# Homebuilt PC - Hardware Selection



## F250

Everything has to be compatible, or it either won't run as well as it could, parts won't fit together, or it won't run at all, depending upon the degree of incompatibility.


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## ZZZZZ

I've built dozens of PCs for my own use and for resale.

The motherboard is the key. it must support everything you want to plug into it. Check the specs before you buy it, such as maximum RAM, what type and speed RAM, # of drives and types, on and on. 

I gave up building my own because is just isn't worth the time and energy to DIY. You really don't save any money. 

And if you are going to install a retail version of Windows 10, that alone usually runs around $100.

Now I just buy "reconditioned" PCs from Dell or HP and add extra hardware as necessary. 

Good luck.
.
.


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## diyorpay

Mid range motherboard based upon Intel or AMD processor.
Get processor pre-mounted to MB or be good with heat paste.
Plan for expansion (empty slots) for later.
If you have room, mid to full tower. Ease of swapping drives.
Solid state drive(s) for boot up and other speed.
Large memory components of type that will fit.
Video output preferences for a monitor.
Audio preferences/speakers.
DVD/CD up to you.
Card reader slots.


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## Mystriss

My system build experience is in higher end gaming builds so I'm not sure if I can help with cost effective hardware all that much.

However, I use this site https://pcpartpicker.com/ to plan builds all the time. It generally spits out an error if you set up a system that's got incomparable hardware (down to "that CPU cooler is too tall for that chassis" level) If you pick out a motherboard it's got a listing of cpus, memory, that are frequently bought with it which cuts down a lot of the guess work as well.


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## user_12345a

What do you intend to use the machine for?

The typical user who doesn't play games or professionally edits video doesn't need more than a pentium dual core or equivalent amd.

No harm in getting an i3/quad core chip or equivalent. These are reasonably priced and faster than the old i5s.

8Gb of ram plenty.

SSD for the operating system drive is a must have.

Quality of motherboard and power supply are more important than anything else for stability and lifespan. The brand name pcs are terrible in this regard - they come with large hard drives, fast processors but everything else inside is junk. The cases themselves can be junk and not allow for adequate cooling.

Kind of like how new home-builders use nice finish materials but entire houses are made from particle board and vinyl.


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## m_ridzon

So from what I can tell here, several have said the motherboard must be chosen first. My build 10yrs ago used AMD at my friend's recommendation. It's done a great job, so I'll probably stick with that.



ZZZZZ said:


> And if you are going to install a retail version of Windows 10, that alone usually runs around $100.


Through my university (I'm working on a Masters degree), I have access to steeply discounted MS software of all sorts.



Mystriss said:


> However, I use this site https://pcpartpicker.com/ to plan builds all the time. It generally spits out an error if you set up a system that's got incomparable hardware (down to "that CPU cooler is too tall for that chassis" level) If you pick out a motherboard it's got a listing of cpus, memory, that are frequently bought with it which cuts down a lot of the guess work as well.


Thanks for the website! That's kind of what I was looking for...something to help me pick the parts. Putting them together and installing the software is pretty straightforward for me.



user_12345a said:


> What do you intend to use the machine for?


It's a light duty machine only for home use (i.e., no heavy gaming or large, demanding, commercial software). I run the Windows OS with standard home-use, light-duty software (e.g., MS Office, etc.)



user_12345a said:


> No harm in getting an i3/quad core chip or equivalent. These are reasonably priced and faster than the old i5s.
> 
> 8Gb of ram plenty.
> 
> SSD for the operating system drive is a must have.
> 
> Quality of motherboard and power supply are more important than anything else for stability and lifespan. The brand name pcs are terrible in this regard - they come with large hard drives, fast processors but everything else inside is junk. The cases themselves can be junk and not allow for adequate cooling.


I agree with all of this. For a light-duty machine at home, I don't need to get crazy. I currently have 4Gb RAM and notice it seems overloaded at times. SSD is a must, for its speed. And yes, quality of motherboard, power supply, and even the case are important points. I didn't cheap out on the last build 10yrs ago, but didn't break the bank either. So I'll do likewise again.


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## huesmann

Unless you need hi power for gaming or rendering, your best bet is to just get the best refurb you can afford from one of the major retailers.


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## Colbyt

I do it a bit differently than posted above.


I pick the processor that I want to use then I pick a MB that supports that processor. I buy the tested and approved ram for that board and cpu. Then I add the other devices.


I usually go for the mid-point of the current Intel line. I've had such trouble free service from this Asus MB I would surely shop them first next time.



The one I am typing on was built in 2012 and I have no immediate plans to upgrade.


I am not a gamer and this system upgraded to and runs windows 10 as fast or faster than it ran win 7.


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## user_12345a

> It's a light duty machine only for home use (i.e., no heavy gaming or large, demanding, commercial software). I run the Windows OS with standard home-use, light-duty software (e.g., MS Office, etc.)


Get an i3/quad core or the equivalent amd if it's in the budget.

Otherwise one of the value chips will do.

Some of the amds have decent graphic processors built in - a plus if you don't want to buy a video card but don't want to be stuck with poor integrated video performance.


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## ZZZZZ

Definitely quad over duo.

And 64-bit all the way around.
.
.


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## Colbyt

Personally I would be looking at the i5's.


This is the one I have no intention of replacing anytime soon


*Intel® Core™ i5-3550 Processor *

6M Cache, up to 3.70 GHz


*Performance*




 # of Cores 4
 # of Threads 4
 Processor Base Frequency 3.30 GHz
 Max Turbo Frequency 3.70 GHz
 Cache 6 MB Intel® Smart Cache
 Bus Speed 5 GT/s


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## Deja-vue

Before I make any suggestions, may I ask what your Budget for the rig is?
I've built a few Thousand machines and might be able to help you with a few pointers.


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## Mystriss

I was unclear there, sorry been distracted with setting up whole home audio. CPU and MB are kinda picked together... Let me clarify a bit:

Alright so there's different sized chassis and MB's, like footprint wise. First you gotta decide if ya want a baby PC [ITX or MiniATX - which is like the size of console game systems], a standard sized chassis [ATX], or a monster gamer rig with extra PCI slots/onboard SSD, etc.

For comparison here's some pics of my old build; On the top I have a standard ATX MB inside a modified Home Theater PC chassis (this chassis is sized specifically to fit with stereo rack components.] 

In the middle I have an ITX [console size MB] inside a second HTPC chassis. 

On the bottom is my A/V receiver:









ITX MB in HTPC chassis (the silver boxes on the left are a CD drive and HDD's and above it is a full size PSU and a couple SSDs) - they make chassis that snug fit these little guys [so adorbs!] I've even seen chassis that can VESA mount on the back of a monitor:








Typical ATX MB in the same size (though heavily modified) HTPC case as above - you can use this standard size MB in mini-towers, thin or compact towers, mid-towers, and full-size towers:








And the rig I'm [not really] working on and using right now is a standard ATX MB inside a monster chassis that would fit even the largest MATX board lol:















It's kind of a game of narrowing down yer choices Tetris style. Like, once you have the MB size THEN you figure out what kinda gear you'll be running. Like if I need a MB that can run quad GPUs without 1x'ing them, or if I want two M.2 drives, or if I'm building a graphics editing rig and I need 128GB of DDR4-3k... Ultimately my MB, both size and capability, is gonna dictate my CPU options quite a bit.

So while the CPU is the real heart of the rig's performance no doubt, you gotta figure out some basic MB stuff first. Once you have a MB that meets your specific needs, then you know what kinda memory you need. After that you pick out a compatible CPU and cooler. Then PCI gear like dedicated GPU's. Then find a chassis that fits your board, GPU, and cooling solution. Then figure out a compatible and strong enough PSU (like some ITX and m-ITX MBs, and some chassis, are built for smaller power supplies like SilverStone's SFX series, or an external PSU brick like you'd find on a gaming console.) Then you can get into your drives. And finally your perfs - keyboard, mouse/trackball/touchpad, mics, webcams, blah blah blah.


Anyway, so AMD's are all I use, but to be fair that's because I'm gaming. Intel's are nice and I don't have anything against em.

Something to think about speaking of my little ITX which is a GPU/CPU combo so I don't have an external GPU and thus can get a "weaker" PSU.

The AMD Ryzen processor series has decent built in graphics. The https://www.amazon.com/AMD-Ryzen-Pr...eywords=amd+itx+cpu+gpu&qid=1582231638&sr=8-8 is a pretty nice chip and there's ITX (tiny size) MB's that they fit in.

You also might consider a pre-built mini-pc - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mini+pc&ref=nb_sb_noss_2


I'd order the most important bits to put money into a little different, mine goes CPU, PSU, MB, GPU, Cooling, HDD, Memory.


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## Deja-vue

Quickly agree with the Ryzen CPU's, would install the Ryzen 5 with integrated Video, unless you are going for the 4K Eyecandy, then maybe add a good Video adapter.
Skip the SSD and go with one of the new Nvme Drives, I did a post one the different Speeds.
I truly believe Gigabyte makes the most stable Motherboards, I used over a thousand of them, with less than 0.5 % failure. Some new Gigabyte Ryzen Boards are available for as little as $65.00.

I'd go with 16 GB of Memory, despite what others say, I like the extra overhead and have it ready when a power hungry App comes around. I also have tons of different Programs open at all times.

Don't skimp on a good Power supply, it is often overlooked.
Some good 750 Watt power supplies are available for under $100, on sale maybe $65.00
Did I miss anything? Obviously no longer need a DVD or Blu-Ray drive built in, but may come in handy for legacy installs.
The Case, whatever floats your Boat, I love the Lian Li Cases, I still have one here from the Year 2000, that thing is rock solid, all Aluminum built.


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## Deja-vue

Mystriss said:


> I was unclear there, sorry been distracted with setting up whole home audio. CPU and MB are kinda picked together... Let me clarify a bit:
> 
> Alright so there's different sized chassis and MB's, like footprint wise. First you gotta decide if ya want a baby PC [ITX or MiniATX - which is like the size of console game systems], a standard sized chassis [ATX], or a monster gamer rig with extra PCI slots/onboard SSD, etc.
> 
> For comparison here's some pics of my old build; On the top I have a standard ATX MB inside a modified Home Theater PC chassis (this chassis is sized specifically to fit with stereo rack components.]
> 
> In the middle I have an ITX [console size MB] inside a second HTPC chassis.
> 
> On the bottom is my A/V receiver:
> 
> View attachment 586607
> 
> 
> ITX MB in HTPC chassis (the silver boxes on the left are a CD drive and HDD's and above it is a full size PSU and a couple SSDs) - they make chassis that snug fit these little guys [so adorbs!] I've even seen chassis that can VESA mount on the back of a monitor:
> View attachment 586603
> 
> 
> Typical ATX MB in the same size (though heavily modified) HTPC case as above - you can use this standard size MB in mini-towers, thin or compact towers, mid-towers, and full-size towers:
> View attachment 586605
> 
> 
> And the rig I'm [not really] working on and using right now is a standard ATX MB inside a monster chassis that would fit even the largest MATX board lol:
> View attachment 586621
> View attachment 586619
> 
> 
> 
> It's kind of a game of narrowing down yer choices Tetris style. Like, once you have the MB size THEN you figure out what kinda gear you'll be running. Like if I need a MB that can run quad GPUs without 1x'ing them, or if I want two M.2 drives, or if I'm building a graphics editing rig and I need 128GB of DDR4-3k... Ultimately my MB, both size and capability, is gonna dictate my CPU options quite a bit.
> 
> So while the CPU is the real heart of the rig's performance no doubt, you gotta figure out some basic MB stuff first. Once you have a MB that meets your specific needs, then you know what kinda memory you need. After that you pick out a compatible CPU and cooler. Then PCI gear like dedicated GPU's. Then find a chassis that fits your board, GPU, and cooling solution. Then figure out a compatible and strong enough PSU (like some ITX and m-ITX MBs, and some chassis, are built for smaller power supplies like SilverStone's SFX series, or an external PSU brick like you'd find on a gaming console.) Then you can get into your drives. And finally your perfs - keyboard, mouse/trackball/touchpad, mics, webcams, blah blah blah.
> 
> 
> Anyway, so AMD's are all I use, but to be fair that's because I'm gaming. Intel's are nice and I don't have anything against em.
> 
> Something to think about speaking of my little ITX which is a GPU/CPU combo so I don't have an external GPU and thus can get a "weaker" PSU.
> 
> The AMD Ryzen processor series has decent built in graphics. The https://www.amazon.com/AMD-Ryzen-Pr...eywords=amd+itx+cpu+gpu&qid=1582231638&sr=8-8 is a pretty nice chip and there's ITX (tiny size) MB's that they fit in.
> 
> You also might consider a pre-built mini-pc - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mini+pc&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
> 
> 
> I'd order the most important bits to put money into a little different, mine goes CPU, PSU, MB, GPU, Cooling, HDD, Memory.


Lol, @Mystriss, what is that round tube like thing on the bottom of your Case? A Flux-Capacitor?:biggrin2:


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## Mystriss

I'll Second Gigabyte MBs, I'm running one right now and its been solid for half the cost I usually put into a MB.

PSU, don't skimp. Love EVGA's, SilverStone is second choice, Corsair third choice --- I wouldn't buy ANY other brand unless I had to get a PSU brick for a bookshelf system (in which case I'd buy a silverstone chassis/psu combo.

I really like Silverstone chassis, solid stuff. Fractal makes some real nice, but expensive boxes. I'm kinda okay with the Thermaltake case I've got now, but lots-a-plastic.

CPU cooler, for air - if you can get a SilverStone NT06-E [ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001O0DOBW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ] to fit on your CPU, that thing with a decent low pressure fan is a wicked performer. I've actually used my 8350FX passive with that sucker!


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## Mystriss

Deja-vue said:


> Lol, @Mystriss, what is that round tube like thing on the bottom of your Case? A Flux-Capacitor?:biggrin2:


HA, no that's a wicked sweet 100% customizable res system from the Monsoon MMRS line. Coolest thing possibly evar















That's a dual loop horizontal with a 100mm res & AquaAero D5 pump on one side for my GPUs and a 50mm res & AquaAero D5 pump on the other for the CPU & Aquaero controller. (not hooked up on the new system cause like I was sayin' my Silverstone CPU cooler is a beast lol)

You can set up these res's a million different ways. Really slick system. More info, examples, videos, etc:
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Monsoon+MMRS&FORM=HDRSC2


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## Mystriss

Just for GP: Aquaero D5 pump in the MMRS black parts on either end of the res and my Aquaero 5 and Aquaero 6 installed.









[AQE inside the chassis]








And how it looks... (looked heh) on the outside of the chassis:








AquaEro is really sweet for water cooling or fan controls because it's a setup and forget it type system - all temp and flow controlled automatically so you end up with a super quiet rig most of the time. I had this customized "faux window" via AIDA64 (software) on my upper right of my third monitor's desktop to keep an eye on my temps while gaming/processing, so the AQE display in the chassis was usually turned off (and behind the flip up cover)


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## Dave Sal

Mystriss said:


> My system build experience is in higher end gaming builds so I'm not sure if I can help with cost effective hardware all that much.
> 
> However, I use this site https://pcpartpicker.com/ to plan builds all the time. It generally spits out an error if you set up a system that's got incomparable hardware (down to "that CPU cooler is too tall for that chassis" level) If you pick out a motherboard it's got a listing of cpus, memory, that are frequently bought with it which cuts down a lot of the guess work as well.



That's what I used when I built my machine about 5 years ago. Still working fine after all those years. I like that it helped identify incompatability between components and you could check for alternative parts and see how much they cost. My total system was about $650 at the time and blew away my old Alienware computer that it replaced, which was almost $3k.


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## Mystriss

I forgot the pricing feature! It's super handy for sure


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## Deja-vue

Mystriss said:


> Just for GP: Aquaero D5 pump in the MMRS black parts on either end of the res and my Aquaero 5 and Aquaero 6 installed.
> 
> View attachment 586635
> 
> 
> [AQE inside the chassis]
> View attachment 586637
> 
> 
> And how it looks... (looked heh) on the outside of the chassis:
> View attachment 586639
> 
> 
> AquaEro is really sweet for water cooling or fan controls because it's a setup and forget it type system - all temp and flow controlled automatically so you end up with a super quiet rig most of the time. I had this customized "faux window" via AIDA64 (software) on my upper right of my third monitor's desktop to keep an eye on my temps while gaming/processing, so the AQE display in the chassis was usually turned off (and behind the flip up cover)
> 
> View attachment 586643


Lol, so I was right. A Flux-Capacitor. Lol.
I used to be big into watercooled Systems way back in 2002-2007, caused too much troubles, and had one System go up in flames.
Today, my Watercooling is all sealed up, built in.
But very cool looking indeed.
Must be all those long nights in Alaska?
:surprise:


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## user_12345a

Deja-vue said:


> Don't skimp on a good Power supply, it is often overlooked.
> Some good 750 Watt power supplies are available for under $100, on sale maybe $65.00


750w power supply is a huge overkill for most machines.

I measured power draw at the outlet of mine with a 95W TDP cpu and a old inefficient video card and it never used more than 200w. 

The new chips are more efficient than mine and draw even less current.

Reviews online show similar.

psu efficiency is relatively low when running unloaded - won't get the advertised efficiency drawing 100W from a 750W rated unit.


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## Mystriss

Deja-vue said:


> Lol, so I was right. A Flux-Capacitor. Lol.
> I used to be big into watercooled Systems way back in 2002-2007, caused too much troubles, and had one System go up in flames.
> Today, my Watercooling is all sealed up, built in.
> But very cool looking indeed.
> Must be all those long nights in Alaska?
> :surprise:


Probably some of that, but mostly because I don't like it when my GPU's peg 85*F


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## Deja-vue

user_12345a said:


> 750w power supply is a huge overkill for most machines.
> 
> I measured power draw at the outlet of mine with a 95W TDP cpu and a old inefficient video card and it never used more than 200w.
> 
> The new chips are more efficient than mine and draw even less current.
> 
> Reviews online show similar.
> 
> psu efficiency is relatively low when running unloaded - won't get the advertised efficiency drawing 100W from a 750W rated unit.


Yeah, whatever. I love overkill.:wink2:


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## Mystriss

I can't say nothing here, I've got a 1600W SuperNova heh 

Its a beautiful PSU with dual 12v rails (aka no loss of power for high wattage CPUs and multi-GPU setups) They make an 850W that's super solid (aka 10 year warranty) for $250 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R33ZBQU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## Deja-vue

Mystriss said:


> I can't say nothing here, I've got a 1600W SuperNova heh
> 
> Its a beautiful PSU with dual 12v rails (aka no loss of power for high wattage CPUs and multi-GPU setups) They make an 850W that's super solid (aka 10 year warranty) for $250 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R33ZBQU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


The one in your link is almost $500.
:vs_OMG:


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## Mystriss

Yeah that's the 1600W I have. The 850W is 245 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018JYHGOQ/ref=twister_B01AHMAHXK?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 


I luv my PSU though, just look at it... it's beautiful ~squees~









The bottom "smaller one" is a 1200W SilverStone, also a really sweet PSU, but it only has one 12V rail so it couldn't handle my pumps, LEDs, 125W CPU and dual GPU's :/ My son is still using it in his second rig though, and it runs great... I believe I had gotten it in 2004 or 2005 and istill going strong.

I've had the supernova 1600W since like 2010 or so, I think I'd have to plug the house into it to bog it down lol


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## ZZZZZ

Personally, I'd wouldn't splurge so much on a monster PSU, and put that money towards a really good UPS battery backup.
.
.


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## Deja-vue

ZZZZZ said:


> Personally, I'd wouldn't splurge so much on a monster PSU, and put that money towards a really good UPS battery backup.
> .
> .


Now that I got.
Actually, I got one each on most important electronic Stuff, such as the Home Theater and important computers, and the 2 NAS Devices I got here.
Some of them are Rack-mounted, some stand alone, some are also Power conditioners.

Most Folks forget about it. They purchase a $3000 TV, then plug it into a $12 power strip.


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## Mystriss

hmm idk if I agree there. I mean if you're doing a lotta data entry or editing that might get lost during a power outage a UPS might be handy to have, but if you're just surfing the web and stuff then a UPS probs isn't a "necessary" investment.

Power conditioning is good for audio stuffs. They make surge protectors that condition these days.

I wouldn't skimp on the PSU personally, that's literally the heart of your system. It's like if you buy a cheap PSU, it's not gonna run a new 125W CPU well. So I'd say if you're gonna skimp on the PSU you might as well buy a cheap as CPU too, and if your CPU is junky, then there's no point in spending any money on a decent GPU or monitors. If I had a cheaper CPU then I'd put my money into the hard drive and memory to try to compensate.


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## user_12345a

You don't need a super high wattage power supply to use a 125W TDP chip.

A decent 500W with good 12v rails is more than enough for that unless there are also multiple video cards involved.

Measurements can easily confirm this.

Quality and wattage rating are not synonymous.

Quality is more important for stability.

Grossly overspecing power supplies by a large margin kills efficiency - that 80plus rating goes out the window when the typical load is under 20 to 30% rating. 













Source: https://www.anandtech.com/show/2624/debunking-power-supply-myths/7


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## ZZZZZ

Mystriss said:


> hmm idk if I agree there. I mean if you're doing a lotta data entry or editing that might get lost during a power outage a UPS might be handy to have, but if you're just surfing the web and stuff then a UPS probs isn't a "necessary" investment.
> 
> Power conditioning is good for audio stuffs. They make surge protectors that condition these days.
> 
> I wouldn't skimp on the PSU personally, that's literally the heart of your system. It's like if you buy a cheap PSU, it's not gonna run a new 125W CPU well. So I'd say if you're gonna skimp on the PSU you might as well buy a cheap as CPU too, and if your CPU is junky, then there's no point in spending any money on a decent GPU or monitors. If I had a cheaper CPU then I'd put my money into the hard drive and memory to try to compensate.


i didn't suggest skimping on the PSU, just that a UPS should part of the whole PS environment.

Even if you're just surfing or reading email, repeated surges, spikes and outages in the electrical supply will eventually damage the PC components.

I agree with others than 500 or 650W is more than enough for the vast majority of non bitcoin mining PCs. :vs_laugh:
.
.


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## Mystriss

Surge protector is a must, for sure. I'm just not into the expense of a UPS unless your running some kinda business from home ~shrug~


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## m_ridzon

Wow, I didn't realize this thread continued on. The system never sent me email notifications with added replies. I came back today to refresh on some things and found a lot more commentary after Post 8, which I thought was the end. Anyways, thanks for the useful feedback. 

I currently am running AMD processor. I've had reasonable luck with that brand and will probably stick with it. My friend who helped me build the existing machine also has had a running string of good performance with them.

To save cost, do you think it might be possible to re-use my existing Antec full-size tower (https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16811129065), or will it depend on the fitment of the other components? Yes I may have to upgrade its power supply, but that allows me to re-use the chassis, instead of throwing it away.

To save more cost, I'd also like to re-use my DVD-ROM (yes, I'm a little old school and still have a big need for it), Rosewill card reader, and HDD (it would be a "secondary" drive for extra storage; the main drive would be new and updated).

No, I do not want to buy a video card (it's unneeded for my use), so I'll be relying on the onboard MB graphics capability. But I don't need wild high-end graphics.



Deja-vue said:


> Before I make any suggestions, may I ask what your Budget for the rig is?
> I've built a few Thousand machines and might be able to help you with a few pointers.


On the last machine, I spent around $600 to build the tower in 2010 (not including any peripheries). To the extent possible, I would like to re-use some existing components to save cost, as mentioned above, and maybe land in a similar price range.



Deja-vue said:


> Quickly agree with the Ryzen CPU's, would install the Ryzen 5 with integrated Video, unless you are going for the 4K Eyecandy, then maybe add a good Video adapter.
> Skip the SSD and go with one of the new Nvme Drives, I did a post one the different Speeds.
> I truly believe Gigabyte makes the most stable Motherboards, I used over a thousand of them, with less than 0.5 % failure. Some new Gigabyte Ryzen Boards are available for as little as $65.00.





Mystriss said:


> I'll Second Gigabyte MBs, I'm running one right now and its been solid for half the cost I usually put into a MB.


I'm going to look into these. I currently run ASUS, but will check Gigabyte Ryzen too.



Deja-vue said:


> I'd go with 16 GB of Memory, despite what others say, I like the extra overhead and have it ready when a power hungry App comes around. I also have tons of different Programs open at all times.


Makes sense.



Deja-vue said:


> Don't skimp on a good Power supply, it is often overlooked.
> Some good 750 Watt power supplies are available for under $100, on sale maybe $65.00


My current Antec case came with a power supply. If possible, I'd like to re-use the case and mount a new/stronger power supply. 



Deja-vue said:


> Obviously no longer need a DVD or Blu-Ray drive built in, but may come in handy for legacy installs.


Yes, I still have a need for DVD drive and card reader. If possible, I'm going to try and re-use those from my existing machine.



ZZZZZ said:


> Personally, I'd wouldn't splurge so much on a monster PSU, and put that money towards a really good UPS battery backup.


I'm not planning to buy UPS. Our machine is light-duty. We do not use it for work that would lead to a catastrophe if the electricity went out. And 90% of the time, if we know an outage may be coming (i.e., inbound thunderstorm), or we are heading out of town, we power down and unplug our electronics, to protect from surges.



user_12345a said:


> You don't need a super high wattage power supply to use a 125W TDP chip.
> 
> A decent 500W with good 12v rails is more than enough for that unless there are also multiple video cards involved.
> 
> Measurements can easily confirm this.
> 
> Quality and wattage rating are not synonymous.
> 
> Quality is more important for stability.
> 
> Grossly overspecing power supplies by a large margin kills efficiency - that 80plus rating goes out the window when the typical load is under 20 to 30% rating.


How do you know how big of power supply is needed? Will the specs for the MB or CPU state the requirements? Or do you just guess and hope you got in the ballpark?


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## user_12345a

Powersupply calculators: https://seasonic.com/wattage-calculator


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## Mystriss

Your existing case can handle an "ATX" MB like you're probs looking at, ATX is pretty much the "standard size" for motherboards. Don't get an "ITX" or an "EATX" or "expanded ATX" and it should fit in that case.

You'll want to make sure your existing power supply has enough juice to run a more modern system's sometimes higher consumption rates, but as long as you've got the right plugs on the PSU it'll plug in alright. You'll need a 24pin for the MB (long rectangle with a bunch of wires,) probs 1 8pin (8wire double square) OR 2 4pin's (4wire square) for the Motherboard, some sata power (they're rectangles that are flat nosed and about 1" wide, 5 wires) and at least one 8pin pcie for the graphics card - these look almost exactly like an 8pin for the MB, but they are NOT interchangeable, different wiring - they typically come as a 6pin (6 wires) with a separate/removable 2pin (2 wire) part hanging off. (Some GPUs only need 6pin connectors some need more juice.)

I'm betting your DVD drive has SATA plugs/cables if it's from 2010 so you'll be able to just move it over to new MB. If it's got an IDE connection (a 2" wide ribbon cable thing) then you'd have to get an adapter.


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## m_ridzon

Mystriss said:


> You'll want to make sure your existing power supply has enough juice to run a more modern system's sometimes higher consumption rates


How do I know if I have enough power for the new components. The existing PSU is 450W. 



Mystriss said:


> ...and at least one 8pin pcie for the graphics card


Is this PIN needed if I'm just using the MB's onboard graphics? I don't think I'm going to install a separate graphics driver, since such high-end graphics isn't needed for my home system.


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## user_12345a

A 450w psu will do most systems no problem. 

Modern cpus don't draw much unless you go really high end.

High end video cards are power hungry, you don't have to worry about that with integrated.


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## Mystriss

m_ridzon said:


> How do I know if I have enough power for the new components. The existing PSU is 450W.
> 
> Is this PIN needed if I'm just using the MB's onboard graphics? I don't think I'm going to install a separate graphics driver, since such high-end graphics isn't needed for my home system.


With onboard graphics you'll most likely just need the 8pin/2x4pin Motherboard plug 

I'd also agree that 450W is probably okay for an onboard graphics system. The Ryzen 5's w/VEGA (4 core processors) generally need 65W, figure 100W max for even 32G of higher end memory, drives are generally under 100W each as well.

If you start to see a bunch of blue screening/black screening/rebooting while the systems under increased load, it'd be likely the PSU can't handle it - like sometimes it's not just the PSU's wattage that matters. That said, it is worth trying if you want to save some cash. It's unlikely to do any damage or anything, like the worst that happens is hard drive read/write issues and that's really only a "big deal" if you're trying to install windows stuff. (Or if you're a semi-hard core gamer who crashes out of heavy PVP) :vs_laugh:


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## user_12345a

I'm running a inefficient 95W TDP chip, pci-e video card, 3 hard drives, 2 dvd drives on a quality antec 380W with no stability issues.

I measured power at the plug which is higher than what the components draw due to conversion losses - it peaked at 200W under full cpu load and is normally lower.

450W is much more than sufficient for a basic system with integrated video. If there are stability problems under full load with a 450w unit, either the psu is junk or the problem is elsewhere. The components will probably never draw more than 120W or so.

It's much more important to get a quality psu than a high wattage one.

Often cheap psus have poor 12v rails (low amperage rated), poor power filtering and noisy sleeve bearing fan that only lasts a couple of years.


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## raylo32

Building really hasn't changed that much. You just need to look at the current CPUs and figure out how much power you need and go from there. These guys have some good info, along with several recommended builds in various categories from low end everyday PCs up to full gaming rigs. You can roll you own, of course, or use one of these recommendations.

https://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f255/tsf-recommended-builds-2020-a-1235670.html


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## stanstr

Get yourself to https://pcpartpicker.com/. It will tell/help you with all you need to know about building a PC. 

Click System Builder. The first item on the list is CPU. Click it, and you're shown any of 1253 different CPUs you can get. They're listed line by line, showing a few parameters how they rate and prices. Click one of them, and it takes you to links with the best prices. 

Then on to CPU coolers. Some CPUs come with a cooler, in which case & it'll say so.

Then motherboards. It will only show you MBs that are compatible with the CPU you picked out.

Then memory. It will only show you memory, RAM, that is compatible with the MB & CPU you picked out.

Then Storage, Video card, Case, Power Supply, Optical Drive, Op System, Monitor and so on. As you progress, it will only show you components compatible with what you have so far, but you can go back and change anything you'd like. 

Also look at Build Guides, & Completed Builds. Then put together a system just to see how it works. 

There is also a forum where you can post what you've picked out and ask questions. There is a lot of First Build. Any Advice Would Be Welcome, posts there. It will also let you know of any compatibility issues that got past the picker. AND it shows pricing history for the parts you've picked out.

This is one great resource, for someone who doesn't know just what they need or what is available as well as for the pro. It has all the parts / resources to build a PC, and have others tell you how to make it better, oftentimes for less money. I just used it to double my RAM. BTW, they're on Facebook, take a look at the comments there.

Take a look and browse what's there. It beats practically all the advice you'll get here. 
*→ → OR ← ←*​ 
You say all you need is light duty machine only for home use (i.e., no heavy gaming or large, demanding, commercial software). Look at Dell Refurbished systems. This is where they sell their off-lease computers. The Dell Optipllex is the high rated business system that outlasts and runs better than their consumer stuff. Browse it a bit, but make sure you know the basic differences in processors, and how to tell generational differences (i5-2300 is 2nd gen, i5-8500 is 8th gen and so on). 

There are also other places that sell off-lease refurbished machines, see Systime.com. 

But really. Build one. 

.​


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