Help a Kid Build a Desktop

[Flynn]

So I recently came to the conclusion that I would be much better served in gaming and in music production if I got a desktop instead of my laptop. After some discussion with my brother, he recommended I build my own, both for cost and for the ability to customize for what I want. So, can I get some help on what I need to know before looking for parts? As said before, this desktop will be doing mainly music production and gaming. Thanks!

[Didz]

My strong points aren't building hardware, but I recently helped a friend build his own computer and I used this guide extensively: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/08/ars-technica-system-guide-august-2014/

I really recommend reading this guide beforehand so you get an idea of what you'll need, how each component compares, and get a sense of what kind of alternatives you can use.

 

They have 3 different tiers of computers, "Budget Box", "Hot Rod", and "God Box". Despite the name, the Budget Box is still a really good spec for gaming and music production and I mainly followed this tier for my friend. These guides suggest buying SSDs for your computer, but I wouldn't bother myself. You can mix and match most of the components in the guide, just make sure your motherboard is compatible with your CPU as they have proprietary sockets. Also, you can never have enough USB ports (USB3 ports on the front are a bonus for newer flash drives/HDDs)

 

I think you should definitely go for Windows 8.1 as the OS if you're a Windows user though, because it'll be easier to upgrade to Windows 10 when that comes out. The OS is much better under-the-hood than Windows 7, and you can get rid of many annoying things it introduces (boot to desktop instead of Start screen etc.). I've unpinned all the useless metro apps from my start screen and pinned regular programs like Office, all my dev tools, Steam, TeamSpeak, etc. there instead.

[Sentra]

Budget and country?

[Flynn]

Budget and country?

USA, and preferably <$1000

[IrocJeff]

So I recently came to the conclusion that I would be much better served in gaming and in music production if I got a desktop instead of my laptop. After some discussion with my brother, he recommended I build my own, both for cost and for the ability to customize for what I want. So, can I get some help on what I need to know before looking for parts? As said before, this desktop will be doing mainly music production and gaming. Thanks!

 

I've been building my own systems since 04' so I'll chime in here..

 

You want to make sure, first and foremost, that you have a GOOD power-supply, Specifically, one that has a single 12v rail w/ enough amps to run 1-2 high end video cards. DO NOT get a power-supply that has the 12v rail split. You may run into problems. I have during an upgrade. Corsair makes nice ones.

 

Motherboards I personally stick with Gigabyte and never had one crap out. 90-120 bucks will get you a good one. 

 

You'll experience the whole Intel vs AMD debate I'm sure in your research. Just remember that this is an argument in real world terms of a Ferrari and Lamborghini and which is better. Compare your processor choices ( just google  " intel whatever vs amd whatever") and then make a rational decision based on your budget. You'll be fine either way.

 

Video Card. Again, do your research and make a good decision as there are tons of choices. I prefer Nvidia and EVGA.

 

For RAM, most games won't use more than 4GB. Your music software may be able to use much more so make sure to check that out. Any brand will work. I use G-skill now which is a budget brand. 

 

For hard drives you can shop around and get the best deal. Solid state's are pricey and you really don't need one. You can get a smaller drive to put windows on and then a larger one for games/music ect... You can do a ssd for Windows and an old timer for storage. Again, depends on your budget.

 

DVD burner. You can get OEM ones for 15 bucks. Your mother board will come with the cables.

 

You'll need a tower that can fit a modern video card but don't go overboard. 

 

You'll probably want a sound card over the onboard audio w/ the motherboard so you'll have to look into that. I haven't had a soundBlaster card in any system since about 02'.

 

Finally, I'd stick with Windows 7. Don't even waste your time with 8. If you have a friend who is in college, or know anyone in college, Microsoft sells software fairly cheap to students. I bought an ISO of Win7pro for 29 bucks. 

 

You can do all this for under 1000 bucks, especially if you get a good deal on 1 or 2 items. If you have questions, feel free to PM me on here and I'll answer them for you.

[Sentra]

@@Flynn, it's not the right time to stick w/ Windows 7 in my opinion, because there are some nice adds in new mobos for 8.1 like quick boot, hardware remember (won't scan anything everytime) and so on. In pair with SSD it brings the fastest boot time. And you can just ignore the ModerUI of Win8, just use the oldschool Desktop.

 

About processors - don't save your money on this. Just buy a regular Intel non-K series and use it without any worries.

 

For GPU you can choose both AMD and Nvidia, buy what you like, both reference (e.g. new Nvidia 900-series / AMD R285) and non-reference cards.

[Flynn]

Thanks all, I appreciate the advice, one bit about sound though: My production software comes with (and I can easily install) a free audio driver called ASIO4All that I currently use on my laptop for all production work. This is an incredibly helpful way to get around the fact that my laptop speakers are pretty much shit. If I could get ASIO4All to run with everything (so use it as the sound driver for games and all other sounds, not just production, which I would imagine is possible although I haven't looked into it yet), would there really be any need for a separate sound card? Also, how much does a decent sound card cost, because if it's not that much, then I will get one and just continue with the same setup as I have now, using ASIO4All for just production. Thanks!

[Circa]

How would a driver improve the sound in your speakers? Explain.

[Flynn]

How would a driver improve the sound in your speakers? Explain.

I'm not sure, in FL I can select (as my sound output) Primary Sound Driver, Speakers, and ASIO, and ASIO sounds the best, so idk

But if a sound card isn't all that expensive then I can just go with that and use my current setup with ASIO for just production

[IrocJeff]

From what I searched about music production sound cards they are kinda pricey with people saying 100-150 bucks is a good starting point. Now, these are music specific. Non-music specific ones are like 30-150, some more expensive. 

 

I've got no clue on your driver question. 

[Circa]

Me either. I wouldn't get to technical on the driver and sound card thing. They won't really matter all that much in the grand scheme of things. You can do music production perfectly fine on some basic sound cards.

 

I've found that gaming PC's can double as good music production machines, for the most part.

[Flynn]

So what am I looking for in a good GPU? What specs?

[IrocJeff]

So what am I looking for in a good GPU? What specs?

 

http://www.pcgamer.com/how-to-buy-a-graphics-card-six-things-you-must-know-about-gpus/

 

This is pretty basic but make sure to remember two points this article talks about. Most important is the stuff under the COMPATABILITY heading in regards to the Power Supply. Its very important. Again, a key point is a high amp, single, 12v rail. Not split. I don't think the article mentions that.

The other point is when it talks about bandwidth in regards to ram. 

 

What you can do is look up the system requirements of some current games that you think you may want to play. You obviously want to get the best performing card you can for your budget that should last you a while. Start reading up about video card comparisons and articles and stuff and you'll understand it all better. 

[eezstreet]

When it comes to nvidia cards, the higher-order number determines the year, while the lower order number determines the quality of the card. A GEFORCE 260 is older than a 310, but a lot more powerful.

[Archangel35757]

@@Flynn -- I've built all my PC workstations...

 

Start with the motherboard & CPU. Look at what current/upcoming next-gen games' recommended system requirements are. Then select yours accordingly. AMD is cheaper-- which will be gentler on your budget. Get a motherboard that has extra slots (both memory and PCIe slots) and is upgradable for down the road

 

Operating system-- know this... if you buy a OEM version of Windows (7or 8)... if your motherboard craps out in the future (causing it to need replacing) then you wont be able to re-activate that original OEM license. But if you buy a full retail version of Windows 7 or 8, then you are permitted to re-install & re-activate it. It's hard to find legit, retail copies of Windows 7. You can download the ISO image from Microsoft for free (with Service Packs) but you'll need to buy a legit license.

 

I usually do my product comparisons using Newegg and Amazon. I never buy products from online retailers from New York or New Jersey-- because I've found they mislead their descriptions and try to trick you to buy a lesser quality component or different component that might differ in model # by a single character.

 

Always check return policies!

[Futuza]

When it comes to graphic cards I highly recommend googling "name of the game you want to play" paired with "name of graphics card you are considering buying".  This should help you figure out a relative expected frame rate and performance for that game and whether or not you should consider getting a better card.  (I might be a bit weird though in this regard, I tend to want to play specific games rather then any generic game so I tend to optimize my settings for the games I like).

 

 

Finally, I'd stick with Windows 7. Don't even waste your time with 8. If you have a friend who is in college, or know anyone in college, Microsoft sells software fairly cheap to students. I bought an ISO of Win7pro for 29 bucks. 

I'm curious.  Why the Windows 8 hate?  I mean I get that people don't like the start menu missing, but that's easily remedied.  I mean the benchmarks are generally better or equivalent (equivalent when talking about games themselves).  Plus Windows 10 is coming out soon, so 8 users are likely to get cheaper upgrade options then 7 users.

[Archangel35757]

@@Flynn -- post a list of the components you've selected. What motherboard & CPU?

[Flynn]

@@Flynn -- post a list of the components you've selected. What motherboard & CPU?

Oh I haven't actually started looking for components yet, I'm still trying to save money and convince my dad that building one would be a better option than buying a stock one

[Archangel35757]

Oh I haven't actually started looking for components yet, I'm still trying to save money and convince my dad that building one would be a better option than buying a stock one

Building one from quality components is the best option. Computer manufacturers tend to use generic components from an OEM base design-- with little room for upgrading... unless you order a customized PC.