IchigoSJ said:Well I'm going to go eat so I won't post as fast as I did and I've decided to change my memory and motherboard to dd2 to cheapen it since for what I want I don't need a whole lot of power.
M'kay. DDR2 isn't that bad. It's still good. So I see you want your components to use a low amount of power. Just be careful when you build the computer. It's not as easy as it might seem. Problems that occur after setup = Anger.
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QUOTE(IBNobody @ Sep 19 2009, 06:17 PM) I've been building PCs since I was 14. I'm 32 now. Here are some lessons I've learned.
1. If you're not gaming, don't worry about a graphics card. Integrated video works fine. Integrated video + DVI out is even better.
2. You might want to consider getting an Antec case. They come with Earthwatts 380 PSUs, which are fine for general computing needs.
3. Do you live by a Frys? If so, buy your motherboard there. In general, the mobo will be your #1 source of hardware problems. Frys has a great mobo warranty.
4. Some computer stores or online stores offer CPU-Motherboard combos. I was able to get my current processor (Intel Core 2 Duo, E8400) and motherboard as a combo for less than what the CPU normally cost. (FYI: I bought it at Frys.)
5. Use Slickdeals.com or Fatwallet.com to find deals on the most expensive items, if possible.
6. Don't buy from Newegg if you can get away with it. They are good, but they are restrictive in their return policy. Instead, look on Amazon.com. You'll get free shipping, no sales tax, and a forgiving 30 day return policy. They pay for return shipping, and unlike Newegg, they don't charge 15% restocking fees for computer parts. I only use Newegg when I have to.
7. Avoid piecemealing your PC together. Try and get all the parts at once. Otherwise, you could end up with stuff that isn't compatible, you won't know about it until after your return policy expired, and you won't be able to return it.
8. Don't build your own PC. Buy something pre-built. PC building is fun up to a point, but hardware problems are a pain in the ass to diagnose. Home repairs also get expensive, fast.
Let's say 2 years later, your mobo dies. You have to go out and buy another mobo. Then you find out your current CPU and RAM aren't compatible, so you have to buy all new components. Then you realize that they phased out your graphics card bus, and you need a whole new graphics card. Oh no! You just realized that your PSU can't supply enough juice to that new graphics card. Better upgrade that too! Shit! That new mobo has a problem with its SATA controller, and now every ISO image you copy around on the HDD gets corrupted! You better stat all over and get a new mobo! All the while, you have your girlfriend/wife/kids/dog yelling at you, asking you why your computer broke down AGAIN.
The next PC I buy will be from a store where I can just take it in and tell them to fix it. LOL
Make sure that mobo has compatibility with AM3 then. Make sure it has at least a bios update if it's an AM2+ mobo or something of the sort, unless you decide to get an AM2+ CPU too. Try getting a 780g or newer chipset(790?) for a decent integrated graphics chipset. They usually come with 3XXX HD series Graphics, which is a generation behind from the mobo (with 4200 HD) you previously picked. You might want to try an Nvidea chipset but I wouldn't know too much about their mobo chipsets.IBNobody said:Then you find out your current CPU and RAM aren't compatible.
It's pretty easy to find a compatible mobo for RAM and CPU if they're older, though we're in a process of changing to a new socket and type of RAM, so just buy an older mobo chipset and socket. Just make sure the bus speeds are the same. They should also probably start with a fresh install when they upgrade the motherboard so there aren't any HDD problems either. Back up anything that they have.
Then you realize that they phased out your graphics card bus, and you need a whole new graphics card.
They haven't done that in a while(not putting AGP into consideration). In fact, PCI-E 2.0 is backwards compatible, so I don't see a problem there. Even the next version of PCI-E 2.0 is gonna be backwards compatible and they even delayed it to make sure it is. You definitely don't need a whole new graphics card though.
Oh no! You just realized that your PSU can't supply enough juice to that new graphics card.
Then they probably should have bought a lower end card. Graphics cards always have a low end series which are usually power friendly. IN FACT, ATI has been recycling their 2400 HD GPUS for the 3XXX series and 4XXX series now. AMD even includes it in their integrated chipsets for mobos. These cards DO NOT NEED a 6 pin power connector at all. GPU manufacturers are always trying to improve on wattage consumption it seems so it's always best if you pick the correct range for Graphics cards. It seems to be the high end cards that have the changing power requirements, but with the middle and low end, they seem to improve the power consumption from the last generation.
Maybe my arguments are a bit weak, but I haven't had a problem with buying new parts so far. Building a computer is not something that should be ruled out at least. You just have to do quite a bit of research because there will usually be someone with the same CPU+Mobo or RAM pairing. Researching is pretty important if I must say.
QUOTE(IchigoSJ @ Sep 19 2009, 11:53 AM) Well I'm going to go eat so I won't post as fast as I did and I've decided to change my memory and motherboard to dd2 to cheapen it since for what I want I don't need a whole lot of power.
Revolutionize said:You're statisfied with a 16'' inch monitor. Wow. Get at 19'' or 20'' monitor. It doesn't cost that much and the difference is amazing.
IchigoSJ said:Well considering that my current laptop is crap and is shared by my whole family I've decided to buy myself a new PC and my parents told me that they would pay for half but I'm what you consider a noob when it comes to building computers so I used this guide to pick out part http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_To_Assemb...ccess_memory.29 But the I only want a normal pc not a gaming one so it shouldn't be that pricey anyway this is what I found.
Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16813128397
Computer Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16811156063
Cpu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16819103704
HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16822136319
Ram: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16820148262
I already have a keyboard, mouse speakers, and Moniter so I don't need those and I didn't pick any ram becuase I wasn't sure I was buying these parts same thing with cd/dvd drives and the video card is probably crap yes I know I don't know which one to pick.
IchigoSJ said:I updated the first post with the hardware I finally chose tell me what you think.
IchigoSJ said:Well since alot of people are telling me different things I have one question what's better AMD or Intel and is Newegg as bad as IBNobody makes it seem.
I prefer Intel this generation (Core 2 Duo/Quad, Core I5/I7). In all honesty, it doesn't matter. The one thing I don't like about AMD is ATI. I hate ATI graphics card drivers.
Newegg isn't bad. It's just that they have a more strict return policy than Amazon does.
With PC building, you never know when you'll run into a part you didn't like. You can research things for weeks, but you'll still end up returning something. What if you buy a case, and you find that you can't fit your DVD drive in it because your drive is too long? (Happened to me.) What if you buy a CPU cooler only to find that the mobo you bought has its RAM slots too close to the CPU slot, thus blocking the cooler installation. (Happened to me.) What if you accidentally leave the CMOS clear pin in its "CLEAR" state on an MSI mobo and you end up frying the bios? (Happened to me, though I'm ashamed to admit that.)
Buying from a place that has an awesome return policy is critical. That's why I say be careful about Newegg. Only buy stuff from them if you are absolutely sure you won't return it.
Also, buying items that have 3+ year manufacturer warranties is critical as well.
EDIT:
Here's the same HDD on Amazon for $75:
Here's a 750GB on Amazon for $75
They aren't far from Newegg's price at all.
Also, you might want to look up that Caviar Black. I use the Caviar Black (WD6401AALS) for my Wii USB solution. When I was troubleshooting the SATA write failures, I ran across an article talking about the Black vs the Blue. Even though it has 32MB cache, I remember reading that the Caviar Black underperformed the 16MB cache Caviar Blue.
QUOTE(Revolutionize @ Sep 19 2009, 11:59 AM) Most computers from the store are SHIT. They come with all this crapware and are severely overpriced. lol at your troubleshooting story.
Oh shi thanks I'll get the Thermaltake hope that one is good.Joe88 said:dont buy rosewill PSU's
they are known for their high failure rates and destroying other components that are attached to it when it blows