My 8 year old pc is finally DEAD. need help please. first time builder.

[dobby240240]

Hi all just to let you know before you get deep in to this that i am not in a position of buying any of the parts just yet as i need help with the general process as this is my first time building a pc.

but all input is greatly appreciated as i'm just learning almost everything from the ground up. 

 

1. Budget & Location

I live in the united kingdom any my budget is roughly £800 but i can be a little more flexible with that price depending.

(But if necessary i could be persuaded up to £1000 but it will mean me saving for maybe a month or two longer than i intend)
2. Aim
i am going to be mainly gaming. sometimes use video editing software. Rarely use audio editing software. browsing the web/streaming video. 

-I want to build a future proof system-
3. Monitors
The monitor i have at the moment from my other pc is a Samsung 2253BW (DVI-D)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-SyncMaster-2253BW-display-widescreen/dp/B0013PSOT0

 

I also have a Sony KDL42w8 42" 1080p television
http://www.directtvs.co.uk/Sony_KDL42W805_42_Inch_Smart_3D_LED_TV_KDL42W805ABU/version.asp
(Would be cool to hook the pc up to the tv as well but its not a major requirement)

4. Peripherals
none of these things are needing to be upgraded at this time i will be new mice and keyboards once the tower unit is completed.
 

-Logitech 2.1 speakers (they are dieing slowly don't know what model they are

-Logitech mx518 gaming mouse (old but reliable)

-Mad Catz eclipse 2 backlit Keyboard (space bar broken on one side)

5. Why are you upgrading? (sorry if i'v typed way too much )

i have a few reasons i'm upgrading. the weather is cold in england and its killing my joints so to give me something to do i want to build a gaming pc and basically get good at using/upgrading and (MAYBE) overclocking but i doubt i will.

but i want a good pc in the long run because my laptop which i am using at the moment is also on its last legs. none of its USB ports work its slow as hell with its i3 and 2gb RAM. but the desktop has done me well and its time to go forth and forget this 8 year old door stop.

I have an 8 year old gaming pc that i bought from Overclockers.co.uk and it has finally died. its survived 3 major crashes and me trying to replace the Thermal paste on its 2 gpu's (which i think is why it has died from static i presume) 

I managed to save the DXdiag before it packed up

-Amd athlon 64x2 dual core cpu 3.0ghz

-3 gig ram

-vista home premium 32 bit.

thats as much of the photograph i can read. The pc no longer turns on. 

[Megazero]

Hi all just to let you know before you get deep in to this that i am not in a position of buying any of the parts just yet as i need help with the general process as this is my first time building a pc.

but all input is greatly appreciated as i'm just learning almost everything from the ground up. 

 

1. Budget & Location

I live in the united kingdom any my budget is roughly £800 but i can be a little more flexible with that price depending.

(But if necessary i could be persuaded up to £1000 but it will mean me saving for maybe a month or two longer than i intend)

2. Aim

i am going to be mainly gaming. sometimes use video editing software. Rarely use audio editing software. browsing the web/streaming video. 

-I want to build a future proof system-

3. Monitors

The monitor i have at the moment from my other pc is a Samsung 2253BW (DVI-D)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-SyncMaster-2253BW-display-widescreen/dp/B0013PSOT0

 

I also have a Sony KDL42w8 42" 1080p television

http://www.directtvs.co.uk/Sony_KDL42W805_42_Inch_Smart_3D_LED_TV_KDL42W805ABU/version.asp

(Would be cool to hook the pc up to the tv as well but its not a major requirement)

4. Peripherals

none of these things are needing to be upgraded at this time i will be new mice and keyboards once the tower unit is completed.

 

-Logitech 2.1 speakers (they are dieing slowly don't know what model they are

-Logitech mx518 gaming mouse (old but reliable)

-Mad Catz eclipse 2 backlit Keyboard (space bar broken on one side)

5. Why are you upgrading? (sorry if i'v typed way too much )

i have a few reasons i'm upgrading. the weather is cold in england and its killing my joints so to give me something to do i want to build a gaming pc and basically get good at using/upgrading and (MAYBE) overclocking but i doubt i will.

but i want a good pc in the long run because my laptop which i am using at the moment is also on its last legs. none of its USB ports work its slow as hell with its i3 and 2gb RAM. but the desktop has done me well and its time to go forth and forget this 8 year old door stop.

I have an 8 year old gaming pc that i bought from Overclockers.co.uk and it has finally died. its survived 3 major crashes and me trying to replace the Thermal paste on its 2 gpu's (which i think is why it has died from static i presume) 

I managed to save the DXdiag before it packed up

-Amd athlon 64x2 dual core cpu 3.0ghz

-3 gig ram

-vista home premium 32 bit.

thats as much of the photograph i can read. The pc no longer turns on.

I dont think you should keep anything from those list Sell them all and get something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (£249.99 @ Ebuyer)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£23.86 @ CCL Computers)

Motherboard: MSI Z97-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£94.99 @ Amazon UK)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£64.95 @ Amazon UK)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£54.65 @ CCL Computers)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£35.94 @ Aria PC)

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (£274.99 @ CCL Computers)

Case: NZXT Source 210 Window ATX Mid Tower Case

Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£47.52 @ Amazon UK)

Total: £846.89

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-25 09:44 BST+0100

Note that the Case price is not shown since seem like it's not available in UK. It doesnt really matter though since Case is usually depend on user preference, so get whatever case you like

[dobby240240]

The parts i have chosen over the past week are on my wishlist here~

http://www.novatech.co.uk/viewwishlist.html?l=74

the CPU i want is an intel i5 4670k but it is not on novatechs website so it is not in my wishlist.

Forgetting the fans and cooling in this list (because i have no idea what case i'm buying yet)

 

what i really want to know is will it all work together and will it work well together. Or with a few tweaks make it better.

 

i watched a of linus's video on youtube about building the actual PC and how to pick components but i'm still a little as to what i am really supposed to be looking for in specifications of the components. 

I will provide more information if needed. i feel like iv typed an essay for sorry if its too much.

[dobby240240]

I dont think you should keep anything from those list Sell them all and get something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (£249.99 @ Ebuyer)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£23.86 @ CCL Computers)

Motherboard: MSI Z97-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£94.99 @ Amazon UK)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£64.95 @ Amazon UK)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£54.65 @ CCL Computers)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£35.94 @ Aria PC)

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card (£274.99 @ CCL Computers)

Case: NZXT Source 210 Window ATX Mid Tower Case

Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£47.52 @ Amazon UK)

Total: £846.89

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-25 09:44 BST+0100

Note that the Case price is not shown since seem like it's not available in UK. It doesnt really matter though since Case is usually depend on user preference, so get whatever case you like

oh wow! didnt expect such a quick response. thanks i will take a peek at that bunch

Edit 1: iv seen quite a few things on the net that say gaming only uses a couple threads.

What will i need with an i7? sureley the price could come down by picking an i5 4670k like iv put in my part list?

[Extingquish]

Here's a slightly tweaked version of the $1000 build on pcpartpicker.com

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  (£174.99 @ Ebuyer) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  (£23.86 @ CCL Computers) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  (£79.80 @ Scan.co.uk) 

Memory: *Kingston 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  (£54.43 @ CCL Computers) 

Storage: *Sandisk Solid State Drive 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (£43.98 @ Ebuyer) 

Storage: *Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  (£35.94 @ Aria PC) 

Video Card: *Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card  (£260.36 @ Scan.co.uk) 

Case: Fractal Design Core 3500 ATX Mid Tower Case  (£58.99 @ Novatech) 

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  (£49.93 @ CCL Computers) 

Total: £782.28

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-25 09:45 BST+0100

[ImBleu]

oh wow! didnt expect such a quick response. thanks i will take a peek at that bunch

Edit 1: iv seen quite a few things on the net that say gaming only uses a couple threads.

What will i need with an i7? sureley the price could come down by picking an i5 4670k like iv put in my part list?

 

I'd take that build and bump up to a NZXT H440 and from the i7 to its i5-4690k counterpart. You may also want to consider going for a Corsair H55 (or similar) or NZXT Kraken X41 AIO cooler instead of a CM air cooler. And if you're not interested in overclocking save yourself some money and get a i5-4690 non-K version.

[DeViLzzz]

 

Here's a slightly tweaked version of the $1000 build on pcpartpicker.com

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  (£174.99 @ Ebuyer) 

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  (£23.86 @ CCL Computers) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  (£79.80 @ Scan.co.uk) 

Memory: *Kingston 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  (£54.43 @ CCL Computers) 

Storage: *Sandisk Solid State Drive 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (£43.98 @ Ebuyer) 

Storage: *Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  (£35.94 @ Aria PC) 

Video Card: *Zotac GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card  (£260.36 @ Scan.co.uk) 

Case: Fractal Design Core 3500 ATX Mid Tower Case  (£58.99 @ Novatech) 

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  (£49.93 @ CCL Computers) 

Total: £782.28

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria

Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-25 09:45 BST+0100

 

I welcome someone that doesn't recommend a damn MSI board.  I am sick of people recommending these left and right.  They are no great motherboard manufacturer.

[Megazero]

oh wow! didnt expect such a quick response. thanks i will take a peek at that bunch

Edit 1: iv seen quite a few things on the net that say gaming only uses a couple threads.

What will i need with an i7? sureley the price could come down by picking an i5 4670k like iv put in my part list?

To be honest the only reason I pick the i7 over and i5 is because I saw "video editing" in your aim. Other than that an i5 4690k totally make sense. Also even if you dont OC now I suggest you go with a K version, just so you have the option later on.

[Extingquish]

I welcome someone that doesn't recommend a damn MSI board.  I am sick of people recommending these left and right.  They are no great motherboard manufacturer.

While they aren't as established as other companies such as Gigabyte or Asus, I'd not discard them entirely from selecting a motherboard, but I personally haven't tried one of theirs.

 

Also this was just a tweaked version of a suggested build from here: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/guide/JW32FT/1000-gaming-build 

[dobby240240]

I'd take that build and bump up to a NZXT H440 and from the i7 to its i5-4690k counterpart. You may also want to consider going for a Corsair H55 (or similar) or NZXT Kraken X41 AIO cooler instead of a CM air cooler. And if you're not interested in overclocking save yourself some money and get a i5-4690 non-K version.

ok so im changing my decision in cpu to the 4690. are there any easy ways to understand how good the parts are for my money or somthing i can read while im choosing specific parts to keep in mind while im picking?

 

And the SSHD iv put on my wish list. whats the general thought on these hybrid type storage devices? im guessing going seperate HDD and SSD will be more viable

[Megazero]

ok so im changing my decision in cpu to the 4690. are there any easy ways to understand how good the parts are for my money or somthing i can read while im choosing specific parts to keep in mind while im picking?

Not really, you just have to read review on them and compare them to other product.

Anyway, I highly suggest getting a K version, since even if you are not going to Overclock now, later on in 3-4 years when these CPU become slow compare to newer stuff, you can start OCing and get a few more months/year from it But the decision is totally up to you. And if you are not going to overclock, dont bother getting a CPU Cooler, the stock cooler will do just fine if you dont OCing your CPU.

[ImBleu]

ok so im changing my decision in cpu to the 4690. are there any easy ways to understand how good the parts are for my money or somthing i can read while im choosing specific parts to keep in mind while im picking?

 

Most things (Case, Ram, Power Supply, Hard Drives, SSD, Cooler, CPU) don't really matter when it comes to gaming. Just check reviews for the Graphics card you are looking for and understand that for the most part i5's are for gaming, i7's are for more high-end builds. 'K' skews are the unlocked multipliers (for overclocking on CPUs).  If you want to know how good your games will play its basically a case of make sure you have at least 8GB of ram and you're all set, for video editing ram does matter though. Honestly the difference between 1TB Harddrive X and 1TB Hardrive Y is negligible, as are RAM and SSDs. 

[dobby240240]

Not really, you just have to read review on them and compare them to other product.

Anyway, I highly suggest getting a K version, since even if you are not going to Overclock now, later on in 3-4 years when these CPU become slow compare to newer stuff, you can start OCing and get a few more months/year from it But the decision is totally up to you. And if you are not going to overclock, dont bother getting a CPU Cooler, the stock cooler will do just fine if you dont OCing your CPU.

If i do overclock the cpu in the future doesn't that reduce its lifespan? getting a better cooler will help with that? is that how it works?

[dobby240240]

Most things (Case, Ram, Power Supply, Hard Drives, SSD, Cooler, CPU) don't really matter when it comes to gaming. Just check reviews for the Graphics card you are looking for and understand that for the most part i5's are for gaming, i7's are for more high-end builds. 'K' skews are the unlocked multipliers (for overclocking on CPUs).  If you want to know how good your games will play its basically a case of make sure you have at least 8GB of ram and you're all set, for video editing ram does matter though. Honestly the difference between 1TB Harddrive X and 1TB Hardrive Y is negligible, as are RAM and SSDs. 

ok good to know thanks. 

i would like a small ssd to hold my system files and games for fast load up times. but going by the tests iv seen it seems like alot of money for only a few seconds of down time

[DeViLzzz]

If i do overclock the cpu in the future doesn't that reduce its lifespan? getting a better cooler will help with that? is that how it works?

Yes it can reduce it's lifespan especially if the cpu is run at temperatures that are just too high and so in overclocking you want to keep those temperatures down just like you do with stock and with this you help keep the lifespan normal for the cpu. 

[Megazero]

If i do overclock the cpu in the future doesn't that reduce its lifespan? getting a better cooler will help with that? is that how it works?

Not really. If you are careful with your OCing and dont do crazy stuff, OCing wont affect your lifespan all that much. But OCing usually come with higher temperature (The reduce lifespan come from here), hench the need for After market CPU Cooler. Without OCing the temp of the CPU is low enough for the stock cooler to work fine so you dont need an after market CPU Cooler. Stock cooler are the one that come with the CPU, so if you buy an i5 4690k or 4690 or almost any other CPU you should already have one of those inside the box of the CPU. After market cooler are one such as 212 EVO we suggested, or AIO Water cooler like H105 etc, which cool alot better than the stock cooler. The thing is.... unless you do sub-zero cooling, after market air cooler/water cooler or stock cooler all will not be able to cool your CPU under the room temp, so it's not really a good idea wasting money for an after market cooler if you dont OCing for this reason.

[Megazero]

ok good to know thanks. 

i would like a small ssd to hold my system files and games for fast load up times. but going by the tests iv seen it seems like alot of money for only a few seconds of down time

For the SSD, just get a 120GB SSD for the Operating System (OS) only, dont install games on that, or only install games that is single player and took way too long to load and uninstall it/move it to HDD when you dont play it anymore. It will make your system run faster in general, and can really reduct the loading time in SOME games.

[DeViLzzz]

ok good to know thanks. 

i would like a small ssd to hold my system files and games for fast load up times. but going by the tests iv seen it seems like alot of money for only a few seconds of down time

If this is a gaming rig an SSD is hardly going to help.  I am glad you see the foolishness in people pushing SSDs on gamers.  Heck many times in games where there is a cg movie that loads up in an mmorpg your raiding guild won't even let you watch it as they want to run on and kill trash or whatever so loading that movie faster isn't going to matter when you have to push on quickly to actually game.  Now yes in single player games you don't have anyone pushing you to move on quickly but the thing is often for cg movies I have never seen long load times where I had time to go make a sammich or go to the bathroom because the load time is so slow on a hard drive.  SSDs plain and simple are overrated for gamers.  Don't let anyone push you into getting one.  If you feel you are fine with hard drive and love just adding large capacity hard drives for cheap keep doing that.  I love my Seagate 3 TB 7200 RPM drives ... $109 or so.

[dobby240240]

ok so by the looks of it i can save alot more money by just having the stock cooler.

My friend is very good with computers and he has been helping me but i think iv taken too much inspiration from his rig because it looks expensive as hell. 

im trying to teach myself how to do all this with a few pointers from him and you guys now. 

 

it doesnt seem like theres a massive difference in price between 4690's and thier K version. im thinking it would be a good idea to have a 4690k incase in the future i do want to OC.

of course thats not going to be in the first couple years maybe but i can always add to the system right? 

[Megazero]

ok so by the looks of it i can save alot more money by just having the stock cooler.

My friend is very good with computers and he has been helping me but i think iv taken too much inspiration from his rig because it looks expensive as hell. 

im trying to teach myself how to do all this with a few pointers from him and you guys now. 

 

it doesnt seem like theres a massive difference in price between 4690's and thier K version. im thinking it would be a good idea to have a 4690k incase in the future i do want to OC.

of course thats not going to be in the first couple years maybe but i can always add to the system right?

Yup :3 The different between the K and non-K is about 5-10USD, but give you the option to OC if you ever want to so go for it.

@DeViLzzz Totally agree~ I have been telling people this for way too long... But even so I still think a 120GB SSD for the OS only is needed I have one in my rig and granted that it's not a good SSD compare to other SSD, it do speed up the system as a whole alot. I love it

[dobby240240]

If this is a gaming rig an SSD is hardly going to help.  I am glad you see the foolishness in people pushing SSDs on gamers.  Heck many times in games where there is a cg movie that loads up in an mmorpg your raiding guild won't even let you watch it as they want to run on and kill trash or whatever so loading that movie faster isn't going to matter when you have to push on quickly to actually game.  Now yes in single player games you don't have anyone pushing you to move on quickly but the thing is often for cg movies I have never seen long load times where I had time to go make a sammich or go to the bathroom because the load time is so slow on a hard drive.  SSDs plain and simple are overrated for gamers.  Don't let anyone push you into getting one.  If you feel you are fine with hard drive and love just adding large capacity hard drives for cheap keep doing that.  I love my Seagate 3 TB 7200 RPM drives ... $109 or so.

3tb is way more than gigantic for my needs 2 would be fine.

ok it seems i need to plan this a hell of alot more. iv got pages of paper next to me with notes from my friend helping and it seems like a lot of it is small pieces of technology that jst cost a butt load and dont seem to do very much for me. 

 

[dobby240240]

i would like a small ssd for startup but ill see how my budget is at the end of the build. 

 

seeing as iv already had my cpu decision changed to an i5 4690k. what about the motherboard i have chosen? i figured out that it needs to be an LGA1150 socket for it to be compatible. 

this is what i chose
http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/motherboards/intelsocket1150/z97chipset//ga-z97x-gaming3.html

Is that overkill or too little? i don't know how to decide. i have an idea but it's probably wrong

[Megazero]

i would like a small ssd for startup but ill see how my budget is at the end of the build. 

 

seeing as iv already had my cpu decision changed to an i5 4690k. what about the motherboard i have chosen? i figured out that it needs to be an LGA1150 socket for it to be compatible. 

this is what i chose

http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/motherboards/intelsocket1150/z97chipset//ga-z97x-gaming3.html

Is that overkill or too little? i don't know how to decide. i have an idea but it's probably wrong

The Gaming 3 is quite good. Mobo now aday is generally the same, so just look at the extra feature they added in the board, such as how many PCIx16 slot (for potential SLI/Crossfire of the GPU), Audio? Sata slot etc

[Rebelattack]

i would like a small ssd for startup but ill see how my budget is at the end of the build. 

 

seeing as iv already had my cpu decision changed to an i5 4690k. what about the motherboard i have chosen? i figured out that it needs to be an LGA1150 socket for it to be compatible. 

this is what i chose

http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/motherboards/intelsocket1150/z97chipset//ga-z97x-gaming3.html

Is that overkill or too little? i don't know how to decide. i have an idea but it's probably wrong

 

MX100 128 Gb go for around 70 euro which is like cheap compared to other parts, most people use it for OS or games where they don't want long loading times. OS is nice but if you don't mind to wait a few seconds longer then don't and if you play mostly single player games it isn't much of a hassle either. 

[Rebelattack]

The Gaming 3 is quite good. Mobo now aday is generally the same, so just look at the extra feature they added in the board, such as how many PCIx16 slot (for potential SLI/Crossfire of the GPU), Audio? Sata slot etc

 

It doesn't let him do SLI on that board if I am correct? Also the difference in prices is mostly gimmicks on the boards like PCI-e slots, USB ports etc. so depends what you really want.