In the next few pages, I will try and inscribe as much knowledge that I have of computers into you. If any of you tech people out there spot a problem, send me an message.

EDITED: October 16th, 2009

I. Introduction

"My definition of an expert in any field is a person who knows enough about what's really going on to be scared.", P. J. Plauger once said in 1993. If this is true, then my paranoia of computers makes me a computer god. :P

Building your own computer can either be a walk in the park or a trip down superscary lane. It all depends on if you want to listen to advice or not. The first thing that you must learn is the order in which you should buy parts. When looking for parts for a new build, I consider each piece in a specific order and by my 'need' of the specific part/features.

There should only be an exception to the order if you have a specific purpose for the computer. For example, if you want to do a media center setup, the case is almost always the most important thing. Having a big, bulky thing that won't fit with the rest of your stereo components would be useless/inefficient when you start looking for parts if you really wanted a smaller case.

MOTHERBOARD: Look for features that you'll actually use. Read the reviews and figure out if the Negative aspects of the motherboard will affect how you use it (ie, a review says "not for gaming").

PROCESSOR: How much power do you want? Pick wisely. This is where money can be wasted the most. CPU Cache size makes a huge difference....jumping from a 3mb to a 6mb cache on Core 2 Duos is a huge speed increase, for example.

CPU HEATSINK: Money wasted here is money well spent. In other words, buying that 50$ heatsink to cool your beastly processor may seem like an initial waste (because the processor comes with a stock heatsink already), but you'll love it in the long run. However, if your motherboard is small, consider using the stock heatsink. Newer processors come with amazing stock heatsinks.

POWER SUPPLY: Comes back to power. Basically look at your processor and motherboard setup and what you plan to do. SLI? RAID? Dual Core Processor? Or just a normal computer? Use Newegg's Power usage webapp in their Power Supply section and add 200W (so the PSU isnt stressed). Figure out what power connectors your video card will need and if your power supply has enough of them.

VIDEO CARD: It all comes down to whay you're gonna do. RTS games? Go with an average card. Action games that are strenuous on your computer? Go bigger. Just looking at word docs/internet? Get the newest series of low-end card.

CASE: This is when you look back at all of your currently owned parts and how your dream case will cool them. Look for front audio and usb ports if you'll use them. Don't compensate looks for cooling or vica-versa. You can change either with a little elbow grease (or more money). Try to buy cases that ONLY use 120mm fans....80mm fans are soooo 10 years ago and get noisy faster.

RAM: It all depends on what your motherboard can support (some only support 1.8v ram). And then after that, either pick high end stuff or value priced. There is a huge difference. And don't forget to look for sales. They happen more with older models of RAM when the company is phasing them out for the 'newest' version, which just has different heatsinks.

HARD DRIVE: Have any laying around? Then use em if they're quiet and have enough space for what you need. Try to stay with SATA drives. They're faster and more efficient, and don't cost much at all....and 99.9% of new motherboards support SATA.

CD/DVD DRIVES: I always recommend two drives, but you can opt to just get one. A DVD burner is almost an essential to me now (I thought it sounded stupid before), but they read cds/dvds at a slower speed as compared to a DVD-ROM or a CD/DVD combo drive (combo drive = only reads dvds, but can burn and read cds). Having a drive to watch DVDs on and listen to cds on and then one to burn stuff makes it much simpler if something breaks down. It's also ALOT simpler to copy stuff from disc to disc. In short, I recommend getting a DVD/RW Drive and a Combo Drive.

FLOPPY DRIVE: Either a yes or no. If you're ever going to do RAID (most people don't, or don't know what it is), then you'll need one. There are a few people out there that still use them though. If you haven't used one in the last 2 months, don't get one.

THERMAL PASTE: There are mainly 2 choices now: Arctic Silver 5 or Ceramique. AS5 will get you the best temps (about 1-2C better than Ceramique), but Ceramique is easier to clean up, and needs reapplied less often. I really recommend Ceramique....apply with a razorblade.

II. The Parts and Why They Need to be Watched Like Little Children

Parts change. Numbers, stats, components, et cetera change with them. Version SA-126-B will most likely be completely different than SA-126-R. Research on newegg, the manufaturer's site (found on newegg in the bottom left), and on google (google the product number +  the word 'review'...you'll be suprised at what comes up). This is the way to true enlightenment. Alright...here we go!:


MOTHERBOARD:
There are many different things to check up on.
1. What Socket do you plan on using? (ie Socket 939 means the processor has 939 pins on the bottom, so matching this stat up with your processor is essential.)
-Socket 939 is the standard Athlon 64 pin layout, and is compatible with DDR ram.
-Socket AM2 is AMD's newest socket type, and is compatible with DDR2 ram.
-Socket 775 (or LGA 775, or Socket T) is Intel's common pinage for their P4 processors and is usually compatible with DDR2 ram.
There are many newer sockets out there that utilize DDR3 ram...just make sure to match the correct sockets up.
3. Boards that have SATA II are preferable, but what you mainly need is SATA in general. It's great to have, even if you're not initally going with a SATA harddrive.
4. Check RAM capacity ratings and suggested brands on the mobo manufacturer's site. RAM is not something that should be randomly picked, and motherboards will hate you for doing that.

PROCESSOR:
Pick one that is compatible with your mobo, and that is in your price range.

Cheap comp – 70-120$
Midrange – 150-250$
High end – 300$+

CPU HEATSINK:
There are many good heatsinks out right now. There are mainly 2 companies to look at for quality:

1. Zalman
2. Thermalright

Zalman has the 7000, the 7700, and the 9500 series coolers that work well
Thermalright has their XP-90 and XP-120 series coolers. They are pretty good, but the 9500 beats them out by a bit. Thermalright costs a bit more and still needs a fan, but they’re more low profile.

POWER SUPPLY:
There are 5 things you need to look for. You want a:
1. modular PSU with
2. a single, 120mm fan sucking hot air out of your systemm with
3. enough Wattage to power your system and
4. more than 4x 12v rails (with 20+Amps each) to power your video card(s) and (optionally)
5. you can look to see if the PSU is 80PLUS certified for efficiency

#1....modular makes things ALOT easier and cleaner.
#2....a single fan makes things more efficient and quieter
#3....use the Newegg power supply webapp in their PSU section to figure out your wattage, then add 200W to that number.
#4....less than 4x were designed for older systems. 20Amps each MINUMUM for newer systems.
#5....usually if the system is 80PLUS certified it will be alot more stable

VIDEO CARD:
It all depends on what you play. If you're gaming often or occasionally, go for a midrange to high end card. If you only browse the internet, consider a low to midrange card.

Also, don’t buy a crappy processor and a high end video card. There will be a log-jam inside your computer with information. And we all know how much splinters suck.

CASE:
Basically, read reviews, look at # of fans, and look at its aesthetic looks. If it cools like no other, but you hate the ghey spiderman look, then don’t get it.

Also, sometimes cheap, noname power supplies are bundled with cases. DO NOT BUY THESE CASES THEN, as that PSU will be junk. ALWAYS buy it seperately.

RAM:
Match it up with your motherboard. Socket T and Socket AM2 are DDR2 and Socket 939 is DDR, and newer processors use DDR3. It's not too hard. Just read reviews and listen to what people say.

I currently recommend 2gig of ram for the basic user, and 4gigs of ram for the gamer or power user.

I suggest getting the ram split, as in 2x1gig or 2x2gig packs. Note: this doesn't mean "Change the quantity of the shipping form from 1 to 2 when ordering". This means that RAM manufacturers make a 2 pack of 512 sticks that are meant to run together.

Also, PC3200 = DDR400. It’s confusing, but use the newegg memory search section to see how the numbers relate.

HARD DRIVE:
Tis very simple. Look at the hard drive area. Pick a SATA harddrive that is the size you need, times two. Its better to have empty space on your harddrive than to have it full. I recommend 360GB or 500GB drives for most people.

CD/DVD DRIVES:
DO NOT PICK A RESPECTABLE BRAND!!! Sony drives cost way too much. Same with other normal brands. Get a Lite-On DVD burner with good ratings for 25$.

I strongly recommend buying the drive retail, as you'll usually get a free copy of Nero (an excellent burning software).

This is one odd view that I have, but I also recommend getting a 2nd drive: a combo drive. A combo drive can only burn cds, but can read cds and dvds. This makes it an effective movie and installing drive, whereas the other one gets its use through burning. This, in time, will save one drive from overuse. A combo drive costs around 20$.

Also, if you’re not going to use lite-on, atleast try and stay with the same brand. It makes the colors of the drives look more uniform (my lite-on and rosewill are 2 different blacks).

Alsoalso, Plextor drives are typically the Porche of disk drives. If you want reliability, go with one.

FLOPPY DRIVE:
Pick up a Samsung or NEC floppy drive for 7-10$.

When you go and update your computer’s BIOS (the data stored on a memory chip in the hardware that tells the mobo what todo), usually you need a floppy drive.

You will also need it to install a RAID driver during windows install (if you’re doing RAID)

THERMAL PASTE:
Get a small tube of Ceramique. Follow the instructions on the manufacturer's website on how to use it (or follow the directions that came with your motherboard/cpu)

III. Don’t be afraid to ask a stupid question.

“Too many times have I heard stupid questions unasked.” (yes I have the 6th sense) Stupidity is sometimes a valuable asset. It took me close to 5 years to learn everything that I know.

PLEASE PLEASE ASK ME QUESTIONS ON EBAY (this is my father's account, but I manage it for him and will answer within a day).
PLEASE INTERRUPT ME DURING DINNER.
PLEASE COME TO MY DOOR ASKING FOR HELP.

“I’d love to help you, but I can’t do a darn thing if you stand there like a hippo”

Now….


Any questions?