I'm basically a computer noob. I know more then the average person, but i'm not a tech wiz. From what i've gathered when looking for a gaming computer I should look at Ghz, RAM, processor cores, and the strength of the video card. I've been wanting to buy a really good gaming PC for a while now, and I think i've find one but i'm not sure. After reading a lot more into it though I started seeing things that made me unsure; "Wait L2 Cache is more important that Ghz? Intel Core 2 Duo is the way to go? Alienware is overrated?" Essentially after browsing this site I found myself with more questions than answers. So I made an account and decided to just ask, will these specs be ok (and by "ok" I mean very good) for a modern day gaming computer?

Processor Type - AMD Phenom II 1055T
Processor Speed - 2.80 GHz
Processor Cores - 6
RAM 8 GB - (4 x 2 GB) PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM (Expandable to 16 GB)
Hard Drive Capacity - 1.5 TB
Hard Drive Speed (Revolutions Per Minute) - 5400 RPM
Optical Drives - SuperMulti DVD Burner with LightScribe Technology
Graphics - AMD Radeon HD 6570
Pre-loaded Operating System - Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit)

Wow I wasn't aware this site offered the ability to build a computer from scratch, I thought it was just an open forum and source of information.

Well, i'm in Ottawa, Canada and my budget is about $1000-1200 (CDN of course). At the moment all I need is the computer itself, I have an ok monitor (but i'll let you be the judge, it's an eMachines E203HV, don't know if your familiar) and in the way of mouse and keyboard i'm fine for the moment.

Thanks for the quick reply mate

F1 2010



Bad Company 2


:wave:

Here's what I suggest:

CPU: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103851
Motherboard: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157198
Memory: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231311
PSU: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139019
Video Card: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102921
Hard Disk: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148433
Case: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119215

TOTAL - $844.43 (excluding shipping)

I'll have a stab at putting a system up for you...
Not knowing your shopping habits, I've included Newegg Canada and what seems to be a local Ottawa retail/etailer (PC Cyber)- note no shipping costs in the PC Cyber prices.

CPU: AMD Phenom II X6 1055T ($185 inc ship from newegg, $179.77 from PC Cyber)

Motherboard: Gigabyte 890FXA-UD5 ($203 inc ship fr. newegg, $191.77 from PC Cyber)
OR a lower specced Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4 ($133.77 from PC Cyber)
Memory (RAM): Corsair 4Gb (2x2Gb) DDR3-1600C8 ($65.48 fr. newegg) OR G.Skill 4Gb DDR3-1600C7 ($76.48 fr. newegg) OR Corsair 4Gb DDR3-1600C9 ($59.77 fr. PC Cyber)
You also have the opportunity to double up (8Gb total) for some degree of future proofing.
-All three kits are compatible with the motherboard. The first two kits would give you some overclocking headroom...if you plan on getting into that :slurp:
If that is the case then you might want to look at buying an aftermarket CPU cooler such as this Zalman CNPS10X Performa ($48.50 fr. newegg) or this Corsair A50 ($42.73 not inc.$US15 mail-in rebate, also from newegg)

Power supply: Corsair TX650W ($105 fr. newegg + $US20 mail-in rebate)
Harddrive: Western Digital Caviar Black 1Tb ($98.73 fr. newegg)
Graphics card: Sapphire HD6950 2Gb ($280 not inc. $US20 mail-in rebate fr. newegg)
OR...
XFX HD6870 OC 1Gb ($240 not including $US30 mail-in rebate fr. newegg)
EDIT: Or the HD6950 1Gb card that Ritwik suggested in the post immediately above this-also a good choice
(way to go Rit!)
DVD drive: Lite-On DVD/CD drive OEM ($18 from newegg)

Chassis...very subjective. Here are two very well regarded cases that may (or may not) be to your taste. They are excellent all-rounders (spec's/ease of use/features/cooling/price)
CoolerMaster HAF 932 ($120 inc shipping from newegg)
and it's smaller but still very capable brother
CoolerMaster HAF 922 ($99 inc shipping, also from newegg).

Operating System:Microsoft Windows 7 Home Ed. 64-bit OEM ($99.77 fr. PC Cyber)

So, a little mix and match -(CPU, Harddrive, DVD drive, HAF 922 case, Win7 OS,PSU standard)
HD6950 card + 4Gb RAM + 890FXA board = $1137.52+ $US40 rebate to collect
HD6950 card + 8Gb RAM + 790XTA board = $1145 + $US40 rebate to collect
HD6950 card + 4Gb RAM + 790XTA board = $1079.52 + $US40 rebate to collect

substitute the HD6970 OC card and the totals are :
HD6870 OC +4Gb RAM +890FXA board = $1085.52 + $US50 rebate to collect
HD6870 OC +8Gb RAM +790XTA board = $1105 + $US50 rebate to collect
HD6870 OC +4Gb RAM +790XTA board = $1039.52 + $US50 rebate to collect
And of course, variations on the theme (adding in $21 for the full size HAF 932 case and $43 -minus the $15 rebate- for the Corsair CPU cooler as example)

So in respone to Ritwik, if I purchase the case along with the 6 other parts you mentioned, I can piece them together to a somewhat easy degree? I've clearly never built a computer before, but that $844 price tag has piqued my interest.

Also before I go through with purchasing parts online, I was thinking to make sure that there's nothing at my local Future Shop that has what I need. I found another PC which is a quad-core but it has the RPM suggested.

Processor Type - AMD Phenom II Quad Core 955
Processor Speed - 3.2 GHz
Processor Cores - 4
RAM - 8 GB (4 x 2 GB) PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM (Exp. To 16 GB)
Hard Drive Capacity - 1 TB
Hard Drive Speed (Revolutions Per Minute) - 7200 RPM
Optical Drives - Super Multi LightScribe DVD Burner
Graphics - AMD Radeon HD 6570
Pre-loaded Operating System - Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit)

Hi Drek,
The (RPM) you are speaking of is just the standard rotational speed of HDD's , not a premier feature you should be considering in a gaming machine. The 6570 Graphics card listed in the OEM machine you have found is a very weak AMD 'Turks' card that took the place of the HD 5750. Its not a good gaming card by any standard. You don't have listed...(and they usually do not for a reason) the Power supply unit. 99% of the time pre-build machines come with a very low quality Power supply, and output wise will most likely not afford you any room to upgrade.

For the original PC I posted about though, the one that had only 5400 RPM, if I won't be dealing with disk-based games would that make that much of a difference over a 7200 RPM PC? Most of the games i'll get are on Steam or MMOs.

With HDD's The standard speeds are 5400,7200, and the much more expensive 10,000 RPM. The actual difference you will experience in performance will be in load times ( it can make a bit of a difference in FPS while loading between scenes at times) but for the most part the loading of the game will be a bit slower. Most HDD's these days are 7200 RPM. The bigger issue is weather the low end 6570 Graphic card will be enough to run the resolution and graphic detail you want....and of course the quality of the PSU. I build gaming systems for a living, trust me on this...a cheap low quality PSU is not what you want.

Ok I think I understand what you're trying to say. My main concern really is the ease of putting it all together. When I have the 6 parts that Ritwik recommended will they easily go in the case that he suggested or will it be a lot of hassle?

No hassle, that case is a good size mid-tower, you will have plenty of room to work with. Same goes for the system that DividebyZero listed as well.
If your nervous about assembling a PC for the first time, dont be. Just take your time, double check everything three times. The folks on here will be happy to assist if you run into an issue.
A couple of basic rules and good ideas to remember.

1) invest in an anti-static wrist band, or make sure you touch a metal part of the chassis frequently to discharge ant static prior to handling components. ( its a good idea to not assemble your machine on carpeting)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produc...BESTMATCH&Description=anti static wrist strap

2) don't forget, and read a tutorial on the proper application of Thermal compound.
The Heat-sink will come with a pre-applied 'thermal pad' and its junk. This is a good $10.00 investment
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produc...cm_re=thermal_compound-_-35-100-007-_-Product

@DrekSilver
If you need an operating system, remember to purchase it (if you are going with the cheaper OEM option) with the components. Many etail/retail outlets will only sell the OS if purchased with a core computer component (CPU,Motherboard,RAM, Harddrive).

I guess what I'm really trying to say is, how do I build my computer? xD I mean does the case come with the wires or something or what? Do I just place the parts into designated locations? I literally have no idea what to do as i've never had any experience with this sort of thing. Nothing at all. All I know at the moment is to buy those 7 parts, along with that thermal compound thing and an anti-static wrsitband. Also @dividebyzero, do you mean something like Windows 7 64-bit? Do I need to buy the disc for installing that as well?

Thanks for the help so far guys, sorry if i'm bombarding you with my noobiness.

There are a number of tutorials on the net to help you along, like this for example
http://www.buildacomputerguide.com/getting-started.html
Each component will come with a manual that will give you an illustrated view of how to install it. all the screws and cables you will need will come with the various components (the mother board will have most of them)

It's really not as intimidating as it seems the first time....I think thats exactly what i said to half a dozen girls in high school, anyway, the key is to just take your time and recheck everything.
I build custom Computers for a living so you can feel free to look me up if you run into a problem. You also want to pay attention to the post's of the guy above your last post. he knows more about the inner workings of computers than anyone on here.

Check out this tutorial video. it should give you an idea of how it all goes together.
First thing to note is that you will probably only need a screwdriver for assembly. You can use an anti-static wristband also-but in practice they can be cumbersome (depends on how you work). You can discharge static electricity just as easily by working in a static-free enviroment (keep cats/dogs away from the work area, avoid wearing nylon, working on a carpeted area) and installing the power supply into the case then attaching the power cord to the wall socket plug - LEAVE THE WALL SWITCH OFF- The cord now grounds the power supply and the case. Frequently touching a bare (unpainted) metal surface of the case/psu will be sufficient to discharge any static build-up. Avoid shuffling your feet or any other activity that could cause static build up.

Everything you need to assemble the computer is contained within the boxes you get- all screws, cables, parts. You will also have a few parts left over for expanding the system later.

You buy the operating system when you buy the other components if you buy the OEM (cheaper) version. Windows 7 Home Edition 64-bit would be the overwhelming choice. You will get an install disc that has a product activation key. Once the computer is put together, place the disc into the DVD/CD drive (unless you're not planning on installing one, in which case you will need to install from USB drive) - the rest of the process is automatic- you will be prompted at various stages of the install process to enter your preferences (geographic location, language etc.)- All relatively painless.

EDIT: Ninja-ed by red!
EDIT#2: Thanks for the glowing endorsement G. I feel like I should be linking our OP to components to build a multi (or a least single)-stage cascade!

How so? and which part? I'm confused!

Just the speed that you posted. You beat me to the punch (or post).
Maybe I should have used "sarnathed" !