Newbie

[epicd]

I'm looking at building a new computer, to try and save some money. I have never done it before, and I was wondering if anyone out there had any links that would help me take this project from start to finish. If you yourself have advice or tips, I'd love to hear from you. I'm also not familiar with brand names and things like that, so that would also be a great help.

Thanks for your time http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

ep::Vancouver

[LordLocksley]

this sight has a good Tutorial. http://www.guru3d.com/

[Roy]

Welcome to SysOpt! http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

You've come to the right place, there are many here who will be helpful. Maybe a member in Vancouver will offer some personal guidance.

You are embarking on an interesting journey. Once you grasp the basic elements, deciding what to get is a challenging process. Since your purpose is to save money, look for parts that meet your basic requirements without necessarily being on the cutting edge. There's a lot to be saved by buying last weeks' favorites. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif

I usually buy cases at computer "shows" where I can see what I'm getting. For components I like to shop at www.pricewatch.com (http://www.pricewatch.com) .

As you surf these Forums, keep in mind that some members are emotional about their choices and may defend a bad decision or one that doesn't suit your quest. Hardware reviews tend to be more objective and offer comparisons among choices. Plan to spend several days digesting what you learn.

In addition to Reviews here at SysOpt, there are good ones at www.anandtech.com (http://www.anandtech.com) , www.tomshardware.com (http://www.tomshardware.com) , www.bxboards.com (http://www.bxboards.com) and many more. Use the Links area of the sites you visit to find more.

Good Luck, and remember to ask specific questions in the Forums that focus on your subject. Try to be informative in the Topic heading.

[spidey_joe80@hotmail.com]

They got one right here <A HREF="http://sysopt.earthweb.com/buildpc/index.html" TARGET=_blank>http://sysopt.earthweb.com/buildpc/index.html</A>

PS u should probably try to stick with retail products as oem or whitebox might not come with cables and stuff. Try to stay away from generic if u can. And check for warrantys on the stuff u buy just in case they go wrong. And if your torn betwwen more than one product post your topic here the good guys here at sysopt r sure to help u out on your decision. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif
oh damit i mean "here" at http://sysopt.earthweb.com/buildpc/index.html

[This message has been edited by spidey_joe80@hotmail.com (edited 04-16-2001).]

[This message has been edited by spidey_joe80@hotmail.com (edited 04-16-2001).]

[epicd]

Do you know how I can find out what cpus are compatible with my software and 3D card? What combinations are best? Where do I find instructions on how to plug all that stuff in right? What about drivers? OS?

I'm lost...

But I appreciate the links, at least I have a place to start.

epic::Vancouver

[Roy]

Take a look at "Build Your Own PC" and "Building a PC for Dummies" at www.amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com) or a local bookstore. Maybe one will be what you're looking for.

These days, "PC Compatible" generally means any system with an AMD Athlon or Duron or Intel Pentium or Celeron processor. Virtually all popular software will run on these platforms.

[Brangwen]

Epicd:

Sounds like you are starting at ground zero. Ask yourself "what do I want to use my computer to do? How powerful of a system do I need? Is it strictly for gaming? Or business/school usage? Or a bit of both with quality, speed, stability, and not costing a fortune?"

Figure out what type of CPU (chip) will do for your needs: Celerons (Intel) are great chips. One really gets bang for the buck. If you decide on a Celeron for now, but may desire to upgrade to a Pentium III in the future, look for a motherboard that allows for upgradability. You will likely be purchasing what's called a ATX form board, which is the predominant form or type of motherboard used today. Consider next what type of case you will want for your motherboard. A mini tower? Mid-tower or full tower? Check out case sites or other resources where cases are available. When buying the case, you must keep in mind the size of your chosen motherboard, the power supply (eg.g., 250 vs 300W) required by you chip -- and which is often already installed in the computer case you choose. If you go with Intel, you'll likely use a 250W power supply, whereas an AMD chip (the other CPU maker and Intel competitor) usually requires a 300W power supply. The places, whether online or in person, where you purchase your case will indicate whether a power supply is AMD certified and so on. Again, as stated in other replies, ask members here if you get confused about these things. You'll need to purchase memory, probably PC100 SDRAM. The info or specifications accompanying the motherboard you choose will indicate how much and what kind of physical (RAM) memory your board will hold. Most folks use about 128 MB PC100 SDRAM memory. See www.crucial.com (http://www.crucial.com) for memory information for various motherboards. When purchasing your motherboard and CPU, you'll need to consider how fast you want to move data inside your system. I'm referring to features regarding hard drive speed transfer rate (ATA33; ATA66; ATA100) These transfer rates (or data burst rates) will be a factor in the board you choose. Related to this is the selection of a hard drive, a CDROM, and and other so-called IDE interfaced devices. Generally, one can plug 4 IDE devices into their motherboard. Besides hard drives and CDROMS, their are CDRWs (for making your own CDs), DVDs (a bit more advanced than CDRWs and with different capabilities), but you can compare and contrast those latter devices at different websites. Other IDE devices include Internal Zip drives for storage, data backup and moving data from one computer to another, like a 3.5" floppy disc that holds between 100 and 250 MBs, depending on the model. Oh, so you'll need to pick up a 3.5" floppy drive as well. And when you buy your case, besides all of the above, keep in mind how many "bays" you'll need for you IDE devices, and maybe some extras for upgrading down the road.

Presumably you'll want to access the Internet, so you'll need a modem. Ask members here for suggestions.

You may also want sound, so you'll need a sound card and speakers. Ask here for advice.

Of course you'll need a keyboard and mouse: cordless? optical? Check out different models and don't hesitate to ask opinions here. There are plenty of opinions!

You'll require an operating system, i.e., your first software purchase. Windows 95? 98? 2000? Millenium? Or an alternative to a Microsoft operating system, like Linux. Much depends on what you want to use your computer for. Ask here.

And a monitor: 15"? 17"? 19" Ask here. Plus a video or graphics card to make it run, unless you choose a motherboard with "on board" video. In fact, many motherboards come with "on board" or built in "audio" or sound, thus alleviating the need for purchasing a seperate sound card (which, like a vide/graphics card or modem, simply plug into your motherboard). Don't be afraid to ask. We've all started at the begining!

I think I've covered most components. Adequate cooling, installation of you CPU onto your motherboard, installing each device, etc, are all topics deserving their own topics. Just keep in mind that we've all been there, and it's a real kick when you power up a system you built and IT WORKS!

Good luck!

Hope I haven't confused you too much.

Brangwen http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif

PS: For an idea of what you might want to include in your system, check different pre-built computers at different sites and see which components are included. This may help with your "shopping" list, then research each component.

[epicd]

Okay that was a ton of great info, thanks a bunch. But it just makes more questions.
The system is being built for Computer Animation, I'm a graduate right out of college and I'm putting together a dual chip system. It has to have 384mb+ of RAM, a huge HD thats fast and reliable, capable of handle intense 3D application, layered rendering, Raytracing, intense playblasting, and real time shading/lighting.
This thing has to have balls. So I was looking at dual T-Birds, although im not sure how to tell what cpus are compatible with the software/motherboard/OS/Video Card.
So I've just been posting on as many forums as I can find to see who knows what and if they are willing to help. I have a budget, but I need a kick **** monitor, I'm going to be staring at this thing for a long time, so it has to be ace. I am curious about Flat Panels, but not sure how much they cost.

All in all, this thing has to go like snot.

epic::Vancouver

[This message has been edited by epicd (edited 04-17-2001).]

[bigpoppasmooth]

Ok, your first stop for pricing is www.pricewatch.com. (http://www.pricewatch.com.) Whatever you want, they've got a link to it. If you really want a dual Athlon, you should wait a few months until the chipset is perfected. The boards are out there but the technology is still too new. ie: kt133 chipset turned into kt133a.
The best starting place if you want an Athlon based system is www.amd.com. (http://www.amd.com.) They've got suggested everything. From power supplies to case fans.
Once you think you've got everything locked down start checking out reviews. www.hardocp.com, (http://www.hardocp.com,) www.viahardware.com, (http://www.viahardware.com,) www.amdmb.com, (http://www.amdmb.com,) www.tomshardware.com (http://www.tomshardware.com) and www.socketa.com (http://www.socketa.com) are all sites that I frequent and will most definitely help you in your mission.

[This message has been edited by bigpoppasmooth (edited 04-17-2001).]

[epicd]

awsome, thanks for all these links!

I have so much information to sift through...

whats RAID? I've seen that on a couple motherboards, but I don't know what it means. I THINK it has to do with more than one hard drive?


Thanks again, you fellas rool.

epic::vancouver

[RandomGoon]

There's another link that I tend to check in addition to most of what's been previously posted: http://www.sharkyextreme.com They've had some nice reviews and for building a new box they have your basic office machine to your advanced "God-Box" covered in both Intel and AMD flavors.

RandomGoon

[ragtop]

epicd:
Building your own computer is not all that difficult, but building a high end system with dual processors, RAID, high end graphics, etc. might be biting off a little more than a newbie can chew. I don't want to be a spoil-sport, but you should really consider starting with something a little more basic for your first build. Still, if you are determined, and have a lot of time to study various web pages, etc. for information - you should be able to pull it off.

You may also find that you won't save as much money as you think if you're building your first computer and you are starting from scratch. The savings come later on when you can upgrade your system a piece at a time, rather than having to buy a whole new computer.

Before you dive into this thing, find out how much the computer you need would cost, if you bought it assembled and guaranteed. Then compare it to the cost of building the same thing yourself. (don't forget to include the cost of software including the operating system, as well as how much your time is worth)

[epicd]

well said ragtop, but neccessity is taking front seat on this one. I NEED the machine to perform to a certain performance standard. My livelyhood is going to depend on this machine.
Even if I can save 500 bucks, I think its worth a shot.
But again, good point, and I never thought of it like that. I will definately keep that in mind while I continue through this.

Thank you all for your information and responses, I appreciate the feedback so much.

ep

[Roy]

You can look up RAID and other flavors of alphabet soup at www.whatis.com (http://www.whatis.com) .

Info on dualies is at www.2cpu.com (http://www.2cpu.com)

[lbarden]

AMD has some great deals going. Watch out this month for Intel to drastically drop its prices though! You may have seen some news stories on this lately. The guess is that AMD will drop their prices too since they want to continue to be a better deal than Intel.

You should be able to find dual processor board for Intel chips now. I would recommend Asus boards and crucial memory. For prices www.pricegrabber.com (http://www.pricegrabber.com) is also good, but does not have the amount of listings that www.pricewatch.com (http://www.pricewatch.com) does, however their site is cleaner and does include shipping charges. Also check out www.spartantech.com (http://www.spartantech.com) for buying. I have had good luck with them in the past.