Guide To Computer Builds


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How much noise a PSU makes greatly depends on the load.

A 1000Watt PSU with only 70% load is more quiet (and efficient) than a 550Watt PSU at nearly 110% load.

Factor that into your graphs too and your guide is perfect...

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  • 2 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

I wanted to create a desktop computer, but I was wondering if it is difficult to do? Most experience I've had is changing my old one's PSU.

If the difficulty is around the moderate-range, I thought I could give it a try.

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It's not hard if you're careful. And the more you do it, the more proficient you are at it.

If you're really not confident with putting together your own parts, you could always buy the parts and pay for someone else to put them together.

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Double post, but one quick note!

With the recent introduction of Core i7 to Intel's CPU line, many people will be wondering whether it is beneficial to switch to Core i7.

From the benchmarks that I have seen, it doesn't seem to blow Core 2 out of the water just yet. So if you're still running a Core 2 system (maybe a Q6600 or E7200 type of system) I would guess those systems will still be good for AT LEAST another year.

If you're running anything lower than that (ie., E2100 or E2200 / E4500, E4400 or maybe even Pentium D, Pentium 4, Athlon X2 systems) it would be way better use of your money to go for a Core i7 system (given it fits within your budget)

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Double post, but one quick note!

With the recent introduction of Core i7 to Intel's CPU line, many people will be wondering whether it is beneficial to switch to Core i7.

From the benchmarks that I have seen, it doesn't seem to blow Core 2 out of the water just yet. So if you're still running a Core 2 system (maybe a Q6600 or E7200 type of system) I would guess those systems will still be good for AT LEAST another year.

If you're running anything lower than that (ie., E2100 or E2200 / E4500, E4400 or maybe even Pentium D, Pentium 4, Athlon X2 systems) it would be way better use of your money to go for a Core i7 system (given it fits within your budget)

+1 - I'm in the midst of putting together a Core i7, I'm upgrading from a AMD X2 3800+.

This is a great article but I think when you looking at Bang for your Buck you also have to decide how long you plan to live with that system. If you're going to be living with a system for a while then saving $40 by going with a slower processor might not look like such a good decision in a year or two.

Also, I can't see why anyone would want to stick with the stock cooler when for a modest price you get less noise, lower temperatures and less chance of your hardware dying. I don't overclock but when putting together my new build the thought of using the stock didn't even cross my mind.

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Less noise is the only thing you really get, chips perform the same loaded at 70?C or 30?C, longevity is not a factor until you start getting really close to the Tjunction Maxes (or the equivalent on AMD processors). The reliability of stock coolers cannot be doubted, first off they would not be certified if they had subpar MTBF and just think about all the OEM systems you see running years later on their stock systems;);)

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After going through the process of building a PC for the first time, here are some things I found helpful.

  • Doing preliminary research before asking others will help you determine what you want to suit your needs (Toms Hardware is great place to start - there are hundreds of new build threads)
  • Posting in multiple forums (I used Neowin and Toms Hardware)
  • Compare prices to get the best deal on your parts!
  • Read reviews (especially video reviews) to help give you an idea of the product your getting. This is helpful for cases, as its hard to tell what a case will be like by just looking at a picture.
  • Don't blindly follow advice given. Many users are very knowledgeable, but its always a good idea to visit some reputable review sites
  • Have fun!

This is all from my own experience :-) I sat in my basement for 3 hours with all my parts laid out and following youtube videos and online guides. It was like a puzzle putting all the pieces together and you get all the satisfaction once it is all done!

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Hi all,so I just registered today and I am pretty new at the ol'building your own PC stuff, so I was wondering if you guys could help me with some information on the parts i've scouted out? Should I just post here or start a new thread?

Please post a new thread when you are talking about something new...... you'll not get the response that you want posting in the middle of another person's thread.

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