Building my own computer (1st time out)?

Question

I want to build my own computer for the 1st time, Ihave done a lot of changes to my old desktop, I have changed the HDD, cdrom, RAM, everthing but the motherboard and processor.. i feel I dont have enough understanding about the motherboard settings.
If I have to build my computer, is it hard to do the motherboard settings as well as the processor? I know how to attach the bits and pieces of it but I lack understanding on the bios settings and/or any switches on the motherboard itself.... is it hard? can you recommend a website or video explaining this?

Answer 1

Putting together a computer is actually very easy. It's just a matter of putting the components together. The amount of motherboard configuration required is minimal, even if you want to do things like RAID. You will likely not even need to enter the BIOS or change any motherboard switches, but if you do, it will be explained in the manual that accompanies your motherboard.
You will run into one or two unexpected problems during assembly and setup, but usually it's nothing insurmountable. If you have enough experience putting the components together, you have enough experience to put the entire computer together.

Give it a whirl. If your biggest fear is motherboard settings, fear no more, they're usually non-existant or minimal.

Answer 2

what ever mother board you decide to buy will come with the correct information on configuration in the USER manual provided.
If you can read then you can build a great system.
one imprtant point when designing your system make sure the processor and the motherboard have the same socket number or type.
personally i have DFI Lanparty boards in my systems and they work a treat. the only settings i needed to set up are the software in the BIOS.
if you want a reliable system (one that will be running at least 23 hours a day every day of the year) USE AMD processors.
you can use intel processorsr but in my experiance AMD are more reliable.
you need the fastest RAM possible (that you can afford) especially if gaming. if however you just want a basic system for internet use and maybe a TV tuner card then PC2700 works great with an AMD sempron3400 processor.
you need a Powersupply that has at least 20% more power than your system will demand under full load. this is essential to main tain a stable and healthy system.
you will also want a propriatory malwware defence package. so go to www.trend-micro.com and downlaod the trial of pc-cillin internet security (you will not regret it).
you need to get to registry-clean.net and download registry clean expert. one of the best litle utilities you will ever need.
your processor need only be a 2.4 or 2.6Ghz for a media centre type system. if you want to build a gaming system, then you will want the highest Ghz CPU you can afford.

depending on your requirements and the specification (quality) of the hardware you buy the system will cost you anywhere from £200 (CPU, Motherboard and ram only if you plan to use your computers existing addons) to several thousand pounds if you plan to build your system from scratch and use all new parts.

one thing i will say is demand seagate hard drives. why?
because in my experiance seagate last on average five to ten times that of western digital, maxtor and other lesser brands.

just speaking from personal experiance. having built several systems in the last few years alone (for me, family and friends)

good luck.

Answer 3

When you build your own computer, you have complete choice over what components go into it. But that also means you are your own tech support as well, because you will have to troubleshoot for yourself. I don't agree that building your own is always cheaper - IF you can find a prebuilt machine that has an acceptable set of components. You would have to do some really aggressive sale shopping, and then shipping on the components will add up quickly. Most parts you cannot buy cheaper than the manufacturers. Notably you will pay much more for a retail or OEM version of Windows than you would pay for in a purchased machine that has a manufacturer bundle version of Windows. The ideal situation is to find a reputable brand machine where you can specify the parts that matter to you, and do a Build to Order machine starting with one of their stock offerings. The advantage is that there is one finger to point for warranty issues, and you can often get a 3 year warranty (extra cost) that covers all the components.

Answer 4

Just believe in yourself my friend. Take your time and read the manual which accompanies a new motherboard. All the jumper settings for the processors core voltage and clock/bus speed are explained clearly, with diagrams too. If you have already made yourself familiar with the inside of your computor by removing and re-installing then you are halfway there.
Just follow the manual front to back and then double check BEFORE you power up. The bios settings are a bit complex but once you have been through the menus a time or twoo you will get use to the layout.

You'll be fine, no website needed. Believe.

Answer 5

Most of today's motherboards already come preconfigured, so you really should not need to do any tweaking with the jumpers like we used to have to do in the old 8086 days. However, if you choose to enable certain functionality that comes disabled by default (Your manual will let you know which functionality comes enabled by default), you may want to tweak a jumper setting here and there.

Tom's Hardware is a great site that gives alot of indepth information on the basic components and what they are there for, etc.., but as always, consult the manual that comes with the Motherboard for more exact detail.

Here's the beginners guide to the Motherboard from Tom's

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/07/26/beginners_guide_to_motherboard_selection/page2.html

It sounds to me like you're sufficiently techy enough to handle changing the board. Word of advice, watch those heatsinks on the CPU. They can be deceptively hard to get set. :)

Answer 6

it shouldnt be too hard - any respected motherboard (asus, evga, dfi) should be able to set itself and post - the only thing maybe is if the default RAM voltages of the motherboard dont match your RAMs, but setting voltages should be explained in the manual -
its not that hard, trust me - i did one when i was 13 - it basically sets itself, just needs you to say yes or no or set some simple parameters -

cheers

Answer 7

Usually the worst bit is connecting the cases lights/switches.
As long as you read the manual, that shouldn't be too hard.
And remember if a switch doesn't work, it's plugged in the wrong place (or not plugged in), if a led doesn't work, the plugs the wrong way round.

Answer 8

it easy, most of the setting are automatic unless you get into overclocking

Answer 9

go dell buy new one, more easy and cheap