Here is my advise I recently posted for people who wanted to build a computer.
The Reality of Building PCs
Building your own PC can be rewarding but may cost more and cause issues if inexperienced. Consider having a local computer store build it while you watch.
After 15+ years running a computer store and building thousands of PCs, here’s the reality: DIY PC building can be rewarding but often costs more and creates headaches without proper experience. Consider having an expert build while you watch to learn.
If you are on a budget getting something older but higher end is worth it. ie a used i7-7770 will cost less and beat that ryzen 3 you are looking at.
You probably don’t need as much CPU and GPU power as you think. Don’t stress too much about the GPU, if you buy it right you can usually resell for about what you paid for it down the line. Buy a used 2070 and it will play most games at high settings, and they are easy to get. Just get the hardware, and test it on what you play and only if it is not enough, go buy more. I have 2080’s in my store but I still run a 1070TI because every game I care about works well on it.
Know that RGB and fancy cases are just for looks, they don’t make your computer any better. If you are tight on budget do that stuff later.
If you have less than $700 to spend look for used things, you will get a much better computer for less money.
Water cooling is overkill on most every CPU, and just moves the heat to a different location so it can be air cooled there. In 90% of the cases it is not needed, and the only main benefit for a CPU with a TDP under 150W is that the fans are usually quieter, but know that spending that $100 on getting a better video card is likely worth it.
Don’t go for the latest and greatest, that same thing will be much cheaper in just a few months. And while we are at it, never buy from scalpers, it encourages them.
Buying a quality power supply is well worth it, but if you buy a quality one you don’t need to go too high in power. A 600W power supply is enough for 95% of your builds, if you get a good one like EVGA, Thermaltake, SeaSonic or Corsair. Stop buying those 1000W ones, it is almost always a waste of money unless you are building a 6 card mining rig.
Future proofing is a silly idea. Buy what you need now and buy again in the future, because you can sell what you have now and in the future that item you want will be much cheaper. Look at the people who bought a 2080 a year ago so they could future proof….they are already regretting it.
Most of the time you should make all your airflow go from front to back and bottom to top…….just, if you use a water cooler make sure to blow the heat out, not into your case. For this reason it is usually best to top mount AIO water coolers.
If you can use Display Port it will almost always be better….
If you have video issues, many times it is the cable, so check that first.
Don’t buy a license for windows 10 from a marketplace, you can use any windows 7 key and you can get those from any old computer you have around. You can reuse a key again after 60 days.
If your board does it, get NvME drives, they are not much more and are well worth it. BUT you don’t need a NvME or SSD for everything, putting your photos and movies on a HD is a great idea.
If you have questions go visit your local computer store, they usually know what they are doing, don’t go to best buy or any of those places. If it is your first build, and unless you really want to do it for fun, let them build your computer and watch them do it.
When connecting motherboard cables, switches like the power and reset switch can go either way, they are just connecting the circuit….and for most any motherboard made in the last 10 years the LED ones can also go either way, the motherboard will detect if you did it wrong and make it work for you.
For the love of God, never run your computer on the floor, that is where all the dirt is.
You can use AMD or Intel CPUs with any video card, neither one has a huge advantage. There is a small advantage using the new Ryzen with the newest AMD GPU, but if you are going nVidia it does not matter. Just buy the fastest CPU for your budget.
When you are comparing CPU’s include the price of the board, usually intel boards are more money.
Don’t focus on all they hype, just get good quality things and not the cutting edge and you will be ok. So many people seem to worry so much. Just relax, if it is not fun just let an expert do it….only build your own if you think it is fun….if it causes stress then take it somewhere.
A motherboard is important, get a good one from a good company like ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte…….things like Biostar are cheap.
If you have a lot of airflow in your case then don’t get a blower type GPU, it will not cool as well.
Try to fill up every slot of RAM, and try to match the speed, it is not the end of the world if you don’t but it helps slightly.
I look for quality and function, but not the top of the line. In many cases brand names don’t matter.
Here are some links to help you out.
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16GB Kit of RAM https://amzn.to/3kwvuet
32GB Kit of RGB RAM https://amzn.to/36Fe8qC
Best 1TB SSD for the money https://amzn.to/2Uu1oO0
Best budget SSD (240GB for $24 today) https://amzn.to/2H0XjxF
Best Budget Wifi Card https://amzn.to/2KaA05S
Best Thumb Drive, Super Fast and made of metal so it does not break on your keychain even after years. https://amzn.to/3lweOoM
Best quality Air cool solution for most people. https://amzn.to/2ItYGWF
Budget AIO Water cooling system https://amzn.to/3eXBnQK
Favorite Budget CPU Air cooler https://amzn.to/3f0wbLJ
A computer consists of several core components:
- CPU – Processes instructions and performs calculations
- Motherboard – Connects and enables communication between components
- RAM – Provides temporary memory for active programs
- Storage (HDD/SSD) – Stores files and programs permanently
- Power Supply – Provides stable power to components
- Case – Houses and protects components, manages airflow
Additional components for specific needs:
- Graphics Card – For gaming/graphics work
- Extra storage drives
- Additional cooling
- Peripherals (monitor, keyboard, mouse)
Key considerations:
- Component compatibility (CPU socket, RAM type, power requirements)
- Intended use (gaming, work, general purpose)
- Budget constraints
- Thermal management
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