A few homebuilding PC questions...

[Grenadier]

I've decided that I would like to build my own PC instead of getting one pre-made (completely new for me). I've done my research, and just have a few questions about it.

First of all, for the housing, I have no idea where to look. Does anyone have any recommendations for the housing of a PC? I'm looking for three things: quiet, ease of use (installation and maintenance), and quality. Anything that fits these criteria?

Also, I've found the best prices for my various components around the web. However, almost every one is from a different reseller company. Is there any company out there that will just match any price so I can have all my stuff on one or two orders? I don't feel like forking out 15 bucks for each of around 10 orders. I'm trying to get the best comp possible with the amount of money I have.

Also, is the difference between DDR SDRAM PC2100 and PC1600 that big of a difference? The price difference is certaintly big enough, I was wondering if the performance gaps was also as big.

And one last thing, what tools do I need to assemble a PC? Screwdrivers, screws, etc? What about that thermopaste stuff? Do I need that too?

Well, I think that's it. Thanks a lot everyone for the help. It's much appreciated. I'm not that knowledgable in this area if you didn't figure that out already

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

depends on if you really really want to build one yourself. if it were me id just order from monarchcomputer.com and get a enlight 7237 with 300w powersupply, floppy drive, motherboard and chip. they have 3 year warrantys and you dont have to fiddle with applying paste and the fan and the heatsink. that'll run about 500$ or you could do it yourself and save a little but then you'd have to pay shipping from each place and put it together. that case would be fine, and since it's together you dont have to worry about putting in the mobo which can be a pain. if you want to do it yourself make sure it has a removable mobo tray.

as far as where to order from it's up to you. you'll have to get out pen and paper and figure out if you are saving more on shipping than you would save ordering from differnet places. mwave.com has generally good prices, and newegg.com has some decent ones as well. mwave would have everything you need i would think. but no retailer has the lowest prices on everything, nor will match the lowest prices (at least i havent found one that is reliable).

you should be able to assemble it using a phillips screwdriver. case should come with all the screws. depending how many devices you put in it you may need extras, which can be found at local computer stores.

ram

crucial 2100/128mb ram for 60$ dunno if it's still at that price. not real helpful but this will bump the post too so

 

[SerraYX]

MWave just refreshed their page of AMD bundles:

MWave AMD Bundles

It has the KT133/133A/AMD760/ALi chipsets with their corresponding memory, all for a very competitive price, I'm buying their Thunderbird 750, Iwill-KK266, Case, PSU for $330 shipped, then using Crucial's $90 CAS2 deal. You can order their Enlight 7237 w/300W AMD approved along with it, probably the best choice for performance for the buck.

I'd suggest getting a HSF like an Alpha or FOP-32 and paste from somewhere else though, their HSF choice is limited

 

[kami]

I think he wants to build it himself, not have a bunch put together already. It's part of the learning experience.

I'll third the recommendation on the Enlight 7237 case. Antec SX830 would also be a good choice. If you're getting AMD, make sure you get an AMD-approved power supply.

Don't know of companies that will match prices for a bunch of parts.

You just need a Philips head screw driver to assemble a computer...and oh yeah, a lot of patience (your first time anyway). As for thermopaste, it sometimes comes with whatever heatsink/fan you're buying...if not it doesn't, look for some Arctic Silver thermal grease. if you're buying a Retail boxed CPU and don't plan on overclocking, you don't need to worry about that.

good luck

 

[Medea]

You'll have to get a good heatsink. I have the Taisol CGK742092 and recommend it. Regarding cases, it depends on what size you're looking for. Read some reviews. You can start with Anandtech's review on cases.

 

[rmblam]

Case: Antec sx830 is my preferred. Check it out at www.antec-inc.com

As far as tools go, I use a small flat blade screwdriver, a phillips, tiny needle nose, and hopefully never a hammer. Just the usual tools.

Personally the price of SDR vs the performance of DDR is making me wait for DDR II.

Check techbargains. com for good coupon deals. Free shipping pops up a lot so take advantage of that.

The screws come with the case. I highly recommend some good thermal paste like arctic silver.

Check out www.nerdsbyte.com and www.coolerguys.com or www.plycon.com for cooling goods.

Plugging everything together is the easy part. The hard part is configuring everything and resolving conflicts.

Enjoy....