How hard is it to buiild?

Dcully

Hi folks,just wondering how hard it is to build my own rig?
Ive often done the usual upgrades myself like gfx cards,ram,managed to do a power supply also.
Im tempted to have a go at building my own gaming rig but terrifiied of the "what if i run into problems" scenario.
I was considering getting it built by komplett as i reckon it will cost about 200 euro more which isnt bad plus it gives piece of mind.
Ive got about 2k to spend on a killer gaming machine and really want to get it right.

Im assuming cables etc are labled these days?

TerrorFirmer

It's very easy. The very first machine I built posted first time and I've actually never had any build related problems.

You won't really run into any problems as long as you do it in stages, i.e put in PSU and Mobo then turn on to make sure it works before adding the rest, etc.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by labels but it's easy to see where everything goes if that's what you mean.

Though I didn't think Komplett charged to assemble, do they?

Mr. Presentable

HavoK is correct. The tricky part is getting the parts that are all suited to one another, but even that is eased by checking with your vendors, or people on Boards like HavoK.

After that it's mostly like a jigsaw - the bits pretty much only go in one way!

Dcully

Thanks guys,im tempted but also tempted to just go with a pre built one,that way if theres compatability issues komplett will advise im sure.

Though I didn't think Komplett charged to assemble, do they?

Not sure,i just assumed a pre built was more expensive with same parts?

Im sure i can manage it once i got right components etc.

daveharnett

Dcully wrote: »

Hi folks,just wondering how hard it is to build my own rig?
Im assuming cables etc are labled these days?

Go for it. Before you order, post all the parts up here, and we can highlight any compatability issues. Once you get it, it's pretty hard to get the assembly wrong. All connectors are designed so you can't easily get it wrong.

dazftw

or look up a million tutorials on how to do it, thats what I did and my 1st computer booted up 1st go!

Deliverance XXV

dazftw wrote: »

or look up a million tutorials on how to do it, thats what I did and my 1st computer booted up 1st go!

Too true. There are hundreds, even thousands of tutorials out there.
Go for it.

Dcully

Ok i think you lot convinced me but ive got one more question.
My current spec is amd dual core 4200+,ASUS A8N Sli deluxe,2 gig ddr,7800 GTX.
My question is if i was to put an 8800 GTS/GTX into that rig would i gain nice performace boost?
The reason i ask is i tried the COD4 demo and surprised at how well it runs with most bells and whistles enabled on this machine.

I only have a 550 watt PSU currently would this be enough ofr the 8800?

I dont want to go shelling out 2k if its not fully needed to run latest games at nice settings.

Anti

the cheapest upgrade for you would be to add in a amd 6400+ ( 199€ from komplett ) it is a seriously fast cpu, on par with a e6600. Add in a 8800gtx/gts and you will be set for the next 2 years.

Darwin

With regard to your PSU, it really depends on the brand and it's efficiency rating. I wouldn't risk a cheap PSU with an 8800GTX. For example, Corsair have a pretty good reputation for building solid PSU's (I have a Corsair 520W HX and it runs my 8800 rig no problem). Can you find out the make/model of your PSU? In fact, take a look at look at all the kit in Anti's sig that's powered by a Corsair 620W PSU!

Dcully

I think its an ATX psu? would that be right?
Sorry if im way off here

So a 4600+ is on par with the standard quad cores?

Anti

No a 6400+ is on par with a mid level dual core.

As for a psu you will need something between 550-650w But make sure it is a good name like seasonic, corsair, tagen, pc power + cooling.

And as atx there are a few standards, atx 1.0 atx 2.0 atx 2.2. So make sure the psu is ATX 2.2 as this will futureproff your pc some what.

sebastianlieken

if i can put a rig together....seriously...anybody can!

Anti

sebastianlieken wrote: »

if i can put a rig together....seriously...anybody can!

QFT...

white_falcon

yea I gotta say the same too

I had a dell laptop the whole way through college, and never knew a thing about PC building at all before I bought all my parts

I saw everyone saying "ahhh its easy to build one" and was like..ah theres no way that can be true

But it actually is. Now when I built mine, there was a few problems, but that was only because I didnt follow the instructions that came with the parts really.
Once you know all the parts are compatible with each other, you'll have no problem putting it all together

Its seriously like lego - everything only fits into one place in computers so you can't plug something into the wrong place unless u feckin really jam it right into somewhere u know it doesnt go

Seriously try and build it urself, its worthwhile once its all up and running. Plus everyone on boards will help you out - even a few lads from here came to my house and helped me out when i couldnt get it working so go for it

Heinrich

Just a little caveat!

All will work a dream if every part is not faulty. When things go wrong there are many reasons for this...

I have assembled quite a few machines in my time and have a number of "spares" in stock. The last machine I put together had a faulty PSU. The machine would POST but would cave in after a few minutes. I tried an old PSU and this worked. Now if you had that glitch you could be tearing out your hair if you hadnow way of testing the part.

A main board in another machine would require rebooting and after trying the machine with both XP and WK2000 I simply changed the board and all worked perfectly.

Just make sure that you get all the parts compatible, carefully read and follow the manuals and test as you assemble.

These threads are full of basic questions and sometimes flabbergast me. Latest example is the case which is supplied with two risers (brass extension to raise the main board from the frame so that the soldered stuff at the back does not come into contact with the bare metal. In this case there are raise bumps for this purpose and the two risers can be used to support certain boards at points where you might press in memory modules or HDD connections. They are optional...

Mr. Presentable

Anti wrote: »

the cheapest upgrade for you would be to add in a amd 6400+ ( 199€ from komplett ) it is a seriously fast cpu, on par with a e6600. Add in a 8800gtx/gts and you will be set for the next 2 years.

Is the 4200 not an S939 chip also? I mean, he may not have the AM2 one, which would negate the upgrade to 6400.

great unwashed

Thinking of building myself and want to get the best for the lowest price - this is the challenge I'm setting myself. Someone recommended ordering parts on the internet. I can see pitfalls unless you really know what stuff you're after.

Can someone tell us amateurs what are the fewest parts you need to run a computer? I'll guess:

motherboard
ram
hardrive
fan
cpu
keyboard + mouse
monitor
box
linux cd
cd rom
graphics card
a few cables

jonski

The biggest problem I have with building my own is always the front panel connections ...grrrrrrr .

And one build where the default bios had a halt on all errors ..one of them being no floppy .....took ages before I connected it for no other reason than killing time .I bring this up because the most important thing to have to hand while building your own is another pc with internet access ...there is always someone around here to help out and reply to a "Help!!!!!!!!!!!!" thread .

Skittle

I think you missed out a power supply. Most cases don't come with them, but some do.

TerrorFirmer

great unwashed wrote: »

Thinking of building myself and want to get the best for the lowest price - this is the challenge I'm setting myself. Someone recommended ordering parts on the internet. I can see pitfalls unless you really know what stuff you're after.

Can someone tell us amateurs what are the fewest parts you need to run a computer? I'll guess:

motherboard
ram
hardrive
fan
cpu
keyboard + mouse
monitor
box
linux cd
cd rom
graphics card
a few cables

It depends on what you mean by best for lowest price - do you mean the best you can get for a set low budget, or the actual best for the cheapest price possible? It's a bit ambigious. Right now, building a budget rig is the cheapest it'll ever be - mid range Dx9 parts, that are still good for most games on high settings, are as cheap as chips for example. The X1950GT is only E98 on Komplett. You can get an E2160 or about 80 euro and it overclocks superbly. If you're a limited overclocker or don't at all, generic ram is extremely cheap. You could piece together a budget gaming machine (2160, 2Gb Ram, X1950GT, with room for future upgrades) for 450-500 easily.

Like this below: Good overclockable cpu, decent board with crossfire (so you could add, for example, another cheap X1950GT in a few months). This is just an example from Komplett - you can also look around sites like Hardwareversand which offer even better prices on certain things.