Re: Advice please for a first-time builder?


Snugglemonster wrote:

I've installed and reinstalled all kinds of peripherals and hard drives.

I want to upgrade my 5+ year old PC at the end of this year
to something modern for FPS gaming and to last me 3 years at least.

#1. Can you point me to some FAQ's and tutorials on HOW to go about
building a PC

www.pcmech.com/byopc
www.tomshardware.com/2002/09/04/building_your_own_pc
http://arstechnica.com/guide/building/mobo-1.html
www.sharkyextreme.com/hardware/guides/build_computer/

and any tools needed (i.e. shock resistant wristbands, AMP meters, etc.)

1/4" nut driver, Philips screwdriver (there are combination nutdrivers/
screwdrivers), and maybe needle nose pliers for handling tiny things
(jumper shunts, screws that fall into tight spots).

"shock resistant wristbands" are called anti-static wristbands, $2-5,
but they're not absolutely necessary if you take care to frequently
touch the computer case and touch the case while you pick up any
component (directly or by its hard plastic packaging, which itself is
anti-static). Don't leave the AC cord plugged into a wall outlet or
power strip, as that can be hazardous in rare cases, but do work
barefoot and in short sleeves.

Avoid creating shorts and making wrong electrical connections. The
motherboard can short to the case if insulator washers aren't
installed below or above some mounting holes (few holes need
insulators, but visually verify anyway) or if it's not adequately
supported, especially at the corners.

AMP doesn't make meters, nor do you need an amp meter, but a digital
multimeter is a good tool to have for measuring power supply and
battery voltages and checking the continuity of cables to sort them
out or check their integrity.

Don't assemble everything and then turn on the power. Rather first
put together just a barebones system (no drives, no cards except for
video) and verify that it comes to life. Then add a floppy drive or
CD-ROM so that a memory diagnostic can loaded (memtest86 and memtest+
are good, many others are not) and run for several hours. Thorough
testing is important since most memory modules are now made from chips
that haven't passed the chip manufacturer's quality standards (why the
manufacturer markings are missing from them). Don't proceed further
if even a single memory error is detected because memory must work
perfectly for the computer to be reliable.

#2. Is building a PC from scratch THAT much more expensive than buying
a custom pc from..say.. cyberpowerpc.com ? And is it worth the time
and risk of damaging core components compared to having an online shop
custom build one?

Ready-made systems are rather cheap, especially when the cost of a
Windows operating system is included, but higher performance systems
can be cheaper if homebuilt, sometimes with better warranties (3-5
years for hard drives and retail boxed CPUs, lifetime for memory).
The risks aren't great, provided you take precautions against static,
shorts, and incorrect connections. It used to be risky to install the
heatsink on some processors, but all processors made now have a large
surface and secure mounting system.

#3. Is a case, PSU all I need to start off with? And then from there
the mb, cpu, etc.?

To start off you need at least a power supply, keyboard, motherboard,
monitor, CPU, heatsink & fan for CPU, 1 memory module, a video card
(unless motherboard has built-in video), an on/off switch, and a reset
swith. A case isn't absolutely necessary, but if you run without one
(you should not), raise the motherboard at least 1/2" above the table
to prevent cards from being pushed out of their sockets.

Buy a quality power supply, something recommended by web sites that
test them competently (few do), such as www.silentpcreview.com and
www.jonnyguru.com. Fortron (several brands), Enermax, Enhance, and
Seasonic are all good, but if you're thinking of running a high
performance video card, look for one that's SLi certified by nVidia or
Crossfire certified by ATI.

.

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