So i need a new computer badly, my 5 year old Bestbuy craptop is just about done. i know nothing about what to get so google isn't helping since i don't know what any of it means. I'm mainly looking to get a gaming desktop for stracraft 2 and similar advance games so i'll want to be able to run the them at a high resolution. I'll also use it for normal usage, no photo editing, movie making, torrents downloading, or anything like that. I know building it would probably be the cheapest and best option so I'm willing to pay someone to build it for me or with me in car parts cash or whatever you want So if someone could list what i need would need, give me a link to a built computer that would have what i need or offer to meet/chat with me to build it that would be great

 

I could build one =P. I'm in the process of ordering my stuff from newegg.com very very soon.

 

I got the jist of learnin to overclock too... basically modding your car for free to make more power paying the same price =D. Of course there are risks involved, but as long as you dont overvoltage your pieces, you won't burn your CPU/memory/vid card.

 

Well i don't need anything crazy but i would like to get components that won't burn out easily or be outdated soon. But i will be starting from nothing since my laptop is more or less a big paperweight now that has the internet.

 

Depends on what you're willing to spend. Name the price and we can see the price of the Rig. Also include if you want it AMD or Intel, crossfire/sli (dual graphic cards), etc. There are vid cards out there that are 500 bux that will last a few years and play every game on max resolution @ 1980x1200.

Then there are mediocre rigs like mine, roughly 650-700 that will last a while. only thing I am hopin' to do is run D3 whenever that thing decides to pop out.

Then there is old school parts that should still run SCII pretty good. All depends on your wallet though.

One thing is for sure. If you're building, DO some overclocking. Free power =P. Kinda like tuning a car, just a different language and lots of testing.

 

I have an extra AMD Phenom II X6 1055T and some optical drives sitting around all unused. What do you want to accomplish with this computer?

 

How the hell do you have an X6 layin around! Those things are bought with purpose!

 

I have no idea what that is....but i just want to run high end games at their highest settings and resolution.

SC2 seems to require some advance stuff to run on its highest setting or close to it since 2560x1600 is the highest but is right below that 1980x1200. But I'm willing to spend whatever i need to, within reason to do that and a little more to make sure I won't have an outdated machine in a year or so. But i will also need to get a display and all that fun stuff as well.

And yes i know absolutely nothing about technology now a days other than the basics.

And i think D3 will be out this winter since SC2 will be out the end of July

 

a buddy of mine is selling his gaming desktop and its a beast. I think he wants too much for it.

If you want, Im sure he would build you one. He loves doing that ****.

 

actually, I talked to my buddy and he would love to do this for you.

$50 labor and you buy all the parts.

 

Building a computer is much easier than you think. But if you don't have the time or the desire to learn to build one, then you should take up the member's offer to help. All my computers and my brother's computers were built on our own and they've all lasted a long time. The last rig my brother built cost 500 dollars for the desktop itself, not including monitor, mouse, keyboard or speakers. The monitor will set you back another 100-200 depending on what you want. For 500 dollars, his desktop included:

Intel Core i5-750 processor + Gigabyte GA-P55 UD3R motherboard
OCZ 4 GB DDR3 PC3-10666 Ram
Radeon HD4850 1GB DDR3 video card
WD Caviar Black 640GB Hard Drive
CM Storm Scout Case
and a OCZ ModXStream 600W power supply.

If you want to save money, the best way to build a computer is go on slickdeals dot net, and scour the forums for good deals through the periods of up to 2 months, or depending on how long you can wait. Without slickdeals, his desktop would have cost $673.44. There are sometimes great deals on there. If you need a computer really soon, then best prices usually are Newegg, Fry's or Microcenter. Fry's sometimes has really good processor + motherboard combos, I will keep an out out on that. The website also lets you set alerts so you get emails anytime a keyword gets a hit. Anyways, here are the parts you will need, and this link, although do not give you the BEST prices since it's not updated very often, will give you an idea.

Also remember..right now ram's price compared to before is ridiculously high.

http://***************/forums/showth...uid=0&t=553826


*replace stars with slickdeals dot net

-CPU/Processor like the i5 or i7 or AMDs..though I don't know much about AMD
- Cooling - some processors come with the CPU heatsink fan and they usually suck, there are some aftermarket CPU fans for good price. Again, make sure CPU fan is compatible with the motherboard and processor. You will also need thermal paste for the CPU Fan heatsink and processor.
-Motherboard, make sure the processor is compatible with the motherboard. The motherboard is where you put all the parts on.
-RAM - 4GB is enough for most applications and games.
-Graphics/Video Card - I'm not sure what's good now but the HD4850 was the best bang for the buck a few months ago.
- Hard Drive - depending on your needs, 500gb-1TB would be good.
- Power Supply - there's a calculator on the link I sent you to see how much watts you'll need.
- Case - try to find a quiet one, cases last the longest in my opinion so if you ever want to upgrade your computer, you can use the same case. Cases with the audio/mic plugs in the front, usbs in the front, are always useful.
- OS - you'll need an operating system like Windows 7, Vista, XP or linux if you're into that. Those can cost quite a bit. If you're a student, there are sometimes discounts for it, check with your school.
- Monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers.
Again, check that link I posted, it has a lot of great info. People help each other on there like..which parts to get etc. Also look for deals on parts. Post any questions you have here so I can try to help or other people can answer.

Putting the parts together is probably much easier than you think. It's basically just screws and plugging in wires. If you've modded your car or have done an oil change, you'll have to skills to put a computer together. The tricky part is the thermal paste, but everything else is easy. You can google everything that I've said..like instructions, etc. Oh, and what's your budget? You do not want to get the best of the best...ever. Technology gets outdated so fast it's not worth it to get the top end of anything.

Also check http://forums.anandtech.com/
anandtech dot com

I just notice you are from way up north. I was hoping you lived around the south bay since Fry's and Microcenter are down there. They most definitely always have the best cpu/motherboard deals. If you know someone from down there that can buy stuff from there for you, that would be great.

 

cards definitely have gone up and for gaming you won't need i7 power, i5 will do it. As for the vid cards, that's where you'd want to go up higher. Nvidia is over priced, their Geforce line. Definitely want to stay Radeon. 5800 or if you want to really spend the dough for somethin that'll last a few years for the crazy FPS shooters, than the 59xx series.

Again, these video cards are no joke. They're 300-500 when you start getting on the high end. Also depending on what motherboard you end up getting, later on you might just need to double it up and run 2 graphic cards

 

Wut do you plan on doing with that sir? =)

 

Lots of good advice here! Like Boxer said, building your own rig isnt as hard as you think. I built my first computer last year without any previous experience. The website I used that has always had the best deals was

tigerdirect.com

check it out they usually have some banging sales.

 

PS i preordered SC2 and got a beta key. Game is everything i hoped for for the past 12 years!!