How to test one part at a time as they arrive.

[Hunter_Lala]

So I'm building my first pc from the ground up. I don't have all the money for all the parts right now (about $1500 total is what I need) but I want to order some as I get money for each part, and I want to test and make sure each part works when I get it. So my question is, what order should I get my parts in in order to test them one at a time? Ex: I know I'd have to get a power supply first, then I can get my case and test to make sure all the fans and LEDs are functional there. So can I then get my motherboard and test its functionality with just those 3 parts? If so then what can I get next to test? I hope I was clear enough and I understand that it's a weird and probably nooby question and I apologize, but I'm super stoked for this and want to use/test all my parts as soon as I can.

Here's my build:
Storage
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=20-226-596

Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=19-113-286

Psu
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0723W29007

Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=11-146-097

Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=13-132-713

Video card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=14-487-281

Sound card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=29-102-048

Ram
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=20-011-005

Cooling
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=35-856-078

 

[Justiceinacan]

You can't test too many with typical stuff you'd find in your house. Also just pointing out, hate to nag, but that's an awful lot of money for an AMD build

 

[sizzling]

Have you bought this yet? I'm sorry but that's not a good build.

As for testing you really need everything. You won't get your PSU to switch on without a motherboard. You cant test your motherboard without a CPU and RAM. Really the only thing not required for a real test is the gpu and maybe the hdd if you boot linux from usb

 

[SR-72 Classified]

you can get a very powerful build for less than 1500$:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($328.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($29.90 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($151.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($93.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial MX300 275GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.98 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Video Card ($404.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($84.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1343.50
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-10 17:47 EST-0500

 

[Hunter_Lala]

@Justiceinacan Is it? I don't know much about Intel vs amd in that respect. Can you explain your reasoning for saying so? Sorry I can't figure out how to reply yet, new to this website

 

[SR-72 Classified]

@Justiceinacan Is it? I don't know much about Intel vs amd in that respect. Can you explain your reasoning for saying so? Sorry I can't figure out how to reply yet, new to this website

AMD's FX CPUs have lower IPC i.e instructions per clock. they may have higher frequencies compared to intel CPUs but intel CPUs have higher IPC and can thus process more data per clock. FX CPUs are a waste of cash at this moment as they consume more power while delivering less performance. AMD's Zen (new generation) FX CPUs will be releasing soon and AMD has promised better performance over the previous Gen.

 

[Hunter_Lala]

Have you bought this yet? I'm sorry but that's not a good build.

As for testing you really need everything. You won't get your PSU to switch on without a motherboard. You cant test your motherboard without a CPU and RAM. Really the only thing not required for a real test is the gpu and maybe the hdd if you boot linux from usb

I figured out how to reply, and I have only bought the psu and the case. What changes would you say I should make to make the build better? I'm trying to stay around $1300-$1500

 

[sizzling]

SR-72's build is many times better, something like that

 

[Hunter_Lala]

@Justiceinacan Is it? I don't know much about Intel vs amd in that respect. Can you explain your reasoning for saying so? Sorry I can't figure out how to reply yet, new to this website

AMD's FX CPUs have lower IPC i.e instructions per clock. they may have higher frequencies compared to intel CPUs but intel CPUs have higher IPC and can thus process more data per clock. FX CPUs are a waste of cash at this moment as they consume more power while delivering less performance. AMD's Zen (new generation) FX CPUs will be releasing soon and AMD has promised better performance over the previous Gen.

Okay thanks, that's good to know before I bought my processor. I've never really heard much good about Intel, and from what I did hear, anything good about it came with a huge price tag, so I just never really bothered looking at their products. in your example was there any particular reason you chose a mid size tower instead of a full?

 

[SR-72 Classified]

@Justiceinacan Is it? I don't know much about Intel vs amd in that respect. Can you explain your reasoning for saying so? Sorry I can't figure out how to reply yet, new to this website

AMD's FX CPUs have lower IPC i.e instructions per clock. they may have higher frequencies compared to intel CPUs but intel CPUs have higher IPC and can thus process more data per clock. FX CPUs are a waste of cash at this moment as they consume more power while delivering less performance. AMD's Zen (new generation) FX CPUs will be releasing soon and AMD has promised better performance over the previous Gen.

Okay thanks, that's good to know before I bought my processor. I've never really heard much good about Intel, and from what I did hear, anything good about it came with a huge price tag, so I just never really bothered looking at their products. in your example was there any particular reason you chose a mid size tower instead of a full?

personal preference i believe, if you plan on getting tall CPU coolers or very long (~30cm) Graphics cards then its better you get a full sized case. but for this build the Corsair 200R is enough.

 

[Jeff Kaos]

@Justiceinacan Is it? I don't know much about Intel vs amd in that respect. Can you explain your reasoning for saying so? Sorry I can't figure out how to reply yet, new to this website

AMD's FX CPUs have lower IPC i.e instructions per clock. they may have higher frequencies compared to intel CPUs but intel CPUs have higher IPC and can thus process more data per clock. FX CPUs are a waste of cash at this moment as they consume more power while delivering less performance. AMD's Zen (new generation) FX CPUs will be releasing soon and AMD has promised better performance over the previous Gen.

Okay thanks, that's good to know before I bought my processor. I've never really heard much good about Intel, and from what I did hear, anything good about it came with a huge price tag, so I just never really bothered looking at their products. in your example was there any particular reason you chose a mid size tower instead of a full?

You really need to do some research. I've been gaming on the PC for almost 20 years and even now that I'm building a new higher end gaming rig I jumped on Google with questions like "what's the best CPU for gaming?", "what's the best motherboard brand?", "what's the best GPU for max graphics at 1080p?", "what's the best CPU cooler?"

Between the excellent reviews right here on Tom's and some pretty good reviews over on PCGamer.com, as well as asking a ton of questions in these formums I managed to pick out the answer: i5 6600K, Asus (Z170A), GTX 1070, Evo 212.

You're spending a huge chunk of change so you need to know what you're getting for your money. And frankly, while I've gamed a long time on their chips and they were pretty decent 10 years ago, AMD doesn't come close to Intel. Even when the chips are evenly priced.