Build-A-PC

After running through some problems with my laptop, it got me thinking of building a pc. I wanted to do this a while ago but got sidetracked. Has anyone here built a pc. Im trying to decide wether or not to get a barebones kit or start from scratch. Any suggestions

it really depends on what you will be using the computer for. :) good luck.

Personally, I'd build from scratch. That way you KNOW exactly what goes into it, its built with quality parts, and exactly to your specifications. The one I'm using right now is a computer that I built that way a couple years ago. Incredibly reliable and fast. Since its built using all separate components, if something breaks, the broken part is easily replaced.

Steve

I've built my machines from scratch, but I have a friend do mine now.

Btw, don't deal with Monarch Computer. They screwed up and it took over a month to get my CPU to me becuase they had a problem with the shipping address. They contacted us after a week, after billing my credit card, to verify the shipping address. They either didn't get the email verficiation, or they ignored it for 3 weeks.

I mostly deal with Newegg, which has always had great service.

I've built more boxes than I care to remember. Bottom line: you end up saving a little money and you get better components, however you don't get the nice case/component designs of the big companies like Dell.

A good place to shop for parts is newegg.com.

I've been building machines for people for years, and that's the only route I go for our computers at home also. You can save money depending on how you do it just make sure you keep warranty info on the individual parts.

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Originally Posted by TekWarren

I've been building machines for people for years, and that's the only route I go for our computers at home also. You can save money depending on how you do it just make sure you keep warranty info on the individual parts.

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Same - havent had one that we didnt build ourselves in well over a decade - and no plans to do otherwise in the future!

How easy is it to build a PC?

-Andre

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Originally Posted by Regal Boids

How easy is it to build a PC?

-Andre

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Very. Troubleshooting configuration problems can be a little frustrating, though.

For the best bare-bones kits I suggest www.tigerdirect.com they are honest people with very good prices.
here is an example of one of their on sale items:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&CMP=ILC-FPM08

They have every component known to man -- well all the good ones...

Yep thats were I was gonna get everything from. Im still trying to decide though to go with a kit or pick out the case, motherboard, and cpu my self.

My personal oppinion is to buy everything separately. The kits limit you to what the box looks like.


Start with the box you want and work from there!

It was the power supply that I didn't like most of them were all pretty small.

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Originally Posted by greenmonkey51

Yep thats were I was gonna get everything from. Im still trying to decide though to go with a kit or pick out the case, motherboard, and cpu my self.

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If you DO pick out the mobo/cpu/memory make sure you know which are compatible (mem type/speed, cpu type/socket, chipsets etc) otherwise it can be a costly lesson.

I've used Tiger Direct off and on with varying degrees of success. They do run some really cheap barebone kits and then you can buy better quality parts later..or right away. Just when I think I'm happy with them again they do some warehouse reorganization and an order for parts I need to build someone a system gets lost for months! That was the most recent bad experience which was this summer. Before that it was an LCD that they refused to work with me on so I went through the manufacturer which wasn't all that big of a deal to me. Other times you order something and you have it two days later...hit or miss I guess.

Newegg.com as suggested is a good place, I've moved alot of my ordering to them. The review system is great.

I would never contribute to building another computer that's sole purpose is to run Microsoft software... :frustrate
Macs rule! :D

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Originally Posted by JasonGranger

I would never contribute to building another computer that's sole purpose is to run Microsoft software... :frustrate
Macs rule! :D

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Then run Linux.....

Seriously though....I don't know how to use Linux.....The price of a Microsoft Operating System and software seperately can make building a PC a bit more expensive at times than just buying from a retailer that bundles everything together.

When we built this PC two years ago I worked at a University and got a substantial discount on Windows XP Pro Edition and Microsoft Office Pro. I am running an AMD 64 3200+ with a 1 GB of Ram.

Mac are nice.....I used them a lot when I worked for the University. But they are very expensive and going between plataforms can be a pain.

I've never used Linux, so I can't say anything good or bad about it, except the penguin logo is funny.

"Build-A-PC" translates to "Build-A-Windows" in my mind. LOL

Linux is the best os out there because it is FREE. The graphical interface is similar to windows and mac. It is much smoother and streamlined that Windows and there is an office suite that is FREE. If you build your own pc, use Linux.

I built PCs when I was younger. For me, the lower cost of buying prebuilt systems negates the need to ever build a PC again. I am not a gamer so I don't particularly care what is in the PC as long as it does what I need (internet, email, web design, IT work).

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Originally Posted by brainman1000

Linux is the best os out there because it is FREE. The graphical interface is similar to windows and mac. It is much smoother and streamlined that Windows and there is an office suite that is FREE. If you build your own pc, use Linux.

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Have any books or resources for Linux newbies?

How is easy migrate files over to Windows PC?

I think we are deviating from the OP bu for those wanting to try Linux check out Ubuntu this Debian based flavor has converted MANY to the open source side. I run it along side windows.

On a side note I might be getting a new macbook pro for work. Its difficult to support a number of mac's without having constant/current exposure myself so I pitched that this morning in my weekly meeting with a school principle. He's all for it so I see a dual boot windows/mac laptop in my near future.

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Originally Posted by greenmonkey51

After running through some problems with my laptop, it got me thinking of building a pc. I wanted to do this a while ago but got sidetracked. Has anyone here built a pc. Im trying to decide wether or not to get a barebones kit or start from scratch. Any suggestions

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I've built several pcs over the last five years. I would recommend tigerdirect.com and newegg.com for all your components. Depending on what your needs are for now and the future, you should be able to build a system for a good price. Barebone kits are a good start. If you already have a case/mobo/cpu available, the rest should be pretty easy to figure out.

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Originally Posted by Mendel's Balls

Have any books or resources for Linux newbies?

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Like it was mentioned earlier, I too would suggest looking into Ubuntu if you are new to the world of Linux. I like it very much in the sense that it lets me do the basics, like email, word, surf, listen to music and such. Check out ubuntuforums.org for more info.

Figures as soon as I think about another computer my laptop acts up, Im thinking about doing a system restore but they didn't include a backup OS disc.

Check this out:

http://clip.break.com/dnet/media/200...6gallery25.jpg

Windows XP hidden settings

My first quick question of many. With the motherboard on most pc cases is there a slot or socket that it hooks into.

It isn't so much a slot as an area of the case where you screw the motherboard in.

How do you tell if a video card is compatible with a motherboard.

The motherboard specs will tell you what kind of video card it supports. The standard now is pci-e also know as pci express. AGP is another standard you may see in specs but this is going to the way side.

If you really wanna kick booty in the graphics arena dual pci-e slots or SLI is available on some boards. This will allow you to run two compatible video cards as one. I have a SLI board in my wife's computer (I built it for myself originally) but only running a single video card yet.

What the difference between SLI and dual PCI-E. Is SLI better.

SLI *is* dual pci-e in the sense that you can harness the power of both video cards to one display. You could run two displays off two video cards...but for most that is overkill unless you have specialized need to do so. The SLI config is popular with gamers.

Don't touch SLI at this point. As Warren said, it's overkill for most users, and more importantly, still in its infancy. The support for SLI that's out there tends to be higher end cards, and if you aren't using higher end cards, you don't need SLI anyway :).

Building computers these days are more of a screwdriver technology than electronics. As stated, make sure you buy components that work with each other. Nothing like unpacking your brand new Socket T motherboard and your Socket 754 processor :D.

As an aside, I avoid the barebones machines. I tend to pick and choose components based on the individual quality, as well as reviews specific to the complete barebones setup. Besides, I have yet to see a single barebones kit that had exactly what I wanted (but I'm picky).

I've been researching pretty hard the last week and made a few decisions. Im most likely gonna go with these,

Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 processor
Asus P5NSLI NVIDIA Sockey 775 ATX Motherboard
EVGA GeForce 7600 GT video card.

Those are the main components I've got now. Any comments.

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Originally Posted by greenmonkey51

I've been researching pretty hard the last week and made a few decisions. Im most likely gonna go with these,

Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 processor
Asus P5NSLI NVIDIA Sockey 775 ATX Motherboard
EVGA GeForce 7600 GT video card.

Those are the main components I've got now. Any comments.

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Pretty good so far. Make sure you get the right memory to support the board. It takes DDR2 667 / 533, non-ECC, un-buffered memory.

Can't go wrong with core 2 duo! I suggest no less than 1gb of ram...If at all possible now days I really push for 2gb in systems I purchase for work or computers I build outside work.

One question about the core 2's. Im looking at a laptop just because the pc costs spiraled out of control for my basic specs. I know that most of the core 2's run at slower speeds but run better than the faster CPU's. If I went with a core 2 at with 1.66 or 1.8 ghz clock speed. Would that be comparable to some of the cpus that run at 2.0+ghz. Im mainly concerned about some of the newer games that are coming out and Im wondering if it could handle the load.

I don't have a comparison handy and from what I've seen on the net they vary quite a bit. You are correct in that even though the speeds are slower compared to say the Pentium4 line or previous desktop cpus...the new core duo and core 2 duo's are generally more efficient. The core 2 duo's support 64bit although not all that of a big deal just yet. I put together a barebones laptop earlier this year with a 1.86ghz pentium m (mobil) processor and it handled games pretty well for me. However the system did not have integrated graphics...it used an nvidia chipset. That is what is going to hurt your gaming with laptops. You might be able to play games with integrated graphics but the quality will suffer and cause overall performance issues. On the flip side when you start looking at the discrete graphics and such like nvidia or ati with dedicated video memory your also going be looking at higher prices.

Hope that helps.