build my own computer

chris28sc

unfortunately i have no idea where to start. i usually buy from dell, but am now looking into building my own pc. where should i start looking? someone recommended that i try aria.co.uk. however, what sort of components should i be looking at? i'm looking for a top of the range pc that will not require upgrading for a several years and will be used for gaming and photo/video editing.

what cpu should i be looking at? intel P4 or AMD?

i have no idea what difference there is between different motherboards. is this an important part?

thanks in advance

z3phyr04

OK the basic components you're gonna need are:

A case (with a good PSU)
A motherboard (designed for your processor type)
A Processor
A Graphics Card
Possibly a sound card (but mobo may have in built sound)
Hard Drive (something over 150GB for what you may want)
Cabling, PSU etc.
Monitor
Speakers
Keyboard, Mouse etc.
Operating System (Windows XP etc.)

Now this may sound very worrying but don't let it worry you. Thats what puts most people off - the amount of parts and the building. But don't let it. The parts are cheap enough for quality bits and if you really want a top-end machine this is something like what you would be looking at:

Case (ATX) with 500wPSU
Asus or MSI 64 motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (because its the new Socket 929 version and will work with 64 bit windows)
GeForce 6800GT Graphics Card
(maybe a) Creative Audigy 2 ZS sound card
200gb Serial ATA HDD (Seagate Barracuda)
Cabling, 500W PSU (unless pre-fitted with case)
5.1 speakers
Wireless Keyboard and Mouse
17" TFT monitor with DVI (for graphics card)
Windows XP Pro

Again - don't worry.
I found a very handy site based in the UK that can help you out here with forums and a step by step build. Check it out. It looks very useful.

http://www.buildyourown.org.uk

Good luck!

m00nie

memory
cd/dvd writer

robowen

copy of windows xp home.

be cheaper having it made me thinks !!

z3phyr04

memory
cd/dvd writer

i knew there was something missing from that :-[

chris28sc

thanks for the help guys. i've just found the following website, https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk

they seem to be quite good, but has anyone had any experience with them?

-TangleFoot-

I've never had any experience with made-to-order specialists myself, since I have always been of the opinion that sourcing components individually would work out cheaper - for top-of-the-range at least.

Built my own pc with parts obtained from https://www.tekheads.co.uk. They may not have been the cheapest in hindsight, but I was very pleased with their speed of delivery and customer care.
If the bewildering array of components is an issue, you might consider a small-form-factor system such as a Shuttle barebones package: they're of very high build quality, and already include some of the basic components (case, power supply and mainboard - usually with on-board sound).

As others have already said, for the power-hungry and price-concious user, modern AMD processors are a good bet. If you're not too bothered with processor upgradeability, and are looking for a bargain, the slightly older socket 754 version of the AMD Athlon64 is a very good buy at the moment. An excellent Shuttle system to put it in would be the SN85G4 (look-see https://www.shuttle.com for details on that and others). I got one of those myself.

As for other components and operating system software, a great way to save money on those is to get OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts - they usually come in plain cardboard boxes without documentation, but that is seldom a problem. All the instructions and the like are usually posted on the manufacturers' websites anyway.

Hope this helps.

spiro

Dont know if you built it yert but 2 pointers, at PC World yesterday they had a book by Haynes called something like build your own PC (in the same sytle as the old car manuals) and 2 look for a computer fair in your area (everything under one roof and loads of choice).

mcerazer

What type of Pc can i bulid for £150 buying componets off the internet ?

I will be using the computer for
programming
internet
Uni Work
Copying stuff
Designing Graphics i know you don't need a Big Graphics card.
Watching Videos

Is the dell offer enough for me or it wouldn't be enough for my needs thanks ! please reply quickly .