Question about building your own PC.

[Drm8626]

I'm working on scouting out parts for a decent gaming rig, not lookin for ps4 or Xbox one performance, maybe close to 360 . I was considering getting an older PC , throwing a 3-4 ghz CPU ( and some decent gpu( 200$ eBay to start off with then upgrade later). I was reading hat certain computers have a wattage for the CPU and gpu slots, is that wattage for the protection of the motherboard , or is it so you don't fry your power supply? Because I'd be willing to get a 700w power supply, if that'd ensure I don't just completely melt down all the stuff I put Into the PC. I have been reading here and there on how to build your own PC, and I have a decent grasp on it I'm just posing a few questions. I was also going to max out whatever the ram capabilities are.im not extremely picky on graphics, it all looks similar to me, I just want a smooth decent looking gameplay that works with most games, not looking to get hdmi 3d ultra or whatever people obsess about. Just want overall compatibility with most steam games, and I don't want to feel like I'm playing the psx while I'm doing so. Before any negative comments are made, yes I am a noob to computer gaming, all I've ever played on was a Toshiba laptop with integrates graphics, and it couldn't even play most games on the lowest setting. I am trying to get into the steam community, and I am looking for guidance on a few of my questions.

 

[dragonsamus]

My advice is to do a lot of research and reading. Read over the Toms marathon builds. They have different price points for the build and they test them for FPS. Figure out how much you want to spend and start there. I helped my brother in law build a cheap gaming PC are December of 2012. I bought all the parts when they were on sale. The whole thing cost them a little over $500.

With regards to the amount of wattage needed, it all depends on the GPU and CPU you're going to use and if you plan to overclock or not.

 

[emdea22]

Build your own.
About PSUs - > the trick is to get a quality brand NOT high wattage -> my personal choice is Seasonic but there are others: Corsair (avoid VS series) FSP, Antec, Super Flower, OCZ etc -> for most builds a 500w quality PSU is enough

About CPUs - > right now steam games mostly use 2 cores effectively but this is changing fast and you should be looking for a minimum of 4 cores just to play some modern games. Good examples price/performance without breaking the bank - > FX 6300/FX 6350/FX 8320/A10 7xxx series

About GPUs - > don't cheap out! price/performance ratio is very bad once you go under $100-150 -> get at least a nvidia geforce 750ti or higher OR at least a radeon 260x or higher -> OR get an APU (GPU+CPU) like the A10 7xxx series

Motherboard-> don't cheap out! This is most likely what will cause you pain. To avoid any problems get a motherboard with VRM cooling (heatsink on the left of the cpu socket)

CASE -> nowadays stuff runs hot so you need PSU mounted on the bottom and vents on top of the case.

This are the basics hope i've answered some of your questions.

 

[geofelt]

If a psu does not have sufficient power, it won't fry or damage anything; you just won't run, or run well.
An exception is if the psu is a cheap unit without adequate protection circuitry. If one of those fails, it can indeed damage anything it is connected to.
As a guideline, pick a tier 1 or 2 unit from this list:
https://community.newegg.com/eggxpert/computer_hardware/f/135081/t/45344.aspx?Redirected=true

As to the power required, it is almost entirely determined by the graphics card. Most pc's with a normal complement of parts using integrated graphics will happily run on 150-300w.
Here is a table to plan for different graphics requirements.
http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm

My rule of thumb for a balanced gaming pc is to budget 2x the cpu cost for the graphics card.

An entry level graphics card will start at $100 or so and go to the moon from there. Don't bother with anything less.

 

[logainofhades]

Give a budget, and we can suggest a system.

 

[Drm8626]

thanks for all the replies! I posted a blueprint of the build i want to do here , maybe take a look for me and let me know what you think,
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2176433/building-entry-level-gaming-advice.html