Starting a New Project

[Charr]

I have been thinking about building a new computer for a while now, but have been reluctant since I recently (About a year ago) rebuilt most of it. I made a big mistake because instead of buying quality parts, I went fairly cheap. It runs most games, decently, but not flawlessly. Its using outdated hardware and cheaper brands.

My current plan is to try and spread this process out over 2 months, I don't have a need for a new computer instantly, and I also don't have tons of cash to just throw at it since I'm also saving for a new car.

My first two parts I plan to buy are the case, and the motherboard, and I have two quick questions regarding both.

I currently have a fairly spacious case, I've been using it for many years, and haven't had any real issues with it. When I rebuilt my computer a year ago, I found it started to have heat issues, I swiftly added a new intake fan, and the problem was solved. I'm thinking about buying one of those fancy cases with fans everywhere, but honestly - is it really worth it? they're quite expensive, and I currently don't have an issue with my system. If I plan to make a moderately high end gaming PC will more ventilation be required other than a intake + exhaust fan?

My second question is in regards to motherboards. This is one piece of hardware I've never learned enough about, I've been looking into them and realized prices vary quite a bit, but really what benefits do you gain? A lot of the most expensive ones seem to be basically the same as the cheaper ones, just with more PCI-E slots, what other things would it more money get me?

 

[linkin]

It's worth getting a nice case with plenty of fans because they are not loud (my scout isn't anyway) and you'll never have to worry about proper airflow.

Higher end motherboards generally have better cooling, better quality components (like solid capacitors and VRM's that DON'T catch on fire ) as well as more connectivity, like firewire and even more usb ports. Most high end boards now will have at least 2 USB 3.0 ports.

Better boards also take memory with higher speeds, have better voltage regulation and so on.

And then there's warranty, some boards have long or lifetime warranties and that can affect the price as well.

How much were you looking to spend on this build?

 

[Charr]

Sounds like its a good idea for me to replace both of them than. 2 USB slots recently stopped working on my motherboard which I assume is related to shotty hardware since it was a fairly cheap board.

My limit I'm setting right now is about $2000, so quite a bit. I do have some parts I plan to carry over to my new build until I replace them later on (The video card, DVD drive, Hard drives). The video card currently runs all my games perfectly fine, and its the rest of the computer that's currently holding it back, I do plan to buy 2 new ones in a few months though. I'm limited to two monitors with my card, and I would really like to add a third.

I guess a good question to ask before I get a new motherboard is which would be the better buy at the moment, AMD or Intel? I've always gone with AMD in the past.

 

[daisymtc]

Are in urgent of getting new PC? I wonder if you want to wait till next year for intel Sandy Bridge.

With your $2000, do you mean this including your two new monitor?