Irrational fear of building my own desktop gaming machine.

[nalle]

I don't know how it goes where you're from, but at least in Sweden they offer the option to put together the PC for you for a fee.

If you find a store that has that option you just have to pick out the parts and they'll do the rest for you.

[pallydan]

The 'hard' part would be installing the motherboard. Everything else is pretty much plug stuff into their respective slots. Just make sure the components are all compatible with the motherboard before purchasing them.

Get a good case too. Better yet, don't buy online so that you can physically inspect the case - not to mention save on shipping costs. Frys electronics usually has a decent selection to choose from.

[Milkshake86]

I don't know how it goes where you're from, but at least in Sweden they offer the option to put together the PC for you for a fee.

If you find a store that has that option you just have to pick out the parts and they'll do the rest for you.

Nothing to do with your location unless you heard an official law saying they have to offer the option, which they did not. It is a shop by shop and or owner by owner basis. If they want to offer it they will if not they won't, this however is affected heavily by the way people interact with each other, so say NYC culture may tell you to bite a tip off, and down south they may be some good ol' boys always willing to help.

[Deleted]

Just buy one or if you have a friend, who can make sure you get parts that work together and can assemble it for you. I totally understand feeling fearful about messing with electronic print cards that is sensitive to different things and if you don't know where stuff goes and how to fix eventual problems. If you know how it is done, it is hard to fuck up but if you don't, then I can well understand that you feel apprehensive about messing with stuff where you don't know the consequences of it.

Just buy one. Then you can start messing with it when you get problems with it or it needs an upgrade. Alternatively, get someone else who knows what they are doing to put it together. I had the same thing about my bicycle. I didn't know what the heck I was doing when I started messing with it, and I think I did make quite a few mistakes that may have led it to broke down much faster than if I had known what small adjustments to make and why and what the problems were and what not to do.

I mean, if you wanna buy parts, just get a store or someone you know to assemble it for you, it won't take more than a few hours to get it together and have windows up and running. If you wanna buy a retail product with all that it includes then just do that. I'm not particularly familiar with what brands make retail computers or how good they are. You can also buy one from a local store that assembles PC and sells them as retail computers.

[Howard Moon]

Don't be scared, it's really not so bad.

The part I was the most scared about while building my own PC was dropping the processor into it's slot in the motherboard, and putting thermal paste on it. Just watched a bunch of videos about it and googled a bit and turned out just fine. My PC now runs at awesome temperatures.

[Maruka]

I would say its normal to fear building one, but it truly is easy as long as you pay attention to detail. After that its just lego. Watch a few vids that got posted and enjoy your new beast.

[yurano]

If you're looking to spend 3-5K on a computer then buy two sets of computer parts. The first set will be $400 which you put together for practice. If you break it, who cares. Then you buy the second set for $2000 and you'll have a better computer than if you paid 3-5K prebuilt.

[Deleted]

I can even gaurantee you won't break the practice set.

[Carni]

I can even gaurantee you won't break the practice set.

Not sure why I quoted you but whatever.

Wow, sorry this took me so long to get back to. Ended up working way to much the last few days to give a post back...after reading everyone's posts.

First off my budget for building my own computer is $ 2,000. I'm looking for a computer that I can play about any game with. Recently, when I have spare time Ive been playing Mechwarrior Online, Warz, and basically any new game I can find that I might be interested. The reason I'm saying anything is that I want a computer that is really flexible and would be able to handle most games coming out in the next few years without a problem.

I'm not sure if it matters, but do to the nature of my work I can sometimes go months without playing much at all or go 35 hours a week or more gaming. I need something that is going to be able to stand up to that evil nasty thing called heat. I also am the type of person who doesn't have to have shit running at top graphic levels, I'm into smooth gameplay that would kill my machine, I don't want it to be nasty looking, but it doesn't have to make my eyes pop out with detail.

Also, I'm not to thrilled with the idea of overclocking, ive been trying to read up on it and it just seems like strapping jet engines on a sports car and trying not crash. If im wrong about this please, let me know.

Regardless I've learned one thing from this post. You guys and gals are awesome, I thought I would just be tossed aside like some noob and laughed at. So seriously thank you for taking the effort to read my strange posts, and even stranger metaphors.

Oh and yea im defiantly pinking up building computers for dummies.

[yurano]

I need something that is going to be able to stand up to that evil nasty thing called heat. I also am the type of person who doesn't have to have shit running at top graphic levels, I'm into smooth gameplay that would kill my machine, I don't want it to be nasty looking, but it doesn't have to make my eyes pop out with detail.

Also, I'm not to thrilled with the idea of overclocking, ive been trying to read up on it and it just seems like strapping jet engines on a sports car and trying not crash. If im wrong about this please, let me know.

Oh and yea im defiantly pinking up building computers for dummies.

What ambient temperature are we talking about?

For 'smooth' gameplay at lowest settings, you'd only need about $700. We're talking still pretty, but low settings. $1400 is already a lot for a top of the line computer with exceptional performance. Beyond that you get into massive diminishing returns with Sandy Bridge-E or SLI/Crossfire.

Overclocking has multiple levels. Most people go with a mild overclock which isn't a big deal. There are enthusiasts that go way overboard with top of the line cooling though. They do it for fun, not for performance.

All you need to do is watch a couple building videos; you only actually need 1 good one. Don't need to buy a book for it.

[Dedweight]

if you have 3-5 grand to burn, the first thing i would do is spend about 500 of it on a low end computer, cheap case, cpu, gpu, psu, cooler etc, then put it together, and take it apart a few times till you are confident with assembly and handling the hardware, as well as installing the OS, i would install a few different ones, windows, linux etc

Heck, just go to your local second hand store(Salvation Army for example) and pickup a cheap system, if all your looking for is something to familiarize yourself with a used sub-100$ system would be perfect.

I also agree with the notion of PC Building being almost like playing with Legos except for one thing, most everything is keyed(they only go in one way) anything that's not keyed will go in a few different ways(power/hdd light connectors) but it won't harm anything they'll either turn on or they won't, if they don't flip the connector around and they'll likely work.

[Carni]

What ambient temperature are we talking about?

For 'smooth' gameplay at lowest settings, you'd only need about $700. We're talking still pretty, but low settings. $1400 is already a lot for a top of the line computer with exceptional performance. Beyond that you get into massive diminishing returns with Sandy Bridge-E or SLI/Crossfire.

Overclocking has multiple levels. Most people go with a mild overclock which isn't a big deal. There are enthusiasts that go way overboard with top of the line cooling though. They do it for fun, not for performance.

All you need to do is watch a couple building videos; you only actually need 1 good one. Don't need to buy a book for it.

Im not sure what exact temp... Whatever is ideal for top performance, but mainly keeping everything in peak working order. I will not however do liquid cooling, I've had nothing but bad luck out of that crap in the past. Also I don't mean I wanted the lowest settings on games. I will still run some games like skyrim at top capacity, just because the visuals are that good. However games like WoW don't really need top capacity to still look great and not stress my computer. I guess it doesnt really matter with new stuff now but, I really just don't see the point in running some games a ultrahigh, the difference gets hard to notice to the naked eye anyway, and some games really just have to much going on at those graphical levels.

Also, my friends were talking about this a while ago on xbox live, they were talking about motherboards that are apparently 100% copper or something of the sort. Are those worth the extra cost? Cooper sinks or something is what I think they called them.

[demonskies]

It's extremely easy. At most it would take you an hour after looking at the manuals, but honestly, i'd say the hardest part is finding where the case button switches go, everything else is extremely easy. The only thing you could realisitically screw up is the processor alignment but i dont think that happens since socket s754.
Either way, there's no reason not to, everything is extremely user friendly nowadays.

On a good day i could probably throw a rig together in less then 15 minutes. ( A not very good rig, mind you. )

Saying that building a rig is scary is like saying that installing an operating system is scray - it isnt!

And if you still dont want to build it, get someone you know who can do it do it for you, and you just buy the components to avoid the ludicrously overpriced prebuilts.

I once piddled myself a little installing Windows 8 I was so scared about what it would do :P .

@OP building a pc isnt that bad at all there are many videos to help you out on youtube or newegg or things posted here in the forum, the forums are pretty helpful (most of the time), Motherboards normally come with a step by step manual on how to install each part with pics. Its a fairly easy thing to do and pretty strait forward. And once its together its just clicking next next next for the OS install.

[Hiricine]

You could always pay someone to do it for you. And certain websites will build it after you order it part by part. Don't ever buy a PC thats built by a company like alienware ETC, you're basically paying a 200%+ markup. Finally, dolphin and unicorn are usually pretty much the best PC money can buy.

[Cyanotical]

alienware ETC, you're basically paying a 200%+ markup.

no, just no

alienware are not horribly marked up, look at the parts in them, then try to build the same thing, they may have $100 or so in mark up around the $1500 price point, but that is negated when you still have to buy windows, and you still miss out on dell's great support

Finally, dolphin and unicorn are usually pretty much the best PC money can buy.

they are not even close

[Carni]

The first piece of my future gaming machine is soon to be purchased. It is kinda expensive but hey I want options for cool and it truly has a lot.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811147157

Good or Bad?

Edit: Found something...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboB...=Combo.1106130

Good or Bad?

[Milkshake86]

no, just no

alienware are not horribly marked up, look at the parts in them, then try to build the same thing, they may have $100 or so in mark up around the $1500 price point, but that is negated when you still have to buy windows, and you still miss out on dell's great support



they are not even close

Reviews from anandtech also say the special case design is good for airflow.

[Brewski]

This is the best video on how to build a gaming PC, just go along with the video while you do it.