Help a total noob build a gaming PC... Please.

So I am looking to get a PC capable of running games at high quality. Games such as Civilzation 5, Skyrim and crysis but I have no clue where to begin.

1. I Have invested close to $3500 in my home theater system and would like to use that for sound in my PC games.
2. If I used my television would I be at a disadvantage? Or should I invest in a good pc monitor?
3. I do not currently own a PC as I use my ipad for web browsing and email. Where can I begin to build my own up to date computer, and what am I looking at in terms of cost?

thanks for your help and sorry if I have not provided enough info.

I am not sure what budget I should be looking at as of yet. but let me give an idea of what I'm looking for. I currently have a PS3 which I enjoy, however I greatly prefer RTS games like Age of Empires and Civilization which I would love to get back in to. Also, The current gen console graphics can be better with PC gaming from what I understand. I typically don't play multiplayer games so I would be looking to use the PC for most, if not all of my gaming.

I understand I don't want to purchase a prebuilt PC so I am interested in slowly build my own PC. I am not familiar with building PC's in the least and don't even know where to start. I understand I need everything to "match" to work together but am not sure how to know whether parts will be compatable. Sorry if I have not given enough details I will be able to answer any questions. Thanks.

1.It's fine. 2.Same,unless you want some fancy high-res 27"\30" monitor. 3.Here,it depends on your budget actually.MonsieurX

Exactly wat MonsieurX said, if you got them money you can get a crazy Dell Ultrasharp monitor, but a tv will work. Anything larger then 27"/30" and ur desk set-up gets akward
You need to make usre tv has a few basic specs:
at least 1920x1080 resolution (AKA 1080p)
HDMI input (in the unlikely case your tv takes DVI, that'll work too)
at least 60htz, though some prefer 120

And I'm no expert in home theatres, but I imagine you'll want to check the input on that too, make sure you have a stanrd audio input or HDMI input avaiable there too, depending on your mobo and/or sound card you can go all the way up to 7.1 surround sound.

And I'd say if you're just doing the tower, you can get a good/great system for $1000

just a few more quetsions:

1) do you need a copy of Windows (adds about $120)
2) do you need peripherals (you mentioned using ur speakers and tv, but don't forget about keybaord, mouse, webcam, ect)
3) what is your budget?
4) what country do you live in?
5) you have a parts source preference (NCIX, TigerDirect, ect)

And other things to keep in mind, if you feel uncomfortable building it (many people here will pressure you to do it yourself no matter what) there are alternatives:

1) have a nerdy friend do it/help
2) local computer shops will do assembly, I've heard of fees from $50-$200. Some places wave the fees if you purchase all the parts trhough them
3) sites like ibuypower allow you to design actual custom computers and will assemble it for you, again, some added cost here


And if you do build it yourself, the best route is to order all the parts in one shipment from the same source and build it in one go.And of coruse the best part of building your own custom computer is you can continually update it down the road.

current TV is 720p w HDMI input and my receiver has every audio input including HDMI. Would I need to replace my Television?

current TV is 720p w HDMI input and my receiver has every audio input including HDMI. Would I need to replace my Television?

sruane23

1) do you need a copy of Windows - Yes. Unless there's a way I can duplicate the copy I have in my office PC?
2) do you need peripherals (you mentioned using ur speakers and tv, but don't forget about keybaord, mouse, webcam, ect) I have a besic desktop in my office, however I am looking to start fresh with a set up in my TV room. So I will need keyboard/mouse/ and webcam? (why would I want a webcam)
3) what is your budget? I am trying to get an idea of what my budget should be. at this point I am trying to get an idea of how much I should be looking to spend for a nice system that runs smooth. I honestly wouldn't know where to begin as I am completely unfamiliar with computers in terms of anything but web browding.
4) what country do you live in? USA
5) you have a parts source preference (NCIX, TigerDirect, ect) No preference. I have never purchased parts before so I wouldn't have a preference. excuse my ignorance but I'm not even sure what I need to search for. I understand I need a case, motherboard, sound/video card, processor, etc. However I am not aware what parts will do what for me and etc...

I know I am basically a blind man in the dark here so any help is appreciated

also, would it be a possibility to buy parts as I see good sales for the next few months until I have everything. If so, which parts should I be looking at first that should not be upgrading as quickly.

okee dokee, I'll list what parts you need in general and in a couple hours I'll give youa build a set, little busy at the moment:

1) CPU (processsor)
2) Motherboard (MOBO)
3) Power Supply Unit (PSU)
4) Case
5) Video Card
6) Hard Drive (HDD)
7) RAM
8) Optical Drive (DVD, you want blu-ray?)
9) Windows 7 (home premium I assume?)
10) Keyboard and mouse (this can range widley, how hardcore a set you want)

And no, you don't need a webcam, just seeing if you wanted one
and 720P is pretty louzy for a desktop, what size is the tv? I'm sure you'll want to upgrade that in time.

And as I said, it's best to buy it all at once and built it in one go.
Sale wise, the site I use has continous rolling sales, so some parts are always on sale somewhere.

okee dokee, I'll list what parts you need in general and in a couple hours I'll give youa build a set, little busy at the moment:

1) CPU (processsor)
2) Motherboard (MOBO)
3) Power Supply Unit (PSU)
4) Case
5) Video Card
6) Hard Drive (HDD)
7) RAM
8) Optical Drive (DVD, you want blu-ray?)
9) Windows 7 (home premium I assume?)
10) Keyboard and mouse (this can range widley, how hardcore a set you want)

And no, you don't need a webcam, just seeing if you wanted one
and 720P is pretty louzy for a desktop, what size is the tv? I'm sure you'll want to upgrade that in time.

And as I said, it's best to buy it all at once and built it in one go.
Sale wise, the site I use has continous rolling sales, so some parts are always on sale somewhere.

BlackDevil99

okee dokee, I'll list what parts you need in general and in a couple hours I'll give youa build a set, little busy at the moment:

1) CPU (processsor)
2) Motherboard (MOBO)
3) Power Supply Unit (PSU)
4) Case
5) Video Card
6) Hard Drive (HDD)
7) RAM
8) Optical Drive (DVD, you want blu-ray?)
9) Windows 7 (home premium I assume?)
10) Keyboard and mouse (this can range widley, how hardcore a set you want)

And no, you don't need a webcam, just seeing if you wanted one
and 720P is pretty louzy for a desktop, what size is the tv? I'm sure you'll want to upgrade that in time.

And as I said, it's best to buy it all at once and built it in one go.
Sale wise, the site I use has continous rolling sales, so some parts are always on sale somewhere.

BlackDevil99

awesome, I guess I was thinking I could purchase case, keyboard, mouse and power supply before the rest of the bulk. Guess not.
Also in terms of Windows 7, if I were to want something to store my blu ray rips and uncompressed audio on for easy playback and a nice GUI should I be looking at a nicer version of windows.

Thank you so much, I seriously appreciate your help. TV is an older 32" LCD, has HDMI and VGA inputs. I would be looking to upgrade this after a PC but if a PC would be worthless on this set I can obviously upgrade TV first.

For a HDD should I be looking for a solid state drive? would that make a difference in terms of gaming, video or music performance? and is there any benefit to owning a blu ray drive if I am not planning on watching blu rays via my PC? IE will games use blu ray discs?

[QUOTE="BlackDevil99"]

okee dokee, I'll list what parts you need in general and in a couple hours I'll give youa build a set, little busy at the moment:

1) CPU (processsor)
2) Motherboard (MOBO)
3) Power Supply Unit (PSU)
4) Case
5) Video Card
6) Hard Drive (HDD)
7) RAM
8) Optical Drive (DVD, you want blu-ray?)
9) Windows 7 (home premium I assume?)
10) Keyboard and mouse (this can range widley, how hardcore a set you want)

And no, you don't need a webcam, just seeing if you wanted one
and 720P is pretty louzy for a desktop, what size is the tv? I'm sure you'll want to upgrade that in time.

And as I said, it's best to buy it all at once and built it in one go.
Sale wise, the site I use has continous rolling sales, so some parts are always on sale somewhere.

sruane23

awesome, I guess I was thinking I could purchase case, keyboard, mouse and power supply before the rest of the bulk. Guess not.
Also in terms of Windows 7, if I were to want something to store my blu ray rips and uncompressed audio on for easy playback and a nice GUI should I be looking at a nicer version of windows.

Thank you so much, I seriously appreciate your help. TV is an older 32" LCD, has HDMI and VGA inputs. I would be looking to upgrade this after a PC but if a PC would be worthless on this set I can obviously upgrade TV first.

For a HDD should I be looking for a solid state drive? would that make a difference in terms of gaming, video or music performance? and is there any benefit to owning a blu ray drive if I am not planning on watching blu rays via my PC? IE will games use blu ray discs?

CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K, pretty much what everone is using by default these days. quad-core, easily to over-clock, intel. http://ncix.com/products/?sku=57962&vpn=BX80623I52500K&manufacture=Intel

MOBO:ASUS Sabertooth Z77 http://ncix.com/products/?sku=69881&vpn=Sabertooth%20Z77&manufacture=ASUS&promoid=1205 compatible with ur cpu, great mobo

PSU:Corsair TX750 V2 750W http://ncix.com/products/?sku=58382&vpn=CMPSU-750TXV2&manufacture=Corsair&promoid=1382 again, compatible, should be all the power you need

CASE:Thermaltake V9 BlacX Edition http://ncix.com/products/?sku=54853&vpn=VM400M1W2Z&manufacture=Thermaltake its teh case I use, I love it, but it's totally subjective. You can look for your own, just make sure it's an ATX case, either Mid-Tower or Full-Tower

VIDEO CARD:XFX Radeon HD 6870 http://ncix.com/products/?sku=62756&vpn=HD687AZHFC&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1048 Radeon 6870, great card, maybe upgrade in a year or two. If you want top of the line now, then go with the GTX 670, but it's nearly $300 more

HARD DRIVE:Seagate Barracuda 2TB http://ncix.com/products/?sku=66010&vpn=ST2000DM001&manufacture=Seagate 2tb, 7200rpm, not much to say

RAM:Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 Vengeance 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 http://ncix.com/products/?sku=57078&vpn=CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9&manufacture=Corsair 8gb, you can go 16gb if you want

OPTICAL DRIVE: ASUS BW-12B1ST Blu-Ray Writer 12X BD-R 16X DVD+R http://ncix.com/products/?sku=62678&vpn=BW-12B1ST%2FBLK%2FG%2FAS&manufacture=ASUS

OS:Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64BIT SP1 DVD OEM http://ncix.com/products/?sku=45271&vpn=GFC-02050&manufacture=Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, Pro or Ultimate will run you a bit more, 64bit

KEYBOARD & MOUSE:Logitech Cordless Desktop MK260 Keyboard & Optical Mouse Wireless Combo USB - Black http://ncix.com/products/?sku=65756&vpn=920-002950&manufacture=Others&promoid=1359a basic keyboard and mouse. if you wanna go crazy, go on over to Razer and check out there stuff. I'd recommend a Mechanical Black Widow Keyboard and Deathadder3000 if money is no object

Total (Canadian) before taxes and shipping: $1340
This site charges an addiontal $50 for assembly if you so choose
And I'm SURE you can find better prices for you at American Sites

So now say what you want changed, increased, lowered and we can try to find them on an American Site too.

current TV is 720p w HDMI input and my receiver has every audio input including HDMI. Would I need to replace my Television?

sruane23

CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K, pretty much what everone is using by default these days. quad-core, easily to over-clock, intel. http://ncix.com/products/?sku=57962&vpn=BX80623I52500K&manufacture=Intel

MOBO:ASUS Sabertooth Z77 http://ncix.com/products/?sku=69881&vpn=Sabertooth%20Z77&manufacture=ASUS&promoid=1205 compatible with ur cpu, great mobo

PSU:Corsair TX750 V2 750W http://ncix.com/products/?sku=58382&vpn=CMPSU-750TXV2&manufacture=Corsair&promoid=1382 again, compatible, should be all the power you need

CASE:Thermaltake V9 BlacX Edition http://ncix.com/products/?sku=54853&vpn=VM400M1W2Z&manufacture=Thermaltake its teh case I use, I love it, but it's totally subjective. You can look for your own, just make sure it's an ATX case, either Mid-Tower or Full-Tower

VIDEO CARD:XFX Radeon HD 6870 http://ncix.com/products/?sku=62756&vpn=HD687AZHFC&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1048 Radeon 6870, great card, maybe upgrade in a year or two. If you want top of the line now, then go with the GTX 670, but it's nearly $300 more

HARD DRIVE:Seagate Barracuda 2TB http://ncix.com/products/?sku=66010&vpn=ST2000DM001&manufacture=Seagate 2tb, 7200rpm, not much to say

RAM:Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 Vengeance 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 http://ncix.com/products/?sku=57078&vpn=CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9&manufacture=Corsair 8gb, you can go 16gb if you want

OPTICAL DRIVE: ASUS BW-12B1ST Blu-Ray Writer 12X BD-R 16X DVD+R http://ncix.com/products/?sku=62678&vpn=BW-12B1ST%2FBLK%2FG%2FAS&manufacture=ASUS

OS:Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64BIT SP1 DVD OEM http://ncix.com/products/?sku=45271&vpn=GFC-02050&manufacture=Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, Pro or Ultimate will run you a bit more, 64bit

KEYBOARD & MOUSE:Logitech Cordless Desktop MK260 Keyboard & Optical Mouse Wireless Combo USB - Black http://ncix.com/products/?sku=65756&vpn=920-002950&manufacture=Others&promoid=1359a basic keyboard and mouse. if you wanna go crazy, go on over to Razer and check out there stuff. I'd recommend a Mechanical Black Widow Keyboard and Deathadder3000 if money is no object

Total (Canadian) before taxes and shipping: $1340
This site charges an addiontal $50 for assembly if you so choose
And I'm SURE you can find better prices for you at American Sites

So now say what you want changed, increased, lowered and we can try to find them on an American Site too.

BlackDevil99

[QUOTE="BlackDevil99"]

CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K, pretty much what everone is using by default these days. quad-core, easily to over-clock, intel. http://ncix.com/products/?sku=57962&vpn=BX80623I52500K&manufacture=Intel

MOBO:ASUS Sabertooth Z77 http://ncix.com/products/?sku=69881&vpn=Sabertooth%20Z77&manufacture=ASUS&promoid=1205 compatible with ur cpu, great mobo

PSU:Corsair TX750 V2 750W http://ncix.com/products/?sku=58382&vpn=CMPSU-750TXV2&manufacture=Corsair&promoid=1382 again, compatible, should be all the power you need

CASE:Thermaltake V9 BlacX Edition http://ncix.com/products/?sku=54853&vpn=VM400M1W2Z&manufacture=Thermaltake its teh case I use, I love it, but it's totally subjective. You can look for your own, just make sure it's an ATX case, either Mid-Tower or Full-Tower

VIDEO CARD:XFX Radeon HD 6870 http://ncix.com/products/?sku=62756&vpn=HD687AZHFC&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1048 Radeon 6870, great card, maybe upgrade in a year or two. If you want top of the line now, then go with the GTX 670, but it's nearly $300 more

HARD DRIVE:Seagate Barracuda 2TB http://ncix.com/products/?sku=66010&vpn=ST2000DM001&manufacture=Seagate 2tb, 7200rpm, not much to say

RAM:Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 Vengeance 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 http://ncix.com/products/?sku=57078&vpn=CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9&manufacture=Corsair 8gb, you can go 16gb if you want

OPTICAL DRIVE: ASUS BW-12B1ST Blu-Ray Writer 12X BD-R 16X DVD+R http://ncix.com/products/?sku=62678&vpn=BW-12B1ST%2FBLK%2FG%2FAS&manufacture=ASUS

OS:Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64BIT SP1 DVD OEM http://ncix.com/products/?sku=45271&vpn=GFC-02050&manufacture=Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, Pro or Ultimate will run you a bit more, 64bit

KEYBOARD & MOUSE:Logitech Cordless Desktop MK260 Keyboard & Optical Mouse Wireless Combo USB - Black http://ncix.com/products/?sku=65756&vpn=920-002950&manufacture=Others&promoid=1359a basic keyboard and mouse. if you wanna go crazy, go on over to Razer and check out there stuff. I'd recommend a Mechanical Black Widow Keyboard and Deathadder3000 if money is no object

Total (Canadian) before taxes and shipping: $1340
This site charges an addiontal $50 for assembly if you so choose
And I'm SURE you can find better prices for you at American Sites

So now say what you want changed, increased, lowered and we can try to find them on an American Site too.

godzillavskong

CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K, pretty much what everone is using by default these days. quad-core, easily to over-clock, intel. http://ncix.com/products/?sku=57962&vpn=BX80623I52500K&manufacture=Intel

MOBO:ASUS Sabertooth Z77 http://ncix.com/products/?sku=69881&vpn=Sabertooth%20Z77&manufacture=ASUS&promoid=1205 compatible with ur cpu, great mobo

PSU:Corsair TX750 V2 750W http://ncix.com/products/?sku=58382&vpn=CMPSU-750TXV2&manufacture=Corsair&promoid=1382 again, compatible, should be all the power you need

CASE:Thermaltake V9 BlacX Edition http://ncix.com/products/?sku=54853&vpn=VM400M1W2Z&manufacture=Thermaltake its teh case I use, I love it, but it's totally subjective. You can look for your own, just make sure it's an ATX case, either Mid-Tower or Full-Tower

VIDEO CARD:XFX Radeon HD 6870 http://ncix.com/products/?sku=62756&vpn=HD687AZHFC&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1048 Radeon 6870, great card, maybe upgrade in a year or two. If you want top of the line now, then go with the GTX 670, but it's nearly $300 more

HARD DRIVE:Seagate Barracuda 2TB http://ncix.com/products/?sku=66010&vpn=ST2000DM001&manufacture=Seagate 2tb, 7200rpm, not much to say

RAM:Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 Vengeance 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 http://ncix.com/products/?sku=57078&vpn=CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9&manufacture=Corsair 8gb, you can go 16gb if you want

OPTICAL DRIVE: ASUS BW-12B1ST Blu-Ray Writer 12X BD-R 16X DVD+R http://ncix.com/products/?sku=62678&vpn=BW-12B1ST%2FBLK%2FG%2FAS&manufacture=ASUS

OS:Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64BIT SP1 DVD OEM http://ncix.com/products/?sku=45271&vpn=GFC-02050&manufacture=Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, Pro or Ultimate will run you a bit more, 64bit

KEYBOARD & MOUSE:Logitech Cordless Desktop MK260 Keyboard & Optical Mouse Wireless Combo USB - Black http://ncix.com/products/?sku=65756&vpn=920-002950&manufacture=Others&promoid=1359a basic keyboard and mouse. if you wanna go crazy, go on over to Razer and check out there stuff. I'd recommend a Mechanical Black Widow Keyboard and Deathadder3000 if money is no object

Total (Canadian) before taxes and shipping: $1340
This site charges an addiontal $50 for assembly if you so choose
And I'm SURE you can find better prices for you at American Sites

So now say what you want changed, increased, lowered and we can try to find them on an American Site too.

BlackDevil99

Is there a need for Bly ray aside from playing movies, if not I don't need it. Also don't think I need a nice case as PC will be in closet. Trying to keep the budget as low as possible but also trying to notice upgrade from ps3 and enjoy games without substantial slow down sruane23

Theres your first mistake as a PC gamer, they get hot and need ventilation, "a nice case" isn't for looks, its for keeping the parts cool.

i thought you mentioned ripping blu-ray, but yeah, easy swap out. -$30

I'd highly recommend against eoncolsing your tower in anything, just asking for trouble (over heating) and there are cheaper cases with still great air-circulation -$30

[QUOTE="sruane23"]

current TV is 720p w HDMI input and my receiver has every audio input including HDMI. Would I need to replace my Television?

godzillavskong

No. 720p is that bad compared to 1080p, you don't have to upgrade now but you definitely should.

What is your exact budget for the PC?

[QUOTE="godzillavskong"][QUOTE="sruane23"]

current TV is 720p w HDMI input and my receiver has every audio input including HDMI. Would I need to replace my Television?

Masenkoe

No. 720p is that bad compared to 1080p, you don't have to upgrade now but you definitely should.

What is your exact budget for the PC?

I'm trying to figure out what my budget should be. I am more so asking what my budget should be. I'd love to say $600 but it sounds like for everything I want I'm looking at double that. Im trying to see what my options in terms of different budgets are and what differences I would notice. sruane23