Hello, I am new to the forum and I have never built a pc. I will have help from my brother with the actual building, but I thought I'd post here for help with a parts list. Please find below the form
1. What will you be doing with this PC?
Mostly web browsing, gaming (overwatch, battlefield, pubg, stellaris, ark - these are probably the most demanding things I'll play)
2. Will you be overclocking?
No
3. What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included in this budget? Is your budget flexible? Is cost a driving factor in component selection?
$1500 AUD is a ball park. I can stretch to $2000 but I'll need a monitor, keyboard and headset to fit in that budget. This includes shipping and tax.
4. Where do you live? Do you have any big B&M (brick and mortar) computer chains nearby (e.g. Microcenter, Fry's, etc)?
Adelaide, Australia. None of those sadly
5. What exact parts do you need for that budget?
Mobo, CPU (thinking i5), GPU (prefer nvidia but open to alternatives), M2.SSD (250gb should be fine), at least 500gb on a HDD or SSD if budget allows, cooling (preferably quieter so was leaning towards air cooled but open to AIO). A monitor (hoping for 144hz), mechanical keyboard and a headset, both with a minamilist aesthetic.
6. If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing?
I have the ncase
7. What specific features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Thunderbolt? Crossfire or SLI support? How many USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s? etc. Which is more important, size of the system or having the particular feature?
I will need wifi as wired access is off limits for the time being.
8. What resolution output do you need? 4k playback, 1080p playback, etc for HTPC or give a vertical/horizontal resolution for gaming SFF rigs. Do you need multiple monitor output?
1080p will suffice. Don't need multiple monitors.
9. Does this system need to fit into a particular space and do you need an optical drive? Think entertainment center shelves, closet space, rackmount, etc. Many modern SFF cases have either removed the optical drive or have been constructed so that removing the ODD increases the configuration possibilities immensely.
As stated above, it's an Ncase. No ODD!
10. How comfortable are you with custom case design/modification and electrical wiring?What tools do you have (Screwdrivers/Leatherman, Drill, Dremel, Metal snips, Soldering Iron, Bending Brake, CNC/Welding machines/Plasma cutter, etc...)?
I don't see a need to modify the case and I lack the tools to do so.
11. How important is the noise/silence of this sytem? HTPCs typically want to be quiet while all-out SFF gaming rigs don't care
Quieter is better and quite important to me but not at the cost of performance. A happy medium would be good.
12. How mobile does this system need to be?Need a carrying handle or carrying straps? Is weight important (carry-on bag, etc)? Water cooling quick disconnects, etc?
I may take it on a 40 minute round trip in a car once every few months, but I don't think portability is a priority.
13. Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit? Remember that OEM copies of Win7 have issues with new motherboards
No I do not. Would like to run windows 10.
14. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Immediately, in a couple weeks, 3-5 years?
Immediately!
I really appreciate any help and advice you guys can offer! Please let me know if I've missed any crucial information.
1. What will you be doing with this PC?
Mostly web browsing, gaming (overwatch, battlefield, pubg, stellaris, ark - these are probably the most demanding things I'll play)
2. Will you be overclocking?
No
3. What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included in this budget? Is your budget flexible? Is cost a driving factor in component selection?
$1500 AUD is a ball park. I can stretch to $2000 but I'll need a monitor, keyboard and headset to fit in that budget. This includes shipping and tax.
4. Where do you live? Do you have any big B&M (brick and mortar) computer chains nearby (e.g. Microcenter, Fry's, etc)?
Adelaide, Australia. None of those sadly
5. What exact parts do you need for that budget?
Mobo, CPU (thinking i5), GPU (prefer nvidia but open to alternatives), M2.SSD (250gb should be fine), at least 500gb on a HDD or SSD if budget allows, cooling (preferably quieter so was leaning towards air cooled but open to AIO). A monitor (hoping for 144hz), mechanical keyboard and a headset, both with a minamilist aesthetic.
6. If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing?
I have the ncase
7. What specific features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Thunderbolt? Crossfire or SLI support? How many USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s? etc. Which is more important, size of the system or having the particular feature?
I will need wifi as wired access is off limits for the time being.
8. What resolution output do you need? 4k playback, 1080p playback, etc for HTPC or give a vertical/horizontal resolution for gaming SFF rigs. Do you need multiple monitor output?
1080p will suffice. Don't need multiple monitors.
9. Does this system need to fit into a particular space and do you need an optical drive? Think entertainment center shelves, closet space, rackmount, etc. Many modern SFF cases have either removed the optical drive or have been constructed so that removing the ODD increases the configuration possibilities immensely.
As stated above, it's an Ncase. No ODD!
10. How comfortable are you with custom case design/modification and electrical wiring?What tools do you have (Screwdrivers/Leatherman, Drill, Dremel, Metal snips, Soldering Iron, Bending Brake, CNC/Welding machines/Plasma cutter, etc...)?
I don't see a need to modify the case and I lack the tools to do so.
11. How important is the noise/silence of this sytem? HTPCs typically want to be quiet while all-out SFF gaming rigs don't care
Quieter is better and quite important to me but not at the cost of performance. A happy medium would be good.
12. How mobile does this system need to be?Need a carrying handle or carrying straps? Is weight important (carry-on bag, etc)? Water cooling quick disconnects, etc?
I may take it on a 40 minute round trip in a car once every few months, but I don't think portability is a priority.
13. Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit? Remember that OEM copies of Win7 have issues with new motherboards
No I do not. Would like to run windows 10.
14. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Immediately, in a couple weeks, 3-5 years?
Immediately!
I really appreciate any help and advice you guys can offer! Please let me know if I've missed any crucial information.