Strategy to PC building.

[Richard I]

I was going to build a PC via youtube tutorial since I know nothing about PC's, but my brother thinks I'm an idiot.

My initial plan was to spend about $800 or so, emphasizing on an SSD, CPU, and GPU. Of course I want higher end on most everything.

My brother said to stop being stupid and just buy a pre-made PC for like $600, I told him you could build a much better PC for the same price but he is convinced that I'm wrong.


What approach would yall take?

[Missing Spartan]

Build it yourself. A 600 dollar pre-built is going to be pretty ♥♥♥♥. 800 can get you a decent system.

[Autumn_]

Publicado originalmente por Exaotic:

I was going to build a PC via youtube tutorial since I know nothing about PC's, but my brother thinks I'm an idiot.

My initial plan was to spend about $800 or so, emphasizing on an SSD, CPU, and GPU. Of course I want higher end on most everything.

My brother said to stop being stupid and just buy a pre-made PC for like $600, I told him you could build a much better PC for the same price but he is convinced that I'm wrong.


What approach would yall take?

Building my own PC.

But don't get him wrong, there are many benifits of Pre-builts, so long as you do your research.
In some cases, like the pre-build my father got himself, we got more than what the original price was for, and it was on special offer. So you COULDN'T have built that PC for the money. (And it had pretty decent parts for a prebuild.)

But, there are loads of benifits of building one yourself; The experience, you know what's in it, you'll learn about what does what, and usualy it's cheaper than pre-builts.

Most people (on this forum) would reccomend you to build your own; as would I. But if you feel a pre-built suits you best, then get one, just look into it first.

[Wichtelman]

there are indeed good pre-builds but the problem is most sellers cheap as much as possible on each part for max profit...

[sawdust3d]

Yup, absolutely build it yourself. For both the value & the knowledge.

The hardware selection is probably more daunting than the assembly/installation.

As far as YouTube tutorials, here's a great basic "how to build a PC" webcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK51upU5bkU

[r.linder]

https://pcpartpicker.com/guide/vpYcCJ/modest-amd-gaming-build This build guide is pretty decent and within budget.

[Overseer]

You've already pointed out that you want to build it yourself. If you want to do that as a learning experience there is no reason to buy a pre-build one. If you would say "i don't want to spend time on building one" it would be the other way around.
While i am not against pre-build - and there are good ones - i can tell you that one of their primary problems is that you have often no control over specific parts. Like a "16 GB RAM" note says nothing about its vendor, quality or specifications. If you buy it yourself you know its part number XXYY, speed at CLX, single/dual/quad channel, B-die, so and so. Which often means that you get cheap memory kits in pre-build.
Same with the PSU and mainboard (just look at the 2000 USD Wallmart build).

[nullable]

Publicado originalmente por Exaotic:

My brother said to stop being stupid and just buy a pre-made PC for like $600, I told him you could build a much better PC for the same price but he is convinced that I'm wrong.

What approach would yall take?

Well it sounds like you can build your PC and he can buy pre-builts and tell himself whatever stories he wants. If his price point is $600 it sounds like he doesn't have very much interest in the PC platform or value higher end parts. And he should really stop projecting his bush league entry level values onto the rest of the world.

If you're buying entry level, $300-$500 it is harder to do better than a prebuilt. OEM's aren't paying retail prices for hardware so they can usually sell the entry level machines for the same price a you buying them retail and still make money.

The larger the budget usually equates to a better value compared to prebuilts. The reason for this is OEM's sell a lot more $500 machines than $800 machines. As a result the profit margin needs to be higher on midrange and highend machines to make up for the lower volume of sales.

But it all comes down to where your interest lay, where your budget is, and what you want to do. I always build my PC's, lots of people do.

[sawdust3d]

$800 late 2018 build guide


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYsT-i7L5tc

[InfinityJosh]

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Qjx8w6

[Richard I]

Thank y'all.

Also: how do you know what parts work together?

[The Chicagoan]

Publicado originalmente por Exaotic:

I was going to build a PC via youtube tutorial since I know nothing about PC's, but my brother thinks I'm an idiot.

My initial plan was to spend about $800 or so, emphasizing on an SSD, CPU, and GPU. Of course I want higher end on most everything.

My brother said to stop being stupid and just buy a pre-made PC for like $600, I told him you could build a much better PC for the same price but he is convinced that I'm wrong.


What approach would yall take?

Your brother is an idiot. Show him this comment that I'm typing so he realizes how much of an idiot he is. First off, prebuilts are never the way to go if you want a custom PC for yourself, first off they are overpriced, most prebuilts. Also you could build yourself a PC for way cheaper too. So I'm assuming your brother knows almost nothing about computers since he said that. Buying prebuilts is never the way to go.

[r.linder]

Publicado originalmente por Exaotic:

Thank y'all.

Also: how do you know what parts work together?

Sites like PCPartPicker have built-in compatibility filters which sort out parts that aren't compatible with each other as you put the list together. What you'll mostly see get filtered out are related to clearance and support on the motherboard.

[HypersleepyNaputunia]

you first pick what your goal is with graphics 1080p, 1440, or 4k
then pick the gpu you can do that most cheaply and effectively with
then find matching cpu

[tacoshy]

Publicado originalmente por Escorve:

Publicado originalmente por Exaotic:

Thank y'all.

Also: how do you know what parts work together?

Sites like PCPartPicker have built-in compatibility filters which sort out parts that aren't compatible with each other as you put the list together. What you'll mostly see get filtered out are related to clearance and support on the motherboard.

Terrible Advice:

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/tacoshy/saved/#view=WwpnHx

PcPartPicker does not tell all compabiltiy issues nor even basic stuff that are terrible matched as in this test build.
It does not recognize that the CPU cant do SLI because of missing lanes, nor that you cant use a 360mm radiator into a case with nor adiator mount...
Also it doesnt even know that newer GPU's doesnt have VGA anymore...

Often pcpartpicker.com is recommended to new peoples to chose the aprts for the build for. The Say that it is a good and free website to know what to buy.

Obviosly it is a good site to comapre rpcies but does not repalce the experiece of professionals nor the need for an individual and professional recommendation. Who ever recommends to use pcpartpicker to chose your parts from when you have no idea what to buy, should stop doing recommendation.
Say often say that PcPartPicker will tell you all incompabilities and sisues. They dont !!!

Lets take this terribel build a part. PcPartPicker says there no issues or incompabiltiies found.

1st: A CPU cooler costing more then the CPU itself is already stupid. Unneeded and gives no advantage. The Stock cooler which is included with the APU is just fine and free.

2nd: The CPU Cooler does not fit in the case at it has no 360mm Radiator space. PcPartpicker does not know this and therefor also cant tell you that.

3rd: The motherboard is not bad, but a very bad pick. It cost evry much moeny for no advantage. You could easily divert the money to other aprts.

4th: The RAM is obviosly to low. However PcPartPicker finds no issue with it, as it doesnt know RAM requirements. It also doesnt know that Ryzen is depending on fast RAM because of the Infinity Fabric (which thsi specific APU does not have). More improtantly in thsi case that the iGPU eats already 2GB of the RAM as video memory and then an APU is dependign on fast RAM for the iGPU and requires Dual Channel. PcPartPicker does nto know such details and doesnt care for it.

5th: A bad SSD with only 32GB space which is barely enough for the OS itself. The PC would pretty much useless storage wise. PcPartPicker doesnt know such details too.

6th: RTX 2080 Ti to pair with a 2200G is already a bad idea as it heavily bottlenecks the GPU. But how should PPP know this? The APU to be paired with a GPU is stupid in the first place and ignoring the actual use of an APU (the good iGPU). Also that site does not know or recognize that the 2200G only has 8 lanes. 8lanes are not enough foir a single RTX 2080 Ti to be fully used, most importantly you cant even use it in SLI with onyl 8 lanes.

7th: PcPartPicker does not know that you need an NVLink Bridge (its not called SLI anymore with RTX)

8th: Overkill and to expensive PSU. It does not tell you that. With SLI/NVLink even if it would work. you wouldnt need 1500W. Closer to 1000W would be already mroe then sufficient.

9th: It does not tell you that Windows 10 Pro is useless for most people and that the Home would be much cheaper. Windows 10 Pro advanatage of using 512GB RAM instead of 128GB (which you cant use with that motherboard in the first place) or other minor advantages are for normal consuemrs unneeded.

10th: PcPartPicker does not know that GTX 10 (Pascal) and GTX/RTX 20 (Turing) does not have an VGA output anymore and that the monitor wont work. Also not that the monitor for that GPU's are a waste.



Conclusion: Dont relay on PcPartPicker for buildign your PC. Use it to comapre prices but if you dont know exactly what you need or how PC's are balanced and work, get an individual tailored recommendation from a professional for you!

[nullable]

Publicado originalmente por tacoshy:

Terrible Advice:

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/tacoshy/saved/#view=WwpnHx

PcPartPicker does not tell all compabiltiy issues nor even basic stuff that are terrible matched as in this test build.
It does not recognize that the CPU cant do SLI because of missing lanes, nor that you cant use a 360mm radiator into a case with nor adiator mount...
Also it doesnt even know that newer GPU's doesnt have VGA anymore...

Well pcpartpicker is a tool, not your nanny. It does some pretty basic compatibility checking and your argument is that it's not fully comprehensive? Is no compatibility checking better than basic compatibility checking? It's got to be able to do everything or else throw it in the trash? That's rational.

Your example isn't exactly basic in my opinion. It's weird edge case stuff I've never seen anyone rant or rave about on the forums there. IE no one is building a highend SLI system around a $93 CPU, or pairing it with an ancient 1024 5:4 monitor.

Basic stuff is will the CPU fit in the motherboard, is this the right type of RAM. I think you have some unrealistic ideas of what the basics are. And even if the site was more comprehensive it wouldn't be perfect so at some point you'd always have to do your own checking. If your expectations are different then you're really in the market to have someone else build a PC for you...