So, I've finally decided to replace my computer this summer, and I've also decided to build this one myself. The problem is, I've never actually built one from scratch, and I haven't really been paying attention to computer hardware in the past couple years, so my knowledge is a little out of date. Can anyone point me to a good way to get caught up, as well as to any general computer building advice.
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
To get caught up in some of your knowledge, you might spend some time reading some reviews. anandtech.com and tomshardware.com are both good resources for this. They'll also have some guides to hardware and perhaps some tutorials on how to assemble the difficult parts. (Hint: I think the most difficult is mounting the motherboard, processor, and heatsink.)
Good luck.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
A number of sites have "how to build your own computer" guides. Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
I know, I just wondered if anyone knew of one that they would particularly recommend.
Thanks for the links, Tstorm.
Posted by rollainm (Member # 8318) on :
Before you begin:
1. What are you going to use this computer for primarily? Will you be using it for anything else? 2. What is your budget? Is it flexible? Best to have a specific number in mind and stick with it.
Also, why are you building it yourself? If it's for the entertainment and experience, by all means, go for it. But if it's to save money, you might want to reconsider. The industry's changed quite a bit in the past couple of years, and the cost benefit of building your own system has all but disappeared at this point.
One of the hardest decisions, in my opinion, is deciding on the right case. I know, it sounds like such a trivial thing, but there's a lot more to consider there than you might think. Be sure to check out as many reviews as you can on the ones you're thinking about so you can get a good idea of the pros and cons of each. That also goes for every other component, of course.
Picking out the right motherboard can also be tricky. You'll need to decide between AMD and Intel, of course, and you'll want to have in mind what kind of immediate and potential performance you're going to want out of your new system. It's also a good idea to check reviews for reliability, compatibility, and any specific issues that might affect your build. Will this board last, or does it have a tendency to fail in the first 3 months? What memory does/doesn't work with it? Will it need a bios update?
Let us know when you've decided on all the components of your build. I'm sure there are a lot of us that can offer you more specific advice at that point.
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
I contemplated mentioning this in my original post. Rollainm is right; there were very few benefits to building my last machine. I primarily wound up building my own because I was acquiring the components individually through several retail employee discount programs. Without those retail discounts, I'd be tempted to buy a starter system that I could customize, or a barebones kit that already included the major components.
I'm a computer guy, though, so playing with hardware is fun and I'm willing to spend a few dollars to do it. Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
If you spend somewhat more then 1000$ on a tower the cost saving benefits are still there.
Also another tangible benefit to building your own assuming you know what your doing or someone else who does is that you have total control over the quality of the parts, if I had a dollar for each time I noticed machines being sold with not very well advertised substandard parts I'ld be rich.
Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
By contrast, though, I'd note that if you intend to install Windows Vista, a pre-built system is probably going to have savings in that department as well. There have been more than a few systems (admittedly mostly at the lower end) where I've looked at the cost of the system, then at the retail price of that version of Vista... Then back and forth a couple more times, scratching my head...
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I think its not worth getting Vista on prebuilt systems unless its Vista Ultimate and at least 4 GB of ram. Windows XP I think only can use 3.5 Vista I think without going 64 bit can at least use 4 thus giving you more ram to use for applications. Althought with 64 bit you can use 8-16 gb if I am not mistaken.
Also any directx10 game works better on Vista then on XP.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
I built the following machine for $550:
Antec P180 case w/Corsair 650W PS ASRock Penryn Mobo Intel E8400 CPU 3GB DDR2 RAM 2 500GB Western Digital HDs MSI 8800GTS G92 DVD-burner, card reader, etc.
That represented a substantial savings over purchasing an equivalent machine from a vendor, although it required some patience and finesse when buying the parts.
Posted by rollainm (Member # 8318) on :
Not bad at all. What about the OS?
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
My boss sprung for Vista Ultimate, mainly because it costs the college only $34 a seat for employees. Left to myself, I'd probably have done XPPro; as it is, I have XPPro available on a virtual machine and a small partition with Ubuntu.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
That's impressive, Tom. I spent quite a bit more on my system which is MOSTLY comparable (a bit more ram, more CPU, and more watts, along with a TV tuner) about 6 months ago, but I shopped for all the parts individually and I built it for less than I'd pay for an equivalent system. I did pay a lot more for Vista Ultimate . (Part of my decision to build was my obsession with evaluating each piece of hardware against other options before picking what i want.) But if I'd been able to buy that package for $550, I'd probably have gone for it. One problem is I don't really have the patience I need; I tend to buy everything within a short period of time.
Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
Here's what I'm looking at right now:
Motherboard ASUS P5E LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard Processor Intel Q6600 Graphics Card Radeon HD 4850 Cooling Swiftech’s H20-120 Memory A-DATA DDR2 800 (2 x 1GB)
Any comments?
A couple other questions. Should I opt for a motherboard with DDR3 instead of DDR2? Also, when they list the motherboard memory as DDR2 1200, will that work with lower numbered ram like DDR2 800 or does it need to be exactly DDR2 1200?
Posted by rollainm (Member # 8318) on :
What about a hard drive, case, power supply, and CD/DVD drive? Also, make sure you have cables to connect any drives, particularly if you're buying oem.
That processor is an all-around great choice. It's what I have in my htpc, and it's great.
Is this primarily a gaming pc? Do you plan on getting another graphics card and using Crossfire? Do you plan on overclocking? Unless you really plan on putting some money into this system later on, that board is unnecessary. I recommend getting something cheaper and putting your funds into something useful like more ram.
Liquid cooling also seems a bit overkill for what you have there, and I personally think you're just asking for trouble with that particular model. Get some Arctic Silver, a decent heatsink/fan, and a couple of case fans, and you should be set.
DDR2 will most likely suit your needs just fine. Plus, it's cheaper. The 800Mhz ram will probably work for a board that supports 1200, but I'd check the specs to be sure. Also, I can't stress more the importance of checking reviews for the particular model board you're looking at to see if there are any issues you might want to be aware of before you start putting things together.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Unless you're planning on going CrossFire, that motherboard is overkill. Unless you're planning on overclocking, liquid cooling is equally overkill; if your goal is a silent case, you're better off focusing on a fanless motherboard and a quiet GPU.
If you DO plan on going CrossFire, with a quad-core and two 4850s down the line, you're going to want a big (i.e. noisy) power supply.
A motherboard that supports DDR2 1200 will run DDR2 800, and might actually prefer to do so; very often, boards are not designed to run their highest-rated RAM optimally. Check the reviews to find out.
The Radeon 4850 looks to be a good card for the money; if you're an ATI guy, that's probably your best bet at this price point.
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