. (external HDDs is not a concern)
DVD-ROM: (R150 ~ R200)
SSD: 128GB preferred
HDD: 1x 2TB for now

The above looks reachable. Might go over your budget a tad. But, very possible if you take 1 less HDD.

 

[EmileS]

Howzit guys,

Just dipping my toes into the PC Build pool, been out of it for quite a while.
Looking a building a PC mainly for gaming, and also for running a media server, nutn crazy.
Went in to my local PC Shop and this guy gave me an basic build, BUT, he's thinking was as follows,
1. Get a top of the range i3, 4th Gen, 4330 i think
2. Gigabyte MOBO, think it was the H88
3. Peripherals as needed
4. GPU, this is where he said i must kill it, said i should get this Geforce card, was around 5k :wtf: but said i would never need to replace the card for a few years.

Im starting from scratch, so i need almost a full build, can someone give me some pointers?
Budget < 8k

His methodology is correct. The GPU is where the gaming is key. But, R5k on a GPU with a budget of R8k won't materialize. If he charged you R8k for the above, what GPU did he mention? GTX770? For R8k you won't find anything better if it includes all the other like the CPU, Mobo and whatever else.

What exactly do you have available and what do still need (except for the gaming PC required)? Do you need a screen, mouse, keyboard, headphones or speakers, PSU, HDDs, Case?

 

[KingBel]

Those HDDs make it a bit tough... Can you use some of the HDDs you have currently? And 64GB SSD is not really feasible anymore. 128GB is the budget side. Can you do 1x 2TB now and just add one on a later date?

CPU: i5 4440 (or bit higher if the budget allows)
RAM: 8GB DDR3 (~R1050)
Mobo: H87 (R1100 ~ R1500)
R9 270X is good (are you going to game?)
Chassis: There are load of chassis to choose from, but you require HDD space. So, have to look into that.
PSU: 550W or 650W 80+ would be good for a long time to come. (external HDDs is not a concern)
DVD-ROM: (R150 ~ R200)
SSD: 128GB preferred
HDD: 1x 2TB for now

The above looks reachable. Might go over your budget a tad. But, very possible if you take 1 less HDD.

Thanks EmileS. Appreciate the feedback. I can probably drop 1 HDD, and use my current drive(s). Just a bit worried about their longevity as they are fairly old. While I am not really gaming that much, I would like to have the option to start again (been trying out some MMORPG's lately). Lemme load the options into Wootware and Rebeltech and see what it comes up with.

 

[nevadayz]

His methodology is correct. The GPU is where the gaming is key. But, R5k on a GPU with a budget of R8k won't materialize. If he charged you R8k for the above, what GPU did he mention? GTX770? For R8k you won't find anything better if it includes all the other like the CPU, Mobo and whatever else.

What exactly do you have available and what do still need (except for the gaming PC required)? Do you need a screen, mouse, keyboard, headphones or speakers, PSU, HDDs, Case?

Ok i have a mix and match set of stuff, but what i really need is,
PSU, Case, MOBO, Processor, RAM, need a screen as well, but will wait for a special and then get one.

Suggestions?

Also, should i possibly consider spending a bit more and going for a 4th Gen i5?

 

[EmileS]

Ok i have a mix and match set of stuff, but what i really need is,
PSU, Case, MOBO, Processor, RAM, need a screen as well, but will wait for a special and then get one.

Suggestions?

Also, should i possibly consider spending a bit more and going for a 4th Gen i5?

I'm not into screen hunting ATM, but I saw a special on Takealot for a 23" IPS this morning. Not too bad for a 23" IPS screen.
http://www.takealot.com/savealot-daily-deals

Yeah, go 4th Gen, unless there is some good sale on the 3rd Gen.

What GPU and HDDs do you have currently? Since you didn't mention needing those.

For a PSU, Case, Mobo, CPU, RAM, you can get something pretty decent under R8k. The screen price will depend on the size you are looking for. Could be anything from R1k to R3k, looking at your budget.

 

[nevadayz]

I'm not into screen hunting ATM, but I saw a special on Takealot for a 23" IPS this morning. Not too bad for a 23" IPS screen.
http://www.takealot.com/savealot-daily-deals

Yeah, go 4th Gen, unless there is some good sale on the 3rd Gen.

What GPU and HDDs do you have currently? Since you didn't mention needing those.

For a PSU, Case, Mobo, CPU, RAM, you can get something pretty decent under R8k. The screen price will depend on the size you are looking for. Could be anything from R1k to R3k, looking at your budget.

Got a 500Gb HDD atm, and GPU i have no clue, any recommendations on a good processor and mobo?

Will decide on a GPU later, for now, just wanna get the basics done.

 

[EmileS]

Got a 500Gb HDD atm, and GPU i have no clue, any recommendations on a good processor and mobo?

Will decide on a GPU later, for now, just wanna get the basics done.

CPU: http://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=10888
mobo: There is no stock for the mobo I usually recommend on budget builds http://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=19&products_id=10656

Other 2 options: http://www.wootware.co.za/asrock-z8...-lga1150-haswell-atx-desktop-motherboard.html
http://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=19&products_id=10119

That ASRock Extreme 4 is on a very good special! But, it sucks that all the real good value for money motherboards are out of stock. There were some boards between R1200 and R1500 that had some amazing value.

 

[nevadayz]

CPU: http://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=10888
mobo: There is no stock for the mobo I usually recommend on budget builds http://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=19&products_id=10656

Other 2 options: http://www.wootware.co.za/asrock-z8...-lga1150-haswell-atx-desktop-motherboard.html
http://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=19&products_id=10119

That ASRock Extreme 4 is on a very good special! But, it sucks that all the real good value for money motherboards are out of stock. There were some boards between R1200 and R1500 that had some amazing value.

The ASROCK FATAL1TY H87 board looks amazing, is this the one you were recommending?
Not in a major rush, so can wait a bit to get the better mobo.

GPU wise, whats the best card that should last me a few years?

BTW thanks for the help

 

[EmileS]

The ASROCK FATAL1TY H87 board looks amazing, is this the one you were recommending?
Not in a major rush, so can wait a bit to get the better mobo.

I am fully recommending that board yes, but there is no stock. That's why I gave 2 other options. The ASRock Extreme 4 is also very good value at that special price. Ask Wootware and Rebeltech when they will have stock available of the ASROCK FATAL1TY H87, then you can plan

GPU wise, whats the best card that should last me a few years?

The R9 270X is a great budget friendly GPU for gamers with some budget, and for your type of gaming will last you at least 2 years. We'll take a look at that when we get the full rig specs together. Then we can see where we can cut/slice/trim to add somewhere else where needed.

BTW thanks for the help

This is what this thread is for

 

[nevadayz]

Awesome, will check with them when they are getting stock of the mobo.

Just going a step back, with the CPU, why the 4440 and not the 4670k? I remember reading up a bit and it seemed quite good, any major differences? Basically, worth the R700 difference?

And, i see you also using the same one

 

[EmileS]

Awesome, will check with them when they are getting stock of the mobo.

Just going a step back, with the CPU, why the 4440 and not the 4670k? I remember reading up a bit and it seemed quite good, any major differences? Basically, worth the R700 difference?

And, i see you also using the same one

If you can afford it, why not? However, you'll need a Z87 mobo (which generally cost more) and a CPU cooler to make it worth-while getting the i5 4670K. That's mainly due to overclocking. The "K" series Intel CPUs are the ones that you can overclock and you have to pay the premium for that. If you're not interested in overclocking, the i5 4670 (non-K) will do the same job But, you're on a tight budget, so it won't be feasible to get that CPU. R700 is another 1TB if you think of it, and according to what you've said, HDD space is an important factor.

 

[thomascmyk]

I have the 4440 and I can not complain at all, I can take a pic or two if you guys would like a peak...

It runs very well for everything I have used it for so far (photo editing, gaming)

If you can afford it, why not? However, you'll need a Z87 mobo (which generally cost more) and a CPU cooler to make it worth-while getting the i5 4670K. That's mainly due to overclocking. The "K" series Intel CPUs are the ones that you can overclock and you have to pay the premium for that. If you're not interested in overclocking, the i5 4670 (non-K) will do the same job But, you're on a tight budget, so it won't be feasible to get that CPU. R700 is another 1TB if you think of it, and according to what you've said, HDD space is an important factor.

 

[nevadayz]

If you can afford it, why not? However, you'll need a Z87 mobo (which generally cost more) and a CPU cooler to make it worth-while getting the i5 4670K. That's mainly due to overclocking. The "K" series Intel CPUs are the ones that you can overclock and you have to pay the premium for that. If you're not interested in overclocking, the i5 4670 (non-K) will do the same job But, you're on a tight budget, so it won't be feasible to get that CPU. R700 is another 1TB if you think of it, and according to what you've said, HDD space is an important factor.

Ahhhh i get it, i get it, ok need to just calm myself down, just saw all the fancy boards and stuff and lost track of my budget.

Ok so once the board and cpu are chosen, next is just PSU, RAM and a case.

Any idea what i should budget for a good card? i was thinking between 2-3k?

 

[nevadayz]

I have the 4440 and I can not complain at all, I can take a pic or two if you guys would like a peak...

It runs very well for everything I have used it for so far (photo editing, gaming)

Pics will be appreciated

i also see that i wont really need the OC feature, doubt i will ever need to get so aggressive

 

[Electric]

I bought the 2500k a couple years back but never overclocked as it's hardly necessary.
Especially with an ssd.

 

[EmileS]

Ahhhh i get it, i get it, ok need to just calm myself down, just saw all the fancy boards and stuff and lost track of my budget.

Ok so once the board and cpu are chosen, next is just PSU, RAM and a case.

Any idea what i should budget for a good card? i was thinking between 2-3k?

Usually you would like to know what the CPU, Motherboard, GPU and amount of HDDs are going to be before looking at a PSU. But, a 550W 80+ would be more than enough for a R9 270X and all the other bits.

That budget is great for a decent GPU. Usually guys want a good card for R1500 and expect wonders. R2k - R3k you'll have a pretty decent lady in there

 

[EmileS]

I bought the 2500k a couple years back but never overclocked as it's hardly necessary.
Especially with an ssd.

Those are probably the most memorable CPUs of the decade A true Game changer CPU in all aspects

 

[Electric]

A true pocket raper as well

 

[nevadayz]

Usually you would like to know what the CPU, Motherboard, GPU and amount of HDDs are going to be before looking at a PSU. But, a 550W 80+ would be more than enough for a R9 270X and all the other bits.

That budget is great for a decent GPU. Usually guys want a good card for R1500 and expect wonders. R2k - R3k you'll have a pretty decent lady in there

Yeah from what i calculated, to be safe a 600-700W should be more than ample.

I would initially just have one HDD, but eventually i want to add a SSD and maybe another HDD.

WRT the GPU, any reason why AMD and not GeForce etc? ive only ever had Geforce or similar so dont really have anything to go on..

I would prefer the GPU to be about 1K but i live in the real world, lower 2k would be perfect, but i would go slightly higher for something special

Any good links for cases, something sci-fi-ish

 

[KingBel]

Just bought a 750w power supply for 999. That should last a long time..