Building a PC

[Whiskey]

Really dumb questions in this post:

So I've been kicking around the idea of building myself a PC. Since I can get better deals online, I'll be buying that way (maybe some in person, since a shop just opened). NewEgg has a really awesome set of deals (i think) on parts and its really making me want to order stuff. The only thing I'm really in the dark on is compatibility issues. I don't know what needs to be compatible with what. I know RAM has pins, so I have to make sure to get the right set for the motherboard, but thats as far as it goes. Any links/articles/how tos are appreciated.

[Flying Grype]

Basically everything has to be compatible with the motherboard.

If you want SATA-II hard drives, make sure the motherboard has those ports (although it would be hard to find one that didn't, these days).

The motherboard has to have the right socket for the CPU that you want.

Some motherboards only support up to a certain number of gigs of RAM, and/or a certain speed of RAM. There's no point in buying 8GB of DDR3-2000 if the motherboard only supports 4GB of DDR3-1333 or DDR2.

The motherboard has to have a port for the graphics card you want. Most modern graphics cards want a PCI Express (PCI-E) interface with the motherboard. Also make sure that you have room in the case for the graphics card -- some of these mothers can be huge. If you're going for a new high-powered graphics card get a big case to make sure it'll fit. You might want to have a look at the programs and games you use to see what kind of graphical requirements they have. That'll help you figure out what card you need.

You also need to have a power supply (PSU) that can handle all the components. Choose your other components, and you can find calculators online that will tell you the wattage you need in a PSU.

If I think of more or find links I'll add stuff.

-- a chick who built her own computer three years ago and it's still the fastest thing she regularly has access to, at home or work.

[Whiskey]

I knew the motherboard had to be compatible (vaguely), but I didn't know about the power supply wattage. I've done a bit of googling (poorly, apparently) and Id never seen a word about that.

[Dreamstalker]

PSU Calculator

The motherboard box should say what type and how much RAM it supports. If it doesn't, you can look the model # up on the manufacturer's website.

I'd suggest an internal floppy drive for system BIOS updates; a lot of boards have built-in utilities that can do that from within Windows, but my experience with them hasn't been great.

[RichS]

My personal tips for building a PC:

Research - you can't do enough research on components. Read as many professional and user reviews as you can. You are not only looking for reliability and performance, but also for usability - for example, is the case easy to install components into, provides enough cooling, and is structurally solid?

Compatibility - Make sure that the components you use are compatible with each other. Specifically, motherboards take certain types of processors and memory, make sure that all those components can work together.

Aim for 'bang for the buck' - what I mean is, you can get great performance without breaking the bank, that's what you will find when you do your research.

Build based on what you're going to use the system for - A system that's going to be used for basic web surfing and office tasks is going to not need as much power as a full-on gaming or video editing system.

The above said, make sure that you leave room for upgrading - what you need out of your system might change, so you want to have your system to be able to change with your needs. This includes the power supply - get at least 10% more power than you need, that way you have the power to add another hard drive or a more powerful processor in the future.

Almost forgot - make sure the place that you assemble your system is spacious, clean and static-free.

I hope this helps out, and if you have further questions, post 'em up!

[lordlundar]

This site I usually go two for a couple of reasons:

1. They have a PC builder that allows you to pick and choose your components and lets you know if it will work or not.
2. Any time you select an item to view, their combo geals and reccomendation list stuff that is compatible with said component.

Even if you don't buy your stuff there, the info you can get from there is a nice starting block.

As for any personal tips:

- Don't start with your case, motherboard, and/or power supply. Those should be the last things you should get. Why? because you can sort out all your other components and then see which Motherboard and power supply you need to run them. Then you factor in the case to make sure all the stuff you are getting will fit in it.

- Starting points should be CPU, Video card, and RAM, as these 3 items are much more particular than the others The video card especially if you are going to link them, as they're not interchangeable between models, let alone manufacturers. This will also narrow down the motherboard you need to continue. Then factor in your media (hard drives, Optical drives, removable media drives like SDcard and the like) then consider extra comonents like sound cards, wireless networking cards, and extra cooling units.

- Don't use the stock heat sink for the CPU. It's usually just enough to get by, but not much more. Invest in something more heavy duty, and remember, big fan and lots of fins with a solid contact will go a LONG way.

- Pick up some Arctic Silver. Best thermal compound on the market and takes forever to dry out (oil based). And yes, you will NEED thermal compound. It goes between the CPU and heat sink to maximize contact. Heat sinks usually have a pad of compound attached to it, but it's usually inferior to AS. While most people say to spread it out on a thin layer before connecting the heat sink, I've found it to be largely unnecessary to do so. Usually the contact between the two is so tight that the entire area is covered anyways. Arctic Silver has directions based on the CPU on how to apply it and it works really well. And a very tiny amount goes a VERY long way, so be careful.

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head.

[KiaKat]

My favourite site has always been www.tomshardware.com - same people who run Pricegrabber, and the reviews are top-notch.

I'm working on a new system now, after not having built one for more than five years, and let me tell you that technology has CHANGED since then. Review sites are my friend.

[Flying Grype]

Oh yeah, heatsink. I got a fan by Arctic for under $30 when I built mine. It does a good job so far. Again, if you're worried about heat, get a big case with good ventilation and that'll help too.

My favourite suppliers in Canada are NCIX.com, TigerDirect.ca, and CanadaComputers.com. In the US try NCIXus.com or TigerDirect.com.

[Der Cute]

You will run into issues of AMD vs Intel, and you need to decide which one you want to use.

www.newegg.com is great
so is www.tomshardware.com
so is dslreports.com

What I do sometimes is use Newegg to find out what parts go on a mobo (which speeds of ram).

Go look up an Intel i7 CPU. (socket number is really what you need)
Usually on newegg there's a special on motherboards. Or combos.
But you can find mobos online there if you know the socket #for the Intel chip.

See here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-213-_-Product

Look at the specs - the socket #.

Now you can search online for mobos that fit that socket, that have good reviews.
You need the wattage for the whole shebang, you need to find out what ram speeds are supported on the board.

Hm.
cpu
mobo (how many usb ports. vid onboard? pci express? legacy ports? ram speed? multiple ram speeds? SATA ports, and how many? Can you do RAID? How many fans can you hook up?)
ram (how much mem and the speeds...can you upgrade later?)
vid card or not
Power supply
Case (how many dvd roms can it hold. how many satas can it hold. how much room for air circulation. how many fans? How EASY is it to get in and out of it?)
Keyboard and mouse (I use a wireless kbd and love it, I have a laser mouse for speed and accuracy)
SATA drives (dvd, 2 hard drives)
OEM OS
OEM Office suite

What are you building this FOR? A workhorse? Gaming? Doodling around on the net?

Cutenoob

[pitmonkey]

You might also look into a card reader. It makes for quicker up or down loads from anything that uses them

[Gonzo]

You didnt mentioned why you wanted to build your own PC but if it is to save money, then you might want to reconsider. Building your own almost always cost more then buying one from the store. The big savings comes from future upgrades as instead of buy a new system every time, you will only have to buy what you need (faster video card, CPU, etc).

About 8 years ago, I build my first computer a pentium 4 and although my current computer does not have a single part from that first build, my current computer (Quad Core), would still be considered a decendent from that first build all those years ago.

[BlaqueKatt]

this is my case-yes it has 6 fans-however they are amazingly quiet-my cats purr louder than the fans run-I have no AC in my apt and it regularly hits over 90 F in here-never had an issue with overheating.....

[Whiskey]

You didnt mentioned why you wanted to build your own PC but if it is to save money, then you might want to reconsider.

I want to build my own because I like doing it.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I want to build my own because I like doing it.

That's the best reason for building your own computer.

[lordlundar]

Building your own almost always cost more then buying one from the store. The big savings comes from future upgrades as instead of buy a new system every time, you will only have to buy what you need (faster video card, CPU, etc).

Mehaps, but then you have to be more careful in what machine you buy. For someone who likes to their own upgrading for example I would tell people to avoid HP, Compaq, and Dell like the plague. They HATE having people do custom work on their machines and it shows. That difference can mean paying more for a pre-built than a self built.