Building a computer

[It's Snake Pliskin]

Has anyone ever built their own computer? If so what is vital as far as knowledge goes? Do computer parts come with intructions that help in the process?

 

[mayk]

You want to build it from scratch?

Main components are:

Motherboard (Intel, Gigabyte, etc) Intel preferable.

Processor (Intel or AMD) Again Intel preferable. (chose the motherboard which supports the processor-- different sockets)

Ram (4Gb is sufficient, but the speed 1066Mhz is important)

Chassis (power supply, etc)

Graphics and sound cards are usually built-in to the motherboard. But you can buy a good variant yourself.

I have build my own system a long time ago. I suppose it is better to buy a computer from dell (etc.), it is cheap and in the long run is more compact, and built carefully.

Having said that you can learn a lot about computers by building it yourself. You can buy the whole system (often as a package) from ebay at a reduced cost.

Regarding instructions you can find many videos on the youtube.

 

[It's Snake Pliskin]

You want to build it from scratch?

Main components are:

Motherboard (Intel, Gigabyte, etc) Intel preferable.

Processor (Intel or AMD) Again Intel preferable. (chose the motherboard which supports the processor different sockets)

Ram (4Gb is sufficient, but the speed 1066Mhz is important)

Chassis (power supply, etc)

Graphics and sound cards are usually built-in to the motherboard. But you can buy a good variant yourself.

I have build my own system a long time ago. I suppose it is better to buy a computer from dell (etc.), it is cheap and in the long run is more compact, and built carefully.

Having said that you can learn a lot about computers by building it yourself. You can buy the whole system (often as a package) from ebay at a reduced cost.

Regarding instructions you can find many videos on the youtube.

Thanks Mayk.

Yes I was thinking of building a laptop with specs I wanted as opposed to buying one with stuff not needed.

regarding processors, why Intel over Amd?

 

[doctorj]

The act of physically putting a computer together is quite straightforward. The key things to remember are to not force anything (things should go in relatively easily) and to be aware of static.

On the first point, components generally only fit where they were intended to go and the direction they're meant to be put in. On the second, the easiest way to prevent static build up is to have the case's power supply plugged in to the power (but switched off obviously) and be sure to touch the exposed metal on the inside of the case frequently.

Even Dell mark up their products a lot and as long as you have the time it can be a very educational and money-saving experience. Your local computer store can help you ensure that each component you buy works with each other. Be sure to shop around by getting quotes one the same components as there can be a lot of variance from store to store. If you're in WA, I highly recommend Austin Computers or PLE.

I've built every PC I've ever bought and the only difficulty I've had is putting the heat sink on the CPUs. The old athlons in particular were a nightmare and nearly resulted in me putting a screwdriver through the motherboard. Fortunately things are a lot easier these days and heat sinks clip on much easier.

I'm happy to help with any specific questions you have.

Edit: I see you're interested in building a laptop rather than a desktop. That really is a whole different kettle of fish and not something I can offer much help on. You can pick up a cheap new laptop here suitable for word processing and web browsing for under £200 - I assume you can get similar in Australia and if you're interested in a laptop, I'd strongly encourage you to look at that option.

 

[mayk]

Thanks Mayk.

Yes I was thinking of building a laptop with specs I wanted as opposed to buying one with stuff not needed.

regarding processors, why Intel over Amd?

I am sorry, those instructions were for desktops. Laptops are more complex, and I don't think you can build them, the heat is a big issue with the chassis and they are modeled by branded companies (dell, hp, lenovo) ..

Well it is the age old question of Toyota (intel) Vs Hyundai (AMD). If you look at the technology, Intel is at least one step ahead of AMD. There processors produce less heat (crucial factor in laptops).

I have nothing against AMD, infact my desktop (given to me by a friend) is AMD based, and performs as well as intel (laptop). It is just a matter of technology for me. Mind you AMD is cheaper than Intel.

 

[disarray]

if you want a laptop, buy one. toshibas are solid but choose whatever suits your budget / requirements.

putting desktops together can be a pain in the ass, especially when it comes with putting the drivers all together for the operating system. it's pretty straightforward, but if you haven't done it before you could face drama. for a bit of extra cash you can outsource the pain and have someone to send it back to when it falls over.

 

[It's Snake Pliskin]

The act of physically putting a computer together is quite straightforward. The key things to remember are to not force anything (things should go in relatively easily) and to be aware of static.

On the first point, components generally only fit where they were intended to go and the direction they're meant to be put in. On the second, the easiest way to prevent static build up is to have the case's power supply plugged in to the power (but switched off obviously) and be sure to touch the exposed metal on the inside of the case frequently.

Even Dell mark up their products a lot and as long as you have the time it can be a very educational and money-saving experience. Your local computer store can help you ensure that each component you buy works with each other. Be sure to shop around by getting quotes one the same components as there can be a lot of variance from store to store. If you're in WA, I highly recommend Austin Computers or PLE.

I've built every PC I've ever bought and the only difficulty I've had is putting the heat sink on the CPUs. The old athlons in particular were a nightmare and nearly resulted in me putting a screwdriver through the motherboard. Fortunately things are a lot easier these days and heat sinks clip on much easier.

I'm happy to help with any specific questions you have.

Edit: I see you're interested in building a laptop rather than a desktop. That really is a whole different kettle of fish and not something I can offer much help on. You can pick up a cheap new laptop here suitable for word processing and web browsing for under £200 - I assume you can get similar in Australia and if you're interested in a laptop, I'd strongly encourage you to look at that option.

Thanks Dr J, that was an enlightening post. I'll consider looking for cheaper laptops but I know some people who mentioned they built one but have no details of what they used.

Cheers..

 

[It's Snake Pliskin]

I am sorry, those instructions were for desktops. Laptops are more complex, and I don't think you can build them, the heat is a big issue with the chassis and they are modeled by branded companies (dell, hp, lenovo) ..

Well it is the age old question of Toyota (intel) Vs Hyundai (AMD). If you look at the technology, Intel is at least one step ahead of AMD. There processors produce less heat (crucial factor in laptops).

I have nothing against AMD, infact my desktop (given to me by a friend) is AMD based, and performs as well as intel (laptop). It is just a matter of technology for me. Mind you AMD is cheaper than Intel.

Thanks Mayk and Dissaray.

 

[BentRod]

Snake,
I think you might be getting mixed up with desktops and laptops?

I can't see how it is possible to build your own laptop. For this to be even possible you would have to be able to buy 'empty' laptops with a functioning screen that you could connect the mobo and vid card to......


Ah I give up

 

[lesm]

Has anyone ever built their own computer? If so what is vital as far as knowledge goes? Do computer parts come with intructions that help in the process?

Snake,

Have a look a this site for how-to's, comparisons, etc. The site has been around for years:

http://www.tomshardware.com/us/

Pretty straight forward to build a desktop, have built a few over the years.

Cheers.

 

[It's Snake Pliskin]

Snake,

Have a look a this site for how-to's, comparisons, etc. The site has been around for years:

http://www.tomshardware.com/us/

Pretty straight forward to build a desktop, have built a few over the years.

Cheers.

Thanks Lesm, I'll check it out.

 

[It's Snake Pliskin]

Snake,
I think you might be getting mixed up with desktops and laptops?

I can't see how it is possible to build your own laptop. For this to be even possible you would have to be able to buy 'empty' laptops with a functioning screen that you could connect the mobo and vid card to......


Ah I give up

Bentrod,
From what I have been told one can build laptop. I need to investigate it further to see if it is worth it.
Cheers.

 

[aleckara]

If you can build a laptop a lot more people would be doing so.

The problem from what I understand is the heat. Since laptop components are cramped into a smaller space it is harder to standardise the chassis design as there is a lot less space to work with in there. More cramped components = less ventilation.

AMD - Intel tend to leapfrog each other. A few years ago IMO AMD was better (before the Core 2 Duo's came out). The prescott core's from Intel (P4's) were horrible. Intel did go past them with Core 2 Duo but I think AMD may be close now or has managed to catch up with their Phenom II 4 core's.

 

[xyzedarteerf]

Building a desktop yes anyone can do it.
Building a laptop now thats a whole different ball game.

Just an example the price of a replacement LCD screen alone can sometimes cost more than buying a new one. so cost wise not worth the effort.

put this way every single part in a laptop has been custom built for a particular model not all parts are interchangeable that's why you cannot upgrade a laptop , well you can purchase more ram but that's about it.

but then again if you have $$$ to burn then sky's the limit.

 

[johenmo]

Desktop - simple to build.

Laptop - never tried and won't. Worked in office next to laptop fix-it guy for our company and a coule of mates are in own businesses. They all said buy the laptop but don't go to big store. They do things like sell with Vista and 512 Meg Ram. You wouldn't go near Vista without 2 Gb RAM if you want some power - 1 Gb Min.

Watch out for brands which "force" you to buy their parts due to unique parts etc. We use Dell for work and they are OK. Google and you'll find enough reviews.

AMD used to be the gamer's chip, and Intel for business. Don't know now. I prefer Intel.

 

[Wysiwyg]

I just so happen to have kept some useful information in a notepad so when I get a new computer it will be good.Is fast, is good.

 

[mayk]

I just so happen to have kept some useful information in a notepad so when I get a new computer it will be good.Is fast, is good.

It was a good read, reminded me of my micro processor architecture class. But it is now approximately a decade old info

Also include the dual, quad processor cores info.

 

[Wysiwyg]

It was a good read, reminded me of my micro processor architecture class. But it is now approximately a decade old info

Also include the dual, quad processor cores info.

Well I`ll slip the latest numbers in to replace the out dated ones.Thanks Mayk.

 

[awg]

Has anyone ever built their own computer? If so what is vital as far as knowledge goes? Do computer parts come with intructions that help in the process?

Not worth the trouble, even with a desktop, unless you REALLY want to learn.
Too many possible gotchas, not enough money saved for the time spent.

With a laptop, you are just asking for trouble.

Unless you are experienced in the dismantling of complex miniaturised equipment, the inside of a laptop is no place for the faint-hearted

 

[It's Snake Pliskin]

Thanks for all of the replies.

What would be a good quality laptop maker that is reliable and doesn't have batteries that catch on fire?