A little general info if you please....

[gordy01]

Hi,

I'm new to all this pc building lark and looking for a little general background info. prior to embarking on my first build (these forums have already been a great education!).

I have previously pulled my current pc apart for component upgrades (only slightly better graphics card, ram & a couple of PCI cards) so I'm not too worried about that. I was just wondering if anyone could recommend a book / manual that I could buy to give me a better understanding of all the components and how they operate together (and get put together)....as well as all the different standards, IDE, SATA, RAID etc etc.

Also, could anyone based in the UK advise some good, cheap websites to purchase components from? So far the best I've managed to find are CCL computing and Novatech!?!

Thanks for your help guys / gals.....your posts make for very intersting reading :thumbsup:

Gordie

 

[montag451]

Who needs books when you have your very own MECHBGON at your fingertips:

http://www.omnicast.net/~tmcfadden/guides/build/

welcome to the forum

 

[Uncle Bob]

Well if you've found Anandtech and joined these forums, you're well on your way

Browse through some of Anandtech's archives, there's tons of useful info.
if you're looking for help selecting components, check the Guides section for best buy information at most price levels.

One of the regulars on the forums, mechbgon, has a nice illustrated guide for 1st time DIY'ers
MechBgon's DIY'ers PC Build Guide

Finally, some UK vendors worth checking out

Ebuyer
Scan Computers
Micro Direct

you might also want to check out www.hexus.net, and click on retailers on the left-hand side bar which will take you to a list of UK it vendors complete with user reviews and ratings

hth