Essential components needed to build a desktop computer?

Question

I'm currently wondering what all of the essential things I need to build a desktop computer are.  I already have a monitor so that isn't needed.  I also have a few basic questions about how I know components are compatible with each other when I search through sites for the best deal.

Here is a list of the things I think I need:
1. A tower (although I'm not sure if I need a specific kind or not but I assume optical drive trays and 3-4 bays for drives will be fine)
2. Power (I'm not sure about voltage and if that will cause compatibility problems with other hardware)
3. Motherboard
4. i7 processor
5. SSD for Windows
6. 1 TB hard drive for normal files that don't need quick access
7. Blu-Ray DVD burner
8. Video card (I'm unsure about what I want for this.  I don't play video games but I'd like my computer to be capable of lasting a few years for future needs.)
9. Sound card
10. RAM
11. Network card

Is there anything else I need?  Other than the extra hard drive do I have too much stuff here?  Also, do I need to get a fan/cooler or do the components already have things that will handle that?

Megan · Accepted Answer

Everything is good, but I would make slight changes to it. 
540 GB hard drive. 
i5 processor 
4 GB of RAM. 
Find a motherboard that includes sound and video inputs. 
These changes are for non-gaming PCs.

William · Answer

You can use PCPartPicker to make sure everything is compatible.

1. A tower-pick something that looks nice and has at least 3-4 spots for case fans (preferably included so you don't have to buy and install them separately) 
2. Power-use this: http://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator to determine the wattage needed and this: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html to make sure you pick a reliable model.  
3. Motherboard-Make sure it matches the CPU for socket type and the RAM for DDR generation (ex. DDR4). If you're overclocking your CPU, make sure it's a Z or X chipset.  
4. i7 processor-overkill if you're not doing any video editing, CAD, animation, 3D modeling, livestreaming, etc.  
5. SSD for Windows-pick something from Samsung, Intel, A-Data, Crucial, Kingston (HyperX series only), or Sandisk with at least 240GB.  
6. 1 TB hard drive for normal files that don't need quick access-Seagate or Western Digital, 7200 RPM 
7. Blu-Ray DVD burner-optical drives are pretty close to obsolete. Unless you already know you're going to be using it, don't get one.  
8. Video card-There is a weak one built into the CPU, but unless this is just for browsing the internet and using MS office it's not good enough.  
9. Sound card-built into the motherboard. 
10. RAM-8GB of DDR4 is standard now.  
11. Network card-wired is built into all motherboards. Wi-Fi is built into a few, but most don't have it. If you mean Wi-Fi, get a PCIe card (for more bandwidth and network stability) that supports 802.11ac.

Anonymous · Answer

here are the steps:
1. decide the processor
2. decide the motherboard
3. decide the memory
4. decide the VGA card (GPU)
5. decide the storage (SSD OR Hard drive)
6. Calculate the power needed to run those components
7. decide the POWER supply
8. buy a PC chassis compatible with the motherboard
9. buy all of those components...

Dave · Answer

You're missing a copy of windows. Depending on what you need, some of those components will be part of the motherboard (sound, video, network). If this is a gaming PC, you'll want a dedicated video card.

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Essential components needed to build a desktop computer?

4 Answers