Once again, I'm up to my old tricks. The time has passed, and I have written a variety of guides covering the installation of a plethora of different kinds of hardware and software. Well now you know, they were all designed to build up to this monstrosity of a computer hardware guide. And when you see what I have in store for you, you will understand why.
Overview
Oh boy, this is a big one. Are you ready to delve into the mind of the master of all computer builders, and more importantly, are you afraid? You should be...
- A listing of all the necessary parts, components, and tools that are necessary
- Safety Precautions
- Feature Case: The Addtronics 6890A Full Tower Case
- Getting in and around your computer case
- Installing your Motherboard
- Installing your Processor and RAM
- Installing your Add-in cards
- Cable Cleanup
- Installing your Hard Drive, Floppy Drive, and CD-ROM drive
- Booting up for the first time
- Troubleshooting Boot-up Problems
- Configuring the BIOS
- Installing Windows
- Troubleshooting a failed installation
- Initial Windows Setup
- System Cooling
- Overclocking
Stuff
Here's a (somewhat) complete list of what you will need to build your computer. You may need other specific things depending on your particular choices in hardware (such as a slotkey).
Case - I personally recommend the Addtronics line of cases for your new computer. The feature case for this article is the Addtronics 6890a case, which is a full tower case with more than enough real estate for most users needs. Other companies also make some good cases - I have worked with Enlight cases previously and have been very satisfied with them. As for power-supplies, go with the ones that come with the case as long as they are at least 250 watts (300 is better), unless your specific computer (Athlon...) requires a more expensive one.
Motherboard - This really depends on the type of system you are trying to build, but both ABIT and ASUS make very good motherboards, and if you get a board made by one of those companies, you are sure to be satisfied.
More Stuff...
Processor - I won't even bother trying to recommend a particular type of processor, due to the fast moving nature of that sector of the computer business. Both Intel and AMD make very solid processor solutions, so I would recommend sticking with them.
RAM - PC133 Ram, definitely. Why? Because even if you are building a system that only needs PC100 Ram, you will benefit from the extra stability and quality of the PC133 Ram. Besides, at 100 Mhz, you can set regular CAS-3 PC133 Ram to CAS-2 and get a performance increase for about the same price as PC100 CAS-2 Ram goes for. RAMBUS is an absolute waste of money unless you are building a system that absolutely requires it - and besides, RAMBUS ram is incompatible with most of today's motherboards anyhow.
CD/DVD Drive - Right now I would probably recommend getting a DVD drive as opposed to a CD-ROM drive, if only for the reason because software is (finally) starting to move over to that format now. However, anything under a 6X drive is really a waste of money. However, for a budget system, you can get a 40x CD-ROM drive for as low as $25... and there isn't a game or application out yet that isn't available on CD-ROM.
Floppy Drive - Get a used one. You can pick them up for under $5, and the likelihood of you needing a super-fast floppy drive is akin to the likelihood that you would need a faster LP turntable. It just doesn't happen. However, if you are really obsessed with speed, Teac is one of the best brands, running at about $17. Of course, used, they run about the same as the generic ones and they haven't changed the design in ages... Only way they are going to get any faster is if you grab an LS-120 - it runs floppies at 5x the speed of a conventional floppy drive.
Hard Drive - IBM...IBM...IBM... they're fast, relatively cheap, and big. Get a Deskstar - you won't regret it. And you can get them in any size/price range under the sun, and are generally considered to be the best 7200-RPM drives on the market. Now, rumor has it that there are actually some 8300-RPM drives on the market that are being made by another company that are faster, but that isn't confirmed nor do I have any other information on them.
Even More Stuff...
Video Card - Your best bet here would be to go with an Nvidia based card if you're willing to spend a little extra money, or a 3dfx Voodoo3 card if you're on a budget. All of them are good, and what you get really depends on how much you are willing to spend.
Sound Card - You really have two top-of-the-line options here... the Soundblaster Live! series of cards by Creative Labs and the Aureal Vortex 2 based cards. Both cards are very good and deliver excellent audio quality.
Modem - Depends. I generally recommend external modems because they are never software-driven, but if you can find a good internal hardware modem you are golden. Just a hint, if it's new, internal, and under $50... it's probably a software modem. Diamond still produces some internal hardware modems, and 3Com has just come out with a hardware 'gaming' modem.
Keyboard - This is really up to personal taste - here's what you should look for in a new keyboard:
- Comfort
- Full sized backspace key (size of two keys)
- PS/2 or USB - not AT
Editor's note: Cordless keyboards are very cool! Watch out at LAN parties though.. :)
Mouse - Microsoft mice are my favorite - the Intellimouse series of mice is excellent. Go for one of the USB models if you can. The other option we recommend is the Logitech Mouseman series. These are very nice, too. Mousepad? Visit Ratpadz! These are excellent mousepads for gamers and they last forever.
Monitor - Once again, this is something you are going to need to decide on for yourself. I personally recommend getting a monitor that is 17" or greater and maintains a frequency of at least 85 Hz at your chosen resolution (1024x768, 1280x1024, or 1600x1200). For around $200 you should be able to find a cheap 17", and for about $400 you should be able to find a decent 19" monitor.
Operating System - For right now I recommend Win98 (not second edition...). Windows 2000 has all the trappings of a great OS if companies choose to support it properly - so you may want to keep that in mind as well.
Other parts - extra IDE cables (you'll understand later), some kind of lock-tie (twistie-ties work as well if you can't get lock-ties), and any fans you intend on installing. You may also wish to go out and grab some extra case screws if your case didn't come with enough of them.
Tools - There are a variety of different tools you may need while building your system. Here are a few of the most common ones:
- Flat head screwdriver
- Magnetized Phillips head screwdriver
- Regular Philips head screwdriver
- Tweezers
Safety Precautions
There are a few things that you should be aware of when you are building your computer so you don't hurt yourself or damage any of the components.
- Wash (and dry) your hands
- Make sure you ground yourself by touching an uncoated part of your computer's chassis before touching any of the components
- Be careful of sharp edges within your case
- Only handle PCB's (your motherboard, video card, etc) from the edges whenever possible. Touching the contacts can damage them
- Avoid using magnetic screwdrivers when installing your hard drive (particularly if there is already some data on it) - it's a magnetic storage medium, after all.
Feature Case - the Addtronics 6890a Full Tower Casing
I chose this case as the feature case for this article mainly because of its versatility. Not only does it have all of the features that one would look for in a good case, it also has some customizability to it - from power supplies to fan number and locations. Some of the most impressive features of the case are as follows:
- Removable HD tray
- Swinging side doors
- Air filters
- Security lock
- Drive rails
- Adjustable base
- FCC spec metal shielding
This really is a great case for building a system. If you want to hear more about it, you can read my review of the case here.
Getting In and Around Your Computer
Getting into each different computer case is different. However, there are generally two types of cases on the market today - front opening and rear opening ones. Rear opening cases are by far the most common - they generally consist of either one piece of sheet metal folded over the entire case (this is a good sign of a cheap case) or two panels attached in back using thumbscrews. The latter is a very popular design and is found on most OEM cases as well as many other higher end cases (Enlight comes to mind). Front opening cases, however, are my personal favorite (the Addtronics 6890a is one such case). Front opening cases require you to remove the front panel before you can get at the innards. To open these cases, you grab the bottom of the front panel (there will be a handhold of some sort) and pull outwards. Don't be afraid of breaking the case - they are designed for this kind of treatment. After this, depending on the case, you may or may not have screws to loosen before the side panels will open.
This picture was blatantly ripped off of the ABIT-USA website, and is a picture of the BE6-2. Its got the lowdown on which part of the motherboard is which. I will be referring to these parts throughout this guide, so take note of where each one is, or at least be prepared to return here for some guidance.
