I have been running a computer building business for quite some time. I've built dozens of PC's in my time, maybe even over a hundred by now, but I'd never built myself one. First I built one for the family, then I built one for a few friends and people I knew. I bought a laptop at this point. Next I started my business, and while I always wanted to build a PC of my own, I kept justifying that I had 2 gaming consoles which was enough and that my laptop was good enough.
Lately that laptop is starting to act up. It is 2 years old, with crappy graphics and specs, so I am selling it, building a desktop, then buying a cheaper small laptop.
Here are the specs of my entire setup:
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147113
PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817189005
Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186141
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103289
Heatsink/Fan: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004
GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121289
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209
HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136075
DVD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151179
OS: Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit
Also included in my setup:
Speakers: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121019
Wireless: 802.11a/b/g/n
After all mail in rebates and combo discounts, the total cost is $570. Some highlights of this build is obviously the CPU, while old, is the unlocked Black Edition, and that combined with the great 780G chipset mobo and the Sunbeam heatsink/fan will allow me to overclock this bad boy to at least 3.2GHz. The RAM has great timings of 4-4-4-12. The GPU is the Asus HD 4830 with an aftermarket dual slot cooler and fan for added overclocking and cooler/quieter performance. I already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and at my 19" monitor's 1440x900 resolution, this video card should destroy everything! It is better than the 9800GT/8800GT and 8800GTS 512MB for a bit cheaper! The hard drive was small because I don't need extra space yet and will upgrade the HDD when needed. The case is a Newegg brand, which I had never heard of, but after looking into it, for $40 you get a very nice case with 2x 120mm fans! The PSU is a 500W Xcilio, which again I would not have normally used, but for it's price, amperage, and great reviews, it was plenty for my system.
Now, what games should I get that are must haves for PC? My real motivation for getting this PC was for Games for Windows Live, but I see so far that sellection is limited. I am looking forward to purchasing all my future RTS games on this desktop such as Red Alert 3. I am also into FPS games, but I mainly do those on my 360 or PS3. I already have Half Life 2 and Counter Strike: Source on my steam account so I'll re-download those!
