Why I'll Never Buy Another Computer Again
Sep 29 '00
I can’t imagine ever buying another computer. I’m not a tightwad and I certainly am not one to get behind the technology eight ball but I’ll never get the pleasure of taking a PC of its very own box again. The reason is simple. I build my own computers. I pick up a piece here and there and before long I’ve got enough pieces to build an entire system. It ends up being cheaper than getting a new Dell or Gateway and it certainly is a much more rewarding learning experience.
What You Need
Case
There are two types of generic cases; AT and ATX. You need to buy a case that matches the motherboard you are planning to use. Another consideration in cases is the size. You need to plan ahead if you are going to have more than one hard drive, or if you plan to have a CD-ROM, DVD, and/or a CD-R. Other internal devices that need space are tape drives and ZIP drives. The final consideration in buying a case is the power supply. If you plan to fill the case full of the aforementioned goodies, you need a strong power supply, 300 watts at the minimum. You may also want to get a case that has room to install extra fans.
Motherboard and CPU
As mentioned your motherboard must match your case design. You also need to get a motherboard that will use the type of CVPU you plan to use. There are different CPU sockets. Cyrix, AMD, and Pentium MMX CPUs require a Super Socket 7. Older Celerons need a socket 370. Other Celerons and Pentium II and III CPUs require Slot One motherboards. There are different requirements for the newest AMD and Intel CPUs.
Don’t forget to get an appropriate CPU fan for cooling purposes.
Some motherboards have built in video, sound, network connectors, and modems. This can save you money initially but may cause headaches down the road.
You also need to know the bus speed of the motherboard so that you can purchase the correct memory type. Many motherboards have variable bus speeds, so this step may not be absolutely critical. Find out the maximum amount of RAM the board will accept.
The onboard IDE controller is another issue. To take advantage of UDMA 66 hard drives, the controller must be able to operate at that speed.
Your motherboard must have the correct amount and type of adapter card slots. Most modern cards are PCI but there are still plenty of usable ISA components available. You need to make sure you have an AGP slot if you plan to use an AGP video card.
RAM
The primary factors in buying RAM are its pin configuration and its speed. Most modern motherboards use 168-pin SDRAM at either 66, 100, or 133 MHZ. You may find older boards that will use 72-pin EDO RAM as well.
Drives
You will need to have at least one hard drive. A CD-ROM, CD-R, or DVD is also a necessity. You’ll need a floppy drive or a high capacity removable media drive that can read floppy disks.
You may also choose to include an internal ZIP drive or tape backup drive in your plans.
Adapter Cards
Depending on what you plan to use you computer for, you will need to decide which of the following components to use.
Video Card - As I mentioned, make sure you motherboard has an AGP slot if you plan to use an AGP video card.
Sound Card - If you plan to listen to MP3s or play games you need to get a sound card and speakers.
Modem - Even if you have a broadband Internet connection there are still times when you may need a modem to send faxes, connect to bulletin boards or to use banking software. You can use an external modem if you are in danger of running out od space on your motherboard.
Network Card - You may even need two of these if you plan on having a broadband connection and a home network.
Other Considerations
When you build your own system, you have to obtain an operating system for it. Make sure you have a copy of Windows or Linux to use. Building a system is not something you want to do by yourself the first time. Get a friend to help you or better yet, watch a techie friend do it a few times before you jump in on your own.
Don’t forget to budget for a mouse, keyboard, and monitor.
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Epinions.com ID:
amerpie
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Member: Lou Plummer
Location: Fayetteville, NC
Reviews written: 176
Trusted by: 154 members
About Me:
Stop the war. Bring the troops home now!
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