49 replies to this topic

[The Ugly Ducky]

hi all. so this is my first time building a desktop and my friend has been helping me out a bit. he's helped me pick out the parts and just give me an overview of the process.

Can anyone help me out here?

i already have a monitor, keyboard, hdmi cable, and mouse so i'm set there.

CPU:

http://www.amazon.co...d=ATVPDKIKX0DER

GPU:

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814127696

(I chose newegg because I wanted the free AC3. However it is on amazon too. Not sure if it's the same but it appears so. http://www.amazon.co...d=ATVPDKIKX0DER)

Motherboard:

http://www.amazon.co...d=ATVPDKIKX0DER

RAM:

http://www.amazon.co...=A3DRD2WX13H6ZQ

HDD:

http://www.amazon.co...=A3LJ5WMKNRFKQS

DVD:

http://www.amazon.co...=A1B16S9HEII11V

CPU fan:

http://www.amazon.co...d=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Chassis:

http://www.amazon.co...d=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Power Supply:

http://www.amazon.co...d=A89QP6D3VDW1W

Or...

http://www.amazon.co..._pr_product_top


It would be great if someone could review this and basically let me know how solid my build is and if everything will function together.

Also a few questions:

1. Is the process relatively difficult?
2. How long did it take you your first time?
3. Any guide suggestions?
4. Do you have any tips/warnings?
5. Is there any other items that I should retreive before starting to build?

Thanks,

~ The Ugly Ducky

[Thuley]

I wouldn't buy this stuff from Amazon because you essentially end up buying from 73298 different vendors through Amazon.  This is going to make any kind of RMA/Returns a pain in the ass.  Just get it all from Newegg or some such.

Whether you buy a 3.4GHz or a 2.4Ghz makes essentially no noticeable difference in performance except that a 3.4GHz dumps a lot more heat into your case which directly translates to more fan noise.

I would definitely buy a solid state drive to use as your OS drive, the difference in responsiveness is huge.  64GB should be more than adequate for the OS drive.

Corsair power supplies are rebranded SeaSonic, may want to compare prices and see whether the equivalent SeaSonic is less expensive.

The case is meh imho.  Cases that don't have enough air flow generate a lot more fan noise than those who have adequate flow.
Have a look at the Antec chimney-style cases like this one http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811129066 other manufacturers have similar cases like Silverstone or some such.

As far as putting it together goes, it all only fits one way.  Not that hard.
Tips/warnings: Especially in the winter static charge is an issue, don't zap your components by wearing your favorite polyester track suit when putting this all together.

[Vinava]

Took me about 3 hours to put my rig together.

Make sure you ground your static electricity otherwise say goodbye to your CPU.

[The Ugly Ducky]

thank you.

yes i was trying to avoid 100 bucks in taxes from newegg but i should probably order from newegg to have easier returns if necessary.

and to my understanding to stay grounded i should touch the metal part of my case every once in a while?

[Mr Squirrel]

The Ugly Ducky, on 09 January 2013 - 07:10 PM, said:

and to my understanding to stay grounded i should touch the metal part of my case every once in a while?

Yeah or any other metal to discharge any built up electricity. A lot of people get nervous building a rig but its actually as simple as a big Lego set.

If you're scared if your clothes will make static you could always build your rig nude LOL

Before you put it all together in your case you can do a test build to see if all your components are compatible on your motherboard box. And when it all works you can confidently put it together again in your case. That way you avoid more effort taking it apart if something isn't working

[The Ugly Ducky]

Mr Squirrel, on 09 January 2013 - 07:21 PM, said:

Yeah or any other metal to discharge any built up electricity. A lot of people get nervous building a rig but its actually as simple as a big Lego set.

If you're scared if your clothes will make static you could always build your rig nude LOL

Before you put it all together in your case you can do a test build to see if all your components are compatible on your motherboard box. And when it all works you can confidently put it together again in your case. That way you avoid more effort taking it apart if something isn't working

haha okay thanks.

[Chokladkakan]

You've listed a Sandy Bridge processor, which would be last generation, along with a Z75 motherboard which is newer. They're still compatible, but it seems an odd choice—if you wish to pick the older processor up you could fetch a cheaper motherboard with all the features the processor can take advantage of anyway.

It is also worth noting that the i7 won't present any huge benefits compared to the i5. The i7 will get you hyper-threading which, unfortunately, remains largely inconsequential unless you're spending an awful lot of time compressing archives into .zip-files or editing video. When playing games there ought to be little to no difference. The i5 then has the added benefit costing less, even if you pick up a more current Ivy Bridge version, like the i5 3570k.

This brings us to the next point: the processor you have chosen is an unlocked 'k' model; this means it is inanely easy to overclock it. Is this something you care about? It not you can get away cheaper by buying a locked model.

If, on the other hand, you are intending on overclocking you might consider fetching a Z77 motherboard instead of a Z75. They both allow for overclocking, but Z75 is an inherently cheaper chipset and you can therefore expect the components of the motherboard, specifically the power delivery, to be of a lesser quality than that of the Z77 equivalent.

I suppose you might also want to exchange the Hyper 212 Plus for its newer model, the Hyper 212 Evo. It is still dirt cheap anyway.

You're also able to get away with a far weaker power supply: I am currently running an i5 3570k and a Radeon HD 7950 (which consumes more power than the graphics card you've listed) off of a 500W power supply, with room to spare. Components are swiftly becoming incredibly power efficient.

Thuley, on 09 January 2013 - 06:39 PM, said:

I wouldn't buy this stuff from Amazon because you essentially end up buying from 73298 different vendors through Amazon.  This is going to make any kind of RMA/Returns a pain in the ass.

I suppose Amazon might behave entirely different in the United States, but in Europe they're utterly pleasant to arrange returns with. You just contact them and they'll see to it that the relevant vendor ends up getting the returned item and so forth. Either that or the company who made the components wants to contact them instead. Corsair does this, for example.

Thuley, on 09 January 2013 - 06:39 PM, said:

The case is meh imho.  Cases that don't have enough air flow generate a lot more fan noise than those who have adequate flow.

This doesn't seem particularly fair; NZXT is a fine and reputable case manufacturer. They know what they are doing. The airflow in the thing should be more than adequate for a hobby build.

As far as tips or warnings go I suggest you don't be afraid of the crunch when you install the processor. It's been known to startle many builders. It is also worth noting that when you're applying thermal compound you need only about the size of a pea, any more will be redundant and might instead be detrimental to your computer's performance.

Read the case and motherboard manuals carefully and you'll be OK. Take your time and expect to spend a good few hours—it's better to take a bit longer than to rush it and drop something. Try to be sure you've got the afternoon to spare; it's pretty dull to stop in the middle of a build.


So far as guides are concerned you ought to be fine with those by Newegg, the first part of which can be found here. They'll walk you through just about everything you need to know, and probably some things you don't.

[Janus Bloodrunner]

This is a How-to guide from New Egg. I'm a visual learner myself and found it very helpful. The first part is a helpful video for what to buy. The rest covers both AND and Intel installations. http://m.youtube.com...d&v=lPIXAtNGGCw

If the link doesn't work just search for Newegg TV : How to Build A Computer.

[The Ugly Ducky]

Chokladkakan, on 09 January 2013 - 09:19 PM, said:

You've listed a Sandy Bridge processor, which would be last generation, along with a Z75 motherboard which is newer. They're still compatible, but it seems an odd choice—if you wish to pick the older processor up you could fetch a cheaper motherboard with all the features the processor can take advantage of anyway.

It is also worth noting that the i7 won't present any huge benefits compared to the i5. The i7 will get you hyper-threading which, unfortunately, remains largely inconsequential unless you're spending an awful lot of time compressing archives into .zip-files or editing video. When playing games there ought to be little to no difference. The i5 then has the added benefit costing less, even if you pick up a more current Ivy Bridge version, like the i5 3570k.

This brings us to the next point: the processor you have chosen is an unlocked 'k' model; this means it is inanely easy to overclock it. Is this something you care about? It not you can get away cheaper by buying a locked model.

If, on the other hand, you are intending on overclocking you might consider fetching a Z77 motherboard instead of a Z75. They both allow for overclocking, but Z75 is an inherently cheaper chipset and you can therefore expect the components of the motherboard, specifically the power delivery, to be of a lesser quality than that of the Z77 equivalent.

I suppose you might also want to exchange the Hyper 212 Plus for its newer model, the Hyper 212 Evo. It is still dirt cheap anyway.

You're also able to get away with a far weaker power supply: I am currently running an i5 3570k and a Radeon HD 7950 (which consumes more power than the graphics card you've listed) off of a 500W power supply, with room to spare. Components are swiftly becoming incredibly power efficient.



I suppose Amazon might behave entirely different in the United States, but in Europe they're utterly pleasant to arrange returns with. You just contact them and they'll see to it that the relevant vendor ends up getting the returned item and so forth. Either that or the company who made the components wants to contact them instead. Corsair does this, for example.



This doesn't seem particularly fair; NZXT is a fine and reputable case manufacturer. They know what they are doing. The airflow in the thing should be more than adequate for a hobby build.

As far as tips or warnings go I suggest you don't be afraid of the crunch when you install the processor. It's been known to startle many builders. It is also worth noting that when you're applying thermal compound you need only about the size of a pea, any more will be redundant and might instead be detrimental to your computer's performance.

Read the case and motherboard manuals carefully and you'll be OK. Take your time and expect to spend a good few hours—it's better to take a bit longer than to rush it and drop something. Try to be sure you've got the afternoon to spare; it's pretty dull to stop in the middle of a build.


So far as guides are concerned you ought to be fine with those by Newegg, the first part of which can be found here. They'll walk you through just about everything you need to know, and probably some things you don't.

oh man. yes i didn't even realize what processor i had selected!

so i'll go with the i5 ivy bridge non-k. i'll keep the current motherboard. I'm not interested in overclocking my CPU.

and okay, replaced my fan with evo.

powersupply ok downgraded to a 650 watt and saved a 40 bucks .

This is my updated build, does it flow smoothly now?


CPU:

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819115233

GPU:

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814127696

Motherboard:

http://www.amazon.co...d=ATVPDKIKX0DER

RAM:

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820231428

HDD:

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822136769

DVD:

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16827135204

CPU fan:

http://www.amazon.co...s=hyper 212 evo

Chassis:

http://www.amazon.co...d=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Power Supply:

http://www.amazon.co...sair enthusiast

Also thank you for the video janus and chok.

[Chokladkakan]

Looks well enough! Should you want to you could certainly go lower yet on the power supply, but that's your own prerogative. The one you have there will be more than enough anyway.

I do concur with the previous SSD recommendations, it would run circles around any mechanical hard drive.

[Thuley]

Chokladkakan, on 09 January 2013 - 09:19 PM, said:

This doesn't seem particularly fair; NZXT is a fine and reputable case manufacturer. They know what they are doing. The airflow in the thing should be more than adequate for a hobby build.

Even so, a case that has a top vent will run cooler than a case that only has a rear vent.  Cooler means less fan noise.

[Janus Bloodrunner]

Thuley, on 10 January 2013 - 12:51 AM, said:

Even so, a case that has a top vent will run cooler than a case that only has a rear vent.  Cooler means less fan noise.

I thought I read in the product description that the NZXT case came with a top mounted 200mm fan and could hold a second top mounted one. 200mm fans tend to be loud in general compared to the 120-140mm fans. But to an average person they can hardly tell. Also, he's running his cpu stock and with an aftermarket cpu fan,  heat will definately not be an issue. They also make lower decibel fans for pretty cheap should duck wish to change them. My only concern is spending $100+ on THAT case, but im assuming it is becuz duck likes the look.

[The Ugly Ducky]

yes i am just a huge fan of the style of this case.

i usually have lots of noise in my room - music, tv, fans.. so i'm not TOO concerned about a little bit of fan noise coming from the desktop.

i was also informed that i should stick to ATX full cases by the friend who helped me decide on the parts. however i am not sure why exactly.

[Thuley]

Janus Bloodrunner, on 10 January 2013 - 01:32 AM, said:

I thought I read in the product description that the NZXT case came with a top mounted 200mm fan and could hold a second top mounted one.

So much fail on my part, didn't read the description that does mention "Top 2x200mm (1xBlue Led 200mm included)" but only looked at the pics on amazon which didn't look to me like it had top mounted fans.

[Erianx]

I think everyone's got your hardware compatibility issue in hands, so I just wanted to answer the questions you bolded at the bottom of the OP.
1. Is the process relatively difficult?
Depends on your parts, but for the most part no. Some things may be confusing, but in reality, you're just plugging wires into computer chips. If it's not made to fit, it's not going to, so not much to worry about.
2. How long did it take you your first time?
-insert dirty joke here-
My first time assembling a computer. it was the day after christmas, and my father handed me the parts and said "Call me if you have any issues." I made it a priority not to call him for help, and I didn't have to! The internet is a great tool, and I really reccomend if you have a laptop, have it out and ready.
Ultimately, I was extremely nervous, sweating, and triple-checking everything I looked up, so it probably took me 4-5 hours, but it shouldn't really take you that long if you prep everything like a organized sane person.
3. Any guide suggestions?
Someone already linked the newegg guide, and that's what I used too, but sometimes I got confused or it didn't have the specified thing I needed to know about ( I think my big question was about LEDs at the time) I found that Youtube was a big help. Something about seeing someone put it together in real time really helped me. I will warn you that it's probably not a good idea to follow a video of just some random scrub, I would look for well-known channels like Household Hackers or people with good reviews/comments.
4. Do you have any tips/warnings?
Something that I ultimately screwed up on is mounting the motherboard. When you install the motherboard, it's not just fastened directly on the case. (Giant piece of electrified metal pressed against another piece of metal isn't good, duh). There's these little brass mountings that screw into the case before you put the motherboard down. Those are really important! lol
5. Is there any other items that I should retreive before starting to build?
Screwdrivers with magnetic tips will be your best friends, and I've personally never used one, but there's these snap on anti-discharge bracelets that fancy people use to help prevent static electricity from meeting your computer parts before they've had a chance to live. If you're worried, it wouldn't hurt to wear one. If you're like me, and like to live on the wild side, you can just go without.

[The Ugly Ducky]

I guess the thing that makes me most nervous is installing all the screws, connecting all the right cords in the right places, making sure the CPU is placed right, and installing the cpu fan and graphics card.

I don't really know my my cpu fan will already have the thermal compound on it already or if I have to apply some.

[Chokladkakan]

Your case manual ought to guide you through what screws to put where. The various cables and connectors are easier still: they simply won't fit in the wrong places.

So far as the processor goes you must make sure to align the little triangle on the edge with the triangle on the socket on the motherboard. There should be a sticker atop the socket reminding you as well!

The graphics card, I admit, is a more troublesome, mostly because it usually takes a fair bit of force to get into the PCI-e slot, which is unnerving. It'll be alright though, just try to keep it level with the motherboard.

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo does not come with the thermal compound applied like the Intel stock fan does, instead you must apply it yourself. It comes in a little syringe together with the cooler and will be easy enough to apply. Make sure you put about a pea size worth of material right in the centre of the processor. Then, when you fasten the cooler, make sure you screw it down evenly, applying roughly the same pressure to all sides. The manual will be adamant on this note, too.

[Chappy]

The biggest risk when assembling your first PC is the motherboard screw backers.
These are the little bronze coloured screws with screw hoes on the other side of them.

Take your time when putting them into your case in preparation for your motherboard because you don't need to put one in every hole on the side of your case, and if you have one in the wrong spot it can short out your motherboard.

It helps to hold your motherboard in the case and line up each hole so you can see which ones need screws. It might take a few tries for you to remember them all the first time round.

Also as others said, an SSD is a must on a gaming PC these days. Def worth the extra $100.

[The Ugly Ducky]

Okay thanks guys

[Heylo]

This thread is really awesome. At the same time as Ducky was building his, Remoirs/Derpin was building one too. It's amazing that when we were buying the parts, none of the employees at the store warned us about static. Even when we said that we were building it ourselves, they said nothing. Then, everyone I talked to about it (even my boss) and this page heavily warned about static. It was good to know, especially living in the NW where everything is statically charged during the winter.

Expect a new thread soon asking about what I should upgrade in my PC. I wants the prettiest graphics :3