Building own computer step I: What i should look for when selecting a case?

Black_star-rising

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Since i am a student atm, i don't have much money to spend. I have thought about Antec 300 since it seems to pretty cheap and ok looking (from the inside of course). I'm not planning on building any hightech computer, just basic for gaming, video-editing, but still something that i could upgrade in coming years. So not the smallest of cases.

So what should i look for when selecting a case?
 
First thing - make sure you find a case that you like the look of. Many cases boast loads of features but ultimately it comes down to whether or not you like it.

Once you have selected some cases, then you should check out their features. For example: hard drive bays, fan spaces, does it come with fans, does it come with a psu... and so on. Perhaps one rather important, but surprisingly ignored points is the size. For some size is no problem, however I once bought a case (can't remember its name) which was unfortunately too small to fit under my desk.

If you still need some suggestions the Cooler Master and NZXT cases are quite popular. Personally I'd also suggest the Fractal Design Cases, but maybe I'm a bit biased :S
 
You can determine what kind of case you want based on what your goals of the computer are. If you're building a high end gaming PC, you don't want to shoehorn the components into a cheap case with poor airflow.

On the flip side, you wouldn't build a middle level PC for checking email and web surfing in something like an Antec 900.
 
On the flip side, you wouldn't build a middle level PC for checking email and web surfing in something like an Antec 900.

The funny thing is, I've seen so many people do that before. When it comes down to it (and I'm not saying this is right) a lot feel that looks should be the most important factor
 
Ok.. Then how about the PSU, how will i choose that/calculate how big i need? Edit: is there anything i should look in them before buying?

Also i should know will graphics card fit in there? How big are they/what i need nowadays to have a decent gaming computer?
 
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The PSU for gaming PCs should usually be 500W+, imo. However that depends on your CPU, GPU, whether you're doing crossfire or sli. You may also want to look for 80+ efficiency PSUs as they'll draw less power from the wall.

The GPU depends on how you define "decent gaming". Medium settings? High settings? Resolution?
 
Medium settings are ok for me, i honestly don't know whats the "standard" resolution in games today? I am currently using 2 Full HD screens on my computer. So i would of course like that 1920 x 1080 res on my games, but as i said, i don't know.. :D

My friend is selling an used 430W PSU, i should skip that on and just buy a 500W?

I could buy and Asus 980g extreme3 and an AMD x6 1075 used too, and seriously thinking about it, he asks 140€ for them. Just ordered Fractal Designs core 3000 last night.
 
Medium settings are ok for me, i honestly don't know whats the "standard" resolution in games today? I am currently using 2 Full HD screens on my computer. So i would of course like that 1920 x 1080 res on my games, but as i said, i don't know.. :D

My friend is selling an used 430W PSU, i should skip that on and just buy a 500W?

I could buy and Asus 980g extreme3 and an AMD x6 1075 used too, and seriously thinking about it, he asks 140€ for them. Just ordered Fractal Designs core 3000 last night.

Ok, so I'll go through your questions;

1) I'm currently running an HD 7850 for high(ish) settings on a single 1920x1080 monitor. However whether or not it has enough power for two, I don't know. Also, do you have any preferences over AMD or Nvidia? And what's your budget for a graphics card? (for reference: a new 7850 is ~£180-£200)

2) As I said before, I consider 500w to be minimum, but that's just my opinion. I would say that you should probably buy new, instead of your friend's second-hand one. You should never cut corners with the psu, if it blows, it could potentially take the CPU or GPU (or both :O ) with it.

3) I have never bought an AMD CPU before, so I can't tell you whether it's worth it. What I can tell you though, is that I bought loads of asus motherboards and have never had a problem with any of them.

4) Good choice on case, let us know when you get it and what you think of it.
 
I like the AMD CPUs because they give you great bang for the buck. They are competitive with Intel CPUs in the same price point.
 
Hi Black_star-rising :)

Another thing to consider is aesthetics of your Gaming Rig (will it be in full view, windowed cases with lights can look awesome)

Example

images.jpg
 
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