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Offline thundley4

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Building a computer?
« on: December 17, 2008, 10:38:00 AM »
I've been thinking about trying to build my first one for awhile now.  Would it be best to go cheap on the mobo/cpu for a first attempt?  I have quite a bit of experience with  hardware installation and removal. I've done everything but replace the cpu on both of my current computers.
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Offline Thor

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Re: Building a computer?
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2008, 01:06:14 PM »
I would recommend building what YOU want, not just something cheap. I built a PC back in 2000 and it's STILL running strong. While it's somewhat outdated, I used the next to top of the line stuff to build it. It has a RAID motherboard, a 1.4 GHZ AMD Athlon processor, and 1 GB RAM. The only thing that I'd even consider changing right now would be the video card. I'm running 4 hard drives in it, too.

The one thing to be very careful of is breaking the processor while installing the heat sink & fan unit. I would also recommend using a heat sink grease called "Arctic Silver". It conducts heat away from the processor and into the heat sink a little better than the standard heat sink grease.
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Offline thundley4

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Re: Building a computer?
« Reply #2 on: December 17, 2008, 02:16:55 PM »
Quote from: Thor on December 17, 2008, 01:06:14 PM
I would recommend building what YOU want, not just something cheap. I built a PC back in 2000 and it's STILL running strong. While it's somewhat outdated, I used the next to top of the line stuff to build it. It has a RAID motherboard, a 1.4 GHZ AMD Athlon processor, and 1 GB RAM. The only thing that I'd even consider changing right now would be the video card. I'm running 4 hard drives in it, too.

The one thing to be very careful of is breaking the processor while installing the heat sink & fan unit. I would also recommend using a heat sink grease called "Arctic Silver". It conducts heat away from the processor and into the heat sink a little better than the standard heat sink grease.

I know about heat sinks and fans, both my current computers have after market cooling, along with 3 HD's in each, and 2 DVD drives in each. I can find some pretty decent combo deals for under 200.
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Offline Wineslob

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Re: Building a computer?
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2008, 02:54:44 PM »
For starters:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128370

the CPU:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103255


This will make the base for a great system.



*edit* Beware of the comments. Most of the fools are too concerned with over-clocking the CPU. It always cracks me up when they call a system like this one "basic".
« Last Edit: January 06, 2009, 10:48:17 AM by Wineslob »
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Offline PatriotGame

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Re: Building a computer?
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2008, 03:45:21 PM »
Quote from: thundley4 on December 17, 2008, 10:38:00 AM
I've been thinking about trying to build my first one for awhile now.  Would it be best to go cheap on the mobo/cpu for a first attempt?  I have quite a bit of experience with  hardware installation and removal. I've done everything but replace the cpu on both of my current computers.

I have built dozens of computers over the past 20+ years. What I usually do is target about 75% of the latest and greatest horsepower and technology. That way if you were to buy the latest and greatest now, in a year that will be about 75% of what is then the latest and greatest. This way you save over 25% in costs yet will have a viable system powerful enough to run most all applications for the next five years or so.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Building a computer?
« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2008, 03:59:31 PM »
By the time you are done buying the software (assuming you don't use linux, AVG an OpenOffice) it is cheaper to just buy one.
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Offline Thor

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Re: Building a computer?
« Reply #6 on: December 30, 2008, 04:46:36 PM »
Who buys software ?? (Especially the OS).......
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"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation."- IBID

I AM your General Ne'er Do Well, Troublemaker & All Around Meanie!!

"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."-Thomas Jefferson

Offline thundley4

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Re: Building a computer?
« Reply #7 on: December 30, 2008, 06:01:34 PM »
Quote from: Thor on December 30, 2008, 04:46:36 PM
Who buys software ?? (Especially the OS).......

There are a lot of open source freeware programs to be found online.
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Offline Thor

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Re: Building a computer?
« Reply #8 on: December 30, 2008, 10:38:37 PM »
and........... IF one knows where to look, one can find ways to bypass windows activation. (Not that I would do that. No sir, not me)   :innocent:
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"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation."- IBID

I AM your General Ne'er Do Well, Troublemaker & All Around Meanie!!

"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."-Thomas Jefferson

Offline LC EFA

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Re: Building a computer?
« Reply #9 on: December 31, 2008, 05:10:22 AM »
Quote from: Thor on December 30, 2008, 10:38:37 PM
and........... IF one knows where to look, one can find ways to bypass windows activation. (Not that I would do that. No sir, not me)   :innocent:

I had a pre-activated copy of windows, I think it was a modified "select" (or whatever they call their corporate distributions these days) release.

Then Microsoft brought out their "Genuine Advantage" thingy, and that, was the end of that.
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Offline thundley4

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Re: Building a computer?
« Reply #10 on: December 31, 2008, 07:17:40 AM »
Quote from: Thor on December 30, 2008, 10:38:37 PM
and........... IF one knows where to look, one can find ways to bypass windows activation. (Not that I would do that. No sir, not me)   :innocent:

If you are willing to use older versions of software then there are ways of getting them free also.  At least that's what I've heard.  :innocent:
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Offline PatriotGame

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Re: Building a computer?
« Reply #11 on: December 31, 2008, 10:38:24 AM »
Quote from: Thor on December 30, 2008, 10:38:37 PM
and........... IF one knows where to look, one can find ways to bypass windows activation. (Not that I would do that. No sir, not me)   :innocent:

What?
MicroSloth charges for their operating systems and applications?
Well color me with the look of a bleating cow in complete bewilderment on my face.
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Offline PatriotGame

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Re: Building a computer?
« Reply #12 on: December 31, 2008, 10:43:23 AM »
Quote from: LC EFA on December 31, 2008, 05:10:22 AM
I had a pre-activated copy of windows, I think it was a modified "select" (or whatever they call their corporate distributions these days) release.

Then Microsoft brought out their "Genuine Advantage" thingy, and that, was the end of that.


Bit Torrent...Bit Torrent....be vary careful of viri, trojans, and malware. Best to use http://thepiratebay.org/ and read the user comments.
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Offline miskie

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Re: Building a computer?
« Reply #13 on: January 04, 2009, 11:11:49 AM »
I know Im late to the game, but Up until the Intel Core2Duo CPUs I was firmly in the AMD camp. The performance gulf between the C2Ds and AMDs multicore CPUs is impressive - to the point of being well worth the extra investment.

As for cooling solutions, you would be best to go 3rd party regardless if you choose AMD or Intel, unless you are going to use your PC mainly for business applications and web browsing, then the stock coolers should be fine

Ram: Go for at least Dual-Channel DDR2, at least 2 gigs worth, especially if you are running Vista. Vista is a resource pig.

Graphics: Either an Nvidia or ATI solution - If you are looking for game playing, choose Nvidia, if you are looking for Video/DVD etc, ATI should be your choice. Don't rely on integrated graphics solutions, regardless of who makes the preinstalled system. The integrated graphics perform poorly by comparison, and they rob your system of some of your installed ram, which helps to decrease performance systemwide.

Integrated sound is just fine - it doesn't have the same resource crippling effects.

Mainboard - Im a fan of stuff by Gigabyte, Asus, or MSI - I don't care for most other makers, especially PC Chips. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

Power supply - get something that puts out at least 500 watts. much less will result in system strain, which leads to overheating which usually results in a shortened life or failure.

I'm ambivalent on anything that you connect externally to the system, so get whatever mouse/keyboard/monitor/printer that you feel will do what you want. Same with the case - just get something that is well vented - heat is bad. Avoid those trendy Shuttle cases and clones thereof. They are too small to cool properly.

OS - Id suggest making sure you get a copy of a 64 bit system, be it linux, XP X64(discontinued) or 64 bit Vista. The performance increase is huge over 32 bit XP, even on identical hardware. With the right combination of hardware, and some patience, you can even put together a Hackintosh - An OSX Leopard running Mac clone, at less than half the price of a genuine Mac - there are articles on the interwebs explaining how to do this and the hardware required to pull it off.
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