Wevewalked you through building your own computerbefore.
Weve talked aboutour own experiences building a system, why its important, andsome awesome tips for first-timersalready.
http://lifehacker.com/6-essential-tips-for-first-time-pc-builders-1458484291
- Update - December 2016
Again, its been too long since our last update.
That alone may make you want to wait.
As usual, were using
PCPartPicker
to put together our builds.
Wevetalked about this in more detail here, if youre curious.
At the same time, that doesnt mean theyre doomed to a computer full of sub-standard components.
Remember to consider what youll use the system for before buying.
For the money and the size though, thisll do just fine.
The power supply:EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply- This build wont take a ton of horsepower.
Itll also fit in our mini tower nicely.
Keep in mind though that this power supply is a budget model designed for budget builds.
Its not modular, and its not fancy.
It does, however, have a good rep as a solid, quiet, and cheap PSU.
If youre not using PCPartPicker, try theeXtreme Power Supply Calculator.
Its a pretty solid board for the money.
They can handle more than you might think, andtheyre a staple in our home theater PC builds.
Itll still handle everyday duties easily, and video at 1080p on a wide-screen display without blinking an eye.
Then the 1TB WD drive is perfect for your data.
If you have a different brand allegiance when it comes to drives, try thisSeagate 1TB drive instead.
Remember to consider what youll use the system for before buying.
You will likely want to tweak some of the components we suggest below.
Not to mention its fairly quiet, and wellits just a nicely designed case.
You also get front-side audio and USB 3.0 ports.
The motherboard:MSI H110M Gaming Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard- Now this board is a budget builders gem.
Its super affordable, skimps on the features most people dont use, but keeps the good stuff.
Props as always toLogical Incrimentsfor helping narrow down our mobo selection in this case.
If you want, grab a second stick, its as simple as that.
If you have a different brand allegiance when it comes to drives, try thisSeagate 1TB drive instead.
Every hard drive fails, its just a matter of when.
You could get below $500 by going AMD, like in our $300 build.
Beyond that, consider a bigger SSD.
Want even more options?
This power supply is also fully modular, which was a pleasant surprise at the price.
Its also nice and quiet.
that youll likely never use.
The memory:Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 Memory- Ah, sweet 16GB.
Besides, lets be fair8GB is more than enough for most people.
But youre not most people.
This Samsung is the 250GB version ofThe Wirecutters current pick for the best SSD.
It was built to be a speedy, high-capacity, affordable drive, and hits all of those points.
If you need more space, step up to theSamsung 850 EVO 500GB.
Oh, and do we need to remind you again to keep your data backed up?
Check outthis video from LinusTechTips for more on this topic.
Better yet, check how this card performs when benchmarked in your favorite games before you buy.
If youhaveto go AMD here, wed say just wait until their announcements coming in Q1 2017.
Even ifyoure powering multiple displays, you shouldnt have a problem at all.
If you want to go Linux, then your cost is nothing.
If youd rather install Microsoft Windows, youll probably want a license for Windows 10.
Licenses of Windows 10 Home arehovering around $100and Windows 10 Pro areabout $140.
depending on where you buy.
If you dont want Windows 10, thats fineyou can get Windows 8.1 for around $80.
Additional Reading
Dont take our word for these builds.
Remember though, take our builds as guidelines for your own research and your own PC-building project.
If you have a superior build or noticed an error above, let us know in the discussions below.
Photos byAdam Snyder, andEdmund Tse.
