Leaning how to build a PC

[sdds]

Hi all, after a bit more reading i've decided to possibly build my own pc...

 

I have a very old computer from around 1998, that still works..so going to have a go dismantling it and putting back together for fun.

 

I know this is very basic to you guys but I am a bit green behind the ears lol. So this thread could help me ask some questions along the way.

[Jeff Mottle]

It's a lot easier now than is used to be. These days, there are only a few things to do.

 

1. Buy all the parts

2. screw the motherboard into the case

3. mount the power supply, harddrives and CD/DVD drives to the case.

4. plug the RAM and processors in.

5. slide the video card into the motherboard slot

6. Attach the power cables from the power supply to the motherboard, video card (if required) and drives.

7. Plug the data cables from the motherboard to the haddrives.

8. Done.

 

If you are using the on board RAID controller then you would need to tweak the settings in the BIOS to the configuration you want, but there's not much to it anymore. The hardest part is researching what you want and buying the right parts.

 

You could probably have everyhting done in 1-2 hours.

[sdds]

ok thanks mate, I am having a play with this old machine for fun just so I feel confident.

 

I really appreciate the advice and will need some help choosing my parts.

 

Anyway this maybe dumb but on this old motherboard I am playing with there is two 4 pin connectors from the PSU and a place for them both on the board....I assume both are to be connected?

 

thanks for the help Jeff:)

[sdds]

Ok guys, if someone could give me a few pointers I'd really appreciate it..

 

This is my researched list so far, not looking for a powerhouse just a machine that I can upgrade latter.

 

Motherboard:

 

Gigabyte 965P-DS3 SKT 775 Conroe Motherboard, ATX, LGA775,

Compatible with Intel Core 2 Extreme/ Intel Core 2 Duo processor

8 GB (max) ram DDR2 supported

Chipset Type Intel P965 Express / Intel ICH8R

Audio Output Realtek ALC883 8 Channel Audio Codec

 

CPU:

 

Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 / 1.8 GHz processor, 2mb cache.

 

Graphics card:

 

XFX GeForce FX 5200 - 128 MB

 

This case with 400w PSU - http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=237926&sku=110120

 

2gigs of RAM, NEC DVD drive & Western digital 80gig hard drive.

 

comes to a total of about £300

 

I think thats all I need, maybe a better cpu fan so I can speed things up, but don't know what to get... Also can costs be cut a little more, this is mainly for running autocad and max in a student budget way lol atm.

[IceAged]

A few tips and warnings before you start...

Make sure you discharge any static electricity on you to avoid damaging the hardware - touch the computer case and a radiator pipe every so often to ground yourself. Likewise, don't ever use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust, (the electrostatic charge caused by air rubbing against the plastic tube can damage microchips).

Use a small amount of arctic silver thermal compound between the processor and the heatsink, applied in the correct direction. This will help cool the CPU

down by improving conductivity between the two. Be prepared to apply a reasonable degree of force to the heatsink when attaching it, as usually they don't snap into place very easily.

Ensure your fans are fitted the correct way - generally this means they pull air in at the front of the case, and blow air out of the back - air circulation

is very important to keep the system cool, and therefore stable. You will appreciate this later on a hot summers day before a deadline.

Don't start removing and inserting things with the power on standby, or the PC in sleepmode. Doing so usually wrecks the equipment.

There are plenty of guides online to help you. Make sure that you read your motherboard manual before doing anything - it will give you a wealth of info.

Once everything is up and running it's usually fairly straightforward, enable your CD drive as a boot option in the BIOS, then you can install Windows, etc

etc.

I would highly recommend buying a floppy disk drive as they are great for running diagnostic software during the early stages, (and if your computer dies before that deadline)...

 

Good luck, have fun

[sdds]

thanks for the tips tom, great..

 

a few more questions if I may

 

what sort of fan should I be looking for?

are my part choices reliable?

 

and finally what online uk store would you recommend for parts?

 

I really appreciate the help..

[sdds]

I am a little confused about video cards, the motherboard I have chosen has a PCI express slot and 3 PCI's....I take it an AGP video card won't fit on this board.

[sdds]

sorry, just realised that was a silly question..

[IceAged]

This probably isn't the best place to be asking about the components, tbh - I would recommend looking on some forums dedicated to the subject. Usually when putting a computer together, I Google the hardware and make sure that no-one is having any problems with my chosen combination, (eg, sometimes specific modules of RAM do not work with certain motherboards, even though 'on paper' you would expect them to). As Jeff said, researching this is time consuming, but something you need to do for yourself.

As far as CPU fans go, you can probably get away with the one supplied with the processor, (ideally use your own thermal compound). If you are planning on overclocking or whatever then i'd go with a bigger one, eg Zalman.

AGP will not work with PCI-E, no.

And where to buy - back to Google - and use 'product search', (you'll see prices can vary quite considerably). Generally the names Scan, Aria, LamdaTech, Dabs, etc, will crop up in the UK.