# New to computer building...



## Pupsup (May 27, 2011)

Eh Ehm... Incoming long post.


*Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build?*
I really do not want to end up spending more than $1500 CAD (Canadian Dollars). The $1200 budget seems to be appropriate, but I will need to buy the OS and a monitor. 

*Brands: Are there any brands of components you want or don't want?*
No preference, at all. I'm open to anything. Best value/ best performance. Brand does not matter at all.

Multitasking: Will you be multitasking with this computer and if so, how much?
Some I suppose. I have a laptop that I will be using for school. This computer will basically be for gaming. So, I may have a game open, a vent channel, and a webpage. I don't think that is heavy multitasking?

Gaming: Will you be gaming and if so, how much and how new are the games?
Yes yes yes! I want to build a computer solely for gaming. My dream would be able to run games such as SWTOR, Diablo 3, Rift, Skyrim, Star Craft 2 at 60 FPS with max settings. I don't know if that dream is actually plausible with the budget I set for myself, but a guy can dream, right?

Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or media encoding?

I doubt it.

Overclocking: Do you plan on overclocking and if so, how much?

I don't really know what that is, but I heard it is beneficial for you performance? So if I could do it, I would.

Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing?

I'm sure 500gb would be plenty. Just storing games.

Legacy Support: Will you need support for older hardware like parallel, serial, or PS/2 devices?

I don't think so?

Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility?

No?

Case: Do you want help selecting a case and if so, how big do you want it?

Yes please. I don't care about looks, I just care about performance and price.

Accessories: Do you want a keyboard, mouse, or other items included?

Nope. I already have a pretty slick gaming mouse and headset, but I will need to buy a keyboard (outside of budget)

Recycled Components: Will you be reusing any components you already have?

None

Monitor: If you want a monitor, what size do you want and should it be widescreen?

I do need a monitor. Looking for something that is 20-22 inches, and has above 1600x900 resolution

Stores: Do you have any online stores that you prefer to purchase from?

Location: What country do you live in?

I live in Canada. Edmonton, Alberta, to be more precise.


With all of that said, I have some questions... If someone would be so kind to answer. I am totally green when it comes to computers. Only recently did I discover what CPU and GPU stand for, or what a motherboard does, so I really have no opinion on what sort of machine/ components I should get. The $1200 builds to me looked just dandy, however, not all of the components for the computers are offered here: Memory Express Computer Products Inc. - Canada's Source for Computers, Laptops, Monitors & more... (the store at which I hope to purchase my supplies, due to their price match bargain), so I really have no clue what suitable replacement parts would be, for the pieces that the store lacks.

This is where I will sound like a true beginner. What is the PC part turn over like? If I buy a system now, how long until it is considered stone age? Is there a designated time of year where companies usually release their new models (making prior models cheaper)?

How big of a step up in gaming performance would either of the $1200 builds be over my current laptop?

Laptop specs:

OPERATING SYSTEM:
Windows 2.6.1.7600
CPU TYPE:
Intel® Core™2 Duo CPU P7450 @ 2.13GHz
CPU SPEED (GHZ):
2.15
SYSTEM MEMORY (GB):
3.97
VIDEO CARD MODEL:
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650
VIDEO CARD DRIVER:
atiumdag.dll
DESKTOP RESOLUTION:
1600x900
HARD DISK SIZE (GB):
457.82
HARD DISK FREE SPACE (GB):
372.37

And finally, which $1200 dollar build is better? The AMD or the Intel? Also, are they up to date?


Heh, this is the longest forum post I've ever made, but I have so many questions, and never found a place for the answers. Any help anyone can give would be greatly appreciated!


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Almost any PC will out perform a laptop in games. Neither of the $1200 builds is "better" just a different platform. I prefer Intel.


----------



## Pupsup (May 27, 2011)

I guess I will funnel down my questions to just a few...

At this moment, I would be able to get the $1200 AMD build for around $950. Is that something that I should hop on? Or do computer part's prices fluxuate regularily?

What is the turnover for computer part?/ How often do new parts come out? Or I guess I should ask, how quickly will the $1200 AMD build become irrelevant?


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Whether or not you "hop on" a build is entirely up to you.
PC parts are always higher when first released and the price comes down as the "I have to have it now" crowd buys and helps offset the manufacture/retailers costs for manufacturing/advertising. What costs $500 today can be half that in 6 to 12 months but there is no definitive.
PC parts are released/upgraded very often but that doesn't make the last model any less effective.
We do strive to keep all of our suggested builds up to date but within the range of good value.


----------

