Computer Building

Falcata · 2008-06-13 12:58:14

Does anyone know of some good beginner resources for building a computer?

moljac024 · 2008-06-13 13:16:46

What do you mean building a computer ?
Choosing all the parts, and/or assembling them in the case ?

Or making your own processor, memory,storage.... ?

lidewei · 2008-06-13 13:22:34

Something like this?
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/build-a-computer.htm

Berticus · 2008-06-13 13:34:14

It's not that hard... pick components:

motherboard
central processing unit (a.k.a. processor; a.k.a. cpu)
graphics card (a.k.a. video card; a.k.a. graphical processing unit; a.k.a. gpu) - may be optional if graphics is embedded on the motherboard
random access memory sticks (a.k.a. RAM)
power supply (a.k.a. power supply unit; a.k.a. psu)
hard drive
optical drive(s) such as dvd players/burners, cd players/burners, and blu-ray players/burners
Input devices (keyboard and mouse)
Sound card is optional (especially if there's on-board sound, which almost all motherboards have now)
speakers or headphones, if you have a sound card or embedded sound card on the motherboard and wish to have sound
Monitor if you don't have one yet
A good cooling system (something most PC builders, especially newbs, overlook)

Have compatible male and females mate, and you're good to go. Some suggested brands Antec, Thermaltake, Cooler Master, Rosewill, Apevia, Western Digital, Seagate, Hitachi, Maxtor, Zalman, Zerotherm, Arctic Cooling, Scythe, Logitech, Creative, Belkin, IOGear, Corsair, Crucial, OCZ, Patriot, G. Skill, Kingston, ViewSonic, Hanns G, Acer, Samsung, ASUS, DFI, Enermax, AMD, Intel, XFX, BFG Tech, PALiT, PNY, Sapphire, VisionTek, HIS, Diamond, eVGA.

Some online retailers you may want to check out are Newegg, ZipZoomFly, PC Direct and End PC Noise.

You can have a look at Silent PC Review (SPR) to build quiet systems, Eco PC Review to build eco-friendly PC's, Phoronix for benchmarking with Linux, LinuxQuestions for linux hardware compatability, Anandtech for hardware review and analysis.

Hmm... not sure where else is a good place... There's a million good websites out there.

Last edited by Berticus (2008-06-13 15:04:36)

Falcata · 2008-06-13 13:59:06

Thanks. Looks like I've got plenty of stuff to read this afternoon. I've been selecting components for a computer, with a price limit of $600. NewEgg has been helpful, letting me determine which components give good price/performance ratio. Here's what I have so far on my build:

* Chassis: hec 6K28BBX585 Black w/585W Power Supply ($69.99)
* Motherboard: Biostar TForce TA780G ($79.99)
* Processor: AMD Athlon 64-X2 5000+ Brisbane 2.6GHz ($81.99)
* RAM: G.Skill 2x1GB 240-Pin DDR2 1066 ($59.99)
* Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar SE WD800JD 80GB Sata300 ($39.99)
* Optical Drive: Samsung Black... uh... this one: link ($30.00)
* Video Card: EVGA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB ($169.99, $159.99 with $10 rebate)
* CPU Cooler: Gigabyte GH-PDU22-SC EVR Sleeve ($22.99)
* VGA Cooler: Arctic Cooling Accelero S1 Rev-2 (
* Thermal Compound: Jetart CK 4800 Nano (diamond-based compound)

The build above totals $580.86, not including shipping costs or sales tax. Can I do any better than this?

Last edited by Falcata (2008-06-13 14:04:06)

Berticus · 2008-06-13 14:39:19

For the most part it looks good. I'm just not sure about the motherboard or case. Definitely suggest picking up an Arctic Silver thermalpaste instead. That's the only thing I ever use for attaching heatsinks to vga and cpu. Also, the only case I ever get is something from Antec's p18x line. Antec will be adding their third itteration to the p18x line with the p183; currently I have the p180b. But I know including this would push you out of your budget, since it's quite a pricey case. It's also a LOT bigger than the MicroATX you'll be getting. Looking at the reviews, I'd say it's a pretty good system. Although it's kinda odd you have a pretty powerful graphics card... At least that's just my opinion. Someone else may chime in and say otherwise.

Last edited by Berticus (2008-06-13 14:41:39)

btartsa · 2008-06-13 14:51:25

This might be a good start:

http://arstechnica.com/guides/buyer/guide-200805.ars

Misfit138 · 2008-06-13 14:59:14

This is a great site for your first build.

zenlord · 2008-06-13 15:07:54

Falcata wrote:

* Chassis: hec 6K28BBX585 Black w/585W Power Supply ($69.99)
* Motherboard: Biostar TForce TA780G ($79.99)
* Processor: AMD Athlon 64-X2 5000+ Brisbane 2.6GHz ($81.99)
* RAM: G.Skill 2x1GB 240-Pin DDR2 1066 ($59.99)
* Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar SE WD800JD 80GB Sata300 ($39.99)
* Optical Drive: Samsung Black... uh... this one: link ($30.00)
* Video Card: EVGA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB ($169.99, $159.99 with $10 rebate)
* CPU Cooler: Gigabyte GH-PDU22-SC EVR Sleeve ($22.99)
* VGA Cooler: Arctic Cooling Accelero S1 Rev-2 (
* Thermal Compound: Jetart CK 4800 Nano (diamond-based compound)

Overall it looks good. Some remarks:
- Those coolers and thermal compound are not necessary (VGA card and CPU come default with adequate cooling), but might be a little less noisy. All the recent computers I assembled lately were default really quiet, so I doubt you'll hear a difference with those replacement coolers.
- Maybe go for a brand-chassis with PSU. The PSU is often overlooked, but it is the first component to cause hard-to-solve instability. I also recommend Antec and have good experiences with the cheap NSK4480.
- The motherboard features integrated video and you're buying a separate graphics card. Maybe there's a cheaper motherboard without the onboard graphics.

And finally:
- I have an AMD-based system at this moment, but if I had to build a new one right now, it would be based on the Intel C2D 8200, probably with a Gigabyte P45- or G45-chipset (but the latter is not on sale just yet).

Zl.

Last edited by zenlord (2008-06-13 15:09:18)

anrxc · 2008-06-13 15:29:37

Falcata wrote:

Does anyone know of some good beginner resources for building a computer?

It's not what you actually ment, but this is very interesting:

From nand to tetris; building a modern computer
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid … 2021156507
http://www1.idc.ac.il/tecs/

schivmeister · 2008-06-13 15:51:04

I think what you need is: http://www.falcon-nw.com/

Anyway, Gigabyte boards are always good. Don't worry about the chassis, a $20 one will suffice eg. Cooler Master low-end series. However, do pay attention to the PSU. Antec, Cooler Master, stick to the popular ones. For CPU, Intel's C2D is now better from mid-range onwards, so keep that in mind.

RAM-wise, no point in getting 1066 if mobo FSB isn't 1066. No point in getting G.Skill if Seagate is cheaper. If it's 1333, get 667 since 1333 mobo FSB half-pumped = 666. So 1:1 optimum ratio. I'm assuming you're not an overclocker.

Seagate disks, Western Digital disks, Hitachi..they're all good. WD, though, generates more noise. I don't think you need extra cooling solutions, and you may want to get a silent graphics card (no fan) if you're concerned over noise. Optical drives just work, no need to be picky either.

Don't worry about Linux compatibility. When there's Will, there's Wayne.

Falcata · 2008-06-13 17:05:11

Berticus: I'm using the diamond-based thermal compound because it performs better than arctic silver, having better thermal conductivity and lower electrical conductivity. And the reason for the powerful video card is because I intend to do gaming on this computer. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion comes to mind. I could probably cut back to a less powerful video card, if I can find a motherboard that has Hybrid SLI capability on it.

Schivmeister: Thanks for spotting that, I wasn't aware of the RAM being the wrong kind for the motherboard.

Anyways, I'll use your advice and see if I can come up with a new/better build.

EDIT: Wow. Falcon Northwest is really overpriced.

Last edited by Falcata (2008-06-13 17:21:03)

Misfit138 · 2008-06-13 20:28:14

Always go for an FSP Fortron PSU.
Best bang for the buck.
Trust me on this, I've been using them for years and years.

amokkk · 2008-06-13 20:50:20

Misfit138 wrote:

Always go for an FSP Fortron PSU.
Best bang for the buck.
Trust me on this, I've been using them for years and years.

I'll second that opinion! I always put 'em in boxes assembled for family and friends.
never had any problems with their PSU's nor heard any complains from FSP users.
also good in price/quality are those made by Delta, Sirtec, ModeCom(not crappy MC FEEL), HEC, Enlight, CWT...

Last edited by amokkk (2008-06-13 20:53:15)

Berticus · 2008-06-14 00:23:43

The PSU's I would trust include Antec, Enermax, and Corsair.

Rumor · 2008-06-14 01:34:16

schivmeister wrote:

I think what you need is: http://www.falcon-nw.com/
Anyway, Gigabyte boards are always good

I'll second that. The last two computers I've built are using Gigabyte motherboards. I've no complaints with them.

heleos · 2008-06-14 01:42:31

I always use ASUS motherboards, and I've never had a problem with them. They may be a little more expensive though.

Stay away from Thermaltake power supplies. I had one and it melted my motherboard

skottish · 2008-06-14 01:57:50

zenlord wrote:

- Those coolers and thermal compound are not necessary (VGA card and CPU come default with adequate cooling), but might be a little less noisy.

The fans that come stock with AMD X2 chips are noisy as hell. Also, the X2s can run fairly hot.

elephantos · 2008-06-14 07:20:40

i like to listen to music off the puter with total silence in the room. the aftermarket zalman fans for processor and gfx are like ninjas in stasis.

INCSlayer · 2008-06-14 07:45:28

Misfit138 wrote:

Always go for an FSP Fortron PSU.
Best bang for the buck.
Trust me on this, I've been using them for years and years.

depending on your shop you can also buy a northQ because its actually OEM made by FSP and has weirdly been slightly cheaper from time to time but it varies

jacko · 2008-06-14 11:36:47

The PSU is often overlooked, but it is the first component to cause hard-to-solve instability.

put this into your memory banks forever (brain). I have had more computer parts given to me because it was a "POS".

Problem is not in the hardware, but the PSU. A shitty PSU will cause all sorts of random problems that u will never find a fix for. Great piece of advice for a first time builder.

BTW, I buy Abit motherboards. I have had 3 PC's myself (built by me) over 10+ years I been online, all with abit and never once did I ever complain or send one back. That speaks for itself imho. but they do run higher then some of the others.

Misfit138 · 2008-06-14 12:13:06

INCSlayer wrote:

Misfit138 wrote:
Always go for an FSP Fortron PSU.
Best bang for the buck.
Trust me on this, I've been using them for years and years.
depending on your shop you can also buy a northQ because its actually OEM made by FSP and has weirdly been slightly cheaper from time to time but it varies

You can also go with Sparkle- same thing, Fortron FSP OEM. In fact, the OCZ Powerstream, (an excellent, though expensive PSU), has 'FSP' stamped right on the pc board...but you have to open it to see it.

I know there are better power supplies, but NOT for the same price. PCP&C for instance, are touted as the absolute best, but are insanely priced.
Fortron FSP are built better than they have to be, and are underrated. Often a small 350 watt Fortron will perform like a 500w made by 'Starpower' or another cheap brand.

Berticus · 2008-06-14 13:39:22

elephantos wrote:

i like to listen to music off the puter with total silence in the room. the aftermarket zalman fans for processor and gfx are like ninjas in stasis.

elephantos, you should check out Silent PC Review (SPR)You can get your computer to be quieter than you even though possible! See the issue with Zalmans is the fans are attached to the heatsinks. So the vibration gets carried over and will be louder. With others such as Noctua or Arctic Cooling Accelero, the fans are not attached to the heatsink, so you can put dampeners on them (from AcoustiPack). I mean of course you could detach the fan from the heatsink in Zalmans, but that voids the warranty, I believe. You may want to look into suspending the hard drives too.

zenlord · 2008-06-14 22:40:55

skottish wrote:

zenlord wrote:
- Those coolers and thermal compound are not necessary (VGA card and CPU come default with adequate cooling), but might be a little less noisy.
The fans that come stock with AMD X2 chips are noisy as hell. Also, the X2s can run fairly hot.

THX for that piece of advice. This tends to turn me ven more away from AMD than I am already at the moment. When I built my PC 5 years ago, it was very popular to silence your PC (I still have my setup slightly overclocked and watercooled), but over the years CPU's got less and lees hot and the supplied cooling seemed adequate and silent to me. But I think I've not built an AMD-system since the s939 A64-chips, so I wouldn't know if the current chips run hot or not.

I assembled a system just today: Asus P5E-VM HDMI + C2D 8200 + 2GB Kingston Value PC800 DDR2 + POV 500W PSU. Windows XP was installed using my self made all-in-one-cd in under 30mins, including all drivers and commonly used programs. I had no time to make it dual boot with Arch, but I made two hidden partitions to leave the possibility open when I return (- oh, and I could only hear the noise of the WD hard disk when writing :-)).

Zl.

Stalafin · 2008-06-15 01:22:34

Your build looks good.

Although I agree that Intel based builds do provide you with more power as of now, they come at a higher cost and a lower efficiency.

Based on your build I would actually recommend you to go for the following things:
CPU: AMD Athlon X2 4850e - Should be as strong as the one you have chosen, but comes with a lower power consumption.
Mainboard: Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H - It has the same chip set as the MSI, but it seems to be the preffered choice among all the 780G boards right now.
Graphics: Are you sure you need a 8800GT? I mean, it's surely a nice card, but it is mainly for gaming. The 780G based mainboards all have build in graphics - so if you don't actually plan to play games don't go for a dedicated graphics card.
Chassis/ case/ PSU: You shouldn't try to save that much money on the case and on the PSU. Getting a SeaSonic or an Enermax PSU would be good.
Personally I would really recommend you to go for a LianLi PC-V350. It's the best designed MicroATX case out there at the moment. And along with that for an Enermax Modu82+ 425W PSU (it's modular - you save quite a lot of space).
Cooler: If you are buying a CPU as 'boxed' there comes a cooler with it. You should first try to go with that one. Else, I would recommend you to go for a passive cooler like the Thermalright SI-128 SE. If your choice is the 4850e as I have pointed out it should be fairly enough.
VGA: No need for a specific VGA cooler. Graphics cards come with those. And as I said - if you don't plan to play games, you don't really need to go for the graphics card at all.
Hard Drive: You sure 80 GB is enough? Hard drives are cheap these days. Spend 20 more and you get like 320 GB or so.

Anyway, a good source for building a computer would be a hardware forum. I don't really know good American forums, but I guess it shouldn't be too hard for you to find one. They would be able to help you figuring out what you need and where to get that stuff.

The only big US based hardware forums I know are:
http://www.xtremesystems.com/
http://www.hardforum.com/

Might be a start.

Arch Linux

#1 2008-06-13 12:58:14

Computer Building

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