Build Your Own PC

By Wayne Maruna

7/19/08

Top 10 Reasons to Build Your Own PC

You’re a masochist

Since retiring, you don’t have enough irritation in your life.

You like paying more for things

You need to use up extra bandages

Your spouse said “Don’t even think about it”.

More reasons to build your own PC

You’re a person who likes a challenge.

You find satisfaction in doing things yourself.

You like being able to fix things, and need to know how they work.

You don’t like talking to people in India

Ever since watching “When Harry Met Sally”, you just have to have things the way you want them, or not at all.

Lots of good reasons for a new PC!

Dilbert, by Scott Adams 05-11-08

Our little project Based on a micro-ATX LAN party case AMD 4000+ Dual Core CPU, AM2 Socket Biostar motherboard, nVidia chipset 4GB DDR2-800 (PC6400) A-Data RAM 250GB Seagate Serial ATA Hard Drive Twin DVD Burners (one with LightScribe) MSI PCI-E video card, nVidia 8400GS GPU Using on-board sound & LAN 400 Watt Power Supply

Anatomy of a Computer

BRAINS = CPU BACKBONE = Motherboard SPINAL COLUMN = Chipset HEART = Power Supply SKIN = Case

In the interest of good taste, we’ll end the physical analogy there.

THE BRAINIt all starts with the CPU selection

I like AMD CPUs because of price / performance ratio

4000+ retail CPU with fan and 3-year warranty for only $58 delivered (Jan 08)

AM2 Socket, currently AMD’s most popular (but migrating to AM2+)

Low 65 watt power consumption cuts heat

Socket To Me – Choices GaloreCPUs and Motherboards By Socket Type on

NewEgg.com as of 7/14/08

INTEL AMD

Qty $ Range Socket Qty $ Range Qty $ Range Socket Qty $ Range31 40 - 1,470 LGA775 310 20 - 300 10 125 - 235 AM2+/AM2 97 40 - 2751 1,550 Dual LGA 771 1 630 31 29 - 150 AM2 40 40 - 2303 40 - 80 478 4 36-60 - - 462 (A) 3 30 - 120- - 370 1 70 3 63 - 160 754 - - 4 132 - 680 M 2 190 - 197 2 30 - 35 939 - - 9 95 - 319 P - - 7 50 - 390 S1 - -

48 40 - 1,550 318 20 - 630 53 29 - 390 140 30 - 275

MotherboardsCPUs CPUs Motherboards

THE BACKBONENext, choose a motherboard

We chose a Biostar TF7025-M2 AM2 socket motherboard because of price / feature ratio. Delivered cost of $72

nVidia GeForce 7025/NF630a chipset Micro-ATX form factor

Motherboard Details

Four memory module slots, 4GB max Four SATA connectors, 1 IDE, 1 Floppy 1 PCI-E x16 slot, 1 PCI-E x1 slot, 2 PCI Supports 8 USB ports (4 on board) On-board nVidia video, sound, LAN. VGA and DVI-I video connections

THE SPINAL COLUMNChipset

Vendor choices usually include Intel, AMD, nVidia, SiS, and Via

Northbridge – responsible for high performance devices, e.g. memory controller, integrated graphics or interface to discrete graphics card

Southbridge – less sensitive devices, incl. networking, audio, storage, peripherals

SKIN - Many Case Styles to Choose From

The Case for a MicroFly

So-called LAN party case. Small footprint: 11”W x 15” D x 9-1/2” H

Fits micro-ATX motherboard (only 4 expansion slots)

See-through top and sides (other models have solid piano black finish)

Made of lightweight aluminum. No power supply Delivered from Tiger Direct for $59

The MicroFly Case

Case ¾ Side View

The Top Slides Off….

…and the sides slide out

The Drives Have Already Been Installed.

400 Watt Micro-ATX Power Supply Installed.

The motherboard tray slides out

The tray has stand-

offs for mounting

the board.

Each motherboard requires its own “back plate” or “I/O Shield”.

Here the back plate that came with the case has been removed.

Here the back plate that came with the motherboard has been installed.

The back plate will mate up with the back of the motherboard and

its I/O ports

The motherboard as it comes out of the box

…and as it is mounted on the slide-out tray.

A mole’s eye view of the slide-in tray

The processor’s back side. Note square notch (lower right) with triangle marker used to orient CPU in mobo socket.

Motherboard socket has matching square in lower right corner so CPU can only go in one way. Never force the CPU in. It should drop in.

CPU Pin-outs Must Match Socket

Socket 939 Socket AM2 Socket 940

Can you locate the differences?

CPU must be installed with thermal compound. Retail CPU/Fan comes with it already applied to

the bottom of the heat sink. For OEM installations or reinstalls, use a good after-market compound

like Artic Silver.

CPU, Heat Sink, Fan in place.

The motherboard utilizes up to 4GB of DDR2-800 (PC6400) memory in 4 slots.

Pictured below are two of the four 1GB RAM modules

4GB of Memory installed

Although the motherboard comes equipped with on-board nVidia GeForce 7025 video

with up to 64MB of shared system memory, we opted for an MSI (MicroStar

International) PCI-E x16 video card with 256MB of dedicated memory. It utilizes the nVidia 8400GS graphics engine, and has

both VGA and DVI-I outputs. Delivered cost of about $42 before $10 MIR

Video Card

The video card has its own heat sink and fan that look like they should be mounted on a

Harley.

Video Card mounted in Motherboard

Slide it in, Big Boy.

Hard drive (or 2) mounts vertically

IDE Vs. Serial ATA (SATA) Drives

Lightscribe Before (Top),After (Bottom)

(GPartEd = Gnome Partition Editor) –

think Partition Magic for Linux

Sides and Top Installed

People who live in glass houses…

Ready for action!

And…..Action!

When you build your own PC, few sounds are more satisfying than that “Beep” that signifies a successful POST (Power On Self Test) which means the PC works!

Measuring the hole in my wallet

Does not include mouse, keyboard, speakers, or monitor

Does not include operating system or any software.

Final Tally: Case Power Supply Motherboard CPU/Heatsink/Fan Memory Video Card Hard drive 2 DVD drives Floppy drive SATA power/data cables Total Hardware Cost

$58.85

$38.21

$72.10

$57.99

$85.98

$41.98

$69.99

$70.31

$11.98

$10.00

$517,39

$65.00

$ Incl above

$52.00

$40.00

$49.00

$00.00

$70.00 (IDE)

$31.00 (one)

$00.00 (none)

$00.00 (none)

$307,00

A Cheaper Alternative

My Project’s Cost

Show’s Over!

Questions?

Comments?