Building A Computer – The CPU

Yeah, so like I said before…old computer is dying – need a new one pronto. I don’t really have a set budget for the new build, but I was trying to space out my purchases as to spread out the dent in the pocketbook. Since that’s out the window now, I’ve been ramping up my purchases. Hopefully, I’ll be rocking the new PC mid-December.

The next part I bought was the CPU. The 4th generation processors from Intel, dubbed Haswell, run faster and use less energy. Big pluses for my quiet and cool build. Since the CPU could easily be the most expensive part of the computer, I debated whether I should go top of the line with an i7, or go middle of the road with an i5. After much consideration in terms of performance and cost, I went with the Intel Core i7-4770 Quad-Core Desktop Processor 3.4 GHZ LGA 1150 8 MB Cache BX80646I74770.

Intel Core i7-4770

I think the best selling/most popular processor right now is the i7-4770K. The difference between the K and the plain old 4770? The K chip is unlocked so you can overclock it. Because I’m not interested in overclocking (I want my expensive parts to last as long as possible. Overclocking makes computer parts use more energy, thus getting hot, and reducing its lifespan.) I went with the 4770. My only regret? A couple days after I bought the 4770, I saw an ad in the local paper from Fry’s advertising the i7-4771 for $10 less than what I paid for mine. Since my CPU purchase was non-refundable, I’m stuck. Oh well, it’s not a big deal. I overspent by ten bucks and missed out on 0.1 GHz of speed – not a big deal.

Just a note for first time builders, or been a long time builders like me. The processor comes with a stock fan/heat sink cooler. If you don’t want to spend the money on a water-cooler or a third party cooling solution, you don’t have to. Using the stock one would be just fine if you’re not going to overclock. I bought the water-cooler for this rig to help it stay extra cool and quiet.

Building A Computer Series

1. The Case
2. The Motherboard
3. The Cooler
4. The Power Supply
5. The CPU
6. The Memory
7. The Storage
8. The Operating System
9. The Graphics Card
10. The Hard Drive
11. The Optical Drive
12. The UPS