Page 1 of Building a PC first time

Hi,

Just after some advice really. I`ve decided that I`m going to build myself a PC because I need a new one and quite fancy having a go at putting one together. Problem is that I`ve never done anything like this before and I`m not too hot on hardware - more of a software person.

I know the main things that go into a PC like the motherboard, CPU, RAM etc but I was really just looking to find out what people would recommend and how I can know what is compatible with what.

I plan to use the PC mainly for just general stuff like Internet, downloading movies and music but I`d quite like it to have a decent spec. I`ve been thinking that I`d like it to have at least following specifications from what I know:

160Gb Hard Drive
1Mb RAM
DVD+/-RW

Does anyone have any idea how much I should be looking to spend and where the best place would be to source the individual items? I`m based in Gateshead so not sure of any computer fairs but I know there is a Maplins nearby but have also considered ordering the separate parts from ebay.

I`ve done a search on google and there seem to be loads of sites available for how to build computers, but obviously some are better than others - has anyone used one that they would recommend to a first-timer?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Richard

Richard take a look at Novatech they have motherboard and case bundles ready assembled to make the job easier and are a good company to deal with.

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/barebones.html

Richard- you`ve got the basis of a decent specification there, but here's some tips

First off, price everything up first, then take a look around to see if you can actually buy a better spec off the shelf!! Sounds crazy but these days, unless you are looking to build for a specific purpose or you want specific brands/types of hardware, then you may well find better deals to be had without the headaches!!! That said, building your own PC is great experience and it will give you a much fuller understanding of the workings of the PC-and it`s not difficult either-fiddly, sure-a bit, but very, very satisfying!!

OK, you will need processor, hard drive, memory, case, motherboard -these are your bare essentials- on top of that, you need to think about sound and video card options, optical drives (CD/DVD/Floppy) and then any peripheral stuff you may want to add, such as TV cards, card readers..etc..etc..

PROCESSOR - Probably the single most important decision you`ve got to make. Processor speeds change like some people change their underwear. To be honest, buying the very latest processor speed is sheer madness unless you are either a)loaded or b) crazy!! If you take a look at the prices, you`ll notice on both AMD and INTEL processors that the prices for 3 or 4 down from the latest model are a fraction of the price of the latest ones, and the likelihood of you ever noticing any difference in performance is virtually nil. From the information you`ve given, I`d be looking towards the lower end of the AMD 64 bit series processors or even the top end of the Sempron range or the equivalent in the INTEL range. To be honest, I`m a big fan of the AMD processors, they tend to be cheaper to buy than Intel but have as good, if not better, performance figures, but that is just personal preference. IMPORTANT-MAKE SURE that whoever you buy the cpu from gives you some thermal paste-it's VITAL that you use a thin layer of this on the part of the processor that the cooling fan touches.

MOTHERBOARD- Your choice will come after you`ve decided which processor you want to go with. Once you`ve made that choice, you then have to think about what you want `on board` the motherboard. Many manufacturers make boards with `everything` on-video, audio, LAN, etc..etc.. The advantage is, you don`t have to go out and spend more money on a graphics card or an audio card-the downside is, they will eat into your system RAM - with 1 GB and the sort of use you are describing, that shouldn`t be an issue for you though. The video and audio performance of most of these are quite acceptable, though anyone who is `true` audiophile or a real intense gamer would never even look at using `on board` audio or graphics. Thing is, if you do buy one with on board graphics, as long as you make sure you`ve got an AGP slot on it, then you can always buy a `better` card for it at a later date-same thing with an audio card. Another thing to look for-USB ports. Most modern cases will offer front USB connections, and these can be very handy-I`d look for one that offers 4 rear and two front USB connections. Finally, make sure you get one with enough pci slots -Some boards - especially ones with `everything onboard` tend to skimp on these-and it`s not a good idea. You may want to add things as you go-like a better soundcard, maybe a TV card..etc..etc..and you could find yourself stuck with no spare slots. 4 or 5 pci slots should be fine, and of course, an AGP slot. Personally I like Gigabyte and ASUS boards, they`ve given me fine service and are pretty cheap. I`ve also used some Mercury boards with `everything on` in PC's where I`ve been building them for people on tight budgets-These can even come with a processor on board-not the fastest (I think they are AMD Duron 1600) but they work well for people with no massive cpu requirements. One brand I now steer completely clear of is ASROCK-I went through 3 of their boards and 3 power supply units in a year-they are cheap (as in nasty cheap), power hungry rubbish (Though as ever, your mileage may vary!!)

CASE- Come in all shapes and sizes, though again, your choice maybe slightly limited by the `form factor` of the motherboard you choose-it`s a good idea to single source most of the things you are going to put in the PC, but the processor/motherboard/case are three to really try and get from the same place, or at least be armed with the type of motherboard you have when you go looking for a case. A lot of modern cases will take multiple motherboard formats, so it`s not a huge issue, though it is something to be aware of. Perhaps the most important thing to think about is the power supply unit (PSU).. The thing with PSU's is, the ones you'll get in most cases are just generic type ones-ok for the normal run of the mill builds, but the more you put in your box 'o wires, the more power you will need, so you should be looking for a MINIMUM of 400 watts input, more if you intend running a lot of stuff inside or powered by your PC. When I build anyone a PC that is going to be a real 'Power Hungry User', I rip out the PSU that comes with it and throw in a better one. You can go 'silly' on PSU's, paying £100 or more BUT a good one can be moved from PC to PC as you go, and they will run everything that much sweeter and, quite often, far more quietly!! A good 'halfway house' option is probably something like the SWEEX range-About £40-£50 will buy you a 550/650 Watt PSU that is nice and quiet and will leave you with power to spare.

MEMORY - The type/amount you can use will be governed to a certain extent by the motherboard you choose. It's going to be DDR RAM, though there are different speeds of DDR RAM and some motherboards limit the number of sticks you can use of certain speeds so, as all really bad instructions say, 'Consult your user manual' if you intended going crazy on the amount of RAM. Don't mix RAM speeds though-at best your PC will only work as fast as the slowest RAM stick, at worst, it won't work at all. 1GB should be fine for what you've described, though remember what I said about 'on board' video and audio eating into your System RAM. If you have an on board 128mb graphics chip, then you will lose that much useable RAM.

OTHER STUFF - HARD DRIVE- Personally, I would not go for a 160gb drive-I'd go for two separate 80 or even 120gb drives. Use one as your master for your Windows installation, use the other for your 'other' stuff… 120gb drives tend to be a lot cheaper than 160gb ones and with two drives, you are not putting all your eggs in one basket-if you have one HDD and it fails, you've lost everything-the chances of two going down at the same time are very slim!

OPTICAL DRIVES- DVD writers are incredibly cheap now, so it's hardly worthwhile considering anything else. LG, NEC and Pioneer all make superb x16 speed drives at really low prices, though it comes down to what brands you prefer. I have two drives in my PC as it makes copying easier and quicker. As for a floppy drive-do you REALLY need one? I haven't had one for several years now and have never missed it. Cheap as chips though, if you do still use them

COOLING AND NOISE - Modern PC's run hotter than Daisy Duke's hottest hot pants, so you need to keep it's innards well ventilated. As well as the cpu and psu fans, it's well worth considering at least one case fan-there will be a connector for it on the motherboard. The downside to all these fans whirring away can be ..NOISE..if that is going to be a problem, you can buy 'silent' psu's and cooling fans-though these are obviously at a premium price.

Hope that's give you a few ideas. Just to give you some idea of the spec/use of my main PC.

AMD Athlon 2600 cpu
ASUS motherboard (audio on board)
SWEEX 650 Watt PSU
Case fan
ATI 64mb Graphics card with TV Out
1gb RAM ((DDR 333)
2 x 120gb HDD (Western Digital)
2x 160gb External HDD (USB connection)
NEC +/- x8 speed DVD writer
Pioneer - x 4 DVD Writer
X8 rear USB ports x 2 front USB ports
8 in 1 card reader
Skystar 2 DVB-S (Satellite) card
Compromate DVB-T (Terrestrial) card


I first built this about 30 months ago, I do a lot of video and audio editing-both of which are very resource hungry operations, as is photographic manipulation which I also do a fair bit of too. I record and play DVD's back off my PC, I have DVB (Digital Video Broadcast) cards for both terrestrial and satellite in my PC, again these are very power/cpu/RAM hungry beasts. As I don't have any use for the machine for gaming, my video output requirements are not massive-the 64mb card is just fine-it even outputs a pretty good picture to my main TV set.

Hope some of that helps!!

Thanks for both the replies - am at work at the moment so will have a good look at tonight but was exactly what I was looking for.

Cheers.

Hi Rich, re: Computer Fairs.
Next Computer Fair at this location...
SUN 2nd OCT GATESHEAD INTERNATIONAL STADIUM 10-3pm Computer Fair
SUN 6th NOV GATESHEAD INTERNATIONAL STADIUM 10-3pm Computer Fair
http://www.nitex.co.uk/fair_admission.htm - £4.00 (£1.00 off if you Print this page)

Emily: -
My neighbour is about to start a business venture: - Media Training Videos or such.
Basically he'll be taking footage with a crew then editing these at home.
As my post yesterday 'Anti-Virus/Apple Mac Recommendations' explains his current PC is riddled with spy ware and this has steered him towards investing in a 'Power Mac'.

Your experiences in this area would be very interesting to hear.
If you have any Tips Advice - They would be most appreciated.
Cheers.

Remember that u have to have the right motherboard to go with the right cpu like any amd cpu up to a 3200xp will need a socket A board.Give www.ebuyer.co.uk a try or www.overclockers.co.uk

This item was edited on Friday, 9th September 2005, 19:45

Last time I built a system, I went for a `bundle` at a computer fair that was a processor, motherboard and memory - solves the main compatibility problems

It is a good idea to get all or as much as you can from one place, that way there can be none of the `oh well, it doesn`t work because of that bit you didn`t get from us` if things do go wrong. Certainly the board and cpu/fan should be from the same place, memory also, but not as vital- as long as you follow the motherboard manual instructions on what type/speed, you will be fine, but if you do get it from the same place as the board and chip, it would make life simpler!

Computer Fairs are a great source for gear, though you may find similar prices being charged in independant shops- I go to one fair regularly-the biggest one in the UK at Bowlers, Manchester, and I reckon the prices have crept up towards what you`d expect to pay in stores (Hardly surprising as most of the vendors run stores on the other days!!) and you have to add in the cost of admission. If you do buy at a computer fair, make sure you get a name and address as well as a telephone number in case things go wrong - the cheeky barstewards at the Aintree Racecourse fairs charged me admission to take back a faulty motherboard I`d bought the week before-I don`t go to their fairs any more!!!