Compatible Parts; Very First Build.

[MikeyD]

I'm a first time builder and know basically nothing. So, I was wondering what parts have to be compatible. Like I'm not sure I know them all like harddrive and motherboard. processor and motherboard. graphics card and motherboard.case and motherboard. Is that it??????? Thank you very much for your help.

[blue60007]

I'll list two seperate list for Intel and AMD builds:

AMD
CPU/Motherboard - Socket 939
Motherboard/Video card - PCI-Express (PCI-E) x16
RAM/Motherboard - DDR400, 184-pin

Intel
CPU/Motherboard - Socket 775 (aka, Socket T)
Motherboard/Video card - PCI-Express (PCI-E) x16
RAM/Motherboard - DDR2 533 (or 667), 240-pin


Both:
Any new motherboard will be ATX, and any new case will be ATX (basically any new case/motherboard *should* work, provided they are both ATX).
Any new build should use Serial ATA (SATA) over IDE (or Parallel ATA, PATA).
Power supply - A good brand PSU, ATX 2.x spec (24-pin main connector).
Some good brands include Antec, FSP (Forton Source), Sparkle, PC Power & Cooling. A general rule of thumb is avoid any cheap power supply. FSP has lower powered (350W-400W) PSUs that cost $40 and FSP and other brands have higher powered ones (500-600W) for $80 or more.

http://pcmech.com/byopc/

And many other guides on the internet should provide some more insight for you.

If you come up with a list of parts, post them here and we'll see how it looks. Feel free to ask if you have more questions.

[MakeYourslf2012]

What is your budget?

[MikeyD]

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Socket 939
Seagate 200GB Baracuda ATA HD 7200 RPM
ASUS A8S-X Socket 939 SiS 756 ATX AMD Motherboard
Patriot 1GB (2 x 512MB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM
ATI RADEON 7000 32MB AGP Radeon 7000 32MB DDR AGP 2X/4X Low Profile Video Card


I'm not big into graphics so i don't need an awesome card.
I don't know anything about PSU's do you have any suggestions?

My budget is pretty low...<$850 I'm a student so... ya.

[BJDwrk]

You'll have trouble running solitare with a video card like that.

[Alaron]

Not a bad start, but I have some suggestions.

Sis chipsets are so-so, the Nforce4's are better. The Asus A8N5X is a great choice for a motherboard.

Switch that hard drive to a SATA one with 16MB cache.

AMD uses DDR400, not DDR2. Corsair Value Select is a great choice for RAM.

Ditch the video card, it is very old tech. For a great PCI-E card that won't break the bank, the Radeon X550 is a good choice.

You can score a home run with the Antec Sonata II. Great case and it comes with a quality 450w PSU that will be perfect for your machine.

[jayb1234]

You will need at least 1 CD or Dvd drive. Liteon is a good choice there.

You might need a floppy drive during setup for installing some of the drivers or sata controllers, or later for diagnostics.

Assuming that your old computer is a name brand like Dell or Hp, you will need to get a new copy of windows. The OEM version of XP Home with service pack 2 will be fine, unless you need some specific feature of XP Pro or want the Media Center Edition.

Agreed about the Sonata II case, It is about the best value for a case with a decent power supply that you will be able to find.

[MikeyD]

will the motherboard fit in a mini ATX case?

[Alaron]

No, neither the A8S-X you listed earlier or my recommendation for the A8N5X are miniATX. They are both ATX, requiring a standard ATX case. The Sonata II is a great choice though.

[freakitchen]

I'd shy away from micro ATX cases. Because of their size, they're difficult to work inside, don't allow much room for expansion, and airflow is limited - making for a hotter system. Unless you have a need for a small case (such as a media centre PC), go for a standard ATX like the Sonata II.

FK