Any advice for a first time builder?

[noobnite]

I've been thinking about this awhile and would like to ask the community for their thoughts....

I have an outdated Dell Demension 9100. THing was built in 2005, and at the time was pretty top of the line. I was given this computer 2nd hand when my father went all Mac.

I've considered pulling everything out of the case, and keeping the sound card, the two DVD RW drives, and possibly the hard drive as a 2nd drive (after reformatting it.) Everything else is pretty old and needs to be updated. The question is finding a pwer supply, motherboard, processor, ram, video card, ect to fit this case. Ive also considered yanking the sound card out (I'm not sure what it is, but has multiple jacks, four speakers that are set in a surround sound config, a subwuffer, and speaker bar on the moniter,which ALL run through the subwoofer to the jacks on the computer, hence my wanting to salvage it) along with the DVD drives and using the hard drive as a backup, and then purchasing a case, MB, ram, video card, power supply, ect. and doing a build.

Thoughts?

[noobnite]

Also, I am a Windows 8 hater. I'll be looking for a copy of 7 once I start getting all the hardware questions lined out

[ColTomb]

1) We need to know how much you want to spend.
2) That Dell case has no ventilation. You can get a cheap mid tower ATX case for for around $30.
3) You can piece together a full system for around $600 that will give adequate, not great, performance for AH.
4) I would sell the M/B,CPU,RAM as a combo deal on E-Bay. 
 

[Bizman]

Contrary to what ColTomb said, I think the case looks quite roomy and well breathing compared to many of its contemporaries, especially when all the plastic air conducting boxes are gone. But it's also true that you can find a better one for $30 or so. The 9100 is quite narrow, which makes cable management more challenging than in a case with plenty of room between the motherboard and the right side plate.

As for the sound card, current motherboards support at least 5.1 speaker systems through multiple jacks.

It would be much easier for you to build an entirely new rig. The old one could serve as a secondary surf board, or you can wipe it clean and sell/donate it as is. Practical value is what it's worth of.

Even reusing the optical drives wouldn't be worth the effort. As electronic devices their components get aged even if not in use. More often than not I've found than a basically unused dvd drive can't read the installation disk for various reason. A brand new one would cost about $20...

For hints look at the previous threads from the last six months, there's plenty of suggestions and many links.

[noobnite]

Thanks for the input! I have finally decided to make a build from scratch, and am researching various compents. As as side note, I have decided to go ahead and purchase another case. The case with the dell 9100 aint gonna get it. I'm sure Ill be asking more questions as time goes on, so be prepared for strange questions....usually when this happens.........

[Bizman]

You're welcome.

Please ask your strange questions a little before  , that may save you from some headache and waste of money.

[LivrLips]

Noobnite, if you are looking into a first diy computer, definitely check out pcpartpicker.com. It's a neat site that let's you build a PC component by component. It gives you pricing from multiple vendors. It also gives you voltage output of your selected components to help in selecting a power supply. They have forums where you can post questions about individual parts or your prospective system build and get feedback. It's an informative and addictive site.
Check YouTube for videos on PC builds. New egg had a 3 part series of videos on their web site on building your own PC that is pretty good for first timers.
I've recently started research for my first build and I have zero experience. Reading the posts on the AH forums inspired me to take the plunge. Lots of knowledgeable people here to help you.

[amulford]

Absolutely check out PCPartpicker.  It makes things so much easier.

Along with the voltage readout, it will do a compatibility check to save you the time of having to check, crosscheck and recheck for compatibility issues.

[TequilaChaser]

Absolutely check out PCPartpicker.  It makes things so much easier.

Along with the voltage readout, it will do a compatibility check to save you the time of having to check, crosscheck and recheck for compatibility issues.

I would still encourage doing some of your own personal research and reading of reviews as a precautionary measure, noobnite...

even when you might possibly post your parts list here before ordering / buying them, the knowledge of this community are very quick to point out any possible red or yellow flags, if their are any.....

Wish you Luck on your first build!

cheers

TC

[guncrasher]

dude, dont hesitate to ask stupid questions.  as the only stupid question is the one you didnt ask.  and dont worry we'll also give you some stupid answers .

we are all learning here just like you are  .

but the first question to ask yourself is the budget  .


semp

[Lucifer]

basicaly i'd say :

1-RAM
2-CPU
3-GCard
4-Motherboard
5-etc