Custom built desktop shopping list

Is getting a custom build a good idea in this situation?

Yes.	100.0%	[ 2 ]
No. Buy a tower then upgrade it.	0.0%	[ 0 ]
No. Buy a tower w/o upgrading it.	0.0%	[ 0 ]
Total Votes:			[ 2 ]

[Mathew Mii]

I am happy to announce that I have reached passed $500 from a few months worth of work and Christmas. So what I want to do is come up with a shopping list so then I would get a good idea on how much money I need to pay it all off. So here is what I'm looking for:

1. I want it to out-power my previous computer, which bit the dust months ago. Here are its specs:

ATI Radeon HD 6450
USB Keyboard and optical Mouse
Integrated Sound
15 in 1 card reader
Wireless N LAN card
1TB 7200 rpm SATA 3GBb/s hard drive
8 GB DDR3 - 1333MHz SDRAM [4 DIMMs]
AMD Phenom II X6 1045T Processor
HPE-560z AMD (Aloe)
DVD+/-RW LS 1st Drive

Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
HP Pavilion Elite HPE Series (No. Model No. HPE-560z)

2. The games I play already are Spore, Sims 3, Psychonauts, Plants vs. Zombies, Garry's Mod, and TF2. In the future, I plan on getting Skyrim, Nights: Into Dreams, SEGA All-Star Racing Transformed, Star Wars: Battlefront 2, Age of Empires 2 HD, L4D2, and Sims 4 if it's any good. A game that I have yet to play is Saint's Row the Third. Non-gaming software I want to get are PaintTool SAI (or any equivalent digital painting program), Photoshop, Livestream Procastor, Source Filmmaker, Google Chrome, and the Elgato(?) Capture software. I'll need the power to livestream games, both PC and console through my capture card, without any problems. I also want it to be able to play any high-powered games in case one that interests me comes out.

3. It must have at least a DVD reader due to the fact that my Sims 3 and Spore games require a disk to play.

4. The OS I want is Windows 8 because of the fast start up time, which will work excellently with my new computer habit of turning the computer off when I take long breaks.

5. The only "extra" part I want is a built-in wireless network card. I do not want the 15-in-one card reader; Instead, I want a USB SD card reader and a USB Memery Stick Pro reader to manage my devices that use them. These two parts can be bought last because I can use my mom's Vista until then.

6. All parts must be new. If I have to buy them from an online store outside of Amazon, it must have phone support due to security.

7. Most importantly, it must be around $1000 dollars because my two jobs have little hours and pay and I want to have this computer by September to prepare for college next year. It's also because that's the price my brothers paid for their customs.

When you list the parts, I would like your reason why because I want to learn more about computer hardware, especially if I have to diagnose any problems it may have.

Questions:

1. I have a big problem with static electricity; especially when I go to bed, pet my cats, and go on car rides. Knowing how dangerous it is towards computers, what can I do to get rid of it?

2. As mentioned before, I have cats and they visit or sleep in my room. One is an old boy that has a weird habit of chewing on certain cords and the other attacks whatever (including the trash can, artwork, and my Wii's cords) just to piss me off. How can I make my power bar and all other cords cat-proof without liquids?

3. Power protection. What should I go for that is not a fire hazard and affordable? Please note that my house has a surge protector installed into it.

4. When it comes to a case, I want to decorate it with my sharpies or maybe acrylic paints. Is this ok as long as I don't clog any vents?

5. What are some good computer habits that I should do daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly? (list found below)

Daily:
-Shut down computer when out of the house, sleeping, and taking long breaks; No matter what except during scans and defrags.
-Discharge static before touching it.

Weekly:
-Perform a full virus and malware scan.
-Defrag disk.
-Check for any software and hardware updates.

Monthly:
-Time boot scan.
-De-dust parts with canned air.

Yearly:
-Take it to the computer repair place for a check up (costs $50).
-Have at least $100 in case of any problems.

6. What drawing tablet should I get? I will spend up to $175 for it.

7. What discounts can I get? (please list all possible ways)

8. When I purchase my OS, can I just get a serial key e-mailed to me and use the free legal ISO from Microsoft's official website? Will this be cheaper?

9. Should I sell my PC, even though it suffers from bruise screens of death (black and blue)? If so, does $250 sound like a fair price (originally $800)?

10. Should I start a gofundme campaign? Does it require a paypal or can I ask for a mailed-in check?

11. Just for fun, what are some goodies I can get for my current computer, a PPC Mac OS 10.4.11? Speaking of which, how can I tell what's inside of this thing in order to get the full detailed specs?

[L33t Mule Pants]

I think this is better suited in the Computer & Technology main forum.

[psychic stalker]

Mathew Mii

6. All parts must be new. If I have to buy them from an online store outside of Amazon, it must have phone support due to security.

If you're going to custom-build, this doesn't make much sense.

Amazon will not provide phone support for your parts. Nor will Newegg or any other retailer. They will help you with returns and replacement, but that's all, and they will happily do that over email.

Only the manufacturers themselves will provide any support, and their support is generally limited. They will respond to requests for RMA and warranty service, but they will not help you beyond that.

If you want support, get a pre-built system.

Mathew Mii

7. Most importantly, it must be around $1000 dollars because my two jobs have little hours and pay and I want to have this computer by September to prepare for college next year. It's also because that's the price my brothers paid for their customs.

You haven't specified what parts, if any, will be carried over to the new system. Are you going to use the same monitor, for example? Things like this factor into the budget estimate.

Mathew Mii

Questions:

1. I have a big problem with static electricity; especially when I go to bed, pet my cats, and go on car rides. Knowing how dangerous it is towards computers, what can I do to get rid of it?

Throw away all clothes made with polyester or other synthetic fibers. Wear only clothes made with 100% cotton or hemp. Avoid wool.

Do not use fabric softener sheets (not even the anti-static ones!) in the laundry. Use liquid softener instead or no softener at all. Even better, don't use the drier for shirts and pants. Hang-dry when possible.

Do not assemble your computer in a room carpeted with a carpet made from recycled plastics. If you only have synthetic fiber carpeting, plan to replace it with wood flooring or yarn carpets when you next remodel, if possible. It's more expensive, but you'll like it.

Do not wear shoes indoors. Certain rubber soles will generate static, especially on synthetic fiber carpet.

Do not wear wool when working with the computer. Find some other way to keep warm - but don't use a synthetic fiber blanket.

Mathew Mii

2. As mentioned before, I have cats and they visit or sleep in my room. One is an old boy that has a weird habit of chewing on certain cords and the other attacks whatever (including the trash can, artwork, and my Wii's cords) just to piss me off. How can I make my power bar and all other cords cat-proof without liquids?

Someone here had some suggestions a while back.

Mathew Mii

3. Power protection. What should I go for that is not a fire hazard and affordable? Please note that my house has a surge protector installed into it.

Surge protectors become useless after a few minor surges. Replace surge-protected power strips and other similar devices on a regular basis. Most of them have some kind of indicator showing whether it's working. Replace it when the indicator changes. (Like a blinking power light or the "protected" light turning off or blinking.)

Mathew Mii

4. When it comes to a case, I want to decorate it with my sharpies or maybe acrylic paints. Is this ok as long as I don't clog any vents?

Yes. Don't use magnets.

Mathew Mii

5. What are some good computer habits that I should do daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly? (list found below)

Don't go to suspicious websites. Don't download suspicious files. Don't download .exe files unless you know exactly what it is and that it's safe.

Use open source software whenever possible. A lot of the non-free alternatives are not safe or are just a pain in the a**. (For example, don't use WinRAR. Use 7-zip instead. It's better, it's open source, and programmers have vetted it as reliable and safe.)

Install exactly one antivirus program, and exactly one anti-malware program. (We have a list in the C&T forum stickies.)

Mathew Mii

Daily:
-Shut down computer when out of the house, sleeping, and taking long breaks; No matter what except during scans and defrags.

This is not necessarily good for the computer. Spinning-platter hard drives generally lose operational life when they power-cycle. It's entirely safe to keep your computer on 24 hours per day unless you are trying to save energy.

Mathew Mii

-Discharge static before touching it.

This is only necessary when you muck around inside it. In general, the case itself is a good way to discharge, especially when the power supply is still plugged in to the wall.

For safety, however, it's good to only work with the computer while it's unplugged.

Mathew Mii

Weekly:
-Perform a full virus and malware scan.

Good antivirus/malware software will perform a partial scan daily automatically, as well as scheduled weekly scans. This is not something you need to do manually. You only need to ensure that the software is up-to-date and has recent definitions files.

Mathew Mii

-Defrag disk.

If you have an SSD never defrag. Doing so will shorten its operational life.

Defragging is only useful on spinning-platter hard drives, and then only because it moves system files into spots that make them faster to read. You do not need to do it weekly, either. Monthly is sufficient.

Mathew Mii

-Check for any software and hardware updates.

Hardware driver updates are typically on a monthly schedule, if they update at all. Your video driver is likely the only thing you will update regularly.

Software updates should be downloaded as soon as they are available, however.

Mathew Mii

6. What drawing tablet should I get? I will spend up to $175 for it.

A Wacom.

Mathew Mii

7. What discounts can I get? (please list all possible ways)

Subscribe to the retailer's newsletter. They always have coupon codes.

Search Google for coupon codes for the retailer you choose. FatWallet and several other sites often have useful codes.

Mathew Mii

8. When I purchase my OS, can I just get a serial key e-mailed to me and use the free legal ISO from Microsoft's official website? Will this be cheaper?

Yes and no. Most retail versions involve shipping you a card with the key on it. It will say if they will email you.

Whether it's cheaper depends on the retailer and whether they offer free shipping.

Mathew Mii

9. Should I sell my PC, even though it suffers from bruise screens of death (black and blue)? If so, does $250 sound like a fair price (originally $800)?

It's unlikely that you can sell it at all. Anyone who might buy it will probably strip it for parts, and they won't pay that much for it. Take it to a computer recycler.

Mathew Mii

10. Should I start a gofundme campaign?

I don't see why, unless you plan on spending tens of thousands.

Mathew Mii

11. Just for fun, what are some goodies I can get for my current computer, a PPC Mac OS 10.4.11?

Little to nothing.

Mathew Mii

Speaking of which, how can I tell what's inside of this thing in order to get the full detailed specs?

Figure out what year it was manufactured and google it. Apple systems are quite reliably detailed by year of manufacture.

[Mathew Mii]

psychic stalker

Quote:

If you're going to custom-build, this doesn't make much sense.

Amazon will not provide phone support for your parts. Nor will Newegg or any other retailer. They will help you with returns and replacement, but that's all, and they will happily do that over email.

Only the manufacturers themselves will provide any support, and their support is generally limited. They will respond to requests for RMA and warranty service, but they will not help you beyond that.

If you want support, get a pre-built system.

I was thinking about ordering on the phone because nobody is allowed to type in any credit cards on any website in this house (Amazon is the only online store we shop on because they set up my mom's account over the phone.). I'll go ahead and correct that statement.

Quote:

You haven't specified what parts, if any, will be carried over to the new system. Are you going to use the same monitor, for example? Things like this factor into the budget estimate.

I will be using all new parts since there's a good chance that one part is being goofy. I'll be using my ViewSonic LED HD 1080p that I am using for this Mac.

Quote:

Throw away all clothes made with polyester or other synthetic fibers. Wear only clothes made with 100% cotton or hemp. Avoid wool.

Do not use fabric softener sheets (not even the anti-static ones!) in the laundry. Use liquid softener instead or no softener at all. Even better, don't use the drier for shirts and pants. Hang-dry when possible.

Do not assemble your computer in a room carpeted with a carpet made from recycled plastics. If you only have synthetic fiber carpeting, plan to replace it with wood flooring or yarn carpets when you next remodel, if possible. It's more expensive, but you'll like it.

Do not wear shoes indoors. Certain rubber soles will generate static, especially on synthetic fiber carpet.

Do not wear wool when working with the computer. Find some other way to keep warm - but don't use a synthetic fiber blanket.

Ahh. So no wool, softening sheets, synthetic fibers (not my favorite blanket...), and shoes indoors. I should practice that habit by wearing only cotton or hemp when I have to ride in the car (the door always zap me).

Quote:

Someone here had some suggestions a while back.

I'll check that out soon.

Quote:

Surge protectors become useless after a few minor surges. Replace surge-protected power strips and other similar devices on a regular basis. Most of them have some kind of indicator showing whether it's working. Replace it when the indicator changes. (Like a blinking power light or the "protected" light turning off or blinking.)

Interesting. What are some good ones with that sort of thing on it?

Quote:

Yes. Don't use magnets.

Understandable because magnets can erase bits of a hard drive and may screw parts up (I read about that in a deviantArt plush tutorial)

Quote:

This is not necessarily good for the computer. Spinning-platter hard drives generally lose operational life when they power-cycle. It's entirely safe to keep your computer on 24 hours per day unless you are trying to save energy.

If you remember the tall tale about my other computer, one of my suspicions was the power supply in it was weak from too much computer usage. I want to save energy since we use a lot for other computers, gaming consoles, and to keep my pet birds warm. In this situation, I should find a hard drive not like that?

Quote:

This is only necessary when you muck around inside it. In general, the case itself is a good way to discharge, especially when the power supply is still plugged in to the wall.

For safety, however, it's good to only work with the computer while it's unplugged.

I was concerned about this because I zapped my Mac a few times. Sometimes, its screen would black out for a second in reaction to the shock.

Quote:

Subscribe to the retailer's newsletter. They always have coupon codes.

Search Google for coupon codes for the retailer you choose. FatWallet and several other sites often have useful codes.

What about college student and senior discounts (my mother with be 60 this year)?

Quote:

It's unlikely that you can sell it at all. Anyone who might buy it will probably strip it for parts, and they won't pay that much for it. Take it to a computer recycler.

I don't mind it being stripped for parts. I just want some money for it plus closet space, especially before kitty-kitty decides to "claim territory" on it.

Quote:

I don't see why, unless you plan on spending tens of thousands.

I really want to do this because my hours in one job has been limited to 2 hours per week and it pays minimum wage ($8.95). There's also a good chance that I will have no choice but to take a class that requires a computer at home next term or else I will not get financial aid.

Quote:

Little to nothing.

Figure out what year it was manufactured and google it. Apple systems are quite reliably detailed by year of manufacture.

Not even emulators? I am asking this question because I found "The Movies: Superstar Edition" at my used game store for 13 bucks (I get a 10% discount for being a college student). The game said that it will work on PPC Mac if it is compatible. I played the game before on a custom built Windows XP around 2005 or so and it was fun, although my simcity financial management skills sucked.

I just found the specs in my system profiler. I think this Mac can run the game, but idk if I want to get it because the Mac will be given to mom after I get my PC (and why would I want to get a game that can't run on Windows anyway?)

[psychic stalker]

Mathew Mii

I was thinking about ordering on the phone because nobody is allowed to type in any credit cards on any website in this house (Amazon is the only online store we shop on because they set up my mom's account over the phone.). I'll go ahead and correct that statement.

Believe it or not, but it's actually safer to send your credit card number over an encrypted website than it is over the phone. Phones are trivial to tap. Secure websites are not.

Did you hear about Target's recent breach, where millions of credit card numbers were stolen? That was actually mostly credit cards physically used in the store, not on the website. Reputable, established online retailers like Amazon and "secure wallet services" like Paypal and Google Wallet (and Amazon Payments) are actually worlds safer than doing anything over the phone.

(If you're wondering, it costs $200 for the equipment to listen in on any phone call on AT&T, T-Mobile or any other GSM network, and anyone can do it. It's only a little more expensive - a few thousand dollars - to do the same thing on Sprint, Verizon, or any other CDMA network. Land lines are even easier.)

This paranoia does not serve your family well.

Mathew Mii

Quote:

Surge protectors become useless after a few minor surges. Replace surge-protected power strips and other similar devices on a regular basis. Most of them have some kind of indicator showing whether it's working. Replace it when the indicator changes. (Like a blinking power light or the "protected" light turning off or blinking.)

Interesting. What are some good ones with that sort of thing on it?

All surge protectors are basically the same thing. The only differences are in how many surges the suppressor they use will survive, which just depends on how it was manufactured and varies even among otherwise identical devices. But they all have some kind of indicator that shows when the suppressor fails. At that time, the entire unit should be replaced immediately.

Mathew Mii

Quote:

Yes. Don't use magnets.

Understandable because magnets can erase bits of a hard drive and may screw parts up (I read about that in a deviantArt plush tutorial)

Well, actually, it's because changing electrical currents create small magnetic fields. A magnet can interfere with electrical flow by suppressing some of those currents, which can lead to a crashing computer, among other problems.

Hard drives are comparatively resilient. It takes a massive degausser to damage the data on most modern drives.

Mathew Mii

If you remember the tall tale about my other computer, one of my suspicions was the power supply in it was weak from too much computer usage.

Unlikely. It's more probable that if there was a problem with your power supply that it was due to a power spike that your house's suppressor didn't catch. (And this happens more than you'd think.)

Mathew Mii

I want to save energy since we use a lot for other computers, gaming consoles, and to keep my pet birds warm. In this situation, I should find a hard drive not like that?

They're all like that. It's due to the simple fact that they're mechanical devices. Turning them on and off just wears out some of the mechanical components. The same is true of case fans. Just having them on at all wears them out, and turning them off causes different kinds of wear.

Don't take this to mean that it'll die in a week. I'm talking about long-term life. A period of years.

SSDs don't have this problem, because they're pure solid-state. There are no mechanical issues.

Mathew Mii

Quote:

This is only necessary when you muck around inside it. In general, the case itself is a good way to discharge, especially when the power supply is still plugged in to the wall.

For safety, however, it's good to only work with the computer while it's unplugged.

I was concerned about this because I zapped my Mac a few times. Sometimes, its screen would black out for a second in reaction to the shock.

That's something to worry about. It sounds like you have other environmental issues to deal with. If you are in a particularly dry climate, that can contribute to the problem.

Mathew Mii

What about college student and senior discounts (my mother with be 60 this year)?

Those are not very common, but some retailers do offer them. Shop around.

Mathew Mii

Quote:

Little to nothing.

Figure out what year it was manufactured and google it. Apple systems are quite reliably detailed by year of manufacture.

Not even emulators? I am asking this question because I found "The Movies: Superstar Edition" at my used game store for 13 bucks (I get a 10% discount for being a college student). The game said that it will work on PPC Mac if it is compatible. I played the game before on a custom built Windows XP around 2005 or so and it was fun, although my simcity financial management skills sucked.

I just found the specs in my system profiler. I think this Mac can run the game, but idk if I want to get it because the Mac will be given to mom after I get my PC (and why would I want to get a game that can't run on Windows anyway?)

I can't answer this. It's up to you. I've never heard of the game, and I don't care to look it up right now. (I have work to do, and I've spent entirely too much time on this as it is.) Google it.

In any case, I can recommend that you read the Ars Technica System Guide. It makes some good recommendations on what parts to buy.

I shop only on Newegg.com, because they're reliable, relatively cheap, and have a good return policy. A lot of people who custom-build prefer them. In Canada, people also use NCIX. Newegg does not do phone orders. Few online retailers do.

If you prefer Amazon, that's fine, since they usually have most of the parts you'll want or need, but a lot of them are through third-party merchants, so return policies, prices, and reliability will be ... unpredictable.

[Mathew Mii]

psychic stalker

Believe it or not, but it's actually safer to send your credit card number over an encrypted website than it is over the phone. Phones are trivial to tap. Secure websites are not.

Did you hear about Target's recent breach, where millions of credit card numbers were stolen? That was actually mostly credit cards physically used in the store, not on the website. Reputable, established online retailers like Amazon and "secure wallet services" like Paypal and Google Wallet (and Amazon Payments) are actually worlds safer than doing anything over the phone.

(If you're wondering, it costs $200 for the equipment to listen in on any phone call on AT&T, T-Mobile or any other GSM network, and anyone can do it. It's only a little more expensive - a few thousand dollars - to do the same thing on Sprint, Verizon, or any other CDMA network. Land lines are even easier.)

This paranoia does not serve your family well.

I never knew about this. If only I can convince my mom unless my rl computer friend can confirm this.

Why I was nervous about putting important information like SS numbers because of keyloggers. Last time I put in a number like that in order to get a PayPal account, my debit card number was stolen and I lost my privileges to use it...

Quote:

All surge protectors are basically the same thing. The only differences are in how many surges the suppressor they use will survive, which just depends on how it was manufactured and varies even among otherwise identical devices. But they all have some kind of indicator that shows when the suppressor fails. At that time, the entire unit should be replaced immediately.

Ok. What are your recommendations for surge protecting power bars?

Quote:

Well, actually, it's because changing electrical currents create small magnetic fields. A magnet can interfere with electrical flow by suppressing some of those currents, which can lead to a crashing computer, among other problems.

Hard drives are comparatively resilient. It takes a massive degausser to damage the data on most modern drives.

Like having a clot in the blood veins that can cause a heart attack if left untreated?

Quote:

That's something to worry about. It sounds like you have other environmental issues to deal with. If you are in a particularly dry climate, that can contribute to the problem.

My climate has been more dry lately, especially now that we are having a "Chetco Effect" (It's when the winds blow towards the ocean, causing hot and dry weather. This usually lasts for 2-3 days.). However, it does get pretty moist here and weather changes a lot.

Quote:

I can't answer this. It's up to you. I've never heard of the game, and I don't care to look it up right now. (I have work to do, and I've spent entirely too much time on this as it is.) Google it.

The movies is like Simcity, except it focuses within a movie studio. It's also like the sims since you can control your people and build up their skills. One think I liked about the game is that you can control how your film goes and it can be exported as a video file.

I think I'll pass since I can just make Sims 3 machinimas and Source Filmmaker films. Plus, I have to beat Mario & Luigi, Tales of the Abyss, Yoshi's Island, Paper Mario: 1000 Year Door, and Kirby's Canvas Curse. eek

Quote:

In any case, I can recommend that you read the Ars Technica System Guide. It makes some good recommendations on what parts to buy.

I like their budget computer build, but I'll go for a 250 GB hard drive instead of 120 to store my artwork and created game content. Later today, I'll talk to my friend about it.

Quote:

I shop only on Newegg.com, because they're reliable, relatively cheap, and have a good return policy. A lot of people who custom-build prefer them. In Canada, people also use NCIX. Newegg does not do phone orders. Few online retailers do.

If you prefer Amazon, that's fine, since they usually have most of the parts you'll want or need, but a lot of them are through third-party merchants, so return policies, prices, and reliability will be ... unpredictable.

My friend loves newegg.com. If he orders from them, he could order for me.

[psychic stalker]

Mathew Mii

Why I was nervous about putting important information like SS numbers because of keyloggers. Last time I put in a number like that in order to get a PayPal account, my debit card number was stolen and I lost my privileges to use it...

Keyloggers of this sort are not common, especially not on Macs.

Mathew Mii

Ok. What are your recommendations for surge protecting power bars?

Get one.

Mathew Mii

Quote:

Well, actually, it's because changing electrical currents create small magnetic fields. A magnet can interfere with electrical flow by suppressing some of those currents, which can lead to a crashing computer, among other problems.

Hard drives are comparatively resilient. It takes a massive degausser to damage the data on most modern drives.

Like having a clot in the blood veins that can cause a heart attack if left untreated?

That's ... as good a metaphor as any. The physics of it are a bit more complicated, but you get the idea.

[Mathew Mii]

psychic stalker

Mathew Mii

Why I was nervous about putting important information like SS numbers because of keyloggers. Last time I put in a number like that in order to get a PayPal account, my debit card number was stolen and I lost my privileges to use it...

Keyloggers of this sort are not common, especially not on Macs.

I see. If there was one in my PC at the time, I would have lost access to my commonly used website accounts like dA.

That means no Paypal unless they can mail me checks...

Mathew Mii

Quote:

Well, actually, it's because changing electrical currents create small magnetic fields. A magnet can interfere with electrical flow by suppressing some of those currents, which can lead to a crashing computer, among other problems.

Hard drives are comparatively resilient. It takes a massive degausser to damage the data on most modern drives.

Quote:

Like having a clot in the blood veins that can cause a heart attack if left untreated?

That's ... as good a metaphor as any. The physics of it are a bit more complicated, but you get the idea.

Yeah. I'm not very good with sciences except biology. sweatdrop