Advice for a first time pc builder

#1

TheDeeble

Guy on the Couch
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#1
I'm considering building a pc for the first time.

Would it be better to spend as little as possible on a cheap pc just to get through the learning curve/mistakes, and once I've got the basics down then progress to a decent gaming pc?

Or just go ahead and buy some quality hardware and try to build a decent gaming system with no experience at all?

Never attempted this so I don't know what the risks are of ruining parts because of dumb mistakes due to lack of experience.
 
#2
#2
There's no reason to buy a training PC just to learn the basics of building (although if you're determined to get hands-on experience, you could buy a cheap used gaming rig on craigslist or eBay and work on taking it apart/putting it back together). It's easy to put one together and very, very difficult to damage a part. The only time it really happens is if you drop something, slip with your screwdriver and scratch the hell out of something, or try to force a cable into the wrong outlet. But almost everything is labeled AND keyed now, so it's nearly impossible to do that anyway. Static can also be a concern, but as long as you don't build on thick carpet while wearing thick socks and a wool sweater, you'll be fine.

To make yourself more comfortable with the process, make sure to watch a lot of YouTube tutorials. Then, head over to PC Part Picker and check out some of their top recommended builds. Not only will you find the best parts that way, but you'll also know which ones are compatible with each other.

Finally, build the best system you can afford. I just built a new system and went semi mid-range and already kind of regret it. Seriously, the difference between a mid-range system and an absolute beast of a rig is about $600-$700, but that's nothing when you consider that the ultra high-end system will run every game like butter completely maxed out at even 1440p and often 4K for the next 2-3 years, while the mid-range system will be limited to 1080p at max settings and higher resolutions with multiple graphics options turned down. Plus, you'll have to upgrade the mid-range system in a short time.

Oh, and if you're willing to wait about a month, it's probably worth it, as AMD is releasing a new series of graphics cards sometime in May to compete with Nvidia's best offering. Going AMD will save you a few hundred dollars, as its gaming monitor technology (Freesync) is much cheaper than Nvidia's equivalent (G-Sync).
 
#3
#3
Building a PC isn't nearly as difficult as it looks, it takes modest technical inclination at minimum.

Avoid bottlenecks in performance... a top of the line GPU isn't going to help you if you skimp out on the processor and RAM.

I'd say go as big as you can with the CPU, GPU, and RAM (8GB min). Figure out what your needs are with the motherboard, as you can easily spend too much here on bells and whistles you won't use and don't need.

Get a quality power supply - 650w should be fine unless your building a monster.

If you want to overclock a 2 or 4 core CPU - look at getting a liquid cooler; entry level coolers can be had for $40 -$50.

Most games don't effectively utilitize more that 4 cores - so going any higher wont help much unless you run resource heavy stuff or are a crazy mutlitasker.

Areas where you can cut costs are the case, HD, and OS (wink wink)
 
#5
#5
Building a PC isn't nearly as difficult as it looks, it takes modest technical inclination at minimum.

Avoid bottlenecks in performance... a top of the line GPU isn't going to help you if you skimp out on the processor and RAM.

I'd say go as big as you can with the CPU, GPU, and RAM (8GB min). Figure out what your needs are with the motherboard, as you can easily spend too much here on bells and whistles you won't use and don't need.

Get a quality power supply - 650w should be fine unless your building a monster.

If you want to overclock a 2 or 4 core CPU - look at getting a liquid cooler; entry level coolers can be had for $40 -$50.

Most games don't effectively utilitize more that 4 cores - so going any higher wont help much unless you run resource heavy stuff or are a crazy mutlitasker.

Areas where you can cut costs are the case, HD, and OS (wink wink)

Would definitely recommend an i7 or AMD Ryzen CPU now. The number of games that support more than 4 cores/threads is only going to increase. Wouldn't want him to get bottlenecked by an i5 in 2-3 years.
 
#6
#6
Yeah, I'm finding myself thinking about buying an i7 as my next upgrade. I have the most powerful 3rd gen I-57 right now, but I know it will need to be replaced in a few years at most.
 
#7
#7
Yeah, I'm finding myself thinking about buying an i7 as my next upgrade. I have the most powerful 3rd gen I-57 right now, but I know it will need to be replaced in a few years at most.

I got an i7 7700 (non K) for $220 for my newest build. With good cooling, it goes into Turbo mode and hits 4.2 ghz without breaking a sweat.

Ryzen looks really good on paper, but it's mostly for people who livestream or have really intensive workflows. The i7s are still the champs for gaming, but the gap is pretty close overall.
 
#8
#8
I got an i7 7700 (non K) for $220 for my newest build. With good cooling, it goes into Turbo mode and hits 4.2 ghz without breaking a sweat.

Ryzen looks really good on paper, but it's mostly for people who livestream or have really intensive workflows. The i7s are still the champs for gaming, but the gap is pretty close overall.

Yeah I plan on getting the latest i7 in a couple of years. The Ryzen's are nice, but like you said the i7's are still the way to go if you can.
 
#9
#9
Would definitely recommend an i7 or AMD Ryzen CPU now. The number of games that support more than 4 cores/threads is only going to increase. Wouldn't want him to get bottlenecked by an i5 in 2-3 years.

I agree with this; especially with mainstream VR and AR right around the corner.
 
#10
#10
If you're on a tight budget, you can go big on the case with a lot of big, cheap fans and burly CPU heatsink/fan and still overclock just fine as long as you don't get crazy with it. I did that for a long, long time. My little $700 builds lasted for years.
 

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