Builds

New list of matching projects

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  HRPC WinXP PC (a Sleeper Build) HRPC WinXP PC (a Sleeper Build)

  Eons ago, I got a sweet deal on a case that came with a psu. No idea who made it. But I can recall reaching into a wire... Eons ago, I got a sweet deal on a case that came with a psu. No idea who made it. But I can recall reaching into a wire basket by the checkout line to lift it up and appreciate the good deal. That can only have been Micro Center. Probably the one in Yonkers, NY. The layout of how things are arranged, with nowadays a clearance shelf just before you make that hard right into the cashier line, it matches the memory, except with a wire basket instead of a wire shelf. It wasn't a wire basket full of closeout cases, either, just one case of the kind that was popular 20 years ago (nowadays) and a bunch of open box mice or whatever. The case is sort of specific to the turn of the millenium because it has a flourish of see-through plastic (how Apple!) and a slot for the floppy drive. Long time builders will recognize it for what it is, or is trying to be. I have no idea how long ago that was, but the psu only had a 20-pin mainboard connector - so almost certainly at least a decade ago that I bought it. Since then, it has moved around with me time and again. I mean, it just looks so of-that-era, and I knew quite well I would want to build a pc again at some point. But I'm actually not that demanding, and so my 2500K served me well for a really long time. Man, so November 2022 comes, and Micro Center has some sweet bundle deals for a system that is exactly 10 generations newer than what I was running. The bundles now are definitely not bad at all, but the 12600K and motherboard I picked up in the run-up to Black Friday were even better. Has an igpu, 32GB of RAM is double my previous amount, NVME's boot real quick, let me tell you... I am a happy camper! See, I missed out on the whole shift from spinning platters to SSD's, so I am sooooo happy about the boot-up time. You know that person down the block running an otherwise-fine-for-their-purposes system that they wish wasn't so slow to boot up, and you make their day by throwing a $25 SSD in there? That's me. Made my own day. Regarding the guts of the thing, I had to pick up another mainboard from MC because this is not an ATX case. I had gathered the cooler and one NVME over time, thanks to the buildapcsales subreddit, and I picked up the needed mATX board, some DDR4 RAM and another NVME from MC, and cobbled together a janky build that has plenty of storage (there's also an old set of spinning platters in there), along with a Tesla P4 to boost the igpu the 12600K comes with. Because I can't resist projects like that. And I don't really game, so something akin to an underpowered 1080 is more than fine if I can say i got it running thanks to some zip ties and the fan from an FM2 CPU cooler. That fan on the Tesla P4, it spins up real loud for just a second at start up before the motherboard slows it down in accordance with the fan curve, which makes for a really weird effect that i really like. Like, I love it! And i don't care at all that it looks janky as all get-out in there, nobody cared about that back when we were building ourselves Cyrix 6x86 and Pentium II systems, so it fits the motif. I recognize the blue masking tape is a little funny-looking, but it's there to catch the eye if you open the case, since I cut holes into it and cut away most of the drive cage. This was my first time cutting holes into a case with a Dremel and some diamond cutting wheels, like the Youtube videos say to do, and so I have plenty of airflow through the bottom and out the back, In addition to what the front fan is pulling through those period-matching vents in the drive bays. I have two 140mm fans in that tiny case with no real gpu to speak of, and so they can run really slow and still move a ton of air. It's the outside of the case that counts. That period-specific look, in what is certainly not the most elegant manifestation imaginable, but then dressed up with those stickers from Geekenspiel that obscure the case's lack of refinement (I mean, the see-through plastic is right on top of the regular beige plastic, I mean, come on!). I sincerely apologize to MC for not having MC stickers on there about the Millennium Bug, but I really couldn't find any - not even in pictures online. BB, well, they're kind of known for it at this point. Frankly, MC might not have done that! it's clearly where the smarter, more discerning customers shop. And I found an appropriate floppy disk online to shove in that floppy drive with a 34-pin floppy extension cable running to a usb adapter card connected to a mainboard header by way of a header to usb jack adapter cable. That wasn't hard, but man, did I do a whole lot of work just to have a functional floppy drive that I'm never going to use. And it's funny, but every time I open Windows file explorer, it gets all audible and clicks away while it looks to see if it has a floppy inserted into it. I guess that's probably normal and just how things used to be. But it makes me happy, so be it. Plus, now I can crack wise that you can say what you want about rasterization and vector-based graphics, but Charts Unlimited, I mean, for charts, to this day, you can't beat it with a stick! And nobody really laughs as hard as me, but that's okay. I for one am much amused. This has been a truly fun build for me, and I look forward to rummaging about in MC's excellent deals in the future!

  $367.97

  Sven T

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  My little buddy My little buddy

  For my son to play Minecraft and No Man's Sky with me. For my son to play Minecraft and No Man's Sky with me.

  $383.99

  neoshi

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  Daughter's first build of her own Daughter's first build of her own

  My daughter wanted a better computer and since she helps me upgrade mine from time to time she wanted to build her own. We... My daughter wanted a better computer and since she helps me upgrade mine from time to time she wanted to build her own. We told her if she could keep it around 500.00 budget we'd help her, so we scoured forums and youtube videos for less expensive builds. We found Toasty Bros there, and they in turn directed us to microcenter where we found a very nice cpu/motherboard/ram combo. with the combo and new case we came in around $570. She got her wish and I got a great father-daughter moment to cherish the rest of my life. :D

  $574.95

  TADD H

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  Music Video Editing Rig Music Video Editing Rig

  Built using micro center CPU and Motherboard, later upgraded from a 980ti to a 1080ti. This is mainly used for editing music... Built using micro center CPU and Motherboard, later upgraded from a 980ti to a 1080ti. This is mainly used for editing music videos.

  $576.95

  Dalen F

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  First time First time

  A glorified powerspec b686 A glorified powerspec b686

  $624.93

  Kyle

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  First PC build First PC build

  After getting my CompTIA A+ certification. I wanted to build my own lab to install vm's and learn different OS's and also do... After getting my CompTIA A+ certification. I wanted to build my own lab to install vm's and learn different OS's and also do a little bit of gaming.

  $625.93

  Michael F

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  New Desktop New Desktop

  First time building. Historically have had stock Dells and would have probably been fine again but wanted to try building my... First time building. Historically have had stock Dells and would have probably been fine again but wanted to try building my own. General use PC, some less graphics-intensive gaming, some encoding for home server, and some basic photo editing. No interest in aesthetics so no glass panels or lights, just a good functional PC. Build turned out to be a challenge due to the original motherboard choice. I was having problems with a stable ethernet connection which I first thought was my router, as did Verizon who swapped it out. After numerous hours of investigating and purchasing a separate Ethernet card, I found out the Intel LAN controller was faulty. This appears to be a common issue and was solved by getting a board with a Realtek controller. Was regretting building part way through but got there in the end and probably learned a lot more. Everything working well now. In addition to swapping out the graphics card for a RTX 3060 or maybe 2060 super, I'll also add another lower cost 1TB NVMe for back up.

  $663.93

  Steven H

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  General Purpose Desktop - Bundle Build... General Purpose Desktop - Bundle Build (CPU - Motherboard)

  Mid-tier desktop Mid-tier desktop

  $691.31

  Mike Anderson_MSP

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  Gaming/Work PC Gaming/Work PC

  Made this PC mainly to do some light gaming as well as be able to handle light work tastks I may need to do while at home.... Made this PC mainly to do some light gaming as well as be able to handle light work tastks I may need to do while at home. Made it with some older parts but still handles everthing I throw at it today. I also didn't want it to be too big so I went with micro ATX.

  $703.93

  Alex A

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  Masta Masta

  For multi media and gaming For multi media and gaming

  $709.95

  Phuong T

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  Workhorse Workhorse

  For working and occasional Steam play For working and occasional Steam play

  $744.94

  aerosnow

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  Home Computer Home Computer

  I built this for my kids to do their schoolwork and some light gaming I built this for my kids to do their schoolwork and some light gaming

  $746.95

  Hai T

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  Magic Box Workstation Magic Box Workstation

  I am a designer who uses 3D engineering CAD to create and render projects. I also use Photoshop a lot. My favorites games... I am a designer who uses 3D engineering CAD to create and render projects. I also use Photoshop a lot. My favorites games are Left 4 Dead and Rocket League.

  $759.97

  Joe Momma

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  Holiday Budget Build Holiday Budget Build

  Upgrading from an old Haswell build, with most parts from my local MC Upgrading from an old Haswell build, with most parts from my local MC

  $764.97

  Algerian

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  Pretty in Pink Pretty in Pink

  Took advantage of several open box deals to put together this pink PC on a budget. Very capable 1440p build. Took advantage of several open box deals to put together this pink PC on a budget. Very capable 1440p build.

  $767.93

  Alejandro Alvarado

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  My first PC build from scratch. My first PC build from scratch.

  This gaming PC was made after a few of the family's windows laptops were damaged. We have a mac at home, but wanted a... This gaming PC was made after a few of the family's windows laptops were damaged. We have a mac at home, but wanted a dedicated Windows PC at home. I used one of the Micro Center Intel bundles as the basis for the gaming build (The $250 one with the Core i5), then picked out parts to build on top of it. A good thing for my current budget was that I had various storage devices at hand for this build. I did decide to get the case elsewhere as I found an open box deal for a case that normally costs $100. I am happy with how things have turned out for this build. For upgrades, I plan on buying more sticks of ram to double the memory capacity and I am in the middle of getting be quiet case fans for the desktop as the case only had two pre-installed and were quite loud and rumbled a lot. I know the motherboard supports the current 14th gen cpu's, so I may do that whenever those go down in price. And if necessary, I might change the CPU cooler if the current $20 one craps out in the future.

  $772.92

  Jonathan R

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  Mini-PC Mini-PC

  Wanted to build my first itx PC to save on space. Found the Lian Li A4-H20 which could utilize my 240mm liquid cooler from... Wanted to build my first itx PC to save on space. Found the Lian Li A4-H20 which could utilize my 240mm liquid cooler from NZXT. Temperatures are excellent despite the very small form factor. Completely silent when idle and not too loud under full load.

  $779.95

  Samir

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  Hot box Hot box

  best computer in the world best computer in the world

  $789.96

  Price141

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  Casual Pc Casual Pc

  The purpose of building this pc is to get the job done and it's fun to build pc. The purpose of building this pc is to get the job done and it's fun to build pc.

  $821.92

  Fahim H

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  Woodinator 5000 A.K.A. CYBERWOOD... Woodinator 5000 A.K.A. CYBERWOOD Structure Fire Starter

  I’ve always wanted to build a PC case made of wood. I’ve sketched designs, browsed Reddit, and became determined to make it... I’ve always wanted to build a PC case made of wood. I’ve sketched designs, browsed Reddit, and became determined to make it a reality. I stumbled across a MATX CYBERWOOD case, but to be completely candid, I was not impressed with the design, look or layout of the case. Plus, who uses acrylic side panels these days? I dismissed it, and forgot about it, until I found out CYBERWOOD released another case – this time an ITX case called the M1. However, the original cost seemed excessive for what it was, so I decided not to buy one. Fast-forward to January of 2024, and Amazon suggested the M1 case when I was browsing other SFF cases. Some how I was able to pick up the case bundled with a gen 3.0 riser cable for $37.65. I purchased one immediately, without a plan or knowing what I should do with it. I have an older ITX system (it runs PLEX and a NES emulator) that I originally decided to transfer into this case, but after I started the build, I realized the parts doesn’t do this case justice. It’s unique, special and pretty cool. My photos show how I started the build with these older parts but swapped them for more powerful hardware. To be clear, building in this case is work, but that’s OK, because it’s not annoying – it’s just oddly satisfying. Assembling every part is time consuming, and making everything fit can be a challenge. Parts that ought to fit don’t, and I had to be creative with cable management. I had to make a notch in the wooden power supply bracket to accommodate the switch. The case comes with filter panels, but they have to be attached with the included white tape - after you have finished the case. I ran into an issue with my BeQuiet! 120mm AIO, because the pump is designed to hang freely in the case, without contacting anything. It if does make contact with something, the pump makes a loud and obnoxious vibrating noise. So, I ordered an AIO with the pump built into the block. The Intel i5-12600KF processor is rated for 125 TDP, so most low-profile air coolers will struggle to keep it cool. I tried a Noctua NH-L9x65, but temps were all over the place and the fan contacted the side of the case – which caused it to vibrate and make excessive noise. I tried a Scythe low-profile cooler (with a height of 55mm), but it had to work hard, so the 92mm fan was always running at full speed. So, I ordered a 240mm AIO to keep up with the 12600KF. I also had to order the CYBERWOOD top expansion bay to accommodate the radiator. I had a used AMD 5700 XT on hand (purchased for $130.41) to upgrade my son’s gaming computer but decided to use it for this build, instead. It fits perfectly in the case – it’s 315mm and there is room for airflow. I had to order a gen 4.0 riser cable to get the most out of it, but the price was reasonable. The case does not come prefinished. I spent an afternoon applying 3 coats of polyurethane finish to the wood panels, and lightly sanded between coats. It’s ¼ inch plywood and needs to be protected. I’ve seen CYBERWOOD cases that were stained, but this takes away from the wood’s natural beauty. I highly recommend leaving it raw and just using wood sealer to protect it. I would build in this case again, but I don’t know if CYBERWOOD is still making this case. It appears out of stock on Amazon, but Newegg still has it listed. However, it’s priced between $125.99 and $226.99! I appear to have lucked out, when I found it for this price, and I plan to use, upgrade and enjoy it – as long as it doesn’t start a structure fire. The total build cost was about $849.83.

  $828.60

  Aaron C

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  Super awesome kwazar gaming PC Super awesome kwazar gaming PC

  I built this PC for gaming but it doesnt have a gpu yet. I will also use this to study and complete work. I built this PC... I built this PC for gaming but it doesnt have a gpu yet. I will also use this to study and complete work. I built this PC with DDR5 in mind, I did not want my pc to be outdated when DDR5 becomes more commonplace. That is why I chose lga 1700 over am4 as am4 only supports ddr4. I also wanted my PC to have a nice rgb aesthetic. I have a youtube channel called Kwazars PCs.

  $834.95

  Afraz Y

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  PTP King PTP King

  This is my first pc build I made after I gathered some money. I wanted something within my budget of $600-$800 that could be... This is my first pc build I made after I gathered some money. I wanted something within my budget of $600-$800 that could be a great work/school/light gaming pc and I think it serves those purposes. I wanted something that could handle large algorithms/programs for my schoolwork, along with a GPU that could tackle some entry level graphic design work.

  $844.95

  Darsh P

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  NR200P SFF All White Build NR200P SFF All White Build

  Built this for my daughter for general purpose use. Eventually may add a GPU if she gets into PC gaming. Built this for my daughter for general purpose use. Eventually may add a GPU if she gets into PC gaming.

  $856.93

  Culver C

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  Cloud Cloud

  This is a general use plus some light gaming PC. This is a general use plus some light gaming PC.

  $862.93

  Alina D

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