Building a computer from scratch

[Rexmons]

01. Motherboard
02. CPU
03. RAM
04. Video Card
05. Sound Card (if you want)
06. Power Supply
07. Case
08. Cigarette Lighter
09. Monitor
10. Keyboard, Mouse, Printer

and take UT's advice and get acquainted with newegg.com

[PointsOfLight]

That cigarette lighter is going in there even if I don't smoke.
And yes I set up an account with newegg last night. Ordering the case tomorrow.

I had a question for tw though on fans...are you saying that all I need to cool my case is the power supply fan and that's it? Cause with a overclocked Core Duo and a pretty big graphics card it just doesn't seem like enough.

The reviews I've seen on newegg about cases really promote case cooling. Some go to the extreme and use hydraulic cooling! I'm under the impression that the cooler a component is the less chance it will fail...which really appeals to a poor student that doesn't want to replace expenisive parts.

[Perry Winkle]

I can't find the really good guide I've seen on case airflow, but here's a serviceable one.

[theotherguy]

Which OS will you be installing?

[PointsOfLight]

A know lot of people support UNIX based OSs, but i've always used Windows.

so if it was windows...i'd probably use XP Pro or something.
my current knowledge is that Vista has had a lot of problems.
but you'd think that would get better as time passed...

[theotherguy]

I ask because I am going to start an Ubuntu thread to ask some questions of these Linux gurus around here. You might find it helpful.

[tw]

Originally Posted by PointsOfLight

I had a question for tw though on fans...are you saying that all I need to cool my case is the power supply fan and that's it? Cause with a overclocked Core Duo and a pretty big graphics card it just doesn't seem like enough.

How many watts are you dissipating inside that case? That number and 35 CFM for a standard 80 mm fan is sufficient to calculate reality.

Appreciate how widespread are computer myths. Most who assemble (not build) a computer and consider themselves expert don't even know how electricity works. They cannot even perform that heat calculation and would get angry if pushed to do so.

One fan for the chassis - not to be confused with another fan on the heatsink that has a completely different task.

Use lessons from junior high science. First form a hypothesis. That means doing the theoretical calculations given watts and fan CFM. Then do experiments. Build the system and measure those results. Without both, then you would know nothing except speculation. These concepts from science get lost on many computer assemblers who just know only because they assembled (not built) a system. Myths will be widespread because observation alone somehow becomes fact. This ignorance is why Asian exporters make massive profits selling inferior power supplies to clone computer assemblers. Sell a supply that is missing parts for less - and have a higher profit margin? Yes because so many computer assemblers recommend power supplies only on dollars and watts - and don't even know what the watts are really measuring.

You don't need all those chassis fans. When done, put your computer in a 100 degree room and operate it all day. Yes, all computers must work just fine at temperatures above 100 degrees - most all with only one 80mm chassis fan.

Many hype more cooling for reliability because they have a trend but don't have a grasp of the numbers. Same applies to another question about disk drive life expectancy that no one answered with numbers. The naive will hype 'leave it on constantly' to extend hardware life. They have not a clue - only speculations justified by observation. Yes, higher temperatures will age a component faster. And then we put numbers to that CPU. We have lowered its life expectancy from 200 years to 100 years. So what? Notice how trends hyped by the naive become irrelevant once we apply what they avoid - the numbers.

You will hear hype about Arctic Silver. Myths to have you spend more. Most heatsink compounds selling for far less money are same as Arctic Silver. But ask one who recommends Arctic Silver to provide its thermal resistance numbers. He cannot. He just 'feels' Arctic Silver is better because it is hyped like Listerine.

When assembling a computer, also challenge claims by asking for numbers. Another number for that CPU heatsink is 'degrees C per watt'. They cannot provide that spec in writing? Then suspect a product promoted only on hype.

Again, it is the 'Tool Man Taylor' joke. The naive just know something is better ... "More Power".

[SteveDallas]

Originally Posted by PointsOfLight

so if it was windows...i'd probably use XP Pro or something.

You may know this already, but you can get Windows for significantly less if you order the OEM version. (M$ requires this to be in conjunction with a hardware purchase, like a motherboard or CPU or something.) One downside is that M$ licenses expect the computer manufacturer--that would be you in this case--to supply tech support for OEM copies of Windows that they install on new machines. But I personally think the OS-related Windows support you get from any of the big PC vendors is not worth anything.