Never built a PC system yet!

[Myst88]

Hey guys how's it going! I'm new to the forum here but I've been lurking around for months now reading threads and reviews. Especially love the video reviews on cases, good stuff!

Anyways although I've never actually built a system myself I've been very interested in doing so now for a while. After my old rig stopped working a little over a year ago I decided to take the liberty and poke around inside to see if I could fix it. I actually managed to fix it, the power supply died and I just needed to swap in a new one. Ever since I've been itching to build my own system from scratch.

I've been keeping up to date with the PC market the last couple months, reading reviews, watching videos, pricing potential builds on newegg and ncix haha. Anyways to be honest it all looks pretty simple in the long run and I feel confident in building my next system and probably even OC'ing. However that's assuming everything works well, what I'm worried about is if hardware parts are DOA or just don't work properly. Often times I read reviews on newegg where people essentially buy a bad product from a reputable company and then are left with nothing more than a paper weight because the company won't refund them.

Honestly that's my biggest fear, I don't want to build a system and have to go and waste another two hundred bucks on a new mobo because Asus screwed me with a defective one.

Also following the same line, what are some companies you guys would recommend? Right now I'm thinking of going heavily with Corsair, they seem to have some of the best quality products and customer support from what I can gather. Others would probably be Asus, Antec, and EVGA but then again like I said I always find a couple hellish reviews where people seem to get screwed out of their cash.

So yeah that's a pretty long post, kind of off topic I suppose but I couldn't find a "general" forum. Anyways thanks guys and glad to be a part of this awesome community!

[SugarJ]

Most stores have a 30 day return policy, so if something is DOA or dies in the first 30 days it can be exchanged with the place of purchase.

As for a specific build, give us a budget and target usage, and I'm sure you'll get all kinds of recommendations.

[draemn]

You'll want to provide us with what parts you are considering and what your needs will be.

Buying online can be a nightmare if you get a defective part, since you have to waste time shipping it back to get it replaced... All in all, I'd usually suggest NCIX.com for online shopping... I know they have stores & warehouses in Ontario, so shipping is pretty fast and you can ship anything back that is defective. Also, you can price match everything online with NCIX.

Not 100% on RMA process since everything I've bought online has worked, but I think when you get shipping insurance you can use that to cover the cost of return shipping for RMA (don't quote me on this). Also, you can phone most of these companies and ask them details about their process.

You can find computer stores in your city that sell components, but they'll cost you more since you have to pay for the benefits of a) customer service b) the store overhead c) the convenience of returning items in person and walking out with a new item (or getting one in just a few days).

[Myst88]

Alright well the system i'm planning on building is gaming oriented on a 24" 1920 x 1200 screen. Looking to spend no more than 1500 excluding monitor / keyboard / mouse. Pretty sure I wanna go with sandt bridge but I want to wait and see what happens once dozer comes out.

CPU: i5 2500k
PSU: Corsair modular AX 850
Mobo: Asus or EVGA? Not really sure on which models
RAM: Corsair Dominator GT 8gb
GPU: EVGA 560 Ti
HDD: Either use the one I currently have or a 1 TB western digital caviar black. Not really sure if a Raid 0 setup is worth it?
SSD: Corsair? I read good things about the Vertex 2 from OCZ but i'm weary of buying their products.
CPU Cooler: The H60 pending good reviews. Not to keen on getting a massive heatsink /air cooler like the prolimatech's, looks like it'd rip the mobo out of the case haha.
Case: Again here I'm having a lot of problems deciding, lot's and lots of choices. Maybe an Antec 900 v2 or the Corsair 600t (would wait for the white edition). Somewhat worried about the corsair not having adequate cooling.
Fans: Probably pick up some Scythes.

[draemn]

I want to wait and see what happens once dozer comes out. --> good plan if you don't mind the wait

CPU: i5 2500k <-- Best value/performance choice
PSU: Corsair modular AX 850 <-- Overkill for a desktop (the AX line), but the 100% modular is a perk. Still, you can get similar quality at a lower price. 650-750w is a better range for single GPU setups.
Mobo: Asus or EVGA? Not really sure on which models <-- Gigabyte is also pretty good. If you're waiting for dozer, wait for the z68 board as well.
RAM: Corsair Dominator GT 8gb <-- No ram expert, but I wouldn't be surprised if people suggested something else. But, they are really high performance sticks if you want to blow your $$$$$. You get less benefit from high end ram than pretty much anything else and it won't help you o/c sandy bridge.
GPU: EVGA 560 Ti <-- Play most games high/max, but will struggle with max + AA in most games.
HDD: Either use the one I currently have or a 1 TB western digital caviar black. Not really sure if a Raid 0 setup is worth it? <-- Raid 0 on 7200 RPM drives offers negligible performance increases.
SSD: Corsair? <-- Corsair has some very good ones, if you stay away from the budget ones imo. OCZ 2's were great until the 25nm NAND versions... still good though. Maybe let price sway you if you can't decide?
CPU Cooler: The H60 pending good reviews. Not to keen on getting a massive heatsink /air cooler like the prolimatech's, looks like it'd rip the mobo out of the case haha. <-- Never been a fan of the price/performance of the H50 & H60 coolers... the H70 has better performance, but is expensive. Check out the prices of competing water cooling all-in-one solutions. The larger/denser radiators will perform better, as well as look at how well polished the base is (where it connects to the CPU).
Case: Again here I'm having a lot of problems deciding, lot's and lots of choices. Maybe an Antec 900 v2 or the Corsair 600t (would wait for the white edition). Somewhat worried about the corsair not having adequate cooling. <-- Just make sure you case can support radiator installation (these can) and then go based on a combination of looks & which includes all the spare parts/doesn't... it's annoying to have to go buy a bunch of extra fan filters :0. Also, if you have a top mount fan with a radiator on it, then you only really need one front intake fan & 1 rear exhaust fan.
Fans: Probably pick up some Scythes.[/QUOTE]

[Myst88]

Well the main reasons I want to go with a Corsair AX line are as follows. The extra power would help for overclocking and if I ever decide to go and grab another video card sometime later in the future to run in SLI. The fact that it has a seven year warranty is very appealing to me and overbuying on the wattage is something I can see being beneficial in the long run when it comes to future proofing, maybe lasting an extra build or two even. I know that future proofing and computers aren't really things that go well together, but come on let's be honest how drastically can the future design of PSU's change? Same idea with the case.

Also I don't mind paying a premium for a top quality product that has high standards. In my limited life experience, it's usually better to pay a little bit extra and get the good stuff rather than cheap out just to save a couple bucks. In the long run you usually end up saving money and there's less headaches along the way.

Speaking of Corsair PSU's, I read more than once that they are made by Seasonic? Would it therefore be better to just go ahead and just go Seasonic assuming it has a good warranty as well in order to get a really great quality product?

[maverick_brent]

First off i would like to say congrats on your first pc fix, and for joining this community...second off, good job on considering making your first jump into building your first pc....I'd like to say your
right it really isnt as hard as most think...i really figured this when the gf's HP broke and I did an RMA on the hdd and they sent a new Hard Drive with instructions on swaping...Anyways..

I'm not going to comment on your choice of parts, but only on the opinion on your first build...and if its possible and the prices arent completely crazy, I would suggest buying LOCAL for your first build, it will not only provide a good support for you, but open up other pricing, and give you an easier guide to troubleshooting and RMA if problems do arise....best of luck in your future build and i hope it goes well, feel free to message me if I can help you at all...\

Cheers and welcome and good luck man!

Mav

[Perineum]

Looks like a solid build list to me.

[draemn]

Originally Posted by Myst88

Well the main reasons I want to go with a Corsair AX line are as follows. The extra power would help for overclocking and if I ever decide to go and grab another video card sometime later in the future to run in SLI. The fact that it has a seven year warranty is very appealing to me and overbuying on the wattage is something I can see being beneficial in the long run when it comes to future proofing, maybe lasting an extra build or two even. I know that future proofing and computers aren't really things that go well together, but come on let's be honest how drastically can the future design of PSU's change? Same idea with the case.

Also I don't mind paying a premium for a top quality product that has high standards. In my limited life experience, it's usually better to pay a little bit extra and get the good stuff rather than cheap out just to save a couple bucks. In the long run you usually end up saving money and there's less headaches along the way.

Speaking of Corsair PSU's, I read more than once that they are made by Seasonic? Would it therefore be better to just go ahead and just go Seasonic assuming it has a good warranty as well in order to get a really great quality product?

Seasonic makes very good PSUs, as does one other brand that I forget... Still, the only benefit I can see of the AX series is the 100% modular. The HX850 can be had for less, and is still amazing (barring not 100% modular)... Also, you may (but I don't know) be able to find another 100% modular PSU for cheaper that is just as good as corsair. So yeah, Corsair and Seasonic are my top picks and I've seen Antec: Earthwatts recommended lots.

Just saying, the AX line is designed for enterprise/business critical, and not enthusiast gamers. The HX line is for enthusiast gamers and the TX is a more affordable non-modular PSU that still caters to enthusiasts.

[Myst88]

Originally Posted by draemn

Seasonic makes very good PSUs, as does one other brand that I forget... Still, the only benefit I can see of the AX series is the 100% modular. The HX850 can be had for less, and is still amazing (barring not 100% modular)... Also, you may (but I don't know) be able to find another 100% modular PSU for cheaper that is just as good as corsair. So yeah, Corsair and Seasonic are my top picks and I've seen Antec: Earthwatts recommended lots.

Just saying, the AX line is designed for enterprise/business critical, and not enthusiast gamers. The HX line is for enthusiast gamers and the TX is a more affordable non-modular PSU that still caters to enthusiasts.

I just realized the HX line also has a seven year warranty, or at least the 750w model on newegg claims to have one haha. So I guess you're right the AX is overkill but still at a 30$ price difference it's nothing I'd be too conerned about either way!