Want to know what parts to use for a new build?
 

We seem to be answering this question quite a bit lately and often times the new builder is unaware of what parts are required in a new build. I use an estimating form for my new builds and decided to create a generic form that anyone can use as a checklist. It's attached in .txt format and I'm going to sticky this thread so we can point it out to new builders. It will open with Wordpad.

You may still get a lot of posts about whether the parts are compatible or not and if you can get peak performance from the parts. This won't be bad, I for one like seeing what other people are building and discussing it.

Don't misunderstand. It's not intended to replace discussion, merely to provide a checklist so folks have an idea what parts are needed to build a computer. We can still provide counsel as to parts selection.

Hi i am new to building just cuious so if i was just to build a tower all i would need is
Case:

PSU:
Mobo:

CPU:

HDD

RAM:

Pri Optical:
Sec Optical:

Sound Card:

Video Card:

FDD:


(btw what would be pri optical and sec optical ? i know lol i am stupid)

The optical drives are your CD Rom, DVD rom, CD-RW and DVD RW

Panama Red, great stuff here, however its in txt with no formatting, it goes over a page and it does not look well in word...

So I made some improvements to it and saved it as an RTF document. Should look good now, but overall, great stuff, this will be extremely helpful. :D

http://forum.pcmech.com/attachment.p...tid=5146&stc=1

There it is.

I have the same problem with your link I had with my own when it was done in .zip. When I try to open your link I get "corrupted or invalid file" balloon. That's was the reason I changed mine from the original .zip posting to a .txt file. The .txt will open with Notepad or Wordpad. In only get one page with Notepad, btw.

Mkay. I read this but these abbreviations are pretty confusing.
CPU: is a procceser?

HDD:hard drive _____????

FDD:no clue :confused:

also you don't need the modem in the pc right? cause thats what the lan is right?

Lastly before you go:"what a freakin idiot"
What the hell is OS?

Also, do I need any anti-static stuff for building the comp?

HDD = hard disk drive
FDD = floppy disk drive
You do need a modem if you use dialup Internet. The "LAN" is used for broadband modems and routers.
OS = operating system (Windows, usually)

Antistatic equipment is not mandatory, but adds a degree of safety. A simple wrist strap is good to have.

Do you need a floppy drive to have a workable pc? And where do I get this anti-static stuff. And, whats the CPU?

You don't NEED a floppy but they can be handy if you need to run diagnostics. Many builders consider them "optional" nowadays. You can pick up an anti-static strap at Radio Shack or order them online. The CPU or Central Processing Unit is the processor or brains of the computer.

Great idea... I took it a step further and created a quick auto-calculating excel spreadsheet that will also keep track of your budget.

Hope this helps.

What is PSU?
 

What is PSU?
Sorry could not figure it out...
:(

Power Supply Unit

or just Power Supply

another suggestion
 

Here is another suggestion for determining what parts to use. Once you decide you might want to use a certain part, go to the manufacturers site and see what on-line support they provide. Download any documentation you can find (technical specifications, installation instructions, manual, etc.) If you can not get much information or it is poorly written or badly translated, you might want to avoid that supplier.

I've noticed that too... The el cheapo brands usually have little documentation and poorly written on their products. Then look at the good brands, they usually have decent documentation. Good points :)

New to this stuff?
 

Hey guys,
I'm new to this forum and I hope I could learn something that will help me to build my own PC. I keep buying PC that I think is good but I end up hating it after two months. Is there anywhere I can get a pdf file or any link on how to start building my own PC.
I will really appreciate your help. Recommendations are welcome too.
:)

Order the PC Mech CD available here.


http://www.pcmech.com/xcart/home.php...4cd077883b2a88

Hey can someone make this a word file. For some reason all of the links dont work for me.

Try this mac...

CPU = the processor
PSU= the power
HDD= your hard disk
FDD= the floppy drive 3 1/2 inch disk
SLI= joining two cards on the same machine ( usually requires 2 monitors)
Chipset= the connecting bit for al info that runs over the motherboard
MB=motherboard ( where everything nestels in your computer)
Mips= millions of instructions per second
FPS= frames per second

Thanx for the info turion64 but we already have a thread dedicated to explaining computer acronyms. And I removed your last item. We don't allow swearing here - not even the poorly hidden kind.

*throws in her 2 cents*

I am surprised no one brought up HS/F??

Shouldn't Heat Sink and Fan be on the checklist? It is on mine. :)

And never forget the Arctic Silver Thermal Paste. ;)

Retail cpu's come with a hsf and thermal pad. Using an aftermarket hsf assembly or thermal paste will void the cpu manufacturer's three year warranty. We'd prefer to recommend the Retail package for first time builders. Those interested in overclocking will probably replace the stock hsf without concern for the warranty.

But yes - a HS/F and thermal compound (usually provided with the HS/F but not *always*) is required if you buy an OEM processor.

Panama - I'm considering a new build for a small office computer. Never done it before but have had my hands inside a tower enough to not be overly intimidated. Where do I get the digested and condensed info on best brands and prices? Should I assume that dollar for dollar I can get more by building than going with a national retailer?

For pricing check out www.newegg.com if you live in the US. Brand wise - for AMD an ASUS board on an nForce4 chipset. For Intel either an Intel or ASUS board on an Intel chipset (newest are the 9xx's). Antec has good case/power supply combos. Corsair for RAM. LITE-ON or NEC for opticals, and Western Digital or Seagate for hard drives. Those are my picks.

You can't beat the value of a $300 Dell with a *quality* custom build, but you might save more as you go towards the $800+ range. Unless they've got a deal going with a free monitor or something like that, then you'd be hard pressed to beat that.

could you explain what all those are? and what there purpose is?

Try this thread:

http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=42991

For further explanation try Webopedia.com

Hi,

I'm new to the forum as I want to build my own PC. I've never attempted anything like this before. I've been trying to open all the attachments to this thread in order to get the generic build lists but none of the links seem to work for me. They all come up saying that the archive is invalid???
This applies to .txt , .doc, and .zip files

Either I'm doing something wrong or the links no longer work.

I'd appreciate any help. Thank you.