Community weekly poll: Have you ever built your own computer?
- 3/23/06 1:20 PM
Building Is Great!!
by Jason83 - 3/24/06 8:27 AM In reply to: Have you ever built your own computer? by Marc Bennett
I built my own PC a couple of years ago. My poor old Celeron 1.1GHz just wasn't keeping up.
The great thing about building your own is that you get to choose everything that goes into it instead of buying a ready made PC that is almost what you want, but not quite.
It is also a great feeling when you power it up for the first time and see your creation working. I am always pleased when I think to myself "I built this".
I had upgraded my old system in the past, so knew what everything was and did in a PC. I shopped around for some components, got a copy of Windows XP Pro, and had great fun building my new system. It is actually very straight-forward and easy to do.
It worked out to be a great deal cheaper that buying from a branded PC company, and I was able to ensure that I had quality branded components that were reliable. I was able to carry over my Monitor, Printer, CDRW drive, floppy drive, DVD ROM drive, and HDD over into the new system, which saved me more money 
.
The system I built was top of the range at the time. It would have cost around £1500 - £2000 for a system of the same spec. It only cost me about £800 to build my own form some old and some new components. Even if I had needed all new components, I would still have saved money, as this would have only pushed the cost up to around £1300. I saved 100s of pounds by building my own PC, and have the satisfaction that I built it.
To build, rebuild or upgrade is a fuzzy gray line sometimes
by ddooge1997 - 3/24/06 8:40 AM In reply to: Have you ever built your own computer? by Marc Bennett
I have bought two computers in my life, AT 286DX40 and a current generation Dell workhorse. I spent years upgrading that AT case with new cards and motherboards and then moved to a larger case style.
Don’t forget about the ATA case styles, which was a complete, rebuild, maybe I should call that one new. One of many computers, which left me computer cases, cups, motherboards and a museum of cards types and LITTLE PARTS everywhere in my computer room. At first
I was getting what I wanted at a good savings, then
I was getting what I wanted at a fare savings. Now I get what I want just a step back from the bleeding edge with only a small savings in price. Good stuff,
My computer case glows in the dark, the house light dim when I start it up, it has five hard drive and two DVD's, two monitors with photo and laser network printers and other neat stuff. Wow, what a toy, I love it. Massage chair, vcr/dvd players, flat screen HD TV
in a U multi level desks with cd, games, phone, intercom, WOW. I did mention a Dell workhorse. My wife use to get all of my spare part in her computer as do other people, but my wife wanted a current generation computer and some how I just found it easier time vs. money to get what she wanted with a store bought computer, which has preformed to my expectations. But what is next for my computer, that is a good question after 20 plus years. What does make me feel good is to take all those old parts and make a COMPLETE computer and GIVE it to some kid who's family is so poor that it may well be 20 years before they can afford one. This has become favorite part of making my own computers.
Twice
by jwayne54 - 3/24/06 8:45 AM In reply to: Have you ever built your own computer? by Marc Bennett
I built my first computer about five years ago, when I was THIRTEEN. I hunted around, found the best parts for the money, and ended up putting together a quite nice machine for ~$500. It did everything I wanted, plus was as nice/nicer than computers you could buy for over a thousand. It worked perfectly fine for about two years, then the iffy powers supply went out, and I had to replace it. Other than that, it's still running nicely to this day. About a month ago, I built another tower, and so far it has only cost me about $240. I have a Sempron 3300+, 1.5gig pc3200ram, 250gig hd, a combo drive, and an ati radeon 9600pro (the motherboard even has an onboard nvidia mx400, which isn't all too shabby for onboard video). All in all, it's a nice little machine, not to mention within my college student budget for a new gaming machine.
PC build
by Jean Guy Nadeau - 3/25/06 7:07 PM In reply to: Twice by jwayne54What motherboard did you use?
PCs From Scratch
by Shaun Egan - 3/24/06 8:52 AM In reply to: Have you ever built your own computer? by Marc Bennett
I have worked on and rebuilt PCs by the hundreds, and created many more from ground zero in smorgasbord style. Today's PC components range from simple "kits" to bare-bones parts so you have a lot to choose from. The menu choices, let's say, got a whole lot bigger.
In all, the experiences were fulfilling for many reasons, not the least of which are that it was educational and informative, I was able to choose the exact components I wanted, and I knew precisely what I was getting. Fixes and upgrades were a snap after that. A small savings over a "canned" system was not my first consideration - but it does provide icing on the cake.
You still have to keep in mind many factors; power requirements and cooling are easily overlooked. Drivers for each component may need to be tweaked before they work flawlessly. You rarely receive fun stuff that is typically bundled with canned systems. But I am a purist at heart and truly love the fact that I do not have to fret over what was loaded onto the PC. I know everything that was put in the system - and that's gold, to me.
Yes I have built my own and here's what I discovered.
by mccarthy.r - 3/24/06 8:56 AM In reply to: Have you ever built your own computer? by Marc Bennett
Today, "building" a compuer is simply a matter of assembling a carefully chosen array of parts. You want a case to suit your taste and needs, a power supply to accomodate the load requirements, a CPU that can handle the work demands but is not an overkill, plenty of RAM memory, a compatible chipset and motherboard, with sufficient slots on the motherboard for expansion, USB ports, etc.. These are not easy choices.
Before building your own computer, you should consider how you are going to use the computer most often, e.g. business, gaming, audio/visual, etc. This decision dictates what components you select as mentioned above.
If you are not sure how to make these selections (and there are MANY options), you might want to go for a "bare bones" package. This consists of a case with power supply and motherboard with CPU and chipset, generally designed for a particular use. Your vendor should be able to guide you in your choice.
Then you need to select such things as a hard drive, video card, CD or DVD =/- RW, and all peripheral devices such as a printer, scanner or whatever you need to produce the results you want.
Finally, you need to select and install an operating system. Conversely, the parts you previously selected must be compatible with the operating system you want to use. So planning ahead is essential to success.
What did I do? I used a barebones package and winged it from there. It was fine but could have been much better had I known what I wanted before I started. I have struggled through many adaptations, much of which had to do with the built-in devices on the motherboard.
For example, I decided to replace the inadequate, built-in sound system with a PCI sound card. This required disabling the built-in by moving a jumper on the motherboard. To my dismay, I found that disabling the sound system also disabled the modem so I had to install a modem card as well, which used up the limited number of PCI slots available.
I do not like built in systems on the motherboard but they are a necessary evil because they reduce the overall cost for most users, but you need to be very selective in choosing a motherboard.
One final point, building your own computer is going to cost considerably more than buying from a mass-producer like Dell, Gateway, Compaq, HP, etc.; the reward is in knowing that you did it yourself. There are other rewards as well, such as focusing the computer's resources to your specific needs, resulting in faster, more efficient and trouble-free computing.
Good luck!
Built plenty of my own computers
by TexasTech - 3/24/06 8:56 AM In reply to: Have you ever built your own computer? by Marc Bennett
Back in the bad old days when the home PC cost in the neighborhood of $3,000 USD to purchase from Dell or Gateway I started building my own computers.
Today, it is a far different story. I normally purchase current Dell refurbished computers at a fraction of the price it would cost me to build from scratch or order new. It just does not make economic sense to build from scratch if you need more than one workstation. Most homes today have at least two or more computers on a network. I can either sell or donate the ones I am replacing.
On the other hand, if the person who may consider building a computer may require it for a specific task or the bleeding edge game machine, then the DIY building makes a little more sense. There is a great deal of compatibility testing that goes on prior to the release of a name brand computer. The end user can be sure that all components will work as designed or expected. The home builder must depend on his or her level of experience and technical data sheets when selecting components. The warranty of components will vary and often the hottest items are in short supply if not excessively priced.
There are plenty of barebones deals out in the market, but they are not always genuine bargains when you factor in the cost of software and peripheral upgrades. If you sit down with a clean sheet of paper and list every item you desire for your ultimate system and shop for the best price on each item, you will likely get exactly what you want but at a cost well above a pre-built system. The pre-built system comes ready to use and normally has a warranty as long or longer than the parts you diligently shopped.
The bottom line is where are you willing to draw the line of sacrifice?
Will never buy one again
by charbar43 - 3/24/06 9:23 AM In reply to: Have you ever built your own computer? by Marc Bennett
You get what you pay for. I'm a computer tech working out of my home,and in my opinion the cheap computers you can buy are NOT a quality product.You can't build one as cheap, but why would you want to. Plan out what you want and need for hardware and software and go from there, buy Quality parts and you will be very pleased with the result. The last one I built for myself cost about 1000.00 it's specs. are Antec sonota case, gigabyte k8nxp-sli MB, Amd Athlon XP 3200,NVIDIA GeForce 6200 TurboCache,1 GB ddr, 2 seagate 200 GB sata drives in a stripe raid but it's reliable and quiet and resonably fast. One thing of Importance to me is most store bought computers with bundled software have included well known spyware software ie.Wild tangent,among others.
Modern computers are assembled not built
by wobblyo - 3/24/06 9:41 AM In reply to: Have you ever built your own computer? by Marc Bennett
I built my first computer in 1979 when the use of a soldering iron and individual components (resistors, capacitors etc) was involved. It took several days to build and several more days of fault finding to uncover dry joints and troublesome sockets. Today it is so easy making it almost impossible to connect things the wrong way.
Don't get me wrong, I don't want to go back, I far prefer the 'assembly' option.
Built a few
by Romulin - 3/24/06 10:24 AM In reply to: Have you ever built your own computer? by Marc Bennett
I have built a few pc's and its not as hard as a lot of people think.
Its a good idea to find out what parts work best with each other. Mainly the motherboard. Check ram is compatable and you have the right hard disc connection for you chosen hard disc, ie. ide or serial ata.
Hard disk performance/speed/reliability can vary also. try to get the largest cashe on all levels. This improves the search times, and so speed.
Different manufacturers qoute various mtbf (mean time before failier). Check this figure also, as the bigger the figure the longer it should last.
Try to partition the disc into smaller partitions, say 10Gb depending on the type of files used. This will inprove search times.
Ram memory can vary in performance so its best not to buy the cheapest. Try to get matched pairs also.
Well thats the basics, and it could save you a lot of money as online retailers always have special offers and you can pick up a bargain.
Everyone's got to try it at least once
by mkung - 3/24/06 10:33 AM In reply to: Have you ever built your own computer? by Marc Bennett
This was years ago when 486's were the rage. I definately recommend trying it at least once for the curious type.
Would I do it again? Not really, built systems are too cheap currently to make it economically feasible.
I would like to build a Laptop someday....
A great project for your tech-curious kid!
by kstebleton - 3/24/06 11:42 AM In reply to: Have you ever built your own computer? by Marc Bennett
A few years back, I bought a "bare bones" cpu/case combo with the idea that a 14 y/o kid and I would build a system together.
He had been reformatting the computers his mother was auctioning off - FDisk, install WIN-98, drivers, test and ship. So this was a perfect task for him!
We pulled a 3.5" floppy from an older unit, recycled his keyboard/mouse, I removed the memory from the barebones kit and handed it to him to "install".
We barely had the side panels on, and he was off and running, to install the OS. WINDOWS XP Professional had just been released, and HE installed that on the spot.
He took it to the high school, plugged in the Ethernet cable there, and had internet running on the first try, too. The on-board dail up modem worked at 56k, as well.
A month later, he called asking about AGP graphics - seems the system lacked AGP processing, and the on-board video wasn't up to his needs. So he got a 4X (I think) AGP and tossed it in - viola! First upgrade after the build.
Kid went on to be a tech-aid at school, and study computer graphics in college.
This is a great project for an adult and kid!
Have you ever built your own computer?
by m2davis - 3/24/06 11:58 AM In reply to: Have you ever built your own computer? by Marc Bennett
Yes I and a buddy did it together. It was very instructional as I became aware of what hardware device did what and that these parts needed to at least mesh together to create one great tool. Would I ever do it again? No it is easier to pay someone to do it for me as I cannot keep up with the technology as it changes faster than I am able to read. And it is nice to have a warranty on the actual computer where they fix it for my scew ups.
bob the builder
by dillon45 - 3/24/06 12:56 PM In reply to: Have you ever built your own computer? by Marc Bennett
Marc, i am 71 years old and have no profesional it skills and am not known for my mechanical ability, I have built 5 computers now and though I admit the first one I waqs v nervous!, there is very little to worry about, if you can handle a screwdriver. However there are some basics, first do a bit of research and decide exactly whot you want, second, having decide make a list of components you need and make sure they are compatible, so here you are, all the components on the table screwdriver in hand ready to roll, not quite, READ THE MANUALS supplied,refer to them all the time and GO for it, take your time and voila you have your dream machine, and a lot of satisfaction at about two thirds the price, good luck
bob
Building a computer for your needs.
by simon.manandhar - 3/24/06 1:09 PM In reply to: Have you ever built your own computer? by Marc Bennett
My first thought in building my Computer is ''what do I need it to do?''. My second thought is ''what do I WANT it to do?''. Want and need are 2 entirely different things in a computer. If you want your computer to play games you need a good graphics and sound card, a high end CPU, a fast hard drive, plenty of memory (512 Mb at MINIMUM,1 Gig or more preferable).
For Gamers:
Look for the best, buy what you can afford. Memory and speed is what you are looking for, and dont bother with pretty cases. Power supplys are what is needed, and you can get a good power supply for your computer without the need to pay out big bucks for a pretty case that sits there and just looks good and does nothing else (unless the case comes with liquid cooling). BUYERS BEWARE! You can get burned with low quality merchandise if its second hand goods, and most of the time they have no warranty. You can however, get good deals by buying factory seconds from the people that sell the parts, sometimes becauase they have a scratch on a case or other 'imperfections'. These are good deals, as the warranty is still in effect. If you WANT a particular part with all the trappings, but have to trim your computer to fit the budget, think about what you NEED. You have a number of options here.
1 : Get the part, and hope you can get the other parts later to build your computer.
2 : Buy a cheaper part, and stay within your budget, and complete your computer.
3 : Max out your credit card, and buy it anyway, and buy the rest of the parts for your computer.
4 : Look for the same parts online at eBay or some other sites where you can get wholesale prices at sometimes 50% or more off recomended retail prices.
5 : If none of the above work for you, wait a while for the prices to go down and buy them a little later.
For Internet Surfers :
Look for something that will help you surf the net. it dosn't have to be a high end computer, as its not very Graphic intensive, but you should have about 512MB RAM, a CPU capable of 500Mhz or better, a video and sound card (sound cards depend on what you need the computer to do while surfing). If you are downloading movies, you should have a sound card with at least 32 MB ram or more(in my experinece anyway). Video cards are the same. If you want to watch movies, get a card with at least 64MB RAM, a GeForce4 MX 440 is a good choice, since its cheap, and will run most video with no problem.
Hard Drives are problamatic. do you need to store a lot of data? I have multiple Hard Drives in my computer, so have plenty of room, but if you decide to download large files, you should look at 250 Gigabytes minimum. Hard Drives are comeing down in price.
Motherboards : There are a lot of Motherboards around, and many are made for gamers. Look at the Brand name, and what it can do for YOU. Do you want a Raid Drive? Do you need high bus speed? do you want 4Gig of RAM later on, and what kind of ram is it capable of accepting? Do you need Dual Core processing? Is SDRAM (Single Data Rate RAM) good enough for you? Probably, if your just websurfing, or writing your journals. or do you need DDRRAM(Double Data Rate RAM)for high speed ram, when you have plenty of windows open, and lots of processes runing in the background?
These are just a few of the questions you need to ask haen you build your own computer, but hte main question is WHAT DO I NEED IT TO DO, AND WHAT DO I WANT IT TO DO.
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