Building a gaming PC?

I buy the absolute best core parts I can afford(which isnā€™t that great to be honest) - chassis, PSU, CPU, Mobo. Everything else is upgradable so I only have to settle for older (i.e. re-use existing GPU) or cheaper stuff as I slowly improve my PC. I consider it leveling-up for the PC with more & more uncommon/rare equipment being looted & placed on the build.

I started with a new Fractal Node 304, 1x8GB G.Skill, 550W FSP Raider, Gigabyte H87N ITX mobo, i5 4570 with stock cooler, 240GB Samsung 840 Evo SSD & used my existing HDDs (2 x 1TBs) & GPU (HD6950)

The only thing that remains in my current PC is the 240GB SSD! But I still consider it the same PC! Like the Dwarven battle Axe that passes from mother to daughter, when the handle breaks, a new shaft is fitted, when the head wears out a new blade is forgedā€¦but itā€™s still the same axe. (Apparently known as the Ship of Theseus Paradoxā€¦ The more you know.)

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I canā€™t remember when Iā€™ve built a new computer from scratch. I canā€™t afford to do it all at one time, and I donā€™t want to go in debt to do it, so I mainly just upgrade pieces of it at a time. Sometimes Iā€™ll upgrade the CPU, RAM and board, sometimes the GPU and PSU, sometimes hard drives or peripherals. I try to save up money here and there, and from birthdays and Christmas, so about once a year I have enough to safely do something. When that time rolls around, I usually just get the thing I need most, and whatever is the best version of it available in my budget.

This year, Iā€™m really wanting to upgrade my graphics card. I think I have enough for a 1070, maybe even a 1080, and Iā€™m hoping sometime later this fall or winter I can get one when they are more available and maybe a little less.

I read a lot, try to learn what I want my computer to do and get some advise from friends. This last build I did get some not really bad advise but could have been better, turns out some of the cheaper CPUā€™s rate better than my 6 Core i7 for gaming and the board suggested to me was not the best for gaming either, more of an overclockers board.

I am very dedicated to Newegg.com they have treated me very well over the years and I like to buy everything from the same place as I have gotten the old ā€œOh well the problem is with what you got from the other guysā€ and then get the same reply from the ā€œother guysā€ saying that they parts I got are bad from the first place. By buying from the same place there is no way that game can be played.

Oh and I do not buy pre-build PCā€™s build my own. Well have friends help, I am trying to learn but have some hand problems that require assistance with screws on the left side or anything that requires fine motor movement on the left but I am learning more and more with each build.

teh_g here it is way to complicated XD

ShiftySatchmo Here saving is impossible with all things i have to pay and do lol

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Sgt_T8ie said in Building a gaming PC?:

ShiftySatchmo said in Building a gaming PC?:

teh_g said in Building a gaming PC?:

ShiftySatchmo said in Building a gaming PC?:

teh_g said in Building a gaming PC?:

ArsonSami said in Building a gaming PC?:

Step 1. get a loan Step 2. buy cheap things step 3. play step 4. cry every time while returning the loan step 5. game on XD

I usually go with NewEgg or Amazonā€™s credit card for the sweet no interest deals for 1 year. It makes payment a bit easier.

I just save until I can afford it without credit.

Mr. Responsible over here. I like earning my sweet sweet credit card rewards.

Thatā€™s why the key is save the money, use the card for rewards, pay it off right away, ???, no debt.

Or pay on Credit Card with 0% interest if you pay the account off in full each month; then that money is instead being used against your mortgage until the end of the monthā€¦

Fuck I hate the adult Iā€™ve become.

In my opinion saving the cash is always better than payments. Save for a year and buy what you want. That way if something happens where you need that money you have the option to use it versus having debt. No interest debt is still debt. But everyone handles money differently and has different philosophies. Do what works for you!

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I spec out every component option. I make a list of component models and possible substitutes. I look for deals within a certain time frame. Then I put it on a rewards credit card and pay it off almost immediately with the cash I saved for the project. Then if I forget something I can use the rewards from the credit card to buy it or something else I might want for it.

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MysticHydro said in Building a gaming PC?:

I spec out every component option. I make a list of component models and possible substitutes. I look for deals within a certain time frame. Then I put it on a rewards credit card and pay it off almost immediately with the cash I saved for the project. Then if I forget something I can use the rewards from the credit card to buy it or something else I might want for it.

Pretty much how I handle it

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ShiftySatchmo save money i donā€™t know those words together, i wonder how does that feel like. lol

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manguit0u said in Building a gaming PC?:

ShiftySatchmo save money i donā€™t know those words together, i wonder how does that feel like. lol

Haha the trick is to only spend money on what you need. If you donā€™t have money left after that, you just shouldnā€™t buy extra stuff. It sucks, I know, but itā€™s the only way to get out of debt. If you canā€™t even buy what you need then it is even more important to be careful.

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ShiftySatchmo hehehehe well i have lost 11 pounds just for not being able to buy enought food for me hahahaha sooo this server it doesnā€™t allow tricks or hacks or anything :frowning:

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teh_g usually I take the time to make a detailed specification for my PC build, starting from the purpose of PC and components (usually end up with 2-3 variations for build) ā€¦ I use part picker only as a reference for the purchase price ā€¦ As for the specification of components usually start from the very manufacturers of IT equipment ā€¦ by studying the products and technical detailsā€¦ I give priority to brand with whom I have previously positive experience ā€¦ but in the selection of components for my build , important to me is the feedback on the product, from ordinary people and friends who use similar or same products ā€¦ I donā€™t trust too much guys like Linus and Co. :slight_smile: and i donā€™t care too much for marketing or fight blue vs. red vs. green team ā€¦ (from my perspective it is guerrilla marketing only, If you remember fairy tales from Gaming Tribe ā€¦ and posts on AMD like that one one from Angel :slight_smile: ā€¦ )

regarding pre-built PC / notebook hmm i donā€™t buy them (because I am an IT professional with many years of service in the IT industry) ā€¦ but but I can recommend a couple of them ā€¦

my personal part picker is a list like this one :slight_smile: this is how I start select components :slight_smile: xD

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Mark2K77 Take a look at https://pcpartpicker.com. They make it really easy to make a list of parts. It also does compatibility checking for you!

It also makes it so you can have cool markdown based embeds for awesome forums like ours :wink:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type Item Price
CPU Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor $249.99 @ Newegg
CPU Cooler Corsair H110i GT 113.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler $101.74 @ Newegg
Motherboard Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard $222.98 @ Newegg
Memory G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory $79.99 @ Newegg
Storage Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5" Solid State Drive $224.00 @ Newegg
Storage Samsung 840 EVO 1TB 2.5" Solid State Drive -
Video Card XFX Radeon R9 Fury X 4GB Video Card
Case Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case $107.98 @ Newegg
Power Supply EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply $117.98 @ Newegg
Operating System Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit $99.99 @ Newegg
Case Fan Noctua NF-A14 industrialPPC-2000 PWM 107.4 CFM 140mm Fan -
Case Fan Noctua NF-A14 industrialPPC-2000 PWM 107.4 CFM 140mm Fan -
Monitor BenQ XL2730Z 27.0" 144Hz Monitor $500.98 @ Newegg
Monitor Asus MG279Q 27.0" 144Hz Monitor $570.98 @ Newegg
Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
Total (before mail-in rebates) $2276.62
Mail-in rebates -$30.00
Total $2246.62
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-07-29 00:52 EDT-0400
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teh_g I know all that but ā€¦ I can think and read specification :slight_smile: I have confidence in my abilities to select and connect compatible components ā€¦

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Mark2K77 said in Building a gaming PC?:

teh_g I know all that but ā€¦ I can think and read specification :slight_smile: I have confidence in my abilities to select and connect compatible components ā€¦

Ahh, I am lazy so I use PCPartPicker. It makes it so I have to think less :smiley:

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teh_g btw you miss few little thingies :stuck_out_tongue: for pimping up that build :slight_smile:

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Mark2K77 said in Building a gaming PC?:

teh_g btw you miss few little thingies :stuck_out_tongue: for pimping up that build :slight_smile:

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I do want to get some LEDs to act as back lighting for my monitors. I just got lazy.

I actually canā€™t see my desktop from the place I have it now, so I donā€™t need anything too fancy inside.

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teh_g I will get them for my build, because I see my PC. And damn thing must look good inside out xD ā€¦ only I will make LED PWM controller by my self :slight_smile: on arduino uno R3 ā€¦ I like to play with electronics :slight_smile:

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I goto PC Partpicker, and do some research on prices and performanceā€¦ price is my biggest thing, and then I ask around cause performance has to come secondary to me as price has to be first.

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I figure out what the build will be used for mainly (in my case gaming) and spec certain items out from that idea.

I figure out the GPU first and then the CPU to match (usually get the best I can afford and make sure it is a good over clocker to help extend its replacement life cycle).

Everything else falls into place after that.

I like to make NCIX and Newegg battle it out on their ā€œlowest price guaranteeā€ thing. I find the same item, tell one that the other has it at such and such a price and they match it. Tell them matching is kind of lame and I will just buy it there, they usually beat it by 10%. I tell the other guys they have dropped their price for my purchase and they match tooā€¦ rinse and repeat.
A fair number of times they donā€™t go for it, but a surprising number of times they do. :smiley:

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