Building the dankest PC, thomas the dank engine Options

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

So, after much thought and cost induced heart attacks, I have decided that instead of a crappy ol' laptop, I'm going to join the elite of the master race and not just get a PC, but build it as well with literally 0 seconds of experience in building anything remotely mechanical or electrical, yes I know I AM so brave, but when I have youtube videos and tutorials as my sword and hopefully you guys as my shield, I'm pretty sure I can do this.

Talked with monkey quite a bit about this, and because of the legend he is, he procured a list of the finest components for this beast at a reasonable price (I'm only 16 I don't have wads of cash to spend like you guys)

Here is said list with links and stuff:

cooling gel - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arctic-Cooling-MX-...HDP1RJXAW3ZGZRS £3.95

motherboard - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00K8KJ..._1_1&sr=8-1 £91.74

CPU - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-Core-i7-4790...HDP1RJXAW3ZGZRS £256.90

RAM - http://www.amazon.co.uk/HyperX-Series-1866...HDP1RJXAW3ZGZRS £35.54

fans - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-Series-AF1...HDP1RJXAW3ZGZRS £17.36

case - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CC-9011052...HDP1RJXAW3ZGZRS £47.38

Hard drive - http://www.amazon.co.uk/WD-Desktop-SATA-Dr...=2tb+hard+drive £60.48

SSD - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-2-5-Inch-S...HDP1RJXAW3ZGZRS £73.13

graphics card - http://www.amazon.co.uk/MSI-GTX-980-Graphi...eywords=gtx+980 £405.77

monitor - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-VE228TR-Wides...ords=hd+monitor £86.99

The total cost of it with a monitor as well (ikr mad innit?) is just under £1080

You may be thinking, "hey you stupid hobbit, listen 'ere m9, stop bragging and being so awesome" but it cannot be helped and also, I really do need your help, since, as I said before, I have no experience in doing this, I have never even owned a PC of my own, let alone built one.

Monkey told me to ask you guys if you have any objections or recommendations to the components listed above, such as a cheaper option or whatever you can think of; any help is greatly appreciated! I will probably be ordering this stuff after the 20th of August, as this is riding on my GCSE's, so any input before then would be great.

Thanks in advance,

<<<<<<333333 Hobbit

[Porsuk]

You don't need anything else , this is really really good pc. ( monitor is your taste but larger screen price is higher ) so it is okay for this system but i would recommend larger one.

[Vincent Dank Gog...]

That's pretty much the best you can get for that price tag, but unless I am missing something/being stupid then you will also need a power supply; I couldn't recommend one myself but I would suggest getting a power supply which is a little above the minimum, you don't want your parts under performing or anything like that just because you've saved £20 on the PSU... In terms of building it, from my experience the assembly of the different components isn't too hard, basically everything goes into the motherboard, seating the CPU is probably the most difficult part and it would be wise to watch a few vids on that. When assembling it remember about static electricity, one spark could fuck your rig easily.

In terms of the rest of the rig it seems good. I don't know what other games you are planning to play, but Nvidia 980 GPU is more than enough for many games. You should consider that the Nvidia 970 can be bought for almost half the price of the 980, while retaining much of the power (chivalry in particular will. But if you don't mind spending the extra money (which I don't think you will) then go for the 980 for sure, new games in particular are getting harder and harder to run at good frame rates.

If you ever want to upgrade any parts then just remember that if you change the motherboard (but I think changing the CPU is ok) then you will need to rebuy the operating system. That reminds me, a copy of windows will set you back a fair deal, or you can opt for Linux which will run chivalry but not some games.

A few more things to consider (as if there wasn't enough considering): How are you planning to connect to your router, Ethernet or WiFi? If WiFi, you need a wifi adapter which you can get for about £5. Have you got a cable to connect your computer to your monitor? Have you considered getting any zip ties for cable management? If you did consider all of those things I mentioned then good

If you're building a dank PC I'd expect no less than a few dank memes hand painted onto the side of your case, along with proper photo evidence proving your rig to be the dankest of all rigs.

Also I'm not an expert, I'd imagine a few people will correct me, but I hope it was at least a little bit helpful.

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

Once I saw mount and blade 2 I new this would be what I needed, I was considering it with Fallout 4 and all that, but that was the push I needed lol.

I completely forgot about all that stuff, especially the power supply and the OS, damn, I'll have to look up some unless one of you computer geniuses can find some with your expertise. Zip ties I can get anywhere and I think I will be using an Ethernet cable as my router is going to be right next to my pc, will I need anything for that or will the ethernet slot on the motherboard be sufficient? I saw some static wristband this guy was wearing to prevent sparks, apparently it is cheap, is it worth buying? I believe the monitor comes with a cable to connect to the pc, it says it comes with a VGA and DVI cable, but I have a spare HDMI cable lying around somewhere if that is better.

EDIT: Also do you need to have a disk tray to install the OS? I'm used to windows and would feel happiest with it, but can it be installed only through a disk?

[The Malefic Trou...]

You might also want to invest in a surge protector for your new PC. Doesn't cost much but (supposedly, as opinions differ) will protect your PC in case of voltage spikes. Just make sure to grab a good one since cheaper ones probably don't do anything at all. I recommend Belkin.

The ethernet slot on the motherboard is all you need.

As for OS: you can put the ISO file on a memory stick, no problems there. Most modern computers let you boot from USB. You might want to invest in a DVD player though, they're not expensive, rarely useful these days, but well you never know when you may need it.

On a side note, SSD got sooo much cheaper over the course of a couple of years. Whoa. And there I am still sitting on my 128 GB one.

Good point on the Wi-Fi adapter, Vicent, this is something many people (including me) forget.

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

Yeah, found windows 10 on a usb for £99, I don't mind spending that much on the OS because I know windows is the best for me. Also remembered I need to buy a bloody Keyboard, got a bluetooth mouse but completely forgot the keyboard after having a laptop for so long. So is this surge protector just an extension cord or something that you plug the pc into and it prevents short circuiting and stuff? Something like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-BSV603-Surg...surge+protector

[The Malefic Trou...]

Yup, that would be it Works just the way you described. Note this has to be plugged directly into a wall socket, shouldn't be plugged into another extension cord.

[HackedPenguin]

Don't lose your mind when you get 30 FPS on chiv, happened to me even though I got a 970 :/

Also your PC better be danker than mine, I took my side panel off so could fit the PSU cables in there, or fit and fit depending on how you think of that word (most of the cables just stick out of the case )

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

As long as it can play things like chiv and rocket league and other big titles on decent graphics without overheating and with good fps, then I will be happy (it probably will with the 980). I'm not too worried about the performance really, desktops are so much better at cooling and stuff compared to laptops.

On a side note, I chose this power supply http://www.amazon.co.uk/EVGA-600W-Bronze-P...pc+power+supply I don't want to spend too much so I chose a moderately cheap one, but I was wondering if the wattage matters at all, because I want to make sure all the components work well together. I'm sure pretty much all components nowadays work together, but I just wanted to check because apparently sometimes the motherboard doesn't support certain types of components, monkey probably chose all the right things but I'm just double checking. Thanks for all your help so far, guys!

[HackedPenguin]

I have a 550W 80+ PSU, works well with my rig and left some space for me to OC my GPU. The 600W should do nicely for you if it's high quality.

[DARwin]

Don't lose your mind when you get 30 FPS on chiv, happened to me even though I got a 970 :/

Also your PC better be danker than mine, I took my side panel off so could fit the PSU cables in there, or fit and fit depending on how you think of that word (most of the cables just stick out of the case )

Don't worry Penguin! My PC Notice my power-switch (the green cable )... I have boxes full of all kinds of switches yet I am too lazy to hook one up

[HackedPenguin]

That cable management :3 ...

[Yet Another Fool]

Yeah I had a 550W before (i7 first gen, 6GB, GTX465) and now 650W power supply (i5 fourth gen, 16GB, GTX760) no need to go higher.

Darwin, I used to love you, but I cannot forgive such cruelty against your hardware

[DARwin]

Fool, it is just my lab station( also serves as gaming pc) that I sometimes use as a quick regulated DC source. Knowing myself it will be accidentally melted or burned by my rework-station or dissolve in acid anyhow... (I don't know how yet, but I will manage to find a way) No need for me to getting it all fancy schmancy...

[GuyIncognito]

1. Cooling gel is REALLY not needed as you will get some with the cpu fan and probably with the stock cpu cooler as well.

2. Honestly just go to TPB and download windows 7 and install it. You will then be able to download and install Windows 10 legally. Paying 99£ for windows when microsoft has pretty much said its ok for private individuals to pirate their OS is dumb, especially when you are young and dont have alot of money.

3. Zip-ties you always get both with the motherboard and with the PSU.

4. Suggestions for cpu and gpu are fine, but I always go with AMD and ATI for cpu and gpu. It can be argued which one is better, what cannot be argued is that AMD/ATI is significantly cheaper. 257£!? Get the fuck out! You would save at least 100£ on the CPU alone. I have a radeon 290X and it's a superb card for the money.

5. Goddammit choose a case that has chassi fans built into it, dont waste your money on a fancy ass case and glowy fans(that you have to pay extra for). Save the cosmetics for when you are older and have money to spare.

6. I have that mobo(AMD version). It is very very good and oozes quality. It also has a very neat function built in where you can convert part of your RAM into an ultra-fast virtual harddrive.

7. You need a CPU-cooler. May God help you if you use the stock cooler that comes with the CPU. I use Noctua, very good, very silent and very good at cooling. Also, when you have it up and running a gfx-heavy game, keep an eye on temperature, or simply place your hand on the side of the case. If you are having trouble keeping your hand on it, it's too hot! Im starting to have big problems with heat-generation with air-cooling on my last two rigs. I think these advanced components are starting to reach the limit of what air-cooling can do. I simply have the side panel off now.

8. Surge protector.. ugh.. Yea sure, if you want to waste your money on it.. go for it.

9. 21" monitor? What is this, 1998? You need a bigger monitor friend, Im telling you right now. Cut down on some of the needlessly fancy stuff I mention and you can easily afford a 27".

10. The hardrive is cool, but you dont need a samsung for the ssd. Go with a Kingston or something, just as good and cheaper. Im happy with the 2x 4GB ram suggestion, cause you sure as shit dont need more right now.

11. Have fun and welcome to the awesome world of building your own PC. Two things:

1) Building PC's today is so much easier than it used to, dont be too intimidated. It looks alot more complicated than it is and very few cables have more than one place
where they can be plugged in, and it is also written on the MOBO itself what the different connectors are. I never even look at the installation guide anymore, there's no need(although as a newbie I certainly recommend it for you). Even the harddrives, that used to be the bane of my existence, now are simple plug & play. Also use an anti-static wristband, or do what I do and just touch some metallic surface that you know is grounded, like a kitchen faucet.

2) While it's not very complicated, it IS figdgety as all hell. It's cramped, small, sharp edges and small screws and the CPU-fan is a bitch to fasten. And if it doesnt work right away when you turn it on, I have built my own PC's for 20 years and I cant remember a single time where I didnt forget something, to plug in some cable, to fasten something properly, to switch on the damn power switch on the back of the PSU. Whatever. Point is, if something goes wrong, relax and remember that it's normal and we can help you fix it.

Remember, if you cant figure it out for yourself, there are several experienced builder here to help you. I have pretty much seen and experienced any problem you will encounter and Im sure others here can say the same. Buy Hitman Absolution or The Witcher 2 on steam dirt cheap, crank settings to ultra, and have your mind fucking blown by how much better PC graphics are.

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

listen 'ere m9. About the CPU cooler, I forgot to post it and lost it in the links monkey sent me, but he didn't forget, don't worry about that http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooler-Master-RR-2...HDP1RJXAW3ZGZRS

For the monitor, I decided to forget even buying one, I'll just use my bro's 32" TV that he had at uni, he doesn't even use it, so if I just hook it up to the PC it should be fine, is a HDMI cable enough for that?

Monkey chose the case, but I'm not too fussed about the look of the case, as long as it can fit all the components and has fans built in (I was wondering about the case monkey sent and if it could actually cool because I didn't see any fans in the pic)

I think I have a surge protector somewhere, but I only included it in my optional purchases, like the DVD player.

Already had a look at a 30 minute tutorial, explained it really well and I am actually pretty handy and have dabbled in the arts of pro lego building and warhammer constructing and painting, so I think I can handle this, it definitely does look fun, and it will pay off for sure.

First games I'm going to play are definitely rocket league (since I had to put it at the lowest settings and actually decrease the resolution to get playable fps) and Skyrim. I remember when this laptop was somehow able to run Skyrim on ultra, but now that I think about it, I did have 50 less mods back then, so...

I'm used to the overheating, my left hand has actually left a mark on my laptop because it gets so hot, I'll send a pic one day, looks bloody hilarious. I will get the cooling gel though, it's only a couple of quid, no big problem.

I'll stick with the samsung EVO and the intel processor this time, since I'm not super experienced in this stuff, but I'm learning slowly. That point about the OS was extremely helpful, not sure about pirating it and how I would go about that, but I forgot Microsoft are doing free upgrades to Windows 10 for a while, would be a waste of money to buy something I can get for much cheaper.

I think I will send an updated list of all the stuff I need (including peripherals like a keyboard) before I buy it, just so you guys can review it once more.

P.S. If you could link me a good case, that would be awesome, I have no idea about the dimensions and all that so I kind of need your help with it. It doesn't need to have lights, just in-built fans and stuff will do, but cheeky lights will be a bonus

[MonkeyFiend]

The list that I pulled together was only a quick 5 minute job, of hardware that would work together and form a PC. I did mention that you could get a lot of it cheaper by shopping around.
I mentioned you could switch at the £250 for a £350 gtx980, currently the strix is on pre-order for £350 last time I checked: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/4gb-asus-gt...CFQEIwwodvGQBKg

(you can also get free delivery from scan, if you make a forum account and make 20 meaningful posts)

(be wary of the moderators there though )

I had included a PSU in the original build (I think a 600w corsair). Once you come up with a final parts list I can get a list of the wattage requirements of the components and verify the psu has plenty of leeway.

@Vincent.. the operating systems that are tied directly to a motherboard are OEM ones and usually manufacturer specific e.g. Dell OEM to a dell motherboard. I've never had problems reinstalling a general oem copy of windows on different hardware (you only come unstuck if you have a dell oem then change to Asus hardware etc.,). Aside from that there's always the option to buy retail windows. Finally the other option of a not entirely genuine copy of windows.

@hobbit: the static wristbands are a waste of money. I've handled components for many years without issue. One sensible precaution is before handling chips ground yourself out on something in the house e.g. most central heating copper pipes are earthed in the UK, so touching one of these before tinkering with the cpu/boards should earth you.

Personally, in the UK I'd not bother with a surge protector. I'll assume you have a half decent consumer unit instead of a fuse box with rcd breakers. I've not heard of a surge taking out a PC in many many years in the UK

Also I'm sure I included a CPU fan and heatsink in my previous message? :S

Regarding the thermal compound I included it as it's a couple of quid, the arctic stuff works better than the generic stuff and often they don't include enough. I've been in a situation where I ordered a heatsink and cooler and it didn't come with any compound, which put the building of the pc on hold for a while.

Regarding windows 7 > 10 a la piratebay. I don't think you can upgrade a pirate copy of 7 to 10 since it relies on serial numbers.

[The Malefic Trou...]

Regarding windows 7 > 10 a la piratebay. I don't think you can upgrade a pirate copy of 7 to 10 since it relies on serial numbers.

This. Probably would be easier to download a pirated copy of Windows 10, but at this point I'm not sure if it's even avalaible.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-n...-pirates-2015-5

Point is you don't really need to upgrade to Windows 10 anytime soon, so stick to that 7.

As for surge protectors... Well I'll give it to you all, I kind of forgot you guys in UK probably have proper electrical wiring everywhere. In this case it'd indeed be pointless to get one.

Edit: CPU-cooler is indeed ESSENTIAL! Can't believe I missed that. :<

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

Yeah monkey, you did include the cpu fan and heatsink, but I must have forgot to find it in the links that you sent to me, I posted it just above. Concerning the OS, I may as well just buy a cheap and legitimate windows 7 or 8 usb or whatever and just upgrade it to windows 10 if that is possible, I don't really want to be getting involved in all this dodgy stuff. Didn't think I needed the surge protector, I have never had a single short circuit in my house, the electrics are awesome in UK. I think I will just stick to the GPU I have already, can't be bothered to make "meaningful posts" or an "account". I don't think I need to change anything other than the case to be honest, I would rather just get a case with fans and all that rather than having to install my own fans for another £20.

[dpbmt]

my pirate copy of win 7 updated to win 10 just fine ,

Personally I would ditch the 980 (seems a waste on a 60hz screen IMO) , get a 390/970 and put the savings toward building an X99/socket 2011 system (i.e 5820k )

oh and them WD green drives are painfully slow , you want a blue or black if you go WD

[MonkeyFiend]

my pirate copy of win 7 updated to win 10 just fine ,

Personally I would ditch the 980 (seems a waste on a 60hz screen IMO) , get a 390/970 and put the savings toward building an X99/socket 2011 system (i.e 5820k )

oh and them WD green drives are painfully slow , you want a blue or black if you go WD

I'm surprised by that with windows 10

The 5820k's are nice 22nm lithography, but essentially looking at something like 6 cores, 12 threads at 3.6ghz? At lot of games these days are poor at running across many cores. Taking chivalry for example, throwing a massive multisocket beast at it but it does better on an OCd 4790k as it tends to prefer core clock speed processing instead of multiple processing streams

[TurboMidget]

@hobbit: the static wristbands are a waste of money. I've handled components for many years without issue. One sensible precaution is before handling chips ground yourself out on something in the house e.g. most central heating copper pipes are earthed in the UK, so touching one of these before tinkering with the cpu/boards should earth you.

This depends on the circumstances. If you for example have a tiled floor and like to run around the house naked, sure, you'll do fine without a wristband. If you however like to wear your warm, fluffy socks on your warm, fluffy carpet, you might want to consider one. Most manufacturers take precautions to prevent static electricity from messing with your hardware, but just as with a fire you'd be wishing you had done something to help you out once your house burns down. Besides, they cost about as much as the nicer artic cooler stuff

Personally I would ditch the 980 (seems a waste on a 60hz screen IMO) , get a 390/970 and put the savings toward building an X99/socket 2011 system (i.e 5820k )

He might have a nice 1080p/60Hz screen now but will he have one in two years as well? Besides, the GPU will almost always prove to be the bottleneck in the future, so why pick a better CPU instead of a GPU?


Also, what does dankest mean nowadays? I always thought it had something to do with pot.

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

The wristband is like £1 and I have 3 cats which dump hair everywhere and a lot of carpets, better safe than sorry, and it is my first time so I want to be careful.

I'm not budging on the CPU and GPU, I want the 980 and I can always replace it if I need to.

Originally it came from smoking some good ass dope kush, but it works in this case because this pc is going to make me high, it is my new addiction.

Also, does the case need to be Corsair for the PSU to fit, or are pretty much all pc components interchangeable nowadays?

[TurboMidget]

Interchangable. Most PSU slots nowadays are just a cut-out back part and room for your PSU. No more brackets etc. Screws go on the back again. If I'm not mistaken, most PSU's will have roughly the same dimensions too.

And I'll schedule some pc-free rehab for you. How does the 21st of August sound to you?

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

Day after my gcse results, I'll either be crying or celebrating, so we will see, but that is probably when I will order all the components. What would this rehab entail or am I just missing a joke or something? lol

[Yet Another Fool]

oh and them WD green drives are painfully slow , you want a blue or black if you go WD

Didn't see that.

Once upon a time, I hated mechanical hard disks. And then I met a true beast, the Barracuda.

[TurboMidget]

Just a joke, my sweet hobbit

[The Malefic Trou...]

I would like to take this minute to appreciate SSD.

Going off-topic but before I got my first SSD I read a lot about them and thought to myself 'can they really be that great?' and fuck they are.

Thank you for reading.

See you on the next Storytime with Trout.

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

So is that Barracuda hard drive worth getting instead of the one in my list?

Also I didn't even know what an SSD was recently, I did computing at school but we learned next to nothing in it, I thought I was pretty good with computer knowledge but I guess not. At least I can write 90 words per minute on a keyboard, not a total pleb.

[Yet Another Fool]

Hobbit, I think the new Barracuda disks are (one of) the best fully mechanical hard disks performance-wise.
I have two 3TB and one 2TB disks for almost three years and they are still rocking. I sometimes transfer movies from my SSD (download folder on main disk (I know I can move it but I won't)) to a 2TB barracuda, and it starts writing at 300MB/s and doesnt go slower than 140MB/s so its pretty speedy for a hard disk.

[dpbmt]

I'm surprised by that with windows 10

The 5820k's are nice 22nm lithography, but essentially looking at something like 6 cores, 12 threads at 3.6ghz? At lot of games these days are poor at running across many cores. Taking chivalry for example, throwing a massive multisocket beast at it but it does better on an OCd 4790k as it tends to prefer core clock speed processing instead of multiple processing streams

Was quite surprised my self too , its fully activated and receiving updates too , wonder how long it will last tho ...

Ye i guess so , x99 just looks more appealing to me this time round tho , just the silly prices on ram putting me off upgrading

Even so 4970k is a solid chip , it will last a lonnng time.

He might have a nice 1080p/60Hz screen now but will he have one in two years as well? Besides, the GPU will almost always prove to be the bottleneck in the future, so why pick a better CPU instead of a GPU?

depends what you want from your pc i guess , x99 has a few advantages but at a (slightly) higher cost !

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

Could someone recommend a good case for me please. I have a few in mind but I'm not sure what brands are best or if it is the right size and all that. Thanks.

[TurboMidget]

I have a massive, completely unnecessary case, the Cooler Master 690 III. That thing is absolutely gorgeous. Massive, but gorgeous. I think the dimensions float somewhere between a mid-tower and full sized tower. Decent build quality too so I wouldn't be surprised if I'm still using it in 10 years. I paid about 80 euros for it though so it'll be in the 70 pound range in the UK.

As for brands, they don't really tend to matter, but well known brands such as Cooler Master, Corsair and BitFenix will have a name to uphold so you can expect those cases to be of better quality. I've heard good things about Lian Li cases too but those cost as much as your average CPU.

[The Malefic Trou...]

http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/...udget_cases_50/ <- might be worth reading through all of that

How about something like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-Carbide-Se...r/dp/B009GXZ8MM

A lot of people (players) seem to enjoy it. Comes with 2 fans with space for 3 more.

[Yet Another Fool]

Comes with 2 fans with space for 3 more.

I have a lot of fans too. Not enough girls but can't be that picky.

[Bucket]

I have a lot of fans too. Not enough girls but can't be that picky.

I have a sign on my door that says ''no gurls alloud1!!!!1111'' anyway.

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

Ah damn, that is a good choice but I think I need more than just 2 USB slots, need 2 for my keyboard and mouse and probably 1 for other things, like installing my OS from a USB stick. Maybe I could get away with taking out the keyboard and replacing it with the USB stick for that one occasion, I'm not sure if the keyboard is vitally necessary in the process of setting it up. I'll have a look on the reddit discussion though, I will probably find the perfect one there.

EDIT: I'm seeing a lot of cases with very few fans built into them, how hard is it to add fans and how would I do it? Is it basically just screwing them in to random open spaces around the case? Also can 2 fans keep the components cool or is it almost necessary to add extra fans? And about the USB ports, should I just get one of those multi port usb hubs that allow you to plug in more? If I stick with the case that monkey originally suggested, would I need to add extra fans? Sorry about all the questions, I literally have no experience with desktops, but hey, teach a man to fish and he can build his own pc I guess.

[The Malefic Trou...]

Hobbit, your motherboard comes with 12 USB ports, 6 x 3.0 and 6 x 2.0. It says so right in its Amazon description. Your case wouldn't even need to have ports.

There are designated places for the fans to be placed in. You know, where all the little holes in the case are. So the air can flow. Not a fan expert, but it's definitely not hard to get more of them or install them, don't worry there.

Long story short: wouldn't worry about overheating unless you're overclocking or it's ridiculously hot inside. Side fans help, two is minimum since one sucks cold air in and the other pumps it out. But still it's mainly your components' personal fans job to keep their bosses nice and cool.

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

lol I really don't get this, I guess I have to wait until I see it with my own eyes. I know the motherboard has the 12 ports, but how do you plug the USB sticks into the ports unless they are built into the case? Do you just plug them into the actual motherboard or something? I thought that just meant it had the potential to support up to 12 USB ports if the case could allow that many ports, but I know nothing about this stuff. Damn I am such a noob

[Vincent Dank Gog...]

The motherboard will slot into the case in such a way that the USB ports will be accessible from the back of the case. Usually there are a few audio or USB ports on the front of the case, and those will plug into the motherboard via a cable provided by the case.

I have a sign on my door that says ''no gurls alloud1!!!!1111'' anyway.

He's carried that over from the duel server, you know.

[Yet Another Fool]

Hobbit, assembling a surprise from a KinderSurprise is more difficult than building a computer.

Look at the three pictures here I took at work for you.

Picture 1 : the USB ports on the case are connected to the motherboard with the black cable I'm holding
http://www.sneakymonkeys.com/forums/upload...-1439250727.jpg

Picture 2 : look at the black cables labelled "USBx"
http://www.sneakymonkeys.com/forums/upload...-1439250754.jpg

Picture 3 : one more free slot for additional USB ports
http://www.sneakymonkeys.com/forums/upload...-1439250770.jpg


PS: this PC is a mess, don't be scared because of the poor cable management.

[TurboMidget]

No worries hobbit, you'll do fine

Just make sure you keep the manuals close, especially the motherboard one, and a laptop with internet ready to go.

[The Malefic Trou...]

I've been wondering, guys what do you guys think about grounding yourself the way many people seem to do it which is installing PSU first, plugging that into the wall, turning PSU OFF and then either:

1. touch a metal part of a case every once in a while

2. use an antistatic wrist strap and connect it to the grill on the PSU

Asking this question because while a ton of people recommend doing it this way, some say it's extremely dangerous.

Well I guess it all depends on whether your wiring is done properly or not...

[TurboMidget]

I think most of those little things the internet suggests (especially on reddit) are people overreacting to very unlikely events that might happen. Often they're relying on old information from a time where it really was necessary or someone took electrotechnology 101 and now considers himself an expert.

As long as you wear an antistatic strap and connect it to a decent surface like the computer case or copper heat tubing or whatever, you'll be fine. Even without, Monkey's stuff seems to have survived for over a decade.

I would advise against connecting an antistatic strap to something on your PSU though. If you attach it to the grill of your PSU I'm going to assume a part of it actually enters the PSU and well, that casing it there for a reason. Next to that, I don't really see the point in doing that. There's tons of surfaces you can better ground yourself on than your PSU casing and no, connecting to your PSU casing doesn't mean you're connected to ground through the cable in the wall. That would imply there's a possibility of current running through your PSU casing and that's a big no no when designing a PSU.

[MonkeyFiend]

...

I think there's a requirement to ensure all cases are earthed, so that if live did reach the case due to a malfunction people couldn't zap themselves by touching the case. All psu's should touch the case in someway (either directly or via screws) and therefore the metal of the case should be earthed providing the psu is plugged into a 3 pin (earth) cable (preferably without the power on! ) as all PSU enclosures are also earthed in the same way for the same reasons and providing you're touching a metal part of the case that isn't painted.

[TurboMidget]

Hmm, didn't know that. I just figured that you wouldn't want a capacitor to lose it's charge into your hand after you've just unplugged the cable from the wall

[The Malefic Trou...]

I think there's a requirement to ensure all cases are earthed, so that if live did reach the case due to a malfunction people couldn't zap themselves by touching the case. All psu's should touch the case in someway (either directly or via screws) and therefore the metal of the case should be earthed providing the psu is plugged into a 3 pin (earth) cable (preferably without the power on! ) as all PSU enclosures are also earthed in the same way for the same reasons and providing you're touching a metal part of the case that isn't painted.

So generally PSU installed, plugged in, turned off, strap connected to either not painted part of the case or PSU itself is the way to go? I think the last part doesn't even make any difference since in case of PSU being already installed case and PSU kind of become one thing (you know, when it comes to grounding).

[TurboMidget]

Well, there's still the thing where you shouldn't stick anything conductive into the block that has 230 Volts coming in. It's a way to go but not the way to go. And yes, "way to go" has a double meaning here. But seriously, anything metal will do, from copper heat tubing to your metal case to your cold, iron heart. Don't get set on using your PSU

[The Malefic Trou...]

Should have thought about my heart earlier, you're a genius Turbo!!!

[HackedPenguin]

When I got a new PSU and GPU and started to install them, I just kept touching the case every once in a while, and since nothing blew up I assume that's a safe way of doing it

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

Told my mum I'm not getting a laptop and instead getting a desktop. She was fine with that. Then told her I was going to be building it myself (was going to wait until the parts arrived but I was feeling brave). She then begins to shout at me saying that "I'm going to end up spending thousands if you mess it up". She still said yes though XD

[The Malefic Trou...]

What's the best way to ground yourself?

- Yell at your parents

[Yet Another Fool]

I don't understand that debate about grounded/wristband securities.

Just build your PC unplugged from the wall outlet. Once finished plug the power cord into the PSU, then the other end in the wall, and then use the switch to set the PSU on so you can power on the computer.

I built at least 10 computers, fixed countless, and never had any issues.

[TurboMidget]

It has to do with static electricity. In theory you can build up a static charge that, if you're isolated from the ground, can't escape except to the motherboard you've just touched. Now, say you touch a path instead of the ground plane on the motherboard, there's a (very small) risk that you just sent a (tiny) current through two components in such a way that, again, in theory, could damage your motherboard to the point where it will no longer function or function properly. However, engineers aren't idiots (well, electrical engineers aren't anyway. I can't speak for the ball-loving mechanicals) and I can only imagine they've started building in safe guards to prevent this years ago.

The other thing is that, yes, people don't always unplug their pc from the wall. See the above example of people plugging in the PSU to ground themselves.

I'm afraid I don't know any details on the subject as static electricity and its effects on components are a field of research on its own. Al we're told is "ground yourself or you'll cost your future company millions!".

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

There are only 3 things I'm worrying about when building this PC.

1. Some parts not fitting correctly or a component that doesn't work with the others.

2. The power cable management, like plugging all the right wires into the corresponding pins and sockets.

3. Something going wrong as soon as I turn it on, like something short circuiting or bursting into flames.

I watched the tutorial for a second time, and I'm pretty sure I know how to prevent these things from happening but obviously I'm worried something will go wrong, but at least I know about the USB ports now, but why are they on the back of the case? Also, when installing the CPU, does it matter about the orientation of the CPU placement on the motherboard? If so, is it easy to tell the orientation just by looking at it or do I need to read some manuals to figure it out? Other than that, the OS is still bothering me. I haven't got a problem downloading it off of TPB, but if I put it onto a USB stick, will it definitely work and run so I can install it when I boot up my PC?

[DARwin]

Nearly everting in your pc is build after a certain standard/norm which pretty much makes it impossible for you to put something wrong together. Same goes for your power cable management or other connections. In doubt just consult their corresponding manual (especially the one for the graphics card). The socket for the cpu is similarly build in a fashion that it is clearly marked/slotted in which orientation the cpu has to be installed.

PS. If you haven't already done you can check out the manual of your motherboard and it's beep codes. They are a great help in case something is wrong and you have no clue what is going on.

(edited that first out, may be confusing)
Static electricity isn't that big of an issue, the solder-mask insulates* (to some degree, can be increased by epoxy capping etc.) your traces so you won't be touching anything conducting as long as you don't touch any smds/pads/vias/pins/leads etc. directly anyhow(and many of those have probably a nano-coat applied nowadays), depending on the hardware/manufacturer you could also have extra build in ics that are protecting the board from esds (mostly in hardware that happens to be touched frequently), also many ics come with some kind of protection already build in nowadays. Heck once I even managed to miss-orient an qfn and found out after an hour of debugging, that thing survived even though it should have been toast by the data sheet.

(also note solder-mask is NOT and insulator, it has just certain resistive properties, do NOT rely on it as an insulator as protection, never ever think that it is ok to touch a live circuit board by its solder-mask(even if the traces are on low voltages etc.). Given many people do it and nothing happens, but just to make that clear...)

[Yet Another Fool]

If you are wearing a wool hoodie, yes you MAY have enough static electricity to do some little damage. But anyway, you'd be a hipster then so nobody can help you.

1. Some parts not fitting correctly or a component that doesn't work with the others.

-> http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/file...s/?id=495128599
If it won't work, it won't fit.

2. The power cable management, like plugging all the right wires into the corresponding pins and sockets.

-> Same as above

3. Something going wrong as soon as I turn it on, like something short circuiting or bursting into flames.

-> Even if you don't cool your CPU down and it reaches 100°C, two things can happen, and none are an atomic explosion. Or the computer shuts down, or (CPU throttling) the CPU speed is reduced to keep current temperature and not heat more. Other components are less likely to heat/explode (the graphic card already has its cooler on it, so no worry about it).

at least I know about the USB ports now, but why are they on the back of the case?

Because the USB ports are on the motherboard. The case has a "hole" for all input/output ports that are on the motherboard. It seems logial to me that the cables you never need to move (keyboard, mouse, monitor, power, etc.) are out of your view. Nobody (except DARwon) likes seeing a lot of cables in a mess. Front (case) USB ports are here to provide ease of access to plug usb stick or stuff like that, you won't leave them plugged in for a long time.

Also, when installing the CPU, does it matter about the orientation of the CPU placement on the motherboard?

As a lot of components do, you can't insert it the wrong way, they are designed to fit only in the correct orientation (is a square with a small hole in the low-right area i think, and with a cut corner)

Other than that, the OS is still bothering me. I haven't got a problem downloading it off of TPB, but if I put it onto a USB stick, will it definitely work and run so I can install it when I boot up my PC?

Test it on your current computer : power on with usb stick plugged in, look for "boot menu" option (should be F9 F10 F11 or F12, depending on the mobo manufacture), select usb key, you will probably see "press any key to boot from..." If not, installation wizard appears. If you don't pick "Upgrade" OR pick "Custom" and select a hard disk, this will do NOTHING to your current OS. Cancel or reboot (you can even hold the power button for 4 secs) and you are back to normal.

[MonkeyFiend]

There is an issue of stuff not working together to an extent e.g. I could plonk 2400mhz memory in an old asus board that supports memory speeds of 1600. technically it would fit, but it won't work. However aside from one or two minor issues most stuff it it fits together should work. A couple of things to note, have a look at your graphics card of choice to see whether the dedicated power is 6 or 8 pin, then see what you have on the psu - I put an old computer together where I had a pair of 8 pins connectors on the psu and the graphics card had 6 pin connectors. Only cost a few pounds for an adapter cable, but something to look out for.

If you post what you plan to be the final setup here, am sure between us all we could confirm it'll all work nicely together.

As mentioned above, if the cooling on teh cpu is insufficient the computer will tend to just shutdown. The only component I've ever had problems with overheating was the northbridge (especially on asus motherboards for some reason).

Regarding slotting the cpu, there's usually a pin/hole missing in one corner (often with a triangular arrow type marker), corresponding to the same on the motherboard so you know you've put it in the right way.

USB versions of windows will certainly work for installing, the only time you come a cropper is trying to boot on a really old system that doesn't support usb boot or if you're running in non-uefi legacy bios type mode and trying to boot of a usb key that's more than 16gb (as a result of legacy only supporting fat32 filesystems and 16gb+ usb things mostly being ntfs). If you make sure you've got a usb stick up to 16gb you should be fine (although writing an iso image to a usb can sometimes be tricky, there are plenty of tools to do it magiciso/yumi etc.)

BTW what version of windows are you after?

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

Can't find my usb stick, I probably just have to buy another one. Ideally Windows 10 but if that is unavailable yet then I think Windows 8 will do, maybe won't risk Windows 10 yet since it was only just released and might be a bit buggy. What do I do once I have got to the stage of writing an image to the usb? Do I have to tamper with it myself or will it automatically format the download so it can work?

Btw thanks for all your help so far, everyone. Only 8 days left until my results and then the purchasing of the parts D:

[The Malefic Trou...]

The .iso creator tool will do everything for you, just make sure you select the USB.

If you plan on upgrading to W10 just get the cheaper OS, not like it matters. The prices are similar though

One more thing, I've been using W10 for 2 weeks now and I'm loving it, really enjoy the tiles in Start menu. So convenient and elegant. Haven't encountered any serious issues or bugs so far, one thing I've noticed is that not responding programs take quite a bit longer for 10 to close. But other than that it's great.

[MonkeyFiend]

I think Windows 8 will do...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Microsoft-FQC-0691...o/dp/B00FRAE7I4

Always windows 8.1 instead of windows 8!

To save you a bit of money, I've gifted you a legit retail key for the above (see your PMs), so you don't have to buy one.

You can download win 8.1 pro 32/64 bit retail from the microsoft site and use the key I've sent.

[HackedPenguin]

To save you a bit of money, I've gifted you a legit retail key for the above (see your PMs), so you don't have to buy one.

Could you gift me something too?

[Yet Another Fool]

although writing an iso image to a usb can sometimes be tricky, there are plenty of tools to do it magiciso/yumi etc.)

Rufus is an awesome tool for making bootable USB
https://rufus.akeo.ie/?locale=en_US

[GuyIncognito]

Regarding upgrading to win 10 from pirated win 7, the reason I said that was because Microsoft recently made the decision to allow anyone(private individuals not companies) to upgrade free to win 10, no matter if you have an illegal version or not. The reason for this is mainly because of China and the huge numbers of illegal windows copies in use, not to mention win xp that just refuses to die, and it's an enormous breeding ground for viruses and malicious software. They make the vast majority of their windows revenue from companies anyway and have kind of given up on getting the masses to buy windows legally. They know it's gonna get pirated and for security reasons they want people to have a legal and up to date version, if they are gonna have it anyway. I personally think it's also because a potential free OS by Google could be catastrophic to their install base. Windows laptop and desktop sales decrease year after year and now is simply not the time to fuck around and lose the install base you have, with competition from the likes of Google and Apple.

Anyway, I run a pirated win 7 pro just fine. Serials are a thing of the past, you just run an .exe and you're good to go.

[Yet Another Fool]

Anyway, I run a pirated win 7 pro just fine. Serials are a thing of the past, you just run an .exe and you're good to go.

Did it for years But I'm not sure it's that easy on Win 8.1... Anyway thats two months I'm using 8.1 trial

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

As I said, closer to the purchase of my new pc I would post the list of all the new components you guys have mentioned throughout the thread.

cooling gel - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arctic-Cooling-MX-...HDP1RJXAW3ZGZRS £3.95

motherboard - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00K8KJ..._1_1&sr=8-1 £91.74

CPU - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-Core-i7-4790...HDP1RJXAW3ZGZRS £256.90

RAM - http://www.amazon.co.uk/HyperX-Series-1866...HDP1RJXAW3ZGZRS £35.54

case - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CC-9011050...ds=corsair+case
}£63.90
fans - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-Series-AF1..._bxgy_147_img_y

Hard drive - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seagate-Barracuda-...6894&sr=1-6 £54.99

SSD - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-2-5-Inch-S...HDP1RJXAW3ZGZRS £73.13

gpu - http://www.amazon.co.uk/MSI-GTX-980-Graphi...eywords=gtx+980 £405.77

wrist strap - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Anti-Static-Wrist-...A4X3CJA6FMYV6FF £0.91

keyboard - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trust-Elight-Illum...acklit+keyboard £34.99

CPU cooler - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooler-Master-RR-2...HDP1RJXAW3ZGZRS £28.50

power supply - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-Builder-Se...HDP1RJXAW3ZGZRS £57.98

Thanks to Monkey I now have windows 8.1 pro (extremely cheeky) and an 8GB usb to store it on later today, just want to make sure I do the right things first though:

According to various websites, there is a download manager for windows OS that allows you to directly install it onto the usb, but I'm not sure if this allows you to boot up a pc instantly through the usb or if I need the iso image writing software as well for this to work.

The monitor is sorted as well, pretty damn huge (32 inches) but at least I don't need to buy one. Just wondering about the cables though, I've heard the VGA cable is better than a HDMI for monitor connections, or does it make very little difference?

Any final changes to the components I have listed above and will they all work together still? I don't want to budge on the GPU, CPU or RAM, but if there are any better/more cost effective components please mention them.

I will probably be buying it all on the 20th/21st and once it has been built then I will once again play chiv in glorious fps and graphics without my pc overheating to 80C.

[Yet Another Fool]

According to various websites, there is a download manager for windows OS that allows you to directly install it onto the usb, but I'm not sure if this allows you to boot up a pc instantly through the usb or if I need the iso image writing software as well for this to work.

There are official tools but I had trouble with the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool where my ISO were not recognized. I ,then used Rufus, it burned smoothly and quicky my Win 8.1 ISO to a bootable USB. The tool wipes out the USB, makes it bootable and copies installation files on it.
If the Windows 10 tool doesnt work, Try Rufus : https://rufus.akeo.ie

The monitor is sorted as well, pretty damn huge (32 inches) but at least I don't need to buy one. Just wondering about the cables though, I've heard the VGA cable is better than a HDMI for monitor connections, or does it make very little difference?

I switched from 22 to 27" recently, I think using a bigger will cause headaches if you are not far enough

I'd say HDMI > DVI > VGA.
VGA is a analog only signal and is limited in resolution. Bound to disappear on gamer graphic cards.
DVI can be both, but you probably got a a digital only (http://www.networktechinc.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DVI-connectors-type.jpg)
HDMI is digital and will also (except if its a old version) transmit sound if you got integrated speakers, wich would suck but anyway.
The main concern is to see what output your graphic card has : DVI-I (both analog and digital), HDMI and DisplayPort. Then check what your monitor have as input.

Any final changes to the components I have listed above and will they all work together still? I don't want to budge on the GPU, CPU or RAM, but if there are any better/more cost effective components please mention them.

In my opinion, i7 isn't a good fit for games. I got a i7 first gen for my last rig, and now i5 4'th gen and I find the new i5 more powerful for gaming. You only loose HyperThreading, which isn't useful (and can cause problems) in most cases for games but only useful for multitasking. A i5 is cheaper than a i7.

Also, I see you chose RAM clocked at 1866MHz but you CPU nativly manages 1600MHz. I'm not that experienced with overclocking but it's possible that your RAM would be downlocked to 1600MHz, and those designed for 1600 are slightly cheaper. Can someone tell if it would work anyway at 1866MHz ? http://ark.intel.com/fr/products/80807/Int...-up-to-4_40-GHz

[The Malefic Trou...]

In my opinion, i7 isn't a good fit for games. I got a i7 first gen for my last rig, and now i5 4'th gen and I find the new i5 more powerful for gaming. You only loose HyperThreading, which isn't useful (and can cause problems) in most cases for games but only useful for multitasking. A i5 is cheaper than a i7.

Ditto.

Wouldn't say i7 is actually bad for gaming, but it's definitely not better than i5. Most games are not threaded enough to benefit from hyperthreading, and even the threaded ones have parts/stages that depend almost entirely on single threads. So unless you're going to do tasks like 3D rendering or video editing you'll be better off with i5 since it's cheaper.

[Yet Another Fool]

Ditto.

Wouldn't say i7 is actually bad for gaming, but it's definitely not better than i5. Most games are not threaded enough to benefit from hyperthreading, and even the threaded ones have parts/stages that depend almost entirely on single threads. So unless you're going to do tasks like 3D rendering or video editing you'll be better off with i5 since it's cheaper.

Yeah, my post is misleading, i5 is not more powerful than i7, but you will pay at 50% more for 5-10% more performance, that's why I don't recommand i7 for gaming computer.

[The Malefic Trou...]

I don't even think the performance increase is that high, last time I read about it it was more like 1-2% maximum when it comes to gaming

Edit: especially since most modern games rely mostly on GPU, except for strategy games like Total War or MMOs.

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

So basically just replace the CPU with the most powerful i5 I can get instead of the i7? Even with this laptop I haven't really had a problem with the CPU (it is also i5) the only major problem is the overheating and occasionally the RAM, but I rarely have both games and the RAM devourer Google Chrome open at the same time, maximum I've ever had is 5GB RAM usage when I was checking how much AC black flag would take up on max settings with chrome open at the same time...those 5fps hurt me a lot. I doubt I will be doing video editing at all, unless I decide to do youtube, which is highly unlikely, so I guess i5 it is.

[Yet Another Fool]

the only major problem is the overheating

The cooling system on a laptop is way less efficient than a desktop one, even with the stock cooling system.

Don't worry about performance with an i5, when we say its less powerful in multitasking, you still be able to have Chrome with 4-5 tabs open, skype/teamspeak and your game without any issue. We are talking about heavy multitasking like in a intensive work environment.

[TurboMidget]

CPU: no need to replace it if you don't want to. i7's and i5's don't have huge differences in gaming though but there are, considering the price differences and depending on what game you want to play, definitely some things that set them apart and again, depending on the circumstances, they're way bigger than 1-2%, that much I can guarantee you. If you're sticking mostly to games like chivalry or rocket league (games that don't need a great deal of calculating power but rely more on graphics to make things look pretty) then a high i5 should do fine. If you play strategy games as well (or other games that require more calculating as to what unit is where etc), then you'll see better performance with an i7. Outside of games, when there's calculations coming into play (think anything from editing videos/photoshop to running simulation programs/CAD for school/college) the i7 will again prove to be at a advantage.

Basically, if you feel more comfortable having an i7 over an i5, go i7. No need to listen to what every single person on the internet says if you don't want to, this post included

As for your laptop, it probably has a Mobile i5 CPU in it. They're specifically designed for laptops and tend to have lower clockspeeds, less cache memory etc to make sure it doesn't burn a hole in your laptop case. i5M's are more comparable to a desktop i3's than to desktop i5's.

And for some personal experience: I currently have a 2 year old i5-4670K in my desktop. It can easily handle multiple tabs in chrome and a game like the witcher 3 at the same time, but I am starting to see limits in strategy games. Sometimes this is because of crappy coding in the game itself, sometimes this is because I want bigger units in Rome 2 or Shogun 2 than my CPU can handle. I don't regret getting an i5 instead of an i7 (i7's were a lot more pricier 2 years ago compared to i5's), but I don't think my CPU will be able to keep up with modern strategy games 3 years from now.

And a final note: CPU's fit in a socket on your motherboard. These sockets will have a number like 2011 to show what size it is. This number is mentioned at the CPU description as well. If you switch from an i7 to an i5, you'll most likely have to look for a new motherboard as i7's and i5's have different sizes and therefore different socket types.

[Yet Another Fool]

I currently have a 2 year old i5-4670K in my desktop.

Got the same Nice CPU !

If you switch from an i7 to an i5, you'll most likely have to look for a new motherboard as i7's and i5's have different sizes and therefore different socket types.

NO MILORD

http://ark.intel.com/products/75048/Intel-...-up-to-3_80-GHz -> FCLGA1150
http://ark.intel.com/products/80807/Int...-up-to-4_40-GHz -> FCLGA1150

[TurboMidget]

http://ark.intel.com/products/75048/Intel-...-up-to-3_80-GHz -> FCLGA1150
http://ark.intel.com/products/80807/Int...-up-to-4_40-GHz -> FCLGA1150

Huh, lucky hobbit then.

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

Well I pretty much play everything, not just rocket league and chiv, also bought a lot of the batman games and will eventually buy witcher 3 (maybe since I didn't like the 1st one at all) and mount and blade 2 But as well as those I play a lot of strategy games like the total war games and civ, so my pc needs to be an all-rounder that can handle every type of game. If the i5 you guys suggested can do that, then I am a lucky hobbit indeed. Thanks for all the advice guys!

EDIT: Found this i5 CPU for about £100 less than the i7, by the looks of it, it should still work with my current motherboard as they both have the LGA 1150 socket thing http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-4690K-Proces...ywords=i5+4690k I'm guessing the 4690k is the strongest i5 available (the higher the number the better it is, right?)

I think I'm learning about the computerings!

[Yet Another Fool]

I think I'm learning about the computerings!

Yes, 4 6 9 0
4 because it's 4th generation of i5
6 is an indication low-middle-high end CPU in the intel catalog (i5 highest is 6 and i7 highest is 7. Xeon - server cpu - is 8)
9 because its the most powerful of this low/middle/high range.
0 because everybody likes "round" numbers.
K because you can overclock it if your motherboard supports it (I wouldn't recommand it at this time)

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

Well, downloading the OS onto the USB was so much easier than I thought lol, literally just had to choose the language and what edition it was and wait for it to install XD

GG Windows Installation Media Creation Tool

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

Ah, it was a good journey, and I learned a lot from all your advice, but the time has come and my mother has decided that I am not allowed to build my own PC, alas, I will get one from Cyberpowerpc prebuilt. We had a good run guys, thanks for the help, but I have lost the battle... RIP

[The Malefic Trou...]

Uhm... there are computer stores that offer to build a custom PC for you - would that be an option?

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

I've customized a PC to almost the exact specs I was originally going to use, I know them off by heart now :'(

[The Malefic Trou...]

Hobbit, like I said, find a store that will build the pc for you if you order the parts from them. There are plenty of such stores. Ask your mom if that'd be ok.

[Yet Another Fool]

Don't forget to tell the store that you don't want an operating system as you already have a windows product key.

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

Hobbit, far be it from me to give you any rebellious ideas , but why are you not allowed to build your own pc? is it because she is afraid that you break something? or get electrocuted?
Normally you will get the best value if you're building it yourself (assemble is more correct)

And yes finding a custom builder would be the best option as said by the Malicious Fish (Do you have newegg in UK?)

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

Is it worth it to buy water cooling? Or is it just pointless and expensive? (I know how it works but I'm just wondering if fans might be better in the long run)

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

I have a dark rock 3 so I don't know about watercooling :x It's probably not good unless you go for 90 pound (100 euros) all in one so too expensive for your build (IMO)


If you ask this question, Did you win the "argument" ?

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

Well my mum said I can basically get anything as long as I don't build it myself, so I'm just going all out on this one, could even get a couple of 980Ti gpus XD

[Yet Another Fool]

Turns out well at the end of the story
Get 16GB RAM and a i7 then

Well, I'm not than fan of water-cooling... (got the pun, did you get it ? ... right ?), most often is basically a small water tank on the component to cool down, and it's pumped to... wait for it... a couple of fans ! Those are not very expensive but in my HONEST (never actually tested it) opinion I wouldn't risk getting my PC being flooded by water for a couple of °C.

There are also fanless systems with a big water tank (like 3 to 10 liters) outside of the computer that should be more effective and produce almost no noise, but I'm not sure they still exist as I didn't see any of these for a while. Also the water for both water based systems has to be treated from time to time against algae so it does require some maintenance. To be fair, I'm not sure its more work than removing the dust/dirt from a fan based system once a year but it's less risky at least.

Hybrid water-fan systems cost about the same as a good fan based cooling system, eg a Noctua.

[TurboMidget]

Don't let fool's pretty talk fool you, a 30 or 40 euro aftermarket cooler will do just as well, even if you're doing mild overclocking

[The Malefic Trou...]

TLDR; just don't rely on stock cooling for you CPU if you think about OCing

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

10% overclock and full PC cooling (maximum fans for the case) with thermal compound and organised wiring. I will replace the water cooler with a CPU fan cooler to save a bit of money I think, not sure if I want water to be next to something so volatile and expensive.

Specs: i5-4690K 3.5GHz 10% OC, GTX980 4GB, 2TB HDD, 250GB SSD, 8GB RAM (because I really don't need more than that) same motherboard but gaming 7 instead of gaming 3 (apparently adds a couple more USB slots and stuff) windows 8.1 (which I will update to 8.1 Pro and then windows 10 Pro if possible, is it possible with overclocking or does that have nothing to do with the OS?)

[The Malefic Trou...]

Nothing to do with OS

[Yet Another Fool]

Why do you want Windows Pro ?
http://wincom.blob.core.windows.net/docume...Table_FINAL.pdf

[TurboMidget]

Because Monkey gave him a key and I don't think 8.1 pro will upgrade to the home edition of 10.

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

I haven't used the Windows 8.1 Key yet, so if it isn't worth getting 10 Pro then I probably won't use it. Monkey, I can delete the key if you want or give it to someone else, your choice.

[TurboMidget]

I don't follow anymore. Why wouldn't you want to use the free key monkey gave you free of charge? It's free! After getting 8.1 you can easily upgrade with that little window that microsoft has been bugging me with for the past few months.

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

Well Fool said it isn't much different from windows 10 home, but whatever lol

[Yet Another Fool]

Yeah if you can order the computer without a licence key, use the one Monkey gave you whatever the Windows flavour it is. Just wanted to point out that almost all Pro features will be useless.

[Stupid Fat Hobbi...]

Yeah, I checked the differences and Pro seems like it is mainly for small businesses and stuff like that, all I need is just an OS that works and is easy to use, I'll let Monkey decide though.

[Sneeky]

Regarding Liquid cooling If you decide to get it I would avoid water and use some other kind of cooling solvent as if you have a leak with water you can say bye bye to some of your new computer .