PC Building Tips/Advice Thread

The first thing you should be wanting to do when considering building a PC would be to learn what all the parts are for and what they do. So here is a little basic rundown of what the major components actually do.

Now that you have a basic idea of what all the major components in the PC so, its time to start looking for your new PC. The site commonly used here on TheTechGame and throughout the internet is pcpartpicker.com it is a great site to get you started with its compatibilty filter it notifies you when something in your build wont work. It also gives you the best daily prices from some of your favourite E-Tailors, ensuring you always get the best price for the desired component.

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So what is recommended?

Well, for the typical home PC a simple dual core CPU with 4GB of RAM an 500GB HDD space will suffice for many users, it will handle tasks such as internet browsing, word processing and browser based gaming with ease. But over time it may become sluggish without the proper care and attention needed to keep your PC running smoothly.

For PCs which you plan on gaming on is entirely down to your budget. Components for gaming on PC has such a vast price range with literally hundreds of options to choose from. So when looking for components for your new gaming PC its always best to either ask a member that you deem trustworthy on TheTechGame or simply search Google for your best options. However if you are not sure what to search for its probably best to make a post in the PC Building section asking what would be best for you.

There are so many factors and things you should take into consideration when buying components for a PC so Im not going to bore you and list them all, however I will say though, it would be advised that you seek help/advice from one of the members here to make sure you are getting the best bang for your buck so to speak.


Build Guides
When I started building PCs around 4-5 years ago, I knew nothing about computers, like at all. I knew how to turn them on and work around it until the job was done. But then I started watching videos of certain reviewers on Youtube and reading guides/reviews on certain forums. So heres a few links that have helped me out more then you might think in the past.

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Reviews


Reading reviews is by far the best way to learn about the products you are thinking of buying, but finding the best reviews can always be a struggle. But Ive compiled a list of review sites I have personally used over the years and who also have a great feedback from the community and manufactures.

HardwareSecrets
JonnyGuru
SilentPCReview
Guru3D
Overclock.net (OCN)

Here are some channels you should check out if you ever want to learn about PC Hardware.

youtube.com/user/TimeToLiveCustoms
youtube.com/user/LinusTechTips
youtube.com/user/HardwareCanucks
youtube.com/user/razethew0rld
youtube.com/user/teksyndicate

There are a few more around the internet, but these links should contain all relevant hardware reviews for building PCs in todays day and age.

If youre struggling to find a review for a certain product or are struggling to understand the review, let us know and we will always help you out or find a simplified version of the review. Because we know its not easy when youre not 100% tech savvy.

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FAQ

Q: Is it easy to build a PC?
A: Its hard to say if its easy or not as different people learn at different paces, but once you have followed some guides and have a fairly good idea what to do. yes it is fairly easy.

Q: Is it better to get a pre-build?
A: In short? No. Stay as far away from them as you can. They use very cheap parts while using clever marketing to get people to buy them. Pre-builds will always be dearer than buying singular components so my advice to you is to always build a PC if possible.

Q: I dont know what I want
A: Make a post. There are many members here that give advice daily and will get you the best or the best for your budget. make sure to research the build you want before buying to make sure 100% its what you want.

Q: Do I need to Overclock
A: No, you do not need to at all, its a luxury some people pay extra for. Some CPUs/GPUs come with locked and unlocked variants. But the price difference can only be justified by you, the person buying it. Does it benefit you? Yes. But its up to you to decide if its worth it.

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Extra's

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Thermal Paste Thermal paste is a very high heat conductive paste that is used between two objects (usually a heatsink and a CPU/GPU) to get better heat conduction. It fills in all those microscopic imperfections on the heat sink and CPU/GPU that can trap air in them and cause a loss in the heatsinks performance.

Case Fans Case fans are used to direct airflow into the case to keep all of your components nice and cool. There is no recommended number you should have in your case at any given time, but it's important to make sure your components have enough of an air supply to keep cool. If noise levels don;t bother you, then go ahead and fill every fan bay with one, the more air the better. When buying fans it can be important to see what certain fans are designed for, like for example high static pressure fans are commonly used on radiators as they force air through. High air flow fans are commonly used on cases as they push air, but they do it practically silently. If you're unsure on how many fans will suffice then be sure to ask one of us floating around the forums.