Doing my first build in about a week...

[MaDfLaMe37]

So this is going to be my first time building a computer and also my first time getting a computer of this calibur and I don't wanna' mess it up. 😉

So my entire order is this:

Processor: AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Venice Integrated into Chip FSB Socket 939 Processor Model ADA3200BPBOX - Retail
Motherboard: CHAINTECH VNF4/Ultra Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Memory: CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model VS1GBKIT400 - Retail
Video Card: eVGA 256-P2-N376-AX Geforce 6800GT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 ST3250823AS 250GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Optical Drive: BenQ Black IDE DVD Burner Model DW1620 PRO BLK BONUS - Retail
Floppy Drive: MITSUMI Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive Windows 98SE/ ME/ 2000/ XP - OEM
Case: COOLER MASTER PAC-T01-EK Black All Aluminium Alloy ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12-380 ATX12V 380W Power Supply - Retail
Display: HYUNDAI L90D+ Silver 19" 8ms LCD Monitor - Retail
Keyboard: Saitek PZ30AU Black USB Wired Standard Eclipse Keyboard - Retail
Mouse: Logitech MX518 931352-0403 2-Tone 8 Buttons 1x Wheel USB + PS/2 Optical Mouse - Retail
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP HOME Edition With Service Pack 2 - OEM

Grand Total (w/o Shipping): $1,594.41
Grand Total (w/ Shipping): $1,659.18

My first question is about video cooling... I don't read anywhere that my 6800GT is coming with any cooling stuff, so do I need to buy something? Also, I see that my CPU is coming with a heatsink and fan--do they usually come with thermal paste also or will I need to buy some?

I've found one guide on how to build your own computer but it seems kind of out dated (it's from Tom's Hardware: http://www6.tomshardware.com/howto/20020904/index.html)... Are there any other guides out there that might be of more help to me than this one?

Thanks.

 

[jpeyton]

CPU comes with a cooler and a thermal interface pad installed on the bottom. If you plan on keeping everything at stock speeds, just install it as-is. If you want to overclock, buy some Arctic Silver 5 (about $5) and remove the thermal interface pad, clean the surface thoroughly with isopropyl alcohol (91%+ purity) and apply the AS5 as instructed on their website.

The video card comes with a cooler installed.

mechBgon has a guide for beginners, but I can't seem to find the link right now.

 

[Promethply]

Yeah, mechBgon surely have a very informative site for beginners:

<link>

 

[MaDfLaMe37]

Awesome thanks a lot guys.

Is there anything else that you can think of that a first time builder might be forgetting?

My cousin just had his machine built by a friend and it looked like there were a few things such as plug converters to change the input plug from the PSU to some components or something... I don't know if that was exactly it--hopefully everything's pretty standardized.

But if there's anything you can think of... 😉

Thanks again.

 

[shoRunner]

everything you need should be in your boxes

 

[glorygunk]

i remember my first computer build.....

-don't forget the spacers when mounting your mobo...i nearly screwed that one up
-use arctic silver instead of thermal compound where you can...$5 is a good investment

i also like to do progressive power-ons. i.e. plug in mobo -> power on, then mobo+proc -> power on, etc....just to test that everything is working

 

[n7]

I like all your choices :thumbsup: