[SOLVED] First time build......

azzaUK · 09-05-2009, 11:03 AM

By a complete Novice

Hey,

Im wanting to build a gaming pc and not sure how to do it, im just looking at building the pc its self as i already have other other parts.
As for monitors im wanting to use my 52" LCD 1080p HDTV using HDMI, will this be possible or am i better of getting a monitor.

Im wanting to use the nvidia GPX295 graphics card and not sure on the other components to use in order to get the best possible game play.
Will I7 or amd processors work best? Also heard abit about SLI but if im honist im a total novice and not got a clue.lol

I live in uk and looking to spend about £1000 (will i need that much?)
The budget could be stretched if need be, just after best graphics possible, its only going to be used as a gaming pc any help will be most appriciated....

**simpswr** · 09-05-2009, 11:21 AM

and welcome to the Forum

You can look at this for some ideas to get started

Dacads · 09-06-2009, 07:11 AM

Not sure about the GTX 295 it costs £350 on it's own so if you went with a GTX 275 or Radeon 4890 you would be saving around £200.
If your going to be playing on a 52" TV then a gaming home theatre PC would be a better option

Go with a Silverstone or Antec case if you decide to.
http://www.ebuyer.com/search?page=1&...t=23&subcat=89
You'll need an high end Intel Core 2 duo or Core 2 Quad and a GTX 275 or Radeon 4890 ;)
I would go with a P45 Chipset with 4GB RAM, for HDD space it's up to you.
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/145748
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/139971
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/168018
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/148859
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/134677

Total Price: £745

This is excluding OS, HDD and peripherals.

Dacads

azzaUK · 09-06-2009, 03:00 PM

Thanks for the reply guys,

Had a look around and come up with this:

ASROCK X58 SUPERCOMPUTER Intel X58 Socket 1366 8 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard

Corsair 12GB (6x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz XMS3 Memory For i7 Motherboards

Corsair 750W TX PSU - 120mm Fan, 80+% Efficiency, Single +12V Rail

ASUS GeForce GTX 295 Single PCB 1792MB GDDR3 Dual DVI HDMI PCI Express

Intel Core I7 940 2.93GHz Socket 1366 8MB Cache OEM Processor

Antec Fusion MAX VERIS Black ATX Media Center Case - No PSU -

Hows this look for a gaming pc? will they all work together or have i picked the totally wrong component, thanks for ya help

Phædrus2401 · 09-06-2009, 03:04 PM

A huge waste of money, in some respects, but if you want to spend it that's fine.

AsRock is not the best supplier for motherboards. You would be better served by an Asus P6T Deluxe.

6GB is more than you'll ever need for at least a year or two, and by the time you'll be needing 12GB of RAM the rest of the computer will be obsolete anyway. Stick with a 4-6GB set.

That case isn't going to cut it for those components, they run very hot, the GTX295 especially. You'll want a full tower case. I recommend the Antec 1200 or the Coolermaster HAF.

azzaUK · 09-06-2009, 03:12 PM

ok thanks, i just thought the bigger the better.lol
As for the i7, is this the right choice for gaming? im just after the best i can get that will last a year or 2 and that i can upgrade without splashing out the cash all over again

azzaUK · 09-06-2009, 03:42 PM

ok ive changed my choice of case, mobo and gone for the 6gb RAM.
I also vhanged the power supply as the case came with one in a bundle deal, is the Antec CP 850W any good?

heres an updated list:

Intel Core I7 940 2.93GHz Socket 1366 8MB Cache OEM Processor

ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 iX58 Socket 1366 8 channel audio ATX Motherboard

Corsair 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz XMS3 Memory CL9(9-9-9-24) for i7 motherboards

Antec 1200 Full Tower Case + Antec CP 850W Modular PSU - "Exclusive Special Offer Bundle"

ASUS GeForce GTX 295 Single PCB 1792MB GDDR3 Dual DVI HDMI PCI Express

i know i need HDD but not sure what to get? appricate all this help

Phædrus2401 · 09-06-2009, 03:57 PM

If you took a computer with a Core 2 Duo E8600 3.33GHz on a P45 motherboard with DDR2 800 RAM, and put it up against an i7 920 2.66GHz on an x58 motherboard with DDR3 1333 RAM, and they both had the same graphics card, the E8600 would perform slightly better, and cost a hundred dollars less. Whether that would apply four years from now, I don't know. But always buy for today, not for tomorrow, or you'll find yourself with an empty wallet and less performance than you were hoping for.

The GTX295 is also overkill. Unless you have a 28" monitor and are playing games like Crysis and Fallout 3 you won't have any real world benefit in choosing the GTX295 over a GTX285, and if you have a 24" monitor or less the GTX275 or GTX260 will perform great as well.

For hard drives I suggest looking at the Western Digital Caviar Black drives, the 750GB is a good deal right now.

azzaUK · 09-06-2009, 04:04 PM

Thanks for the advice Phædrus2401,
im looking at playing thouse games onj my 52" HD TV through hdmi. Thought the gpx 295 would be great for it.

Is all this capable on a LCD TV or am i going to need a monitor?

Phædrus2401 · 09-06-2009, 04:08 PM

Should work on an LCD TV, most cards in that range have HDMI. 1080p is only ~1900x1200, so a GTX285 would still work, but your call.

**Tyree** · 09-07-2009, 08:13 AM

Solid advice from Team Mate Phædrus2401. i7 builds are just not worth the investment and DDR3 has issues.
ASRock = ECS =NOT good.

azzaUK · 09-09-2009, 04:12 PM

Thanks for all your info, ive taking on youre great advice and heres what im going to go with:

ASUS Rampage II GENE Republic of Gamers X58 Socket 1366 8 Channel Audio MATX Motherboard

Intel Core i7 920 D0 2.66GHz Socket 1366 8MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor

Corsair 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz XMS3 Memory CL9(9-9-9-24) for i7 motherboards

Corsair 750W TX PSU - 120mm Fan, 80+% Efficiency, Single +12V Rail

Zotac GTX295 1792MB DDR3 Dual DVI HDMI PhysX and Cuda ready PCI-E Graphics Card

Western Digital WD7501AALS 750GB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 32MB Cache - OEM Caviar Black

LG BH08LS30 8x Blu Ray BDRW Internal SATA Black Bare Drive

Antec 1200 Twelve Hundred Full Tower Case

ive decided to go with the i7 and ddr3 its all under warrenty so i can always send it back if theres any issues.....

Can anyone recomend and software to monitor my computer temps ect, ive seen CPU-Z about that any good, can you also recomend a good cpu cooler?

Thanks again for all your advice, gone from not know anything to starting to understand all this stuff

FanEAW · 09-09-2009, 07:08 PM

as for your OS.... i recommend you Windows 7, faster than XP and more responsive... better in all ways idc what Macintosh guys have to say anything negative about Windows 7 theyre just jealous lol.

i have the RC and its works great, nothing better!

**Tyree** · 09-09-2009, 08:19 PM

You would be better with a 775 build, as suggested by Phædrus2401 in Post #8, but it's your money.
For aftermarket CPU coolers, they void CPU warranty, I prefer Zalman. Top quality and they work.
Use the Bios for the most reliable Temp & Voltage readings.

azzaUK · 09-15-2009, 01:54 PM

Parts came today and couldnt wait to start my first build, final got it up and running, thanks again for your adivce and the info on the site

would of been lost without it.

First build and im extremly happy, gonna look into OCing next so i might bother you on that forum thanks again

**simpswr** · 09-15-2009, 03:01 PM

Well done!!

09-05-2009, 11:03 AM	#1 (permalink)
azzaUK Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 7 OS: Vista	[SOLVED] First time build...... By a complete Novice Hey, Im wanting to build a gaming pc and not sure how to do it, im just looking at building the pc its self as i already have other other parts. As for monitors im wanting to use my 52" LCD 1080p HDTV using HDMI, will this be possible or am i better of getting a monitor. Im wanting to use the nvidia GPX295 graphics card and not sure on the other components to use in order to get the best possible game play. Will I7 or amd processors work best? Also heard abit about SLI but if im honist im a total novice and not got a clue.lol I live in uk and looking to spend about £1000 (will i need that much?) The budget could be stretched if need be, just after best graphics possible, its only going to be used as a gaming pc any help will be most appriciated....

09-05-2009, 11:21 AM	#2 (permalink)
simpswr Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: May 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 12,205 OS: XP, Vista, Win 7	Re: First time build...... and welcome to the Forum You can look at this for some ideas to get started __________________ Rich MemTest86 \| BenchTest \| Virus/Trojan/Spyware Help How to post a Screen Shot \| PC running slow?

09-06-2009, 07:11 AM	#3 (permalink)
Dacads Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: UK Posts: 188 OS: XP SP2 My System	Re: First time build...... Not sure about the GTX 295 it costs £350 on it's own so if you went with a GTX 275 or Radeon 4890 you would be saving around £200. If your going to be playing on a 52" TV then a gaming home theatre PC would be a better option Go with a Silverstone or Antec case if you decide to. http://www.ebuyer.com/search?page=1&...t=23&subcat=89 You'll need an high end Intel Core 2 duo or Core 2 Quad and a GTX 275 or Radeon 4890 ;) I would go with a P45 Chipset with 4GB RAM, for HDD space it's up to you. http://www.ebuyer.com/product/145748 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/139971 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/168018 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/148859 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/134677 Total Price: £745 This is excluding OS, HDD and peripherals. Dacads Last edited by Dacads; 09-06-2009 at 07:15 AM.

09-06-2009, 03:00 PM	#4 (permalink)
azzaUK Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 7 OS: Vista	Re: First time build...... Thanks for the reply guys, Had a look around and come up with this: ASROCK X58 SUPERCOMPUTER Intel X58 Socket 1366 8 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard Corsair 12GB (6x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz XMS3 Memory For i7 Motherboards Corsair 750W TX PSU - 120mm Fan, 80+% Efficiency, Single +12V Rail ASUS GeForce GTX 295 Single PCB 1792MB GDDR3 Dual DVI HDMI PCI Express Intel Core I7 940 2.93GHz Socket 1366 8MB Cache OEM Processor Antec Fusion MAX VERIS Black ATX Media Center Case - No PSU - Hows this look for a gaming pc? will they all work together or have i picked the totally wrong component, thanks for ya help

09-06-2009, 03:04 PM	#5 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,733 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: First time build...... A huge waste of money, in some respects, but if you want to spend it that's fine. AsRock is not the best supplier for motherboards. You would be better served by an Asus P6T Deluxe. 6GB is more than you'll ever need for at least a year or two, and by the time you'll be needing 12GB of RAM the rest of the computer will be obsolete anyway. Stick with a 4-6GB set. That case isn't going to cut it for those components, they run very hot, the GTX295 especially. You'll want a full tower case. I recommend the Antec 1200 or the Coolermaster HAF. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.

09-06-2009, 03:12 PM	#6 (permalink)
azzaUK Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 7 OS: Vista	Re: First time build...... ok thanks, i just thought the bigger the better.lol As for the i7, is this the right choice for gaming? im just after the best i can get that will last a year or 2 and that i can upgrade without splashing out the cash all over again

09-06-2009, 03:42 PM	#7 (permalink)
azzaUK Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 7 OS: Vista	Re: First time build...... ok ive changed my choice of case, mobo and gone for the 6gb RAM. I also vhanged the power supply as the case came with one in a bundle deal, is the Antec CP 850W any good? heres an updated list: Intel Core I7 940 2.93GHz Socket 1366 8MB Cache OEM Processor ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 iX58 Socket 1366 8 channel audio ATX Motherboard Corsair 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz XMS3 Memory CL9(9-9-9-24) for i7 motherboards Antec 1200 Full Tower Case + Antec CP 850W Modular PSU - "Exclusive Special Offer Bundle" ASUS GeForce GTX 295 Single PCB 1792MB GDDR3 Dual DVI HDMI PCI Express i know i need HDD but not sure what to get? appricate all this help

09-06-2009, 03:57 PM	#8 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,733 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: First time build...... If you took a computer with a Core 2 Duo E8600 3.33GHz on a P45 motherboard with DDR2 800 RAM, and put it up against an i7 920 2.66GHz on an x58 motherboard with DDR3 1333 RAM, and they both had the same graphics card, the E8600 would perform slightly better, and cost a hundred dollars less. Whether that would apply four years from now, I don't know. But always buy for today, not for tomorrow, or you'll find yourself with an empty wallet and less performance than you were hoping for. The GTX295 is also overkill. Unless you have a 28" monitor and are playing games like Crysis and Fallout 3 you won't have any real world benefit in choosing the GTX295 over a GTX285, and if you have a 24" monitor or less the GTX275 or GTX260 will perform great as well. For hard drives I suggest looking at the Western Digital Caviar Black drives, the 750GB is a good deal right now. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.

09-06-2009, 04:04 PM	#9 (permalink)
azzaUK Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 7 OS: Vista	Re: First time build...... Thanks for the advice Phædrus2401, im looking at playing thouse games onj my 52" HD TV through hdmi. Thought the gpx 295 would be great for it. Is all this capable on a LCD TV or am i going to need a monitor?

09-06-2009, 04:08 PM	#10 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,733 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: First time build...... Should work on an LCD TV, most cards in that range have HDMI. 1080p is only ~1900x1200, so a GTX285 would still work, but your call. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.

09-07-2009, 08:13 AM	#11 (permalink)
Tyree Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 5,490 OS: XP Pro-7RC-Mandriva My System	Re: First time build...... Solid advice from Team Mate Phædrus2401. i7 builds are just not worth the investment and DDR3 has issues. ASRock = ECS =NOT good. __________________ Posting your PC specs will help us to help you quicker and more efficiently.

09-09-2009, 04:12 PM	#12 (permalink)
azzaUK Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 7 OS: Vista	Re: First time build...... Thanks for all your info, ive taking on youre great advice and heres what im going to go with: ASUS Rampage II GENE Republic of Gamers X58 Socket 1366 8 Channel Audio MATX Motherboard Intel Core i7 920 D0 2.66GHz Socket 1366 8MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor Corsair 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz XMS3 Memory CL9(9-9-9-24) for i7 motherboards Corsair 750W TX PSU - 120mm Fan, 80+% Efficiency, Single +12V Rail Zotac GTX295 1792MB DDR3 Dual DVI HDMI PhysX and Cuda ready PCI-E Graphics Card Western Digital WD7501AALS 750GB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 32MB Cache - OEM Caviar Black LG BH08LS30 8x Blu Ray BDRW Internal SATA Black Bare Drive Antec 1200 Twelve Hundred Full Tower Case ive decided to go with the i7 and ddr3 its all under warrenty so i can always send it back if theres any issues..... Can anyone recomend and software to monitor my computer temps ect, ive seen CPU-Z about that any good, can you also recomend a good cpu cooler? Thanks again for all your advice, gone from not know anything to starting to understand all this stuff

09-09-2009, 07:08 PM	#13 (permalink)
FanEAW Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 110 OS: Vista Home Basic SP1 Build 6001	Re: First time build...... as for your OS.... i recommend you Windows 7, faster than XP and more responsive... better in all ways idc what Macintosh guys have to say anything negative about Windows 7 theyre just jealous lol. i have the RC and its works great, nothing better!

09-09-2009, 08:19 PM	#14 (permalink)
Tyree Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 5,490 OS: XP Pro-7RC-Mandriva My System	Re: First time build...... You would be better with a 775 build, as suggested by Phædrus2401 in Post #8, but it's your money. For aftermarket CPU coolers, they void CPU warranty, I prefer Zalman. Top quality and they work. Use the Bios for the most reliable Temp & Voltage readings. __________________ Posting your PC specs will help us to help you quicker and more efficiently.

09-15-2009, 01:54 PM	#15 (permalink)
azzaUK Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 7 OS: Vista	Re: First time build...... Parts came today and couldnt wait to start my first build, final got it up and running, thanks again for your adivce and the info on the site would of been lost without it. First build and im extremly happy, gonna look into OCing next so i might bother you on that forum thanks again

09-15-2009, 03:01 PM	#16 (permalink)
simpswr Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: May 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 12,205 OS: XP, Vista, Win 7	Re: First time build...... Well done!! __________________ Rich MemTest86 \| BenchTest \| Virus/Trojan/Spyware Help How to post a Screen Shot \| PC running slow?