I have no idea what I am doing

[gvtylerp]

Hi! 
So I have no idea what I am doing (sorta) - I have been wanting to build a gaming PC for awhile now and I am finally going to do it!

I just need a little help. 

 

Budget - $2,000 US but there is room to work with

I would like to be able to use 2 monitors 

Is wifi an option on a PC? 

I am not sure what other comments or questions I should ask/add soo yeah.

 

Thanks to anyone who can help me with this process! 

[emosun]

have you ever built or repaired a computer before? becuase if not then i'd suggest practicing on a free computer before spending 2,000$.

[gvtylerp]

I have not - I have watched many of Linus's youtube videos and it doesn't seem that hard, but what do I know?

[jiyeon]

7 minutes ago, gvtylerp said:

Is wifi an option on a PC? 

You can either get a motherboard with dedicated onboard Wi-Fi or get a PCIe Wi-Fi card, either option is good.

[emosun]

3 minutes ago, gvtylerp said:

I have watched many of Linus's youtube videos and it doesn't seem that hard, but what do I know?

exactly

one issue with this theory that LTT has that "anyone can build a pc!" is that.... no , not anyone can build a pc.

the idea that anyone can slam a pc together after watching a handful of video is really problematic. you basically has tons of inexperienced people spending thousands of dollars and trying to assemble a machine with only basic knowledge of pc assembly and absolutely no knowledge of diagnostics for when it's not working. 

All i'll say is this....... practice on a cheap or free computer first. make lots of mistakes on the free computer , no problem if you screw up a free computer. THEN spend 2000$

[gvtylerp]

So how would I get a cheap or free computer? And what exactly would I practice on it?

[emosun]

Just now, gvtylerp said:

So how would I get a cheap or free computer? And what exactly would I practice on it?

craigslist cheapo computer , friends/family with old computers sitting in closets , computer shops with pc's in back that they're going to recycle , schools/librarys throwing out or selling old machines.

as for practice , take the whole machine apart , then reassemble it and install a new OS , install drivers , whatever needs to be done.

normally i wouldn't give this advice , but if you've never even done it once then practice on something free first. 

[gvtylerp]

I appreciate the advice - I guess I don't understand what could be so hard about building the computer, once you have the right parts etc. 

Obviously I am inexperienced, I guess I'm a little bummed because I have been wanting to do this for so long lol

[KodiakWithAK]

22 minutes ago, gvtylerp said:

I appreciate the advice - I guess I don't understand what could be so hard about building the computer, once you have the right parts etc. 

Obviously I am inexperienced, I guess I'm a little bummed because I have been wanting to do this for so long lol

pst- don't listen to these guys

 

Anyone can build a computer- anyone who says elsewhere typically belongs in r/gatekeeping

 

I built my first computer completely off of a guide, and it works fine (or it did. my first build was a FX build with a GTX 480)

 

Use pcpartpicker to check part compatibility, a watch a very, VERY thorough guide with all elements of assembly included

 

If you need help with parts msg me!

[Lurick]

Watch build guides for multiple sources such as BitWit, Paul's Hardware, Gamers Nexus, JayzTwoCents, etc. as all have great content for first time builders.

If you see something that stands out as different between the two (or five even) write it down and ask to be sure. It's probably a different way to accomplish the same thing but don't be afraid to ask first. Don't just build one PC Part Picker list, make a dozen, narrow things down and watch benchmark videos and search up comparisons between the components. Post a few here and ask people to tear them apart until you get down to people basically changing parts just because they personally like 'Brand X' or 'Look Y' type of stuff and then go with it.

 

Edit:

While I think one of the above posters wasn't trying to gatekeep with their post, having practice isn't a bad thing either if you have the time and can get your hands on something easily, however if you've got a lot of solid steps to follow and have a good head on your shoulders (ie: problem solving skills) then you're mostly good to go.

 

Edit 2:

Forgot one thing. If you make a build list and ask people to critique it, please make them give you a solid reason as to why something needs to be changed. Question everything and then question it some more. Don't just stay quiet and say "Whelp XYZ123 user gave me a build and said mine sucked so I guess I'll pick that one" because XYZ123 might have no clue what they are doing either and just thought it "looked cool"

[Dryden]

Good luck!

I remember building my first computer with this massive CPU air cooler and installing that monster was the hardest part of the build for me. 

Consider AIO liquid coolers if you get a small size case.

[pcmr2066]

My 10 year old cousin physically built his own PC a few years back. I just helped him with the compatibility. You'll know the struggle when you get there. Each PC will have its own struggle during build. But not much to worry about as long as you know how to not make grave mistakes. It's meant to be built by the user, so anyone can do it per se. No expertise is needed. Just buy and build

 

Here's a mid level difficulty PC you can work with. Everything is thought about and well accounted for (such as having enough 2.0 header for NZXT products). You just have to buy and build.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor  ($347.00 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: NZXT - Kraken X62 Rev 2 98.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($141.39 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: Asus - ROG STRIX Z370-G GAMING (WI-FI AC) Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($184.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Team - T-Force Delta RGB 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($149.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Western Digital - Blue 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive  ($88.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($58.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: Asus - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB STRIX GAMING OC Video Card  ($794.98 @ Newegg) 
Case: NZXT - H400i MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($122.98 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G1+ 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($64.89 @ OutletPC) 
Case Fan: NZXT - Aer RGB120 (3-pack) 61.4 CFM  120mm Fans  ($62.89 @ SuperBiiz) 
Total: $2016.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-08-04 23:13 EDT-0400

[Fr8ty]

9 hours ago, emosun said:

have you ever built or repaired a computer before? becuase if not then i'd suggest practicing on a free computer before spending 2,000$.

I agree with your theory on this but he is not making a custom loop. I dont see much risk if he is over the age of 16. Just be smart I dont think you need practice i built my 1.5k pc in 30 mins with only one video.

[Fr8ty]

Think about it as an adult lego set

[Fr8ty]

If you need help along the way just ask people on forums the only issue i could see you having is trouble shooting or possibly a dead component.

[gvtylerp]

Wow! I just got back on here because I got my moms old computer - took it apart, and put it back together and everything seems to be working fine! Apart from about 20 years worth of dust lol. 

Would anyone be willing to work with me 1 on 1 to help me figure out exactly what I'll need for what I want to do?

 

Thanks again everyone!