What order should I buy components?

spitzoid

spitzoid

spitzoid

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Folks,

I do not have the money to go out and buy all of my components in one go so I have decided to buy the components on a monthly (or bi-monthly with items such as CPU & GPU) basis. I will have about £150 per month to spend but I don't know in what order to buy everything. Obviously (I think) I should start with a case but from there it all becomes a little bit cloudy.

This is the order I was thinking of buying items:

Case
Power Supply
Motherboard
Processor
Memory
GPU
Hard Drives
Optical Drive
Cooling

If anyone can advise me if I am doing things in the wrong order I would be grateful.

Also, what do you think of this as a spec? Will it do the job I require....MONSTER GAMING RIG! Please tell me were I'm going wrong, should I go DDR3, better CPU? I just don't know godammit:

Intel Quad Core Xeon X3350 'Yorkfield' 2.66GHz 12MB-cache (1333FSB) Processor
Gigabyte GA-X48-DS5 Intel X48 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) PC2-9200C5 1150MHz Flex II Passive/WaterCooled Dual Channel DDR2
Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 2048MB GDDR5 TV-Out/Dual DVI/HDMI (PCI-Express)
2 X Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM
LG GGW-H20L Blu-Ray Rewriter & HD-DVD ROM Serial ATA Drive
Tuniq Tower 120-LFB CPU Cooler
Antec Skeleton Performance Chassis
Antec Signature Premium 850W PSU


Oh, almost forgot - Intel or AMD?
 
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Put the money aside in a savings account or something. If you buy one bit a month then it'll take you 6 months to get the thing sorted. Within 6 months, for the same total cash, you'd be able to buy something undoubtedly a lot better.

Just save your cash until you've got a large sum to blow at once.
 
Edit: Ninjad by Phemo
If you order each component seperately it'll cost a fortune in delivery charges, unless you are using free of course...

The skeleton is just a test bench isn't it? It has no insulation and for obvious reasons isn't dust proof, I don't think it would be sensible to house a system in it full-time.

Are you intending on Crossfire? What resolution/monitor do you have?

I'd suggest you save up until you have enough because in 6 months the landscape will be totally different, many new CPUs, mobos and probably graphics too.

If you have to do it that way then I'd suggest:
Case
Power Supply
Hard Drives
Optical
Cooling
Graphics
Motherboard
Processor
Memory

Reason being, it gives you long enough to wait for new CPUs and graphics (and PSU/case/hard drive/optical/cooling don't age as quickly).
 
I am terrible at saving so if I put the money in an account I would spend it on something else before a PC.

I think I might go with Tetras on this one - CPU etc last so I am as up to date as possible.

I've got a 1280x1024 19" monitor, but also a 40" Sony Bravia 1080p for Blu-Ray etc.

Is crossfire(ing) really worth doing? Could I get by with just 1 top-of-the-line card?

MANY THANKS!!
 
At 1280 x 1024 you don't need a 4870 X2, a single 4870 would be more than enough!

If you don't plan on Crossfire then a decent 600 Watt PSU is also more than you need, 850 for a single card system is totally pointless.

Without Crossfire an X48 board is a waste of money, just get a decent P45 one.
 
I'd still put the money aside each month then buy in one go! If you are bad at saving, have you a trusted family member or frend that could look after your £150 each month?
 
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