A beginners first build...

Rexton said:
Personally in terms of cases I've always gone for quality over looks, the case is the whole housing for your PC. So just be careful that you don't chose a bad quality case just because it has some cheap pretty looking glass side panels and nice colours.
Click to expand...

That is a good point. I think i am going to go with the NZXT M59 case as it has very good reviews that say it is very good quality. I also really like the look of it and you can install 5 fans in it.

I have almost finalised the hardware I am going to be using, I'll let you know what it is going to be soon.

Once again, thanks for all of your help.
 
Here is the hardware that i have finally chosen to use...

Motherboard - ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO - AM3 Socket - 785G Chipset - ATX

£63.23

CPU - AMD Phenom II X4 955 - 3.2 GHz, 6 MB L3 Cache, AM3 socket - 125W

£111.99

RAM - Patriot G Series 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C9 1333MHz Dual Channel

£88.99

GPU - SAPPHIRE TECHNOLOGY Radeon HD5570 HyperMemory - 1GB DDR3

£65.70

HDD - Already have a hard drive

£0.00

DVD Drive - LG DH16NS10 16x DVD-ROM Drive

£9.48

Case - NZXT M59 ATX Midi PC Case / No PSU / Black

£54.99

PSU - Corsair CX 400W ATX Power Supply

£38.99

Total Cost - £433.37 - Much cheaper than my original budget, which is great!

Will all of these components work together?
 
AFAIK, the i5 750 is supposed to slightly better than the Phenom II X4 955 for gaming, and it is not a huge amount more expensive. The 5770 is a great card, will easily run any Source game on maximum, and very high settings on some newer games like Aliens vs Predator in DX11.

Regardless of whether you go AMD or Intel, building a PC is really very easy. As the Admiral said, components will usually only fit in one way round, so there is not much you can do wrong. As it is your first build, I highly recommend just reading the manuals on all of your stuff, if you do that, you should have a very good idea of what you are doing.

Good luck with your first foray into PC gaming!
 
Well the game i will be playing mostly on this PC is Microsoft Flight Simulator X, as far as i know it is one of the most graphically intense games out there.

Will I see a big difference between the Intel i5 and AMD X4 when playing this game? Also, will my GPU be able to handle the graphics well?
 
Supposedly, FSX is more CPU limited than GPU limited, so a 5770 should be fine (damn nice card as well). The difference between an i5 and an X4 is pretty small, but if you decide to overclock, the i5 has a lower speed at stock (2.66Ghz vs 3.2Ghz), so at the same clocks, the i5 will be gaining a better performance increase.

It might also be worth mentioning though, an X4 and an X6 both use AM3 sockets, whereas intel's 1156 socket (used by the i5) has very little to upgrade to now, and probably never will. AMD tend to maintain sockets for longer, so your next upgrade might be cheaper if you go the AMD route.

There are always a lot of trade-offs when choosing components, but hopefully some of this will help you make a more informed decision, and you will be happier with your purchase by knowing you got the best system to suit your needs.
 
Thanks for that info.

I think i am going to go down the AMD route as it will be cheaper to upgrade in the future and it appears that AMD CPU's are easier to overclock than Intel's.
 
lukefinch said:
Thanks for that info.

I think i am going to go down the AMD route as it will be cheaper to upgrade in the future and it appears that AMD CPU's are easier to overclock than Intel's.
Click to expand...

Yes and no. I wouldn't say either brand is easier to clock if you know what you are doing. I do have to say however a blind person could overclock an Intel core i3 530, it just goes!
 
I would seriously consider changing that graphics card (5570 hypermemory),
to at least a 5770 . I think a few people have mis read your spec and thought you had
one listed.
 
SlugForAButt said:
I assume you have an OS already?
Click to expand...

Yes i have an install disk for Windows 7 Ultimate that is ready for use.

Dsteviedee said:
I would seriously consider changing that graphics card (5570 hypermemory),
to at least a 5770 . I think a few people have mis read your spec and thought you had
one listed.
Click to expand...

Is there much of a difference between the two besides the 60 pounds price difference?
 
Oh yes probably more than twice as fast.

The 5570 is a low power low profile card mainly for use in htpc rolls and light gaming.
 
Last edited:
Best value one at the moment and the cooler is supposed to be very good.

The only other option would be the Asus for a few quid more for an extra years
warranty and voltage adjustments.
 
Some excellent choices for components here by the members. As for building it, you will soon notice that it cannot be easier. I found the most challenging part to be managing the cables properly which tend to go everywhere. Once your mobo is placed in the case and hooked up to the PSU, there is a few more cables to plug in (5-6 cables, takes 2min), GPU to plug in and HDD and CD-ROM to situate. Greywolf's guide is excellent. If you get stuck, just ask.
 
regulus said:
Some excellent choices for components here by the members. As for building it, you will soon notice that it cannot be easier. I found the most challenging part to be managing the cables properly which tend to go everywhere. Once your mobo is placed in the case and hooked up to the PSU, there is a few more cables to plug in (5-6 cables, takes 2min), GPU to plug in and HDD and CD-ROM to situate. Greywolf's guide is excellent. If you get stuck, just ask.
Click to expand...

When connecting these cables, are they all labeled or colour coded? Otherwise i would have no idea what plugs into what!

Once again, thanks for everyones help. When i start the build, i will post pics of my progress.
 
yea get some pics up, we all love that. and don't be afraid to ask if you have any problems. the folks on here are some of the most helpfull forum members i have ever come across when looking a bit of advice.

good luck and enjoy
 
Yeah not really built that many myself but it is a lot easier than it used to be.

Built a pc for my nephew a while ago took 50 mins including installing xp on it!

There are many people willing to help on here so take your time and enjoy the experience.

Personally I install everything out of the case first to ensure its functioning, then build in the case taking care with cable management this can be a pain but well worth it in the end.
 
Dsteviedee said:
Yeah not really built that many myself but it is a lot easier than it used to be.

Built a pc for my nephew a while ago took 50 mins including installing xp on it!

There are many people willing to help on here so take your time and enjoy the experience.

Personally I install everything out of the case first to ensure its functioning, then build in the case taking care with cable management this can be a pain but well worth it in the end.
Click to expand...

So you assemble everything on a desk first, instead of in the case? Do you then test everything before you put it in the case? I've never heard of anyone doing this before?
 
It is quite common for people to do this.

If you do not feel comfortable doing this, do it in the case, but dont sort out all the cables.

Nothing worse than spending 2 hours getting it tidy only to find a component does not work.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom