READ! Baseline Builds! - How to build your Desktop

We all keep recommending common materials around these forums to construct rigs with, so I'm just gonna try to wrap up all of that in this topic and clear things up for newcomers.

Deciding computer parts for your build:
Alright, so when you start configging yourself a build, here's some key pointers on how we recommend building them.

There are three main components that contribute to split second, bleeding edge computer performance : CPU (Regulates how fast things can get done) HDD(s) ( Hard Drive, regulates how fast tasks are funneled to the CPU) GPU (Graphics Card, regulates how well/quickly video is rendered)

The main three parts that are focused on are the CPU, motherboard, and graphics.

CPU- FIRST, I need to explain overclocking. Overclocking is when you take a processor, and just downright ramp up its performance by literally increasing its speed. This creates more heat than it would normally output though, which is why there are options to get better cooling for your PC so you can overclock more. It's a nice equilization, reduce heat to overclock more and produce more heat to balance it out. Go to any classic, standard PC repair shop and overclocking is usually some sort of bad omen, though. Overclocking honestly really a bad thing, as they might brainwash you to thinking. Done in the right hands, which DS has plenty of, it can save you money over buying a better CPU, or just put you around the best of the best in speed. Here, it's also backed by DS's superior warranty, and overclocks are always double, maybe even triple checked. Now, moving on to processors/CPUs themselves. There are AMD and Intel CPUs, it's an easy decision between the two. AMD CPUs have a great speed/price ratio at stock, and are the best possible choice IF you don't wanna overclock. Not saying that they overclock badly, well, read on to understand what I mean. Intel CPUs seem to be more preferred around here; they seem to hit better overclocked performance with comparable coolers to AMD systems. And, since this is THE place to start doing custom things like overclocking, well, you get the point. Core i5 CPUs are more for budget builds as well, the i7s you might see on Core i5 configurators are a slight step up from them. I'll refer to those Core i7s on the Core i5 configurator as "P55 Core i7s". The Core i7's that run on the X58 platform , I'll call them "X58 Core i7s", to distinguish between the two.  You can easily tell what is a X58 Core i7 because it'll start with a 9, and end with two other numbers (i.e., i7 920, i7 930, i7 960, i7 980X) The X58 Core i7s is where you start getting some serious overclocked processing beef, which is why we often recommend them and try our best to fit them into as many builds possible. You should too, but then again, if your budget is really tight, might wanna look at i5s or possibly an AMD system.

Motherboard - "Mobo"s, as they are dubbed here, are somewhat of a key part you want to make sure of before you go through with a build. The overall quality of motherboards here are nearly equal, however, you need to make sure you do some research so you'll have the necessary ports for expandability. Bottom line, make sure you get a motherboard that'll be able to satisfy any expanding needs in the future. For example, the EVGA LE motherboard is very often preferred here. The LE motherboard can support two PCI cards, and a single x16 PCI-E card, along with x8 PCI-E cards, along with a x1 PCI-E card. The key point here is that it can't support two cards at x16, so you really can't go tri-sli or something like that. However, most people don't NEED three video cards, mainly because of how expensive it is compared to how much more performance, so the LE makes sense.

Graphics - Graphics is something you don't wanna miss out on here. You don't have to get the best, but make sure you get something decent. A GTX 460 is the minimum modern end card here. A GTX 480 will essentially play anything you want on it on high settings solo, a GTX 470 is somewhat near the performance of a GTX 480. Overclocking a graphics card is not that recommended here though, as it sometimes leads to system instabilities and doesn't net that big of an increase by itself anyways.

Other computer parts you might be questioning
RAM - 6GB 1600Mhz will do fine. Period. No questions asked.

Killer Xeno NIC - Blegh, not recommended. From a firsthand account, it doesn't really net that noticeable of a performance gain. The theory behind it is that it runs network off it's own dedicated processing unit, and takes load off the CPU to do other things. But seriously, when you go into the high end CPUs here, it becomes irrelevant. Maybe it'll show increases with lower end systems, I don't really know.

Sound Cards - It's a luxury really, you don't need it. If you have that massive of a budget so you have some extra funds for one though, feel free to.

Cooling - If you're thinking Liquid Cooling and your budget is under $3000, go with Air. Heh, Liquid Cooling is tricky business. You have to choose just the right case for it, and possibly even specify your own parts for maximum performance/aesthetics. Air coolers will honestly do pretty dang well. The Noctua D-14 can already hit 3.8Ghz, considering that Liquid Cooling will only hit a max of 4.2Ghz. If you have a lower budget, then focus on other things.

Paint - Er, if you're on a budget, and that came to mind, you need a good thwack on the head. LOL, but seriously, it's a luxury! Like sound cards, if you have the budget, by all means go for it if you really want it.

Oh, and here's some baseline builds to just give ya an idea of what we usually pop up with suggesting on the forums!

On a Budget - Budget Limit Strictly Under $1500

Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - HAF 922
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i5 750 2.66GHz (Quad Core)
Motherboard: EVGA P55 SLI (Intel P55 Chipset)
System Memory: 4GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 750W Digital Storm Certified (Dual SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition Recommended)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 1x ATI Radeon HD 5850 1GB
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 1: Noctua Dual 120mm Fans High Performance Cooler (Compatible With ONLY i7 Processors)
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Blue)
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: FREE: Stage 1: Overclock the processor between 3.3GHz to 3.9GHz (Cooling Upgrade Recommended)
Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: FREE: Yes, Disable and tweak all of the non-crucial services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit Edition)
Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Benchmarking: - No Thanks
Install/Test Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: 3 Year Limited Warranty with Life-Time Customer Support (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Parts)

Price: - $1464
For people with budgets strictly under $1500, which seem to be common nowadays, this Core i5 rig is for you.


Basic i7 Gamer - Common Budget Limit $2000

Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - HAF 922
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 930 2.8GHz (Quad Core)
Motherboard: EVGA X58 LE Edition SLI (Intel X58 Chipset) (Supports SLI or CrossFire)
System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 750W Digital Storm Certified (Dual SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition Recommended)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 1x ATI Radeon HD 5850 1GB
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 1: Noctua Dual 120mm Fans High Performance Cooler (Compatible With ONLY i7 Processors)
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Blue)
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: FREE: Stage 1: Overclock the processor between 3.3GHz to 3.9GHz (Cooling Upgrade Recommended)
Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: FREE: Yes, Disable and tweak all of the non-crucial services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit Edition)
Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Benchmarking: - No Thanks
Install/Test Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: 3 Year Limited Warranty with Life-Time Customer Support (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Parts)

Price: - $1633
If you have a more lenient budget and wanna nab a cool i7 rig without a hefty price, there ya go.

i7 Gaming Rig - Budget Limit - $5000 or beyond

Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master HAF 932
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition 980X 3.33GHz (Hexa-Core) (Extreme Performance)
Motherboard: EVGA X58 FTW3 Edition 3X SLI (Intel X58 Chipset) (Supports SLI or CrossFire)
System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1600MHz Corsair Dominator with DHX Extreme Edition
Power Supply: 1500W Silverstone (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) (Recommended)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (80GB Solid State (By: Intel) (Extreme Performance) (Model: SSDSA2MH080G2R5)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 1x (1TB Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS (7200 RPM) (32MB Cache) (SATA) (Extreme Speed)
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA EVGA GeForce GTX 480 1.5GB (Includes PhysX Technology)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Creative Labs X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion (Includes Front I/O) (PCI-Express Slot Based)
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 4: Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System: CPU Only
H20 Tube Color:Blue Tubing with High-Performance Fluid (UV Lighting Reactive)
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Blue)
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: Noise Suppression Package (Optimized Airflow & Fan Speeds with Noise Dampening Material)
Boost Processor: Stage 2: Overclock the processor between 4.0GHz to 4.2GHz (Requires H20 Cooling Upgrade)
Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: FREE: Yes, Disable and tweak all of the non-crucial services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit Edition)
Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Benchmarking: - No Thanks
Install/Test Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: 3 Year Limited Warranty with Life-Time Customer Support (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Parts)

Price: - $4931

Dual GTX480s with a Liquid Cooled i7 Extreme makes this one killer rig that'll blow your head off. Erm, I mean your enemies' heads off.

(Comment below, and suggest changes as necessary!)

Edited by ablahblah - 13 Jul 2010 at 10:09pm

Oh, please.

hey ablahblah think i could get ur input on the rig im trying to build?

P55M=No

Do you ever read a review?

read a lot of reviews, but this is based on what I see on the configs being suggested right now in the configuration discussion

with a maximum budget of 1600 i know at most, you can push for a low end LGA1336, but the two somewhat budget oriented builds I'm posting here are "baseline",  as in, it still has a little bit of wiggle room to get in necessary HDD sizes, Creative sound cards if preferred, and whatnot. guideline build more of, not really an "order this build" thing o.o

Originally posted by ablahblah swapped for a regular P55 SLI, put in a cheaper X58 build, ramped up the high end build. how's it now?

Why in the world suggest the 975 when the 980x hex-core is only $250 more?

Originally posted by Dragoonseal Originally posted by ablahblah swapped for a regular P55 SLI, put in a cheaper X58 build, ramped up the high end build. how's it now? Why in the world suggest the 975 when the 980x hex-core is only $250 more?

I was wondering the same thing.  I would definitely swap that 975 with the 980x.

*stresses the word BASELINE*

howww many times do I have to say that...

Edited by ablahblah - 23 Jun 2010 at 8:17pm

finally, someone makes a good point the baseline potential of the build...

done!

*slaps face

sorry, completely forgot that it was running dual 480s! my bad!

fixed, put in a 1500w PSU, since, hey, if someone's that high end, they'll probably be upgrading in the future, right?

Edited by ablahblah - 23 Jun 2010 at 9:15pm

laptops, unfortunately, aren't as customizable, therefore, I don't really feel too much of a need to baseline one. the DSx17D (Sager NP9280), DS's most customizable laptop, is too straightforward for me to really consider making a baseline for it.

Asus makes some damn good kickass laptops, your situation seems fairly similar to mine (I'm looking for a laptop that fits the same purpose as well). If you need a laptop right NOW, the Asus G73JH is a good choice. $1599, you get a Core i7 920 (1.66Ghz ,Turbo Boostable on demand up to 2.8Ghz), 6GB of DDR3 RAM @ 1066Mhz, a Mobility Radeon 5870, a mouse, and a backpack. $100 more nets you a blu-ray drive.

http://www.amazon.com/Republic-Gamers-G73JH-A2-17-Inch-Gaming/dp/B0036ZE6SS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1277761811&sr=8-1

If you CAN wait, like me, the Asus G73JW is coming out. Supposedly, it'll also support USB 3.0, and might be equipped with a GTX 480M, no confirmations yet. However, it'll support Wireless-HD (Yes, go google it) and 3D Vision, as well as nVidia PhysX.

Okay thanks ablahblah, I didn't see your post until after I posted the second post.
I'll check it out. But I really do like DS's customer service. They Asus charges extra for the kind of service I get for free at DS.

AAAACTUALLY....

Asus customer service, I dunno at all whether the service is good or not. But the warranty is beast, at least. 1yr accidental damage coverage, shipping back to you is free. 2yr parts + labor warranty, free shipping back and forth. 30 day LCD defect warranty, free shipping back and forth. o.o

Not necessarily, it doesn't include the backpack and mouse. It's just the laptop.

you know...any chance I can get some of this stuck to a sticky, or something. the original intent of the post was so that it'd give people an idea of what to try and get/start off with before they post, and since most new people do look at the first two stickies on the configuration suggestions page anyways... just saying it might save some time on config suggestion threads

how about now? :o