Building A Computer

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Revision as of 17:02, 28 December 2007 by Dark (talk | contribs) (→‎Current Minimum System Spec)
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The hardest part of building your own computer is matching up all the parts before you buy so you have parts that are compatible with one another. This is where the Forums come in. They are the best place to ask for advice after you have read this guide. Whatever you are building your computer for the requirements are always pretty similar. Although this guide is focused on Gaming you may consider these general rules;

  1. For gaming you will get more reward for your money if you invest in a faster then average CPU, more then average amount of memory, very fast graphics.
  2. For video/audio editing you are better with a very fast CPU, faster then average graphics card, a lot of memory, very fast hard disks, dedicated sound cards and video encoder/decoder card.
  3. General use and work you will best spend your money on a faster then average CPU, slower then average graphics, less then average memory.

These are general notes to think about when considering how to split up your budget.

Getting Started

Okay, so your looking to buy components and upgrade your Computer, there are a few things we need to know:

  • Are you buying it within the next month, if not, then don't ask us until you are!
  • What is your budget?
  • Can You build it yourself?
  • What is your current PC?
  • Where are you buying it ? Can you buy it on the internet?
  • Give as much detail as possible About your Current PC:
    • Motherboard (Socket Type) (AGP/PCI-E)
    • Processor
    • GFX Card etc
    • If you do not know - download and install Everest Home Edition, here : http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4181.html It will tell you what's inside your computer

Note: Include Model numbers and the Brand or we cannot offer anything but the most general advice!!

Depending on your computer, give as much detail about the following, specifically focusing on whether they need replaced, or if you can use your current:

  • Case
  • Hard Drive
  • Operating System
  • PSU
  • Optical Drives
  • Monitor
  • Keyboard
  • Mouse

Custom Built versus Self-Built

Most people avoid building their own computers believing it is too hard or too complicated. This couldn't be further from the truth. Building your own computer these days is nothing more difficult then matching the colours of connections or the shape. Everything is key-ed so you can't put the wrong plug in the wrong hole and all are colour coordinated.


What shall I buy then?

The advice in this section is aimed at people on a budget and offers the best practical advice giving the most value for money.

Current Minimum System Spec

To get the most out of todays games you require at least (Note: these are largely subjective opinions);

  • AMD Athlon 64 3500+
  • Nforce 3/4 chipset
  • NVIDIA 6800 GS 256MB
  • 1 GB DDR 400 Memory
  • 19'' Monitor
  • + the usual essentials such as hard disks, DVD drives etc and peripherals like mouse, keyboard speakers etc

To test how fast your computer is and how it compares to others check the Computer Performance And OverClocking guide.

Looking ahead

Technology is always evolving and nowhere is it evolving then computer gaming. Windows Vista and DirectX10 promise the biggest technological advance for gaming. Making sure your machine can get the most out of DirectX10 you should consider a DirectX10 graphics card like the NVIDIA 8x00 series or the upcoming Radeon 2900 HD Dual/Quad Core processors are another big advance in technology new games will be using. Artificial Intelligence and Physics promise to be features sure to take advantage of Multiple Core Processors. Widescreen gaming is overlooked but not for much longer. Native support for Widescreen gaming is appearing in all games and promises a better viewing experience.

Buy a new computer

Dark's Part Suggestion list can be found Here: http://www.thetngc.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4394

Upgrading an old computer

Dark's Part list still applies - But this time you might want to ask in the forums for mixing and matching what parts you can keep from your current computer, what parts you need to replace, and what your budget is.

Where to Buy

UK

Recommended UK sites for Buying a prebuilt PC:

Recommended UK sites for Buying PC components:

Sites with good guides to what components to buy:

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