New build for AI and Gaming

NeVeR

So,

It's been a few years since I last built a PC, Maybe 10-15 years!!

I want to build a new one and show my son how to build one, where the parts go, etc.

Back when I built them we had a German site called harwareversands (or something like that) - it's gone years. But it was great for telling you which parts will/won't work with each other. I was looking here https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2054994238/go-here-first-building-and-upgrading-faq-link-repository#latest and see there are loads of new sites and links etc. So I will be taking a look at that soon.

But to get the ball rolling I wanted to ask if there is one of these sites that is better than the others.

Is there much money to be saved buying parts/building vs using a site like customepc.ie

I'll wait for replies and post my specs later today after I see a few replies.

thanks.

minitrue

I'm not sure how much useful info you will find now from that sticky link, I think it's all woefully out of date at this point (the Tom's how to build a PC link for example is dead).

pcpartpicker.com is handy for compatibility, if you are putting together a build it tries to only show you things it thinks should be ok and also puts up warnings on your build if you have picked things where it thinks there could be potential problems. It's not absolutely perfect but it's good. You can change it to Germany/UK/Ireland/France etc to check prices from various stores but you need to limit the selection of stores to those that will actually deliver to you and between the changes in EU VAT rules and Brexit that doesn't leave all that many now. caseking and computeruniverse from Germany and overclockers (which is related to caseking) from the UK on top of all the Amazons and obviously (hopefully) the places it shows if you set it to Ireland (though expect mostly terrible prices from them). There are probably more I don't know about.

It's often possible somewhere to find a reasonably priced prebuilt but they are usually few and far between and pretty much always a bit flawed. If you are happy to put in the time you can usually build something better/cheaper yourself.

K.O.Kiki

You're pretty much going to save 5-600 vs any PC builder by doing it yourself, especially with a higher-end build.

Quick pointers:

• CPU: Intel 13th gen if you don't plan on upgrading in the near future, AMD 7000 if you do. AMD 5000 if you want to build cheap.
• GPU: Nvidia RTX is the only game in town for AI.
• Case: Preferably mesh front with space for 2-3 fans. Extra budget buys you better build quality but not much else.
• Power supply: Don't skimp. Get a high-quality model (consult this tier list on Cultist forum).
• Cooling: I prefer air coolers these days. Just simpler. Thermalright (not Thermaltake) make lots of high-quality, low-priced offerings. Or go Noctua if you want the absolute best at a premium.
• RAM: 32 Gb minimum. DDR4-3600 CL16/CL18 or DDR5-6000 CL30 depending on platform.
• Motherboard: Again, depends on budget/what you need out of it.
• SSD: PCIe Gen 4 is cheap enough now that you might as well pay a few extra over older gen/SATA for better performance. I recommend 1-2Tb to start.

NeVeR

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120274207#Comment_120274207

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120275521#Comment_120275521

Thank you for the replies guys.

Where is best to source parts, Or is it a case of looking on ebay/adverts/amazon etc. I did look at pcpartpicker.com but wanted to ask about other places as well

thanks.

cornholio509

There is no real best place to look . PC parts picker can be flakey at times with pricing so as long as you are aware of that then i think you should be good to go . Use GPUtracker.eu aswell . Just be aware that some pricing up on GPUtracker may not include vat . There was another site which gave lists of parts and sellers but for some reason i cannot think of it . You have paradigit.ie used to be komplette and memoryC.ie . Do not under any circumstances buy from elar.ie as they are a rip off .

Amazon does have some good deals on AMD cpus at the moment . If you have a prime account then the free shipping is worth buying there . Ebay has its usual pitfalls but bargains can be got there too if you dont mind used GPUs .

You also have casekings.de , computeruniverse.net , jacobs.de and many more . Best advise is to price around and see which sites have offers on pc parts . even if you have to order from 2or 3 different places you could save a few hundred euro .

jobrien874ie

I'd go for Amazon in terms of sourcing parts - I'd just make sure you dont get hit with any custom fees - been stung myself a few times with high value parts etc.