newbie guide

[nathanfrenk]

Hi,
i plan on buying and mounting a gaming rig for me, and i have some questions....
1st: do you know of any detailed, newbie-aimed, guide for mounting the comp from scratch? (considering that i know pretty much only the really basic stuff (and by that, i mean BASIC)
2nd: i was reading the motherboards reviews in newegg, and by that it looks like defective mobos are really common. is that right? my concern is that, since i live in brazil and i will buy the parts in usa, it will probably be quite difficult to get them returned, or maybe even to take them to some official technical assistance here in brazil.
3rd: well, i would like to know if, besides buying all the retail parts, do i need to get extra stuff (for example, a cooler for the cpu, thermal paste, whatever else), considering that i won't be doing any overclock? even the psu i'll buy is a 450W one which comes with the case... is there any problem?


thanks a lot

 

[montag451]

http://www.mechbgon.com/

 

[montag451]

Re- psu, Get a quality one - Enermax, Tagan (my personal favourite), Antec, Fortron.
Don't get a cheap one, and DONT use the one that comes with the case.

The stock cooler should be fine if you aren't oc, but no doubt, other ppl will say you need Arctic Silver.
The theory on this goes, that most systems use the stock cooler and the paste that is already on the heatsink without a problem.
However, I would get some thermal compound - Arctic Silver V, in case you end up taking the cpu out of the mobo again, or reseating the fan etc.
Handy to have around, and it doesn't go off too rapidly.

 

[BadThad]

i plan on buying and mounting a gaming rig for me

Are you going to ride it? Sorry....couldn't resist, lol.

 

[beacon]

While we're on the subject of noobs building computers, I plan to upgrade my system in the next month or so (hopefully)... I noticed that Monarch has an option to have them pre-assemble the parts for you. Do you guys think that's a good option for someone without much experience building computers? The last time I did anything like this was for my current setup, a P4 2.4Ghz with a Ti4400 and I'm sure things have changed since then.

I plan to get an Opteron 170 (maybe an x2 3800), probably a DFI mobo (open to suggestions), an EVGA e-GeForce 7800GT CO, keep the Audigy I have, keep my optical drives, need some memory (no idea which kind to get - last time I looked at memory there were only like half the available options and types), hopefully can keep my PSU.

Should I go through Monarch and let them assemble it for me? And they suggest some kind of thermal grease, saying it keeps the CPU cooler - any opinions?

Thank you much!

 

[montag451]

Its up to you.
If it goes wrong, then they are responsible, but how independant do you want to be?
Do you want the thrill of switching on the system for the first time and watching it all work,
AND
the 'oh shlt, it ain't working'. Why not?
What happens if i do this?
Ah, working now.

 

[beacon]

Originally posted by: montag451

The stock cooler should be fine if you aren't oc, but no doubt, other ppl will say you need Arctic Silver.
The theory on this goes, that most systems use the stock cooler and the paste that is already on the heatsink without a problem.
However, I would get some thermal compound - Arctic Silver V, in case you end up taking the cpu out of the mobo again, or reseating the fan etc.
Handy to have around, and it doesn't go off too rapidly.

Sorry, didn't read that part before I posted my question about thermal compound.


Yeah I kind of liked the fact that I could add on a warranty to it and let them be responsible for it all, but then again it could be some crap warranty that covers almost nothing and is a hassle to go through - I didn't really read up on it.


I guess it's the lazy ass in me who wants them to do it... I should just be a real man and build it myself

 

[montag451]

Do you feel lucky punk?

 

[montag451]

Sorry - dont mean to put you offfff.

If you follow mechbgon's guide, there is little that can possibly go wrong. Except you pizza might get cold.
If you do get problems - you know where to come, don't you.
Go on, be a devil.
You know you want to do it.
Just a tip,
When you get the mobo through, Read the manual.
read the manual.
read the manual.
ohyesreadthemanual.
Now, get the mobo out of the box.

 

[pkypkypky]

Originally posted by: nathanfrenk
Hi,
i plan on buying and mounting a gaming rig for me, and i have some questions....
1st: do you know of any detailed, newbie-aimed, guide for mounting the comp from scratch? (considering that i know pretty much only the really basic stuff (and by that, i mean BASIC)
2nd: i was reading the motherboards reviews in newegg, and by that it looks like defective mobos are really common. is that right? my concern is that, since i live in brazil and i will buy the parts in usa, it will probably be quite difficult to get them returned, or maybe even to take them to some official technical assistance here in brazil.
3rd: well, i would like to know if, besides buying all the retail parts, do i need to get extra stuff (for example, a cooler for the cpu, thermal paste, whatever else), considering that i won't be doing any overclock? even the psu i'll buy is a 450W one which comes with the case... is there any problem?


thanks a lot

Only need a retail cpu to avoid hassle of applying thermal paste. Otherwise, OEM parts are sufficient. Mobos don't frequently fail, the users who install with them do. The best tip is to shop at a vendor like Newegg that has a great return policy. The rest is researching followed by trial and error. That's how you're going to learn more than likely. Preassembled?...might as well go with a Dell if you're not up to it. Last tip... cheap case = cheap case.

 

[montag451]

Its a shame that you are unable to get your mobo locally, as i find that if i am building for someone else in a hurry - it costs more, but is quicker in terms of if a component isn't working - and the obvious - delivery times.
But, you haven't asked about that.

 

[nathanfrenk]

thanks everyone for all the answers!
just to explain it, i wrote "mount a rig" because, as you can see, i'm not that fluent in english, though i'm happy that at least you have understood what i meant, lol

by the way, montag451, why do you think i should buy a new psu (i mean, what are the problems with the cheap ones?)

thanks again

 

[montag451]

PSU's must be able to keep a steady voltage/current coming into the system.
With most cheaper brands, they rate at 400w or whatever, but those ratings are the max that the psu can take, whereas your more elegant/expensive models like TAGAN are rated at their cruising load.
For instance,
a generic 500w psu might be able to give you 500w for 20 seconds, but may be happier with running at 300w or so.
a reputable 400w psu might be able to give you 500w for 40 seconds but is happy at running at 400w or so.

This isn't the only reason.
More importantly, the psu can 'take the bullet' if something does go wrong - say a surge.
A good psu like TAGAN (sorry can't help myself - they are heavy and beautiful and almost silent) would kill itself rather than pass the surge onto your mobo and cpu and RAM and drives.
That is a loyal psu.

Also, cheap psu's can cause instability and they can be very hard to troubleshoot.
If you look on the forums, you will find that others, not just me, depending on the problem, might advise to try another psu before trying anything else.
If you have a good brand psu, then at least, most of the time, that problem can be ruled out.

I have tried cheap psu's in the past, and psu's that came with the case etc - So many problems.
Basically, power is one of the most important things.
Without it you can't use your computer.
Get quality components - don't get the cheapest just because the specification from the manufacturers say they compare to other brands.
Don't get a cheap mobo. Try stay with Abit, Asus, Gigabyte. Don't get celeron ;-) . Don't get generic RAM. Don't get cheap thermal paste, if you do want some.
Hard drives are about the only things that are pretty standard, but some ppl prefer certain brands for their 5 year guarantee (which is a very good reason), or because they are silent - be careful here, cos some hdd have a setting where you can swap noise for speed and the specification will say how quiet it is on the quietest setting, and also, how fast it is on the noisiest setting.
if you need more info - just ask.
Good luck

 

[nathanfrenk]

thanks a lot for the really detailed answer!

by the way, which psu would you recommend (brand and model) as being a CHEAP (ok, i don't mean THAT cheap, but i plan on spending on it as little as i can), reliable one?

thanks

 

[montag451]

For any rig i use - TAGAN 480 - but its not the cheapest - but it does comes with lots of goodies and cables that you will need - and you won't be caught out like some cheaper models that might not have the 20/24 pin adaptor for mobo, or power for SATA and other bits. The Tagan includes special shielded cables for HDD and VGA (whether that makes a difference, i don't know - but it is a nice thought).
It weighs alot.
I had to take it apart for one reason or another to clean it out (bloody cats). When I put it back together, i tested it out - I was there for 10 minutes wondering why it wasn't working.
It was only after I moved my hand and felt air blasting onto my hand that I realised it was working - I just didn't hear it!!!!!
That is enough for now.
I won't recommend any other psu - I am sure that there are cheaper ones. I am sure that other people also have better stories about their psu.
But - Tagan480 is brilliant.