Thinking about taking this on going to buy parts each week but don't know what bits fit together etc and what's better intel or amd I've noticed top amd processors with high clock speeds are alot cheaper than intel i7s but will they perform as well?

Want a high performance computer which is fairly future proof

Was hoping there was a site where say you pick your processor then it brings up all the parts that are compatible with that? Does such thing exist ?

Like this; https://pcpartpicker.com/

You might have more luck posting this in tech shed.

Moved to tech shed

Why do you want to build a PC, and what do you plan to use it for?

It's not necessarily cheaper than buying a ready made system from Dell or another supplier, especially including a legit OS. As an example I got an i7 with 12gb ram, 2tb hd, GTX660 graphics and W8 for not much more than 600 quid after cash back through quidco.

If you have very specific requirements you can sometimes save money but not for a general machine.

Where did you get that from? Well I did consider the zoostorm models on ebuyer and just chuck a downloaded copy of windows on it, partly just fancied building It myself lol

What are you using it for?

I've got a lowly i3 and I've not had any problems running anything including games. I think I'd find an SSD a better use of my money than a faster processor.

You could look at Motherboard bundles on Novatech ,or barebones systems on Aria . Eliminates the minefield of matching MB to CPU & MEMORY . Last but not least ,DON'T skimp on the PSU . Especially if you fit a decent power hungry graphics card .

Want an over the top system gets used for a bit of everything would like to max out games, Firefox is normally always open with about 40 tabs bit lord etc i probably don't need a high performance system just want one for future proofing I think.

What does a ssd do I have been hearing abit about these recently is it like a harddrive people use just for windows to run on?

Where did you get that from? Well I did consider the zoostorm models on ebuyer and just chuck a downloaded copy of windows on it, partly just fancied building It myself lol

It was a Dell xps8500. Nothing quite that good at the mo, but keep an eye on hot uk deals and dmxdimension.com

For games, there's no point paying for an i7. The i5 will be more than enough.

Have a read of http://www.rllmukforum.com/index.php?/topic/215554-the-pc-building-thread-see-op-for-component-and-build-suggestions/ for some good advice.

Edited 11 March, 201313 yr by Dr Zoidberg

when i did mine i found cpc farnell was quite competitive on prices and delivery was quick .... you will learn alot too i found it a great idea / technical exercise

I actually was very close to buying an xps8500 with some discount codes from hotukdeals a fortnight ago which made it very good value but they expired whilst I was pondering, are dells a good desktop have heard the support is excellent was abit disappointed can't alter the spec once youv picked your machine. Ie more ram and couldn't revert windows 8 back to 7.

I buy a lot of Dell pcs for work and have no problem with the build quality or support. The XPS is great.

Memory is a cheap and simple upgrade to DIY. Don't worry about buying it from Dell.

It doesn't take long to get used to W8 - don't be put off by it. There are plenty of ways to get a start menu back if you really need it.

For games the gfx card will be more important than the CPU. You might even want to look at some of the new AMD 8 core CPUs to see if you'll get more bang for your buck.

You'll probably want space for 2x gfx so you can bridge them.

The mobo you'll want to check it'll take 16Gb of ram or more, a lot of the cheaper ones stop at 8Gb.

Prob a 128/256Gb SSD as a boot drive with a Tb spinning disk for storage.

And a big expensive PSU.

You can spend months researching this stuff, meanwhile it all moves on.

Building you own wont usually be cheaper than buying one these days, BUT it makes it a lot easier to update or repair down the road.

As a newbie, your best bet is to find a PC Fair somewhere nearby, and go talk to some of the stall holders. Most of them will give free advice and many sell motherboard "bundles", containing all the basics, so just pick a case, psu and drives and make sure you have a philips screwdriver !!!

Buy a good case, solid rather than flashy, with plenty of room and drive bays; and a full sized motherboard with plenty of Pci slots; this early investment will pay you back for years as you upgrade and add extra storage, as well as making your build easy and cooler running.

Top i5 and i7 intels are better for ultimate power when it comes to hard core gaming, but AMD cpu's are pretty good as well, just not at the cutting edge; you have to decide if paying 2-3 times the price is worth an extra few frames per second, and slightly lower power consumption..... personally I go for the AMDs every time, but them I am not a big gamer.

DO some research on PSUs as they can be a minefield, the stated power ratings are often fictional on the cheaper supplies, especially the ones given away in cases, so buy one from a well reviewed maker, Corsair and Xilence are the makes I have currently fitted. Also, if fitting a high end gfx card, make sure the 12v lines can supply the needed current, some "high power" psu's CANNOT pump out the current needed, so dont just go by the recommended PSU power rating.

Basic awareness of anti static precautions is a good idea, but buying an anti static armband isnt really needed if you work carefully.

My advice, surprisingly enough, will contradict some of that.

Don't bother with a PC fair. There's very little saving compared to an online retailer since the VAT people caught up with them 10 years ago. You won't get impartial advice - they will just recommend what they need to shift that week and the warranty will often be totally useless. If you really know your stuff you might be able to save a bit of money but it's easy to end up with a very poor deal.

If you do a DIY build I agree about a good quality case and PSU - that's money well spent.

Current generation AMD CPUs are very poor - at the moment Intel is where the sensible money goes. An i5 is the best value for money as most games can't take advantage of the extra virtual cores you get on an i7, though the next generation of gaming engines will change that.

The graphics card is the key to good gaming performance. Expect to have to replace that every couple of years to keep up but a decent CPU will last you quite a bit longer.

I built my own about a year ago and I was at first a noob aswell but its all pretty much like Lego really put the right parts in the right places and you won't have a problem.

I got all my parts from

www.microdirect.com

Also look at the fx 8350 8core CPU

Hotukdeals had some good pc and laptop deals recently that were cheaper than you could build similar yourself.

I build both Intel and AMD systems and can honestly say that there is little difference between Intel and AMD processors these days. In the main it is much more a personal choice now, BUT, to some extend may depend again on what you want to do. for example, some high end Intel processors will run games just a tad faster than some high end AMD's, but there is not very much in it and most of us just won't notice the difference. I've benchmarked many over the last year and the results are surprising when the processors are being used in real life situations and high end games. In the mid to lower range processors, AMD is as good as any and can be faster and cooler than their Intel counterparts and can be much better than Intel at playing most games. Reliability is the same for both brands, good! But the main advantage of AMD is a serious price advantage that can save you pounds and pounds. If you choose the right motherboard you can get most high end AMD processors to match or come very close to high end Intel's without overclocking. I agree with just about everything else that is being said. A good high end gaming machine won't normally set you back more than about £500 using all new parts. I normally use the best of components too. Good luck with your build and take your time choosing your bits. Make sure your powersupply doesn't get stressed, so buy a good one, and one that's got plenty of Watts. I use OCZ (one of many good brands) and I've never had a duff one and last year I bought exactly 25 of the little darlings of all wattage ratings. There are plenty of sites that let you check your power consumption for the parts you are going to use. Like this one below...good luck!

http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

I build both Intel and AMD systems and can honestly say that there is little difference between Intel and AMD processors these days. In the main it is much more a personal choice now, BUT, to some extend may depend again on what you want to do. for example, some high end Intel processors will run games just a tad faster than some high end AMD's, but there is not very much in it and most of us just won't notice the difference. I've benchmarked many over the last year and the results are surprising when the processors are being used in real life situations and high end games. In the mid to lower range processors, AMD is as good as any and can be faster and cooler than their Intel counterparts and can be much better than Intel at playing most games.

I strongly, strongly disagree. It's far more complex to just say Intel/AMD is better.

However IMHO for home use, if money is no object I recommend Intel's products. Whereas if you tight on money and want some "game rig" go for AMD's APU units - they heve brilliant value for money.

Hi, you have made a great choice into building your own pc, i made the very same decision years ago and I have built a few since.

I can only offer my advice so here goes.

If your looking to future proof, you will need to spend on some top end parts, have a look at some name brand power supply units, you cant go wrong with Corsair, Seasonic, Enermax. You also wont need more than 750 watts, more watts doesnt mean 'better' look for amps on the 12V rails when looking up specs and compare to what your graphics card minimal power draw requires.

Motherboards are a bit more tricky but pick a 'socket', the newer sockets from intel are socket 1155, go for the current chipset and get a Z77 like this I have this very board and its very capable, I have my Intel i5 3570K overclocked to 4.5Ghz, which is the next part I will suggest you get, look for K series intel processors, they are overclockable and so future proof.

Graphics cards, dont listen to people telling you you need space for 2 so you can bridge them, better known as xfire or sli. spend some decent money on one, as opposed to similar money on 2 which are maybe a little faster, but with 2 cards your desktop pc will turn into a furnace, and sound like a jet taking off. You also need to spend more money on a bigger power supply and probably a bigger case. Stick with one, I have an Asus HD 7970 and it plays all the current games with high graphics settings at over 60 fps, really you only need 30 fps to look fluid but the closer to your monitor refresh rate the smoother it all looks.

For the above rig you looking at spending around £1000, maybe more depending on peripherials, monitors, printer etc but certainly no less than a grand to get a decent rig

I have only had bad advice from one stall holder, and since it is a tight-knit community, word gets around and he lost so much business I havent seen him at a fair in over 2 years.

I have had only 2 problems requiring warranty with fair bought kit, both were dealt with promptly by returning the gear directly to the stall holders shop and replacement kit sent out; if you have a problem you talk to the fair organisers and they should deal with it, banning a stall holder/company if they are not following good practice.

I also had one compatibility problem with some RAM, the stall holder tested it out on his rig, agreed there was a problem and swapped it for a different brand on the spot (and on the same day I bought it).

Yes, online is cheaper, but you wont get the advice from the retailer on what is compatible, and if the gear is good, but not compatible with the rig you are building, you will often get charged a "restock" fee of some description, or have to pay a premium postal charge to return it (send it standard post and some will clam it arrived damaged/ never arrived, and not refund you).

For the above rig you looking at spending around £1000, maybe more depending on peripherials, monitors, printer etc but certainly no less than a grand to get a decent rig

I built an i5 3570K rig with a GTX660, 8GB RAM, Z77, SSD + 1TB HD and an OCZ PSU for around 600 a couple months back. Runs most things I throw at it with high settings. Unless you're really kicking a top end gfx card I don't think you'd need to touch anywhere near 1 grand for a decent rig. Unless you're including a nice 22+ inch LCD in that or going for super-mega-ultra settings on Crysis 3 or something crazy.