Towards the end of last year, I began to realize it was time for a new PC. My several year old Dell E1705, while still competent, had begun to show signs of trouble. I’ve long wanted to build my own PC, and the state of the PC industry made me decide it was the time to do so. PC manufacturers by and large are using cheaper and cheaper parts resulting in machines with a shorter life span. Further, the support they provide isn’t worth the mark up on the parts. So, in January, I built my first custom PC.
Resources
I’ve been working with computers on my own and professionally for 16 years. I’ve done things such as memory and video card upgrades, but nothing of this magnitude. So I needed some help. Fortunately, there are many good resources on building a PC available on the internet. Chief among those I used is Tom’s Hardware, an excellent resource. PCMech has a good read. Other good sites: Kitchen Table Computers, Overclocker’s Club, and of course, NewEgg, where I purchased all my parts.
Chosen Parts
I wanted a fairly high end build with quality parts, but with room for expansion. Here’s what I picked:
- Processor: Intel Core i7-860
- MotherBoard: ASUS P7P55D Deluxe
- Memory: Corsair XMS3, 4GB
- Case: Cooler Master HAF 922
- Power Supply: Corsair 650HX (650W)
- Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
- Video Card: ATI Radeon 5770 by XFX
- Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F3 (500GB)
- Optical Drive: Lite-On 24X DVD Reader/Writer
- WiFi Card: D-Link DWA-556
- Bluetooth: ASUS USB Mini Dongle
- Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate (64 bit)
I debated for a while between the 1156 and the 1366 architectures, but ultimately went with the 1156. I thought that would be an easier install for my first time, considering the lower heat output and power needs. Similarly, I chose the Cooler Master over the Antec 900 due to a slightly easier installation. I wanted a video card that supported 3 monitors, including my HDTV. Switching from the laptop, I needed WiFi because I don’t have an easy ethernet hookup, and Bluetooth to replace the integrated Bluetooth on the laptop. Finally, Windows 7 64 bit as the OS gives me the latest and greatest from Microsoft, and I’m sure machines will be more 64-bit than not in the near future.
The Install
Overall, the install was fairly easy. Of course, I had studied the process beforehand using the references above. The case was really a breeze to work with, having a completely tool-less design, and it has plenty of room for installing the components and routing cables. I was apprehensive handling a motherboard for the first time, but mine made it in with no apparent damage. They must not be quite as fragile as they seem.
The most complicated part for me was installing the cooler. It wasn’t obvious to me which way it should be oriented. I chose vertically, so it would be easier to install the RAM chips. Then there’s the matter of applying the paste, a science in itself. Finally, tightening it to the MOBO, I was uncertain when tight enough might turn into too tight. However, it seems to run cool (high 20s idle and mid 50s under load), so I suppose it was installed OK. It does seem the third core stays a few degrees warmer than the others, so maybe the paste wasn’t quite even.
The Good
As mentioned, the case was remarkably easy to work with. There’s a small amount of fan noise, with 3 fans in the case, the one in the power supply, and the ones on the GPU, but nothing I can’t live with.
These modular power supplies are a great innovation. No more head-scratching while routing a long ribbon of power cable.
Windows 7 is definitely an improvement over Vista. It’s not as innovative as the hype would have you believe, but this is what Vista should have been. I’ve had little compatibility issues that weren’t resolved by using compatibility mode, including things that are “not supported” according to the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor.
The Bad
When I last dealt with video cards 5 or 6 years ago, conventional wisdom was to always go nVidia over ATI. I fully expected that to still hold, but my research said that ATI has caught or passed nVidia lately. And it is true, ATI’s cards are feature-rich powerhouses. But when the rubber meets the road, the ATI cards are not yet stable. At first, I couldn’t watch 10 minutes of DVDs without getting the “gray screen” crash that’s a common complaint on internet message boards (I wish I had seen those first). I even had it crash once while playing solitaire! The 10.2 drivers have greatly improved the situation, and I’ve only had it crash once since upgrading about a month ago. I hope the soon to be released 10.3 drivers make further improvements. Still, I wish I had stuck with tried and true nVidia.
The only other complaint I have is the Bluetooth connectivity. I have a Rocketfish Bluetooth keyboard and mouse that I love, but the USB fob for those results in frequent disconnections. I’ve swapped to using the ASUS USB, a “cheapy” on NewEgg. I rarely get dropped connections now. However, running the keyboard and mouse this way means they don’t work in the BIOS. I’ve had to keep a wired set handy for when I needed to make a BIOS change or for the occasional disconnect.
The case is large. It’s classified as a mid tower. I don’t know how that’s determined, but this is the largest PC case I’ve ever seen. However, it’s hard to complain about that, as it made the installation easier, as described above.
Conclusion
For around $1500, I’ve built a great PC that should last me quite a while. I briefly thought about overclocking, but it’s really not necessary for my purposes…this machine is plenty fast. I suspect I will be investing in another 4 GB of RAM soon, but that’s a cheap and easy upgrade. This was well worth the time and investment.
My only regret is the ATI card, but I haven’t given up hope of it being all it should be with a driver update or two. I also could’ve saved money by buying the OEM version of Windows, but at the time, I wasn’t sure of using 64 bit, so I went with retail which includes both versions.
It’s true what they say: I learned a lot about hardware through this process. If you’re interested in that sort of thing, it’s worth it for that reason alone. I’d definitely recommend going to custom route. However, if you’re not technically inclined, best to leave it to the professionals. Alternately, purchasing one of the “kits” will at least absolve you of the compatibility concerns.
Feel free to chime in below with comments or criticisms. Just be gentle…this was my first time.
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I would have used http://pricewatch.com to find the parts. The case you bought from Newegg is $7 cheaper at Amazon. Just a thought.
Good job on the first build though.
Congrats on your first build David! There is no shame in being proud of the fact that you did it yourself
The almost 10% California state sales tax I pay now makes buying from some websites a deal killer. Same with when they charge for shipping.
I like looking through Pricegrabber.com for deals because they will list your bottom line price if you enter in your zip code. Of course, the lowest price is not always the best deal if the lowest price comes from a less than reputable vendor. If Newegg has close to the lowest bottom line price then I usually go with them. If their price is one of the higher prices then I usually purchase elsewhere. Its definitely worth a few extra dollars to not have to deal with shady vendors.
Good points on the prices. There are several good price checker websites. I probably should’ve used those, but in my experience, NewEgg is usually among the cheapest, and their service is top notch. So I simplified my search by using parts I could find on NewEgg.
The sales tax comment – don’t you have to pay those regardless? NC state law says if you’re not charged you report it on your income tax. I try to do that, but I’m sure some online purchases slip through the cracks. I’m be surprised in tight budgetary times if any states says “don’t worry about it”.
Shipping – yes, some sites are ridiculous. Most of my parts had free shipping from NewEgg. I think I paid for shipping on 2 or 3 parts. So that wasn’t so bad.
Yes, legally you are supposed to pay the state sales tax. If you can defer paying those taxes until tax time in April, then all the better.
Nice build!
Its very nice to be able to build your own machine, or your own anything for that matter. It really gives one a sense of accomplishment. Congratulations David.
Nice job David. Not too shabby. It reminds me of the guy that built a super high power, super fast machine that had (memory check, please) 20 or 25 hard drives. I use to build all my own stuff from about 1984 through 1998 and then got really lazy. I love having the UPS man show up with a plug n play, or going down to Best Buy and picking out what I want and just have the bloody thing work. (much easier to sell my wife on the money spent when its fancy and shiny) I did, however, finished a project involving some older machines. Its a old Dell Optiplex 433/lv running MSDOS 6.22 .. I kid you not. It took two of them to make one working model, but it worked. Then I fired up the bbs and it is running nicely. By the way, I still have my first homebrewed computer and it still works. I really did enjoy rebuilding the old Opti and watching it come back to life. Enjoy that nice new machine Dave.
I see endless articles on building systems, but never any in depth articles on how to save and preserve systems.
Once I have the hardware straight I go through a routine to save all the “stuff” people throw away including the boxes to pack and ship or move the PC as well as OEM disks. I also create ongoing logs in a file cabinet on each PC. Then I image the machines in three tiered sets: OEM, light Custom, and built out custom. This way I can find any information, drivers, and back step to a previous image if the system goes sideways. And, we all know that there will be a day when that happens.
Good ideas.
I’ve always saved the box, packing, etc that the PC came in for that purpose. I saved the case box for this one as well.
I need to make some images now that I’ve got it running fairly well. I haven’t had a GPU crash in a while. Never know when the next driver will be much worse.
Historically speaking, ATI has always had awesome hardware with crappy drivers/ apps. Nvidia seems to have a balance of good hardware with decent drivers and apps. It seems when an ATI product has reached maturity, the driver bugs have been ironed out most of the way too. It’s kinda a shame that ATI still doesn’t seem to get it right in that respect. On my next build I will probably use Nvidia because of the stable driver issue. Just because ATI is on top right now doesn’t mean that they will stay there forever either. It always will be a big game of “King of the Hill” All hardware can have issues from time to time but ATI seems to just get close and get it out the door I guess.
Just my .02