BleepingComputer.com: first time building computer

Who remembers building your first computer?
What kind of problems did you experience?
What kind of things are there to look out for?
I assume starting with a list of compatable parts
and being able to follow instructions are two of the basics...
Thanks

I built my first computer in 2008. The problems i ran into was the front panel wires. Uh, putting everything in the right way lol.

As stated...the front panel connections were a bit of a problem for me...but a little reading of the motherboard manual and patience took care of those.

Other than that, it was pretty easy .

I decide on CPU first, then find a compatible motherboard...then compatible RAM. I also ensure that I have a PSU which is more than adequate. The motherboard is the key item, IMO...since everything else depends on it. If you don't game, there's no point in spending bucks on a hi-test physical video card or sound card...user preferences dictate such.

My general rule is not to buy components with options/features which I don't employ or have any use for.

Louis

Also don't skimp out on the motherboard and power supply since they are crucial components.

I used to say the biggest and most annoying thing was applying thermal grease if you had an after-market heatsink (which, if you do gaming, I highly recommend). Anymore, the recommended application process has become so much easier that now? My biggest complaint is the front panel wiring -- case manufacturers and motherboard manufacturers still have not come together to decide, like was done with USB, on a standardized "block" connection scheme for front-panel wiring. It should not be that hard, manufacturers. 2 or 3 pins for power LED (for those green LED ones), 2 or three for power switch, 2 for reset, 2 for speaker, 2 for HDD LED... it's not that bad.

Anyhow, off that diatribe, I agree with the previous assessment of CPU first then motherboard then RAM. However, I preface that with Budget first, then Needs. If you're only willing to spend $500, you may be going with some lower-end or older parts until you can upgrade them, and picking the right parts in this case is a lot trickier.

In general, you want to budget your CPU as a semi-important item. While it is the first thing you pick, what you're really picking is "Do I want AMD or Intel?" This question will drive up masses of fans on both sides to extoll the vitues of either platform, but here's the nitty gritty:

AMD's the value king right now. In general, their CPUs top out in the upper 100's, lower 200's range, and for $100 you can get a quad-core CPU at about 3 GHz which will work excellently for most all the mid-range and many of the upper-range applications you'll encounter.

Intel's the power king. You're looking at a pricier ditch for their parts, but a good $220 will net you a core i5-2500k which is currently the undisputed "good-value" choice for a high-end Intel processor. At 3.3 GHz and 4 cores, it's similar to the AMD offering, but its overclocking potential is really good. For a higher price, you can get the i7-2600k -- only a tiny bit faster, but offering HyperThreading, which allows each core to do 2 threads, meaning twice the work per core. This makes a "logical thread count" or number of things the processor can do at one time, of 8. This is where Intel blows AMD out of the water. However, for the performance, the price is steep, so if money's an object you care deeply about, AMD may offer better value and similar performances.

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After that, you need to focus on your motherboard. What kind of features do you want? Is this for a basic home computer, which might do a little gaming but mostly you want to maybe watch movies on and browse the web? There are some great small-form boards (known as Micro ATX) which can include value and stability out there. If gaming's more your thing, look for the higher-end boards with their powerful features like the ability to have multiple graphics cards linking their power, so you get better speed and graphics out of your games.

RAM is, amazingly enough, a gimme. 4 GB these days is cheap, 8 GB these days is a good value and while less cheap will set you up for the rest of time. The type is almost irrelevant, as DDR3 is the standard both are using right about now.

Video card is your next big thing. Again, gaming? High end card. Not gaming? On board video on the motherboard may make this an easy choice: don't spend the $ on another card.

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This had to be cut short cuz I had to leave work, but hope this helps!

Thanks, you make it sound easy!
Is there anyone out there reading this that has only recently built their first or second computer? and what are the difficulties you encountered?

Well, first thing to do is to RTFM (Read The F-ing Manual) with the motherboard. Seriously, read it, don't just skim the contents. You will save yourself loads of time and hassle. Pay special note in the manual to where things connect on the motherboard. The front panel connections are a pain, but if you get certain motherboards, they will often include an accessory you plug each small connector into, which you install on the board as a single unit. Asus calls it a Q-Connector and includes it with many of their boards. Aside from that, it is really a simple process.

For Gigabyte boards, they usually label which one goes in where on the motherboard itself.