Matrix Games Forums

g'day I am building a new computer and I'm about to buy the M/board, CPU and RAM. My question is, should I buy a package of the 3 items or buy each item separately. If I buy the package I know all item will be compatible, but on the other hand it might be cheaper to buy them separately. I live in the bush and I have a very limited number computer store outlets, so I have decided to buy most item via the post, using Ebay and other online providers. Got my case via the post last night. Ordered it Sunday got it Wednesday, which included a public holiday in the middle Well back to the original reason for my post, what do you forum people think, a package or not?

Def get 8 gig or more of ram to stay future proof (Make sure your using a 64bit OS otherwise it will be pointless). If you can get a package then why not, esp if it's cheaper than buying them separate. If your budgeting consider an AMD chipset. Went to AMD years ago and haven't looked back.

I'd check reviews of the MB before buying. Also shop around..amazing what deals you can find. Saw an ATI 7870 for £120..which is pretty darn cheap for a damn fine graphics card. So shop around. I see no problem buying a set at all.

I'd be willing to bet there is a website that tells you what to use to get a certain type system and explains why each item is a good choice.

Definitely research your MB. The MB is probably the most important thing, that's really the item that lets you stay future proof. You can upgrade CPU's, RAM and GPUs but keep using the same MB if you get the right one to begin with and that can save you some good money over the years.

Yep the MB is really the most important..as you'll prob have that longer than anything else..make sure the latest CPU's fit it's socket.

That's actually why I went intel 3 years ago instead of AMD. AMD was preping for their Bulldozer CPU and that would use a new socket, so I went with Intel's LGA 1155 and their new Sandy Bridge. Still have my Sandy Bridge but at least I can upgrade to an Ivy if I want. Sadly even sockets only last a couple of generations but there is no real reason for a Haswell over a Ivy as the real performance difference is power consumtion which isn't really important for my desktop.

ORIGINAL: wodin

Yep the MB is really the most important..as you'll prob have that longer than anything else..make sure the latest CPU's fit it's socket.

ORIGINAL: H Gilmer

I'd be willing to bet there is a website that tells you what to use to get a certain type system and explains why each item is a good choice.

Maximum PC under Best of the Best heading is what you need to look at. Explains very clearly why these parts are better than all the rest.

Choose the parts by researching on-line

For each part select a preferred part and a second choice part.

Take the list to the shop. Have them do the online ordering and have them build it for you.

Given there are so many parts, the shop can mix and match to ensure you remain within budget.

64 bit, 8 Gigs of RAM and apparantly a SSD hard drive (solid state) is much faster than a traditional hard drive

Personally your best going to an online shop that lets you choose your parts and builds it for you..

Cyberpower US

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/

I shop at any of the three below..just look for something similar in the States..Overclockers sells MB\CPU and Memory bundles..I buy a custom built system from Cyberpower..used to go to PCSpecialists but Cyberpower has more choice and is cheaper. The Cyberpower link above is the US shop. Go to configurators and then choose your parts..you can even just buy a Case MB and CPU and memory and it will all be built for you..if you don't want something in don't choose it.

UK Links

http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/

http://www.cyberpowersystem.co.uk/

Thanks for the info folks. It's my intention to build the computer myself, not cos I want to save money, but for other reason mainly cos I want to, and secondly my son wants to know how to build one as well. It should be fun. I not looking for a super machine, I just want a serviceable one. My has recently gone back to some serious study and the main feature I/she wants, is a multi screen machine. Thanks again for the info.
Ron

I always used to build myself..but these days it isn't that much cheaper so I get them to do it.

If your building yourself then a package with MB\CPU and memory is perfect..as said just see what the reviews are like on the MB.

SSD is much faster but reidulously expensive. He'll still need a regular hard drive, unless he's spending $250ish on just the SSD or wants a very limited storage space.

SSD's make great boot drives (I have an 80 GB SSD for my OS and a few programs I need to run quickly) but if you're going for a medium priced build you don't need anything but a boot SSD or just no SSD at all with a nice higher speed standard HD (7400rpm is fine).

ORIGINAL: Joe 98

Choose the parts by researching on-line

For each part select a preferred part and a second choice part.

Take the list to the shop. Have them do the online ordering and have them build it for you.

Given there are so many parts, the shop can mix and match to ensure you remain within budget.

64 bit, 8 Gigs of RAM and apparantly a SSD hard drive (solid state) is much faster than a traditional hard drive

You don't need an SSD.

ORIGINAL: flanyboy

That's actually why I went intel 3 years ago instead of AMD. AMD was preping for their Bulldozer CPU and that would use a new socket, so I went with Intel's LGA 1155 and their new Sandy Bridge. Still have my Sandy Bridge but at least I can upgrade to an Ivy if I want. Sadly even sockets only last a couple of generations but there is no real reason for a Haswell over a Ivy as the real performance difference is power consumtion which isn't really important for my desktop.

ORIGINAL: wodin

Yep the MB is really the most important..as you'll prob have that longer than anything else..make sure the latest CPU's fit it's socket.

Same here, Intel rules while AMD drools. [:D] I personally use Gigabyte for my MB's love their cooling systems, I also like ATI Raedeon cards so the 7870 or 7880 is great but if you can't afford then the 5770 is still pretty powerful for mid range computers and especially real wargames that use icons and not 3D graphics. The one thing I like most abouty my setup is that nearly all the games I own from WIN98 days and XP days (I own vista 64 now) still work on this setup. I've heard horror stories about Win7 and Win8 of certain games not working anymore.

Try pcpartpicker.com. That is what I used to assemble the system I built last winter. Not only gives you compatability information, but also pricing from various vendors.

TomC

ORIGINAL: Kineas

You don't need an SSD.

That's funny, I won't ever buy another spinning disc platter drive again. SSD all the way for me.

ORIGINAL: Jeffrey H.

ORIGINAL: Kineas

You don't need an SSD.

That's funny, I won't ever buy another spinning disc platter drive again. SSD all the way for me.

I guess you like buying drives every other year then. The life expectancy of an SSD is very minimal.

ORIGINAL: Numdydar

ORIGINAL: H Gilmer

I'd be willing to bet there is a website that tells you what to use to get a certain type system and explains why each item is a good choice.

Maximum PC under Best of the Best heading is what you need to look at. Explains very clearly why these parts are better than all the rest.

Told you!!

ORIGINAL: aaatoysandmore

ORIGINAL: Jeffrey H.

ORIGINAL: Kineas

You don't need an SSD.

That's funny, I won't ever buy another spinning disc platter drive again. SSD all the way for me.

I guess you like buying drives every other year then. The life expectancy of an SSD is very minimal.

I've had great results with the two that I've owned in the past 4 years. No failures yet, (fingers crossed). Much faster booting than spinning disc platter type.

ORIGINAL: BASB

g'day I am building a new computer and I'm about to buy the M/board, CPU and RAM. My question is, should I buy a package of the 3 items or buy each item separately. If I buy the package I know all item will be compatible, but on the other hand it might be cheaper to buy them separately. I live in the bush and I have a very limited number computer store outlets, so I have decided to buy most item via the post, using Ebay and other online providers. Got my case via the post last night. Ordered it Sunday got it Wednesday, which included a public holiday in the middle Well back to the original reason for my post, what do you forum people think, a package or not?

My experience with packages has been that there is often at least one really great component that I want paired with at least one really mediocre one that I'm really not looking to get but for a really good price. My first homebuilt computer I got the CPU and MB together in a package deal. The CPU was a good one and the MB was pretty low frills and manufactured by some company I had never heard of. But it worked fine.

I built a new computer a couple years ago to replace it and bought all the products individually. My new computer works great using some of the latest tech like a SSD! As far as I know my old one would still be working today as well had I not cannibalized a few things from it for my new one.

It probably depends upon what the components are in a package deal. For instance, some components like video card you don't want to skimp a great deal on, others like a CD drive probably doesn't matter a whole lot what you get unless there is some extraordinary reason you need a great, high performance CD drive for something.