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the guy i went to to help me build it was rather unhelpful. he pointed me toward a website and said "pick out your parts".

so instead i came here seeking wisdom. it needs to be a gaming/3d modeling setup. the bar has to be set by Arma 2.

Motherboard
does it really matter? should i be looking at something other then RAM and PCI slots?

Processor
i5's and i7's are great and all, but why have i found i5's running at 3.5ghz and i7's at 3.02?
to me, bigger number = bigger/better/faster.

Graphics Card
was told to get Nvidia for gaming. i believe the most recent one is GTS 580. someone warned me about manufacturer? PNY vs whoever. and with this, should i consider a dual card setup?

RAM
i do feel a little stupid with this question. DDR3 compatible with GDDR5? i assume since graphics RAM is dedicated, it doesnt matter.

Box and Power Supply
in the end, dictated by te rest of the setup, but sugestions would be nice.

You have to make sure the motherboard has the right socket for your CPU. Other than that just look at features and price.

There are things that make an i7 better than an i5 even at lower clocks. For example, i7's have hyper threading, virtually increasing the amount of available cores, while i5's and i3's don't. Usually you wouldn't really need an i7 over an i5, but if you're going to do some serious 3D modeling an i7 might be better for you.

With graphics cards, neither brand is better than the other, they are simply different. Don't believe those people who say that drivers or something else is only good on one brand. You have to actually look at the facts and tests and see what specific card performs better than another specific card. You cannot make generalizations if you want to find something good.
Once again, for 3D modeling I suggest something powerful, though it doesn't have to be the best. Nvidia's GTX 580 is proven to be the most powerful single GPU to date, but it comes with a price to match. There are other very powerful single GPU's with reasonable prices, such as the GTX 570 and GTX 560 Ti, along with AMD's 6xxx series of cards. There are also multi GPU setups and cards that can outperform any single GPU, sometimes even costing less than the single GPU's they compete with. However, if you do go with Crossfirex or SLI you have to make sure your motherboard will support it.

System memory and video memory will not matter. For system memory DDR3 is the most advanced, I would suggest you get modules rated at 1600MHz since it's most likely the best performance for the price. Again make sure your motherboard has enough slots to fit the RAM you're looking at, some motherboards have 4 while others have 6.

You can go pretty cheap with the case, but if you are going to be overclocking or even just pushing your system hard then make sure the case can cool the parts effectively.

For power supply make sure it meets the wattage requirement for your system and buy from a reliable manufacturer. You can calculate the wattage you will need here.

Don't forget a hard drive and operation system. You don't have to get as in depth with hard drives, but at least make sure you get a 7200RPM model for quick access. OS generally comes down to Win7, XP, or Apple systems. Don't get Vista since it uses more of your resources than your games will. I wouldn't get XP either since it doesn't support Directx 10 or 11. Whatever you do make sure your license provides a 64-bit version so that you can use more than 3.6GB of memory.


Hope this helped, if you have more questions feel free to ask.

After you weigh in on all the possible options above and get a general build setup you will want to start with the motherboard. Once you pick the mobo you will pick all of the other parts based on compatability to the mobo.
Doing the research back and forth about compatability with the mobo tought me the most about building my system.

When building a desktop, two things will really come into consideration: Features and Cost. You want to get as many features as possible while remaining within your budget. But a mistake I see a lot of people making is to buy parts listed at higher prices thinking they will perform better, which is not always true. Just like clothing, appliances, or any other retail goods, in some cases you'll be paying extra for branding. The trick is to find a good brand that can offer a better price than its competitors for a similar product.

Another mistake that I see a lot of people making is that they choose just a few parts based on what they feel is necessary, and simply buy the rest of the components without much research. Every component is just as vital, from the case to the motherboard to even the cooling system. You must choose components that not only provide the features you need, but are also compatible with each other. You also want to build a system that has future upgrade options and not get locked into hardware that must be fully replaced.


For me, the priority components are the motherboard and CPU. When ever you plan to upgrade at a later time, nearly everything else can be replaced/upgraded, but the motherboard itself should remain. CPUs can be upgraded as well in favor of faster speeds or new features, but you want to choose a socket type that is still being enhanced. That way, if you choose to bump up to a better CPU later, the same socket type will continue to be available.

Other than socket type, some of the critical features of a motherboard would be the number of available PCI slots, RAM slots, number of SATA connections, USB connections, etc. I also look at the general layout of the board, and ensure components can be installed easily without a tight fit. Will components install without having to unplug stuff or shifts things around? Will anything interfere with larger power supplies? Will a fully-configured board cause airflow issues?


For the processor, choose something that meets your requirements and budget, but again make sure the socket type is not so old that they will soon discontinue newer models. Get the best CPU you can find, paying attention not only to the core speed but also the "side features" such as hyper-threading or multi-core. Choosing between Intel and AMD is a neverending argument, it comes down to personal taste and opinion more than anything. I used to work for Intel, and for personal reasons I have been using AMD for over 7 years. It's not that Intel products are "bad", but the company itself, their support, and overall methods are what made me choose to no longer support them or buy their products.


Graphics cards are yet again one of those fields where people argue back and forth about which is better, ATI or Nvidia. And again, it generally comes down to personal tastes. I've used both, and have seen similar performance in both. I have run into a few games that favored Nvidia over ATI, and vice-versa. The ATI cards I've had did offer a few features I preferred over Nvidia, but the Nvidia was in my opinion just as nice. I'll basically pick a card based on price and features more than brand. If you plan to dual-card your system though, I have found SLI to work better than Crossfire, which is why I recommend Nvidia cards for hardcore gamers or professionals using graphics programs. All of the computers I built for the Army to use in VBS labs had Nvidia cards and it ran flawlessly.


A major word of advice, do NOT overlook the case or power supply. Many people will tell you that the case doesn't matter much, but that is one of the major components that I look at when building a system. The features of your case can mean the difference of a smooth-running computer or a serious headache.

Don't look for cases using fancy clear-sides for the sole purpose of showing off flashing LEDs or **** like that. Features that I look for are easy-access motherboard trays, such as those that can be removed easily without disassembling the entire system. Slide-out drive bays are also a nice feature to look for, as it makes installing or swapping drives much easier. Another important factor is how the cooling is set up. If you imagine your motherboard fully filled with cards, cables running everywhere, what kind of airflow is that case going to provide? Does it offer enough fans, of the proper size, in the correct locations to give you a solid airflow through the system? And what about external connections, such as audio/USB/Firewire/etc? And are the power/reset buttons located where you can easily access them while seated at your station without having to bend all the way down or have to fumble with clunky panel hatches?


For a power supply, I prefer Ultra brand modular systems. They are available up to 1600 watts, and include every cable type imaginable. The key importance of a modular system is that you are only using the cables you actually need, and the cables are slim, the right length, and not ugly. Less surplus cables means less mess, and better cable management means minimal conflict with airflow. The modular designs also permit you to swap out cables when needed, such as adding a new component, removing a component, or exchanging a component which requires a different connector.

As for power level, there is nothing wrong with running a PSU larger than you need, especially if you plan to upgrade other components later on. Just don't go too much overboard. For a gaming rig that might use dual video cards, multiple large-capacity HDDs, multiple DVD drives, etc then you might want to consider an 850W. If you plan to upgrade to a serious professional 3D platform running max components, such as something you'd see in a professional video editing or graphics design firm, then a 1200W might be desired. But for your intentions, the 850W is likely your best bet.


Seeing as you live in the US, you'll have a much larger variety of products available and locations from which to purchase from. If you'd like more detailed suggestions, including recommended places to order from, you can send me a PM with your budget limits and required features. I can then send you a reply with feedback and links to help you out, and if you really need it I can even provide a contact number if you have in-depth questions about the actual build/configure process.

Unfortunately, due to the recession I had to let my business license expire a few months ago so I can't offer you discounts on parts myself. But I can recommend places to shop for the best deals.

i would say have a look at my set up in this post;
https://www.realitymod.com/forum/f329-hardware-custom-builds/95690-checking-new-computer-will-run.html

its my first build and ive been seeking advice everywhere i can. evrything is still the same aprt from the memory is now 1600Mhz and the graphics card is now 5770.

im looking to run both PR:BF2 and PR:ArmA2 and looking at the specs set out on the arma threads, this meets the higher spec for both, nothin spectacular but itll get the job done.
my budget is limiting my build, as well as havng to buy a new screen as my old one is nackered but with this set up i can always build on to it in the future.

Power supplies and what you need to look at:

Efficiency: You probably want the most efficient PSU because it will save you money.
Power supplies run at max efficiency around 60% load, and tail off very quickly at beyond 90%. So always get a bigger power supply than you need. Also if you overclock you'll need more juice.

Amps: Very important when looking at GPUs is to look at the 12V rail on the PSU. All places that sell these will give you the information. Generally a GPU will use no more than 30A. But if you have 2GPUs you will need either 2 12V rails at 30A, or 1 12V rail at 60A. Check the GPUs recommended current and find a power supply that can give that.

Modular: You want a Modular power supply .

Brand: Always look at reviews of PSU's cheap ones may not be as good, or they may be better. I personally will stick to Corsair + NZXT, Corsair being the more premium choice, but there are always more I haven't looked at =].



Also as I have been saying all round. If you have the time, wait for Nvidia to release its 600 series GPUs and see what they bring (and AMD their next series), this is the next big step for GPUs (Die size shrink + new architecture)

Pedz wrote:Modular: You want a Modular power supply .

Yes. Or OCD will find you.

Some other decent brands: Thermaltake, Antec, sometimes Ultra. And a fun fact! Most good power supplies are made by Seasonic and re-branded by various companies.

Let's see if Nvidia can follow in Intel's footsteps. 32nm graphics core...mmmmm.