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Thread: starting out...

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    starting out...

    i'm looking to expand my computer knowledge to hardware and build my own rig.

    i've been on this crappy 2009 laptop for far too long, time to upgrade. but of course i'm going to spend several weeks researching and learning before the ball gets rolling.

    i'm sure i can google "how to build a computer", and get some awesome wikihow articles, but from those with experience and maybe people who i can relate to... what tips or tricks do you have for learning about hardware and how to build a pc?

    i figure... learn all about the required parts, top brands, how the series numbers go, what standards of each parts are what... etc. idk, i have ADHD and it's a bit overwhelming, lol.

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    Re: starting out...

    Frankly, IMHO, the best way to learn is go do things.

    If you could find someone with an old clunker of a PC (not laptop, they're too unique) that's due to be scrapped, spend some time taking it apart, putting it together, etc. That'll give you a very basic skeleton to build knowledge on.

    And nothing much, in principles, has changed.

    Then, yeah, you'll have to try to learn what's available now, what works with what and/or requires what, and start fleshing out that skeleton.

    None of it is rocket science, but there's a LOT of detail to get to grips with, and unfortunately, the best way to learn is experience. Which means, picking a starting point, and then starting.

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    Re: starting out...

    I really Agree with Saracen best way to learn about the physical build is to build. If your looking for a way to learn about the build part selection I highly recommend if you don't like allot of reading you check out Youtube. You can get a lots of different opinions on product/hardware and brands and the more input you have the better chance you have for making a decision as to hardware itself. I would advise that if your looking for build guides that you check out Linus Tech Tips (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXu...E6Xw-yeJA0Tunw) as they have a nice menu system and for there specific builds they go through the rational of why each part was selected.

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    Re: starting out...

    building your own pc is not very difficult every component has its own slot so long as its compatible with your motherboard what ever you decide to chose you cant go wrong realy
    a basic pc is made of about 6 parts thats all

    first you have the motherboard thats what everything connects to
    then you will have a cpu or apu connected to the motherboard and dont forget the heatsink to cool it down (apu is cpu and gpu built in 1 chip)
    then you have ram i would get at least 4gb but 8gb is recommended
    gfx card is a optinal extra if your a gamer your gonna need one of these or maybe the apu based cpu might be enouth if your not much of a gamer
    a psu you will need for the power
    and a hdd to store the os and your data

    thats a full system there every component will only fit 1 way so dont try force them in and always check the compatibility list for that motherboard so you know its supported some stuff might work fine with it thats not in the list its just untested

    hops this helps in some way and like Saracen said try it on a old system if you can get your hands on one even if it dont work u can still check the components out see how they look and slot in its not changed that much over the years so it will give you a good feel on how stuff goes together and good luck on your first build

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    Re: starting out...

    My first lesson; told to photograph internals of old PC, particularly connections. Then tutor!!!! stripped it completely, and told us to get it working again. You can either start from scratch; and research(that's a full time job), check compatability, reviews etc. Or start with a custom bulid to your spec, and replace as components become dated. downside it's built by an orangutan(no offence orangutan bros!).

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    • KeyboardDemon's system
      • Motherboard:
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      • CPU:
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      • Memory:
      • 16gb (4x4gb) Corsair Vengence Red (1866mhz) - (Because it looks good in a black mobo)
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      • Operating System:
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    Re: starting out...

    The hardest part about building a PC is picking the parts, so another way to learn might be first to identify what parts are needed and then research who makes the parts, how much they cost and the relative advantages over other similar parts by other brands. With gaming PCs the thing most enthusiasts look for is performance and benchmarks show how well components perform when compared to other components of the same type, ie graphics cards, hard drives, SSDs, etc. So component reviews on Hexus can help with developing this understanding.

    Once you understand those things you can start picking and balancing components based on performance requirements and budget constraints. Ask plenty of questions, most of us build PCs as a hobby and are all too eager to help others get started with building their first rig. Plus look at our profiles for the info on the PCs we use, on the left of my post you will see an arrow, click on that to see my system specs. When I was first starting out I used to look at the specs of other people's PCs and work out how much it would cost to build them. I found it was a great way to get to learn about what parts i wanted to shortlist.

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    Re: starting out...

    I'm currently going through a similar process myself, had too many non-efficent pre-built systems and I'm fed up of it. Plus gaming on the PC in general looks a lot more fun what with mods and more customizable than that of a console. The only thing I will find a bit of a struggle will be getting used to keyboard and mouse gaming but I do still have some Xbox 360 controllers that I plan to use for gaming from time to time on there as well.

    Still its quite expensive but from everyone I've spoke to it about, its well worth it!

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