Now then,

In a perfect world, we would all be able to buy up killer parts, slap our rig together and commence the virtual carnage...

However, as some of us have money going a lot of directions, it's not always possible to toss all your cash down on the barrelhead and expect not to get those angry notices in the mail, bitching about how you should give your money to THEM if you like electricity and water.

Anyway... here's a good start to getting your build underway, without having to worry to much about getting bum parts and not knowing 'til it's too late!

BTW: This assumes you already have a monitor... otherwise, I'd try to pick that up first and test it with your current machine (or use it as TV if it has the capability) to test it out. The warranties on flat-screens can be damn picky, so make sure you test it within the first 14 to 30 days of ownership!!!

CHECK 1 (and/or 2):

Case (unless you're counting on the included power supply... which isn't a bright thing to do in most cases)

Yes, a block of metal and plastic that will house your rig. Visually inspect it when you get it, and if you have a Power Supply tester, kick it on and make sure you're getting your recommended output.

Mouse and keyboard

Ye olde' mouse and keyboard... usually solid, reliable, and necessary. They can be tested on your current rig if you need to, and they're usually pretty solid. I've never had an out-of-the-box mouse failure, and only one outta-the-box keyboard failure.

Still, if you're going to pay the bigger money for a good wireless setup, I'd probably test it out for awhile.


Hard-Drive

I'm moving off of IDE and moving out to SATA next round. Sata drives have become pretty cheap and the warranties usually aren't too bad for new drives. I'd suggest possible popping it in and testing it if you're able to... but if not, then hold off and wait 'til check 2.

Operating System:

I've never had an out-of-the OEM wrapper failure on any purchased O/S software (I might just be lucky on that score)... but usually if you have the product key, life is good if you need to bum a disc from a friend.


POWER SUPPLY:

Power supplies usually are pretty solid, but they are known to fail. Try testing it if you can... still, don't fry your only working computer if it's all you have! A power supply tester (although not full-proof) can be purchased, or you can jump-start it and use a multimeter. Check your return policy and warranty.



CHECK 2(and/or 3):

MOBO, RAM, PROCESSOR:

The expense trio. The guts of your beast... the engine for your new car... you're going to want to get these as close together as you can. Test it as soon as you are able, and don't buy it if you can't test it within the return/exchange policy!

If you buy it from Fry's Electronics (having worked there), I can tell you they're usually a little friendlier swapping boards for people who paid for extended warranties on their parts. Pay the extra if you can't build it right away!

Make SURE you're good to get your Video Card within the next month, or you may not be able to POST this setup, and at that point, you're risking getting screwed with a bad board, bad RAM and the like. If you get a board with an integrated video setup, POST the board, and pop your hard-drive in. if you bought a drive, try loading the O/S. Yes, you'll be making heavy additions to the hardware, but it will at least let you know your build isn't going to crash and burn.

SOUND CARD:

Sound cards are sweet to have, but if you're in a pinch, you can use the onboard AC-97 crap more-than-likely-included-on-your-motherboard sound. Buy it next round Charlie Brown!


VIDEO CARD

Get it as soon as you can... but if you have to wait 'til next check... you have to wait.

CHEAP ASS SPEAKERS:

If you don't already own a pair of "tester" speakers, they sell 'em cheap (and for good reason). I personally have a set up Creative Lab portable speakers that work okay, but if you're looking to get some sound until you can afford better, a pair of cheap speakers can be had for $10.00... although you might hear "10-4 good buddy" coming out of them (if that gives you any idea of the quality you can expect).

OPTICAL DRIVES:

At least one to get your O/S loaded and get the world turnin' so to speak! If you're a long-time machine-head like the rest of us here... you'll have a drive floating around to get you rolling... otherwise, you're going to need to pick one up!

CHECK 3 (and/or 4)

Additional Video Card

additional hard-drive (reload if you're looking for RAID... but don't wait until this point to test the system with an O/S!)

Killer speakers

More RAM

software

Games

Mods

Other goodies


Anyway... I hear my life calling... peace out.

I'd add that you really don't even need a case that much. I ran my first computer without a case just fine. And if you're building on the cheap it might be worth investing in a mobo with integrated graphics; no they arn't the greatest(they suck) but you can get a computer considerably quicker if you do.

Another little tip for budgeting is to buy the largest single stick of the best RAM you can afford to get the system going. Later you can add a second stick, gaining a huge boost from both increased capacity and dual-channel. Fill a system up with cheaper, smaller capacity sticks and you'll end up having to remove one or two to add more.

I guess that's a good general tip: Don't buy cheap stuff "just to get it going". You'll end up with a bunch of orphaned components once you can afford the good stuff, and that's money wasted.

Quote: Originally Posted by Wordbiker Another little tip for budgeting is to buy the largest single stick of the best RAM you can afford to get the system going. Later you can add a second stick, gaining a huge boost from both increased capacity and dual-channel. Fill a system up with cheaper, smaller capacity sticks and you'll end up having to remove one or two to add more. I guess that's a good general tip: Don't buy cheap stuff "just to get it going". You'll end up with a bunch of orphaned components once you can afford the good stuff, and that's money wasted.

Still, if a person slaves a cheap hard-drive, it's still storage...

I'm cheaping out on Video Cards (sorta), but they're still SLI capable and 256MB of DDR3 on 'em isn't so bad... so I should be able to get some pretty decent performance with two GPUs... I just hope the RAM isn't going to limit me too horribly down the road...