Building a Computer

[CIVPhilzilla]

Hello, fellow CFCers. Right now I am running on a 4 year old computer and considering upgrading. I was thinking about buying a complete system off a computer site, but I have already upgraded some parts of my computer and don't need a lot of the extra crap that is always loaded on it. My question to you is how difficult is it to construct a computer if I were to build it from scratch. I am able to easily upgrade parts of the comptuer and am fairly computer literate. My bigger concern is buying seperate parts and worrying about compatability issues. Thanks in advance for your responses.

BTW - Newegg.com seems to be pretty cheap, are they one of the cheapest or are there other sites that are better?

 

[Jeratain]

BTW - Newegg.com seems to be pretty cheap, are they one of the cheapest or are there other sites that are better?

Building a system is always a wonderful option - and usually the most economical. However, building your own system can also lead to certain snags if you mix and match the wrong hardware / software. For that reason, you will want to verify that everything you purchase works in conjuction with everything else. You say you are computer literate, so I will spare you the squabble - but I should warn you to check to see what type of RAM your motherboard supports before purchasing the RAM itself - many people make that mistake.

Also, one of the most underrated parts of a machine is the system's power supply. If you plan on re-using your old PSU in your new system, that might not be the best choice - especially considering that most processors and video cards (along with various other parts) drain away power like no other. I would suggest an Antec PSU - and no less than 350 W.

There's a lot more I'd like to offer as far as advice goes, but you say that you know what you're going to be doing.

Definitely use Newegg.com - they have the best support; use FedEX for shipping (and usually ship in 2 days); have a decent return/exchange setup if necessary; have the cheapest overall prices; and are just damn convenient. If you want to see if you can find anywhere cheaper, check out www.pricewatch.com - but be wary: some of the retailers linked to pricewatch aren't the most reliable.

Good luck on your future system!

 

[CIVPhilzilla]

Thank you for the help.

 

[MarineCorps]

Newegg is my favorite. I have been surfing around the web looking for other sites to buy from (Newegg requires I confirm my adress when paying with paypal, and I don't have a credit card yet) and have found plenty. But none of the prices have matched with newegg.