Hi

I have never really been interested in building my own comp, never really was inspired to, however after a day of taking part all my old comps (RIP old computers, you will never be forgotten) I have decided to build my first computer.

It is a little pet project and I am searching for components at the moment, one thing that concerns me is the PC case and motherboard.

For example, lets take a look at the following motherboard / pc case

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-SABERTOOTH-Motherboard-CrossfireX-Supports/dp/B007KZQEHQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1346503230&sr=8-7

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Antec-DF-85-Midi-Case-Fleet/dp/B003JH7MIO/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&qid=1346503141&sr=8-25

Now some PC cases have a completely empty ermm back where the motherboard fits out (I think I worded that correct) but that PC case and many others dont, I understand different motherboards are for different cases (ATX, ITX etc) . Am I correct to assume cases allow a person to remove the metal part that is already there if the Motherboard side doesnt fit if so how would know this, is there like a special word / phrase that lets me know if I can remove said metal piece

Picture for good measure

http://i.imgur.com/gwXls.png

The metal thing with the connector hole things in it can be removed easily (at least i could, it was just pushed in the hole without any attachment things)

You should make sure that the GPU will fit in the case because some GPUs are longer than the motherboard (mine blocked me from using like 2 HDD places so i had problems with using the same power connection for 2 HDD's another one at the very top and another close to the bottom o,e)

Cool, thanks for the reply, I will look into GPU spacing too.

The metal thing with the connector hole things in it can be removed easily (at least i could, it was just pushed in the hole without any attachment things)

You should make sure that the GPU will fit in the case because some GPUs are longer than the motherboard (mine blocked me from using like 2 HDD places so i had problems with using the same power connection for 2 HDD's another one at the very top and another close to the bottom o,e)

+1 my GPU was massive and barely fit into the case, fortunately it only blocked out one HDD slot so there was like 5 slots left. Modular power supplies are very useful in this situation, where you can remove all the useless power connections, otherwise you end up with an unmovable chunk of wire that'll give you headaches when trying to put components in and connect them.

+1 my GPU was massive and barely fit into the case, fortunately it only blocked out one HDD slot so there was like 5 slots left.

what kind of GPU do you have? D:

Modular power supplies are very useful in this situation, where you can remove all the useless power connections, otherwise you end up with an unmovable chunk of wire that'll give you headaches when trying to put components in and connect them.
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I got a non-modular power supply for my computer when I made it before finding out that I didn't have enough connectors to SLI my GPUs. I later bought a similar modular one that went on sale, and the difference in how easy it was to wire/space saved was remarkable.

I've seen people use cardboard boxes and milk crates for PC cases. The case is just a well organized container to securely hold the various components of your PC.

That being said, usually a PC case comes with a power supply included. You'll want to make sure that the power supply comes with the connectors needed to power your motherboard and GPU (usually an issue with older cases).

If you're buying your CPU and Mobo from the internet, make sure that the CPU is compatible with the mobo socket. It's kind of important

Buy from decent retailers. overclockers.co.uk, scan.co.uk, newegg.com, and buy decent gear. Never ever get a cheap PSU.

After building my latest PC, I have to say that SSDs ARE worth the money!

what kind of GPU do you have? D:

I have an ATI/AMD HD6950. I really underestimated the length of the card when it arrived. It prevented me from using the topmost slot for a 3.5'' hard drive, but I put in my new SSD there instead a month ago, so no issues there. Of course that's nothing compared to the 6990, that thing is literally longer than my computer case xD

That being said, usually a PC case comes with a power supply included. You'll want to make sure that the power supply comes with the connectors needed to power your motherboard and GPU (usually an issue with older cases).[/quote]
I wouldn't actually recommend this - many cases come with cheap power supplies with barely enough juice to power a custom build (and more often than not, it's not enough). Usually it's 350W - 500W PSU's. If you have a custom build with a relatively good graphics card you should be aiming for at least at 650W, and if you're planning for a dual-GPU configuration you're looking at 750W, possibly more. If there is one thing I learnt assembling PC's, it is that you cannot cheap out on the power supply.

That being said, usually a PC case comes with a power supply included. You'll want to make sure that the power supply comes with the connectors needed to power your motherboard and GPU (usually an issue with older cases).

I wouldn't actually recommend this - many cases come with cheap power supplies with barely enough juice to power a custom build (and more often than not, it's not enough). Usually it's 350W - 500W PSU's. If you have a custom build with a relatively good graphics card you should be aiming for at least at 650W, and if you're planning for a dual-GPU configuration you're looking at 750W, possibly more. If there is one thing I learnt assembling PC's, it is that you cannot cheap out on the power supply.
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Yeah, that's also true. I was trying to warn against the scenario where you find yourself with a motherboard which requires a 4-pin or 6-pin power connecter and your power supply doesn't have those connector types. Usually its an issue with older PSU's, but its a note of caution I've learned the hard way and I always double check before purchasing.