My First Computer Build

[AlanHo]

I am about to order the components for my first attempt at building a computer.

It will be used for general office duties, internet, photo editing, video editing etc - but not for gaming.

I have obtained prices for the following components :-

Case – Antec P182 Gunmetal Grey (Retail)

PSU – Antec NeoPower 650W (Retail)

Motherboard – ASUS P5KC P35 Socket 775 (Retail)

CPU – Intel Core2 Quad Q6600 GO Stepping 2.4GHz 1066 MHz L2 8MB cache (retail boxed).

HSF – Artic Cooling AC-FRZ-7P Freezer Socket 775 CPU Cooler (Retail)

RAM – Corsair 2GB kit (2 x 1 GB) DDR2 800 MHz (Retail)

Graphics – ASUS 8600GT 256MB GDDR3 Dual DVI HDTV Out PCI-E graphics card (Retail)

Hard Drives – Two Seagate 250 GB SATA2 7200 rpm 16MB cache hard drives OEM

DVD Burners – Two LG GSA-H55NBRL 20x DVD/DL/RAM IDE Drives OEM

Card Reader – Enlight Black 26 in 1 Internal 3.5” Card Reader with USB port (Retail).

Vista Ultimate OEM Operating System

Two 20" LCD Monitors

Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse

Audio speakers - are existing.

I would welcome comments about the choice of components and advice on their compatibility. Also - some parts are OEM - will I need to buy extra cables, screws or fittings - if so - what..?

Interestingly - I could buy the fully built computer to the above spec from PCSpecialists.co.uk and save myself about £40 compared with buying all the parts from EBuyer. However - I have always wanted to have a go at building one myself and the pleasure in doing so will offset the difference in cost.

[rong]

Can I see another long thread coming up, or at least allot of negative posts from someone.

[AlanHo]

Can I see another long thread coming up, or at least allot of negative posts from someone.

I hope not - I have downloaded lots of relevant info and video guides. In addition, I will carefully read the manuals and promise to only ask for help as a very last resort.

[-pops-]

Have you shopped around to places other than eBuyer?

I get my components from a variety of sources depending on what they are charging. I don't claim to be able to beat commercial builders but I can usually match their price by judicious buying, even though there may be extra carriage charges.

You may need SATA and IDE cables to OEM drives - check what is supplied with the motherboard. Rails, screws, ferrite rings etc. are normally supplied with the case.

What about a case fan (or two)? Get the largest fans that will fit to the case. Large fans run slower, thus are quieter than smaller fans with the same airflow.

Familiarise yourself thoroughly with the motherboard and with which bit goes where before attempting to assemble the parts.

[andsome]

All the very best Alan. I feel sure that you can, and WILL read the manuals, and will not be starting PANICKY threads. I doubt very much also that you will tell us about every box opened. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[-pops-]

An important point, Alan, which some people ignore (to their disappointment and cost) is installing the mounting pillars in the case for motherboard. As cases are built for a variety of boards there may be an excess of holes for the board you are using. ONLY place a pillar where there is a matching mounting hole on the board. Also ensure that the hole is a mounting hole and not some hole used in the jig for manufacturing the board. Putting extra or wrong pillars in could result in short circuits. It is also just as important to use the full complement of pillars as missing some out could cause strain when mounting components - possibly cracking the board (I've known it happen).

[andsome]

One point that has always puzzled me is what exactly is OEM. I guess the words mean something about original manufacturer or something like that. When my present computer was built locally, I asked for a full installation disc, and NOT a recovery disc. This was supplied, and I have used it several times to reinstall Windows. Would this be considered a retail disc or an OEM, and why? :D

[-pops-]

With hardware OEM items come in a plain brown box with few or no accessories such as mounting screws, cables or a manual.

With software, again you don't have the fancy box but with Windows, for example, the product key when acvtivated is tied to that motherboard for all time and is not transferable under any circumstances - e.g. change of motherboard. Again, there is no, or minimal, manual or instructions and no help from MS helplines. Other OEM software might not be so strict in transferability but again, there is minimal paperwork or customer service.

Recovery disks are the result of cooperation between large computer manufacturers and MS and often contain other "bits" apart from Windows and may not even contain a copy of Windows at all but merely a means of access to a hidden portion of the hard drive already installed in the machine.

[andsome]

Thanks for the info. When my computer was delivered by the shop, the Windows disc was in a nice folder with full instructions, so it must have been retail. :D

[AlanHo]

Have you shopped around to places other than eBuyer?

I get my components from a variety of sources depending on what they are charging. I don't claim to be able to beat commercial builders but I can usually match their price by judicious buying, even though there may be extra carriage charges.

You may need SATA and IDE cables to OEM drives - check what is supplied with the motherboard. Rails, screws, ferrite rings etc. are normally supplied with the case.

What about a case fan (or two)? Get the largest fans that will fit to the case. Large fans run slower, thus are quieter than smaller fans with the same airflow.

Familiarise yourself thoroughly with the motherboard and with which bit goes where before attempting to assemble the parts.

Yes I have provisionally shopped around - but will have a final gallop around the web suppliers in January when I take the plunge.

So far I have had prices from the following suppliers - but not all stock my chosen parts. The most comprehensive are EBuyer and LambdaTek who seem to be the most competitive :-

EBuyer

Dabs

LambdaTek

Novatech

Komplett

Amazon

Which good suppliers have I missed out...?

Regarding manuals - I have already downloaded the motherboard manual so that I can study it in advance. I have also collected a number of links to sources of advice, instructions and demo videos for the components I have chosen and their assembly.

[-pops-]

Other possible suppliers:

Scan

Overclockers UK

QuietPC (excellent if you're concerned about noise)

Kustom PCs

Microdirect

[Boris]

http://www.aria.co.uk/

http://www.autdirect.co.uk/

[catgate]

I have used CCL a lot and they seem to be very good. Their prices are very competitive, their service is quick and efficient, but they do not appear to keep "older" items i.e. everything is "the latest".

http://www.cclonline.com/

For andsome ....OEM = Original Equipment Manufacturer. It is a widely used acronym in many industries.

[trackrat]

A nice selection of parts Alan, the only change i would make is to get a 8800GT 512mb graphics card.

Are you planning to have a tinker with overclocking Alan.

[deuces wild]

All the very best Alan. I feel sure that you can, and WILL read the manuals, and will not be starting PANICKY threads. I doubt very much also that you will tell us about every box opened. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

The way I see it..........a 14 year old has managed to get into your mind so you think about him constantly.

A 14 year old playing mind games with a senior citizen.......and winning. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Drop it already Andsome and move on already. You have turned it into something personal for some reason.

[AlanHo]

A nice selection of parts Alan, the only change i would make is to get a 8800GT 512mb graphics card.

Are you planning to have a tinker with overclocking Alan.

Thanks for the suggestion but I have no intention of gaming and understand that the 8800GT would be overkill for my needs. Hence I have chosen an ASUS 8600GT silent card (large heat sink & no fan) which a friend uses and is happy with for his video editing on a twin monitor computer.

Since I will not be gaming I doubt that I will try overclocking. I rather doubt I would get much benefit but I am very willing to stand corrected. However - I am a born tinkerer - and just might indulge one cold and wet winter's day when boredom sets in. The CPU cooler will certainly allow it.

I did intend waiting until the new year to order the stuff - but spent some time today getting prices from all the suggested suppliers and finished up ordering it all. The component list is as in my first post except that I decided on a Zalman 9500 cooler instead of the Artic one - again because a friend has good experience of it. I finished up splitting the order between Ebuyer and Lambda Tek - they were by far the most competitive overall. I could have saved about £8 by using 3 other suppliers for some parts but did not want the hassle for such a small saving.

The total cost for the tower including all the internal components and Vista Ultimate was £767 - I priced up a similar spec at PCSpecialists and their price was £911. I must have dropped a clanger when I first compared costs -so I take back what I said in my original post. It has proved cheaper to do a self build.

I now have to decide on monitors - I intend popping down to PC World, Comet, Curry's etc to see them working before I decide on a model. I currently have a 22" LG LCD monitor - any alternative will have to be pretty good to beat it.

[andsome]

Just a little query Alan. Why two DVD burners. Why not one burner and one reader? :D

[AlanHo]

Just a little query Alan. Why two DVD burners. Why not one burner and one reader? :D

Have you seen the price difference? - it is insignificant. hence I decided that the flexibility was worth a tenner.

[Alan2273]

You wont regret building it yourself.

It will be a nice computer when you have built it and you will have the satisfaction of having done it your self.

I know Panarchy was a pain in the backside but his thread did cover every eventuality.

[AlanHo]

I ordered the components at about 3.30 pm yesterday and at 8.30 am this morning City Link arrived with parcels from both suppliers.

It was not a complete delivery - the hard drives, DVD drives and graphics card are to follow.

So this morning I started to assemble things. The manuals that came with the Antec case, Antec Power Supply, ASUS motherboard and Zalman cooler are all excellent. It took me just 3 hours to carefully assemble the parts and connect the various cables - except of course the wiring for the outstanding parts. I have no doubt that it could be done in an hour by someone experienced - but I double checked everything as I proceded.

Every cable in the Antec case is clearly marked with its identity and the ASUS Q connector makes it so simple to plug in the cables for the case front switches, LED's, Audio connector and USB port. I am now even more at a loss why it took a certain person so much time and trouble to do it - especially in view of how clear the instructions are.

So I now await the arrival of the graphics and drives which look easy to instal.

Who was it said - pride comes before a fall - so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

[andsome]

I ordered the components at about 3.30 pm yesterday and at 8.30 am this morning City Link arrived with parcels from both suppliers.

It was not a complete delivery - the hard drives, DVD drives and graphics card are to follow.

So this morning I started to assemble things. The manuals that came with the Antec case, Antec Power Supply, ASUS motherboard and Zalman cooler are all excellent. It took me just 3 hours to carefully assemble the parts and connect the various cables - except of course the wiring for the outstanding parts. I have no doubt that it could be done in an hour by someone experienced - but I double checked everything as I proceded.

Every cable in the Antec case is clearly marked with its identity and the ASUS Q connector makes it so simple to plug in the cables for the case front switches, LED's, Audio connector and USB port. I am now even more at a loss why it took a certain person so much time and trouble to do it - especially in view of how clear the instructions are.

So I now await the arrival of the graphics and drives which look easy to instal.

Who was it said - pride comes before a fall - so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Cross everything to make sure. :D

[Irene]

I hope that this does not mean that you will be withdrawing your services from the forum for long periods!! :0

[Boris]

:D Irene,

I am sure that andsome will continue as he always does ?

[Irene]

:D Irene,

I am sure that andsome will continue as he always does ?

You are absolutely correct, but Alan is the epitome of provocation! :D

[rong]

:D Irene,

I am sure that andsome will continue as he always does ?

You are absolutely correct, but Alan is the epitome of provocation! :D

What's wrong with wind up merchant, or are you just showing off.