Computer Building..? I don't want to poke the jellyfish

[BenBowen]

I live in Layton. So, would it be worth driving over to your nearest shop to get a rig built? Because I'm only a programmer at heart, I don't have any knowledge in putting computers together. I just know a little bit about what hardware to buy.

I'm not sure whether all of this hardware is compatible, but it looks good to me:

Case
NZXT Apollo Black SECC Steel Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146025   $70.00

Power Supply
Rosewill RP600V2-S-SL 600W ATX12V v2.01 SLI Ready Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182032   $60.00

Hard Drive
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F4 HD204UI 2TB 5400 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152245   $80.00
         
Motherboard
Intel BOXDH55TC LGA 1156 Intel H55 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121394   $90.00

CPU
Intel Core i3-550 Clarkdale 3.2GHz 4MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 73W Dual-Core Desktop Processor BX80616I3550
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115065   $130.00

Graphics Card
GIGABYTE GV-R567D3-1GI Radeon HD 5670 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card   
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125360   $75.00

Memory
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBHK
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231189   $47.00
         
Keyboard
Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Keyboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823109191   $53.00

Speakers
Logitech X-140 5 watts 2.0 Speakers
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121002   $28.00
         
Price: $580.00 (I want to go very low cost)

One more thought... Your computer cases look sleek!

[Adrian]

Hey there, welcome to our forums!

There are a lot of considerations to make when making a decision to purchase a computer off the shelf, have one built for you by a reputable shop, or build it yourself. I'd love to go over everything with you in detail, but I will briefly discuss some of the common points to consider while evaluating your options.

System Goals:

Does it need to be fast? If so, for what applications and games? Does it need to look good? Should it last? How long?

Estimated Cost of Ownership, or E.C.O.

Are you an expert that can solve your own issues? Do you have friends who consider themselves experts? Do they have time to help you? How quickly? What is the hourly rate to have a system fixed? What does downtime cost?


There are several advantages to having a system built for you by an expert - but beyond this, there are several advantages to having Geekbox build your system, and provide you service and support while you enjoy your products. Please feel free to contact me directly by sending me a message - or if you'd prefer, you can call in during our business hours. As you can see, we love what we do (posting an answer at 3:30am should say something about the above and beyond attitude we have here.)

Thanks so much for giving us an opportunity to help you with your decision!