# Custom Computer Building - Resources **URL:** \ **Category:** PittSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [December 10, 2008, 10:43am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028 "2008-12-10T10:43:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ZEX350Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/87869e/32.png) [@ZEX350Z](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ZEX350Z)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 10:43am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/1 "2008-12-10T10:43:55Z")
So, I am currently in the midst of researching the specifics on building a custom computer. It has been about 10 years since I have built one, so I am far from up-to-date. What websites are good for reading up (forums?) ? Where is the best place to get parts? Local/internet ect… I see a lot of the motherboards and chipsets come with built in graphics cards. I don’t think any of them meet my needs though. I am trying to built an awesome gaming machine so I will need the most powerful graphics card to be added on…is there anything I need to be aware of when looking for a motherboard/power supply? Is quad core a necessity? any thing I should be looking at as far as minimum processor recommendations? AMD/Intel? Is purchasing a barebones system (case, MB, processor, ram) a better way to go? Does anyone on here have any parts they want to get rid of that isn’t junk? Any obvious input or precautions would be greatly appriciated. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![berad](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/berad/32/5953_2.png) [@berad](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/berad)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 10:46am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/2 "2008-12-10T10:46:41Z")
> **[Apple](https://www.apple.com/)** > > Discover the innovative world of Apple and shop everything iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and Apple TV, plus explore accessories, entertainment, and expert device support. ---
**Author:** ![Klinkb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@Klinkb](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Klinkb)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 10:46am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/3 "2008-12-10T10:46:55Z")
[www.ocforums.com](http://www.ocforums.com) ---
**Author:** ![ZEX350Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/87869e/32.png) [@ZEX350Z](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ZEX350Z)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 12:16pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/4 "2008-12-10T12:16:36Z")
> [@Jeep "Okee"](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/jeep-okee/38955/9): > > [http://www.apple.com/](http://www.apple.com/) Absolutely not going this route. > [@So today I'm at Golds....](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/so-today-im-at-golds/38880/27): > > [www.ocforums.com](http://www.ocforums.com) Exactly the type of forum I was looking for. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Klinkb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@Klinkb](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Klinkb)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 12:29pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/5 "2008-12-10T12:29:14Z")
your welcome! its a great site and everyones very knowledgeable edit: they also have a for sale section but you need a 100 posts before you can access it… you can find stuff cheap on there ---
**Author:** ![imported\_showtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@imported\_showtime](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/imported_showtime)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 1:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/6 "2008-12-10T13:22:23Z")
> **[Build a Nintendo NES PC](http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Nintendo-NES-PC/)** > > Ah, the Nintendo Entertainment System. Brings me back a lot of good memories: Super Mario Bros., Double Dragon, Megaman. It also brings back not-so-great memories.... ![http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F76/UTJA/WPIEXCFNBO9/F76UTJAWPIEXCFNBO9.MEDIUM.jpg](http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F76/UTJA/WPIEXCFNBO9/F76UTJAWPIEXCFNBO9.MEDIUM.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![8Grand](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/8grand/32/5940_2.png) [@8Grand](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/8Grand)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/7 "2008-12-10T17:17:32Z")
Price range? You can build a budget gaming rig for pretty cheap(sub 500) and even cheaper if you are recycling parts. post a price range and I can dig up what some of higher end gaming cards are(ive been helping some friends look at video cards for months now) > [@Jeep "Okee"](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/jeep-okee/38955/9): > > [http://www.apple.com/](http://www.apple.com/) you missed the part where he said gaming. YOu can build a better rig then buying a mac any day of the week. That and you would have to run d0ze in boot camp bc like 10 games support Macosx ---
**Author:** ![imported\_Hero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ccd318/32.png) [@imported\_Hero](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/imported_Hero)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/8 "2008-12-10T17:47:37Z")
This is still a good site: [HardOCP](http://www.hardocp.com/) So is this one: [tom’s hardware guide](http://www.tomshardware.com/us/) Pricewatch, PriceGrabber, Newegg, and Tiger Direct used to be good links for getting components. ---
**Author:** ![ZEX350Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/87869e/32.png) [@ZEX350Z](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ZEX350Z)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/9 "2008-12-10T18:48:49Z")
price range is about $800 w/o monitor. Thanks for the links! I think I have the graphics card covered. ---
**Author:** ![noahTHEpurdy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/87869e/32.png) [@noahTHEpurdy](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/noahTHEpurdy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/10 "2008-12-10T21:40:42Z")
Post your picks. ---
**Author:** ![whitey](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/whitey/32/5911_2.png) [@whitey](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/whitey)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 10:29am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/11 "2008-12-11T10:29:08Z")
I can hook you up at Dell if you want to go that route. Personally I don’t think it is worth it to deal with building a computer. ---
**Author:** ![ZEX350Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/87869e/32.png) [@ZEX350Z](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ZEX350Z)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 10:44am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/12 "2008-12-11T10:44:19Z")
We actually have a business account at my work with Dell. This is still an option. They have some pretty good deals that are hard to pass up. ---
**Author:** ![whitey](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/whitey/32/5911_2.png) [@whitey](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/whitey)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 10:45am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/13 "2008-12-11T10:45:38Z")
i buy a few million with dell… my discount is something serious. Let me know ---
**Author:** ![ZEX350Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/87869e/32.png) [@ZEX350Z](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ZEX350Z)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 11:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/14 "2008-12-11T11:20:59Z")
Well… if you could PM me with a price on the XPS 420 that would be awesome. Thanks! With and W/O 22" monitor. ---
**Author:** ![berad](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/berad/32/5953_2.png) [@berad](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/berad)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 12:10pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/15 "2008-12-11T12:10:56Z")
Thats not too bad but for the money…you could have a lot more for that much. The only plus to cookie cutters is support. The last ‘custom’ pc I helped to build…the components were mostly garbage. The main board wouldn’t post off the bat. Their support site was crap. Ended up having to send it back for a replacement. The twin pci-x graphics card config looked to be pretty popular tho. Beefy power supply, sata raid, heat sinked ddr2. Neoonzzzzz. The works. Not much of the name brand stuff, last I checked. All tigerdirect parts. I’d say more of a impulse buy/gaming pc than anything else. 22" is amateur. Go at least 24-26" wide Samsung from Best Buy. Best case scenario, get a good deal on the XPS, worst case, buy bare bones, pump up the ramz and pick a nice vid card. ---
**Author:** ![8Grand](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/8grand/32/5940_2.png) [@8Grand](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/8Grand)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/16 "2008-12-11T20:58:23Z")
> [@New Dog](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/new-dog/38964/3): > > i buy a few million with dell… my discount is something serious. Let me know if your talking about the deal alex sent around, that was crap for a discount when I checked it. Im guessing hes holding onto the real discount codes that get real discounts. I still prefer to build, that way if something dies you replace it, cut out the indian on the other side of the phone. ---
**Author:** ![4doors5gears](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/4doors5gears/32/6006_2.png) [@4doors5gears](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/4doors5gears)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 2:41am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/17 "2008-12-12T02:41:09Z")
I’d go with the barebones kits you can find on Tigerdirect. Matched up with a decent case and power supply you can build something nice for $800. I built a decent computer about 2.5 years ago with a barebones, leftover HDD from my old PC and some other \*\*\*\*. I had ~400 into a case/PSU/mobo/cpu/memory. All that was left was graphics card and hard drive/optical drives. If you have any questions feel free to PM me as well. ---
**Author:** ![MONTE\_SS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@MONTE\_SS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MONTE_SS)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 8:08am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/18 "2008-12-17T08:08:08Z")
[extremeoverclocking.com](http://extremeoverclocking.com) build… warrentys today suck, and trying to get them(supplier to except is a task) ---
**Author:** ![ZEX350Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/87869e/32.png) [@ZEX350Z](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ZEX350Z)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 8:35am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/19 "2008-12-17T08:35:17Z")
I must say, the last 3 years I have ran a Dell Inspiron 9400 laptop. It has been a hell of a machine. It ran everything perfectly up unil GTA IV came out for PC. It runs but at about 5 fps. Anyways, Dell’s Warranty covered the hard drive once, and battery charger twice. All 3 times I called in the evening and the parts were at my door by the NEXT DAY! I couldn’t even understand how they basically had same day service; it was delivered by DHL. Now this is the business warranty (extended I think), so it might not be the same for home purchasers. I just got my new rig ordered. It is as follows: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 Biostar M7 motherboard Thermaltake Mid-tower Gamer Case w/ side viewing window. Zumax 650 watt powersupply with PCI-E 2.0 capability. $422 shipped. custom built from [portatech.com](http://portatech.com) I am going to do 4GB 800mhz dual channel 160GB 10,000 RPM Raptor drive for OS and programs And still up in the air for some SICK graphics card. GTX series. ---
**Author:** ![robry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/robry/32/3363_2.png) [@robry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/robry)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 10:17am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028/20 "2008-12-19T10:17:29Z")
looks nice man, check out hardocp forums for info on that sort of thing. I used to be extremely heavy into overclocking and that sorta thing, recently just been too busy to care. I had a watercooled PC for several years also 🙂 [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/custom-computer-building-resources/201028.md?page=2)