Q. I want to know what parts need to be there, so I don't forget anything when I put my computer together.
Answer
1. CPU: Processor with a heat sink and fan. Most "Retail" packaged CPUs come with them. AMD and Intel are the primary makers. This and the motherboard have to be your first items to consider. Everything else has to work with them. If not included, buy ones that are rated for the CPU.
2. Motherboard: ATX Form Factor is pretty much the standard. Must be compatible with the CPU and other components to be installed. Motherboards usually come with mounting hardware and cables to connect other components. Get a good one. The motherboard is not an item to be skimpy or cheap. Check the CPU makers websites for ones that are recommended for use with the cpu. I am fond of ASUS n-Force boards myself, but there are other good brands as well.
3. PSU: Power Supply Unit. ATX Form Factor. Another item which needs to be made of quality parts by a well-known, reputuable maker such as Antec, CoolerMaster, EnerMax, Fortron, Rosewill, Thermaltake or Zalman to name a few. Get one that has plenty of power; especially if you are shooting for a gaming machine (500 watts or better). They normally come with cables to connect to the internal components.
4. Case: The enclosure into which everything fits. Again, ATX Form Factor so that the motherboard and PSU can be properly mounted. Some come with power units and case fans preinstalled. Just be sure they are quality made if you buy one with them installed. Many of the better PSU makers also make cases and fans. Get one with plenty of space to work and room for future expansion. A mid- to full-tower case is recommended so that you have room to work when installing.
5. Video Card: Some motherboards come with integrated video circuitry. However, if you are a gamer or into graphic designing, go for the fastest and best quality that you can afford. The primary makers of the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) chips are AMD/ATI and NVIDIA. Other manufacturers actually assemble the final video cards and there are many brands to choose from.
6. Memory: See the motherboard's manual for the recommended memory modules and the number of slot connectors available for them. I would recommend 1 or 2 GBs of quality-made ones such brands as Buffalo, Corsair XMS, Crucial, OCZ, or Micron.
7. Hard Disk Drive(s): There are basically two types abundently available: EIDE/ATA or Serial ATA. The latter is the newer technology. Even though many show the same platten rotation speed (7,800 rmp), the SATAs usually have lower seek times. Check the motherboard specifications to determine what and how many are supported. Get one or more with adequate storage capacity to meet your needs.
8. Optical Drive(s): The newer computers use DVD drives that will also handle CDs. Some come with LightScribe technology which is used labeling the disk using the laser and are usually a bit more expensive. Get one that will both read from and write to the DVD/CD disks. In most cases, the faster the better.
9. Operating System: The software that makes everything (hopefully) work together. There are many, but the most common are for PCs are Windows XP or Vista and Linux. If you buy decide to go with Vista, do not even consider the Home Basic version. It is too limited for the money. Also, it is a good idea is to verify that the components that you buy are certified as being Vista compatible or have driver updates to make them so.
10. Keyboard: Get one that best suits your needs.
11. Mouse: I would recommend either one of the optical or laser mice. There are several good manufacturers. My favorite is Logitech.
12. Monitor: If you do not already have one, get one that is compatible with the video card and has the resolution and screen size that works best for you.
There are many other devices that can be added if and as needed: Network Interface Boards (NIC) for setting up networks (Many motherboards come with at least one integrated nic); 56K Modem (good for sending faxes or connecting to the internet if you do not have broadband access); routers; switches; and various others like USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Firewire devices and any cables or connectors needed for them.
Tools: In most instance about all that is needed are a couple of non-magnetic screwdrivers (mostly small to medium size Phillips head screwdrives are adequate), maybe an anti-static wrist band, thermal paste (It's the stuff you put between your CPU and your CPU cooler, to aid in the transfer of heat from the former to the latter), and a stable work table. Don't assemble computers on carpeting or near a static-electricity sources.
Good luck!
1. CPU: Processor with a heat sink and fan. Most "Retail" packaged CPUs come with them. AMD and Intel are the primary makers. This and the motherboard have to be your first items to consider. Everything else has to work with them. If not included, buy ones that are rated for the CPU.
2. Motherboard: ATX Form Factor is pretty much the standard. Must be compatible with the CPU and other components to be installed. Motherboards usually come with mounting hardware and cables to connect other components. Get a good one. The motherboard is not an item to be skimpy or cheap. Check the CPU makers websites for ones that are recommended for use with the cpu. I am fond of ASUS n-Force boards myself, but there are other good brands as well.
3. PSU: Power Supply Unit. ATX Form Factor. Another item which needs to be made of quality parts by a well-known, reputuable maker such as Antec, CoolerMaster, EnerMax, Fortron, Rosewill, Thermaltake or Zalman to name a few. Get one that has plenty of power; especially if you are shooting for a gaming machine (500 watts or better). They normally come with cables to connect to the internal components.
4. Case: The enclosure into which everything fits. Again, ATX Form Factor so that the motherboard and PSU can be properly mounted. Some come with power units and case fans preinstalled. Just be sure they are quality made if you buy one with them installed. Many of the better PSU makers also make cases and fans. Get one with plenty of space to work and room for future expansion. A mid- to full-tower case is recommended so that you have room to work when installing.
5. Video Card: Some motherboards come with integrated video circuitry. However, if you are a gamer or into graphic designing, go for the fastest and best quality that you can afford. The primary makers of the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) chips are AMD/ATI and NVIDIA. Other manufacturers actually assemble the final video cards and there are many brands to choose from.
6. Memory: See the motherboard's manual for the recommended memory modules and the number of slot connectors available for them. I would recommend 1 or 2 GBs of quality-made ones such brands as Buffalo, Corsair XMS, Crucial, OCZ, or Micron.
7. Hard Disk Drive(s): There are basically two types abundently available: EIDE/ATA or Serial ATA. The latter is the newer technology. Even though many show the same platten rotation speed (7,800 rmp), the SATAs usually have lower seek times. Check the motherboard specifications to determine what and how many are supported. Get one or more with adequate storage capacity to meet your needs.
8. Optical Drive(s): The newer computers use DVD drives that will also handle CDs. Some come with LightScribe technology which is used labeling the disk using the laser and are usually a bit more expensive. Get one that will both read from and write to the DVD/CD disks. In most cases, the faster the better.
9. Operating System: The software that makes everything (hopefully) work together. There are many, but the most common are for PCs are Windows XP or Vista and Linux. If you buy decide to go with Vista, do not even consider the Home Basic version. It is too limited for the money. Also, it is a good idea is to verify that the components that you buy are certified as being Vista compatible or have driver updates to make them so.
10. Keyboard: Get one that best suits your needs.
11. Mouse: I would recommend either one of the optical or laser mice. There are several good manufacturers. My favorite is Logitech.
12. Monitor: If you do not already have one, get one that is compatible with the video card and has the resolution and screen size that works best for you.
There are many other devices that can be added if and as needed: Network Interface Boards (NIC) for setting up networks (Many motherboards come with at least one integrated nic); 56K Modem (good for sending faxes or connecting to the internet if you do not have broadband access); routers; switches; and various others like USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Firewire devices and any cables or connectors needed for them.
Tools: In most instance about all that is needed are a couple of non-magnetic screwdrivers (mostly small to medium size Phillips head screwdrives are adequate), maybe an anti-static wrist band, thermal paste (It's the stuff you put between your CPU and your CPU cooler, to aid in the transfer of heat from the former to the latter), and a stable work table. Don't assemble computers on carpeting or near a static-electricity sources.
Good luck!
How to install drivers from disc new built computer?
Aaron
I just built my computer and have Ubuntu as the OS, now when I try to insert motherboard drivers and utilities disc (that came with the mobo) I get this error "unable to mount g71-mad1029" I noticed that my video card cd only has windows support, does my mobo need windows too?
Answer
In Linux, hardware drivers are typically already present in the kernel, there is likely no need to install motherboard drivers off the disc. One of Linux's strengths is it's "plug and play" abilty with a vast array of components and peripherals. Is there some specific functionality your mobo is lacking that you think necessitates these manufacturer-provided drivers? If not, then don't bother.
As for your graphics card, Ubuntu comes with open-sourced Intel, Nvidia, and ATI drivers; you can also install the proprietary versions of these drivers by using the "Additional Drivers" utility if you aren't happy with the generic driver's performance.
In Linux, hardware drivers are typically already present in the kernel, there is likely no need to install motherboard drivers off the disc. One of Linux's strengths is it's "plug and play" abilty with a vast array of components and peripherals. Is there some specific functionality your mobo is lacking that you think necessitates these manufacturer-provided drivers? If not, then don't bother.
As for your graphics card, Ubuntu comes with open-sourced Intel, Nvidia, and ATI drivers; you can also install the proprietary versions of these drivers by using the "Additional Drivers" utility if you aren't happy with the generic driver's performance.
What distro of linux works best with world of warcraft? also kde vs gnome which one?
mike
I've tried playing wow on ubuntu through wine, and the graphics are all chopy at low settings. But when I play in windows 7 the graphics are fine? Is there a better distro that will not make the game so choppy? (Like emulate windows drivers) also is arch linux, gentoo, or saybian good for this game or 3d drivers in general?
Answer
The choice of distro does not really affect performance to that degree; the presence of suitable drivers does. You may wish to try installing the proprietary drivers for the video cards.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/Nvidia
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/ATI
The choice of KDE or GNOME should not really impact gaming, though you may need to disable Compiz or compositing in KDE temporarily. Arch Linux and Gentoo do not ship proprietary drivers by default. Sabayon does include them, but that is because of a difference in opinion / politics, not technical.
The choice of distro does not really affect performance to that degree; the presence of suitable drivers does. You may wish to try installing the proprietary drivers for the video cards.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/Nvidia
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/ATI
The choice of KDE or GNOME should not really impact gaming, though you may need to disable Compiz or compositing in KDE temporarily. Arch Linux and Gentoo do not ship proprietary drivers by default. Sabayon does include them, but that is because of a difference in opinion / politics, not technical.
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