building your own pc - your comments requested. 1

[scroce]

Hi.

I'm thinking about building my own pc/ i.e. getting all the parts separately and putting it together, just for the sake of gaining knowledge and experience.

Would anyone care to comment on:

1. is this a good idea costwise
2. where can I go to obtain parts, distributers, etc.
3. whatever else you can think of.

My goal is to set up a small windows 2000 network in my house just to fool around with the features, etc., since I use that for work and am looking towards a longer term of certification in an ms op system, or maybe something like a+

 

[gunthnp]

yes it a good idea you have way more control over thing and getting parts check

http://www.pricewatch.com.

So long and thanks for all the fish.

 

[Guest_imported]

Yep, its a great way to learn! As far as cost - you'll end up paying more by building it yourself, but you'll have better quality parts.
You can get all the info, help, instructions, and even the parts via the web. Someone said PRICEWATCH.com and it is an excellent place to find your parts. Go to the vendors' websites and find the parts you want - then go to the manufacturer's website to get all the specs on those parts.
If you're not afraid of going inside your PC you shouldn't have any unsurmountable problems. The first time is bit challenging, but it will teach you a LOT.
Email me privately if you have any other questions.

Good luck,
Donk
--
The Free Technical Support Webring -

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze22t63/webring.htm

 

[Comtech]

Not sure if you'll save that much money, BUT, you will be able to build EXACTLY what you want, with name brand parts for the same price as an "off the shelf, who knows what's in it" box.
There are numerous articles written on this subject (and many more) at

http://www.pcmech.com

Start with the "Build your PC" tutorial at

http://www.pcmech.com/showdoc/282/

Good Luck, have fun, and most of all, go slowly, one step at a time, and always remember that spanish guy that was included with your parts, named Manual. Cheers,
Jim
reboot@pcmech.com

http://members.cnx.net/reboot/

Moderator at

http://www.56k.com

Staff at

http://www.pcmech.com

Windows 9x/ME instructor.
Jim's Modems:

http://reboot.8m.com/

 

[ShaithisDanoveur]

Get yourself a copy of PC's for Dummies - it's got a ton of great information, plus pictures so you don't put the square peg in the round hole.

When you're building your machine, set up your work area first. A nice wide space that's well lit. Next, get a couple of screwdrivers and a pair of pliers.

Choosing your case is kinda critical as it will determine just how much of a pain in the _____ this is for you to do on your own. Enlight makes a good case that's easily accessible, and their power supplies last a good long time too.

For motherboards, I prefer Abit. I've put hundreds of them in service, in everything from PC's to seismic data acquisition systems. I have YET to have a DOA Abit. Can't say the same for the others, including Gagabyte, Soyoyo, (sp)acer, etc. Tyan is great if you're doing a multiprocessor box, but for single procs, Abit's the way to go.

Video card: Don't scrimp here, but don't go overboard. Buying the latest and greatest today means you'll be 3 cards behind tomorrow. You don't want the oldest nag in the starting gate, but don't go for the yearling either. Anything with a GeForce is a good bet - solid cards, awesome performance.

Sound card: Sblive is the way to go. I personally like the XGamer 5.1 - it's the middle of the road pricewise, has great performance.

Network card: You want one. Even if you have no network and aren't on broadband, get one. Trust me

The 3c905 series (regardless of a/b/c generation) is a solid, nearly bulletproof series of NIC cards, and they don't cost a fortune.

Modem: Get anything that isn't a Winmodem. USR still works well, and they've gotten less proud than back in the day when I bought my Courier v.Everything. A modem is handy for faxing, and the new ones will also give you answering machine capabilities, so they're handy to have. I don't suggest having one and NOT having good surge suppression, having had to rebuild many a PC for people after lightning struck their house (or the next door neighbor's in the case of my parent's computer years ago).

Joystick: Saitek has a great range of sticks, USB connected.

USB Hub: Get one. Trust me.

Keyboard: Pick something that costs about $20 and you're in like Flynn. Unless of course you just can't live without that Microslop Unnatural Wristbender

Mouse: Don't scrimp - you use it as much (or more) as/than the keyboard. I've had a ton of these things and my favorite by far is the Razer Boomslang 2000 by Karna. The Microsoft Optical is ok if you're not into mega gaming. Logitech has a good one. I prefer USB for the mouse - less processor waste here. Seems smoother too.

Monitor: I personally stick with Viewsonic, have for years. Great product, fantastic support, and they actually service what they sell. They earned my loyalty a long, long time ago. However, they are NOT the less expensive vendor out there. For that, a great bet is the VL or VS series (or whatever their current Value designation is) from Chuntex Technologies, branded as CTX. I've got an 8-year-old CTX 17" monitor on my kids' computer - still working just great. (knocks on wood).

HD: Get whatever you like. Western Digital is good, Maxtor has finally quit making doorstops, Quantums are great as well.

CD: Get a DVD - a little more, but worth it.

CDRW: If you're spending the bucks, get one of these.

Lastly: Processor. Pick whichever you want, but match it to that motherboard up there ^^^^. Some like AMD, others like Intel. Personally I don't care - they perform about the same pound for pound in real world stuff when it's all averaged out.

http://www.tomshardware.com

and

http://www.sharkyextreme.com

have great reviews and insight on the latest and greatest in hardware, plus benchmark data.


Don't be afraid of the box - treat it like an erector set. Don't throw pieces at your kid brother.

And after you're all done putting it together, before you turn it on - give the case a good shake...make sure you don't have a wayward screw in there waiting to screw things up for you.

Off to find more caffeine...

After you finish putting it all together

 

[CitrixEngineer]

I concur with the choice of ABIT motherboards and GeForce graphics cards. Ars Technica may help you with your choice in components - look at this for an example

http://arstechnica.com/guide/system/godbox.html

Also with the advice on cases - get the very best you can that's most appropriate to your needs. eg, if you live in a small flat, you won't want one of these, no matter how desirable!

http://www.siamese.co.uk/8pack/index.htm

It's unlikely you'll save money - you may end up spending quite a wedge.

However, what you will get is a well put together machine (if you do it slowly and carefully, it will be!), with good-quality components - which will also give you reliability. You will also have a much better chance of troubleshooting any issues - since you assembled it, you will gain knowledge through that experience.

The only thing I can really add to the above posting is my $0.02:

o Take your time and enjoy building your machine.
o Test at each stage of assembly.
o When you come to install software, do this one piece at a time. This may be a little boring, but if an issue arises, you will nip it in the bud.


Good luck - building your own computer system can be one of the most satisfying (and frustrating!) thing you'll ever do.

 

[scroce]

thanks. you guys are the best!

regarding Shai...'s posting

it looks like he broke down several of the essential components you will choose when purchasing parts - my only question is, is that all of them? is there a checklist anywhere of, for example, essential components versus optional ones.

again, many thanks to all of you who took the time to post. Your thoughtful answers are greatly appreciated.

 

[Gort]

There's a lot of great advice here for someone that wants to build their own PC. Keep in mind, however, the ongoing message in all of these. If you are trying to save money, you won't. Building your own PC used to be cheaper in the 286 days, but getting a PC from DELL or Gateway for about $800, will give you a worry-free PC with great support if you have a problem.

If you know what you are doing and have no problem supporting it yourself, you can get a better machine building it yourself.

You need to seriously ask yourself what you actually need. The bottom of the line DELL is sufficient for most of today's applications.
Jon Holmen

http://www.djcyborg.com

http://www.i-hate-computers.org

 

[edfair]

As you are building, and then when you are installing software, document what you do. All systems crash sometimes, and when you rebuild, You don't need to induce problems by installing in a different sequence.
Used to be you could save $200 to $400 by doing it yourself. Now it costs you extra. But do it anyhow. The training is worth it. And you won't get a system with everything on the M/B, which you are liable to buy off the shelf.
You might also want to think about SCSI drives for the quality. Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[ShaithisDanoveur]

Essential components for a computer:

Power supply (case optional - seen one built in a cardboard box)
Motherboard
Processor
Memory
Keyboard
Storage device (unless you're network booting, then a NIC with a boot ROM on it)

Display adapter
Display unit

Optional items:

CD, DVD, CDR/CDRW, Sound, Modems, Network cards, peripheral devices, and everything else


SCSI is great - I'll put my 10k Cheetah against an ultra-100 any day and keep on smiling. But the average joe will be fine with a $150 Maxtor drive.

 

[swayda]

One word of caution, it's habit forming. :^) Whenever I have a spare CPU, hard drive or motherboard I can't stand letting it go to waste. Computers multilpy like rabbits in my apartment. Don Swayser

 

[PureTech]

scroce,

These days its hard to undercut the retailers price wise however, building your own computer allows you to decide exactly what's under the hood. Cases are pretty generic just make sure the case accommodates the motherboard form and has an adequate power supply. This is the biggie, the motherboard. The chipset determines specifics as to what the motherboard will support such as amount and type of RAM, Bus types, CPU clock rates, etc. The best way to obtain this information is from the manufacture of the motherboard. From here, based on what the mobo will support and what you can afford you can then begin to put it all together. KEEP any documentation you receive with hardware and when all else fails, read it. Do some research on the hardware you buy asking others in IRC's, and forums like this might be helpful. Best of luck to you and enjoy building your new computer.