This is my very first blog ever. I wanted to share my experience of custom build PC, which wasn't just cheaper than equivalent specification PC available on market, but also more future proof. Before I get into deep discussion about custom build PC guide I want to state that you don't need to be a computer genius, nerd, computer engineer or hold any computer degree to be able to build a custom PC. All you need is dedication and passion to build a PC rig. In this blog I will briefly share my experience step by step building a gaming PC within a reasonable budget.
Overview
Before I go through step by step process it is vital to understand the components used to build a computer. Generally, a typical home PC is comprised of Processor (also known as CPU), Motherboard, Graphics(video) card, RAM(memory), HDD(Hard Disk), PSU (power supply), Case, CD/DVD drive and optional components such as sound card, cooling fans etc. Don't panic if your not familiar with some of them as this guide will go though each one of them.When your building a PC then your essentially assembling all the components together, which in reality is straightforward. And there a few trial and error steps involved as well. Now, I'll go through few basis steps in which I'll shed some light into the understanding and selection of right components.
Step 1: Budget
Probably the most important step in my opinion. Before you even think of buying any components you need to know the approx. budget. Once it is established the next very important step is to do a thorough research in obtaining the desired components from various websites.
and more well know such as amazon and ebay. I would personally recommend ebuyer but they are not always the cheapest. So, do some goggling before deciding where to buy.
Step 2: CPU(processor) & Motherboard
These two components are the vital parts of any PC. Notice that they have been out together as they are independent of each other. Which means depending the type of CPU selected you would have to choose the compatible motherboard.
There are two big CPU manufacturers namely Intel and AMD. Both are big players in CPU market. You need to choose them carefully as once selected then you cannot change the manufactures for upgrades as the motherboard use different sockets. Intel processors are relatively better than AMD but they are also more expensive. If you are building a PC for moderate gaming and mainly going to use it for more general use such as watching HD movies and browsing and if you are on a tight budget then I would recommend AMD. Otherwise, Intel are clearly better, well at least in my scenario as I'll be using it for mainly games and 3d applications.
Try to choose Intel sandy bridge series CPU as they are more reliable and it can easily be over clocked easily without getting too hot. I went for Intel i7 2600k as it is a powerful CPU at a reasonable cost. If it is far fetched from your budget then go for more popular i5 2500k CPU as it delivers decent performance at a good price around £150.
Motherboard is also very important part of PC. Choosing the right MB would enable much better stability and more options for upgrades in future without having to buy a new MB. if your deciding to use Intel Sandy Bridge CPU then you would have to choose a MB with a socket 1155. There a lots of MB manufacturers such as Asus, Gigabyte, Astrock, Intel, Zotac and Biostar etc. I would personally recommend an Asus MB due to it's stability and OC (over clocking) features but that's not to say that others are not good. It also comes down to personal preference, budget,design and more importantly customer service.
For my PC build I decided to use Asus Maximus Extreme iv Z68 and Intel i-2600k CPU. Combination of these two would enable great overclocking potential without compromising system stability.
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| Asus Maximus extreme-iv z68 |
The CPU selected for this build is Intel i-2600k
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| Intel i-2600k cpu @ 3.4Ghz |
Step 3: choosing Case, HDD and Memory
It is very important to choose the right case for cooling and space. But design preferences also come into play. It is important to invest money into good case. I decided to choose Cooler master HAF full gaming case. This case provides excellent cooling, good cable management options and it also gives military mesh look with LED lights. Try to get screw-less case, which means one can simply insert HDD/Cd drive without having to use screws!. Save time and effort. This case plenty of bays for storage so don't need to worry.
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| Plenty of screw-less expansion bays |
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| Cooler-master HAF |
Hard disk also effects the system speed since all the data is stored there. I recommend choosing a solid state disk for the operating system installation. Since, they are expensive, you could also add a standard sata HDD for extra storage.
Also invest good amount into top memory (RAM). At least 8GB ddr3 with heat sink.This would not only improve system performance but also gives more OC potential.
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| coolermaster HAF front view |
Styep 4: GPU (graphics card) and PSU(power supply)
GPU is the single most important component that improves the gaming and 3d application performance than any other component. There are only 2 major competitors in this market, Nvidia and AMD( ATI). These two are pretty much evenly matched. They have dozens of GPU models raging from £30 to £500. If you can want medium to high performance then I suggest at least spending around £150. But more is always better. I decided to go for AMD Radoen 6870 1 GB ddr3 GPU which around mid range GPU. It is a good starting point as you could always add a 2nd gpu in crossfire (multi-gpu) if need be.
PSU is the power supply needed to run your components in PC. I recommend minimum of alt east 700W PSU, preferably a good brand to ensure stability such a corsair, coolermsater and OCZ etc. I invested into coolermaster 700w which is modular so it is easy to install and looks much tidier.
Final step:- Installation of components and operating system
Once you have all the components ready then install CPU in to the MB.
It is also advisable to choose a good CPU cooler as it provides sufficient cooling. I used Artic Freezer pro, which is cheap, better than stock cooler and compatible for all major motherboard sockets.
Nest step is to install PSU in empty case as shown below.
Then install the motherboard into the case alongside graphics card and HDD. Also connect the case wires such as power button, reset, HDD led etc to MB.
Finally, some cable management. Try to route cable from the back panel of the case to hide all the undesirable mess to make it look much tidier and also to improve cooling efficiency
Final touches
Ladies and gentleman the PC is completed. I overclocked the CPU for better performance. I would explain more about that in the later blogs.
This MB gives auto overclock option in bios as well as in Windows. I auto selected the extreme options and it OC from 3.4 Ghz to 4.8 Ghz in one step! Amazing performance boost.
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| Some great auto OC options in the asus motherboard. |
As it is my very first blog I am pretty sure there are many aspects I haven't covered properly as it is a basic guide to custom build PC and also sharing my experience in building gaming PC.
3D game performance:
Since, It is primarily build for games and I wanted to make sure I could run all the latest games such as crysis 2, Skyrim, Dirt 3, starcraft 2 and Battlefield 3 and Modern warfare 3 etc . I was really amazed by the performance. Running all the games mentioned above in 1080p with high settings was a dlight, I was getting more than playable framerates. Since, Building my rig, I have now added 2nd GPU Radeon 6870 in crossfire(xfire) configuration and the performance has now almost doubled in games, which I would discuss later in more details.
Custom Build PC Worth it?
This PC cost me around £1000. In my honest opinion, it is worth building yourself. Similar equivalent PC in market would cost around £1400. Even if can manage to buy similar spec PC around the same price it wouldn't guarantee the future proof upgrades. The cost of this PC also includes dual 6870 hd graphics card. Although I have only shown single GPU AMD 6870 hd . I will talk more about crossfire 6870 radeon HD later on, which is on par with performance to AMD newest flagship 7970 3GB graphics card, which costs around £400+ . So, It is no brainer to custom build or upgrade your PC to save money and get even better performance than branded PC!
Please note that If there are any questions regarding anything PC build then feel free to ask me. I would try my best to elaborate my experience and knowledge of PC to you guys.
Note:- I would post game framerate results with single and dual gpu (crossfire) amd 6870 later on.
Thanks
