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~~~ Computer-building resource thread ~~~

mechBgon

mechBgon

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
I was encouraged to post a sticky with computer-building resources, including my computer-building guide (linked below). The hardware in the guide is old 😱 but the core knowledge is mostly there. Post or PM me if you have suggestions or see something that needs fixing. 🙂

  • I have a parts kit picked out, but I want some input from The Collective! Post a new topic in General Hardware, list your proposed rig in detail, and ask for some input.

  • I'm a noOb and I want help picking out my parts kit! Go to General Hardware and post a new topic, or check out the existing ones to get some ideas. The General Hardware crew is great at helping you pick out parts kits. 🙂 If you ask for help choosing a parts kit, give them this information:
    1. your budget
    2. what items you need the budget to cover (see lists below)
    3. any particular specs you've already decided upon (e.g. a certain CPU or GPU, or a certain amount of RAM)
    4. what types of uses you want to use the computer for (e.g. gaming, office/student work, video editing, HTPC, or whatever)
Core items
  1. Power supply
  2. Case
  3. Motherboard
  4. CPU
  5. Heatsink/fan for the CPU
  6. Memory
  7. Primary hard drive
  8. Primary optical drive
  9. Video card (unless you?re using onboard video)
  10. Monitor(s) ? see xtknight?s LCD thread 😎
  11. Mouse/keyboard
  12. Operating System
  13. Snacks

Optional stuff
  1. Additional hard drive(s)
  2. Additional optical drive(s)
  3. Memory-card reader
  4. External hard drive
  5. USB flash drive
  6. Audio card
  7. Video-capture card and/or TV-tuner card
  8. Speakers
  9. Headphones
  10. Printer
  11. Scanner
  12. Graphics tablet
  13. Uninterruptible Power Supply and/or surge supressor
  14. Pizza

Computer-building guides

Here's a guide that crimson117 mentioned is pretty good: http://www.corsair.com/systembuild/reports.aspx But do they include snack breaks...? 😉

vailr suggested this video tutorial: http://computershopper.com/sho...t_our_video_tutorial_o


My old guide is linked up below. The hardware's out of date. The defensive security info, however, is very current.
  1. Start introduction, tools, blah blah
  2. Case prep 1 mandatory snacks, opening case, installing drives in external bays
  3. Case prep 2 installing motherboard standoffs & I/O shield
  4. Data & power cables noOb primer on data & power cables
  5. Serial ATA stuff info on Serial ATA, with infamous role-playing segment. Revised to cover AHCI, maybe still needs some work.
  6. General motherboard/CPU info general overview of CPUs and memory installation
  7. Testing & installing the motherboard assembly Benchtesting the core components, then installing them
  8. Installing the hard drive
  9. Final connections Getting the internals connected in preparation for liftoff
  10. Security during Windows Setup Vista versus XP, preventing worms from auto-infecting the system
  11. Best practices for long-haul security make the bad guys cry :evil:
  12. Resources Drivers, utilities, software, online virus scanners, rootkit scanners, spyware removal
  13. Visual glossary Pics with some basic stuff labelled for noObs
 
Last edited by a moderator:
:thumbsup: nice job. hopefully this will somewhat reduce all the unnecessary threads titles "build me a computer" and so on. nice job again!
 
I never built and I read the guide, and to be honest I was confused in some parts.
It's probably easier to understand with all the parts in front of you though.
The explanation of power and data cables was the most confusing to me. Maybe because it went into explaining the stuff and not so much step by step plugging in.
It's the easiest (and that's good) guide I've seen so far though.
 
YAY! About time something like this got stickied. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: up to MechBgon, probably one of THE most helpful guys you will ever meet on Anandtech.
 
Originally posted by: Trashman
Looks good, nice to see this helpful tool for everyone to use.
Hats off to mechBgon :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

I'll get their hats off one way or the other 😀


I've also been impressed with Corsair's system building guides: http://www.corsair.com/systembuild/reports.aspx
Click to expand...

Thanks, I added it to the OP along with another minor revision 😎

The explanation of power and data cables was the most confusing to me. Maybe because it went into explaining the stuff and not so much step by step plugging in.
Click to expand...
Sorry about that, I might go back and work on it a bit.


Thanks everyone :beer:
 
10/10 on the guide (although greasy fingers do not go well with shiny metal parts). I'll be using this on my soon-to-be-finished comp 🙂
 
Originally posted by: mechBgon

The explanation of power and data cables was the most confusing to me. Maybe because it went into explaining the stuff and not so much step by step plugging in.
Click to expand...
Sorry about that, I might go back and work on it a bit.


Thanks everyone :beer:
Click to expand...
Don't be sorry, I just wanted to mention it as a true noob of PC building.
Also might be nice if you could explain grounding and stuff in a little more detail. Believe it or not, I don't even know what the term "grounding" means... something about electricity and damaging your parts right? No need to go into why this stuff happens, but would be nice to know simply and exactly how to prevent any of this. And where to get a wrist strap.
 
Originally posted by: AuDioFreaK39
hmm, nice Kaspersky setup guide you have linked in there
Click to expand...

Unfortunately it's obsolete! 🙁 I need to update it for Kaspersky Antivirus 7. The free "AOL Kaspersky" is no longer available 🙁
 
Great idea and post, Mr. Mod!

So...what happened to Anand's Buyer's Guides? It's been a few years since I built my last rig, but I thought Anand used to have monthly updates on how to build high-end, middle, and low-end systems. The latest one I see on the website is from May 2007 for High-end systems, and April 2007 for low-end and middle systems.

I'm finally thinking about building a new mid-end system, cannabilizing as many current parts as I can.

EDIT:
I just found this thread over at SD with some recent pricing information. I have no idea how good the components are.
http://forums.slickdeals.net/s...30b01cd62476b&t=553826
 
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