Computer Part Compatibility Guide

When you're buying parts, is it critical that you check they are compatible. I will explain all of this part by part. You wouldn't want to order all your parts, just to discover that they don't fit together, would you?

CPU

Parts it determines: motherboard, CPU cooler.

If you haven't seen my section on CPUs, check here.

Intel CPUs:

Intel uses a few motherboard-to-CPU sockets. 

- LGA1155 for Ivy bridge (3rd gen) and Sandy bridge (2nd gen) 

- LGA1150 for Haswell (4th gen)

- LGA2011 for Ivy bridge-E (4th gen) and Sandy bridge-E (3rd gen)

The number next to the LGA stands for the amount of gold contact pins the CPU and motherboard socket have. Check your motherboard and CPU to make sure the numbers match!

AMD CPUs:

- AM3, Only used by like, 1 CPU, the AMD Athlon II X2 270, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem at all.
- AM3+, Only used the the FX series CPUs, they're super powerful, and don't support mITX boards :(
- FM2, Used by the APU series and the Athlon series.

Motherboard
Parts it determines: everything. (case, RAM, GPU, CPU, PSU, other expansion cards)

Your motherboard should be the second part you look for (after your case). It's the most important thing in your computer for it to run, so make sure it will support your gaming/office grade needs.

Checklist for motherboard slots:

- RAM DIMMs
- CPU socket
- PCI slot(s) (GPU and other expansion cards)
- Fan power connectors (your PSU)
- SATA HDD ports
- USB headers (for your case)
- Size (ATX, mITX, microATX, EATX, ATX-XL) (also for your case)

Check ALL of these when you go looking for a motherboard. Write down what your preferred motherboard can support if you need to.

RAM
Parts it determines: CPU (for voltage), motherboard (for DIMM slots and maximum frequency speed)

If you haven't seen my section on RAM, check here.

RAM is pretty essential when making a good computer, and the standard for most computers these days is around 4GB of DDR3 at 1600Mhz. That will run your OS and a game on medium settings easy.

CPU cooler
Parts it determines: RAM (depending how big your cooler or RAM is.)

Your CPU cooler determines how much of a load you can put on your CPU without is overheating. The cooler that came with your CPU, be it AMD or Intel will not be enough for overclocking or top-tier gaming. You'll probably need a bigger better one. Corsair makes some baller closed-loop water cooling systems. They are completely sealed, so no need to worry about leaks or replacing the liquid. For the best in air cooling, which is debatable weather it's better than closed-loop water cooling systems, you'll want to go for Noctua coolers, those are pretty good, even if the fan colors are ugly.

GPU
Parts it determines: motherboard, PSU.

If you haven't seen my section on GPUs, check here first.

A GPU, if you decide to buy one, will probably be the most fun part to look for, since there are so many different ones, and looks count a little bit here. 

Which ever card you choose, make sure it will perform the way you want. Google the card's number and check out some benchmarks on the screen resolution you're using. That will give you a pretty good idea on how it will run for you.

As for PSU compatibility, a semi-modular one will probably be the best choice. Most GPUs these days use either two 6-pin or one 6-pin and one 8-pin. Make sure that your PSU meets the GPU's power requirement. Most of the time, it's 500 watts or over.

Make sure your motherboard has a 16x PCI slot to accommodate your GPU. Try and go for PCI 3.0, those are the current fastest.

Be ABSOLUTELY sure that your GPU will fit in your case while is sitting in the motherboard.  Get measurements of the card and compare it to the inside of your case, or look up reviews of either the card or case to see if anyone else has run into a problem with either. Also make sure that the back has an open expansion slot so you can screw in your GPU. 

Screens and Monitors

I decided to make this page since I just received my 144Hz 1MS, 1080p monitor by ASUS on October 8, 2013.

If you haven't seen my section on FPS, "Frames Per Second", click here.

Everyone always says, "It's just a screen, there's nothing special about them". No. Just no.

Now, maybe somewhere in your garage, you'll find something like this:

This is a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor. In the ancient times, these were the only monitors around. Today, they are pretty much borderline useless compared to LCD monitors.

Monitors these days look like this:

This is an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitor. Almost all modern monitors use this technology. They're faster, take up less space and power that CRT monitors, and don't make your room look like you live in 2005.

Maybe if you've read the section on FPS, "Frames Per Second", you should know about Refresh rates. This is super important when buying a monitor, because mentioned in the FPS section, your monitor's refresh rate determines how many frames your monitor will be able to show. If you have a 60Hz monitor, you'll only see every 60 FPS, even if your game is running at a high FPS. If you have something like a 120Hz or a 144Hz (which is what I have), then you'll be at the highest advantage in seeing literally everything as it happens. Higher FPS means you see more, but not to the point where a higher refresh rate means you'll win every time. It's a insignificant, yet cool advantage.

When you're out buying a monitor, there are some brands you'll want to go for and avoid. Here's some recommended ones:

BenQ

BenQ monitors are some of the best for gaming, but are a bit pricey. Although 1MS, 120Hz, and 1080p doesn't sound bad...

Asus

ASUS makes some of the best gaming equipment out there. Pair one of their GPUs with one of their 144Hz monitors, and you're set.

Cases and Towers

If you're not shoving your computer setup in a cardboard shoebox, you're putting them in a quality (or not) case or tower.

As for brands to go for and avoid, I'd say to go for Corsair, Bitfenix, and NZXT. Those brands make some of the best I've seen.
There aren't really any brands to avoid, but I'd steer clear of certain Raidmax towers. They're cheap, but what you get is lower than that. They've still got some good cases, like the Seiran, and Helios.

Sizes:

Mini-ITX

The smallest kind of case available, the most well-known Mini-ITX case is the Bitfenix Prodigy, and is widely considered one of the most modded mITX case ever. Very space efficient, but not the best option for airflow.

Micro-ATX

Small, not as small as mITX, but small. 
Most Dell and HP home computers use this size.

ATX-Mid

A good size for budget gamers and for small watercooling loops.

ATX-Full

Large, bulky, and most hardcore gamers and builders use this for huge watercooling loops, massive data towers, and crazy case mods.

ATX Test bench

Usually looking like a bunch of metal bars welded together to make a very open-aired mATX chassis, so that swapping parts and changing internals is very quick and easy. Not commonly used as a normal case.

Laptop Buying Guide

So here in 2013, we can't really make our own laptops, so we buy them. Then comes the question; What am I looking for?

General Use

Laptops are currently the most convenient way to have all your files, documents, and "papers" neatly organized in a small space. Most people get them for office and home use. Here's what you should do/not do.

CPU

If you don't know what a CPU is, click here

If all you're doing is Microsoft Word and writing emails, you won't need a whole lot of power in terms of CPU, so the most you'll ever need is a 1.5GHz to a 2.8GHz CPU. 

RAM

If you don't know what RAM is, click here

When looking at a laptop's specs online, you'll probably see something like "DDR3 4GB RAM" or something close to that.

DDR3 is almost non-relevant to someone who isn't too fancy with computers. Just make sure it's not DDR2. That may be a bit too old for today's general use standards.

As for amount of RAM, 4GB is a good amount for emailing, but if you're doing things like photoshop, 8GB might be better.

Weight

Most non-gaming laptops are around 3lbs to 6lbs, so keep that in mind if you're going to be running around an airport or something.

Gaming

Gaming on a laptop can be difficult, overheating, not enough power, battery life, and most of all, portability. That's the point of gaming on a laptop, right?

CPU

If you're going Intel, look for a i5 or above. If AMD, go for a A10 or a Phenom. Aim for 2.9GHz or more. Higher is better, but might kill your wallet.

RAM

8GB should be your minimum for running games. More is better, but not necessary.

Portability

DO NOT expect your gaming laptop to be light, unless you're getting a Razer Blade. 

Gaming laptops usually have a larger heatsink and fan configuration to efficiently cool the excess heat given off the GPU and other components.

6.5lbs is a realistic weight for most gaming laptops, just don't expect to be carrying feathers while in transit.

Intel vs. AMD, CPUs

If you don't know what a CPU is, click here

Something that I think shouldn't be a huge deal, somehow is. Here is why the debate between Intel and AMD CPUs exist.

We'll start with Intel.

Intel

Most people think Intel is the better choice because it's more popular. False.

Intel CPUs are more expensive than AMD,  and have a lower overclocking potential, but offer more power without overclocking right out of the box.

For Intel CPU categories, there's i3, i5, and i7, along with the Pentium and Celeron cores.

Clock Speeds

These don't mean everything, but are still important. The lowest clocked Intel CPU sold today is the Xeon E3-1265L V2 clocked at 2.5GHz. The highest clocked is the Core i7-3820 at 3.6GHz.

AMD

AMD CPUs have incredible overclocking ability, as per the world record for highest overclock belongs to Andre Yang for overclocking a AMD FX-8350 to 8794.33MHz, or roughly 8.7GHz! (keep in mind, to reach speeds up to 8.0GHz, you have to use liquid nitrogen as a CPU cooler)

They're also a lot cheaper than Intel CPUs, but lack a bit in power.

For AMD CPU categories, they have many including the unlocked FX series and the APU A series with the A4, A6, A8, and A10 APUs.

Clock Speeds

And for the AMD CPU clock speeds, we have the A4-3300 clocked at 2.5GHz for the lowest, and the highest, we have a tie between the FX-4350 and the Athlon II X2 370K both clocked at 4.2GHz

Computer Building Guide

Let's say for some reason you don't want to buy from me cause' you hate me or something. Well then, here's how to build a computer without breaking something.

This is a very basic run-down guide on what to do when building your computer. It's missing a bunch of things, which I will have to add here eventually.


First things first

GROUND YOURSELF.

Most All computer parts are susceptible to static electricity. Before touching anything computer related, such as the motherboard, RAM sticks, GPU, or CPU, especially the CPU, touch something metal that is touching the ground, like a handrail, a doorknob, or something of the sort. Or you could just use a anti-static wrist strap.

You should also never have your PSU plugged into the wall until your entire build is finished.



Picking your parts

To build a functioning computer, you will need the following:

- A CPU
- A motherboard
- RAM
- A PSU
- A HDD with a OS
- A case, or tower

Optional things:

- Case fans
- A GPU
- An optical disc drive
- A CPU cooler


All of these things can't be random parts, they have to be compatible with each other. Here's the order you should be looking for parts in:

- Motherboard (now you know what CPU to get to fit the socket, how many GPUs you can have, how many RAM modules you can get, and how many HDDs you can have)
- CPU
- HDD
- RAM
- GPU (optional)
- Case/tower
- PSU 

Building your computer, Step 1

When all your parts get delivered, the first thing you'll want to do is throw packing peanuts everywhere and toss all the part boxes on the floor. Don't do that.

Before opening the boxes, take a picture of all of them in the condition they came in, what the part number is, and any other data on it. Then line up all the boxes and take a picture of that, everyone loves box shots.

First, take the case out of its box, and open the side panel. Set the panel aside somewhere safe, I usually reccommend the box it came in, or just set it down on your bed.
Take out anything that shouldn't be in there, like a box of screws, foam blocks, stock fans, etc.

LISTEN CAREFULLY, THIS NEXT STEP CONCERNS YOUR MOTHERBOARD.

Open the top of your motherboard box. The first thing you'll see is usually a shiny plastic bag surrounded by foam. That shiny bag is a anti-electrostatic bag, it's valuable, so keep it. DO NOT RIP IT IN HALF.

Remove the entire foam block with the shiny bag still in it, and set it down on your table/whatever. Close your motherboard's cardboard box.

Before you open the shiny bag, read the red text at the top of this page if you forgot already.

After you've grounded yourself, carefully cut the very top the bag off. Carefully.
Put the anti-electrostatic bag on top of the motherboard box, and set the motherboard on top of that. 

Now you can install your CPU, RAM sticks, cooler. Don't put in your GPU yet. If you do, when you go to put it in the case and you tilt the a little bit, the GPU's PCI slot connector could snap.

After you've installed everything on your motherboard, set that whole mess aside, and you can unwrap your PSU.

Mount your PSU in your case, usually in the bottom back corner of the case. Don't apply any cable ties or anything like that yet.

Unwrap and install your HDD, or multiple HDDs into your case. If you have a good quality case, chances are it has it's own HDD mounting sleds and bays. Screw in your 2.5"/3.5" drive(s) into the drive sleds/bays.

By now, you should have the following:

- Your motherboard with your CPU, RAM, and cooler installed on it.
- Your case with your PSU installed in it, along with your HDD(s)

At this point you can turn your case sideways on it's side and locate the holes your motherboard will screw into. (Some cases support multiple motherboard sizes, so find the ones that fit yours)
Open up the box/bag of screws that came with your case (if it did) and find your motherboard standoffs. They should look like a two-sided screw with a six-sided middle. There are to put under your motherboard when you install it so you can access your cooler's backplate for future upgrades.

GPU installation

To install your GPU, locate your x16 PCI slot on your motherboard. It should look sort of like a RAM slot, but they shouldn't be all close together if you have multiple PCI slots.

On your case, remove two or three expansion slots that are in front in the PCI slot you chose.
Get your GPU and line up the end with the DVI/HDMI/displayport ports to the expansion slots.
Once you've got those all in place, line up your GPU's PCI slot with the motherboard and make sure it goes in all the way. (heh)

Once you have your motherboard screwed in, you should be able to start connecting cables of all kinds now. First, connect your motherboard's 24-pin and 8-pin power connectors, your SATA power, your GPU's PCI power connectors, and your fan's 4-pin connectors into your motherboard.

This part can be tricky depending on your case. On the front panel, there will be some wires coming out of that into the case. There should be a power button wire, a reset button wire, audio jack wires, and a/some USB wires. Connect all of these into your motherboard.

Final step

At this point you should have your computer fully built, and it's time to plug in your computer into the wall and POST, Power On Self Test. Provided you have a monitor, and a DVI/HDMI cable for that, plug in your computer's external power, your monitor's power, and turn them on. 

If you made your computer right the first time, the computer may make a "beep" noise. This is good, it's the "System OK" noise. Basically, everything's good.
After the beep, your computer's fans should come online and start spinning, and your monitor should start displaying your system BIOS. This is your computer's basic functions before you load an OS onto it.

IF, your computer did NOT do any of the following when you pressed the power button on the front of your case, check the following list:

- Is your front panel IO wires connected?
- Is your PSU plugged into the wall and switched on?
- Is ALL of your internal power connected? (Motherboard, GPU, HDD, fans, cooler, etc)
- Do you even have a HDD plugged in via SATA cable?
- Is your GPU/motherboard plugged into your monitor correctly?

After checking all of the above, and your computer works, congratulations! You've built your own computer and sidestepped the reason I sell them!