Guideline: Building a Custom Computer

[logimastertech]

Hello I am new here, but I am fascinated by everything that goes on here and wanted to share some ideas for building a computer. I have high experiences already with working with computers and other electronics. So here is a guideline to building your own custom computer.

Idea for a computer:

The first thing that should come to mind when building a computer is what it will be used for.

Selection:

Casual - Work/internet/basic gaming
Mid Level - Work/internet/basic - mid level gaming
High End Gamer - Everything
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Gathering of computer parts:

For a custom computer, were going to need to select the parts and make sure they work together.

Deciding: For the CPU Architecture you are going to use

AMD or Intel
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Starting Basis/Required parts

Motherboard
CPU
Ram
Hard Drive
Case

and Optional Drives/accessories
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You will need to either go with an AMD/sli, AMD/Crossfire, Intel/Crossfire, or Intel/Sli

First off, you will decide whether to go with intel or amd, I use both and they work well.

For a Basic Rig:

Intel Socket LGA 775 - core2quad support/onboard graphics
Intel Pentium Dual Core CPU 2.5 GHz and up
160 GB - 500 GB sata Hard drive or more
2 GB dual channel memory, depending on motherboard
ATX case/ with power supply included (450 watts and up)
Optional Disk Drives
1 PCI Express 1.0/2.0 x16 slot for new graphics card

Or

AM2/AM2+/AM3 Motherboard with support from Athlon II/64 X2 - Phenom2 X4/ Onboard graphics
AMD Athlon II 2.8 ghz/64 x2 2.8 ghz and up
160 - 500 GB sata Hard drive or more
2 GB dual channel memory, depending on Motherboard
ATX case/with power supply included (450 watts and up)
Optional Disk Drives
1 PCI Express 1.0/2.0 x16 slot for new graphics card

Price Ranges from 200 - 350 at most
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Mid Level

Intel LGA 775 core2quad/onboard graphics
Intel Core 2 Duo CPU
320 GB Hard Drive and Up+
4 GB Dual Channel Memory, depending on Motherboard
ATX Case w/o Power supply (700 watts and up)
Optional cooling/fans/disk drives
PCI express 1.0/2.0 x16 slots for graphic(s) x 2/3
Nvidia 9000 Series , GTS/GTX 200 series
ATI 3000/4000 series

or

AM2/AM2+/AM3 Support Phenom 2 x4/onboard graphics
Athlon II/(64(black edition))x2 or Phenom Quad CPU
320 GB Hard Drive and Up+
4 GB Dual Channel Memory, depending on Motherboard
ATX Case w/o Power supply (700 watts and up)
Optional cooling/fans/disk drives
PCI express 1.0/2.0 x16 slots for graphic(s) x 2/3
Nvidia 9000 Series , GTS/GTX 200 series
ATI 3000/4000 series
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High End Computer

Intel LGA 775 Core2Quad support/onboard Graphics
Core2Quad CPU
500 GB Hard Drive and up
4/6/8 GB X Channel Memory, depending on motherboard
ATX Case w/o Power Supply (800 watts and up)
PCI express 1.0/2.0 x16 slots for graphic(s) x 2/3
Nvidia 9000 Series , GTS/GTX 200 series
ATI 3000/4000 series

Intel 1366 Core I7 support/onboard graphics
Core I7 2.66GHZ +
500 GB Hard drive and up
4/6/8 GB X Channel Memory, depending on Motherboard
ATX Case w/o Power supply (900 watts and up)
Optional cooling/fans/disk drives
PCI express 1.0/2.0 x16 slots for graphic(s) x 2/3/4
Nvidia GTS/GTX 200 series

AM2/AM2+/AM3 Phenom 2 X4 support/onboard graphics
Phenom 2 X4
500 GB Hard Drive and Up
4/6/8 GB X Channel Memory, depending on Motherboard
ATX Case w/o Power supply (900 watts and up)
Optional cooling/fans/disk drives
PCI express 1.0/2.0 x16 slots for graphic(s) x 2/3/4
Nvidia GTS/GTX 200 series
ATI 4000 series
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Once you have gathered your computer parts (diff. motherboards, cpus, ram, hard drive, case, graphic cards, etc),
now it is time to assemble.

Since every part is different, you have to look at how your motherboard will match with the case standoffs. Standoffs are the motherboard mount so the motherboard matches the case like structure, read upon your case/motherboard manual to install the standoffs.

After installing the motherboard, read any of the manuals to install the hard drive, disk drive, cpu, etc.

Soon your computer will start to come in place.
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Note:
Intel LGA 775 only support Crossfire and not SLI video cards
Intel LGA 1366 supports both Crossfire and SLI usually

AMD 7xx Southbridge motherboards only support crossfire
AMD sli boards only support SLI, exception for a motherboard with sli/crossfire switch card

I can also help you with any questions, as well as if you need me to put together a computer, I just need parts sent and I will construct for only 50$ - as well as you ship, I ship back.

Any other questions just ask here and I will help you the best I can.

[nevermind1534]

Nice guide.

[logimastertech]

thx, will post sometime soon of doing a step by step with a build I currently have.

[J.D]

In his comments on Tuesday, Mr Obama said "the whole world" should help with the US-led Afghan mission, and that he aion powerlevelingwould speak in his announcement of "the obligations of our international partners in this process".

What a copulate retarded spambot.

Anyway, great guide!

[bicostp]

Just a note: if you plan on building a computer based around an LGA775 motherboard, the Q9650 is the end of the road for you. Intel is not coming out with any more new LGA775 CPUs. The LGA1156/i5 combo has come out to replace them as their mainstream offering. i5s are about equivalent to the Core 2 and Pentium lines, i3 is the new Celeron. There are i7 CPUs for LGA1156. LGA1366 is the enthusiast/high-end socket. Currently it takes i7 CPUs, but Intel is releasing the first i9 six-core CPU in Q1'2010.

Since every part is different, you have to look at how your motherboard will match with the case standoffs. Standoffs are the motherboard mount so the motherboard matches the case like structure, read upon your case/motherboard manual to install the standoffs.

Irrelevant, now that Baby AT has been phased out. ATX is ATX is ATX. The standard has been around since the early 90s in one form or another. The screw posts haven't changed in forever. Micro ATX is just ATX with less board; the screw hole locations are the same on both. I have a brand new Gigabyte motherboard mounted in an old tower case from the mid 90s (it has punchouts for AT connectors), it works fine. Just put the screw posts in the holes marked "ATX". (But to be honest, I haven't seen a case without posts installed in those holes from the factory in a long time.) There are three potential exceptions to this: laptop motherboards, small form factor motherboards, and EATX/NTX motherboards.

Intel LGA 775 only support Crossfire and not SLI video cards
Intel LGA 1366 supports both Crossfire and SLI usually

Not quite. It depends on the supporting chipset, not the CPU socket.

Intel's chipsets for LGA775 (P45, X48) can generally do Crossfire but not SLI. Nvidia makes their nForce chipset series for LGA775 that can do SLI. (Not sure about Crossfire; I don't like AMD/ATI.)

LGA1156 (Core i3, i5, i7) can do SLI with the P55 chipset if Nvidia has certified the board. However it's limited to x8,x8 mode because of the limited number of PCI Express lanes.

LGA1366 (Core i7, i9) can do SLI with the X58 chipset. It can run two video cards in full x16,x16 because it has enough PCIe lanes to handle it.

Dual/triple channel RAM, however, does depend on the CPU socket. With the iX line of CPUs, Intel has integrated the memory controller with the CPU. LGA1156 can do dual channel DDR3 RAM. LGA1366 can access DDR3 in triple channel. This gives it more memory bandwidth, but you're only going to notice a difference in very memory intensive applications.