Dragon123

Hi. I'm completely new to this so sorry if some of my questions may seem stupid

Well, first off, I live in the UK and was wondering where can u buy the PC hardware parts, preferably a .co.uk website. At the moment, i can only see the newegg.com website, and as its in dollars and abroad, there will be shipping fees that will be extra money I'd rather not spend. Also, to brand names matter at all?

Also, the game I have at the moment is the Orange Box for the pc, and as my computer wasn't boughtfor gaming (just normal word processing and internet use) the game runs extremely badly even on rock bottom settings (my ping on tf2 is 5-30, so it isn't the internet). On my new computer i plan to buy, i would like to play assassins creed 2, call of duty 2, left 4 dead 2 and maybe need for speed world online if it has good reviews. I wanted to know what computer specifications should i look for. My budget is approximately £700-£800, and I don't plan on upgrading it. (i want to buy the computer by mid-augustish)

As well as that, I wanted to know a bit about the cases. How do you know whether a case is able to fit all the components. Say, if you had 2 x 2GB ram, how do you know whether the computer case is able to fit two rams?? And how do you know whether graphics card will fit in etc.

And do you know any old games which are any good? I like games that will last long, have good storylines, and if they have online multiplayer, some people still play online. But not games that will have their second / third versions coming out soon (like left for dead or assassins creed)

Last thing, is it worth buying a game controller for the pc? If so, which one?

Thanks in advance

kasc

I like www.overclockers.co.uk - you could also try www.ebuyer.com (it's a UK site).

The RAM is pretty small.. infact it's tiny compared to things such as hard drives / graphics cards etc.

I know I didn't answer all your questions but it's the only ones I know some answers too ;)

Dragon123

Thanks for the swift reply =)

Ill check those websites out

getmoreatp

For the RAM, you'll have to look at your motherboard to see if it has enough slots. I've never heard of running out of case room for RAM on a desktop, but make sure your graphics card or other cards won't block or interfere with the RAM sticks.

Dragon123

I was wondering.

Is it better to custom build or buy wholesome (everything fitted in)

The only reason i would custom build (and why i was planning on it) was the price difference. After visiting the above websites given by the 2nd post, (kasc) I wanted to know is there really that much price difference?

If so, i f you bought a custom built computer whose parts all came to £750, how much would the same spec cost ready made by one of these companies????

Also, another thing - quite basic really. What do you need for a computer? (as in processor, motherboard etc)

Tumbleweed36

Resources:

United Kingdom:

Ebuyer

Maplin Computers

Scan Computers

Note: Some of these have been already mentioned, but the Hardware team does recommend these companies as reasonably priced and quality merchants.

Phædrus2401

Usually, for mid-range and up computers, you can expect to pay at least 25% more than building it yourself, and they'll usually use the cheapest parts they can get away with.

You'll *need*:
Case
Motherboard
CPU
CPU heatsink (if overclocking)
RAM
Graphics card
Power supply
DVD/CD drive (recommended)
Hard drive
Operating system

You have to be careful picking your motherboard+CPU+RAM to make sure they're all compatible. Then make sure your motherboard has all the slots you'll need (I'd suggest at least a PCIe x16 for a graphics card and several PCI and PCIe x1 slots). Pick a graphics card to match the amount of gaming you'll be doing. Then for your PSU, tally up the minimum power requirements for all your components so far and multiply it by 1.75 for your minimum recommended PSU wattage, then get one in that range made by Corsair, Antec, Seasonic, or another PSU recommend on this board. Then find a case that will hold everything you'll need and provide cooling (usually an Antec Nine Hundred will do the trick, but shop around). If you plan on overclocking get a CPU heatsink/fan--Zalman is a good brand, but I've had a good experience with a Thermaltake V1. Pick a decent 7200RPM hard drive, a DVD drive to match your needs, and choose what operating system you want (Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 when it comes out, your favorite Linux distro, whatever), and you've got all you need.

simpswr

You might look at this for some ideas to get started

Tyree

Custom built is the best value. Look through the link that simpswr posted for ideas.
First you need to decide on the primary use for the PC and figure a budget.
Mid Tower cases will usually be sufficient and a Full Tower case will (generally) give you more room to work inside and some will have better cooling.