Beginner here, looking for some help :)

[Feriation]

Hello everyone!

A little about me I guess. I am a student and avid video game enthusiast who prefers to do the majority of her gaming on a pc as opposed to a console. I'm looking for a computer that can handle classwork, with some gaming on the side. I'm hoping to not break the bank right off the bat but rather have the option to upgrade further down the road once budget permits and also once I feel more confident on working on my own PC.

I've been discouraged while talking to sales reps in electronics stores; either the customer service is just dismal, or I feel that I am being talked down to because I'm a woman. As a result, I've been trying to muddle my way through the internet myself on how to build my own pc.

Please know that I really don't know what I'm doing yet or even where I ought to begin. This whole process is more than slightly overwhelming. So, if I have blatantly screwed up, please, let me know and also, tell me what I should do and most importantly, “why”. I want to learn.

Here's a very rough look at some parts I was looking at during the 5 hours I have between my classes today. It was comprised mainly because the budget appealed to me and customer reviews. I'm still learning on how to tell if parts are compatible with one another.

Case:
APEVIA X-PLORER2 Series X-PLORER2-PK Black / Pink Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144258&cm_re=pink-_-11-144-258-_-Product
$59.99

Power Supply :
SeaSonic M12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produc...ark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfo
$94.99

Processor :
AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Callisto 3.2GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Desktop Processor - C3 Revision HDZ555WFGMBOX
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103846
$89.99

Motherboard :
ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131402
$109.99

Hard Drive :
Western Digital AV WD1600AVJS 160GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal AV Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136522
$49.99 * 2


Memory :
Crucial Ballistix Tracer 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory w/ Blue LEDs Model BL2KIT25664TB1337
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148339
$62.49

Operating System :
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116754
$109.99

-Michelle <3

 

[cboucher]

I would go with this case instead if I were you.

Newegg.ca - APEVIA X-CRUISER2-PK Pink SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Just kidding. That's actually a decent looking build for what you want to do with it. I would go with a different hard drive, though. Western Digital is a good brand.

 

[dudelewis1]

You'd want the 64 bit Windows rather than 32. 32 bit is limited to accessing 3.5gb of ram.

 

[Feriation]

I would go with this case instead if I were you.

Newegg.ca - APEVIA X-CRUISER2-PK Pink SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Just kidding. That's actually a decent looking build for what you want to do with it. I would go with a different hard drive, though. Western Digital is a good brand.

Actually, I love it! It's almost the same shade as my laptop, lol

I really appreciate the comments guys! This whole "build your own" is rather intimidating, but I'm getting really excited about it! o.o

 

[cboucher]

Just make sure you keep all the original boxes that all the different parts are shipped in, just in case you have to RMA something. Have fun...