Building a PC for rookies

[Alex.exe]

Thinking about building my first PC. Any recommendations? Not sure what a normal price range is. Will definitely run VMs and might do some gaming. 

[MalwareTech]

pcpartpicker.net is great for making sure all your components work together. As for which components you should get, depends on budget. You can get a machine that will run VMs and games for really any price, but it's usually better to come up with a budget and work within that. 

[jubjub]

Your budget largely influences what options you have.

[michaelrwx]

Depends heavily on what you want to get out of it and your budget. For multiple VMs, you will definitely want to have more than 8 gb of RAM. As Marcus suggested, PC part picker is a fantastic website to accomplish this. As for gaming, anything in the NVIDIA RTX series should serve you well.

 

[doctor_tran]

Don't forget to budget for accessories / peripherals. Nice monitor, headphones, keyboard, and mouse rounds out the experience. Fast PC with cheap human interface just ruins the experience. 

[shan]

Strong recommend for /r/buildapc. Even if you don't want to post, you can easily find somebody building a machine with your same budget, and just use the parts list recommended for them.

[Holocr0n]

Make sure you get a CPU with virtualisation technology, regardless of whether you go with Intel or AMD, you'll want 32GB of RAM, GPU really depends on what type of games you want to play or whether you want to do password cracking. Aim for a PSU that has a bit of overhead when it comes to wattage, doesn't need to be massively over. 

Less important but something that drives me mad - noisy fans. Get quiet fans if you can, the loud ones can get annoying. 

[sianemo]

Depending on how serious your VM needs are I would not recommend purchasing a 12th or 13th generation Intel processor. While many problems with Intel's P/E cores have been solved on various virtualization platforms there can still be performance difficulties that either can't be fully resolved at this time, or need a lot of advanced configuration. AMD will serve you better here.

Seconding the recommendation for 32GB of RAM on a machine that will run VMs. A performant Windows VM now really needs 8GB of RAM on it's own and it doesn't take very many concurrently running VMs of any OS to use 12GB of RAM, leaving very little overhead for the host on a machine with only 16GB.

Edited November 5, 2022 by sianemo

[kazukidevnull]

16 minutes ago, sianemo said:

Depending on how serious your VM needs are I would not recommend purchasing a 12th or 13th generation Intel processor. While many problems with Intel's P/E cores have been solved on various virtualization platforms there can still be performance difficulties that either can't be fully resolved at this time, or need a lot of advanced configuration. AMD will serve you better here.

Seconding the recommendation for 32GB of RAM on a machine that will run VMs. A performant Windows VM now really needs 8GB of RAM on it's own and it doesn't take very many concurrently running VMs of any OS to use 12GB of RAM, leaving very little overhead for the host on a machine with only 16GB.

going for a 11th generation is quite a few steps back i feel, i know it's still from 2021, but can't help make me feel it's quite a bit ago since that gen , i was thinking of maybe considering trying to get the latest i9 for my PC after i got a RTX 3090 beginning of next year as i like to try get the best i can when i first going to upgrade, but reading this, i am little unsure since while i plan at some point get a dedicated vm server, i will run a lot of VM's bot before and after such as well.....🤔

[TheRealEliteOwl]

My thoughts mirror others here, I'd lean away from 12th and 13th Gen intel. Not sure what features come with the Ryzen SKUs, but I would consider their Pro series (Threadripper Pro) too (additional CPU features like Memory Guard). If feasible, aim for 64GB of RAM.

Edited November 5, 2022 by TheRealEliteOwl

[sianemo]

12 minutes ago, kazukidevnull said:

going for a 11th generation is quite a few steps back i feel, i know it's still from 2021, but can't help make me feel it's quite a bit ago since that gen , i was thinking of maybe considering trying to get the latest i9 for my PC after i got a RTX 3090 beginning of next year as i like to try get the best i can when i first going to upgrade, but reading this, i am little unsure since while i plan at some point get a dedicated vm server, i will run a lot of VM's bot before and after such as well.....🤔

If you had some other requirement to use an Intel processor it seems like the ideal circumstance for using a 12th or 13th gen Intel processor is with Windows 11 and Hyper-V, where the thread scheduler is best suited to using the efficiency cores at this time. On the other hand, if I had to use VirtualBox for virtualization and was running Windows 10 I'd absolutely prefer having an 11th gen Intel processor right now if it had to be Intel. 
 

Either way this problem can be avoided by buying a modern AMD CPU.

[kazukidevnull]

17 minutes ago, sianemo said:

If you had some other requirement to use an Intel processor it seems like the ideal circumstance for using a 12th or 13th gen Intel processor is with Windows 11 and Hyper-V, where the thread scheduler is best suited to using the efficiency cores at this time. On the other hand, if I had to use VirtualBox for virtualization and was running Windows 10 I'd absolutely prefer having an 11th gen Intel processor right now if it had to be Intel. 
 

Either way this problem can be avoided by buying a modern AMD CPU.

well, i plan sticking with win10 until ms tear it away from my cold fingers(for various reasons) and will likely mostly use VB. also, while i know AMD may technically be better, i prefer stick with intel as much as possible  for various reasons. on the positive side, couple gen old ones are a lot cheaper to get then the latest and i guess it should still be decent performance all things considering(specially consider my current cpu is first gen i7(920) so will be a big upgrade regardlessy)😅

[Alex.exe]

Thanks for all the help! I almost forgot about Marcus' video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imcitQ3GTek

Edited November 5, 2022 by Alex.exe

[habitual]

3 hours ago, TheRealEliteOwl said:

My thoughts mirror others here, I'd lean away from 12th and 13th Gen intel. Not sure what features come with the Ryzen SKUs, but I would consider their Pro series (Threadripper Pro) too (additional CPU features like Memory Guard). If feasible, aim for 64GB of RAM.

I love my threadripper, I'm just upset AMD killed that line. Its great for a heavy platform, I'm running mine with 128gb ram, and its nice that I never run out of ram, even running VM's and services while playing games.

[ShakataGaNai]

If you're truly new, I'd suggest watching Linus Tech Tips "How to build a PC, the last guide you'll ever need!". It's very lengthy but it covers....well...everything to some amount.

For VM's you want more RAM and processor cores. For gaming you want more clock speed (most games don't take advantage of multiple cores very well). So ... you'll either have to spend a fair buck or make a little sacrifice one direction or another.

As others have said https://pcpartpicker.com/ is gold. Not only does it give you suggestions of builds at price points, but you can configure whatever you want and it'll tell you of any known compatibility issues.

When it comes to price, you can go from $500 to $5000. Diminishing returns of course. The biggest single factor will be the CPU and most especially the GPU. If you want the most ballin' gaming experience there is on the market... then you're going to have to pony up about $1500 for the Nvidia RTX 4090 alone, or $1000 for the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX. Going back a couple of generations to say the RTX 2060, will bring the price down a more sane level of about $200-$300 for the GPU.

[ender]

For VMs, my recommendation would be as much RAM as you can afford, with 32 GB being the absolute minimum (this is what I went with in 2013, the machine served me well until 2020). Also get a big SSD – VMs take a lot of disk space (especially with snapshots), and you don't want to run them off spinning rust.

Regarding CPUs – if you're not planning to run a lot of VMs at once, it doesn't matter too much which CPU you choose. Avoid Intel's 12th and 13th gen for now, because VM schedulers don't work well with performance and efficiency cores in those (unless you go for i5, which only have performance cores).

Next question is which virt software you'll use – while VMWare is declining somewhat, Workstation Pro still has the best experience, especially if you work with snapshots a lot (you'll really want to run the tech preview if you plan to virtualise Windows 11). VirtualBox is OK, but somewhat slower, OTOH, it's free. While Hyper-V works, it's IMHO more suited for server virt than workstation. If you go with VMWare or VirtualBox, also make sure to disable every trace of Hyper-V (this includes Virtual Machine Platform, Credential Guard and Core Isolation), because VMWare or VirtualBox will use Hyper-V for virt otherwise, and the performance difference is significant (you also lose the ability to run nested virtual machines, which are useful in some cases).

[BenjaminN117]

Skipping over the general discussion about CPU, RAM and GPU, a good power supply that can comfortably handle the power workload is really important. Always try to go with a reputable brand like EVGA or something as well. This is especially important if you're going to be running RTX 4000 as the power can spike high when in demanding workloads.

[kazukidevnull]

9 minutes ago, BenjaminN117 said:

Skipping over the general discussion about CPU, RAM and GPU, a good power supply that can comfortably handle the power workload is really important. Always try to go with a reputable brand like EVGA or something as well. This is especially important if you're going to be running RTX 4000 as the power can spike high when in demanding workloads.

Personally i ended up getting a 1000W PSU from corsair couple years ago which was way higher then really needed, but due to everything going on in the world, i didn't really have much choose and had to go for a higher rated one which i feel should be more then enough for 3090 i plan on getting and possible for the 4000 series as well, although i am not sure, so i guess if you gonna invest in the future you may want to try got for a 1200W one, just make sure you get a good rated one which is both quiet when not under heavy load and modular so you don't have to deal with more cables then needed in the case and makes for a lot easier setup.

Edited November 6, 2022 by kazukidevnull

[Vetrinus]

Maybe not advice on what parts you should get, but since I've helped a few people with the actual assembly - don't get wrapped up in your head about things, it's just like lego! If the RAM is a little tight and you gotta give it a little extra muscle, double check the alignment and clips, then go for it! If the dot of thermal paste you put on looks a little too small, it's almost certainly the right amount, better to have too little that you can add to than too much that fries your cpu. Oh - and make sure the case you get can actually fit your parts, I've made the mistake of getting one that was too small for my 2070 and had to pout while I waited for a bigger one to arrive!

[Simon Zerafa]

Hi Alex,

A lot will depend on your budget, your exact uses and how upgradable you want the system to be.

For VM use (perhaps also Linux as the host OS?) then you might want to look at AMD Ryzen 5000 series CPU's and X570 motherboards with at least 32 GBytes of RAM. 

While the 7000 series CPU's are now available, the prices for these latest CPU's, newer X670 mainboards and the DDR5 RAM are way more expensive. The upside is that AMD will support this platform until at least 2025.

As a very basic and rough idea I created a parts list on PC Partpicker as a first iteration of what you might need to look at:

  https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/SimonZerafa/saved/#view=qn9gnQ

This is everything you need to build the system unit itself without the GPU (video card) keyboard, mouse and monitor, if you don't have these already.

An OS is basically free these days (even Windows 10 or 11 Pro). If you intend to game on this PC then the selection of GPU will depend on what games you might wish to play and any requirements for your other tasks.

This list is almost certainly not what you need but it's a starting point so you can look at options.

Just about everything on a PC you build yourself is customisable. That's the point of building your own along with the build experience itself.

If you are on a budget then there are always options to reduce costs without cutting corners too much such as open box, reconditioned items and second hand parts,  

Kind Regards

Simon

 

 

 

[kazukidevnull]

1 hour ago, Simon Zerafa said:

An OS is basically free these days (even Windows 10 or 11 Pro). If you intend to game on this PC then the selection of GPU will depend on what games you might wish to play and any requirements for your other tasks.

Well, i know that if i want to get win10 on my own build system then MS want $300 for a license(a least for my country), so i am not sure about the "basically free part" tbh, something i have missed or?🤔

Also, No, i do not count "a heavily restricted OS after 90 day trial",  if i can not customize my system for example after 90 days, then i look at it as trialware at best🙃

[jubjub]

1 minute ago, kazukidevnull said:

Well, i know that if i want to get win10 on my own build system then MS want $300 for a license(a least for my country), so i am not sure about the "basically free part" tbh, something i have missed or?🤔

Also, No, i do not count "a heavily restricted OS after 90 day trial",  if i can not customize my system for example after 90 days, then i look at it as trialware at best🙃

Greymarket license keys cost ~$2

[kazukidevnull]

Just now, jubjub said:

Greymarket license keys cost ~$2

i mean, G2Pay sells win pro for $60, which is still a bit of money and i don't really want to give them money, but it's a lot easier to digest for a broke ass person like me then $300, so i may have to go that route, keys for "~$2" i don't really trust as they are more chance being from stolen CC someone is trying to make profit on fast instead of ones from other methods which are more in the gray area then pure black and are less likely to cause issues😅

[jubjub]

1 minute ago, kazukidevnull said:

i mean, G2Pay sells win pro for $60, which is still a bit of money and i don't really want to give them money, but it's a lot easier to digest for a broke ass person like me then $300, so i may have to go that route, keys for "~$2" i don't really trust as they are more chance being from stolen CC someone is trying to make profit on fast instead of ones from other methods which are more in the gray area then pure black and are less likely to cause issues😅

I'd actually be more suspect of the $60 keys. The ~$2 keys are often oem keys that microsoft just never lock down while the more expensive options are more likely to attract CC fraud. I've also never once had issues with the keys I've gotten and neither has anyone I know.

[Name_Too_Long]

8 hours ago, BenjaminN117 said:

Skipping over the general discussion about CPU, RAM and GPU, a good power supply that can comfortably handle the power workload is really important. Always try to go with a reputable brand like EVGA or something as well. This is especially important if you're going to be running RTX 4000 as the power can spike high when in demanding workloads.

I cannot emphasize this enough.  DO NOT skimp on your power supply!  In fact, if there's any one part you should splurge on and just go as overkill as your budget will allow, it's the PSU.  Flaky power supply issues manifest in a seemingly infinite number of ways and are just a nightmare to troubleshoot.  I stick with Seasonic, EVGA, Corsair, Silverstone, or Super Flower these days.  I know, "Super Flower" sounds like some crappy off-brand, but they're actually one of the oldest players in the PSU market and ODM for many of the other top brands.  Their own-branded stuff tends to be a bit cheaper but lacking in some of the polish of more premium brands (aesthetics and noise mainly).

Right now, I'd say 750w 80+ Platinum would be my minimum.
 

4 hours ago, kazukidevnull said:

Well, i know that if i want to get win10 on my own build system then MS want $300 for a license(a least for my country), so i am not sure about the "basically free part" tbh, something i have missed or?🤔

Also, No, i do not count "a heavily restricted OS after 90 day trial",  if i can not customize my system for example after 90 days, then i look at it as trialware at best🙃

With Windows 10 you can run unactivated indefinitely.  There's a little watermark in the lower right corner and you can't right-click the desktop to set your wallpaper, but those are the only restrictions I know of.  And you can work around the wallpaper issue by just right-clicking the image and choosing "set as desktop background".  I Haven't tried 11 because every-other consumer version of Windows is a UX trash fire, but I'm guessing it's the same.  Basically with Windows 10 they decided that the revenue hit from people running unlicensed/unactivated copies wasn't worth the reputational damage from a bunch of systems becoming parts of botnets due to shady cracks and "activators".

Just download Microsoft's "Media Creation Tool", use it to build a flash drive or ISO and then during installation choose the "I don't have a license key" option.  As a nice little bonus, this also lets you install the EDU SKU which doesn't have a bunch of the bloat that's in Home and Pro but you can only legitimately buy if you're an enrolled student at a participating school.