Building a New computer

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by waryuser, Apr 13, 2007.

  1. waryuser

    waryuser Private First Class

    Hello all. I was wondering if you guys could give me some kind of guidance as far as building a computer. I want to learn how to put a machine together, and hopefully save some money by doing it myself. Any guides or other help would be appreciated. Please point me in the right direction. I have put certain part together and watched some students put them together and take them apart. Long story short...I need a reliable machine that will last me 2-years. I want it to be fast, and a work horse. Also, I want it to be quiet and cool (temperature wise). I might play some games on it but im not too sure. DO you guys recommend I stick to Linux or invest in of the M$ OS's?

    I know Im asking a whole lot of questions. I finally got the motivation to go through with this so I want to make it soon.

    PS: yes, I know i have another thread saying I fried something in a dinosaur computer. I will be more carefull building a new one though. :)
     
  2. viper_boy403

    viper_boy403 MajorGeek

    do you have an idea of how much money you want to spend?

    and when u say "stick to linux" does that mean you're using Linux now? if thats what you're familiar with then you can save a bit there but if you want more software compatibility id just go XP (IMHO)
     
  3. n0r4d

    n0r4d Private E-2

    ok you can build a very decent workhorse machine thats decent with gaming for a decent budget especially if you already have certain things, ie, keyboard, mouse, speakers, monitor, etc.... and you dont need a 64 bit dual core 3 ghz machine for doing word processing, or web design, you really dont want to fork out the cash for a blazing machine unless thats what you really need, i build a machine recently, for someone who wanted a decent gaming machine, that could also handle the load of multiple large appz at the same time. but he wanted cheap. so i got a (now out of date but still very good) 754 mobo and a sempron 64 2800+ with 1 gb of ram. and a low end ATI Video card. and he has yet to have any problems. he absolutely loves this machine. and it didnt cost much more than a few hundred bucks (he already had a case, hdd's, and all the phrefreials) simply stated a brief explination on the type of work you plan to do will help point you in the right direction.
     
  4. waryuser

    waryuser Private First Class

    Thanks for the quick responses. I will elaborate further. This is going to be a family machine, but it will primarily be used by me. What I'm looking for is a machine that wont be outdated in a few years. The fam will need it for your basic word processing and internet stuff. However, I will also put it to use to watch movies, burn DVD's, listen to music. I might do some video encoding too. I was thinking about buying a good monitor/tv to save on space in my room. I also want something that will be good for multitasking ie. many windows open and responsive (more ram related, i think?). In addition, I was thinking I wanted to make it easily upgradeable to a gaming rig (dont know if its worth it). I dont plan on playing games hardcore but I want them to run smoothly without unresponsive moments etc. (my dinosaur CPU does this:eek:). As far as money Im pretty flexible as long as im getting good bang for my buck. For example i dont want to pay an extra premium for the latest and greatest if there is mimimal differences compared to a more reasonably priced machine. Dont get me wrong though, I want a good machine to function as my main computer, since my laptop is being overworked, methinks.


    oh, and as far as peripherals go. I am willing to spend on a nice monitor to double as a TV, but other than that I will settle for anything that works and is reliable.

    PS: compusa is going out of business so I think I will check out their clearance stuff to see if they have anything you guys recommend :D. Their video cards and cases area seem to still be plentyfull.

    viper_boy403: I have up 2000 to spend, but like i said i dont want to overpay jut to get the latest and greatest. Also, I dont run linux yet...so maybe I will stick to win XP for now and maybe try ubuntu linux on my older desktop first.

    n0r4d: What difference will a 64 bit processor make? is it more eyecandy related? As far as a HArd drive, I dont know if I should buy an internal drive or if I should just buy an external one i can switch between my laptop and desktops. I was leaning towards the latter...any reason not to?

    um yea...thats about it I think. Anything im not covering? confused

    Thanks a lot majorgeeks!! :major(hehe, cool smiley)
     
  5. sheesh721

    sheesh721 Private First Class

    A 64 bit processor won't make any difference at all. The fact that you might want to do video encoding or gaming would take it to the next level. Other than that you would probably just need a basic computer. A basic mainstream computer these days is plenty fast enough to load up Office, browse the web with multiple apps and watch a movie. A system to do that could be built fairly cheap.

    If you're thinking about video encoding the only advantage to a faster machine is the time it takes to process the information. A faster machine will not limit you in any other way other than time. I've done a little encoding on slower machines and I just set it and walk away and come back when it's done.

    Finally, gaming is going to be an issue. You'll need a decent processor, memory and GPU if you intend to game. The types of games you intend to play would be helpful.

    It sounds like you might want to shell out $300 and get yourself a 22" widescreen monitor.
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824116060
    or if HDMI is your thing:
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824014139

    I would strongly suggest ordering from Newegg if you're from the US.

    Other than that I think we need to know what you plan on using your computer for. Intel is set to drop their prices again in a week or two. AMD recently dropped theirs.

    The components you will need:
    Case
    Power Supply
    Motherboard (should match socket type with processor and memory as well as PCI-E or AGP for video card)
    Processor - should match motherboard socket type
    Memory - should match motherboard
    Harddrive
    Graphics Card - PCI-E or AGP depending on motherboard (might want to go with a built in TV tuner or add-on card)
    Sound card - optional
    Optical drives.


    The case is important for a few reasons... one build quality and looks, two air flow and cooling and third room.. to fit whatever you plan to put in it.
    PSU should be able to properly power you motherboard as well as all your components
    Motherboard if you're going to Intel processor I highly recommend an Intel board, Asus as an alternate. If you're going to go with an AMD processor I would recommend an Asus board
    Processor - AMD or Intel they have all types of cards at all price ranges. Depends on what you intend to do.
    Memory - I recommend Corsair
    Harddrive - I recommend Seagate
    Graphics card - I typically go Nvidia, but ATI has some good bargains right now. The X1900 is a good bang for the buck. For video cards XFX, eVGA and MSI are my favorites. Those are typically nVidia cards though...
    Sound card - motherboard sound should be good enough to start you off.
    Optical Drives - DVD burners are $30-40 nowadays. No reason not to get one. I'm a fan of NEC, Plextor and Lite-on

    Now everyone has their preferences for parts. I strongly recommend buying quality parts. The companies I listed all make quality parts. Windows XP is cheap, I would recommend getting a licensed copy of it. You can give Linux a shot if you're up for it. You can always install or dual-boot windows later. For Linux I would recommend Mandriva, Knoppix or Ubuntu to start off. I would also recommend getting a full package download from them with plenty of software pre-loaded for you. The reason I recommend these is because from my experience they're pretty good at picking out hardware and they have easier means of installing software beyond compiling it yourself.
     
  6. viper_boy403

    viper_boy403 MajorGeek

    sheesh, that was one heck of a post lol

    if I may give my opinion (in a bit smaller post lol)

    processor: any core 2 duo (intel) the e6300 is a very good but inexpensive processor
    motherboard: I love ASUS boards but eVGA (mainly for gaming though), and Intel make good boards as well
    hard drive: dont get JUST an external drive, get an internal one too. you can get a 250gig HDD for around $70 (you'll want to get one that is SATA interface)
    case: find one you like and we can let u know if its good or not, there are WAAAAY too many to recommend one lol
    RAM: Crucial, Corsair, OCZ, Patriot
    video card: the x1900 is the best bang for buck card out there right now but if you want directx 10 capability (which u wont need unless you buy vista) get an 8800gts
    monitor: Dell makes GREAT monitors
    PSU : Antec, OCZ, Corsair, Thermaltake are good. you're looking for one with 500W+ with 20A+ on the 12v rail(s) (combined amps on the 12v rails, if more than one)

    dont hesitate to ask any more questions
     

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