The 'Build Me A PC' Thread

[MisterNoisy]

Probably not the best idea for gaming, but after getting fed up with performance degradation on my 2 year old w7 install I switched my laptop (Dell Studio 17) over to Linux Mint (LMDE).  This turned out to be the least painful install I have done to date, everything just works.  So I have traded games and sub par performance for an insanely fast work oriented laptop.

Is performance degredation still a thing with Windows 7?  I've had the same install going on since whenever W7 was released and wasn't sure if my mind was playing tricks on me or if was actually slowing down due to bloat or whatever.  I was giving thought to do a fresh install but the idea of that with my slower internet connection for downloading all my Steam games and whatnot since I moved is unappealing to say the least.

edit:  Whoa that was almost 4 years ago.  Yeah, probably time for a fresh install or just moving to W8?

I haven't had degradation issues with my W7 installs, though I admit that my oldest one isn't even two years old yet.

[Salamok]

It isn't all w7's fault.  But between IIS, SQL express, visual studio, and bunch of other apps it was just sluggish as shit.  My new linux install is running a full web stack at all times and I don't even notice the hit.  I really like being able to do local web dev w/o needing to be online or fire up a vm.  Plus with linux I just feel more like my workstation is not just accessing the internet but truly a part of the internet.  So I lost my ability to dev ms stuff locally but I can just remote into my work computer and not pollute my home with all of that. Apparently it is also quite common to use an ec2 microinstance as a remote dev workstation and just spin it up from wherever you are when you need it.

[Mosesandstick]

Time to replace the old box. Any recommendations? Looking for something mid-range. Will there be any issues with reusing my old PSU?

[Chimpy]

Time to replace the old box. Any recommendations? Looking for something mid-range. Will there be any issues with reusing my old PSU?

How much dough are you looking at spending?

Personally, I would replace the power supply unless you have a really expensive/high efficiency one.

[Shannow]

Folks my PC just caught fire.   So two questions.  I'm not 100 percent sure what part caught fire (ok really just some smoke). How can I test which parts are still working and which aren't.  Don't want to have to replace every part if I don't have too.

But if I do go the whole thing. Recomendations for a pc off newegg.
I'll need a case , psu , gpu CPU MB and potentially hd. 
Budget around 600

[MisterNoisy]

Folks my PC just caught fire.   So two questions.  I'm not 100 percent sure what part caught fire (ok really just some smoke). How can I test which parts are still working and which aren't.  Don't want to have to replace every part if I don't have too.

But if I do go the whole thing. Recomendations for a pc off newegg.
I'll need a case , psu , gpu CPU MB and potentially hd. 
Budget around 600

Does the PC POST or even power on at all?  What were the specs of the current machine?

PSU can be checked with a paper clip.

Check the motherboard for blown caps or burns (top and bottom).

[Shannow]

Im gonna pass on doing that.

I realise now that my PC was mainly 4 years old...just reviewing my Newegg order history.

GTX 460 vid card. Looking at 650 ti as replacement?

4 GB of DDR2 800 RAM

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Yorkfield 2.66 cpu


Don't need the fastest , just something decent and that wont cost me an arm and a leg.

Whats better nowadays (ie bang for buck) AMD vs Intel? Radeon vs Geforce?

[MisterNoisy]

Im gonna pass on doing that.

I realise now that my PC was mainly 4 years old...just reviewing my Newegg order history.

GTX 460 vid card. Looking at 650 ti as replacement?

4 GB of DDR2 800 RAM

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Yorkfield 2.66 cpu


Don't need the fastest , just something decent and that wont cost me an arm and a leg.

Whats better nowadays (ie bang for buck) AMD vs Intel? Radeon vs Geforce?

Intel CPU (3570K is pretty tough to beat for performance/value) unless you're really budget constrained.  GPU is kind of a wash - pick a price point and both vendors will have something for you that will work well - I usually go Team Green, but my most recent build used a 7950 (good deal for $270 and came with two free games) and I'm pretty happy with it, too.

[Shannow]

Heh forget to mention the part where I want to come in around 600-700 dollars total.

[Sky]

If you're that constrained, maybe stick with the 460 a while longer and upgrade that when you can. Although I'm running my 460 in SLI so it's hard for me to say how well a single card performs these days (1080p).

[Trippy]

Heh forget to mention the part where I want to come in around 600-700 dollars total.

It's going to be tough with that sort of budget. I'd go shopping for components based on this rough breakdown:

Power supply: $50
Memory: $50
Hard drive: $50
Case: $50
Motherboard: $100
CPU: $150
GPU: $150
OS: $100

Edit:

I'd go with something like a Intel Core i3-2120, GeForce GTX 650 Ti BOOST (~$300 together), and a Z77 motherboard with the features you like (~$100) as the base. That should give you a decent performance bump over what you were using.

[01101010]

If you have a Microcenter near you, it might be worth the stop in:

http://microcenter.com/product/400664/Core_i5_3470_32GHz_LGA_1155_Boxed_Processor

[MisterNoisy]

If you have a Microcenter near you, it might be worth the stop in:

http://microcenter.com/product/400664/Core_i5_3470_32GHz_LGA_1155_Boxed_Processor

Every time I see those crazy deals, I curse the fact that there isn't one anywhere near me.  3570K for $190 + an additional $40 off a ASRock Extreme4 motherboard if bought together.  Jebus.

[JRave]

I used this site when I was pricing out stuff for my upgrade.

http://pcpartpicker.com/

That being said, if you do not have knowledge of what motherboard supports what series of processor and ram, you might have issues.  But if someone helps you along you can just plug the pieces into the site and get a nice price list not counting shipping/tax. I do suggest replacing everything though.  If you had smoke, something fried that can and more than likely did take out more components.

[Mosesandstick]

My budget is a bit higher than Shannow's and I'm looking at picking up:

Core i5-3350p
Radeon HD 7850
2x4GB DDR-1600
Some Z77 mobo
A mid tower case
A 500GB 7200rpm HDD
A 3TB 5400 rpm HDD

I'm thinking of using from my current com:
Crucial M4 128GB SSD
Corsair 650W PSU (slight overkill?)

[Fraeg]

man I am feeling  

I "believe" i am looking for a new video card:

CPU:  Intel I7 870 @ 2.93ghz quad
16 gigs ram
GeForce GTS 450
Mobo (most of my stuff is in storage while I house hunt including the boxes and specs of what I have.. and I am not tech savvy enough to figure out what I have using, well uhm my computer to tell me)

So.. I guess I am just looking for a new and improved PCI Nvidia card (prefer Nvidia, no good reason, never had "the other brand" and new things are scary)

so just go up a few numbers?  I seem to recall (or at least tell myself that I do) a time when you just bought the highest number you could afford and *boom* there you go.  

Looking to spend $150-$250ish

how about:  
GeForce GTX 650 Ti  or if it is super duper better the GeForce GTX 660 Ti?

as always any input appreciated.

*edit* found a PNY  GTX 660 Ti for 275, gonna go with that

[Shannow]

Fuck i love Newegg. Placed my order yesterday around 1pm. Didnt pay for special shipping or anything.
Packages arrived today at 4pm.


On the not so good news front I seem to have lost my windows install CDs..

Edit:  found the discs. However have realized that in the last four years IDE ports have become non standard on motherboards and I only have IDE DVD drives. 

[Goreschach]

Fuck i love Newegg. Placed my order yesterday around 1pm. Didnt pay for special shipping or anything.
Packages arrived today at 4pm.


On the not so good news front I seem to have lost my windows install CDs..

Edit:  found the discs. However have realized that in the last four years IDE ports have become non standard on motherboards and I only have IDE DVD drives. 

Does what you're posting on have a disk drive? If so, you could rip your disks on that, and install windows through a USB drive. Unless you like to rip media, there isn't much reason to bother with an optical drive anymore.

[Shannow]

Solution found.  I have a external hd reader lying around.  Plugged DVD drive into that and usbed into pc.  Yay.

[Hoax]

Friend needs a laptop, I don't really do laptops, never owned one myself. Having a hard time sifting through all these mobile gpu's.

AMD Radeon HD 7670M seems ok (he needs League, f2p mmo's and things like warz on low settings to run well to be satisfied) and its ALMOST in his price range (prefers $400 probably flex to $460).

I think I need something in this ballpark but a little cheaper without sacrificing too much?

Alternatively just a list of decent gpus and I'll find the cheapest without skimping too much of CPU RAM or HD space from newegg/amazon and call it a day.

[Trippy]

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Comparison-of-Laptop-Graphics-Cards.130.0.html

[Hoax]

This feels like the best I can get for a hard $400, am I fucking up somewhere?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B7K11MI/?tag=extension-kb-20

[Trippy]

Playing games on a $400 laptop is just asking for loads of pain and suffering.

In any event this laptop has a better GPU than the one you linked above though the CPU is worse so it's unclear which one plays your friend's games better:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834310637

Frankly at that price range I would spend a little more and get a laptop with a decent Intel Core CPU with HD 4000 integrated graphics. That'll be more useful overall than a laptop with a gimpy CPU and a GPU that may or may not be better than the HD 4000.

Edit: above

[Hoax]

I thought I had read repeatedly that the Intel 4k + Ivy Bridge APU was inferior for gaming to the A8 stuff? I told him that it was hard to justify a $400 price point for his needs but it may just be the cash he can afford to spend and he's not keen on waiting. So the purchase is going to be sub optimal but since I know fuckall about laptops I felt quite lost and wanted to make sure I wasn't bungling it to badly.

As long as he can play LoL and DCUO for now its fine and he'll be thrilled to finally own a computer I'd imagine.

[Trippy]

I thought I had read repeatedly that the Intel 4k + Ivy Bridge APU was inferior for gaming to the A8 stuff? I told him that it was hard to justify a $400 price point for his needs but it may just be the cash he can afford to spend and he's not keen on waiting. So the purchase is going to be sub optimal but since I know fuckall about laptops I felt quite lost and wanted to make sure I wasn't bungling it to badly.

For mobile it's more variable as there's a wide variety of clock speeds for the mobile HD 4000, some of which will offer better performance than, say, the 7640G (though those would be paired up with much more expensive CPUs). However at your friend's price range the 7640G you linked above is probably his best bet (my linked GPU is actually slower so ignore).

As long as he can play LoL and DCUO for now its fine and he'll be thrilled to finally own a computer I'd imagine.

LoL shouldn't be an issue. DCUO may be given how crappy SOE's engines tend to scale downwards.

[Nebu]

Playing games on a $400 laptop is just asking for loads of pain and suffering.

I think the cheapest laptop that I've found with a GPU worth having was around $700-800.  You can get a much better desktop for less money.

Then again... I can't play games at work on a desktop 

[Hoax]

He got the ASUS, I think he wishes the screen was more in the gaming laptop size that some friends have and he needs to pick up peripherals (mouse + kb) but so far it seems to be doing ok. I'm a bit worried about heat though. What do?

[Stormwaltz]

I'm trying to quickly figure out if it's worth using my tax return to surprise the wife with a laptop. I'd *like* to spend around $1000 on it. The trick is, she's been saying she wants to start playing modern MMGs with me, and I think that requires a class of laptop outside that range. Normally I'd just hit her with a desktop, but with our kids it has to be something she can carry around with her, connect via wireless, and lock up at need. (The last laptop I bought her was broken when our then 1 year-old yanked it off the kitchen table... several dozen times. Now he's four, and more destructive than you can possibly imagine.)

I've been puttering around Dell because as usual, that's the only place I can get an employee discount at. Based on the things I know I don't want (Win8, Blu-Ray, shitty Intel GPU), and the things that sound useful to me (8GB RAM, Intel CPU i5 or i7), their search engines return either a bottom-rung Alienware gaming setup (M14x) or a high end Inspiron multimedia rig ("17R Special Edition Non-Touch"). Are either of these any good at all, or should I head straight off to Newegg?

(Side note: Alienware computer stopped seeming aesthetically cool when I was in high school.)

[Trippy]

The GT 650M is decent for playing MMOs on. I've played WoW, RIFT, SWToR and Tera on a GTX 560M at 1080P with acceptable performance with some graphic settings turned down and the GT 650M is about the same performance as the GTX 560M. Anything below a GT 640M (not 640M LE which is even slower), though, and things start to get a little dicey unless it's something like WoW and you are playing in the older areas. It's still doable but the graphics aren't going to look very good which so much stuff turned down.

I'd try to avoid the 17" "desktop replacements" if you can since those can be a pain to carry around even just inside your house.

Something like this MSI laptop would work well with a GTX 660M. There are also cheaper versions in that style with the 650M. The Sony VAIO S with the 1080P display is really a beautiful display since it's an IPS panel, and it's relatively lightweight (though not all that well built) making it very easy to move around. Unfortunately it only has an 640M LE so the gaming performance isn't as good (though you can hack the firmware to OC it).

[Salamok]

I am fond of the Dell Outlet and they are having a clearance event at the moment (until 4/30).  I have a 30% off coupon code for Dell Outlet Home Laptops/Desktops, pm me if you need it, I wont post it as I am unsure if it is a single use or mass code.

Usually you can throw in 3 years of accidental protection plan and still come out much lower than the same thing new with no extended warranty.  Occasionally you get something bad but the return policy is decent.

edit - I went ahead and PM'd you the code as I am heading out for a few hours.

edit2 - The code is on systems $1000 and up, IIRC I bought my laptop this way with a $1000 and up 25% off coupon, it was listed on the outlet $1200 or something and after coupon shipped for just over $900.  Same build new was pushing $1800.

[Stormwaltz]

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

A lot of the options coming up for me are "refurbished." Any thought offhand on whether those can be trusted from Dell and/or Newegg?

[Phred]

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

A lot of the options coming up for me are "refurbished." Any thought offhand on whether those can be trusted from Dell and/or Newegg?

From wikipedia

Refurbishment is the distribution of products (usually electronics) that have been previously returned to a manufacturer or vendor for various reasons. Refurbished products are normally tested for functionality and defects before they are sold, and thus are the approximate equivalent of certified pre-owned cars.

From what I've heard refurbs are things that distributors, (not the manufacturer) get working again after they come in from warrantee. I used to think they were fixed by the manufacturer but appearantly that's not so. They usually only come with a 30 day guarantee too.

[Salamok]

If you get a dell refurb that is a recent model (i.e. something they are still selling new) most of them are just open box items that never had anything wrong with them.  Still I recommend getting an extended warranty on Dell Outlet stuff.

[Rendakor]

I'm looking at getting a netbook for my mother for Mother's Day; any suggestions? Something running Windows 7, so when I inevitably have to do tech support on it it's got a familiar OS. The lower the price, the better, as she's not going to be doing much on it aside from checking emails and net browsing.

[Stormwaltz]

Just checking back in. I haven't been able to find anything precisely what I wanted in the price range. Things were complicated by Jamie asking for an SSD drive. The only thing I was looking at that has the option was the Alienware. I packed that in, added a better warranty, and after that... tweaking the hardware to get performance roughly equal to my desktop didn't seem to add that much (relatively) to the cost. I ended up with this:

PROCESSOR                             3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3630QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.4GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0)
OPERATING SYSTEM                  Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit
MEMORY                                   8GB (2 X 4GB) Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
HARD DRIVE                              256GB SSD SATA 6Gb/s
VIDEO CARD                              2 GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce® GT 650M with Optimus
LCD PANEL                                 14.0" High Def+ (900p/1600x900) with WLED backlight
WIRELESS CARDS                      Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2230 With Bluetooth 4.0
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE           Slot Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW)

SUPPORT                                  1 Year Alienware Basic Support
ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE SERVICE   1 Year Accidental Damage Service

$1,610.88, saving a whopping $67.12 thanks to the Member Purchase Program. Gosh, Dell, so generous!

I compared the cheaper i5 and i7 CPUs to my desktop's using this: http://ark.intel.com/compare/71459,72164,33923

I did get a copy of Office 2013 for a mere $24 with physical disc backups. Boo new UI, but yay inexpensive MS Home Use Program.

I don't know. It's more than she wanted, but she's been buying herself these awful cheap Chinese tablets (YeahPads) with charger ports that break at the drop of a hat. This is at least robust and has a service plan.