OK, I think I've decided to take the plunge and build my own PC.
I've done various upgrades to my ageing system over a number of years, so the insides of the PC won't be alien to me.
However I've got a problem choosing my bits and bobs, especially the processor, motherboard and memory, as things have moved on quite a bit since the time I got my PC - about 4 and a bit years ago.
This is what I want ...
ATX motherboard with most of the stuff onboard (LAN, USB, parallel etc), with the exception of sound and video. Not a fan of onboard graphics as it consumes system memory, and the performance, is, well, crap. Overlays on this computer don't work on any res higher than 800x600 so all video is jittery and choppy if viewed fullscreen or if I try and view TV, a picture does not show at all. A nightmare for viewing any video fullscreen at 1280x960. Onboard sound in my experience is pretty basic too - I found since installing my Creative soundcard that it sounded better than the onboard stuff, so I'd like to avoid where possible.
P4 processor. Not too keen on the "equivalent P4 performance based ratings" that AMD use for their processors - is it a marketing tactic? Where can I find a comparison chart for these ratings?
Graphics card - not a gamer so the latest £300 model need not apply. However I'd like something better than your onboard graphics - I'm looking at
this nVIDIA FX5200 card as it provides most of the features that I would like to have - dual display capability and svideo out for watching the occasional DVD on TV. Also appears to have onboard memory and so won't eat into the system memory.
Hard drives - 2 Seagate ones. Are SATA ones noisier than IDE ones? If so, I'll stick to IDE.
Case - nothing fancy, no windows on the sides, no blue LED's, watercooling etc. Beige preferably as it usually sits under the desk and most computer parts are that colour. The ability to keep in all the noise from the fans and drives is a must as it's in my bedroom, otherwise I'll end up chucking it out the window.
Fans - how many are needed?
Optical drives - must seperate CDRW and DVD drives. I don't like disc swapping and I've always had 2 drives in my computer. Are DVD writers worth getting? What should I look out for and what should I avoid? How long does it take to burn a full DVD?
Floppy drive - I still have the odd FD knocking around with old data on so that's a must, although it doesn't get used often.
Power supply - recommended manufacturers? Typical wattage rating for this set-up? Price?
Putting the whole lot together. Is it as easy as it sounds? Are there any online guides or books which would be worth a read beforehand? Do's and Don'ts?
Other general advice?
I know this is a lot, but I'd rather get the whole picture first before parting with cash.
Cheers.
