Posted February 20, 2008 Well according to talk talk they've sorted out the exchange for us and we should be getting broadband within the next month. So I've decided to get my own pc. I want to build one as it is cheaper but mainly for the experience. The trouble is I don't have a clue when it comes to building PCs. I have about £500 to spend on a pc. This includes monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers. I can stretch my budget but I would prefer not to. I will be using the computer for coursework, films and online games such as counter strike and the like. Things I would like: (bear in mind that I haven't really been up on computer due to not being able to get broadband so I may be talking shit.) Processor: Something over 3ghz. But I don't really know that much so I'll need your guys help. How good would 2x2.8ghz be? RAM: 1024mb (is this enough?) Hard drive: at least 80gb but maybe 120 or 160 depending on how cheap it could be. I haven't got a clue about the rest of the stuff like graphics cards and the like so I'll need you guys to help me. Make sure it will be good enough to play games like counter strike and stuff. Also if you could just give a little explanation on certain things as I'd like to knwo more about computers. Also this will be the first pc I've built so I don't really know what to do. A few friends have built them so I could always look to them for help but does anybody know of a good guide for beginners? And how easy is it to build a pc? I heard it was quite easy. I won't be getting this until I get broadband which should be within a month so there will be time for changing and stuff. Many thanks in advance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 20, 2008 Well according to talk talk they've sorted out the exchange for us and we should be getting broadband within the next month. Hurray I will be using the computer for coursework, films and online games such as counter strike and the like. Counter strike plays on my 1.7 :P Processor: Something over 3ghz. But I don't really know that much so I'll need your guys help. How good would 2x2.8ghz be? You could get a cheaper dual core intel chip, apparently they overclock like mad. RAM: 1024mb (is this enough?) For your budget you could easily get alot more than that. 2gb min i'd say. Hard drive: at least 80gb but maybe 120 or 160 depending on how cheap it could be. Hard drives are cheap, you can get 500gb drives for about £70 now. More computery minded people will know if this is any good, as i don't myself. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 20, 2008 Replace the 8600GT in Strider's setup with a Radeon HD 3850, add case/DVD/whatever you need, and you're good. You could consider a slightly faster CPU and a more expensive/reliable PSU, but it's not really necessary. Asking for a 3 GHz CPU is way too much for your budget - 2.2/2.4 GHz is more than enough. These Core 2 Duos can do a lot more than the old Pentium 4s that ran above 3 GHz. With the Radeon, it'll run every game that is not Crysis on highest settings, and will be great value. Also, if you don't have one yet, I'd recommend setting apart some budget or save up for a nice 19" LCD screen. If you're still on CRT, it'll be a huge improvement. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 21, 2008 So what monitor will be best? Also could somebody link me to every part that I would need. (Yes I really am that bad. I know pretty much nothing.) EDIT: ok these are the things Strider has found for me. Please feel free to add/change things. Motherboard - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/140061/show_product_specifications?spectype=extended 2gb RAM - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/98710 500gb Hard Drive - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/124228 Graphics card - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/133276 Proccessor 2ghz duo - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/132064 Case - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/134803 PSU - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/119227 DVD drive - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/127442 What do people think of this? Also can anybody recommend a good screen? Speakers don't need to be amazing just a decent sound quality. And then there's keyboard and mouse. Should I get bluetooth? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 21, 2008 The case and power supply are shite. The DVD drive is over priced. Overall it's reasonable, but you could get better for the money Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 21, 2008 The case and power supply are shite. The DVD drive is over priced. Overall it's reasonable, but you could get better for the money Care to make a suggestion? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 21, 2008 Yup, it was just coming :p Intel E2160 CPU Gigabyte GA P31-DS3L Motherboard 2GB (2x1GB) Corsair DDR2 PC2-6400 RAM PowerColor HD 3850 Graphics Card 250 GB Western Digital WD2500AAKS Hard Drive Samsung SATA DVD-RW Antec Sonata III Case (inc. 500W PSU) 19" ASUS Widescreen Monitor Total: £474.54 That leaves you with £25.46 for a keyboard, mouse and speakers. Personally i'd spend a little more to get reasonable quality ones, but thats up to you. On power supplies: NEVER buy cheap ones. Power supplies can break, and when they break they can kill everything else in the computer. The cheaper the power supply the more likely it is to break. Cheap supplies also aren't too good at providing stable power, the current is up and down like a yoyo, meaning you're computers speed is also up and down like a yoyo Cases: It's pretty much down to cosmetics, but the more expensive cases also tend to be easier to use and have had their edges tapered to stop you cutting yourself. Graphics Card: The ATi 3850 is a significant step up from the 8600GT CPU: I've dropped it down to save you £10, the reduction in power is minimal and the better graphics card more than makes up for it. Hard Drives: I've never seen the point in buying 500GB drives for the sake of it. They represent great buys if you have over 250GB of data (Hard Drive preformance decreases the further over 50% full you go) but with drives being so cheap and easy to install it's better to buy them as you need them. Postage: I cheated a bit. I used eBuyer's Super Saver Delivery (i.e. free) and a special offer that lets you get free delivery at Scan. I've written about the Scan offer a few times in PC threads, just do a search to find out how to get it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 21, 2008 Yup, it was just coming :p Intel E2160 CPU Gigabyte GA P31-DS3L Motherboard 2GB (2x1GB) Corsair DDR2 PC2-6400 RAM PowerColor HD 3850 Graphics Card 250 GB Western Digital WD2500AAKS Hard Drive Samsung SATA DVD-RW Antec Sonata III Case (inc. 500W PSU) 19" ASUS Widescreen Monitor Total: £474.54 So will that be everything I need? Also back to my first post: How easy are they to put together? Is there anything I should know? Are there any good guides around? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 21, 2008 These videos give you a good idea of what the actual build entails: http://computershopper.com/video/build-a-multimedia-pc-step-by-step-200707 When it comes down to the actual build though you'll be using the motherboard manual. That thing is the best step-by-step guide around tbh. You might want to invest in an anti-static wrist strap. Alternatively install the power supply first and plug it in to the mains but DO NOT TURN IT ON. The case will then act as you're ground, and any static will flow off down the earth wire! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 21, 2008 Where would I be able to get an anti-static wrist strap from? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 22, 2008 Ebay, thats where I got mine ^_^ (3 or 4 quid) You can get them on a lot of computer sites like komplett.co.uk. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 22, 2008 Doesn't the shop offer build services? I'd always have it done for me, even though I probably could put it all together, simply because I don't mind paying for someone else potentially breaking my stuff instead of me. If you're inexperienced with it, I'd really recommend it. Most shops ask for a pound or 20/30. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 23, 2008 Is this case better than the sonata III? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 23, 2008 For 20 quid more the new 9600 GT looks like a better buy than the 3850. Link to Benchmark Link to Ebuyer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 23, 2008 Don't build it yourself if you have never built a PC before. It's fucking crazy. People can say it's easy etc but it's really confusing if you have never done it before. Plus if you plug something in the wrong way you can fry everything. I'm saying this because i would hate you to see you waste hundreds of pounds. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 23, 2008 Don't build it yourself if you have never built a PC before. It's fucking crazy. People can say it's easy etc but it's really confusing if you have never done it before. Plus if you plug something in the wrong way you can fry everything. I'm saying this because i would hate you to see you waste hundreds of pounds. But I need to start somewhere. I'll be being really careful and such. And if I do break it I'll just wait for the foster kid to touch it and then blame it on him. I'll leave it open on the table and he won't be able to resist having a fiddle. Little fucker. But I appreciate your concern. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 23, 2008 The way i learned was by buying a pre built PC. Then upgrading myself so i only had to deal with one part at a time. Once i had upgraded everything (over the space of about 18 month) in my PC. I put it in a new case. Then you have basically done it. Built a fair few since then. Hope that helps. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 23, 2008 The way i learned was by buying a pre built PC. Then upgrading myself so i only had to deal with one part at a time. Once i had upgraded everything (over the space of about 18 month) in my PC. I put it in a new case. Then you have basically done it. Built a fair few since then. Hope that helps. I thought about that but it's more expensive and I really want the experience of doing it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 23, 2008 Don't build it yourself if you have never built a PC before. Paradox much? If you do you're research then building ain't particularly hard. Just be careful and don't guess at anything, if you don't know what to do then ask someone who does Dell do basic machines that are pretty competitive with custom builds. All they tend to be lacking is a graphics card, an easy upgrade. Maybe look at that for an alternative? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 24, 2008 Well I found a HP one today in CostCo. AMD athlon 64 x2 2.6ghz 2Gb DDR2 SDRAM 320GB Hdd Ati Radeon HD 2400 pro Vista 20" TFT It's in one of those small cases ad it's £530. What do you guys think? The processor, Ram and Hdd are good but the graphics card seems poor. But it does come with a good monitor and windows vista. Also I think a mouse and keyboard would come with it. EDIT: or this one... Dell: Intel core 2 duo 2.20GHz Dell™ 19" Silver Wide Flat Panel 2048MB 667MHz Dual Channel ram 250GB (7200rpm) Serial ATA 16x DVD +/- RW Drive 1 Year Base Warranty - Collect & Return Total £399 + http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=770335 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 24, 2008 Second one seems like an awesome deal. That system is really cheap. Can you give linkage? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 24, 2008 Well I found a HP one today in CostCo. AMD athlon 64 x2 2.6ghz 2Gb DDR2 SDRAM 320GB Hdd Ati Radeon HD 2400 pro Vista 20" TFT It's in one of those small cases ad it's £530. What do you guys think? The processor, Ram and Hdd are good but the graphics card seems poor. But it does come with a good monitor and windows vista. Also I think a mouse and keyboard would come with it. EDIT: or this one... Dell: Intel core 2 duo 2.20GHz Dell™ 19" Silver Wide Flat Panel 2048MB 667MHz Dual Channel ram 250GB (7200rpm) Serial ATA 16x DVD +/- RW Drive 1 Year Base Warranty - Collect & Return Total £399 + http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=770335 That second deal is great! I wouldn't go for that graphics card though, a branded (i.e. Powercolor, Sapphire etc.) should only cost another couple of quid and will probably have a better warranty (difficult to tell, theres no warranty info on that one you linked to). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 25, 2008 Second one seems like an awesome deal. That system is really cheap. Can you give linkage? Well Strider just showed me that so I'll have to ask him. Well this is the Dell PC Intel® Viiv™ Core™ 2 Duo E4500 Processor (2.20GHz,800MHz,2MB cache) Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Dell™ 19" Silver Wide Flat Panel Integrated Intel® Graphic Media Accelerator 3100 2048MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x1024] 250GB (7200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive with 8MB DataBurst™ cache 16x DVD +/- RW Drive 1 Year Base Warranty - Collect & Return Integrated 7.1 Channel High Definition Audio Price - £399 Or for £403.57 I could get an Acer X20I 20" TFT Monitor 1000:1 5ms instead of the Dell one. What do you guys think? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 25, 2008 Even though it's a Dell, and Dells suck bad due to various reasons, it's such a good value that it's recommendable. And Dell screens seem to have a better name than Acers but I can't be certain about that. Also, if you want to keep on gaming for a while I wouldn't recommend demanding your computer to keep on pushing high resolution graphics for 20" screens. I know for a fact that the Radeon HD3850 256 MB edition can run Call of Duty 4 and Bioshock maxed out on a 19" (1440x900 resolution). Your PC is better than that PC though, and the 512 MB edition is a bit faster too - but I wouldn't push it. As an alternative for the 3850 you could consider the 3870 and 9600GT for 20 quids more. They perform roughly equally, around 15-20% better than the 3850. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 25, 2008 For 20 quid more the new 9600 GT looks like a better buy than the 3850. Link to Benchmark Link to Ebuyer This man is correct. The 9600GT takes a massive shit on all other graphics cards for the price Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
