PC Building and Parts Resources

Glocky

Glocky

Drinking your tears
So, we as a community, have a variety of discussion threads across various PC, PC parts and gaming topics in the forums. I suggest, that we amalgamate the information into literally a one stop shop type thread.

I will reserve a few posts after this one, as this will serve as the introduction and guideline (and still may in turn be updated), that will be updated as relevant information in this thread, and potentially others, is shared by the members and community at large.

The idea is to keep this as evergreen as possible, and to refer to it as a reference source, not a "this is better than that" thread.

Some suggested categories:

Links for: best Canadian e-tailers, review sites, overclocking sites, deal finding/tracking, etc.
PSU calculators, RAM speeds ratings, general build advice, DIY how-to's

Sample builds from PC Part Picker (tweak the variables as you wish)
Quad-core DDR3 (4690K & GTX980) builds
6-core DDR4 (5960X & GTX980) builds
 
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Glocky

Glocky

Drinking your tears
(updated and/or links checked 1-JAN-2015)
 
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Glocky

Glocky

Drinking your tears
PSU Guides & Calculators (recommend you try a few and round up the average to be safe while ensuring you're still in the peak efficiency of the unit you choose):
Reviews, Tips and Benchmarks
Tom's Hardware Hierarchy Charts(rough parallels for level noticeable differences, i.e. time to upgrade)
Online Resources(Overclocking, tweaking, etc.)
Software
  • Ninite - Install or Update Multiple applications at once
    No toolbars. No clicking next. Just pick your apps and click Get Installer.
  • Patch My PC - Third party update tool - use with caution though *new*
(updated and/or links checked 21-JUL-2015)
 
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$alvador

$alvador

TD Member
good idea, i actually started writing a primer because of how common build question threads are on here but never finished it. it's tough to come up with an overarching guide that covers a wide variety of questions on the topic because everyone is wondering different things.

the best piece of advice i can give is this: a good motherboard makes all the difference. choose wisely, make sure to spec out the mobo to make sure your components will fit (IME Gigabyte mobos have been complete failures because of fitment issues even recently) and if the option comes down to alloting more funds toward a better CPU or a better mobo then make it the mobo and look up a few other CPUs that fit the socket class so that you can upgrade that later if need be. Good chipsets will retain their value for years, and great motherboards are built around them.
 
OG buckshot jr

OG buckshot jr

TD Admin
Excellent idea, Glocky. I used to have mod on this section of forum for this type of stuff, but it was taken away for some reason, or lost when we updated our website and did a lot of work on it...

Would be nice to have it again - to help out and keep stuff clean/organize threads like this.
 
zackychuu

zackychuu

TD Admin / Wanker
Nice idea!
I suggest someone go through all the old threads where people have linked some useful websites for this thread too.
Maybe like the Hierarchy charts, and I think someone else linked in a buying guide for low medium and high range budgets too.
 
Glocky

Glocky

Drinking your tears
Yep, just information gathering at this point, so all suggestions welcome.
Just would like to reinforce that it isn't an Intel is better than AMD, or this mobo is better than that mobo resource, but a resource of where to get the best information, sales, etc. to form your own opinion.

Over time, as people link stuff, I will try to update the reserved slots (though I expect to add some primary links this weekend).
 
zackychuu

zackychuu

TD Admin / Wanker
How about good places to look up reviews on products, like Linus Tech Tips on youtube and things like that?
 
damha

damha

A Little Darkly
Heres some things i use!

Canadacomputers.com - WHY do i like this tailer? well, they show in store stock online, and i dont have to waste my time going into the store looking for what i need.

gpu research: http://www.overclock.net/t/502403/graphics-card-ranking-5th-time-and-last-updated-daily
Great resource for the latest GPU rankings.​
​
Last resource i got for you, is this BIG ASS CHART. I put a link below this sentence, and attached the image!

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af150/The_FalconO6/CurrentLogicalPCBuyingGuide/Guide.png

Guide.png
 
Glocky

Glocky

Drinking your tears
Very cool resources. I need to free up some time to redo some of my updates (I had done a whole bunch and then the forum and/or my net burped and they were gone).

The logical increments buying guide is pretty cool. I disagree a bit here and there, but that's bound to happen, and I'm probably wrong :)
But overall, it gives an idea of where to end up and how much to get there.
I'm still waffling between when and how heavy I upgrade or do a new build ($al said it best, if it's a hobby... then treat it that way or some such).
 
damha

damha

A Little Darkly
Glocky said:
Very cool resources. I need to free up some time to redo some of my updates (I had done a whole bunch and then the forum and/or my net burped and they were gone).

The logical increments buying guide is pretty cool. I disagree a bit here and there, but that's bound to happen, and I'm probably wrong :)
But overall, it gives an idea of where to end up and how much to get there.
I'm still waffling between when and how heavy I upgrade or do a new build ($al said it best, if it's a hobby... then treat it that way or some such).
Click to expand...
yeh i dont treat it like stone, jus always sets my mind in motion towards the right direction... i found it on chan, i never trust shit from there
 
Glocky

Glocky

Drinking your tears
Got around to some updates :)
Any other links, suggestions? I think I'll start linking to this in my sig instead of the individual resources.
True story, my needs for a silent PC may have decreased since my wife bought me a mini fridge for Christmas and the most sensible place for it is at the end of my corner computer desk... it's pretty quite, but the compressor is certainly louder than any PC ahaha
 
$alvador

$alvador

TD Member
An interesting thing I learned on Boxing Day was that CC updates in-store stock levels shown on their website in real time.

I did a bit of rumination with a friend on that limits of silicon article I posted a few weeks back and how nothing impressive has been released lately. He's got an i7 920 and I've got a Phenom II and comparing our number-crunching results to Bulldozer and Ivy Bridge results showed a pretty bleak image of how slow progress has been since the genesis of the i7 architecture. We've agreed it would be pointless to upgrade now, and for anyone looking to upgrade from something pre-i7/K10 my personal thoughts would be to stay away from mid-range chips altogether. If you can afford it, now would be the best time in years to buy a top-of-the-line Intel because the odds of there being a huge leap forward (in x86) in the next few years is very slim. Conversely, if you can't afford it then you're likely to get better value out of AMD than out of a mid-range Intel. And value is important when the progress right now is focused on embedded devices which means you'll want more cash free to buy the latest smartphone or tablet on which you can actually notice the speed difference compared to last gen.
 
Glocky

Glocky

Drinking your tears
Yeah, pretty much $al... even with IPC improvements... the noticeable upgrades are somewhat smaller and the whole BGA stuff will be interesting to sort out. For my Q9550, to give it a decent life as a family PC, I think in the end, I will go Haswell (4770K or 4670K) and back off its overclocks.
For others in the same boat or similar, I think it looks something like this:

Core 2 Duo or Quad (or earlier or near equivalents) -> Haswell (2013) (4770K or 4670K) to avoid high initial DDR4 prices with Broadwell (2014)
2500K to 3970X (or equivalents) -> wait at least until Skylake (2015) or Skymont (2016) or whatever is next (2017+)
 
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