So, you want to build your own computer ~ Suggestions for PC construction
Oct 29 '00 (Updated Feb 18 '01)
The Bottom Line Do the research before you decide and make sure all your components are compatible with each other. Oh yeah... have fun. :-)
Note: This review was originally written Saturday Jul 15, 2000 and was posted in "Developing Computer Skills". This catagory did not exist at that time. I have deleted the review from it's previous catagory, updated it, edited it and reposted it here, in it's correct catagory. My apologies to any who have previously read this review in it's old catagory.
Sincerely,
Gr8ful :-)
Why not build your own?
Most people who would like to build their own computer do not do it simply because they don't think they can. The truth is it is really not hard to do but you may want someone who has done it before to help guide you the first time and to help with troubleshooting common errors. Not only does this help you to understand computers better but it gives you a satisfying feeling of accomplishment,..."I built this computer."
Building a computer now-a-days is almost as expensive as buying one, but the satisfaction and experience of putting it together yourself added with the knowledge that you have exactly what you want in it is worth the price and frustration of learning. It is really not very hard to build a computer, you just have to make sure all the parts are compatible with each other. The first thing to do is decide what features you want to have in your computer and go from there.
Some processor manufacturers will give recommendations on parts to use with their processors. AMD is a great one for this. They also have downloadable instructions for building a computer using the Athlon processor. You can find AMD's and Intel's recommendations at their web sites below.
http://www.amd.com/
http://www.intel.com/
Processor
This should be the first thing you decide on. If you want top performance, I suggest the AMD Athlon processor or the Pentium III processor. Both are available in speeds from 500MHz to 1000MHz. If you want to save a little money and are not in need of the highest speed, I suggest the AMD K6-2 or K6-III processor. Another good processor to save money is the Celeron. The Celeron processor is a favorite of overclockers for it's ability to be overclocked way over it's branded speed. Which ever processor you decide on, it must be decided first because this will determine which type of motherboard you will need.
Motherboard
Depending on which processor you decide on will determine which type of motherboard you must get. There are many different motherboards that support each type of processor. If you get a Pentium III processor, you need a "Slot 1 motherboard". Athlon processors require a "Slot A motherboard", unless you buy the new Athlon Thunderbird processor. The new Thunderbird series requires a "Socket A motherboard". The point is to make sure the motherboard you get is compatible with the processor you choose. I have an entire review on understanding motherboards that explains the differences and which processors work with which motherboards. You can view that review at the following web address.
http://www.epinions.com/cmd-review-7285-46F5A91-39F86250-prod1
Case
Deciding on a case is fairly easy. Most cases come with a Power Supply already in them, but if yours doesn't you will have to get one. I will cover that in a moment. Most motherboards are ATX form factor but there are a few AT form factor boards still being sold. I suggest getting an ATX motherboard and an ATX case.
The size of the case you get depends on how many drives and peripheral cards you would like to have in your computer. If you only need a hard drive and CDROM, you could get a mini-tower case or a desktop case that will suffice. If, however, you want to have a CDROM, CDRW, DVD and maybe an internal ZIP drive you might want a mid-tower case to support additional drives and cards.
If you plan on having many drives and want the ability to add more in the future you may opt for a full-tower case. Full- towers usually have room for 3 internal hard drives and 6 to 7 external drives as well as having space for several case fans to keep the system cool. These type of cases are ideal for network servers and people who want maximum expandability.
Power Supply
I recommend a minimum of a 250W power supply. If the case you are getting has a built in power supply make sure it is at least 250W. If you are using an Athlon processor, you should get a 300W minimum power supply. AMD does not recommend using less. Power supplies also fall into the AT or ATX form factor and it is important to get the correct form for your motherboard, if you don't you won't be able to plug it in.
Memory
You must get the correct type of memory for the type of computer you are building. If you are building a Pentium III, you should get PC133 SDRAM or in the newer Pentium III "Slot 1" motherboards you can get RAMBUS memory to increase the overall speed of the computer. RAMBUS memory is still extremely expensive so you may opt for the PC133 instead.
Athlon based computers still use PC100 SDRAM. This type of memory is relatively inexpensive compared to RAMBUS but is still not cheap. Athlon based computers can use PC133 but you will notice no performance increase due to the memory bus which still runs at 100MHz, unless you have a recently developed Slot A or Socket A motherboard that supports a 133MHz memory bus like the Abit KA7-100 which also supports ATA/100. The point here is to make sure you get the correct memory for type of computer you plan to build.
Hard drive
Most motherboards have built in EIDE controllers and this would mean you can use any EIDE hard drive. The size depends again on what you plan to use the computer for. A common home computer for internet and gaming should have at least an 8GB hard drive. Network server can use anywhere from 8GB up to 60GB and more.
ATA66 and ATA100 are new technologies in EIDE hard drives and provide higher transfer rates for data. In order to take advantage of this new technology you should have a motherboard or controller card that supports the faster transfer rates. If you have a motherboard or controller card that only supports UDMA or ATA33, you can still use the new technology but you will only get a 33.3Mb transfer rate.
You can also install a bootable SCSI controller and use a SCSI hard drive. These drives are usually faster and depending on the controller and the drive can yeild data rates up to 180mb per second. The low end SCSI controllers can still get you 20-40mb per second. If you plan to use SCSI, make sure you get a bootable SCSI card and also make sure it is fast enough for the drive you plan to use.
CDROM
You will need a CDROM to install most programs. Any CDROM over 8X is acceptable for this task but a faster speed CDROM will install programs faster. Most programs will not run faster than an 8X CDROM, therefor an 8X is fine for most purposes. You can also opt for a DVD ROM, CD-R or CDRW drive as well. All of these type of drives install the same, the only differences are the capabilities of the drives. Installing a CDROM is easy and usually Windows will use it's own drivers so there is no software to install. CD-R, CDRW and DVD drives have other software that must be installed or Windows will only use these drives as a regular CDROM.
Video, Sound and Modem
Video is necessary for the computer to function, but sound and modem are options. Make sure when you buy your video controller that it is compatible with the motherboard. Most video controllers are AGP now so the motherboard you get should have an AGP slot to use with the new video cards. IF you don't have AGP on the motherboard you can get a PCI video card but these do not perform as well as the AGP cards do.
Picking a sound card is an option to your individual taste and finances. I suggest either a Creative Sound Blaster Live! model or a Diamond Monster model. Both are PCI and both have 128bit sound capability. You can find sound cards for as little as $19.00 so if you don't require earth shaking sound you can save money here.
Modems are important if you plan to use your computer for internet and do not have DSL or Cable modem available to you. I suggest an ISA modem if the motherboard you choose has ISA slots available. If not you will need to get a PCI modem or an external modem. External modems are by far the best and they are available in USB and Serial interfaces. If you do decide on purchasing a PCI modem, try to get a hardware controlled PCI modem. They are rare but they do exist.
Most PCI modems are Winmodems and even some ISA modems are Winmodems. Winmodems use software emulation and Windows drivers to control the data flow instead of a UART hardware controller. In almost every aspect of computers, if a job can be done by either software or hardware, hardware is usually the best for the job.
Conclusion
That is about all you need to build a computer. The fun part is putting it together. You can find help from your individual part manufacturers and there are many support bulletins online to help you get it up and running. I hope this helps you if you decide to take the plunge into PC construction. Good luck and thanks for reading.
:-)Gr8ful
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