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[DanJhonson]

I've recently decided that my old pc is a hunk of junk and i want to get a new one, I'm not sure if building a pc is an option for me the as only thing I've ever done inside a pc is add some ram and one would assume that building a pc is far more complicated than that. The most i want to spend on this is about 500$,
I want it for gaming mostly but it doesn't need to max out crisis or anything. Also if you could point me towards a descent monitor for not to much that would be quite helpful.

Here's my current pc is you want a comparison:http://www.emachines.com/products/products.html?prod=T6528 (mine has 1 gb more ram than that)

[ein]

Honestly, the most complicated part of building a computer is picking out the right hardware.
For the most part, it's very much like adding in more RAM.
I haven't really ever looked at (with interest to buy) or bought a fully-assembled computer before though, so I can't really help much with that, sorry.

[Nolor]

Are you throwing out your old computer entirely, or are you willing to use some parts from it?

You'll save a fair bit if you keep your hard drive and DVD drive + keyboard/mouse. $500 won't get you a lot (you'll have to skimp on a bunch of things); even $750 would be a lot better.

Buying a new case/motherboard/video card/hard drive/power supply/CPU/etc is expensive. If you spend ~$500 on a good CPU/motherboard/RAM now, then save up and buy a new graphics card a few months later (for $100-200) you'll get more mileage. I think most new motherboards have decent onboard graphics nowadays(?) so if you can suffer through for a bit you'll wind up with a better PC in the end.

As for monitors, it's usually best to just look around. If you have a BestBuy or something near you, look at the monitors they have on display. Find one you think looks nice and is affordable. Seeing a monitor in action before you buy is generally a good idea.

[DanJhonson]

Are you throwing out your old computer entirely, or are you willing to use some parts from it?

You'll save a fair bit if you keep your hard drive and DVD drive + keyboard/mouse. $500 won't get you a lot (you'll have to skimp on a bunch of things); even $750 would be a lot better.

Buying a new case/motherboard/video card/hard drive/power supply/CPU/etc is expensive. If you spend ~$500 on a good CPU/motherboard/RAM now, then save up and buy a new graphics card a few months later (for $100-200) you'll get more mileage. I think most new motherboards have decent onboard graphics nowadays(?) so if you can suffer through for a bit you'll wind up with a better PC in the end.

As for monitors, it's usually best to just look around. If you have a BestBuy or something near you, look at the monitors they have on display. Find one you think looks nice and is affordable. Seeing a monitor in action before you buy is generally a good idea.

My dad is going to keep the old computer ill probable keep the keyboard and mouse and buy him new ones.

The price isn't as dead set as i made it sound I'm not 100% sure what my budget is if you think waiting would make that much of a difference than i could probable wait for a bit.

I was thinking that shopping around for a monitor would be a good idea but i just wanted to know if their was one in particular i should look out for.     

[DanJhonson]

Honestly, the most complicated part of building a computer is picking out the right hardware.
For the most part, it's very much like adding in more RAM.
I haven't really ever looked at (with interest to buy) or bought a fully-assembled computer before though, so I can't really help much with that, sorry.

I honestly don't know what goes in to buliding a computer, Do you have any good guides i could look at or is it kind of self explanatory, Also i hear its alot cheaper to build one yourself how true is that?

[ein]

It's a lot cheaper.
I quoted myself the parts for one, assuming I already have peripherals and a case for about $650.
It had an Intel Core2 Quad, 32 gigs RAM, terabyte hard drive, with an nVidia graphics card and motherboard (forget exact specs on those).
The case would be $25 if I bought one.

I can't give you a guide or anything, sorry, but it is mostly self-explanatory.
For the most part, stuff goes into the slot in which it fits, but your hardware needs to all be compatible.
All of my experience is from working with my school's computer teacher.
He offered to give me a case if I needed one.
He has a wall full of them.

[Muz]

These days everything is so fast that it doesn't really matter. Slow software will be slow on whatever computer you put it on. A 2.2 Ghz processor is only 10% faster than a 2 Ghz one, not double or so, and ironically, there's a phenomenon that if your processor is too fast the system could actually end up slower.

All you need:
Windows 7
Good graphics card
A whole bunch of RAM (like twice the minimum at least)


And maybe a processor fast enough. Note that 4 cores doesn't mean twice the speed as 2 cores.

[DanJhonson]

I've been looking at cases and buying one that comes with a power supply seems cheaper than buying them separate is there any reason to buy them separate?

Also is newegg a good place to buy the parts or should i get them elsewhere?

[xtank5]

New Egg only ships to the USA.  Don't forget that if you build a PC you have to get the OS.  That can run you a few hundred dollars.  It's best to get it from the OEM.  This is a good resource.  Look around, so some searches. Overall it should help.

Also, what you want depends on what you plan to do with your computer:

-If you plan on playing DF, you need Ram and a fast CPU. 
-If you plan on playing Crysis or the like you'll need everything else and a good Graphics card. 
-If you plan on doing lots of photo or video editing/rendering, you'll also need a big hard drive  (to store all of your raw and polished data). 
-If you are an audiophile you'll want a good soundcard to provide surround sound. 

Then you need to make sure you can provide enough power and space for all of the components with an appropriate PSU and case. 

Every computer also needs a DVD drive.  Most dual-layer DVD-burners can burn data to any media except Blu-ray.  This is important, you should make backups of your important data.

Don't forget that you need a Motherboard to put everything on. 
Make sure everything is compatible with all of the connectors (CPU socket, RAM type {DDR3, DDR2, etc.}, GPU card {PCI-E, etc.}, Hard Drive connector {SATA, e-SATA, PATA, etc.}, DVD drive connector, PSU connectors, and the connectors for whatever other crap you plan on stuffing in there).

You'll also want to keep everything cool. 
-If you are using something low-end (internet browsing, DF), big fans and heat sinks will do. 
-If you run something high-end you will need more big fans.  Inevitably, with any high-end machine, you will end up with a screaming monster, so consider water cooling which is generally quieter than fans, and consider a solid-state-drive or SSD. 

SSDs are basically oversized flash drives.  They offer higher data transfer rates and help make your computer zippy, they also produce less heat than a harddrive and produce absolutely no noise at all (no moving parts).  The only thing is that they are expensive and low capacity. 

Depending on how old your monitor is, you may want to get a new one.  CRTs are limited in size and are generally less efficient compared to LCDs.  However, LCDs tend to die after 3 or four years, this is because the back-light dies.

Shop around for the best price.  The Internet is your friend here.  Google is useful, but surf sites of actual sellers such as Best Buy, Future Shop, Staples, New Egg, and Amazon.  Be sure to factor in shipping costs.

That's about the furthest extent of my knowledge on the subject.  So in summary:
-Shop around
-Base what you buy on your needs
-The Internet is your friend.

[Muz]

-If you plan on playing DF, you need Ram and a fast CPU. 

I heard that DF doesn't multicore. If that's true, a dual core at like 3 Ghz would be faster than a quad at 2 Ghz

[alway]

Ya, make sure you google each and every spec for each part to make sure you know what each means and will work with one another. If you plan on upgrading in the future, get a motherboard and PSU which are a bit more pricey than you would otherwise. From what I've read, you should also be sure you get a good quality PSU, since when those fry they tend to take motherboards and other expensive components with them. Thus, it is probably a good idea to buy PSU separate from the case. My case actually came with a PSU, but I replaced it with a heavy duty one right off the bat with both plenty of watts to spare (even at full power, my PC probably only uses half of the PSU) and supposedly great longevity. Be sure to read reviews for power supplies on newegg, both to avoid bad ones and to read the humorous descriptions of PCs "lighting up like Christmas trees." For example, "Craigs" review on this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16817162020 Also be sure to find out what the wattage rating really means. Mine is continuous (it can run at that wattage consistently), whereas many, especially cheap ones, are peak wattage.

What I did when starting to look for my PC parts was look at a section in PC Gamer (US) Magazine. Near the end, they have a box called "Hard Stuff Trinity" which is basicly just 3 lists of parts for cheap, medium, and dream rigs. The parts listed can usually be found at around the prices they list, depending on sales and such. In the June 2010 edition, the low end rig has a part total of $491, which may be a decent starting point to start looking from. Just keep in mind that doesn't include monitors, peripherals, or OS.

If I were you, I would rough it a few more months on your current machine and save up some more cash. If you want a full rig, $750 is probably a good amount to start shopping with. But again, that may vary depending on what you intend to do with your rig. If its just a DF machine, you can cut a good chunk of that by using onboard gfx. A student discount for a windows OS would also bring costs down a good deal.

[DanJhonson]

here is the first few parts i picked out I'm kind of stumped on the psu as i don't know how good of one i need for what I've got so far and i think I'm being to stingy on the case, Please look over what I've got so far and possible improve it my price range is more like 650-700 now.   

http://secure.newegg.com/Shopping/ShoppingCart.aspx?Submit=view

[DanJhonson]

Whops accidentally quoted instead of edited

[alway]

You have a link to your shopping cart, which we can't see (secure page and such). Put up links to each of the pages for the products you are looking at.

[DanJhonson]

Is this psu good enough for the rig i posted?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003&cm_re=psu-_-17-139-003-_-Product