Build VS Buy Gaming PC

[Clockworkkiller]

 Alpha dads gets other people to do the work for them.

That sounds like a horrible dad

[Leesin]

Especially if you are using liquid metal compounds, applying thermal paste is probably the most error-prone operation.

Personally I have never had an issue with it, you just gotta make sure you put the right amount on. I put on a nice little blob and spread it roughly across the CPU with half of an old bank card, making sure it covers most of it ( some little gaps at the egdes aren't an issue as once the CPU is hot the paste will fill those in with the help of pressure from the heatsink ), then seat the heatsink, then stress the CPU once the PC's running so the paste gets nice and hot and fills in all of the microscopic crevices and creates a nice connection between heatsink and CPU.

Of course if your heat still isn't stable when you're SURE it should be and have made sure to check all cooling, then yeah you're gonna have to try reapplying dat paste if you failed.

My dad could kick your dads ass any day of the week! Even sundays.

Your Dad would get knocked out so hard that his dead ancestors would feel it, shattering time itself, you would vanish like you were never conceived, all memory of you would be gone like a hermits fart on a windy day and your forum posts deleted, leaving me victorious in this Dad v Dad argument. There can only be one.

[zagibu]

Some CPU heatsinks are a real bitch to mount. I don't understand why they don't supply simple spreader nuts and screws to screw the heatsink onto the mainboard's socket. Or have the socket provide some standard screwholes and call it a day. Some of those latch constructions need so much force to close, that if you slid off, you WILL break something on the mainboard AND/OR cut yourself somewhere.

[Overdriven]

The most annoying part when i assembled my pc was probably organizing all the cables inside, in order to close the case  and not having cables touching components or the fans( or having them in front of the fans), and i have quite a lot of fans: 2  on top, 1 on the bottom, 2 on the left side, 1 on the front side and 1 on the backside of the case.

Cable ties. Best thing for keeping those pesky cables together.

I can't remember the last time I had a pre-built computer. My Dad built them for our family when I was a kid and for the last 8 years I've been doing it myself. I can't see any benefit from buying one out right if it's a gaming rig.

I think most people are just scared when they see the inside of a computer. Firstly they don't know what the heck anything is, but also they fear breaking something. I've found you can be pretty tough with computer components and only if you do something stupid will they break.

[[ptx]]

I'll admit, i did buy a cheap'ish pre-built PC for my parents a few years back, when i was moving out (together with my self-built gaming rig). My lazyness concerns me :/

[Strudog]

bought a PC where i choose the parts online and someone assembled it for me and gave me suggestions , 5 years on it still runs every game ultra graphics

im not a tech guy and never will be. Fpr me the more expensive the better (Naive i know)

[Scervo]

If you're reasonably smart and want a gaming desktop, build it.

If you want a gaming laptop or a non-gaming desktop, buy it.

[Clockworkkiller]

lol im sory nt all of us r pc elitest mastur race cunts lol

lol consoles are 10x betar than Pc alwills,lol you cant deny it,lol becaz xbox is takn all the Pc exclusivs lol
 lol an games look the same on both systems lol u cnt deni that fact lololol

lol so yea lol have fun beenin stupid, lol lol

LOL XBOX 4 LIYE, my old friendOTS LOL

[Lars]

Cable ties. Best thing for keeping those pesky cables together.

Yes i have used some  of these

(click to show/hide)

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to tie the cables together (not that kind pointed by the arrow ). 

[Leesin]

Some CPU heatsinks are a real bitch to mount. I don't understand why they don't supply simple spreader nuts and screws to screw the heatsink onto the mainboard's socket. Or have the socket provide some standard screwholes and call it a day. Some of those latch constructions need so much force to close, that if you slid off, you WILL break something on the mainboard AND/OR cut yourself somewhere.

Yeah they can be a pain in the dick sometimes, recently I put this heatsink in.

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The plate that crosses the CPU was a bit awkward mainly due to the size but the main issue was that the heatsink was just so fucking space consuming, it only just clears the side of my case, I had done the measurements like usual but it took up even more space than predicted and I think I broke sweat a little as I questioned in my head if my case side door was going to slide back on  .

 That being said it was worth the money, I stuck it onto an AMD FX 8370 ( 8 cores @ 4ghz, OC'd to 4.4ghz ) and then I ran stress tests to max all 8 cores and this thing still kept the CPU way under the danger zone, not that I get much use with 8 cores in gaming but for price vs performance it is a massive bang for the buck. At the standard 4ghz speed it beats Intel CPUs in gaming that cost £100 more and the simple OC boost knocks it to 4.4ghz. Once I replace my old power supply ( it has the power, but it's aged, not gonna risk destroying it  ) I'm gonna knock this bitch up to about 4.7ghz.

My next build I'm going back to Intel for sure as it's clear they are taking over, through their genius and their monopolistic underhanded tactics, but I really just wanted to get the last bit out of my AMD mobo whilst it's still relevant as the upgrade cost me fuck all compared to what an Intel build will cost me, times are hard lol, or should I say bills, girlfriends and kid are expensive  .

[Rumblood]

At different price points (and not just "low end" or "high end") it makes sense to do either. You have to price it out by parts, then go see where the pre-builts meet the parts lists. Also, some sites that will build them for you have special deals on specific hardware that helps pre-built meet a build your own price point. Where those prices meet, you may as well get it pre-built. But away from those hardware/price points, you can save a fuckton by building yourself.

[Lars]

Personally I have never had an issue with it, you just gotta make sure you put the right amount on. I put on a nice little blob and spread it roughly across the CPU with half of an old bank card, making sure it covers most of it ( some little gaps at the egdes aren't an issue as once the CPU is hot the paste will fill those in with the help of pressure from the heatsink ), then seat the heatsink, then stress the CPU once the PC's running so the paste gets nice and hot and fills in all of the microscopic crevices and creates a nice connection between heatsink and CPU.

Of course if your heat still isn't stable when you're SURE it should be and have made sure to check all cooling, then yeah you're gonna have to try reapplying dat paste if you failed.

I never applied the thermal paste on my cpu, because it said in the instructions that the heat sink/fan has pre-applied thermal interface material.
For example my old cpu is like one piece "glued" with the heat-sink,  but i'm not sure how i could  separate it without causing any damage, should i use a phon or something like that to heat the paste? i don't need that cpu anymore btw.
Also, should i reapply the thermal paste on my cpu after X years?

[Kafein]

AMD FX 8370 ( 8 cores @ 4ghz, OC'd to 4.4ghz )

How much did it cost you ?

Next upgrade is going to be cpu and mobo if required for me so I might as well get an octocore

[zagibu]

I never applied the thermal paste on my cpu, because it said in the instructions that the heat sink/fan has pre-applied thermal interface material.
For example my old cpu is like one piece "glued" with the heat-sink,  but i'm not sure how i could  separate it without causing any damage, should i use a phon or something like that to heat the paste? i don't need that cpu anymore btw.
Also, should i reapply the thermal paste on my cpu after X years?

Only separate CPU and heatsink if you really have to (because the heatsink is blocking stuff you want to get at, or whatever), or if you notice with temp check tools that it's getting hotter over time for some reason. I usually remove it with a turning motion, when the CPU is still in the socket, and the socket is closed. If you pull it, and the CPU gets pulled out of the socket with it (with the socket still closed, the CPU connector feet can get bent, making it hard to re-insert into the socket. If it's already out of the socket and still glued to the heatsink, and you want to remove it, i recommend gently squeezing it between two straight plastic or wood parts, then apply a turning motion to separate it from the heatsink.

If you reapply thermal paste, make sure you remove the old paste first. Don't apply too much, if the CPU is covered in a very thin film, that's enough. Use a piece of hard cardboard or a spattle to distribute it and remove excess paste.

[CrazyCracka420]

Yes i have used some  of these

(click to show/hide)

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to tie the cables together (not that kind pointed by the arrow ).

my cable ties are cooler than yours

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