Building a PC... (first one)

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by thesim, Aug 26, 2008.

  1. thesim

    thesim Private E-2

    Hi there,

    After many years of wondering and realising that I didn't have the money for it, I have now decided to think about building my own PC.

    This is what I've got so far. It's not complete obviously but still a start...
    Any advice/suggestions are welcome.

    Intel Quad Core Q6600 2.4GHz S775 £113.25
    Gigabyte S775 Intel P35 DDR2 ATX Audio Lan £76.36
    OCZ Technology 2x2GB 240DIMM PC2-6400 Gold £51.52
    Corsair Memory 620 Watt, ATX, EPS12V, PS/2, £84.30
    Western Digital Caviar 750GB 7200RPM S300 16MB £67.97
    Samsung RETAIL 20X DVD WRITER SATA LIGHTSCRIBE NERO £17.37 (just realised that it's got a crap review woops lol)

    Regards,
    James.
     
  2. Fred_G

    Fred_G Heat packin' geek

    Looks pretty good there! However since you asked...

    Get an aftermarket CPU heasink and fan. I like the ThermalRight Ultra 120. But whatever you get, make sure it bolts on the mobo. Those STUPID PLASTIC push pins Intel uses are TOTAL JUNK!! :-D

    You also need a Video card. The Nvidia 9800 and it's little brother the 8800GT are selling over hear for a good price. Not sure about where you are. And don't forget some nice Actic Silver or another good thermal paste.

    Good job on not going for the cheapest PSU. Lots of people skimp there.

    And if you are ordering the stuff, maybe you can add on some fans for your case at the same time and get a deal on shipping.

    Building your own PC is the way to go! If you have any questions, post them up!

    E
     
  3. thesim

    thesim Private E-2

    I'll take your advice on the fans!

    I don't think I should include a case yet because I don't want to get everything then a have a case that won't house alll of it.

    I've had a rethink and this is what I've changed. (screenshot)
     

    Attached Files:

  4. chaimjm

    chaimjm Staff Sergeant

    Looking good so far. I also put in a Lighscribe writer in mine but I have never used the option waiting for the price of Lighscribe disks to drop :)
     
  5. augiedoggie

    augiedoggie The Canadian Loon - LocoAugie (R.I.P. 2012)

    Any mid-tower case will handle what you have with ease, get something with screwless drive mounts and removable motherboard tray for ease of installation.
     
  6. thesim

    thesim Private E-2

    Any suggestions for a case on dabs.com then? :)
    I will not be using Vista on it, no way. XP performs well even on this laptop so I'm sticking with XP for now.
     
  7. hawklord

    hawklord Master Sergeant

  8. thesim

    thesim Private E-2

    Carlisle. :)

    (price compares)
     
  9. hawklord

    hawklord Master Sergeant

    not far on a map:-D,

    still worth a look though, they deliver
     
  10. thesim

    thesim Private E-2

    Well I've had a look and there wasn't that much of a price difference. All of it is on it's way now. :)
     
  11. thesim

    thesim Private E-2

    Right it's all put together, but there's one problem. There's no picture on the screen? Seems odd.
     
  12. augiedoggie

    augiedoggie The Canadian Loon - LocoAugie (R.I.P. 2012)

    Do you at least get the POST screens on boot up, fans start spinning? I would double check the wiring and make sure your cards are seated properly.These are the most common problems for a first time PC builder. I hope that's all there is wrong and yes, odd is an understatement.
     
  13. thesim

    thesim Private E-2

    No post screen. Nothing. Fans spin up and the LEDs on the motherboard show that the CPU is at it's highest load, but how? :cry
     
  14. The Camellian

    The Camellian Private E-2

    I hope you end up better than I. I built my first and i cant get anything on my screen. it all fires up but no happy happy happy, just sad sad sad::cry
    any suggestions anyone anybody hello anybody hear me im dyin here. i got lumps tryin to figure this stuff out:confused. i dont know how you guru's do it.
     
  15. Nedlamar

    Nedlamar MajorGeek

    If everything is firing up and staying fired up but simply no picture on the screen then it's most likely going to be something simple.
    Firstly you need to verify whether the monitor is actually powered on and receiving a signal, I don't mean hitting the power button, I mean if there is any screen light.
    No signal at all to monitor will produce a dead black screen, while a monitor that is "lit up" will be more of a charcoal grey. An easy difference to spot.

    Make sure all cables to monitor are connected properly.
    Are you using VGA (blue) DVI (white) or HDMI (similar to a USB plug).

    VGA and DVI should work right off the bat but HDMI may need graphics drivers installed to work, also needs HDMI output from PC.

    Are you using onboard graphics or a graphics card?

    Is your connector on the PC plugged into the correct slot?

    One other thing, are you absolutely 100% sure all power connectors are connected correctly onto the motherboard?
     
  16. Fred_G

    Fred_G Heat packin' geek

    Hey Camellian, welcome to MajorGeeks! Is most likely something simple, a jumper or something is not plugged in correctly. Would be best if you start your own thread in the Hardware Forum. This thread is a bit old. :-D

    http://forums.majorgeeks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=22

    Just click on the 'New Thread' button, and describe your problem, and perhaps list the motherboard, CPU, PSU, graphics card, type of memory....
     
  17. Nedlamar

    Nedlamar MajorGeek

    Holy! I did'nt even look at the date, I was addressing both of them :-D
     
  18. brandypeppy

    brandypeppy MajorGeek

    Yeah Ned, I have a hunch thesim has either solved his/her problem by now or has given up! :-D:-D:-D
     

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