How to Build A Custom PC: The Complete n0ob's Guide to Building a Computer

Step 7 Your Custom Comps!

blckpythn -
'"'i built my first computer a little over a year ago
and im just now upgrading it
i now have 1gig of RAM
an AMD athlon 64-bit x2 4300+ 2.4ghz
EVGA GeForce 8600 256mb
and with the new processor i also got an Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro
~i also have 240 gig hard drive"

hondagofast -
"I built a perfectly good computer with:

A Dell Optiplex GX240 mintower case that had a 250W PS and a motherboard with a 1.6GHz CPU (bought at a garage sale)
1gig of DDR memory
A 120GB Maxtor drive (very old and slow) and a 40GB Seagate for backup
A DVD-ROM (now dead)
A DVD/CD burner (dead, don't buy cheap products people!)
A Creative Soundblaster Audigy
A Nvidia GeForce 4200
A USB 2.0 card
A U.S. Robotics Wireless card

The case I have opens like a clamshell and is easy to work on, it just doesn't have any space for extra fans..."

mesaynaysayer/-
"I am a bit of a geek overlord myself. My most powerful self constructed computer has 2 quad core xeon processors, 8 gb memory, and 2 tb hardrive(s) 2gb video cache, 12 usb 2.0 ports, 4 dvd dual layer r/w and 2 floppy. It took me 3 years to complete it.
LINUX RULES!!!!!!"

Comments

[CharlieFrancis]

wow!!! that's really cool! :D
man, I'm new to all of this stuff and it was actually my math teacher who introduced the class to how much cheaper it is to make your own computer than to spend like $700+ for one that someone else probably spent like 79cents a piece! Could you give me some cool suggestions for places to buy these products?

[drresearch]

I built my own computer around two years ago (counting from 2010) and that's what I am still using. When I built it I had about the latest hardware at that time (Intel Core 2 Duo, 160 GB HDD, 2 GB Ram, etc.), now I discovered that my system is already outdated. This is the problem with computers, once I had to change my motherboard and I couldn't find the same model again. Luckily I found another one which was compatible with my processor, and I didn't have to re-install the os since I use linux (Ubuntu, for those of you who know more about linux). I didn't really build a custom computer since it was the first one I built.

[_Scratch_]

oops.. didnt mean to say "top of the line", meant to quote you saying you used the "latest hardware"

[_Scratch_]

Um... 2008, they had quad cores, most 400$ computers had 4gb of ram and at least 320GB hard drives.... Sorry, not top of the line, even for 2008

[Fox-san48]

Ubuntu rules :D. your comp was outdated, but worked as long as it works and is still reasonibly fast your ok lol, in my books anyway

[drresearch]

Well, Linux has the good thing that it doesn't have (almost) any driver problems, so I could change my motherboard with no problem, and the computer isn't really too old (2 years), but what I mean is that everything evolves really fast!

[hitachi8]

You have more Driver/Software problem with Linux than with windows . i repair computer all day long and i never had any problem with windows , the problem with linux is that some driver dont even exist for some hardware . ohh , and linux is useless if you want to play game , and no i never had any problem with virus and i am using windows since windows 3.0.

[octopuscabbage]

Incorrect on both facts: Linux has more drivers then windows, and with WINE and play on linux you can run any game you want.

[hitachi8]

Try to run GTA 4 on Wine .
see you later in 5years . Haha .

[octopuscabbage]

GTA 4 is a terribly written game, thats not linux's fault. I have a hard time running it on my gaming rig because it's so awfully coded.

[drresearch]

Exactly! And Linux has MUCH better plug and play support, when I bought my printer I just had to plug it in and it worked, no driver installation.

[hitachi8]

yeah , it is why i was never able to connect on the internet with my Wifi key , even with the help of all your "community".

[octopuscabbage]

It's not linux's fault you can't figure things out O.o

[drresearch]

Once I installed windows on my pc and I had to install audio and ethernet drivers before I could get those working, on Linux I just installed the OS and EVERY piece of hardware worked immediately. Then once I added a PCI ethernet card and I just had to plug it in, switch on the computer and configure the network, no driver installation. Also, try installing windows on a pc, then pull out the hard drive and put it in another computer with different hardware, it will not work as well or at all. With Linux I can practically install it on a USB drive and boot from it on any computer. Yeah, there are some pieces of hardware that don't have a driver for linux, that I have to admit. I don't say that you should have problems with windows, but you do have to install new drivers for almost every piece of hardware you add. It is true that linux is not good for playing games (even though some games DO run on linux), but after all windows sucks in security, not only regarding viruses. I don't know how you managed to never have problems with viruses, I did find some viruses once on my computer when I used windows. Anyway, Linux guys use Linux, Windows guys use Windows, and we can stop arguing about this.

[Fox-san48]

yeh really fast, i got my Compaq CQ60 when it was like top of the range, and its out of date already, its hard to keep up lol, but im not gonna upgrade until i need too, its a waste of money just keeping up just to have the best, i mean i love computers and all, but wasting money like that isnt my sort of thing really, but everyone is different

[drresearch]

I also wound not upgrade my computer when the old hardware still works, in this case the mainboard had stopped working, though (no choice!).

[_Scratch_]

I took my old Acer aspire, and added a nzxt guardian 921 RB case, about 5 new fans, a 575W PSU, a top of the line Spire aftermarket tower cpu heatsink, and a Nvidia GTS 450 GPU. It also has 4gb of ddr 2 ram, and a AMD athlon 64 x2 5000+ dual core CPU, which never gets above 23*C even under a max load

[team omga]

Nice gudie, I have 8GB ram, IE7 core, 8600 gts graphic card and more stuff.

[aaronmarsh632]

Something I like to keep in mind when building a PC is if i'm fitting a card reader aswell, it's best to fit it once the computer is built and installed with an opps, 'cos sometimes if the card reader is in while installing the opps, the letter of the main hdd can be changed from C: and as C: is the default drive letter it can get kinda annoyin everytime u have to manually change an installation directory or somethin' like that

[technick29]

Good idea. Can I add this to the last step?

[aaronmarsh632]

yeh, no probs