Experienced builders, how do YOU start your PC builds?

[MoominPie64]

Hello all enthusiasts. If you know you need (or just want) a fresh rig, where do you begin?

Discussion arose between me and a friend last night.
Do you start with a specific product in mind? Do you see a great deal that goes with existing parts? Or do you simply start browsing the options on supplier/builder sites and see where the night takes you?

Personally I begin with the space/area I know the PC will go in. But, let me know your process, no wrong answers! :)

[wANKER]

Budget 

[Fasauceome]

3 minutes ago, MoominPie64 said:

Do you see a great deal that goes with existing parts?

Ideally yes, that's basically how I got almost every PC build started before my current rig, and even then the only real "bad deal" I got was my GPU. I'm very frugal so generally I want to spend as little as possible to get as much performance as possible, most often settling on the higher spectrum of mid range components (GTX 770, GTX 970, GTX 1070, etc.). I make my budget very flexible and strongly base it around what's available to me, not just online but locally 

 

3 minutes ago, MoominPie64 said:

Or do you simply start browsing the options on supplier/builder sites and see where the night takes you?

That's the more fun way to do it but usually it results in a fantasy build

[Stormseeker9]

@MoominPie64

 

I first look at what the needs are for the computer to be built, plus what the budget is. Based on those two facts I pick components for the build.

[minibois]

4 minutes ago, MoominPie64 said:

Do you start with a specific product in mind?

Actually, yes and no.

I have only ever gotten/built one PC for myself

 

What I mean, I start with my use-case in mind. Then I think of what I need to get to satisfy that use-case, which usually means I look at main part(s) for good options.

My PC was built in the Summer of 2017, when Ryzen was relatively new. At that time, I was not happy with my previous PC (because it was a low-end PC from 2011) and I had some specific use-cases in mind.

I started planning my build before Ryzen came out, but had already decided I was going for the cheapest 8 core in the lineup. That ended up being the Ryzen 7 1700. Then I needed to get a videocard, which decided on the RX 580 because of its excellent price/performance at 1080p (my plan at the time). Unfortunately videocard mining happened, meaning the videocard became harder to get and more expensive, but it still held its own for over 2 years!

Then I wanted to play games at 4K and do more compute tasks, meaning I needed a stronger videocard. The 2070 Super then became the best option.

 

 Proof I was planning a Ryzen build before it (and the AM4 boards) were out:

 

Had to improvise on PCPartPicker :^)

[Homelessscootalo]

Start with the purpose of the build and make the budget around that.

 

For instance a NAS build was obviously focus on the storage quality and PSU stability while a build for Rendering will have workstation components.

[merco]

I watch a bunch of youtube videos first and look for a good price next. If I think something is a good deal I buy it. 

[MoominPie64]

9 minutes ago, VegetableStu said:

• one within my budget
• another that's about 150% the budget

I've done this every time! I guess its subconscience. The baseline parts, then the possible upgrades, then the justification of some of them

[VersuS]

I'd start with targets...
Budget
Resolution & Frame rate
Form for intended use
Upgrade path

[Donut417]

52 minutes ago, MoominPie64 said:

Hello all enthusiasts. If you know you need (or just want) a fresh rig, where do you begin?

Discussion arose between me and a friend last night.
Do you start with a specific product in mind? Do you see a great deal that goes with existing parts? Or do you simply start browsing the options on supplier/builder sites and see where the night takes you?

Personally I begin with the space/area I know the PC will go in. But, let me know your process, no wrong answers!

First figure out what your trying to accomplish. Is it for gaming? General use? Server duties? Once I have that in mind I kinda work out things in my head a bit. Concerning size and think about what hardware I have on hand that might work well with the new build. 

 

Next I run over to PCparts picker. I generally buy from Amazon or Newegg so I have that set as prefrences on that site. One of the first things I like to do is pick a case. Because I need to know what limitations Im going to have. Then Ill do a bit of research based on what I need the machine to do. Come up with a max budget and a time frame. After that I play with builds on PCparts Picker until im satified with what I have. 

[Letgomyleghoe]

54 minutes ago, VegetableStu said:

or they're noctua fans

Yeah when you spend 125+ on Noctua industrials

[Spoiled_Kitten]

14 hours ago, MoominPie64 said:

Hello all enthusiasts. If you know you need (or just want) a fresh rig, where do you begin?

Discussion arose between me and a friend last night.
Do you start with a specific product in mind? Do you see a great deal that goes with existing parts? Or do you simply start browsing the options on supplier/builder sites and see where the night takes you?

Personally I begin with the space/area I know the PC will go in. But, let me know your process, no wrong answers!

I usually go budget, then what will the pc be used for.

[Pickles von Brine]

14 hours ago, VersuS said:

I'd start with targets...
Budget
Resolution & Frame rate
Form for intended use
Upgrade path

Pretty much what I do as well. 

[atxcyclist]

My first step is to consider what I want to gain from a build/upgrade: Does it make sense to do it yet. In the past (think late-90's and early 2000's), this was a more difficult prospect. Technology was changing so fast that even a higher-tier video card or processor was obsolete within a few months sometimes. Once 64-bit computing and multiple cores hit the scene this was less of a problem. 

 

Budget is always the next step though, because money doesn't grow on trees. A whole platform upgrade to gain a few percent here and there is foolish.

[Mihle]

Only doing my second one now, so not experienced, but:

 

I usually start with comparing GPU price to performance, and compare it to my current one. I look at how high in the tier of GPU I am willing to go as higher you go from mid range, the worse perf/price usually is.

 

When I have decided that, I look the same way at CPU but compare how much need it is together with the decided GPU is too.

 

Then I look at mobo/RAM/PSU the same way, want something good but not overspend on s tiny improvement or one not needed for other components.

Case is mostly looks and price

 

Then lastly it's the Storage based on need/want/price and then cooling.

 

Finnally I look at the price it ended up and see if I am not willing to pay that/willing to pay more and possibly try to adjust things up/down based on that.

Like, I do not set a budget before that step.

[Cavalry Canuck]

Going against the consensus here...

 

I start with how big of a case I want, then what I want to do with it, and finally I budget for that. If the budget is higher than the funding immediately available, then I wait and save until I can afford the components I am after, or I purchase lower grade components, but with a logical upgrade path. Deferred gratification and all that.

[Letgomyleghoe]

On 3/8/2020 at 9:43 AM, VegetableStu said:

soon, the LCP ones

(gotta say, the blades of the A12x25 feels like steel in terms of hardness, but has the temperature characteristics of plastic o_o)

Fans are so overpriced in general, I was Building a pc for my coworker who was at one point a competitive fortnight player, and for all the fun Corsair icue rgb shit, it cost like 250$ For the fans, controllers, and rgb

 

I just use Noctua industrials on all my builds, running 3000 rpm 24/7, still more quite than my girlfriends shit beater pc from 2010 with cooler master stock fans

[Guest]

Pick a CPU first. 

 

Everything else follows. Makes it easier.