http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7mntK8
Here's my build so far, I purchased the CPU+Mobo+RAM in a combo on ebay, and before you say anything, yes I will be purchasing another stick of 4 gb ram. I'm still shopping around for a GPU on eBay hoping to get lucky, at the moment I'm shooting for either a 270, 270x, or 7870, or maybe even a 660 or 760 if the price is right. I don't intend on overclocking for a while, so I'm gonna hold off for buying a better cpu cooler until a few more checks roll in.
Everything else I bought brand spankin' new, I got the PSU and SSD on newegg and the case and HDD on Amazon and they are currently in the mail.
I just have a few questions...
1. Since I bought the cpu+mobo+ram used, will I have to buy any connectors or wires that would normally come with them? Also will I have to buy anything else for the GPU assuming only the GPU is included in the purchase?
2. Will I have to buy a 3.5 to 2.5 inch adapter for the ssd, or does the source 210 have a ssd mounting point?
3. Should I be fine with only one case fan for a little while? If so, where should I position it? I'm assuming it should be an intake fan on the front, but not 100% sure on that one.
Thanks for answering my questions, I think I may end up recording the build process and creating a cool little montage with benchmarks of fancy games and things, I can already see it in my head.
1. You will probably need to buy sata cables for your drives, and you probably won't need anything else with the GPU, those are basically install it, plug in the power connectors, and good to go.
2. As far as SSD mounting goes, its up to you. My SSD sits in a nest of spare power connectors from my non-modular power supply, and I keep those connectors in the empty 5.25 inch bays in my case. (its horrible I know but it works) SSDs can be mounted pretty much anywhere. If you want it mounted in a HDD bay, then you will probably need a 3.5 to 2.5 adapter.
3. I suggest you buy a 2nd case fan to have an intake and an exhaust. Put one fan in the bottom, and the other in the rear or top. 3 Fans would be best, with 1 in the bottom, 1 in the rear, and 1 in the top.
1) you probably will. Some sata and other connector cables.
2) The nzxt 210 has 1 2.5" mount at the bottom of the harddrive bracket.
3) 1 should be fine for now, and yes put it on the front if there is dust protectors there. If there are no dust protectors, then leave it at the back to pull out the hot air from the top of the case. ** if you get a second fan, have them both push air into the case through the dust filter. You always want more push than pull if you can manage it or the case will suck in dust from all the small holes.
**For what graphics card to get, This is the order you want from best to worst - R9-280x, GTX 760, R9-270x, then the R9-270 and GTX 660 are equal. Just get what you can afford in that order.
it will hurt at first and there maybe some blood. its all normal.
What would you suggest for some <$10 case fans?
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fan-fdfanssr2120
Most cheap-o case fans will work as well. They may be a bit loud, though.
1. Since you're buying used, I suggest buying new cables. Most are good, just find some with lots of good reviews and make sure they're compatible with you motherboard. (SATA II, SATA III etc.)
2. Shouldn't be an issue really. Any drive can be installed in there.
3. If you decide to buy another one, I recommend Fractal Design or Cooler Master. Fractal Design is pricier, but they optimize them to be quieter than normal ones. Cooler Master is good all around, but not special.
I say for GPU, for the best bang for you money, would be this card.
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202096&cm_re=R7_265-_-14-202-096-_-Product
Can't go wrong for the price. t's underrated, but pulls in so good compared to lower and higher end cards. Want an NVidia option? I'd say get this.
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202096&cm_re=R7_265-_-14-202-096-_-Product
A little weaker, but it has much lower energy usage and doesn't NEED a cable for power, so all you have to do to install it is plug it in! Hope I helped!