OT - I built a computer!

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

I had always wondered if I could.  And I had never had a brand new computer, before.   Always junky hand-me-downs.  I have cured that.

Some of you here remember Heathkit.  Well, I put together one of their 400v regulated power supplies in high school; and PC's are a cakewalk in comparison!


Here is what I have, for those that know of such things:

Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E6600 - 2.40 GHz with 4 MB L2 cache (I had 900 MHz Celeron)
this is a 64-bit processor

A nice Intel DG965WH motherboard, capable of 8 gig memory

2 x 1 gig Kingston ValueRam memory  (I had 256 Mb)

1 300 gig hard drive w/16 MB cache  (I had 20 gig)

OS is Windows XP Professional x64


So far it is nothing short of amazing!  It boots up so fast, opens browsers so fast.  There is a jig-saw puzzle game I like to play, on Excite.  On both my old PC and the one at work, when that game is active, the processor is running at 100%!  I watched this one last night, and it never went above 53%.  So I turned on some music.  It didn't even flinch!

Today I went to the store to buy a couple more fans (they are cheap, and cool is cool!), and a DVD drive.  I had not bought a DVD drive yet, as the need hadn't presented itself.  Well, it seems manufacturers are beginning to format their driver and software discs as DVD rather than CD.  All I had was a CD-R, and I could not load the drivers onto my new motherboard!
My fear of buying a DVD drive was unwarranted.  Fry's had one for $50 with a $20 mail-in rebate.


So far the only stickler with this new system is the 64-bit processor.
64-bit is a good thing, as it was explained to me, because the OS sees each processor (I have 2) as 2 processors.  So it actually thinks I have 4!

Only trouble is, there are many programs that will not run on 64-bit technology.

I think mostly I did this because I knew it would be a challenge that was safely within my capabilities (don't want to disappoint myself!), and it would force me to learn about PC structure.  And it did!

I am just amazed that it works.  I am typing this on it now...

[nhmaf]

Good for you, Rob !
 [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

It sounds like you've assembled a machine that should be quite up to date for
at LEAST 12-18 months, which is actually quite a long time in "computer land" !
It is always very rewarding to be able to use a tool or machine that one has
personally assembled or built,and more educational, too.     I remember back in the
80s when I started working for a small private company that built very high end
music synthesizers and digital recording equipment.   To make sure that I came up to
speed on how their products all worked, my fist assignment was to build one of each machine,
and I had to use that machine for all my future work with them.     It took a few months, but
I learned alot more quickly than if I had sat in a corner reading schematics all day !

I generally don't upgrade my computers (either buying new or replacing motherboard)
until the technology and pricing is "reasonable" on at least doubling the amount of
RAM (quadrupling is better)  and doubling the amount of processor power, and
also going at least 4X on the hard drive.   For the type of machines that I need/use
in my engineering business, this typically works out to be around $2000/ laptop computer if I
buy off the shelf - that has been my measuring stick for the past 6 years anyway.
Once the price of computers has reached $2000 with the capacity increases mentioned
above, then it is about time to consider upgrading, for me.   The $2K price seems to
be for laptops, if it were desktop machines, the magic number seems to be around
$500 less than that.

I also concur with your choice of windows XP Pro - it has its shortcomings, but it seems
reasonably stable and runs all the software I need for my business.    I think that
M$oft is really messing the pool up with products like 8-flavors of Vista that won't
run the same software programs that businesses large and small have already invested
$1000s of dollars in to do their work.  

[MrRiden]

All 4 PCs in my house were assembled on the dining room table. Good on ya for using XP. I'm not pleased with vista at all at all. I've found really good prices at: http://www.newegg.com/ for parts and upgrades.
rich

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

None of this would have been possible without the help of a nice lady whom I met at a Spring Equinox celebration at the local metaphysical shop.

When she told me she did computer repair out of her home, I knew I wanted to get to know her better!  (besides the fact that she was single and cute and in my age bracket!)

What happened, was about 2 years ago, on an impulse, I bought a Antec case at the local store, just to get started.  It sat empty all this time.

I meet Michelle, and when I decide to start the build, I gave her a call.  
She emailed me some links to processors and motherboards to get me started.  That is how I ended up with a premier processor.  I had no idea multi-core processors even existed!

I learned about the motherboard.
The shape is called "form factor".  Different computer cases (chassis) are made for different form factors.
The primary FF these days are ATX (for a long time now) and BTX (new).  And there are variation of each of these - micro, mini(?)...

Michelle thinks I should build a BTX, apparently, as that is what she pointed me to.  BTX, being so new, is still having issues, I have heard, but it is supposed to be set up for more efficient cooling of major components.
Anyway, after measuring the inside of my case, I determined that it was for ATX, not BTX.  
Lesson #1 of many!


So yes, I had coaching!  Michelle also told me to use XP rather than Vista.  Again, I didn't even know Vista existed until she said not to go with it.  And yes, I got XP Pro x64 (bit).

[Justin B.]

Congrats, but I would have thought being in IT you would have been an old hand at this.  I don't think I have ever bought any "retail" computers except when I worked for AST and could get refurbs for less than the cost of parts to build.  Currently mine is an Antec case, ASUS MLB, Intel processor, and NVIDIA GeForce 4 video...  This is the first PC I have ever built that doesn't have a floppy drive, seems kinda strange!

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

I put in a floppy "just because".

OTOH, I HAVE to install a serial port (there is a header on the board) so I can hook up my Garmin GPSr.

I don't know if it was overkill, but I put in two extra fans, one pulling cool air in from the front, and there is a mount with a hood to direct cool air at the processor fan.  I removed the hood, put a fan in, and put the hood back on the new fan.  It is getting too noisy to leave on all night while I sleep, but as fast as it boots up, who cares!

What is your preference, Justin?  Shut off when you are away from it for 8 hours?  For a while there it was recommended you leave them on all the time.

[Justin B.]

Mine stays on all the time...

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Mine probably will too, once I move out of my sister's and the computer moves out of my bedroom!

[Lowen]

Theres a large computer parts swap meet that takes place every month in Dallas in the old Heathkit parking lot. I doubt few of the people there have any idea thats how the meet got started.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Theres a large computer parts swap meet that takes place every month in Dallas in the old Heathkit parking lot. I doubt few of the people there have any idea thats how the meet got started.

Cool trivia, Lowen.  I didn't know that was where Heathkit was.

[Justin B.]

Heathkit was started in Benton Harbor, MI.  I remember going to their retail store there and picking up my first transmitter kit when I got my Ham way back when...  I don't think Heath exists anymore.  They were bought by Zenith and I think they finally killed 'em off.  The last thing I bought was a 25 Mhz dual trace, delayed sweep O-Scope about 20 years ago...