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So Welcome! It's good to have you here to share my experiences researching and building My Super PC. The information on these pages should streamline your research and save you hours of time, a fair amount of money, and you'll end up building your own super computer. Although technology changes quickly, I update this site frequently to keep it up-to-date. This site provides:
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Special message insert from Rob
The following great deals are available right now! This message box highlights deals you really shouldn't miss. Enjoy!
MySuperPC - How to Build an Affordable, Quality, Fast PC! - Printed!
Now you can have my full assembly tutorial in printed format! The book contains the same information as the assembly web-pages. It has over 175 pictures, with many pictures enlarged for the book. The cost is less than any computer component, $29.95. And no sales tax for most (sorry, New York and North Carolina). Shipping destinations include North America, Europe, Asia and the Pacific Rim. It is a soft-cover, full-size 8.5 x 11 version that is up-to-date with the web version. It takes you from parts list and component breakdown, through step-by-step detailed assembly, entering the BIOS settings, installing the operating system, installing each hardware driver, testing performance, and trouble-shooting common problems. The book is spiral-bound so it will lay flat when you have it out next to you as you work. Now you don't need a computer to read the tutorial!
MySuperPC - The Book! Crucial Memory! Free shipping! 
All Crucial memory is available with free shipping! Their prices and quality are already unbeatable, and now you get free shipping, too! Crucial makes outstanding memory and it's what I use in My Super PC!
Crucial My Super PC - Build Computer - Laptop Deals
Unfortunately, it is not an option to build your own laptop computer. Here are links to top sellers of laptops and their current specials.
Newegg Laptop DealsDell Laptop Offers
HP Laptop Deals
This first page lists the components I recommend to build a computer today, including the reputable online retailers where I would get them. Following web pages go into more detail regarding each component within a computer, such as the computer case, motherboard, processor, memory, video card, hard drive and so on, describing what type of technology is currently available and what features and capabilities to look for in each component. Finally, my free, detailed, step-by-step assembly instructions provide the most comprehensive guide available anywhere on how to build a computer, with hundreds of pictures and listing every single part that was used, right down to the cables and screws.
Here are the highlights of My Super PC today!
| Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-3570k 3.4GHz (quad-core) |
| Ram | Crucial 8192MB (8GB) PC3-12800 DDR3 |
| Video Card | MSI Geforce GTX 660 2GB DDR5 PCI-E |
| Solid State Drive | Crucial M4 128GB |
| Hard Drive | Western Digital RE4 1000GB 7200rpm SATA 3 |
| Optical Drive | ASUS Blu-Ray 12x DVD RW |
| Sound Card | ASUS Xonar D1 (but the motherboard built-in sound is very good) |
| Operating System | Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit |
| Monitor | Dell UltraSharp 2001FP 20.1-inch Flat Panel LCD Monitor |
It wouldn't take long for My Super PC to become just an average PC. But My Super PC was built with upgradeability as a primary consideration and it's as upgradeable as it gets!
Which brings me to the first rule of building your own PC which I call the "six month rule of delayed acquisition". Only use hardware and software that is at least six months old. There are three big reasons. First, as you may guess, is that prices drop drastically in even as short a period as six months. Second, as you may guess again, is that any problems will shake out in this time. But a third very important reason is that in only six months there will be volumes of information about an item – from how it performs to how you can best use it.
My Super PC is built entirely from high quality components in the "sweet spot", meaning each component gives the most bang for the buck. This also means that the ultimate money-is-no-object component is not used. Doing so could easily double the cost, while only marginally improving on the final result.
The components in My Super PC are outstanding in terms of quality and performance, and all were in the "sweet spot" at time of purchase. Today there are upgrades or alternatives for some components that are even more attactive given the current technology-price curve. In addition, there are alternatives to some components that are acceptable if the price is right or depending on your own situation. For example, I wanted a case that was not over 20 inches tall, but you may have a taller space available.
For each type of component, here are my recommendations for specific components and resellers. This may be the same as the component that I currently have in My Super PC today, or it may be a component that I would choose today if something better has come along. I also include other choices that may be better for your situation, or that I would prefer myself were I buying today. For each item, the price shown is the lowest price you can find it today from a reputable, well-established reseller. The resellers listed do not play games, such as overcharging for shipping and handling. You should have no trouble at all purchasing the items listed if you click on the link provided and follow the instructions under Comments. If you run into any trouble purchasing an item then don't hesitate to contact me via the message boards on the forums.
Description Where I Would Get It Today Today's Price Comments Antec Sonata III with 500-Watt power supply Amazon $120.67 Free shipping! Clicking the link takes you directly to it. I've used this case in many versions of My Super PC. It has front port connections for USB 2.0 (two connections), an audio jack, a microphone jack and one eSATA port. It has plenty of open bays and it's not imposingly tall. It features low-noise cooling, including vibration absorbing drive mounts. It includes a high-quality 500-watt power supply.
Description Where I Would Get It Today Today's Price Comments Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Amazon $209.99 Free shipping! Retail box. Quad-core LGA 1155 processor. Includes a standard CPU cooler. Clicking the link takes you directly to it.
Description Where I Would Get It Today Today's Price Comments Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UDH5 LGA 1155 Amazon $174.98 Free shipping! Clicking the link takes you directly to it. This motherboard is feature rich, has outstanding quality and is a top performer. All for a very good price.
Bundles, Barebone KitsMotherboard Bundles TigerDirect 
Varies Clicking the link takes you directly to the page for bundles and systems. All of the components in My Super PC were purchased separately so that I got exactly what I wanted. But if you come across a bundle you like then you can be sure that all of the components are compatible. Bundles typically include at least the processor and motherboard, but can include much more. Combo Deals Newegg 
Varies Clicking the link takes you directly to the combo deals page. Once there you can search by category, such as "AMD Motherboards" and brand, such as "Gigabyte".
Description Where I Would Get It Today Today's Price Comments Crucial Ballistix 8GB Kit (2x4GB) PC3-12800 DDR3 Crucial 
$83.99 Free shipping! Clicking the link takes you directly to the right Crucial web-page for the RAM best suited for an Intel socket LGA1155 motherboard like the Gigabyte Z77X-UDH5 motherboard. The "Ballistix" memory is high-speed memory. RAM prices are very low and that makes the decision for how much RAM to get for the computer much easier. All Crucial RAM Crucial Memory Varies Free shipping! Click the link to get to the Crucial web-site and follow the easy steps to find the right RAM for your motherboard or computer. Crucial Memory UK/European Crucial Memory UK/European 
Varies Free shipping for UK orders! Click the link for UK/European pricing.
Description Where I Would Get It Today Today's Price Comments MSI GeForce GTX 660 2GB DDR5 Amazon $214.99 Free shipping! Retail box. Clicking the link takes you directly to it. A GeForce GTX 660 video card like this one is great for demanding graphics environments, including digital video and top-tier gaming, without spending too much. Very quiet and powerful. DirectX 11 support built-in. PCI-E 3.0 compliant. SLI compatible. Fast DDR5 memory. Power supply of 450-watts or better recommended. Does use an extra slot. Uses only one 6-pin PCI-E power connectors from the power supply (the Antec Sonata III comes with two).
Description Where I Would Get It Today Today's Price Comments ASUS Xonar D1 PCI Amazon $93.99 Free shipping! Retail box. Clicking the link takes you directly to it. This model inserts into a PCI slot on the motherboard (not the newer PCI-E slots, called PCI Express). An add-on sound card is not needed by most. The built-in sound provided by motherboards such as the ones I recommend will satisfy most listeners, including me. But a sound card provides noticeably better sound and improves performance. Most motherboards come with at least one PCI slot, but otherwise there is a PCI-E version. ASUS Xonar DX PCI-Express Amazon $85.09 Free shipping! Retail box. Clicking the link takes you directly to it. Identical to the ASUS Xonar D1 except it uses a PCI-E slot on the motherboard. The DX also uses a 4-pin power connector from the power supply.
Description Where I Would Get It Today Today's Price Comments Logitech S2220 2.1 Speaker System Amazon $29.99 Free shipping! Clicking the link takes you directly to it. This is a three-piece speaker system. Two satellites and a sub-woofer. Very compact and they sound great. Sennheiser HD 202 II Headphones Amazon $26.89 Free shipping! Clicking the link takes you directly to it. Sound is much more detailed and directional with headphones like these. The difference is amazing. I describe my own computer headphones on this page.
Description Where I Would Get It Today Today's Price Comments Crucial M4 128GB SATA 6 Gb/s Amazon $129.99 Free shipping! Clicking the link takes you directly to it. This size at 128GB is roomy enough for the operating system, commonly used applictions and the current games you're playing, speeding up almost everything. Crucial M4 512GB SATA 6 Gb/s Amazon $379.99 Free shipping! Clicking the link takes you directly to it. At 512GB this size is large enough that a hard drive is not necessary. But it's still cheaper to go with the smaller 128GB SD plus a large capacity hard drive.
Description Where I Would Get It Today Today's Price Comments Western Digital 1TB RE4 SATA 3 Gb/s 7200rpm SATA 3 Amazon $98.62 Free shipping! OEM version. Serial ATA III hard drive. Clicking the link takes you directly to it. Plenty of storage with 1000GB. Quiet, reliable and very fast.
Backup Tips - Protect Your Valuable Data.Westerm Digital 1 TB External Hard Drive Amazon $90.77 Free shipping! Clicking the link takes you directly to it. This external hard drive connects to the computer via a USB port. Then copy over critical files periodically using software like SyncBack. 2BrightSparks SyncBack 2BrightSparks Free Free download! Clicking the link takes you directly to the download page. The freeware version is near the bottom of the page. Use a freeware utility like SyncBack to schedule automatic copy operations to your backup hard drive. SyncBackSE, a feature rich version, costs $30. See the SyncBack version comparison chart for details. Online Backup Mozy 
Free Off-site backups give maximum backup protection. Mozy is free for under 2GB with no credit card required. Unlimited backup space is available for $4.95 per month.
Description Where I Would Get It Today Today's Price Comments ASUS Blu-Ray 12x DVD RW (Black) Amazon $80.73 Free shipping! Retail version. Clicking the link takes you directly to it. Read and write Blu-ray DVD's, standard DVD's and CD's. Uses a SATA connector. Does not include software. The front panel color is black.
Description Where I Would Get It Today Today's Price Comments Logitech MK 520
(Keyboard and Laser Mouse)Amazon $35.49 Free shipping! Clicking the link takes you directly to it. Stylish with a nice feel to both keyboard and mouse. Uses a 2.4GHz wireless connection for greater reliability. I like the standard keyboard layout and shape, and soft click of the mouse scroll wheel. But keyboard and mouse are very much a matter of personal taste. Personally I'm fine with a wired keyboard and mouse arrangement, too. Wired connections come with LEDs for things like Caps Lock and Num Lock.
Description Where I Would
Get It TodayToday's Price Comments Viewsonic 24-Inch Widescreen LED Monitor Full HD 1080p Amazon $179.99 Free shipping! Clicking the link takes you directly to it. This is a wide screen monitor. Monitor choice is between regular and wide screen. The regular monitor has a 4:3 aspect ratio, such as a 1600 x 1200 native resolution and is rather squarish in appearance. A widescreen monitor is rectangular and often has an apsect ratio of 16:9, same as an HDTV, with a native resolution like 1920 x 1080. Either one is fine, just a matter of preference. Widescreen monitors tend to be less expensive because a 22-inch widescreen monitor has less viewing area than a 22-inch regular monitor. A 20-inch regular monitor is about the same height as a 24-inch widescreen monitor, but the 24-inch widescreen monitor would be much wider. Here are the best selling LED and LCD monitors at Amazon .
Description Where I Would Get It Today Today's Price Comments Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit Amazon $89.95 Free shipping! OEM version, which is fine for building your own computer. Clicking the link takes you directly to it. SP1 means it includes Service Pack 1, so it already has the first set of patch updates for Windows 7.
Thank you for enjoying my site! Did I save you lots of research time? Did I find you great deals? I hope it helped you build your own computer and keeps you informed as technology changes! A delightful practice is to recognize quality, personal service such as this through tipping. If you would care to do so then I thank you very kindly and provide this PayPal tipping button for your convenience. The amount is up to you. It's been my pleasure to help you!
Biggest tip last month: $10.00 - Thanks, Lee!
Biggest tip ever: $250.00 - Thanks, Robert J.!One good tip deserves another! I bet you already know that Amazon.com is a great low-cost reseller, and not just for books but also for Computer Components and Computer Software. But did you know:
Just about any order for $25 or more ships free! There's no sales tax in most states. There's no restocking fee on returned items. Are you a "My Super PC Graduate"? If I helped you build your own computer and you're agreeable to a little recognition for your accomplishment then check out the My Super PC Graduate message board forum.
