[pbM]

id like to build a new comp tht im currently saving for within the next couple months..

i understand tht new better hardware will b released by the time i get this computer but to be honest anything i would buy today would most likely b overkill anyways so the next couple of months to me really just mean price reductions on the parts tht i want today

i mainly play cs1.6, cs:s, and warcraft3/dota, WoW - lookin to play BF2 and quake4

all i really understand about computers is clicking icons and playin games =D so im at a total loss rt now

this is going to be built from scratch with a ballpark of $1500 spent

and this is scratch so any references to towers, fans(and the amount and placement of them), mobos, gfxcards, HDs, processors, RAM - pretty much everything

i dont need TOP of the line stuff - maybe a step down to save some money but i do want a good computer tht can run the later games smoothly

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Tower - no clue, any reviews of knowledge of a good value/reliable tower would b appreciated - a window with a light would b nice =]

Motherboard - again, no clue

Processor - being a novice at this i have the typical Pentium preference but of course im willing to go AMD - just need some1 to point some fingers

Harddrive - i believe western digital is a decent brand right? something in the area of 200gb would b nice, some help on if 8mb cache is all i need? rpm.. ata.. i dont understand wut these refer to exactly and some help picking out a good harddrive would b nice =D

RAM - im thinkin corsair because from wut ive read they are very reliable and not too expensive - 2gb would b nice but again im not sure if i need it or not -- CMX1024-3200C2PT Corsair XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series Low Latency 184 Pin 1024MB DDR PC-3200 - $122 -- is tht RAM good for tht price?

GFX - im willing to spend a bit on the gfx card so im considerin the gforce 7800 GT pci express (i favor nvidia cuz im a noob at this =])

fans - how many fans will i need? where to place them? wut brand etc? around how much do they cost?

powersupply - 450W good enuff? etc...

sound card - not too concerned with this as my headset has a soundcard in it but a nice one would b great

good dvdburner/dvd drive

maybe a good set of speakers

do i need an ethernet card of some sort?

windows xp

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im not sure if i left anything out - i am a noob at this afterall =D

if anyone knows a good barebones with a proc/mobo/powersupply/fans maybe thts b great but im willing to peice it together

basically i just need help designin a complete computer tht is totally compatiable with itself and LANn

so if anyone out there enjoys plannin/designin comps id love u =D and if u happen to enjoy doing tht then leaving a relative pricetotal would b lovely =D

any help at all would b appreciated - even pointn out a certain brand for a certain peice or droppin a link or tell me how much certain parts generally cost , ur favorite in wut area etc - anything helps me a lot

im also seeing this as a learnin experience as to wut brands are good etc learnin the benefit of certain technologies - agp etc

thanks <3

Edited by pbM, 07 January 2006 - 09:43 PM.

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Before you start, be wary: if your experience doesn't stretch beyond clicking icons you may want to do a little reading before getting yourself into this.

PC World has some articles on building computers which you should probably read before starting.

Go to wikipedia and read up on the basics of the components. Also, visit some of the other posts in this forum from people building computers or asking about hardware and read the reposts.

There are also pinned articles at the top of all geekstogo forums that explain fundamentals- check out the ones in hardware and computer building forums.

Otherwise, you're going into this blind, and will be in some trouble when all your components show up in the mail.

Some tips: If you plan to game, mostly, then you'll want a high end CPU, probably with a dual core, at least with 64-bit technology. Right now, AMD leads the field in this area.

as far as motherboards: Motherboards differ in what they can hold, and how many slots they've got. For example, you want a motherboard that has at least 4 slots for USB, preferably more, for your mouse, keyboard, printer, and peripherals. Other things to look for: how much RAM can it hold? How many PCIe expansion slots are there? What kind of CPU can it carry? (There are CPUs with different pin amounts. 939 is the most recent, and therefore more compatible for the future.) Study mobos on Newegg to see what the components of a mobo are, and then google them to find out what they do and why you'd need more or less of them.

Basically, do the research. If we gave you a computer, ready made, it wouldn't help you much, because you wouldn't know what you were getting. Computer building is a process of personalization, so make it yours.

[howlleo]

Before you start, be wary: if your experience doesn't stretch beyond clicking icons you may want to do a little reading before getting yourself into this.

PC World has some articles on building computers which you should probably read before starting.

Go to wikipedia and read up on the basics of the components. Also, visit some of the other posts in this forum from people building computers or asking about hardware and read the reposts.

There are also pinned articles at the top of all geekstogo forums that explain fundamentals- check out the ones in hardware and computer building forums.

Otherwise, you're going into this blind, and will be in some trouble when all your components show up in the mail.

Some tips: If you plan to game, mostly, then you'll want a high end CPU, probably with a dual core, at least with 64-bit technology. Right now, AMD leads the field in this area.

as far as motherboards: Motherboards differ in what they can hold, and how many slots they've got. For example, you want a motherboard that has at least 4 slots for USB, preferably more, for your mouse, keyboard, printer, and peripherals. Other things to look for: how much RAM can it hold? How many PCIe expansion slots are there? What kind of CPU can it carry? (There are CPUs with different pin amounts. 939 is the most recent, and therefore more compatible for the future.) Study mobos on Newegg to see what the components of a mobo are, and then google them to find out what they do and why you'd need more or less of them.

Basically, do the research. If we gave you a computer, ready made, it wouldn't help you much, because you wouldn't know what you were getting. Computer building is a process of personalization, so make it yours.

[pbM]

thx man ill look into tht stuff =D

any more brand recommendations anyone so i can narrow my field of research possibly?