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Thread ID: 125089	2012-06-06 02:06:00	First PC build help.	FlightOfGrey (16802)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1279917	2012-06-06 02:06:00	Hi, I have recently been looking into building a PC after lots of reports that they're cheaper and more customisable. I have never built a PC before but I thought it would be interesting to give it a try and to understand how everything comes together. I had also read about it often being better to have a shop to build one for you. Now I was wondering if I could get some reccomendations on which is better, getting a shop to build one or do it yourself, a reccomendation of places that do build PCs (I live in Wellington) or a reccomendation on where to buy particular parts. I'm a university student completing a double degree in Computer Science and Design, so I do a reasonable amount of video and image editing and compiling so it would be great if I could get those tasks completed a bit quicker than my current laptop which is feeling the strain a bit. I also like to dabble in a bit of games on the side, so it would be nice if I could at least run the majority of games at a playable framerate, at the moment even Half Life 2 is a tad choppy at times on my laptop which doesn't have a seperate graphics card. TL DR: So DIY or get a shop to build it? Where to buy parts/which shops build PCs for a reasonable price and reliably? Use video and photo editing software reasonably regularly and wouldn't mind the ability to play games on the side. Any reccomendations?	FlightOfGrey (16802)
1279918	2012-06-06 03:00:00	Shops don't charge much and you get the peace of mind of no quibbles over warranty claims due to DIY if it doesn't go well. That said I build my own all the time and quite enjoy it. It's not that difficult if you can weild a screwdriver and have a bit of patience. Good shops IMO are http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/ http://www.pp.co.nz/ http://www.pbtech.co.nz/ A few tips; get yourself an antistatic wrist strap or make sure to earth yourself before handle anything, and frequently during. Static sometimes kills components, but more often causes ongoing minor faults you can never track down. Attach the CPU and RAM to the motherboard before inserting it into a case Make sure the stand offs line up with the holes in the motherboard and there are none anywhere that doesn't have a hole. Take your time and make sure everything is connected, including both power connectors to the MB and any graphics card power connections. Set your BIOS to AHCI or RAID before installing windows, changing afterwards is a nuisance. Go sandy bridge or ivy bridge if you want the best and the ability to upgrade to high performance CPUs, go AMD if you're on a tight budget and want multi cores for heavily threaded applications.	dugimodo (138)
1279919	2012-06-06 03:07:00	Thanks for the reply, I actually found the FAQ after posting this which has a good build vs buy PC post in it. So I think that I will go for the build option, sounds like a bit of fun. Attach the CPU and RAM to the motherboard before inserting it into a case Make sure the stand offs line up with the holes in the motherboard and there are none anywhere that doesn't have a hole. In terms of this, is this something that I have to look out for when buying the components? And how can you tell when veiwing them online?	FlightOfGrey (16802)
1279920	2012-06-06 03:07:00	And if your using a custom CPU cooler... install it before you put the mobo in if possible.... Mine was a massave pain in the ass even with its small form factor (a hyper 212 evo). It doesnt really matter when you put the cpu and ram in its just easier when the mobo is not in the case as the case can get in the way.	Slankydudl (16687)
1279921	2012-06-06 03:39:00	212 is a ***** to install, mine took forever to install. depends what your case is really. I have a friend who installed one of those closed loop water coolers straight into his case and it was fine. Then again they are quite compact and he has an NZXT Phantom (so jealous).	icow (15313)
1279922	2012-06-06 03:50:00	In terms of this, is this something that I have to look out for when buying the components? And how can you tell when veiwing them online? No not really, just for some cases the motherboard mounts are little screw in stand-offs and have several positions they can be installed depending on the form factor of your motherboard. If you screw one in the wrong hole it can be pressing up against the bottom of the motherboard which is a bad thing.	dugimodo (138)
1279923	2012-06-06 03:57:00	Just make sure you screw them into the case tighter than you screw the motherboard into them. I made that mistake myself, ended up with an eternally spinning thing till I got some needlenose pliers under it. Also, read the manuals and junk. I didn't. I ended up spending 30 minutes trying to put the cooler on the CPU. I was putting the thing on, clicking, then i thought 'twist the locking pins'. No, that was releasing them. every. time. Seemed counterintuitive at the time. Other than that it shouldn't be hard. Fiddle with your bios before installing your OS (AHCI/IDE mode settings for your HDD's, I left mine on IDE -_-) oh wait they have UEFI now don't they (no clue there) tl;dr it's not hard if you earth yourself, use common sense, read your manuals and double check stuff before diving on in.	8ftmetalhaed (14526)
1279924	2012-06-06 04:32:00	Hi, I have recently been looking into building a PC after lots of reports that they're cheaper and more customisable. I have never built a PC before but I thought it would be interesting to give it a try and to understand how everything comes together. I had also read about it often being better to have a shop to build one for you. Now I was wondering if I could get some reccomendations on which is better, getting a shop to build one or do it yourself, a reccomendation of places that do build PCs (I live in Wellington) or a reccomendation on where to buy particular parts. I'm a university student completing a double degree in Computer Science and Design, so I do a reasonable amount of video and image editing and compiling so it would be great if I could get those tasks completed a bit quicker than my current laptop which is feeling the strain a bit. I also like to dabble in a bit of games on the side, so it would be nice if I could at least run the majority of games at a playable framerate, at the moment even Half Life 2 is a tad choppy at times on my laptop which doesn't have a seperate graphics card. TL DR: So DIY or get a shop to build it? Where to buy parts/which shops build PCs for a reasonable price and reliably? Use video and photo editing software reasonably regularly and wouldn't mind the ability to play games on the side. Any reccomendations? It is not that hard to build one yourself but if you want someone else to do it Wainuitech from here would be your best bet. Give him a PM.	mikebartnz (21)
1279925	2012-06-06 05:12:00	And if your using a custom CPU cooler... install it before you put the mobo in if possible.... Mine was a massave pain in the ass even with its small form factor (a hyper 212 evo). It doesnt really matter when you put the cpu and ram in its just easier when the mobo is not in the case as the case can get in the way.Well, no, it does matter when you put your cpu in because of course it has to be installed before you put your cpu cooler in. Assemble the motherboard first before placing it in the case, that way you also dont put undue stress on the motherboard when inserting ram and heatsink as there is nothing under these areas that are supporting the motherboard. Also make sure you are grounded, preferably using an antistatic strap as your bodies static electricity could short any components if handled incorrectly.	Iantech (16386)
1279926	2012-06-06 05:29:00	I think that I will go for the build option, sounds like a bit of fun . Yep, it is fun . Even more fun when you finish, tidy up all the cables, make it all pretty, turn it on and it doesn't go . :D That's a point too, turn it on - in case of not going problems - before you do the cable management . Then once it's all loaded, installed and happy, do the cable management . Do NOT skip cable management . Look some up if you are not sure how . How can depend on the case, whether it's a nice one designed for that or your more standard type . You still do it, but how depends on where you can hide the cables away in it .	pctek (84)
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