I want to build my own computer

I'm ready for a complete upgrade of my system, never done this before and will be starting with a "case", I could sure use some help from all you guys on ALL aspects of building, I've read as many posts here on this subject as I can find and have looked on Tiger Direct and Newegg, lots to choose from, some opinnions I would like to start with - Steel vs. Aluminum, with or without a power supply, how many fans, how big a power supply, the case will be placed inside a desk so I don't need a fancy one ( there's plenty of ventilation) - I'm leaning toward a Steel case, seperate power supply of at least 400w, 2 fans ( 1 rear exhaust and 1 front), 2 front USB, 1 Firewire and audio, adaquate # of external drive bays, what about "tool less" PCI slots and internal drive bays (good idea or bad)??, also what determines whether you need a 20 pin or a 24 pin connector with the Power supply ?? any help will be appreicated, at least I can get started buying some parts, BTW - I'm not a gamer and won't be doing any video editing

 

Personally, I would go without the power supply. Most that come with cases are generic, and require replacing come the next system upgrade.

This depends alot on the hardware you choose to go for. The single core intels at the 3 GHz range, for instance, run hot as hell, so you may want more. However, a 64-bit dual core AMD processor may be considerably cooler (the whole point of dual core is more performance with less heat generated and less power consumption). Another big factor would be the video card. I recommend that you research aftermarket cooling systems. This monster is what I have on my CPU. Dropped the temperature 10 degrees celsius. And that was after I overclocked.

I'd recommend thinking further ahead, and considering at least 500W. Depending on your plans for the future.

Again, this depends on how much you'll be tinkering. If you're going to be upgrading hard drives, or optical drives. Consider it. If you're like many, however, who just want to close the box and forget it, it may not be necessary. This is a fairly standard perk nowadays; cases keep getting easier and easier to work with. Personally, I LOVE it.

The 24-pin power connectors are for the ATX 2 form factor. The main benefit is that you can use the PCI-Express architecture (typically for high-end video cards) Most motherboards require this nowadays.

 

First advice? Don't start with a case. Start which the motherboard, which is the final deciding factor in the life of your case. Look for one with large numbers of PCI and PCIe slots. At the same time, large amounts of RAM capacity. And it should use your chosen processor. I'm personally all for AMD.

The mobo is what will determine what kind of case and powersupply you need. I agree with front USB, but be sure the mobo will support it. The powersupply plug will be determined by the mobo. I don't consider 400W's enough power, and I recommend 550W at least.

Another deciding factory on the powersupply is whether the chosen Video card requires a sepearate plug in. Not all of them do, but those that do don't function properly without it.

Hard drives now come in two flavors. IDE, and SATA. If you mobo supports SATA, you have to make sure your PS does as well. SATA is supposed to be faster than IDE, but I have no personal experience, so you'll have to ask someone else. Most of the rest of the drives are IDE, so that's not much a concern.

Tool-less cases? I don't have an opinion one way or the other, but I prefer the ability to get a screwdriver into place, and use the greater force to ensure that it won't come loose, or so I can get it loose. The reason's behind this are vibrations from the case fans, and the processor fan.

I definitely say the more fans the better. Three is probably the most you really need unless you're seriously over clocking. One in front set to draw in air, and two in the back set to blow out air. The reasoning for that is simple, because the powersupply is exhausting hot air out the back, so fans drawing air in from there will just pull in that.

I'm sure anything I missed someone else will point out.

 

There are cheap adapters available to convert 4-pin molex power connections to 15-pin SATA power connections, so don't sweat it too much. And yes, SATA IS much faster, and is more easily set into a RAID configuration. There is also SATA II available, but that is typically for higher-end machines. You may not want to spend that much.

RAID stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks, and comes in a few varieties. You can choose to take two hard drives and "stripe" them. This causes your system to treat both as one, and write data equally on both. This makes read times even faster.

Or, for data security, you can choose to "mirror" your drives. With this RAID configuration, you have two hard drives, treated as one, and the same data is written to both. This way, if one hard drive were to fail, you simply fall back on the other, without ever missing a beat.

There are other configurations, but these are probably the most common.

 

Here is a very nice website that offers some solutions to front connectors. If you look through its web pages you will find useful pin-out diagrams also.
www.frontx.com

Also, if you are not concerned with all the lights and flashy case things, I like the Chenming line for ATX cases. They are well built in my opinion, and priced reasonably. You can search it on Newegg.

 

I just bought a Raidmax X-1 case. It has 4 external large bays and 2 smaller ones, 3 hdd slots, good airflow, HUGE 120mm fan for exhaist, side window with blue led fan, front LCD display with case temp, fan and hdd activity. I love it and its pretty cheap too, only 49.99 US on Newegg. Cost me 70 with shipping and tax, but it was worth it. It has spaces to mount more fans too which is nice. I definitely reccomend it.

id go no lower than 450 watts if you are planning on running a powerful video card and lots of perifreals (spelling?) on your PSU but 400 should do fine if you're not a gamer or an overclocker.

AMD is definitely your best bet as far as processors go and Asus makes great mobos to go with it.

Good luck and have fun

 

How much Money you want to spend?

If your not gamer & just want to surf & chat the Internet, your best Deal is probably an off the shelf prebuilt PC, most have warranty & some type of support (might be Via phone call to India, Ha Ha!)

I have built many PC's, for me is Lot's of fun, for some can be headache city.
Some peoples shouldn't be allowed to even look at a screw driver
Saving money building your own? ah maybe sometimes!

Do you plan on OCing? not all Hardware is OC friendly.


Get an Aluminum case, They run Cooler & are lighter than steel
Look for one that can use 120mm fans, at least one intake & one exaust. ( keep in mind Good case air flow is necessary to maintain cool /stable PC, Incoming air filtered is a plus, larger cases are easier to cool)
Buy the PSU separate, I'd suggest OCZ 520w Powerstream it will accommodate 20 or 24 pin MOBO, also one of the best Money can buy:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817711002
One other note on PSU, there are many more bad ones available than Good, this is one piece of hardware where you shouldn't Skimp, but many do!


Here's another suggestion, before you buy anything, post it here for critic & even Google it, sometimes a simple Google search can bring a lot of dirt to surface.

Look here:
http://www.chiff.com/local/pages/computerguy.htm

 

if you need a psu any antec Smartpower or true power are really nice Never had a problem with them before There most likely your best bet PSU wise

 

i just got a thermaltake 430 watt; really quiet, TONS of connectors, cable sheathing etc. No problems as of yet

 

Thermaltake PSU are know to be weak & problematic
The 430w only has 18amp on the +12v rail, Too weak for any modern system

 

Thanks everybody, good starting points, I'll post before buying as Asus suggested

 

its just a replacement for my stock generic Sony PSU (only 266 watts with no extra connectors) and only powering a gig of ram, 1 hdd, a p4 3.0 and geforce 5200. Its fine for what i need

 

Point well taken about the MB, I'll start in that direction, here are a couple of questions: Fan connections, do they plug into the MB or in to a PSU lead or do they need to be soldered or have ends put on them, Front panel USB / Firewire / audio, do the connections just plug into the MB and if so do you still have those same connections on the back of the tower/MB ?? Also it appears I should pick out a Video card to make sure the PSU has a connector for it if need be - And I know this is going to open up a can of worms - Intel or AMD boards, how about a few thoughts and which CPU goes along with them keeping in mind I'm not into gamming or video editing - the more I learn the more I need to know, I really appreciate the help, I don't think I colud pull this off with out it

 

If buying Today IMO

AMD, Any socket 939 cpu, Socket 939 Mobo Asus or DFI (DFI better choice if OCing)

PSU, get one that is Native 24pin and one that has minimum of 28 amps on the +12v rail ( I already posted Link for one of the best available, The OCZ 520W) if you ever decide to game or edit video your set, the OCZ 520 is SLI certified & has plenty of balls for such!

Most any MOBO has on board plugs to accommodate for Audio/Firewire/USB etc

Video card, no gaming, at all?? For about $100 you can get a Graphics/Video card that can handle most any game (just in case), dual head DVI really nice for dual or single LCD monitors, you can also use CRT's
Here's one of many:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814150130

Fan connections, nearly all MOBO have fan connection (3 pin type one wire is usually to monitor fan speed) they all have limits on how much power they provide, Exceed the limit, you burn out the fan header!
IMO, The best thing to do is "Only use the CPU fan header for the CPU fan & one that will use power that is within the limits of your MOBO CPU fan Header"
All other fans connect Directly to the PSU/Molex connectors or a fan buss

You wont have to solder anything!

At Viper_Boy, I'm glad your happy with your Thermaltake
Just some additional info on PSU's, What matters is not the total Watts, but the amount of good Quality Stable Amps that it can provide, Particulary the + 12volt rail or rails.
The PSU is one of the Most important parts, if it fails it can burn out any other piece of hardware in your system
Can a cheap generic or overated brand PSU power up your system, probably, but for how long, is it worth the risk of the rest of your system.

 

"Thermaltake PSU are know to be weak & problematic
The 430w only has 18amp on the +12v rail, Too weak for any modern system"

I don't know... I've got the 480W Thermaltake PSU and it's running my Athlon XP 3200, 2Gb of RAM, DVD-RW, CD-RW, 4 hard drives, a 9800 Pro, floppy drive and the normal USB stuff and have never had a problem with it for over a year now. I like Antec as well, but I don't think Thermaltake is any less of a PSU.

 

If a mobo has front USB, it probably has rear as well. I haven't seen any without it.

Most Fans, plug straight into the mobo. At least the CPU fans do. My cooling consists of that, one on the video card, two in the PSU, and a desk fan in front.

If you aren't into gaming, you soon will be, because you'll look for something to push your computer to get the money out of it you put into it, and games do this better than anything I can think of. But that's not the point.

Intel, or AMD? That's an opinionated question. My support goes to AMD without question, because I've never had a single problem with them, while Intel processors never seem able to handle the processor loads I'm putting on them. AMD traditionally runs hotter than Intel, but enormously powerful cooling systems, as well as a new generation of Dual core processors make this less of a factor. Being that you don't game, I'm assuming you also don't want to Overclock, so this isn't a factor either.

When it comes to Mobos, while HardCore over clockers say that the Asus is 'the one' I think they're a bit unwieldy, and technical. I much prefer Gigabyte boards. The one I have has lasted through a dead PSU taking out the processor, and still runs without a glitch.

 

One of the main things I dislike about purchasing a commercially built computer is all the garbage they preload it with. Even if it isn't for games, which I don't play either, I like to build my own every once in a while. I'm due now and here are my budget choices from newegg.com

NEC 16X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE/ATAPI Model ND-3550A - OEM
Model #: ND-3550A BK OEM
Item #: N82E16827152058

$37.99


CHENMING 301KEB-0-0 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: 301KEB-0-0
Item #: N82E16811125450

$35.99

SONY Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive Windows 98SE/ ME/ 2000/ XP - OEM
Model #: MPF920 Black
Item #: N82E16821103116

$9.99

ASUS A8N-VM CSM Socket 939 NVIDIA GeForce 6150 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: A8N-VM CSM
Item #: N82E16813131570

$78.00



FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX400-PN, RoHS, 12cm FAN, version 2.0, 2 SATA, 20+ 4 pin, PCI Express, 400W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: AX400-PN
Item #: N82E16817104953

$40.99

Crucial Technology 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model CT2KIT6464Z40B - OEM
Model #: CT2KIT6464Z40B
Item #: N82E16820146577

$79.99


AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Venice 2000MHz HT Socket 939 Processor Model ADA3000BPBOX - Retail
Model #: ADA3000BPBOX
Item #: N82E16819103537 $111.00

I think the total is under 400 bucks, but I have a HD already so that can add another 75 give or take.

 

Thanks again everybody, decision time

 

Couple questions on the MOBO - Do all these new Motherboards support a Floppy drive ? is it the PATA connector ? and does the "On Board LAN" take the place of a NIC ?? my DSL would plug into the RJ45 outlet ??

 

Yes pretty much all support floppys. No the PATA stands for Parallel ATA which is for regular IDE hard drives and DVD burners etc. Yes, the on board lan takes the place of NIC and yes rj45. If you are doing your searches on newegg, click on the "detailed description" area to check for component connections.

 

How about some thoughts on either of these Processors :

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103539

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819116004

 

DEF becareful with that thermaltake case if you go for it. When I bought mine the guy in the shop assured me it was 22 amps on the 12 volt I went checked after asus mentioned it was only 18. I am having crashing problems which I can now confidently say it is the psu.

 

Just bumping this post, would like to know what you think of either of these Processors ???

 

IMO, the Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego is probably the best value single core processor right now and would be the one I would go for if I were upgrading right now. Either that or the dual core X2 3800+ for about $80 more.

 

Of the two I'd go AMD 64 3700+


Speaking of best value single core
Ya the 3700+ is good value
Another consideration is The Opteron's single & dual core
Single core Optys the 144 runs stock at 1.8Ghz & the 146 is 2.0Ghz both have 1mb L2 cache
The Opty's are said to be of better Quality & from what Ive seen the Opty 146 's are getting better OC's than the 3700 san diego's my 146 is running rock solid & stable at 2760MHz, FX speeds many are getting 3.0Ghz
I purchased my 146 for about $161 shipped, the Opty prices go up & down daily

 

The MOBO's that are SLI , can you use a single Video card or do you have to go with dual cards ???

 

You can use just one card. Personally, I'd try and find the same case sans PS.

 

Let me throw out some MOBO choices and tell me what you think -

Asus - A8N SLI Premium http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131540

Asus - A8N SLI Deluxe http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131517

Asus - A8N SLI http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131524

Asus - A8N - E http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131530

MSI - K8N Neo 4 Platinum http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813130484

ABIT - KN8 Ultra http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813127222

I'm leaning toward the Asus A8N SLI Premium, mostly because of the Fanless Chipset, many reviews show problems with Chipset fans failing ?? also want a MOBO with a GOOD manual, reviews show this MOBO has that, but having said this ALL the other boards would most likely serve the purpose too - how about some thoughts and or other ideas, if it makes a difference, I will be using XP Pro -

 

Here is one more I forgot to list:

Gigabyte - GA K8N Pro SLI

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128301

 

Just bumping to keep current

 

I'd definitely say go with the Gigabyte Mobo. It's got all the slots you'd need for what you want. Not to mention the fact that they'll combo a video card with it for a ten dollar savings.

 

Triaxx2, Thanks for the input, I do like the Gigabyte board but think that because of the passive heat sink on the Chip Set that a Video card with its own cooling fan would be a better idea, I do plan on having 2 fans in the Tower -
Anybody else have an oppinion on any of the MOBO's I have posted here also any Video cards to go with the Gigabyte board or maybe the Asus A8N Premium ?????

 

Just a few pointers

I have the MSI K8N Neo. A great board. Chipset fan has never failed

I a 3000+ Venice, too. These run cool and stable, and even though it's a lowly processor, it works wonders for games and video editing.

I use 1GB of Geil memory. It's got blue heatsinks and is pretty cheap. Don't know if the heatsinks make a real difference or not, but I figure that they can't hurt anything

Biostar also makes good motherboards, so you may check into those. Like Disco said, the Geforce 6100 and 6150 are good integrated video chipsets. Or as ASUS said, $100 will get you a card to play all games. All games on pretty settings will probably be closer to ~$200.

It all depends on how much you want to spend. I have a Cooler Master Centurion 5 case ($50) and it runs great. I don't really buy the hype of an aluminum case. Of course it dissipates heat better, but I don't know about THAT much better

Also, something you might want to consider: the Aspire X-Qpack. It requires a mATX motherboard (I believe all the ones you listed are regular ATX, so you'd have to get a new motherboard), but you can use all the regular components.

It supports 2 IDE drives, 1 3.5" drive, and 2 hard drives. I just built one for a friend with an Opteron 146, 1GB memory, Biostar mATX 6100 motherboard, and an eVGA 7600GT. Really stylish and small case. No heating problems, though it takes slightly more patience to install all the components. I wouldn't discourage you from going that route (if you wanted to, it may not be an issue for you if you never move your computer). It's great for transporting and just makes you take a little more time to install everything in a slightly cramped case. You can get one for under $60 after rebate on Newegg now. But the main thing is if you do consider an mATX case, the X-Qpack is a good one because it doesn't have any of the heating problems I've been reading about online that some other mATX cases have.

Anyway, sorry to go off on a tangent. Good luck!

 

Video Card question - I have noticed that some cards have very similar specs, differences being : Memory size - 128 vs. 256, Type - DDR vs. DDR3, Memory interface - 256 bit vs. 128 bit, Clock speed & Core clock, how would these specs rate in making one card better than another ???
Askantik - Thanks for taking time to post, all this info is very helpful for a first time builder !!

 

No problem

256bit and 256MB DDR3 are usually the standard for mid-range cards and up. You want to look for stuff like HDR and Pixel Shader 3.0 support... What's your price range? I can find a few cards and point them out if you like.

 

I'd like to stay under $150.00 - found a couple that PC World rates very well for "value graphics boards"

PNY GeForce 6600 GT -

XFX GeForce 6600 -

Asus EAX1600Pro -

 

Regarding the Gigabyte GA-K8N Pro SLI MOBO -

1 - Is there a header for Front panel Firewire connections, don't care about rear panel Firewire, info is vague about actual connections

2 - How much concern is there about the passive cooling for the Chip Set ???

3 - Are there SATA cables included ? It looks like there is 1 IDE and 1 Floppy drive cable included

4 - Are there at least 2 fan connectors for Case fans ?

The price on this MOBO is real good and PCW gives it a good review, just want to make sure all that I will need is actually there -

 

I don't know about the Firewire ports.

If you've got two case fans, there shouldn't be any problem with the chipset cooling.

Looks like what it includes is a 12v adapter for Sata drive power supply.

Unfortunately, I'm only seeing one fan connector, though with the massive SLI sticker, it's hard to see the whole board.

 

Just a general question, can you adapt from a 4 pin PSU power lead to a 3 pin Fan lead for a Fan power supply if there are not enough fan headers on the MoBo ??
​

 

Sure - many sites sell adapters for this - here is one:

http://www.directron.com/3to4adapter.html

Hope this is what you are looking for. You can find them several places.

 

Let me know what you think so far:

AMD Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego 2000MHz HT 1MB L2 Cache Socket 939 Processor

ASUS A8N-SLI Premium Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard

Crucial Technology Ballistix 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200) System Memory

Antec SmartPower 2.0 SP-500 ATX12V 500W Power Supply 115/230 V TUV, UL, CUL, CE, CB, FCC

​

​

 

great so far....

 

How about the rest of you guys, don't let me down now, I still need your advice before I make an investment in this build

 

Looks great so far. I have the same RAM and man is it fast.

 

What are my chances that my current 6 yr. old Monitor ( KDS vs-7i ), CRT, will work with my new sysyem, I plan on a LCD but not right away ?

 

Slim ta none
Your last post of specs is lacking a video card

Butt with the addition of a video card, your old monitor will probably be just fine


Looks like really nice system, your gunna like it

 

Nice catch Asus, just seeing if you were paying attention , actually I'm still trying to pick one out, ran into a little problem with finding a Case that will fit into the space I want it to go into and also realized that if I get a Graphics card with 2 AVI ports and have to use the CRT adapter for my present Monitor I'm not going to have enough room Depth wise, the Case I have now is 17" deep and the ones I'm finding are 19" or more, so I'm weighing my options, I'll figure something out, I like the Graphics card you pointed out in an earlier post, might have trouble with the 2 AVI ports though - I'll keep you posted
Thanks

 

It could be a little more expensive, but you could see if you can get a custom case made.

 

Well, I think I may have figured out what I have to do, if I cut out the back of the desk ( just large enough so the cable bends can stick out ) I will be OK - not a big deal and it will give me better ventilation thru the cabinet - this Case would fit the bill nicely - what do you all think ???

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811112068

also, the I/O panel that comes with the MOBO, how big a deal is it to replace the stock one (comes with case ) with the one that comes with the MOBO, relating to the above Lian Li case ??????

 

One more thing about Cases: The I/O panel that comes with the MOBO, how big a deal is it to replace the stock one (comes with case ) with the one that comes with the MOBO, relating to the Lian Li case ?????? and also should the Antec PSU I picked out fit in OK ????
Thanks for the help everybody