Tax return season will be here soon, thank god! After dropping all my reserve cash on Christmas gifts, its time for me to put some cash my way for the next upgrade. Before that money comes though I need to make a checklist of everything I want. It’s almost like a Christmas checklist and here at best computer processor we support your computer needs. On the checklist I put everything that I will need to upgrade on top of what I already have. Everyones list will be different and if this is your first build then your list will be longer! Im gonna put the importance of items below for the checklist and a section for optional items. So lets get started, calculate your build budget, then start below on your new parts!
Check, Check, and Check... Your Computer Build List
CPU - So, should you wait until Intel releases the Ivy Bridge Processors(Rumored for a June release) or drop the money now? Which company will you choose? Intel or ATI. There is a reason that the CPU is at the top of the list. Your other components will change according to what you choose. So what are you going to be doing with that processor? Late night gaming like yours truly? I am not sure how much my return will be, but if it's on the low side then I will be going AMD all the way considering their price vs performance ratio. If I can scrounge up more than I will pick up a 2600k.- Motherboard - You have made the biggest decision of your computer life and now must choose a socket type. If you
went the AMD path, you will be looking for an AM3+ board. If Intel was your choice than the LGA 1155/LGA 2011 will be the newest choices. - Graphics/Video Card - Getting an ATI or Nvidia card will be a good choice. Both companies make fantastic cards and ATI's 7000 series is looking sexy. Now we just have to wait to see what Nvidia release for its next generation.
- RAM - If you are just a web cruiser than you need not worry about this department, but if your gaming or video encoding than that's another story. I would recommend a bare minimum of 8gb(16gb is so cheap) for gaming and hope that you opt for more seeing how low memory prices are on newegg and other online stores.
- Hard Drive/SSD - Even though the price of SSDs are still relatively high, it might be an option to couple your computer with an SSD for the OS and some of your favorite software. The rest put on your hard drive for cheap and reliable storage.
- Tower/Case - Pretty lights and massive fans will capture anyone's attention(especially mine). But, considering air-flow and quality of the
case your buying is a huge factor. The material can make a bigger difference than one thinks. Alluminum cases will help reduce case temperature over plastic. Also, I would like to mention all the scars on my hands from being cut on the corners of cheap cases. Another huge factor is case size. Will your case fit all those high end graphics cards and massive heatsink. If you have an unlimited budget, then check out Maximum PC's dream machine case COOLER MASTER COSMOS II. - Cooling - If your building your own comp, than the stock cooler usually wont cut it! With the price of enclosed water cooling or massive heatsinks for a low price, how could you say no? If you have overclocking in mind, then I would recommend getting some decent case fans and an awesome heatsink.
- Monitor/Screen - For under 200 bucks your can get an excellent 24' monitor at most online stores. I usually buy from newegg but other places have just as many deals. When looking at monitors it will be worth looking at extras like, HDMI and full HD support. Also Asus
offers Trace Free Technology(ASUS VW246H) to remove ghosting and image delays. - Optical Drives - Blu Ray burners keep getting cheaper and cheaper (decent burner for under 100 bucks). Think of all that storage on one BD-R. If you arn't using your previous drives then maybe its time to upgrade.
- Operating System - This is a total preference here, but most I assume will be going with a windows OS. Windows 8 won't be release until later on in 2012, so it might be a good choice to pick up a windows 7 OEM(not upgrade).
- Sound Card - Most motherboards come with an onboard sound card solution which is mediocre at best. Sometimes, if I don't have enough cash for the build I will buy the sound card a month later. I have always purchased creative products, but there are other options out there. Look for the PCI Express x1 Interface sound cards.
- Keyboard and Mouse - Its been awhile since I have upgraded in this department. Gaming is always on my list, so the logitech G19 is only my wish list. Having a keyboard with good ergonomics is key to long hours at the computer.
- Surge Protector - This is just like renters insurance. It is probably one of the cheapest purchases when looking at buying your computer but covers you for a whole lot.
Counting The Days Untill Upgrade
Well, it looks like my list is ready to go and now all I have to do is key in the info into turbo-tax. This is my favorite time of the year! Everyone's list will look different, but with all the good deals to be found online anyone can find parts to build a great computer. If you have any questions about what is on your list, than go to the top of the page and click contact us. I respond to everyone with a serious question in a fast manner. Have fun upgrading!!
Check out my post on gaming motherboards here, or look around for more interesting information!
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