PC PARTS HERE!...a few questions b4 i begin building

[mastrduke]

i got asus k8n-e deluxe mobo from newegg....will it come with the cables i need to hook up oem floppy and oem dvd burner drive?

how should i partition my 200 gig harddrive....just 1 for os and 1 for everything else or just 1 big one...and how do u do this and if i for windows how big?

any certain order to installing parts?

any order to update drivers...and what is easiest way to do this?

any other helpful information is greatly appreciated by this first time builder

 

[dmw16]

definatly partition. That way when you mess windows up or just want to do a semi-annual reinstall, you can do so w/o losing all your data. As for size, i'd say 30GB for Windows and all your software installs. You can make the paritions during windows install.

As for order of installing drivers...

chipset, video, then whatever. Dont forget service packs and windows security updates.

 

[XBoxLPU]

1) Yes
2) I say make a 30-40 GB partition for Windows and another Partition for everything else.
4) After installation of Windows XP(hopefully a slipstreamed cd of SP1 or SP2), install firewall and antivirus software. Then install Chipset drivers > DX 9C > Video card drivers > sound card drivers > and whatever else hardware that needs drivers. AND then visit Windows Update.

 

[mastrduke]

my windows is oem version of sp1 home from newegg...so should i update to sp2 before drivers or drivers first?

how do u install mobo drivers...ive never done that before?

 

[arod]

ive always done the videocard drivers before DX9, is there any reason to do DX9 first (or just your habit)?

 

[imported_Cooch]

Originally posted by: XBoxLPU
2) I say make a 30-40 GB partition for Windows and another Partition for everything else.

Using NTFS that's fine. If you're going to use FAT32, cluster sizes will be at 4 KB if the partition size is kept at 8 GB or less. If you go above that (i.e. 30 GB partition), the cluster size increases significantly and increases the slack space. Therefore, i suggest you go with NTFS if installing w2K or XP.

Originally posted by: mastrduke
how do u install mobo drivers...ive never done that before?

That's otherwise known as your chipset drivers. Didn't your MB come with software and manuals explaining that the chipset driver needs to be installed first?

 

[mastrduke]

i just read the mobo manual...so as far as i know i put mobo on cardboard...install cpu...then install heatsink...then ram...then try to power it...if it works put mobo into case...put in video card....then i dont no what to do....harddrive? or dvd burner or floppy?

 

[XBoxLPU]

I think Mech's guide could be used here

http://www.omnicast.net/~tmcfa...uides/build/index.html