Too SCARED to take the plunge!!!

[paJAMbla]

I've picked out all of my components but I just can't get the courage to take the plunge and actually buy all of it. I'm so afraid I'm going to spend all this money then not even get it to run. I'm reading how easy it is to build a computer which it probably is. But, there seems to be a lot about people having trouble with bios and booting and configuring, etc. That's the frightening part. And I'm not sure I'm saving any money anyway. When I see how cheap computers are these days... and they come with all the software. I'm going to spend 7 to 800 dollars and have absolutely no software programs! Please tell me how this is worth it???!!!

I know this isn't a support group...but....

Signed pajambla (aka tech. anxious worry wart)

[trulad]

If you are thinking of building your own computer to save money, best to buy a Dell,but if you want full control over the quality of the parts and have an upgradable machine plus the learning experience,build your own. The great people on this forum will guide you in picking the right parts and walk you thru the entire build. Trust me, it's fun.
trulad

[blue60007]

If you want, you can post your hardware list and we'll double check (I haven't looked - you probably already did that). Of course, you always hear about the folks having problems on here, you just don't hear about the sucesses as much...

I've seen very few off-the-shelf computer that come with any real valuable software - most of the time you just get trials or watered down versions anyways. Plus you usually get a bunch of "6 months of AOL free!" links on the desktop that end up deleted.

[danman2005]

blue is right. I built my first computer today and got it running thanks to the people on this forum. It is quite an experience and I'm glad I did it.

[Alfie]

It is worth it!
You get to choose the components that goes in it,you can have a path for future upgrades and when all is said and done,you'll be considered a genius when you tell everyone you built it!
The things that I do is study all that I can,as you wait for the parts,download the manual for the motherboard and study it,in that way you have a working knowledge of the item before it arrives.
When the parts arrive,take the motherboard out of the box,place on top of the box,install the cpu and heatsink,memory and video card ,hook the monitor up to the video card and plug in your keyboard.
Plug the power supply connections to the motherboard and after making sure everything is pushed in securely,take a small screwdriver and short the 2 power connection pins on the motherboard,the basic system should start up.
Do you see the bios screen on the monitor?
If you do and you get a single beep,the basic components check out.
Turn power off.
Remove the video card and memory, install the motherboard in the case (cpu and heatsink still attached.)
Hook up your hard drive(s),optical devices,floppy,etc.
I always like to run a diagnostic on the hard drive,in fact run it a few times,just to make sure it's a-ok.
You've read the manual,right?
Configure the bios,no biggie,you can set all items to auto detect,set the time and date.
You want to install the OS on a hard drive that's reached it's operating temp and you want to install it with a minimal configuration,if you have a bunch of devices you want to put in,do it after the OS is installed.
You should be ready to go,for further assistance,you have PCMech and if you list the components and system you want to build,people can give direct instructions for each item.

[BobGunderson]

From my own limited experience, it isn't that hard to build a computer. Just be patient and don't rush. Read the "build your own computer" article on this site. Read the manuals that come with the hardware. The only problem that I ran into was that the video card I ordered was defective. Otherwise, it was pretty easy.

[danky]

Im the same with Bob, the first time i built my computer i had no problems, Call it luck, call it working components, or call it "Following Directions". lol. Also you if you cant get it working you can come to us on here and we can help you out. That is what we are here for. After i bought my stuff i was kinda upset i spent all the money, and when i used it i was very happy that i made that choice and i was satisfied with my new computer :). Good luck man!

[paJAMbla]

Thanks everybody. I just needed a little encouragement. And I guess I did start out thinking I was going to be able to save a lot of money by building my own computer and computers for friends and family. And to address Trulad's comments, the problem is I didn't know if I was really "controlling" the "quality" of the components. I don't really know what quality is. My first build I'm trying to keep the cost down but I don't want to use Celeron. I'm using a $178 Intel P4 775. And I'm using a $65 motherboard instead of a 200 dollar one. So if I build a $700 computer, is it going to be more quality and reliable than a Dell at 700 dollars? Or will those components suck compared to a Dell at that price?

[glc]

It all depends what components you choose. I'd seriously question the quality of a $65 motherboard unless it's a very basic board from a quality manufacturer.

[danky]

Look at it like this, DELL buys everything in BULK, so obviously they are going to recieve cheaper prices than you do buying from newegg, or monarch. Also, i read an article not too long ago on how DELLs prices are vs Building your own computer. They dont make very much off the low/mid end computer, they start making larger profits once you get to the high end machines. Also there are many added benefits from letting them build the system.

Unless you want to build it for the personal satisfaction of building it.

What you can do is build us this computer on dell, and give us the link, or give us a list of the components you want, and well see how much we can save for you.

**I am in no way discouraging building your own computer, i did it, and i will do it again, but if its basically because you want to be saving money, that could be quite difficult**

[Strider]

I just recently put together a small micro-ATX computer for a file servier for my lan and I used a $57 Epox motherboard. It's solid as a rock and I have use Epox a long time ago so I had some knowledge of the them. You can get a good quality motherboard for that price, you just have to be a little careful when you get in lower price motherboards. I remember my first build and the first time I pushed the power button, I pressed the button and nothing happen, my heart sunk and took a deep sigh, checked it over and look to find what the problem was.....I forgot to plug it in. :D

I say building a computer is not really building it cheaper but building it with quality. Have everyone here check out you specifications of your components and they'll give you some good pointers and usefull tips. The quality of your computer will be ten times better than a prebuilt computer for the number one factor is you know what's in the computer and how it went together. Alienware has on their website what a hassle it is to build a computer which to me is complete hogwash, they say you have to spend a lot of time picking out your components. Yes you do, but do you just buy a computer that is already put together on a whim? I bet most people check out the specifications before they buy They say you don't get a warranty on the computer if something goes wrong. True, but you do get individual warranties on your computer components and you don't have to wait 2 hours on hold trying to get a technician to solve your computer problem.

Building a computer is easy, just as long as you take your time, read instructions on how to build, read the components manuals (Specially the motherboard's manual), and expect the unexpected when it comes to powering on the computer. Troubleshooting can be hard or it can be easy it depends on you, don't be afraid to ask for help, follow other people's true and tried troubleshooting procedures and the most important thing to remember is not to panic (take a break and come back to it is what I do if I run into a problem). However, I found out most of my builds have been troubled free, but I have (and probably will) run into a few problems.

[paJAMbla]

I did post my list of possible components earlier-- although I think I may have made a couple of changes--here's what I had settled on. Tell me if you think this would be a piece of crap compared to say a Dell tower @ around this price.

Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 ST3120813AS 120GB Serial ATA 7200RPM Hard Drive w/8MB Buffer ***Free 2nd Day***
Remove $89.99 $89.99

Intel Pentium® 4 630 Processor Prescott 3.0GHz, 800MHz FSB, Socket 775, 2MB Cache Retail ***Free 2nd Day***
Remove $180.98 $180.98

Gigabyte GA-8I848P775-G 848P P4 800FSB LGA775 DDR ATX Motherboard w/Audio, Gigabit LAN, Serial ATA Retail ***Free 2nd Day***
Remove $69.99 $69.99

Antec Solution Series SLK3800B Super Mid Tower Case (Black) Retail
Remove $89.99 $89.99

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition (Full Version) Single-Pack OEM ***Free 2nd Day***
Remove $89.99 $89.99

Liteon SHM-165P6S 16X Dual Layer DVD±RW Drive w/SuperAllWrite (Black) ***Free 2nd Day***
Remove $48.99 $48.99

Sony FD MPF9201121-1/MPF920-Z (Z/121) 6082 1.44MB 3.5in Floppy Disk Drive (Black) *** Free 2nd Day ***
Remove $13.99 $13.99

Corsair VS1GBKIT400 1GB Kit DDR400 PC3200 CAS2.5 Value Select Memory Retail *** Free 2nd Day ***
Remove $71.45 $71.45
For more information about tax, please click here. Subtotal: $655.37

One or my goals was to follow the advice of an earlier poster who recommended SATA. Is everything here going to support SATA and include the right plugs and/or cables? And does this motherboard not only support SATA but also memory modules with CAS 2.5?

Thanks again to all who have offered up encouragement, advice, support, etc. This is a fantastic forum!!!

[Alaron]

Everything you have there looks good to me. The correct cables will all come with the motherboard.

And just so everyone knows, you do have an AGP video card already.

:)

[tomster2300]

You'll be fine, I put mine together without a hitch. Just take your time, read all instructions, and remember the one rule when installing computer parts: Never force anything! If something's not going in then you've probably put it in wrong or have misaligned it. Just use some common sense and it'll be a piece of cake. And hey, if you do have a problem then post here and we'll take care of it for you. It's really that easy.

Think of us as your computer's "customer service". I'll bet you money that we respond to you faster than a pre-built manufacturer would if you called them with a problem :). We also don't transfer your call to India...

Oh yeah...unlike them, we don't treat you like an idiot when you need help (Alright sir, have you checked to make sure that your computer is plugged into the wall?).

Build it!

[blue60007]

From my own limited experience, it isn't that hard to build a computer. Just be patient and don't rush. Read the "build your own computer" article on this site. Read the manuals that come with the hardware.
(and Strider)

Bingo. Many people get into trouble when they rush into the build without reading up on the procedure and manuals and go blindly into it and do something wrong. There might be something in the manuals you may have to take note of (like turn that off if you don't have one of these). When I built my first computer I made sure I knew what I was doing by reading tutorials on-line and read over the manuals and it went off without a hitch.

[glc]

You are missing a video card.

I wouldn't get an 848P chipset board for a LGA 775 processor - that is an old single channel chipset. I'd get a 915 chipset and a PCI-E video card.

Asus P5GPL-X is a good choice for very little more than the Gigabyte.

[paJAMbla]

Like Alaron said...I already have an agp card I'm going to be using.

[glc]

Sorry, I missed that, me bad - then get an Asus P5P800 SE. That's an 865PE chipset that supports dual channel and is a high quality board. It's well worth the extra 25 bucks or so.

[paJAMbla]

glc...why do I get the feeling you're an Asus rep? (LOL!) I tried to find one of their MB's under $100 that got solid reviews or 5 out of 5's and couldn't. At least not on Newegg. The board I picked did.

I'd appreciate it if someone could address my questions at the beginning and end of my components listed above. (Alaron partially did). I really want to make sure that all components support SATA. And I'm curious about a comparison to say a Dell 510-- which seems to be in about the same price range with the same available processors as my build. Would this MB be a piece of crap compared to the MB in a 510? What do they put in theirs?

Thanks again!

[paJAMbla]

I'm really sorry but I have one more question...does this board support an RJ45 connection for a DSL cable? That's the one thing I'll need on it for the person I'd be giving it to.

[tomster2300]

Asus is one of the best, if not the best board manufacturer around (besides Intel). glc isn't just pushing them for just any reason, he recognizes their quality (as do all of us here at the 'mech).

Don't base your decisions off the reviews / ratings at newegg and other retailers. Base them off review sites like www.tomshardware.com, www.anandtech.com, or www.extremetech.com. They put everything under the same series of tests and accurately make real comparisons that regular consumers cannot do.

The only ratings I would pay attention to off newegg is their shipping and customer service ratings. If those are low then I would take heed (but they're not so don't worry about it).

[glc]

The P5P800 SE is $84 at Newegg. Their description is missing something - the board DOES have 2 SATA jacks. It also has onboard sound and lan.

http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?modelmenu=2&model=629&l1=3&l2=11&l3=26

Dell uses Intel-manufactured motherboards. There's nothing wrong with a 510 other than they use hypermemory video cards (share system ram). You need a XPS to get a "real" video card.

I only push Asus because they (along with Intel themselves) have been consistently the highest quality and most reliable motherboard manufacturer for many years. I've used other brands and my experiences have been less positive without exception. Gigabyte is not BAD, but that 848 chipset you picked is a budget chipset, no dual channel ram support. That has an effect on performance.

If I saw a compatibility problem, I would have said something already.

[paJAMbla]

I was only giving you a hard time about Asus. I'm sure you are very aware of good boards and crap. (I'm obviously not) I'm glad you told me the gigabyte was NOT dual channel. I assumed because it said DDR 400 that it was. I almost bought my stuff today. I'm glad you're hanging out on this board a lot..cuz my intention was certainly to have dual channel to take advantage of 512x 2 memory modules.

I had looked at that particular Asus board and the reviews from Newegg weren't too good.