Building my own Personal Computer: hyperlinks anyone?

[bLue_oNioN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Welly Wu Yes. This is all sensible. Bootman: I'm trying to become that type. It takes many years of drive and dedication to learning. I am a young padawan. I have much to learn. I think blue onion has my best interests in mind. Of course, your input is very much welcome too and will be relied upon in the near future. The more I think about building my own desktop PC, the more that I want to work harder and longer to cut on unnecessary expenses in my budget and save up more aggressively for a higher price bracket PC. I'm no longer in the "what if I could" but I'm in the "this must get done no matter what" mindset. I can still learn so much from you guys. Let's say that I'm making up my mind of say $1500 USD to $2500 USD by September 2005. I'll schedule any HI-FI upgrades for Christmas / New Years 2005.

Bootman's a sucker for tech like me

I think he just wasn't quite sure if you were trying to find a computer solution in general, or use the opportunity to gain experience.

About your purchase... it might be wise to consider long-term in this instance, actually.

Longhorn is currently set for a tentative release date of sometime late 2006, so you're looking at a possible upgrade/replacement 3 to 4 years down the road (it's probably wiser to wait until WinFS is released, and there are rumors that that may happen the year after Longhorn becomes widely available).

So what you probably want is a decent system that can last you happily until then, but not break the bank right now so that you won't feel like it was all a waste when changes start becoming more and more necessary in 2007.

To help us better figure out what sort of hardware setup you need, it's probably best to tell us more in detail what your needs are... do you plan to use this as your primary workstation? Will your needs remain relatively basic? How soon do you plan to upgrade/replace?

 

[Elec]

I'm a tech geek as well, but I have a good understanding of what is cool and what is reasonable for "normal" computer users. That's why I tried to suggest some budget or last-gen tech. I'd like an X800 Pro but it'd be a huge waste for a non-gamer.

I personally prefer CRTs still, if you have the space. A buddy of mine has a 19" LCD that he's using with a DVI connection. It's a 25ms panel and it's absolutely gorgeous for 2D and low movement games and video, but it smears and ghosts quite a bit on faster things. He showed me Far Cry on it. The first thing I noticed was that the color was awesome. The second thing I noticed was that when he started moving around, it looked like someone had smeared vaseline across the screen. Yuck. But the tech is getting better and LCDs are nice for text. I got to spend the last year of my CS degree coding in the computer lab on a 17" Dell LCD and it definitely felt like a step up.

Welly: If you're not going to be buying for up to another year, you probably shouldn't even bother researching parts and prices now. It'll be a whole new ballgame by then. Different gear, different prices. Instead what I'd advise you to do between then and now is read up on the different parts of a computer, what they are, what they do, how they work. Try to keep up with new technology advancements by reading the various computer sites (like the already mentioned ones, plus slashdot.org). Then you'll be ready to put that sucker together once you have the money for parts.

 

[Welly Wu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bLue_oNioN Bootman's a sucker for tech like me I think he just wasn't quite sure if you were trying to find a computer solution in general, or use the opportunity to gain experience. About your purchase... it might be wise to consider long-term in this instance, actually. Longhorn is currently set for a tentative release date of sometime late 2006, so you're looking at a possible upgrade/replacement 3 to 4 years down the road (it's probably wiser to wait until WinFS is released, and there are rumors that that may happen the year after Longhorn becomes widely available). So what you probably want is a decent system that can last you happily until then, but not break the bank right now so that you won't feel like it was all a waste when changes start becoming more and more necessary in 2007. To help us better figure out what sort of hardware setup you need, it's probably best to tell us more in detail what your needs are... do you plan to use this as your primary workstation? Will your needs remain relatively basic? How soon do you plan to upgrade/replace?

To all:

Maybe I didn't start this thread off on the right step...

My top two reasons for building my own desktop PC including the purchase of a monitor is 1. get me through my Masters of Fine Arts English Creative Writing program @ Rutgers University from 09/01/2005 - 06/01/2007 and 2. learn more about computer hardware, software (there is no substitute for learning by doing and I need to know what I'm talking about as the lead bookseller Business/Computers/Science/Technology department at Barnes & Noble where I work.

There are other reasons why I want to build my own desktop PC and install my own software. An important reason is to get away from the 1 Micro$oft Way of Computing. I have had it up to my eyeballs with Micro$oft Windows for its lack of reliability, stability, security, and closed source software development. The technical problems I experienced were so bad that I want to plan the next couple of years toward gradually weaning myself off of the 1 Micro$oft Way of thinking about computing and software technology.

I want to build my own desktop PC for the pride and satisfaction of expanding my curiosity about computer hardware and software. I want to sweat it out (with some help from you guys on another M$ Winblowz computer to get some help and tips) and learn how to build my own PC. I want to delve into different distributions of Linux because it is a very very enticing, exciting, and fun way of computing. I support the Open Source Initiative. I want to exercise my power of choice in which operating system best suits me (or create my own from scratch). I want to learn about coding, programming, and arcane command line actions. I want to learn how to create my own website for crying-out-2004-is-so-old-loud!

Another important reason why I want to build my own desktop PC and install my own choice of software is to learn more about computer security. What's a firewall? What's SSH? What's PGP? Hell: what's encryption? What's the best way to create a secure desktop computer? I want to learn. If it means that I must learn mathematics from arithmetic to advanced calculus...then I will put my mind to it and pursue it. I will crunch numbers if it means that I learn more about computer / information security and I can explore new academic subject matters.

I could go on and on and on but that will only embolden me even more to absolutely do this...with help and humility.

I'm not trying to play computer games. If you haven't figured me out yet (remember: I'm mysterious

), then you must be correct to assume that I don't play games with my life. I'm not trying to recreate the same features and functionality of my "very high end" AV system (who said that?)! I'm not trying to become a graphics guru and learn how to manipulate images because I just ain't no damned photographer. In essence, I'm set to learn to earn more in my life by taking on challenging technical topics and making myself more marketable in this lull in our US economy where things aren't as bad as Sept. 11th 2001 but they aren't the Boom Times of the late 1990s (Time cover page).

Lastly, I'm willing to invest whatever it takes to accomplish my now hardening and concrete learning / productivity / educational goals. I'm willing to keep on investing in the future as necessity, budget, and opportunities present themselves. It's like Headphone HI-FI: I'm in it for life and I'll keep focused by re-investing without leading to my own financial self ruin!

Heh...I even know some basic PHP programming in this message. I just learned that.

 

[Welly Wu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elec I'm a tech geek as well, but I have a good understanding of what is cool and what is reasonable for "normal" computer users. That's why I tried to suggest some budget or last-gen tech. I'd like an X800 Pro but it'd be a huge waste for a non-gamer. I personally prefer CRTs still, if you have the space. A buddy of mine has a 19" LCD that he's using with a DVI connection. It's a 25ms panel and it's absolutely gorgeous for 2D and low movement games and video, but it smears and ghosts quite a bit on faster things. He showed me Far Cry on it. The first thing I noticed was that the color was awesome. The second thing I noticed was that when he started moving around, it looked like someone had smeared vaseline across the screen. Yuck. But the tech is getting better and LCDs are nice for text. I got to spend the last year of my CS degree coding in the computer lab on a 17" Dell LCD and it definitely felt like a step up. Welly: If you're not going to be buying for up to another year, you probably shouldn't even bother researching parts and prices now. It'll be a whole new ballgame by then. Different gear, different prices. Instead what I'd advise you to do between then and now is read up on the different parts of a computer, what they are, what they do, how they work. Try to keep up with new technology advancements by reading the various computer sites (like the already mentioned ones, plus slashdot.org). Then you'll be ready to put that sucker together once you have the money for parts.

Elec:

I understand what you're saying but I still need to read those build your own PC magazines and websites to get a general overview of the ever evolving computer hardware landscape and to discern what is right for me. Thanks for the tips. No hard and definite parts collection is going through my mind now.

 

[bLue_oNioN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elec I'm a tech geek as well, but I have a good understanding of what is cool and what is reasonable for "normal" computer users. That's why I tried to suggest some budget or last-gen tech. I'd like an X800 Pro but it'd be a huge waste for a non-gamer. I personally prefer CRTs still, if you have the space. A buddy of mine has a 19" LCD that he's using with a DVI connection. It's a 25ms panel and it's absolutely gorgeous for 2D and low movement games and video, but it smears and ghosts quite a bit on faster things. He showed me Far Cry on it. The first thing I noticed was that the color was awesome. The second thing I noticed was that when he started moving around, it looked like someone had smeared vaseline across the screen. Yuck. But the tech is getting better and LCDs are nice for text. I got to spend the last year of my CS degree coding in the computer lab on a 17" Dell LCD and it definitely felt like a step up. Welly: If you're not going to be buying for up to another year, you probably shouldn't even bother researching parts and prices now. It'll be a whole new ballgame by then. Different gear, different prices. Instead what I'd advise you to do between then and now is read up on the different parts of a computer, what they are, what they do, how they work. Try to keep up with new technology advancements by reading the various computer sites (like the already mentioned ones, plus slashdot.org). Then you'll be ready to put that sucker together once you have the money for parts.

Response timings are not the final word when it comes to ghosting -- a 16ms LCD could have horrible gaming performance while a quality 25ms offering from another company (say for example, Eizo) wouldn't. Hence my reference to carefully selecting screens.

You're definitely right about it being a whole different ballgame next year though -- I did not realize that Welly was going to build the computer so far in the future. By the end of 2005, Intel's dual-core offerings should be out, among other various incoming standards.

Second on the reading as well -- read a lot and you'll pick up more and more of the lingo as you go on =)

Good gosh I can't believe I said that, I am the headphone newbie here

 

[Welly Wu]

Lastly, I forgot to say: I want to learn more so that I can give more to others. I am more than willing to help somebody do troubleshooting with their display or Security Center configuration if I truly know what I'm doing. I want to be of service to others. I want to share my knowledge with others to help them. I've done it with headphones and HI-FI gear, why not computers?

I want to be of service to others. The only way that's going to happen is if I learn by doing it myself.

"Repetition is the mother of skill"

In the end, all that matters is this simple distinction: knowledge is potential power but action is the application of that power. Service to others, done with no motive for greed or compensation, is the manifestation of true power.

 

[Welly Wu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bLue_oNioN Response timings are not the final word when it comes to ghosting -- a 16ms LCD could have horrible gaming performance while a quality 25ms offering from another company (say for example, Eizo) wouldn't. Hence my reference to carefully selecting screens. You're definitely right about it being a whole different ballgame next year though -- I did not realize that Welly was going to build the computer so far in the future. By the end of 2005, Intel's dual-core offerings should be out, among other various incoming standards. Second on the reading as well -- read a lot and you'll pick up more and more of the lingo as you go on =) Good gosh I can't believe I said that, I am the headphone newbie here

Hey, I'm willing to help you out on the headphones and HI-FI part now if you'd be willing to help me out on the PC hardware / software down the road.

 

[bLue_oNioN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Welly Wu Hey, I'm willing to help you out on the headphones and HI-FI part now if you'd be willing to help me out on the PC hardware / software down the road.

That is very generous of you! Thank you, I will definitely try my best to help you =)

 

[Welly Wu]

So, what do you want to know about headphones?

What questions do you have? Send me a private message!

a small caveat: I am in no way, shape, or form responsible for introducing chaos into your financial house!

 

[roadtonowhere08]

Welly Wu: I am also of service if you need any help as well. I have built many PC's and I am a total computer dork

Once you get a general feel for computers, I strongly recommend:

Maximum PC
www.hardocp.com
www.xbitlabs.com

They will fill you in on all your hardware needs.

Definitely listen to bLue_oNioN about Dell.... absolute crap. Make your own, you will learn a lot from it. As far as brands:

Case: Antec (comes w/ very high quality PSU)
PSU: came with case
Mobo: Abit (best), ASUS, and Gigabyte N-Force 2 boards are the best... try to get your hands on an Abit NF7-S V2.0
CPU: AMD all the way (XP 2500+)
RAM: Crucial, Kingston Value, Corsair Value.... NO GENERIC (you will regret it)
HD: Seagate and Samsung are silent (My preference is Seagate, but that is IMO)
Video Card: ATI Radeon X600XT or GeForce 6600GT
Optical Drives: Value for money=LiteON Best=Plextor

Everything else is just accessories

Good luck and have fun

 

[Welly Wu]

THANKS!

That looks like good stuff to check out. I have a feeling my Computers bookmark and sub-directories are going to explode!

 

[roadtonowhere08]

Any time

 

[Stephonovich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadtonowhere08 Case: Antec (comes w/ very high quality PSU) PSU: came with case Mobo: Abit (best), ASUS, and Gigabyte N-Force 2 boards are the best... try to get your hands on an Abit NF7-S V2.0 CPU: AMD all the way (XP 2500+) RAM: Crucial, Kingston Value, Corsair Value.... NO GENERIC (you will regret it) HD: Seagate and Samsung are silent (My preference is Seagate, but that is IMO) Video Card: ATI Radeon X600XT or GeForce 6600GT Optical Drives: Value for money=LiteON Best=Plextor

Why on earth does he need an X600 if he's not doing gaming? A 9600 SE, or heck, a Ti 4800 would be fine. He could run most any game he felt like if he ever got into gaming, and he's going to save some major dollars.

As for the others... I'm going to disagree with mobos, but hey, that's just me. Personally, I don't think any one company is better than the other. They all have crap products and awesome products. I'm rather slated towards MSI, but that's also because I've had awesome experience with them. Their customer support is also second to none. Quick responses, no hold times, and best of all, no questions asked on RMAs. I got a brand spanking new mobo back, no receipt or proof or purchase required. (yes, I did purchase it, yes, it was under warranty, but still, the point remains)

A friend of mine recently built a Linux-only computer, mainly for college use, as he's graduating in '05. Antec case and PSU, MSI mobo, 2500+ Mobile, 512MB of Simpletech DDR 333, 40GB WD, (which he's quickly regretting... don't get me wrong, I like WD's, but they're noisy suckers, and the 40 giggers are pretty much the worst of the lot) and an MX 440 64MB card. Oh yes, and an AV-710 if he ever gets into music

This cost him about $500, I think, and other than the fact that Slackware recently threw up kernel panics and refuses to boot, it's been fine. (he has no idea what's wrong. Nothing was changed, just one day, it refused to boot. He's running ext3, so it shouldn't be a file system issue)

Anyway, good luck on your journey. And I'm available for help too, if you ever need any. With this many volunteers, methinks you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[Welly Wu]

I knew I could count on the massive shared wisdom of you computer gurus here!

Every day I think about building my own desktop PC and buying a fine flat panel LCD and installing my open source Fedora Code 2 Linux OS / productivity programs, I get pumped up! Yeah baby! Computer-Fi all the way!

 

[Stephonovich]

Planning is definitely half, if not more, of the fun. You should see the layout I've got designed for a home network sometime... 1TB minimum fileserver with lossless rips of all my movies and music, for starters. Oughta give you some idea of what I have planned.

Have you set a rough date yet of when this is all to take place, BTW?