Member Avatar for aurei

Hi all,

I been building my own pc's for last 5 yrs or so, ever since a disagreement with loc al shop, who ripped me off £400 in repairs over a 6 month period, so i decided to fix my own from then on.
I am making my 7th-8th pc as i like to have 2 going all time I brought an Antec Solo black case to start for £70.00 Now i am looking at PSU for it, at moment looking at corsair ax620W module, I am undecided whether worth while haveing a quad core, have dual core at moment, So really am after info on a good gaming motherboard, and a single graphic card from nvidea, mainly as i dealt with nvidea for 7 yrs and know how to test it, and set it up, thinking a GTX 8800 may be my choice CPU will be AMD as usual as i have better consistency last 4 yrs with amd since changing from intel where i kept getting probs with motherboards. I hav e to budget money wise to buy the bits so c an take 2-6 months to build one, if u can give me an idea best type motherboard & cpu which go together with my case, and above mentioned graphics card. and a 400 harddrive prob western digital then i can look at which parts i buy next.

cheers jon

  • 3 Contributors
  • 2 Replies
  • 102 Views
  • 3 Days Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by The New Normal

Dani AI

Generated

Brief context: is planning a new gaming build over several months and is weighing PSU quality, CPU core count and a single high‑end GPU. correctly flagged that core count isn’t the whole story for gaming, and reminded everyone that parts and prices can change if you wait. The practical path is to pick a performance target first (resolution and in‑game settings), then choose parts that balance toward that target rather than chasing specs.

Practical checklist to narrow choices:

  • Decide the target resolution/frame rate. That tells whether the GPU or CPU is the priority.
  • Choose a motherboard with the right socket and chipset, a solid VRM if you might overclock, enough PCIe/USB/SATA headers, and a vendor with easy BIOS updates. Look for physical fit (GPU length, cooler height) and adequate fan headers.
  • Get a quality power supply from a reputable maker, with some headroom (roughly 20–30% above your expected peak) and the connectors you need. Use a wattage calculator to estimate realistic needs.
  • Plan storage: an SSD for the OS dramatically improves responsiveness; large mechanical drives are fine for bulk storage.

Buying and build strategy:

  • If buying over months, avoid mixing generations where BIOS incompatibility can bite you; choose a board with BIOS flashback or good support.
  • Verify compatibility and track prices with a parts site before purchase. For PSU planning try the . For compatibility and pricing history use PCPartPicker.
  • When assembling, test a minimal configuration first (CPU, one stick RAM, GPU or onboard video, PSU). If it won’t POST, recheck front‑panel pins, power connectors, RAM seating and standoffs before assuming component failure.

These steps keep the build balanced, reduce wasted spend, and make troubleshooting straightforward even if the project stretches across several months.

Recommended Answers

All 2 Replies

Member Avatar for caperjack

quad core suitable for server not gaming ,as stay with dual core ,from what i have read,power consumption main concern i think

Member Avatar for The New Normal

take 2-6 months to build one

As I'm sure you know, 6 months is a long time in computer tech. By then the new Nvidia cards will be out (expected to be the gtx280 with a die shrink). If previous trends continue that would make current gtx280 cards cheaper.

You might be wise to wait until you have the money and see what's about then.

Personally I'm getting a Q9550 on a 780i mobo with a GTX280 because I'm sick of my old AthlonXP with AGP graphics :) Not cheap tho.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.