Battlefield 3

[Penguin]

Hey guys,

I've pre-ordered Battlefield 3 for the PC, and I want to know what kind of a system to build.  I have no experience in building a PC, but I know that if it's done right, one gets much more bang for one's buck.  I know that I won't need too much RAM, but what about my GPU, graphics cards and CPU's?  And power supply, and overclocking and cooling systems.  I need to know about all this and more, but please, use small words and speak slowly.

Please, I know next to nothing about building a PC, but the pre-built ones are just too expensive (over $1,000!).  I have to start somewhere.  My budget is 1,000 USD, not a penny more.  I need to know how to install things, and where to find them.  Essentially, I need to know everything.

EDIT:

How could I have forgotten to mention this?

My requirements (in order of importance):
Very few external things such as coolant tanks, high heat, etc.
Low maintnance
Future proof/ upgradeable
60 fps buttersmooth gameplay
Lots of USB 2.0 ports
Windows 7 on a disk
Maxed out settings (I mean absolutely everything)

My current system is as follows (I got this information via dxdiag)

This came from the information under the "System" tab

System Name: ADAM-PC
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium (6.0, build 6002)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
System Model: Inspiron 546
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Processor: AMD Athlon (tm) 7750 Dual-Core Processor (2 CPU's) ~2.7GHz
Memory: 8190MB RAM
Page file: 2069MB used, 14365MB availible
DirectX Version: DirectX 11

This is under the "Device" tab

Name: ATI Radeon HD 4350
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
Chip Type: ATI Radeon Graphics Processor (0x954F)
DAC Type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Approx. Total Memory:  3571 MB
Current Display Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (75Hz)
Monitor: Dell E248WFP(Digital)
DirectX Features:
Direct Draw Acceleration: Enabled
Direct3D Acceleration: Enabled
AGP Texture Acceleration: Enabled
Drivers:
Main Driver: atidxx32, atidxx64.dll, atiumdag, atium [illegible after this point]
Version: 8.15.0010.0183 (English)
Date: 30-March-09 7:24:32
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
DDI Version: 10.1

Alright, I think that takes care of it, so can you guys help me?  I don't know what any of the above means.

-Penguin

[68Hawk]

Overclocking and liquid cooling are entirely unnecessary.  Don't even worry about them.

You want a solid CPU and motherboard.  Get good quality RAM.  Get enough of it too.

Get a good graphics card, but doesn't have to be top of the line and you don't really need two.  One good one is better than two lesser ones.  That goes for all this stuff really, get something that's been out for a year or so and you'll get way more of that bang for your buck.

Get a decent Hard Disk and a CD drive.  You don't have to spend too much there, but consider getting a smaller and faster drive for your operating system and main game files, and a larger one for storage.

A sound card is optional but will help if you have the money.  You don't need to drop too much there either.

If you want to spend money on a fancy case make sure it has good ventilation.  You don't need anything crazy though. 

Check Newegg, tigerdirect, microcenter and other online retailers, or check a local place if you have it available. 

Find someone local who can help you put it all together right the first time, unless you're good at following directions.  It's not as hard as it used to be.

[MaSonZ]

Overclocking and liquid cooling are entirely unnecessary.  Don't even worry about them.

You want a solid CPU and motherboard.  Get good quality RAM.  Get enough of it too.

Get a good graphics card, but doesn't have to be top of the line and you don't really need two.  One good one is better than two lesser ones.  That goes for all this stuff really, get something that's been out for a year or so and you'll get way more of that bang for your buck.

Get a decent Hard Disk and a CD drive.  You don't have to spend too much there, but consider getting a smaller and faster drive for your operating system and main game files, and a larger one for storage.

A sound card is optional but will help if you have the money.  You don't need to drop too much there either.

If you want to spend money on a fancy case make sure it has good ventilation.  You don't need anything crazy though. 

Check Newegg, tigerdirect, microcenter and other online retailers, or check a local place if you have it available. 

Find someone local who can help you put it all together right the first time, unless you're good at following directions.  It's not as hard as it used to be.

im not bad at directions, and even with putting my brothers computer into a new case with a friend i messed up on mine. have a buddy that knows what hes doin put it all together WITH you so you have an idea what your doing later on.

as far as the rest of this post, Hawk nailed it.

[Penguin]

Overclocking and liquid cooling are entirely unnecessary.  Don't even worry about them.

You want a solid CPU and motherboard.  Get good quality RAM.  Get enough of it too.

Get a good graphics card, but doesn't have to be top of the line and you don't really need two.  One good one is better than two lesser ones.  That goes for all this stuff really, get something that's been out for a year or so and you'll get way more of that bang for your buck.

Get a decent Hard Disk and a CD drive.  You don't have to spend too much there, but consider getting a smaller and faster drive for your operating system and main game files, and a larger one for storage.

A sound card is optional but will help if you have the money.  You don't need to drop too much there either.

If you want to spend money on a fancy case make sure it has good ventilation.  You don't need anything crazy though. 

Check Newegg, tigerdirect, microcenter and other online retailers, or check a local place if you have it available. 

Find someone local who can help you put it all together right the first time, unless you're good at following directions.  It's not as hard as it used to be.

What is solid?  What is good?  I really don't know a thing about this.  Where can I find a local who can help me assemble it? 

-Penguin

[MaSonZ]

What is solid?  What is good?  I really don't know a thing about this.  Where can I find a local who can help me assemble it? 

-Penguin

do you have a friend who knows stuff about computers?

[68ZooM]

What is solid?  What is good?  I really don't know a thing about this.  Where can I find a local who can help me assemble it? 

-Penguin

Umm Google computer stores in your area, call them up and ask them questions, not trying to be a smartarse but doing it here seems like a waste of time. we all have our favorite MB's CPU setups and that can get confusing when it's your first build, so follow 68Hawks Basic advice and go talk to someone at a Computer Store take notes until you understand how everything works. good luck its a fun hobby Ive always built mine, my current setup I'm running 3 Video cards SLI'd, i've never had a frame rate under 200 in any game i play.

[MaSonZ]

how many usb ports is "a lot"... many mobos have some ports on them, and many cases have 2 or 3 on them too... i have ony my motherboard 4 or 5, then on my case 2. thats at least 6 usb ports..cant imagine your gonna need more then 2, 3 at tops... but deffinitly not 6.

[Penguin]

Well, I have my headphones, my printer, my scanner, my joystick, my mouse, my keyboard, and my rudder pedals.  I need a lot of USB ports.

-Penguin

[1701E]

how many usb ports is "a lot"... many mobos have some ports on them, and many cases have 2 or 3 on them too... i have ony my motherboard 4 or 5, then on my case 2. thats at least 6 usb ports..cant imagine your gonna need more then 2, 3 at tops... but deffinitly not 6.

USB ports is a minimal requirement when buying normally, but 6 isn't really "a lot".  I use 6 typically, 7 at most.


As for what to look for, there are certain brands to stick to, from there it's mostly a comparability game.
Some of the best are:

Motherboards: ASUS, Gigabyte, EVGA
GPU: EVGA, ASUS, MSI, Sapphire
RAM: OCZ, G. Skill, Corsair
PSU: PC P&C, Corsair (high end models), SeaSonic, OCZ
Hard-Drive: Western Digital (personal opinion, some are dead set on Seagate)

CPU is going to depend on if you went Intel or AMD. Either AM3/+ or i5/7.
Case, get enough air-flow and you're fine.  Make sure Form Factors match on the case and motherboard.
DVD Drive, most anything will be fine, get a high-rated ASUS or something and you're set.
Anything you want to add-in is your own choice; Fan controllers, LEDs, Sound-Card, etc.


If you want specific parts suggested then you'd be better off in Hard-ware Forum.  I would need time to come up with a list, and it will always, always be a war between who thinks what's the best. I don't buy the best due to money, I buy what I can afford and runs well.

[Penguin]

I can't post this on the Harware forum because I'm looking to build this for Battlefield 3, not AH2.  What is form factor?  How can I get a good case for the computer?

-Penguin

[MaSonZ]

but you can post it in hardware/software. the hardware/softeware is not stritcly for AH, it is in general. if youll need your printer and/or scanner while playing a game youve got somethin goin on that odsesnt make sense.

USB ports is a minimal requirement when buying normally, but 6 isn't really "a lot".  I use 6 typically, 7 at most.

you ses all 6 or 7 at the same time, while gaming?

[1701E]

I can't post this on the Harware forum because I'm looking to build this for Battlefield 3, not AH2.  What is form factor?  How can I get a good case for the computer?

-Penguin

I doubt Skuzzy would mind too much, if at all.


Form Factor is the size of the Motherboard and placement of the mounting Screws.  Mini-ITX (think it is), Micro-ATX, ATX, E-ATX are the primary ones.  ATX or Micro-ATX will be your choice in all honesty.  ATX allows for more expansion, but it a bit larger than it's aptly named Micro counterpart.

A good case will be a personal choice. I, for example, went with an $80 HTPC Case (Home Theater PC, it's a different layout to Towers) because I wanted as small as possible with decent airfow. This fit the bill.  The amount of airflow needed will depend on what innards you have as higher-end needs more air.  I run AMD Phenom II X2 and a GTX 260 in this tiny case with only: 1x 120mm fan, 3x 80mms, and 1x 60mm and run into no heat issues.

you ues all 6 or 7 at the same time, while gaming?

I use 4 while gaming (depending on the game), and unplugging the other 2-3 when not in use is just a pain.
Mouse (1), Keyboard (1), Wheel/Pedals/Shifter (1), Joystick (1), Phone Charger (2), and the rare Printer (1).

[Becinhu]

You can also get usb hubs for dirt cheap. I got a 7 slot hub (now 5 due to X52 hub ownage) for less than 10 bucks.

[Tac]

Ill just write with *** comments inside your post.

My current system is as follows (I got this information via dxdiag)

This came from the information under the "System" tab

System Manufacturer: Dell Inc. ****you're fluffied when it comes to upgrades with Dell because their motherboards, CPU case, ram and power supply are all proprietary stuff. ***** 
Processor: AMD Athlon (tm) 7750 Dual-Core Processor (2 CPU's) ~2.7GHz
Memory: 8190MB RAM
Page file: 2069MB used, 14365MB availible

*** This system is still pretty powerful. You got plenty of RAM and the dual core is powerful enough for BF3 on max settings. *****


This is under the "Device" tab

Name: ATI Radeon HD 4350
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
Chip Type: ATI Radeon Graphics Processor (0x954F)
DAC Type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Approx. Total Memory:  3571 MB
Current Display Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (75Hz)

***********And THIS is your real bottleneck. Avoid ATI video cards they are garbage. Check what type of port is available on your motherboard for the video card (AGP, PCI, etc) and get yourself a good video card.

For future reference, your system which Im guessing cost nearly 1500 bucks you could've built on your own with much better performance and much better upgrade ability for under 800 bucks. 

[Penguin]

Aha, so I just need to get a good video card.  Phew, that'll save me heaps of cash.

-Penguin