Looking to build a new desktop from scratch - Need parts guidance!

Hey, I plan on making a new pc myself instead of buying one. Ever since I got this last computer, I've been afraid that most brands of desktops aren't worth the money. I've heard plenty of stories where people make computers themselves and get a resulting computer that's as good as something that costs 1.5x as much as they spent.

So.. Where to start. First off, I would love to know what a few good parts are for mid-range graphics when gaming (most/any games aside from high-end rig requiring ones). I would like something reliable but not costly, but anything that would contribute to a computer that costs between $800 and $1400 to build would be ok I hope.

I need suggestions for:

Case
PSU
GPU
HDD size and brand
MOBO's - no clue about these really at all
Processors
Information on any other components or hardware I would want in a pc

I'm not exactly what anyone would call a computer guru, I have hardly a clue what I'm doing besides putting it together. I know what I believe are the basics for the PSU, which helps me figure out what's going to be compatible power-wise. Aside from that, not really sure what parts are needed for what I want to do..

Custom build suggestions you have with a full parts list in the price range I stated is definitely appreciated. If you have information on pricing for what I'm aiming to build, even without the parts listed, I'd be happy. I'm not planning on doing this a week from now or anything, but I do want to know what I'm getting into.


Feel free to ask ANY questions. I plan on posting a few cases I'm interested in to get started, along with an acceptable psu. I'll be editing this post to include any parts I'm interested in. Feedback is greatly appreciated.


EDIT:
What I've come across so far--



PSU:
Cooler Master SPG 800w (Modular) - $150-200
http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=6659


Thermaltake TR2 800P - ~$120
http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Produc...C=1266&ID=1938

The Skinny:
-SPG 800w is 80+Gold rated, has an ultra-silent* fan (big turn-on. Costs a bit much.
-TR2 800P is 80+Bronze rated which is meh, no silencing fan. Much cheaper.

Not sure about the technical differences, you'd have to mention them. The voltage and amperage is similar but I think the TR2 800P is more powerful overall which might be a bad thing...?

Looking at your budget you should be able to build a reasonble spec machine

Give us an idea what sort of stuff you are thinking of and we can give you some advice there just to much out there to choose from
What are the main uses of the machine is it primarily gaming ?
Intel/AMD
Nvidia/ATI
Big case/small case
Any add on ideas Sata3/USB3/card readers etc

As far as the PSU, I always recommend Corsair, Seasonic and Antes. Those are probably 3 of the better quality PSU's on the market. Do not skimp on the PSU as it is the heart of your system and a poor quality one can take your whole computer out. But, before deciding on the PSU size, you need to decide what the other components of your computer are. That is going to dictate what size PSU you need. And, always buy a bigger PSU than is necessary. It will run cooler, last longer and allow for future upgrades.

What type CPU are you thinking about and what Graphics card? I would start my planning by picking what CPU I wanted, then build the rig around that. Whether you buy from there or not, do your research on Newegg. Look up the components you are considering and spend the time reading the user feedback. They are the people who bought that part and much can be learned from them.

KilSetY said:

Hey, I plan on making a new pc myself instead of buying one. Ever since I got this last computer, I've been afraid that most brands of desktops aren't worth the money. I've heard plenty of stories where people make computers themselves and get a resulting computer that's as good as something that costs 1.5x as much as they spent.

So.. Where to start. First off, I would love to know what a few good parts are for mid-range graphics when gaming (most/any games aside from high-end rig requiring ones). I would like something reliable but not costly, but anything that would contribute to a computer that costs between $800 and $1400 to build would be ok I hope.

I need suggestions for:

Case
PSU
GPU
HDD size and brand
MOBO's - no clue about these really at all
Processors
Information on any other components or hardware I would want in a pc

I'm not exactly what anyone would call a computer guru, I have hardly a clue what I'm doing besides putting it together. I know what I believe are the basics for the PSU, which helps me figure out what's going to be compatible power-wise. Aside from that, not really sure what parts are needed for what I want to do..

Custom build suggestions you have with a full parts list in the price range I stated is definitely appreciated. If you have information on pricing for what I'm aiming to build, even without the parts listed, I'd be happy. I'm not planning on doing this a week from now or anything, but I do want to know what I'm getting into.


Feel free to ask ANY questions. I plan on posting a few cases I'm interested in to get started, along with an acceptable psu. I'll be editing this post to include any parts I'm interested in. Feedback is greatly appreciated.


EDIT:
What I've come across so far--



PSU:
Cooler Master SPG 800w (Modular) - $150-200
Silent Pro Gold 800W - Cooler Master - Leading Provider of Computer Case, Cooler, Power Supply, Laptop Cooling, Gaming Peripherals


Thermaltake TR2 800P - ~$120
Thermaltakeusa*»*Power Supply*»*80PLUS Power Supply*»*TR2 800W : TR2 800W TR-800P

The Skinny:
-SPG 800w is 80+Gold rated, has an ultra-silent* fan (big turn-on. Costs a bit much.
-TR2 800P is 80+Bronze rated which is meh, no silencing fan. Much cheaper.

Not sure about the technical differences, you'd have to mention them. The voltage and amperage is similar but I think the TR2 800P is more powerful overall which might be a bad thing...?

Hi again,

1. Write down what you would like to use your PC for (witch games would you like to play, etc...);

2. You know how much $ you can spend, and with that amount, you can build a serious machine

3. Never save money on the PSU! that is the most important part , because everything depends on it!
Newegg.com - CORSAIR HX Series HX750 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply ;
4. For your GPU i recommend you a Nvidia (Must be DDR5 if you want high frame rate)
Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked 01G-P4-2652-KR GeForce GTX 650 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card ;
5. Intel CPU (i5 2500K will do the job) rather then AMD (my opinion)
Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K ;
6. ASROCK motherboards, or ASUS (If i were you)
Newegg.com - ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard ;
7. 8 Gb of DDR3 ram @ 1333
Newegg.com - Kingston HyperX Blu 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory Model KHX1333C9D3B1K2/8G ;
8. Your case will need to have brackets for 12 cm fans
Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ;
9. For the CPU cooler i would go for a Noctua
Newegg.com - Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler ;
10. Most important of all is that the components match each other (CPU matches the mobo socket, ram....);

Wish you luck!

p.s. all of these components i mentioned all together cost ~800$

petko131 said:

1. Write down what you would like to use your PC for (witch games would you like to play, etc...);

~with this, you could play any game :P

pedroc1999 said:

Consider gettinv the 3570k instead

Yes, for the same money, it's slightly better!

pedroc1999 said:

Maybe strech and get 660 ti

Maybe, but I "made" this configuration to cost 800$, but you could go for the 660TI...