Author Topic: Advice on building a PC (Read 458 times)

Corwin · « **on:** March 03, 2003, 08:33:54 AM »

Hi. I'd really appreciate your opinion on how much sense it makes for me to build my own PC. Aside from installing sims and a zip drive I have never cracked the case on a PC. I may be overly optimistic but I think I can handle it and a lot of my ebuds are telling me there's nothing to it. I'd like to build a great gaming machine and from what I have seen it looks like I could do it for under 2 grand and save up to a grand doing it myself. Aside from the money and my groundless over confidence in thinking I can acquire the parts and assemble them in working order, the single biggest challenge I may have is the time. We have 19 mo. old twins and both my wife and I work. I probably have 30 mins at the end of the day during the week to work on this. More time is available in the late evening/early morning on weekends when everyone else is asleep.

Advice is appreciated as are and any resource/recommendations.

straffo · « **Reply #1 on:** March 03, 2003, 09:01:18 AM »

With a bit of experience (and patience) a new PC can build in less than 30 minutes.

The best you can do is to plan carefully the assembly and a free room to build the Pc (so if you can end the work the following day).

There is nothing difficult in building a PC .

Feel free to ask here

DRILL · « **Reply #2 on:** March 03, 2003, 10:41:21 AM »

its not hard at all ..I do recomend you shop around for the parts you want to build it with ... Im building 1 now ... i prepared a list of what i wanted it to have and went shoping

...ill have all the parts this week except the video card it wont be out till April 1st .

Pyro · « **Reply #3 on:** March 03, 2003, 12:15:10 PM »

Here's a basic guide.

http://www6.tomshardware.com/howto/20020904/index.html

Siaf__csf · « **Reply #4 on:** March 03, 2003, 02:03:01 PM »

Computer parts these days are so standardized that building a box is really easy. You don't need to know much anything to install a working box.

Naturally it takes some knowledge to get optimal performing system, but a basic setup anyone can do.

I'm 100% convinced that if you browse the hardware sites like tomshardware or hardocp.com you'll have all the information you need in order to build yourself a gaming machine.

The first box is like losing your cherry.. It's nerve wrecking but the next one is already much easyer

mkuebeler · « **Reply #5 on:** March 03, 2003, 05:13:01 PM »

Be careful hooking up the power supply line to the floppy disk. I managed to get the connector offset by one pin on my current homebuilt system and fried a brand new power supply.

Ghosth · « **Reply #6 on:** March 04, 2003, 07:36:52 AM »

Just built 2 here last week.

My research found the best prices were newegg & mwave.com

Mwave will let you select Mboard, cpu, ram, cpu fan & will install all above & test it for 9$. Which is a great insurance policy for 9$ IMO.

Add Hd, cdrom/rw/dvd Video card, case, etc.

Read motherboard manual before putting it in case.

Its really not hard.

When building I like to start with just HD/cdrom, mboard/cpu/ram, & video.

Get it booting, check cmos, install windows, then any chipset drivers.

Add one piece at a time after that.

Eagler · « **Reply #7 on:** March 04, 2003, 07:55:20 AM »

have had great luck with asus and abit for motherboards

video should be the latest ATI though my ti4400 pumps out monitor res limit of 85fps most of the time

be sure ur hard drives are ata100 if not 133 and spin at 7200 speed

let me know if u have any questions

Corwin · « **Reply #8 on:** March 04, 2003, 10:14:23 AM »

Thank you all very much. I really appreciate it.

Boat · « **Reply #9 on:** March 06, 2003, 10:11:40 AM »

I just built my first one last week. I ordered most of my parts from NewEgg but bought a motherboard/processor combo that they put together for you and test at Monarch Computers. Paid just a few bucks more there than NewEgg but it was worth it for me.

Once all the parts are delivered, building it seems like a daunting process but is actually quite easy. Do a lot of reading on Sharkey forum and Asus Boards forum and check out any of the guides on the web. Hooking up front USB and Firewire is tougher that it needs to be because case and motherboard people are not always on the same page and give lousey instructions.

Making your own generally gets you a great computer at a very good price. Once it boots and you install XP you get a great feeling of acomplishment. You give up software packages, support and guarantees but you don't have to take a box with some parts in it that only a mother could love. On the other hand, Dell makes some fairly good computers at really attractive prices.