Yes, just make sure it has the correct socket to receive whatever CPU you want, and that's about it.


Yup. If you're not doing any sort of hardcore 3d gaming, any motherboard which has on-board video will be fine without the need for an additional video hard



Yes, you absolutely need one. We were joking. And this is a make-or-break item, especially for emulation. Don't cheap out here.



Don't worry about it. Any HD will do. The speed difference in going to an SSD is just the icing on the cake for really high-end systems.

400 was for the (now defunct) laptop, 700 for the desktop. I will pay to play.

Thank you for the explanations.

Now I need to pick a motherboard and a CPU.

Also, what is a GPU?

GPU = graphics processing unit - Your video card.

$700 including monitor, or without? What games do you want to be able to play on the PC?

Ah, I got it now. You listed a motherboard before, but it was just a vague "asus atx mobo" and not something specific.

So, there are a few different ways to do it. Each motherboard will be specific to a brand of processor (i.e. you can't buy a mobo with an AMD socket and put an Intel chip in). If you have a specific processor you want, get a mobo that will go with it. If not, you get lots of options. Try to get an idea what you want to spend on both, then go looking for a combination that will do what you want it to for the cheapest. For instance, if you aren't going to be gaming, make sure you have one with an integrated GPU. If you are, don't worry about that feature.

Ah, thanks for the explanation.

700 should include the monitor at this point. I don't play PC games, I'm a console kinda guy. I will be playing emulators on the PC, though. So basically, I am building a nice desktop for fast internetting.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. That was very helpful.


I will update my list later today and will have (hopefully) a motherboard and CPU picked out. Then I will make an attempt to order parts later next week.

In the meantime, I decided to upgrade the RAM in my Dell Mini 10 to 2GB (lol). I love this netbook but it needs some more oomph. It has it's own memory slot and a 2GB RAM stick is like 28 bucks. I also read that switching to the full version of Windows 7 should make an improvement on overall performance. So I will look into that as well. They also make SSD drives for these things...

Thanks again guys.

I am getting an SSD drive for my eeepc when I get an MS. ~$60 for a 64GB drive will make it seem brand new.

Thanks, Joe. I made a few mods to my list. Funny, you picked the same motherboard that I was looking at. Awesome reviews. I don't need the wireless right now, I found the other wall adapter with the second ethernet adapter, so I am good on that.

Changes to my list:

- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129024
- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813121509
- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115089
- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145357
- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136769
- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827136247

Shuiend said he will help me get a copy of "kitties 7"

Looks like a winner to me.

I went way overboard on the RAM. My "big" machine at home, which I use for CAD and gaming, has "only" 8 gigs and works just fine, but it's so cheap right now, why not splurge?

I'm also a huge Intel fan. I realize that AMD makes some decent CPUs these days, but the motherboards that support them seem to be all over the map quality-wise. I've been using nothing but Intel-made motherboards for years and have never had a problem with them. You pay a but more for the CPU to go on it, but you get rock-solid driver support and higher performance in return.

With an i5 processor and 16 gigs of RAM, you're going to be good to go for several years without having to worry about upgrading. Everything else is just supporting hardware.

I agree, might as well splurge on the ram while I'm putting the thing together. I decided to go ahead and use a different case to bring the price down more. After reading some on /r/buildapc I see that "cheap" cases are used in everything from 500 dollar builds to 2,000 dollar builds and they all work fine.

After reading tons of reviews on Intel shit, I am happy. I should be set for a few years with this computer and upgrades will be easy when/if the time comes.

Thanks again guys, I'll post the final list shortly.

You will be able to save up to $100 by running an AMD processor though.

You won't see a difference between 2 different quad core processors at a high end level.

Just my 2c, but Erat has a point if you aren't going for an i5 k series (And especially a Sandy Bridge k-series).

Of course, YMMV. All of my purchases over the past 2 years, except for a HTPC, have been Intel i-5 k-series. Non-ks imo aren't worth the bucks, they aren't really that much faster than a cheaper AMD chip.

It's not about the CPU, it's about the motherboard it's sitting on.

I realize that for every person who has had negative experiences with any of the various AMD-platform boards out there, there are two or three willing to stand up and say "No, my motherboard isn't buggy at all. It hardly ever locks up after I re-flashed the BIOS and tracked down a bunch of obscure drivers." But by sticking with the Intel-platform camp, and an Intel-branded motherboard specifically, you get to avoid the fun of playing that game. You buy it, you assemble it, and it works.

By all means, downgrade to a Sandy Bridge i3 as opposed to an i5 if $70 is really going to be a make-or-break proposition. But if you want the assurance of a known-stable BSP and driver package, stick with an Intel-brand motherboard and avoid rolling the dice on some random Biostar / MSI / etc.

I'm sticking with what I have. I've already hurt my brain enough.

I've had the same experience with the AMD Platform, Joe.

My point was more towards the "Get a k-series Intel", then a "Go AMD". The k series are typically $20 more and really silly to skimp on for what you get.

Good call. It all looks good. I, personally, run an Intel mobo and processor and its rock solid. I don't get the overclocking ability but, then again, why would I care?

One thing you might want to add to your purchase is a couple of these: Newegg.com - Rosewill 8" Sata Power Splitter Cable Model RCW-302 - they're good to have on hand and, from personal experience in owning the the Sonata III, the PSU in the case only has 2 x SATA power. This might be fine if you are just sticking with the DVD drive and the ONE hard drive but if you plan on getting additional hard drives in the future, you will be out of power plugs.

Oh, I just noticed that the memory speed and the motherboard's supported memory speed are different. Just note that, assuming your mobo has no issues with the memory - which it shouldn't, your memory will be reduced to the supported 1333Mhz. NOT that it should really matter... just saying.

Other than that, it looks pretty solid to me.

Now, I'm off to installing another HDD in my tower and Windows 8 RC on it.

Alright.We are back in season down here, so my cash flow is coming in hard. I will start posting my parts here as they come in and will document the assembly so you guys can help me when I fuck up.

To get into the spirit of things, I decided to do some work to my netbook. I did the 2gb memory upgrade this morning and later I'll be installing the full version of Windows 7 in place of the starter version, I'll also on the fence about doing a SSD harddrive upgrade that is available for the Dell Mini 1012.

So far I have been extremely pleased with the little netbook after doubling the memory. I'm sure the rest will be icing on the cake for my ultimate Megasquirt tuning/porno watching machine.

If you buy everything correctly, all the numbers and such match up so to speak. It will go together like legos.

I just got all my stuff in today, so if I find my camera I will snap some pictures for you.

Also check out Youtube. Everything you need to know is there, just watch some videos. I am glad I watched Newegg's video on the LGA1155 board:
I've never installed a processor with the pins on the mobo, so at least that won't surprise me tonight.

I hear licking the pins helps provide better conductivity and heat dissipation!