I'm going to build a PC
 

Well, I've decided I need a new PC - well, OK then, I've decided I want a new PC ;)

The one I've got is an Athlon XP 2800+, IDE, 512 Mb bought assembled - this time I'd like to bite the bullet and build the thing myself :erm:

I've never done this before (I've added drives to the old one, and changed the CPU fan, but never put a mobo into a case, connected up any of the lights or USB ports, never even put a PCI card or memory into the mobo) but I figure that assuming I don't burn the house down the worst that'll happen is that I'll just have to scrap it all, it's only money after all, & call Mesh! :dozey:

I won't be playing games (except very occassionally and never the latest releases) - I really just want something that's a bit nippier than what I've got at the moment.

Problem is: I don't have a clue what to get! :dunce:

I've got a budget of about £450 to spend on the case, mobo, CPU, and graphics card; in addition I'll get a couple of 1GB corsair memory chips and something like a DiamondMax Plus10 or Seagate Barracuda 300Gb Sata drive.

Ideally I'd like to spend a bit on the case and get a cool, quiet one that already has a power supply, and I really want bits that are a doddle to set up, with no compatability issues, good quality manuals, that sort of thing.

Any suggestions?

Thanks :)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

What sort of things are you doing at the moment where you think your current PC is slow?

The CPU you have at the moment is quite adequate for web browsing, Wordprocessing and most general use. You say you don't really game much. Do you mess around with photo's and stuff?

What is it you do that makes you need more power? Without knowing that it's difficult for anyone to judge what combinations of kit might be best for your needs.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Thanks for the reply Rob

Yes, I do a bit of photoediting and some (basic) video editing for work; I also tend to work on big (200 page +) documents with images, which take their toll.

I also use the PC as a PVR which makes the graphics card work a bit - an old ATI 9800.

I can probably actually live with the speed of the current PC - the reasons I've decided to go for a new one are:

I've run out of HDD space again - that's 240Gb before backups :erm: - and since I'm going to have to buy a big new drive I thought'd I'd bump the system up to SATA to speed copying time. At the moment it's IDE.

Because I've only got one machine at the moment I can't risk making any serious configuration changes in case it goes pear shaped - I've had the thing 2 years and haven't reinstalled XP once (in fact, I've never installed XP at all; it came preloaded). So Registry Mechanic can do what it can, but I'm sure XP is begging me for a freshen up ;)

With a second machine I'll be able to play around and still have a working system if I meet any problems.

I also use Grabit as my binary newsreader - very buggy, leaks memory. It'd be good to be able to stick that on the old PC and carry on working on the new one however much the first slows down.

And, probably most importantly, I really just want a new computer :) I know, I'm so shallow ...... ;);). But I do actually fancy the challenge of doing it myself. I know someone once said that if you've got £600 to spend on a challenge, learn how to fly a helicopter, but that just sounds way to scary to me :)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

I'm thinking of taking up the challenge too, been reading info here http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/sho...php?t=17168895 seems to be a lot of info here and plenty of forums to read through for advice. My comp is feeling the strain now, so have decided to have a go at building my own as company's seem to want a small fortune these days.

Regards.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

The editing of big documents, especially if there is a number of images in there, is telling. If the PC keeps almost "hanging" and you see the HD going beserk, then memory will be key. Having said that my 1GB RAM on this 3500+ CPU PC is doing just fine, and I can be editing word documents that have 30 pages worth of photos attached.

I quite like the SATA RAID I have on here. Don't worry too much about backups as if one drive dies the other mirror should take care of it. On the other hand if there were a fire or flood :disturbd:

the 9800 is a quite respectable graphics card. It's all I have and does adequately for games. I'm surprised it's no good for your PVR use.

But yep there is no problem in you spending money, and building it yourself is straight forward, if you work out what to fit. Put simply I'd get the biggest CPU you can afford now, motherboard to suit, together with a nice case. You can compromise on the HD size and even have just enough memory for now. Those are easy enough to add more later. Don't forget the small things like a floppy drive - Windoze want to load most RAID drivers from floppy, before it will read the windoze CD for installation.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Well all I can say is that you are starting out in the right way.
I once remember writing a reply here in another thread about building PC's. I too once had never been under the bonet or built my own system, but if you take your time and do things slowly and carefully, then most of the time things go fine.
And even if it does go wrong, there are some fine people here who are ready to help you out so no need to worry.

Check out this thread HERE
It contains lots of useful information on building your own system, the way in which to order your components, and other useful info.

Building a PC is really good becuase you get this great feeling that you've accomplished something at the end of it all, and you learn a great deal about computers at the same time too.
Good luck.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Thanks for all the replies :)

Having done a bit of looking around I'm thinking of getting something along the lines of:

Mobo: Asus A8V-E Deluxe

CPU: AMD (Venice) Athlon 64Bit 3200+ Socket 939

Case: Antec Sonata II 450W

Piccie drawing card thing: Gigabyte GeForce 6600GT 128MB PCI-E

If any of you are reading this thinking 'what, he can't possibly be thinking about that pile of junk/daft combination/etc' please let me know ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

i got slated for getting a pair of 6600GT's.... never understood why. think zinglebarb is jealous personally :)
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can vouch for the antec cases though, i have an antec overture sitting downstairs, it is deathly silent. also the finish is amazingly glossy too, they even supply a little cloth to wipe off fingermarks :D
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oh, you know your motherboard is AGP but graphics is PCIX? incompatible ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

i assumed its because 2*6600 are about as good as 1*6800 plus the Nvidia SLI needs to have the software specifically wirtten for it doesnt it? I dont think it benefits DirectX

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

cookie

Try this board instead which DOES have pci-E and is 2 quid cheaper :D

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=256876

Regards.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Oops, I was thinking about this one - I had found the right one on Asus' website - Dabs are rubbish at identifying the products they sell ;) - thanks for the heads up though - you've saved my a bit of a blunder - I'll edit the post :)
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I had a look at SLI but I just knew I'd never buy two video cards so didn't see the point. ;)
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I'll find out what the difference between SE and DELUXE is and see if it's worth the extra :)

I'm pretty shallow so the word 'Deluxe' is swaying it at the moment even though I haven't got a clue what's 'Deluxe' about it ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

I found a comparison here http://www.pricerunner.co.uk/computi..._278673=278673 see for yourself and take your pick ;)

Regards.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

I know you are on a budget, but is that CPU really all you can afford. Yes you will see a performance boost over your current PC, but I'm not really sure it is going to seem worth the effort.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

I moved from a Athlon xp 2800 to a Athlon xp 64 3000... and was one hell of a boost.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

I think that's wrong. :erm:

According to the Asus website the difference seems to be that the Deluxe has everything the SE has, plus Firewire, Wifi, and a tool to play audio CDs when the computer's in standby.

I'm sticking to Deluxe at the moment :)
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Well, the 3500+ is rated about 10% better, but costs 20% more ... I'll probably buy in about 2 weeks so if prices drop by then I'll reconsider - unless I'm having a 'shopping day' in which case I could end up with anything :)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

oops ! sorry about that, shudda known better than to trust pricerunners descriptions oops:

Regards.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Wll, it's tricky enough finding it out from Asus' - at least pricerunner tried ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

whats the eta of your complete build dude???? :) I got 3 buyers for pcs I have in stock my build will be soon very soon ;) my concern with the cards was the price of the 2 but you got them cheap ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

I have found this interesting review of a motherboard that supports BOTH agp and pci-e AND supports both socket 754 & 939 making it a very flexible and future proof alternative. Any body have any input on this board ? A review here http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2524&p=1 puts the board up against the Asus Fatal1ty (considered to be one of the best gaming boards out at the moment). This motherboard costs about £20 less than the board cookie is looking at, and means a better processor can be had with the savings made.

Regards.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

I built my own PC earlier this year with the help of CF members!
Here is a blow by blow account.......complete with exact specs. :)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

ramrod just wants to inflate his ego a bit...;)

there is also an ongoing saga of my computer building somewhere, mine is more chaotic with parts buying and stuff though..

i *still* can't see why you would need 12 drive bays... what are you, a market stall dvd merchant? ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Heh, you've never met Ramrod, have you, Dave? Imagine Rodney from Only Fools & Horses, with a suitcase stuffed full of DVDs.... and that's Rammy :D

:Sprint:

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Oy! Behave! :mad: :D

I don't need 12 drive bays, the case had other features that appealed to me. :D

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

I need 12 drive bays my next build will be in a full tower something like Rammys :)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

CoolerMaster Stacker STC-T01 6th one down...all the space you will ever need :tu: :)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

balls did it :p: you just wanted a bigger case than everyone else ;)

why don't you go get a full server room next time? then you will have even more room for your dvd fabrication unit :p:

zinglebarb >> what on earth do you have/do that takes up 12 drives?!
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so he is a lanky git who wears a camo jacket that is 3 sizes too small? ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Cookie is not going to be interested in that! That rig is 4 months old! Those specs are hopelessly outdated. It's time for an upgrade Rammy... ;)

Edit: It should still be ok for patience though...

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Thats why I pointed him to it--the parts should be a whole lot cheaper now!

:p:

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

I was thinking of building a computer rather than a room heater ;)
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That's no use - will I need to upgrade if I want to play Hearts ?? ;);)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Running at 41/35 degs C atm :)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Hmm, maybe I could double it up as an airing cupboard then .... :)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

OK, getting close to making the final decision :) :Yikes: !!

And what I'm thinking of is:

• Case: Antec Sonata II Piano Black Quiet Case - 450W
• Mobo: Asustek A8V-E/Deluxe Socket 939 VIA K8T890 PCI-E ATX
• (though that seems to be in short supplyat the mo; as an alternative I'm thinking of Asus A8N-E nForce4 Ultra (Socket 939) PCI-E)
• CPU: Athlon 64 Vencie 3500+ (yep, you convinced me!)
• Memory: Corsair 2GB DDR Value Select PC3200 CAS3.0 Kit (2x1GB) (VS2GBKIT400C3)
• Graphics: Gigabyte GeForce 6600GT 128MB PCI-E DVI-I
• (and again as alternative Sapphire RADEON X800 GTO 256MB PCI-E)

Plus I may stick in a hard disk (probably a 300GB Seagate) and DVD writer if I've got any money left over!

Credit card's getting itchy ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Is that your max spend? Could I tempt you to spend an extra 100 quid and throw a dual core 3800 x2 at it instead ? I am now running this and can very very strongly recommend it :)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Had to grit teeth to get up to the 3500+ !

What's the real world speed difference? And will my other components be up to it?

Credit card now has a horrible rash :erm:;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Real world speed difference in single app running = 0(single threaded some apps run multithread now)
overall difference due to multitasking = imo priceless

I can run a full AV scan and play my games.I can re encode dvd and play games.I can encode audio and you guessed it play games.The only thing it does not like is opening apps whilst burning a dvd.On all other tasks ive found you can run 2 cpu intensive apps at once with no lag to either,or 1 cpu intensive app and any combination of lesser tasks lag free.
Yes all other componants will be fine(may need to update board bios but all come with easy apps to do this now,and update cpu driver which is availabe from AMD)

If your upto budget the 3500 will be sound :)

EDIT I bought my X2 from Dabs its cheaper ;) EDIT to my EDIT OC have reduced there price this week

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Thanks Zing - I did seriously think about it - but according to Asus 'Due to VIA K8T890 chipset limitation, A8V-E Deluxe and A8V-E Deluxe NW does not support AMD Dual-Core CPUs.' :(

I suppose I could buy a flashier mobo, flashier graphics card, quicker memory etc etc to go with the dual core, but I couldn't really justify it. :erm:

I'll leave that for the next build maybe ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Just buy an nforce board instead of a via

According to Amd that information is incorrect http://www2.amd.com/us-en/recmobo/Re...~73649,00.html

Also the A8N is only £6 more as is the gigabyte K8N

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Good point.

And I've also found on Asus' site that the A8V -E Deluxe does support dual core:

[edit - pasting the table in doesn't work properly ]

Taiwanese techies eh ??;):erm:

[edit edit - except that the BIOS number needed stated for the A8V -E Deluxe is given as 1013 - and the highest one available to download is 1010 :rolleyes::confused:]

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

AFAIK all skt939 mobos with up to date bios will run a dual core cpu.My motherboards a nforce 3 with an AGP slot and it works a charm :) Sorry to have bought confusion to your day ;)

EDIT bios version 1009 is only 2 days old http://support.asus.com/download/dow...Language=en-us

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

I think it's ASUS bringing confusion to my day :)

I've now found a page on their site (a different one, natch) listing compatible processors.

It refers to

• Athlon 64 3800+ (CG version) (Socket939) ALL
• Athlon 64 3800+ (rev.E3) (Socket939) ALL
• Athlon 64 3800+ (rev.E6) (Socket939) ALL

which I thought at first meant the dual core. BUT:

The page for the A8N SLI Premium mentions those plus others specifcially called 'dual core' - so it looks as though this board WON'T support dual core.

To make things even more confusing, the A8V E deluxe has a CG and a D version with ALL bioses support, and an E3 and E6 supported by versions 1005 and 1008 respectively :confused:. Do they expect people to understand what on earth they're on about?

There must be thousands of people who give up building their own faced with this kind of lunacy :erm:. Don't these companies want to sell their products?

I'll stick with the 3500+ - though now I'm not convinced that even that'll work ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Dual core cpus have E6 stepping. The newest bios on either board would support this :)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Hi,

I think 2GB of Ram is way way overkill for what you want/need. 1GB should be plenty. Windows was designed for PCs with 128 to 512 megs of RAM. At a certain point, adding more RAM doesn't really get you much performance.

Also, the only DOA RAM I've ever had was Corsair Value Select.

I'd strongly recommend buying from Crucial instead. If you put in your motherboard make and model, their website will select RAM that they'll guarentee will work without error.

Also, just some advice from a long time PC builder:
1) Statis shocks will kill your nice shinny new CPU in an instant. Get a wrist strap, or at least make sure you touch something metel (and grounded) before you touch the CPU

2) Install the Motherboard, CPU, CPU Fan, RAM, video card and either a floppy disk or CD-rom drive. Then run memtest86+ for a few hours to make sure the RAM is working. Memory errors will cause random crashes and be very difficult to track down. If memtest86+ (http://www.memtest.org/) finds any errors, return the RAM as defective.

3) Go SLOW. Get set for a long time. If you feel yourself getting impatient, stop and take a break. This is particurly important when you are installing the motherboard, CPU, CPU fan, and RAM.

4) Make sure you use the right screws for the right parts. The case will come with a huge number of screws, motherboard stand-offs, drive mounting screws, etc.

5) Don't force anything. If something won't slot in, step back and take a look at it. Connections and RAM sockets are keyed, so they'll only go in the right way.

6) Don't be tempted to try the computer before installing the CPU fan. Modern CPUs have thermal protection to prevent an absolute meltdown, but don't test it. Running a CPU for even a minute without a heatsink/fan will cause it to overheat.

7) Make sure you've got good light and, and did I mention, take you time.

:) Good luck.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Thanks melevittfl :)

I'll think about what you've said about the memory - and then probably make my mind up at the last minute ;)

I'm definitely not going to rush this; I'll set aside a whole day to stick everything together, and I've got a wrist-strap from when I changed the heatsink on my current PC - and yes, I did remember to reconnect the fan ;)

To be honest, given the time I've taken planning the bits, and will take putting them together (plus the potential cost of buying extra stuff if anything goes wrong) it'd be cheaper just to go to Mesh or wherever and get a ready made one. In fact, I'm still 1/2 thinking of doing that. But I do want to try building it myself - just don't ask me why :)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

windows 98/me worked with a max of 768 meg of ram windows 95 64 meg. xp addresses a lot more.And 64 bit xp addresses a rediculas amout of ram.Saying windows only works with 512 and reaches a point where it does not address more is im afraid out of date information.Standard 32 bit xp can address 2 gig of ram per application and xp64 4 gig

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

I wasn't saying it only addresses a max of 512 meg, just that there's a point of deminishing returns were adding more RAM dosn't add a noticable increase in performance.

The difference between going from 1 gig to 2 gig is going to make a much smaller difference in terms of performance than going from say 128 megs to 512.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

If you don't have an anti-static strap with an earth lead, make sure your PC case is earthed when you work on it, cookie. Wihout that, static charges will be dispersed over the whole structure, but they can still be there - grounding things gets rid of them altogether.

I notice, as well, that you're thinking of getting a fast 300GB drive. A much better idea would be to get a much smaller fast drive to install and run your OS and programs on, and get a larger but not necessarily as fast drive for storing data on. You can put every thing on it: transfer My Documents there, download stuff to it, keep your emails and bookmarks on it (most browsers and email clients will let you do it this way), set your games up to save to it, etc.

The advantages of this are that your system can then access data at the same time as it's accessing progams etc, and particularly, if you have to format your primary drive and reinstall your OS (happens to all of us; it's just that some people will try to keep their OSs limping along forever ;-( This makes it much easier to bite the bullet!) you still have all your data, saves, downloaded progams, updates etc.

Can be a good idea to partition the big drive, too - different partitions for different things.
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1GB would still be a good idea, though - the difference between 512MB and 1GB can be considerable, in W2k or XP.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Good thinking Patrickp ;)

I was going to recycle my 160GB IDE from my current machine to the new one, but then I'd have Windows and not much else on the new 300GB and not enough on the old one for My Documents. I'll maybe get a Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 NCQ 80GB SATA150 7200rpm 8MB for XP in addition to the 300 GB.

And since I've decided not to get a PVR just yet I'm going to spend the dosh anyway - I'll go for the A8N-E mobo together with Corsair Memory TWINX2048 - 3200C2PT XMS3200 2x1GB 2x184DIMM CAS2 memory since that's been tested as working in this mobo. And if I'm paying for all that, it'd be churlish not to go for the dual-core while I'm at it :)

This is why I haven't done this kind of thing before - it's so easy just to keep spending more money ;) (at least if I wasn't spending time with all this I'd probably be spending the same money in clothes shops anyway :erm::))

The wrist strap I've got has a wire with a bulldog clip that you attach to the radiator/metal PC case. As I mentioned, I've taken out & replaced the CPU, changed the CPU heatsink, replaced memory, disks etc on the current machine with it and nothing's zapped yet; no way am I working on a PC while it's still plugged in :erm: - and if I zap the mobo, well, I'll just have to buy another :)

Final decision expected monday morning ..... :Yikes:

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Good choice going for the dual core ;) other choices seem sound.1 note lay the mobos foam pad with its anti static bad on top all on a firm even surface,place mobo on top of this,lift lever.Then and only then open the cpu box remove cpu inc packaging and open carefully .The 939 are very delicate unlike skt A pins.If you manhandle the cpu you will find yourself strightening the pins for hours ;) Ask Marky about damaging a cpu :D

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Thanks :)

If I throw it at the wall, would it be better to pick NE or SW (CPU will fall onto exposed floorboards) or NW or SE (CPU will fall onto static-packed man-made carpet) ?? ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Just dont drop it :) I dropped a skt 754 onto the mobo from just a couple of inches and this resulted in 2 hours with a stanley knife straightening them again :)
The worst enemy of an "experienced" pc builder is complacency. :)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Oi i saw that :disturbd:

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

You're very welcome, cookie! ;-)

Doesn't even have to be that big. My system's set up that way, and the C: drive has less than 8GB used. 20GB would be fine; I guess you could get something a bit bigger, partition it and use the spare partition for temp files etc.

Go for it! :tu: <jealous...>

To paraphrase the Furry Freak Brothers, cool computer gear will see you through times of no clothes better than clothes will see you through times of no cool computer gear... unless you have to go out... hmmmm...

No, that's not quite what I mean, cookie. First, that clip should definitely be attached to the chassis you're working on; that will equalise any charges building up between you and it. Then the chassis needs to be earthed itself to dissipate any charges - you need to attach a wire to it and connect that to your radiator or (favourite) the earth pin of a 3 pin mains plug (and plug it in). Don't use a plug that you have anything else wired into, and make sure your electrical installation is Ok - not much point in running a decent PC on it, and you don't want to electrocute yourself!

Heavy sedation tonight, I think! ;-D

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

:rofl:

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Absolute truth, zingle! ;-)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

... and I've never had to use an online forum to find out how a pair of jeans works ;)

Ah, got it. I'd rather risk zapping the mobo than zapping me (you can't get a replacement me, at least not on Dabs ;)). I'll grab some wire & a couple of croc clips from Maplins.

Yes, but that happens anyway ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

My strap & lead plugs into the crocodile clip with a 4mm plug, so what I did was solder a stackable 4mm plug to the earthing lead. That way I can use the strap & lead with the croc clip by themselves, or plug the lead into the stackable plug, and that into the croc clip, thus providing earthing as well.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Well, I'm now £900 poorer than I was this time yesterday :Yikes:

And that's without a monitor ... or XP ....

Still, it's what I go to work for ... at least, that's what I'm telling myself. :)

I wonder which expensive item of electronics I'll break first .... ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Well......now that I paid off my latest credit card bill :rolleyes: I am now looking at buying bits and pieces for my first crack at this :D Not sure I will be buying parts as lavish as cookie though lol. I rarely play games, so will probably spend half of the the £900 you are spending. I will probably go along the same route as you regarding the motherboard. But probably will go for a Athlon64 3000 (venice) 1GB ram and a cheapish graphics card. And as this is my first attempt, I'd be irritated if I fried anything that cost me an arm and a leg. Will see how I get on, and maybe build a better one later after I have gained some experience.

Regards.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Good luck :) its easy really just read the manuals and follow what it says you cant go wrong :)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

.... and if you believe that ..... ;)

You do realise it's your fault I've spent so much money, Zing? I may be asking for a little contribution from you .... ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Thanks :tu: Right then.......am thinking of this case http://www.microdirect.co.uk/Product...95&GroupID=131 out of stock atm though, just my luck :rolleyes:

Have you ordered your stuff yet cookie ?

Regards.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

don't bother, he will just gloat that his computer is better than yours...

...speaking of which, mine is still in situ, as i just spent £250 on a pet lizard :)

donations welcome ;)
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get this one and be like me :D

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Isn't that a bit...erm..well...big ? Don't think that will fit in my room, the ceiling is only 8ft :erm:

Regards.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

All I did was give sound advice ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

slightly less tall than yours ;)

maybe you are thinking of the monolith that ramrod has...

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Yours will have a better cpu than mine so whos gloating.My gloat is purely mines done and working ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Oh yeah ! just checked lol that pic looks misleading though :dozey:

Mind you, it would help if I didn't have me nose right up against the screen. :spin:

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Yep - this morning. :)

Good job I didn't work out the total cost before I ordered though - that might have jolted me back to reality - and who wants that ?? ;)
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Let me guess, it's a killer lizard you're going to train to come round my house and put poison on the dates while I'm not looking ?

Well, it's not going to work, buster :p: !!

I keep my dates in the fridge. So how are you going to train your lizard to open the door? Well, how?

;)
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And like the fool that I am, I listened ... :Yikes:

;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Well, Dabs have delivered their bits.

Overclockers are still waiting to load theirs at the warehouse.

Ebuyer have sent the mobo and their HDD but the wrong case :mad:

And their returns system is a nightmare. They have to collect it, and only then send the replacement.

I'm going to have to change it to a refund and order the replacement separately.:mad:

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Oh TITS !!!!!! :mad: :) Didnt all the seperate delivery charges add up so high that you were better buying from one place??

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Nope - delivery was only about £10 each - and only Dabs had the memory I wanted, Overclockers were doing a special discount on the very HDD I wanted and ebuyer? Well, they had the case I wanted .... or so I thought ...;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Still no rush is there :disturbd:

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

he's a bearded dragon. I'll just get him to breathe fire on your computer and melt it all... mwahahaha :Yikes:

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

oh I love my pc with dual core cpu :D working here now on my desk ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Once I've got my hands on fragile computer equipment, I don't think he'll be able to do much worse to it ;)
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:bigcry:

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Yup !! just checked ebuyer and it says out of stock, looks like they were trying to send you something else instead of what you ordered. :td:

Regards.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Nope, this morning it was showing as 2 in stock. Rather than wait for them to mess about I ordered another.

Unless their stock control's up the spout I should be getting the replacement tomorrow - and so should someone else ;)

We'll see .....

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Incidentally, while I'm waiting for the rest of the stuff I thought I'd start checking out what I've got so far.

With the graphics card I got a strange metal dooblie thingy.

I've never even changed a PCI card before but it's obviously a backplate. But why?

The graphics card itself has a backplate (otherwise you wouldn't be able to plug your monitor into it ;)) and what's this little padded corner bit at the top? What's it supposed to pad against?

The manual doesn't say, of course :)

Any ideas?

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

It looks like a strange easy lift out blanking plate...........but whats the foam pad for?

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

This holds the SLI riser card (the bit of board that connects the 2 SLI Graphics Cards) in place

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

In guessing and its only a guess a device to hold secure an Sli bridging device???
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Damn guess right shame it wasnt a few sec earlier :)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Ah, that makes sense. I'm not going to be using SLI anyway so that can go in the bottom draw.

So if you do want to use SLI you'll end up 2 of these things then .... maybe they could have made it a bit more fun by putting a random half in each box - there you are, just about to install the second card, but 'Blast, I've already got the foamy bit - anyone want to swap a metal screwy bit?' ;)

Ta

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Screwy thats you that is ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

no... you only need one, as you only have noe bridge connecting two cards ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

I know! :rolleyes:

That's why you're guaranteed to have one left over whether you're using SLI or not - either cos there's no bridge at all if you're not using it, or you get one with each card but only need one of the two cos there's only one bridge. :D

I dunno, with that kind of thinking, I think I'm safe from any cunning assassination plan you want to bounce my way ... ;););)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

who needs to be cunning? i have a dragon :p:

it's zinglebarb you got to watch out for...

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

you know me so well already ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Hmmmm am now thinking about building one that will last a fair amount of time. Starting with this http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=91721 and this http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Hiper.html to give me enough juice to last for a while :D

Regards.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

I got mine with my MoBo.... zippideee doo dah like that with my graphics cards :confused:

MoBo = Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe
GFX Cards = 2 x Asus 6800 Ultra

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

show off ;) all you need now is a dual core cpu :) ill get my coat

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Just got the automatic email from ebuyer that the second case I ordered is on its way tomorrow - lets hope they get the right one this time ;)

Wonder if they'll send a different courier to collect the first one ....

And Overclockers should be delivering the dual core and the big HD tomorrow too .... get ready for lots of 'what's all this smoke for?' type questions ...... :):)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Well, courier arrived this morning to collect the case, and brought out of the van... an identical case :mad::mad::mad:

Obviously someone in the warehouse can't be trusted with a pile of stickers.

Cancelled the order - of course - and needless to say no one else has got the Sonata II in stock right now ... got it ordered on Dabs but who knows how long that'll take ... :td:

Really frustrating, especially since the CPU and other hard disk arrived this morning - who thought getting the case would be the hardest part ???

Anyone got any alternative suggestions that I can order today? I need 425 watts +, and it has to be one of the newer types with the 24 pin and extra 4 pin power sockets. And black. I've only heard good things about Antec but I'll happily go for anything that's good quality. And no more than £100 .....

E.g. anyone know if Akasa Eclipse-62 Aluminum Case is any good?

Or can I get the case and PSU separately? If so, what should I be looking out for and how do I know they're compatible with each other/my mobo?

Thanks ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Them cases do not have a psu anyway :) Do you have any small pc retailers near you ? somewhere that may have a case? as far as psu's are concerned your looking for something around the £50 mark

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Hiper.html

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatal...Antec_103.html

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Thanks.

What about Antec SLK1650/mt 350w Smart ATX Black Case with the PSU swapped for an Antec Neopower 480 Watt - Power Supply ATX V2.0 24pin UK?

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Yeah :)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Done :)

The courier'll be sick of me come tomorrow ;)

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

just found this http://www.casetech.co.uk/product.ph...ler&bestseller :naughty:


Too late now though lol.

Regards.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

£93.50? That's a bit pricey :erm:

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

Yeah I know :erm: have seen them at kustompcs too for £90 but like you say they are hard to get hold of atm :rolleyes: After looking at cases I'm thinking of getting this one myself. The cost of buying a case and a seperate psu can be expensive, so am going to wait until my local stockist gets them in stock. They are selling them at £78.67 http://www.microdirect.co.uk/Product...13&GroupID=424 and they're just a couple of miles from me, so can pick one up :D

Regards.

Re: I'm going to build a PC
 

just a warning... i have an antec overture case, with the same piano black finish. it's a lot noisier and hotter than the reviews make it sound, and the black finish gets fingerprints even if you wear gloves... you will be spending all day polishing it ;)