My twopenneth for the third time.
I would "build" a gaming system myself - having done several, it is not difficult.
Component selection
I always use win7 OEM - as long as you don't change more than one component at a time it is not a problem.
A case with a usb socket at the top front makes life a lot easier.
Buy a brand name power supply (I have used Zalman, Antec, Corsair, Seasonic) with at least two 12v rails.
Some power supplies have difficulty supplying the rated load.
Modular makes cabling easier - you don't use the ones you don't need.
When you have settled on your components, go on a couple of online sites and check how much power you need, add an overhead for upgrading (20%?).
I would use 2*4gb DDR3 (I tend to use Kingston Hyperx or Corsair).
You dont need a sound card - buy it later if you think you do.
Buy the best graphics card you can afford - you'll soon want better elsewise (I tend to go up a model rather than buy an overclocked card).
Pay attention to cooling, gaming machines generate lots of heat - bigger fans, generally, make less noise for a given airflow.
There are several on line retailers (I have used Scan, Overclockers, Dabs, Ebuyer, Novatech without problems).
They all have similar prices but, if one is near you, you can bang on the desk if something goes wrong.
Build tips
Allow plenty of time, software installation takes a long time.
Make sure you use the standoff screws under the Motherboard.
Test the fitting of the MB, then fit the processor and its fan and put the whole lot in together (from experience its easier).
I usually try the build, without hard/ optical discs, with a usb Linux (mint/ubuntu) system to see if there are any problems.
Put the discs in, fire it up and enter the BIOS.
Disable anything you dont need (floppy controller, firewire, bluetooth etc, - you can enable them later if needed).
Write a list of the software, be ruthless about what you need (you dont need mouse/keyboard drivers - unless you want to do fancy things - all those programs that come with printers google/ask toolbars, Mcafee whatever) and decide an order of installation.
The less junk on a gaming machine the better.
Install Win7 - it takes a long time.
Install the MB, from cd, drivers - again only install those you need.
Install an antivirus (I currently use MS essentials).
Install the graphics drivers from either Nvidia or AMD - they have the latest - your cd may have been superceded.
Win7 will probably want updating a lot in the first few days.
Type msconfig in the search box, run it and go to the startup tab.
Untick everything except your antivirus - do this from time to time - it speeds startup.
Lots of tweaks on t'internet for Win7.
Email me if you have problems or need advice.
I get a tremendous sense of satisfaction every time I buid a computer and it works!!!
Last edited by finncapt; 13th November 2013 at 09:27.