Okie dokie. So the GFX card and power supply I bought.. well, they work with my computer. But they won't fit. They're good things (see here): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102803, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817148022 and so I don't want to return them. So I've decided I'm going to build myself one around the power supply and GFX card. It's ATX so it's kinda standard. I have a friend who is knowledgeable in this area but he's not available right now and I'm itching to ask. I've got the computer I'm on now, which is semi recent (3 years ago). It runs fine. I have two hard drives I can take out of it and the CD drive. The proc, mobo, case, PSU and most likely RAM aren't really useful to me. I have roughly 400 dollars to spend and know I need a mobo, a processor, a case. Obviously if you were going to skimp on something it would be the case ( i can find good ones on there for 50 bucks). So out of a mobo or a proc, what would you put more money into?
Well if you want a case for around 50 bucks. Go with this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119068 I love the screwless design. I'm an Asus fan when it comes to motherboards. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131232 OCZ when it comes to memory. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227267 And Intel for CPU's. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115055 That's a little under $400 including the rebate on the memory.
I'm shopping for a new computer, and have never tried building my own, but as long as it's just snapping parts together I'd consider it. No soldering or anything though. HOw hard is it for a mechanically-inclined newbie? Also, is the benefit that it's cheaper than buying a packaged desktop?
Building a computer is really easy if you follow basic instructions. And sometimes it's actually better that way. I built mine and it's a good thing to know everything going on inside it.
There are plenty just google it. I know the building process is quite simple I'm just more concerned about the product bit. There's a lot to choose from and not only do you have to make sure the form factors match but I want some quality to it as well which is why I asked for assistance here.
I have a question. I'm looking at this motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131296 will this ram fit? RAM Kingston brand 2GB PC2 3200 CL3 240pin DIMM 2 pcs MOBO MEMORY SPECS Number of Memory Slots 4×240pin Memory Standard DDR2 1200 Maximum Memory Supported 16GB Channel Supported Dual Channel
Yea it will but why would you want to? It's like putting a go-cart engine in a Ferrari. Go for some faster RAM. With DDR3 out, you can find DDR2 memory cheap now.
because the ram I asked about I already own and it would serve as a king of stop gap solution until I can afford more
I might after the other stuff I will have to see. Thanks. Also, what do you think about what byroan recommended besides the mobo? http://forums.thephins.com/showpost.php?p=623024&postcount=2
They're good for starters at under $400. The extra (mostly unnecessary too) heatsinks on that RAM look a little gaudy. I'd double check to make sure they can fit if the case is small. With the mobo you had up, this might be a better solution: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227298
Rather than concoct a lengthy explanation from scratch myself, I'll forward you here: http://www.overclock.net/faqs/26706-info-ram-timings-dummies.html
Awesome advice. I may build one. Three questions: 1) Isn't it worth the extra money to get a 2.6 or 2.8 gHz processor? (I'll be editing video and short films on my system) 2) What is the best video card that has HDMI output to TV, and will kick *** at all sorts of digitzzed video formats (including me editing them and decoding them/rendering stuff) but is still inexpensive? 3) Any recommendations for inexpensive but good monitors? (I think my 1080i HDTV will still be too low-res to use as my monitor) Thanks for your help Byroan!
I'm not Byroan, but I'll give this a go. 1) When it comes to video editing, the more the better. In the case of video editing you'll want a quad- or octo-core CPU, like the Core 2 Quad or Core i7 lines. The Core i7 920 is probably your best bet. If you're not willing to spend $280 on a CPU, you can get a decent Core 2 Quad for $100 less. However, if you're remotely serious about video editing, you shouldn't skimp and should just get the i7. Keep in mind that if you go with a Core i7, those systems will only take DDR3 RAM. And for at least semi-serious video editing you'll want 8GB of RAM or more. 2) Any modern video card will do. You don't need to worry about HDMI output, as most of them come with a DVI to HDMI adapter in the box. Actual HDMI ports on video cards are still fairly rare just because the adapters are so cheap to make. A low-end Radeon 4xxx series card ought to do just fine, especially if you use video playback software and codecs that utilize hardware acceleration. 3) Depends on what size you're looking for, and if you're willing to pay a premium for a high-quality panel. All el cheapo LCD displays are cheap because they use low-quality panels, called TN panels. Probably the best type of panel you can buy is called S-IPS. Off the top of my head, I think the Apple Cinema Display line uses those panels, which is one of the primary reasons why they cost so much. Generally with graphics work you don't want to skimp on the display, at least on the professional or high-end enthusiast levels.
