Just because... - AR15.COM

Posted: 5/1/2003 7:04:13 PM EDT

I can build my own AR15, Red Wood play fort for the kids and still count all my fingers and toes. I think I can and want to build my own Computer. I'm tired of being locked into HP or Dell or Gateway etc. For some reason I want what I want on my computer and nothing else. I am that way about a lot of things. The problem is that I can walk through Fry's Electronics and recognize all the different components I need but I don't know squat about anything past putting it all together and loading software. Is that all I need to know? Where do I start? Maybe there is a good book I can buy that isn't 9000 pages of stuff I don't want to know.

I now turn to you computer gods of the AR15.COM universe for advice and guidance.

Thank you in advance for your help I can feel the tension already.

SANGUINE

Posted: 5/2/2003 2:48:50 AM EDT

[#1]

Well, I build my own. Bascially, here is what you need:

Motherboard
Processor
Memory
Graphics Card
HDD
CD/DVD
Case
Soundcard

I'd highly recommend this site for parts, they're great:

[url]http://www.aberdeeninc.com/index.html[/url]

Posted: 5/2/2003 5:48:23 AM EDT

[#2]

...and a power supply

Posted: 5/2/2003 7:11:47 AM EDT

[#3]

So I buy all this stuff and put it together. Load Windows and that is it? Sounds too easy.

[img]http://home.earthlink.net/~rflores00/_uimages/eniac3.gif[/img].

Posted: 5/2/2003 7:28:26 AM EDT

[#4]

Thanks for the link Ire. Aberdeen has a builders guide online.

[url]http://www.motherboards.org/articlesd/how-to-guides/924_1.html[/url]

Posted: 5/2/2003 4:48:09 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
So I buy all this stuff and put it together. Load Windows and that is it? Sounds too easy.

View Quote

Yes, but don't tell anybody, or many of us would be robbed of a handsome income ;)

For a first project, I'd recommend completing a barebones system, i.e. buying a case with the powersupply, the motherboard and the CPU with its fan are already assembled. All you'd have to do is add your drives (harddrive, CD and whatever), some memory, and, with most modern motherboards, you're done.
Install a operating system after your heart's content, and there you are.
Later on, you can upgrade the audio and video chips soldered on the board with add-on cards if you wish.

Posted: 5/2/2003 8:12:21 PM EDT

[#6]

So I am in it knee deep now. I went out to the local shop and bought all the stuff. Basics as Kar98 suggested. I have the motherboard in with CPU and Cooling fan and memory. Now I'm hooking up the power supply. To bad it doesn't have a wiring diagram. I can read those. I bought a new CD-RW but I'll scavange the floppy and an additional cd rom drive from an old computer I have. There are two led's on the front of the box, where do the two small connectors for these, that have the I and II roman numerals on them go?

Posted: 5/3/2003 7:05:50 AM EDT

[#7]

The lights are power led and hard (disk) drive(HDD) led. Check the motherboard book. There will be pins to plug these into. If the light doesn't work at first, rotate the connectors 180 degrees.

Welcome to the dark side!!

ByteTheBullet (-:

Posted: 5/3/2003 7:32:12 PM EDT

[#8]

Almost done. 2.4GHz Pentium 4, 80GB HDD, 512MB DDR.

[img]http://home.earthlink.net/~rflores00/_uimages/DSC00018.JPG[/img]

Posted: 5/3/2003 9:03:15 PM EDT

[#9]

Ok now I'm stumped. Windows XP Home Edition won't accept the product code! WTF

Got it. No more problems.

Posted: 5/4/2003 8:07:54 AM EDT

[#10]

Looks like tou have plenty of room for more stuff inside there! You could fit some neon and/or pneumatics easily![8D]

Congratulations!

ByteTheBullet (-:

Posted: 5/4/2003 8:10:57 AM EDT

[#11]

my cousin is building a new PC. he is using spare parts from an OLD OLD OLD PC and buying New parts too. I think he is crazy.

Posted: 5/5/2003 8:23:07 AM EDT

[#12]

Well, It is alive. I had some trouble with OEM Windows XP product code so I took it back and replaced it with the retail version. Got it loaded and it works fine. This was almost as fun as building the AR. Almost.[;)]

There is alot of room in this box. I think I'll mount a flat screen tv on the side panel so I can watch the Diamondbacks come back while I surf AR15.COM. Seems fitting that it dwarfs my POS HP Pavilion.

[img]http://home.earthlink.net/~rflores00/_uimages/sidebyside.jpg[/img]

Posted: 5/9/2003 4:39:11 PM EDT

[#13]

Congratulations, Sanguine!

Posted: 5/9/2003 10:20:22 PM EDT

[#14]

Thanks, When I bought all this stuff the guy that helped me said, "This will be the best computer youv'e ever had". I walked out wondering if it all would end up in a pile in my garage. It didn't. Runs flawlessly. Only has the crap on it that I want! My original intention so I'm extremely happy. Thank you sir. Can I build another!

P.S. Now the HP entertains my two boys. Used a Netgear Router to share my broadband with them. Their happy too.

Posted: 5/10/2003 8:30:06 PM EDT

[#15]

... I wouldn't lend any more assistance to [b]SANGUINE[/b]. I think he's a fed.

Posted: 5/10/2003 8:32:08 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
... I think I'll mount a flat screen tv on the side panel so I can watch the Diamondbacks come back while I surf AR15.COM

View Quote

... I hear you might have a brother that does that too!

... BTW WTF were you last Sunday? eight cases of Tannerite and all the F/A you can cramp your triggerfinger wrestling.

Posted: 5/10/2003 9:19:17 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Well, It is alive. I had some trouble with OEM Windows XP product code so I took it back and replaced it with the retail version. Got it loaded and it works fine. This was almost as fun as building the AR. Almost.[;)]

There is alot of room in this box. I think I'll mount a flat screen tv on the side panel so I can watch the Diamondbacks come back while I surf AR15.COM. Seems fitting that it dwarfs my POS HP Pavilion.

[url]http://home.earthlink.net/~rflores00/_uimages/sidebyside.jpg[/url]

View Quote

OK...So how much did it COST??? Total, no fibbing now.

Posted: 5/11/2003 8:53:09 AM EDT

[#18]

(Forgive me for not shopping prices. I hate to shop.)

Albatron Pentium 4 MB 229.00
Antec Tower W/350Watt PS 89.00
Western Digital 80GB HD 79.00
Corsair 512MB DDR 69.00
CDRW 48x16x48 79.00
Windows XP Home 199.00
Vantec round IDE cables 25.97
Sound Blaster PCI512 59.00

One computer that doesn't crash: Priceless

Posted: 5/11/2003 10:34:08 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
... I wouldn't lend any more assistance to [b]SANGUINE[/b]. I think he's a fed.

View Quote

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quoted:
... I think I'll mount a flat screen tv on the side panel so I can watch the Diamondbacks come back while I surf AR15.COM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

... I hear you might have a brother that does that too!

... BTW WTF were you last Sunday? eight cases of Tannerite and all the F/A you can cramp your triggerfinger wrestling.
[ Edited By WINSTON_WOLF on 5/11/2003 12:33:37 AM ]

I am a FED [:o)]

I'm punishing myself for missing the Tannerite fest. Had things with La Familia you know.

Posted: 5/11/2003 11:52:44 AM EDT

[#20]

Albatron has Bios upgrades available on their website. Should I load them or no?

You know that "if it ain't broke don't fix it" thing.

Posted: 5/11/2003 11:58:43 AM EDT

[#21]

That saying's right. Even though most updates will likely work as advertised, unless you have a specific need for some new feature or the upgrade takes care of a problem you're now having, why take the risk?

The exceptions are security upgrades for windows and virusscan/firewall, what have you. Especially since you're on a broadband connection.

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