Re: Want to build a customized PC

Extremetech.com also has a few custom build PCs articles - from budget PC to
best-bang-for-the-buck to best-of-the best (money don't mater).
It's better to start with planning your storage options, then go for
CPU/RAM/motherboard; next come PC Case, PSU and UPS. Then, you need to
decide for a graphics and an audio solution plus other peripherals
(speakers, modem, router etc).

1. Storage: plan for 1TB (~1/2 of it backup) - you'll use only some 70% of
it anyway since formatting will take ~5%, defrag needs another 20%, Sys.
Restore, Recycle Bin, Acronis Partition, Temp Internet Files, page file etc
require another, say, 10%. You can start small: 2x74.3 GB, 10K RPM Raptors
in RAID0 = $350. If you accept 7200 RPM Sata, you can get 2x160 GB for $200
or less. Next comes the backup drive (and later you can advance to 4x Raid0
having a backup in place); Plan for a 400GB SATA (about same $250 as UATA).
Of course, you can go for external backup solutions, NAS etc.

2. AMD Athlon 64/1GB RAM/Asus or Gigabyte 939socket w/ Nvidia nForce4 Ultra
chipset mobo. Buy the best you can afford of each, but don't cut costs on
any for the other. High-end boards come with most anything else you might
need - SATA raid solutions etc. Mobo manufacturer will tell you what RAM you
need.

3. Audio: one option for most users - Audigy X-Fi (~$129 lowest); you can
also settle for the onboard sound or go for a pro or exotic audiophile
soundcard; speakers... difficult to tell - I have a pair of Swans. If you
start small, again, don't bother about sound card.

4. Video: either ATI All-in-One Wonder (preferable even though ATI drivers
suck) or nVidia Empty-Your-Banck-Account or 3DLabs Wildcat. You need to fit
graphics card with: a. mobo bus, b. PSU (must power all the stuff - mobo,
video, SATA, USB etc), c. monitor (min. 19" LCD) DVI input is standard; if
you do graphics, you need a monitor whose colors are adjustable (no "presets
only") but they go about $500.

5. PC case - Antec has one for $400! Otherwise, it's gotta be aluminium and
have/accept min. 2x120mm fans. If you overclock, you'll need many more fans
:) Some cases come with PSU - you need 550 W real, filtered, stable. Throw
in a good quality1000W UPS - to run PC and monitor and modem on battery for
1/2 hour or so. Add a wireless keyboard, optical wireless mouse as you see
fit.

If you know what you want to buy, just follow the prices... you'll find a
good (30-50%) discont in a three months period on most any PC parts - check
'factory refurbished' sites, too. If you plan to use some of the parts you
have, you'll need only the CPU/RAM/Mobo/VideoCard/PSU parts: ~$1300 and up.

Michael




"+++Bobby "O"+++" <rmo555@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:BGV5f.1522$mV4.783@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Never did this before and I'm very hesitant about doing it now - maybe
> there is a supplier who will do it for a fee (or, with some encouragement,
> I might still attempt it).
>
> My thought is to build a top end PC (speed, top-rated components, etc.)
> with
> room for expansion. Also, I'd like the backup capability built-in. The
> motherboard and processor should be capable of upgrades. As of now, I'd
> use
> Windows XP Pro as the OS - but who knows what will be the next Microsoft
> OS
> (and when). The power supply must be powerful enough to handle anything I
> might throw at this machine. The machine should be fairly quiet with
> plenty
> of cooling capacity (but, I don't know if I want to mess with liquid
> cooling - I'm afraid that I might do something wrong and spring a leak -
> thereby ruining my PC). For now, I foresee using this PC for Photoshop,
> playing music on a 7.1 or 8.1 sound card, and videoconferencing. Once
> those
> items are set up, I'd probably look for more things I could do with this
> PC
> (things I may not now know exist). That's one of my questions: where do I
> look to find other things that are available or things to come? I don't
> have a preference of CPU because I don't know enough about them. I would
> probably want 10,000 rpm drives (to add to the speed). I've heard of RAID
> configurations - but don't know the pros and cons of them. What can be
> done? I always backup my PC and also clone another drive once-a-week so I
> will never (???) crash completely. I'm trying not to have too may wires
> exterior to the PC - like I have now - but, I guess, every peripheral has
> to
> have both power and a connection to the PC. I will also want to use my PC
> as a media center for my home with a wireless router. Perhaps a built-in
> telephone with message capability (don't know if there is such a thing).
> The case should be easy to get access to the interior and to the
> components.
> At the moment, I'm not considering the cost - but I want a machine to be
> my
> *hobby* for some years - so I'll probably be willing to spend what I need
> to. However, I'm retired and living on a fixed income - so, I may have to
> build this machine in stages as the money becomes available. At this
> time,
> I just don't know how this will play out. About this time next year, I
> will
> be moving to Texas to live near one of my sons - and this hobby will be
> something we can do together. That's when I will be building this
> machine -
> but I want to start my research now so I'm well prepared. Who knows - if
> I
> become confident enough, I may want to build the basics of this machine
> sooner so I can, at least, duplicate what I have now.
>
> What I have now is a 1GHz notebook, Windows XP Pro, a wired router,
> scanner,
> three exterior Maxtor drives (for backup), a spare drive to clone
> once-a-week, high speed Internet, and an Epson graphics printer. The
> slowness of this machine drives me crazy and, even though I use an
> expansion
> docking station, there is no more room for expansion. Oh, I also have an
> Intuos 2 graphics tablet. I don't plan to do video editing at this time.
> I've tried videoconferencing - but the frame rate is still too slow for
> me.
> I also use Dragon Naturally Speaking - but my system is too slow for that
> too.
>
> I can't think of anything more at the moment...........
>
> Any input would be welcome..........
>
>


.

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