I always build all of my computers. This way I can choose the exact parts I need and want without over paying for it. If you use a company like Dell (not that Dell is bad), you end up getting the specifications you want in a computer, but the parts are often unique to them. This means that upgrading later could turn into a hassle.

Since I have a friend who wants to know more about building a computer and I am considering building a new one, I figured I would walk through the process in this blog.

The Purpose:

The purpose of this computer is to allow me to play current PC games in all their glory. I also want to be able to compile mp3 files for the MODSonair show each week and later to render 3D animation using Lightwave or Maya. This means I need a fairly high-end computer that can handle heavy processing and graphics. However, the ‘current games’ stipulation adds a potential conflict.

Processor:

Currently, my favorite game is Battlefield 2142. It’s only been out for a few months making it a fairly new game. However, as with most new games, it cannot take advantage of multi-threading. This means that if I have a multi-core processor, the game will most likely only utilize one of the cores limiting my processing power.

A perfect example is a setup I currently have in my home. I have two computers in my office. One is my old computer which my wife uses containing an Intel P4 3.2Ghz processor. Great processor, but single threaded which makes it almost 2 years old. My current computer is an AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400. A dual core processor, but each core runs at 2.21 Ghz. When starting up Battlefield 2142 on each computer, the older computer running the 3.2Ghz is more than twice as fast at loading and playing the game. I was quite frustrated to find that out.

So, now I am setting out to put together a computer with multiple cores for processing those mp3 files and rendering that animation. But, I also want a computer that can play games that can only process on a single core and do it with ease.

Video:

My home setup has me working on four monitors. I like to spread my work out across multiple monitors. I find it really helps me be more productive because I don’t have to keep switching between windows. However, four monitors means I must use at least two video cards. Each video card will need to support two monitors, but this is quite common these days.

I could get away with running one great video card and one mediocre one, but I don’t want to compromise the video quality across all the monitors. This means my best solution would be using two identical video cards. The way to do this is with a system that can handle the Nvidia SLI or ATI Crossfire technology and I am partial to Nvidia (not worth getting into that story here).

Rest:

The rest of the parts that I choose don’t require a background story. I’ll just list them below with my explanation.

So, Let’s get started.

The Parts:

Processor:

I always start the build process with the motherboard and processor. These parts will determine those that follow. And since I need to find a balance between speed and price, I will begin by narrowing down my processor choice.

I thought about going with AMD again. They make a great processor, but what they currently offer is not cutting-edge enough for me. Plus, I read that the upgradability later might not be good for the processor lines they have now. If I choose a processor and motherboard now, a new processor in 6 months from now might not fit into that motherboard. I am specifically referring to their chipsets and how they have quickly moved from 939 to X2 to AM2 and have announced something new coming yet again.
Intel, on the other hand, is quite the opposite in their approach. They do have the latest and greatest line of processors (for the moment). Plus their line of chipsets are mostly all compatible as they are all socket 775 from the P4 line up through the Core 2 Extreme line. This gives me hope that I can purchase a cheaper processor now and buy a better one later when the prices drop.

With that in mind, I am going to choose the Intel Pentium D 950 3.4Ghz Dual Core. It runs at a fast bus speed of 800Mhz (lower ends are 533Mhz and higher are 1066Mhz), it is dual core for better compiling of audio and video, each core runs at a fast 3.2Ghz and it’s quite inexpensive ($229 at Newegg.com). Another item of note is that this is not a Celeron processor but is rather a Pentium processor. Celerons are the low-end of the processor pyramid and should be avoided.

I wanted to go faster with the speed of this processor, but those few available all report as being way too hot. Even this processor is reported as being too hot which I will have to deal with later in this article. Now a computer should not run above 55c for extended periods of time because it could damage the processor and your motherboard. The faster processors all report as being hotter than that which is not good. I recommend reading reviews when selecting a processor to confirm the part’s quality. I use Newegg.com to check for good product reviews.

Motherboard:

Now that I know the processor that I will be using, I can go ahead and choose the motherboard. I want to choose something that meets the specifications of the above processor, but also will handle the Core 2 Extreme processors so I can upgrade later. Plus, since there are so many different manufacturers to consider, the reviews on these products will become quite handy. Sounds easy? Heck no. This took me an hour to figure out and I have somewhat of an idea of what I am doing.

I finally decided to go with the Asus P5N32-SLI ($209.99 at ZipZoomFly.com). This board will handle all the issues listed above along with adding audio and dual gigabit. The audio is a common feature and does help to cut down on the extras needed in your purchase. Gigabit lan is a necessity these days and going dual actually does make it a fraction quicker when transferring files.

Looking at general reviews for this motherboard (or similar motherboards) does have me concerned that it won’t be junk when I get it. However, know that most of the complainers are people who are trying to overclock their system. I don’t plan on doing that. Also, I have come to trust Asus in general for their products. All products have issues, but Asus has given me the least amount of grief in the past.

The next group of components need to be selected in no particular order.

The Parts Cont.:
Memory:

Memory is an interesting part to choose when shopping. This is because there are many different brands and qualities, however the difference is often slight. The only real difference between the two is when comparing the cheapest and most expensive. Because of this, I often choose quantity over quality. I feel better knowing I have 2 or more Gigs of memory in my computer than having l between memory is when comes but faster memory.

According to the Asus website, our motherboard requires DDR2 800/667/533 memory. This means we can choose from PC4200, PC5400 or PC6400 RAM. Each of those selections refers to a speed of memory. In this case, I recommend selecting memory that runs at 800Mhz which is PC6400. The reason for this is because the process we chose above also runs at 800Mhz bus speed. The matching set will make for an efficient setup. The final selection: Corsair Dual Channel TWINX 2048MB PC6400 DDR2 800Mhz (2 x 1024Mb) ($219.99 at TigerDirect). That’s 2Mb of ram from a company with a good reputation (important if you ever need to exchange a bad stick which only happened to me once before).

Note: Now, this is where I because slightly confused. The Asus P5N32-SLI has a front side bus of 1066/800/533Mhz. That the clock speed of how fast information can travel through the board. However, the memory speeds listed by Asus say you should use memory that is as fast as 800/667/533Mhz. That doesn’t exactly match. The downloadable manual for this board only specified 677/533 Mhz memory. The Asus online qualified vendors list (of memory to use with this board) only lists 800Mhz memory. Either way, you should get memory that matches your processor as mentioned next.

Storage:

Our system needs to be able to read and write to the hard drives quick and painlessly. For instance, if you’re playing a game that really uses up a lot of memory, your computer will defer some of its temporary storage to what is called a page file. This is basically your hard drive being used like RAM and you want it to happen as quickly as possible.

The answer is to go with two Serial ATA (SATA) hard drives in an Raid 0 (striped) array. SATA hard drives use a special connector on the motherboard which can handle more bandwidth. This means faster read and write speeds. If you get two or more SATA hard drives, you can make them act as one drive in what is called a Raid 0 (striped) array. This means potentially twice the speed because half the data goes to each of the two drives.

The downfall of using Raid 0 is that if one of two drives fail, you lose your data. Of course, the same thing goes if you are only using one drive and it fails. There are other, safer Raid options such as Raid 5, but none as fast. Therefore, we need two SATA hard drives. The selection: 2 Western Digital 250Gb SATA-300 drives ($79.99×2 at TigerDirect.com). In the Raid 0 configuration, this will give me 500Gb of fast storage and that ‘300′ number in the product name means it’s as fast as 3Gb/s (that’s fast).

For more information on Raid, this site has a quick explanation while this site gives you more of the technical aspects such as why Raid 5 is slower than Raid 0.

Video Card:

In my case, I have two issues to consider when choosing my video card. First, I need two of them to handle the four monitors. Second, do I want to purchase in preparation for DirectX 10?

DirectX 10 is just around the corner and as of this article, such video cards are now just becoming available. Although games aren’t on the market with the ability to handle the new technology, you can bet that they are just about to happen. I want to be ready for when it does and this means my choice of video card is slim. I can only choose from the GeForce 8800 series.

Since these cards are still quite expensive, I’m going to have to cut some corners and select the EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS / 640Mb / SLI / PCI Express / Dual DVI ($384.99×2 at TigerDirect.com). It’s a costly option, but it’s the only way to play those new games when they come out later this year.

If you can wait on this new technology, then I’ll recommend the EVGA GeForce 7600 GT / 256Mb / SLI / PCI Express / Dual DVI ($119.99 at TigerDirect.com). This card has a decent amount of memory (256Mb) and will play your current games quite well. Plus, you can buy just one and upgrade later.
DVD Drive:

The DVD drive is a basic option that shouldn’t be forgotten. The one you select isn’t overly important as long as it does what you need and that’s read CD and DVD media. My selection is the Sony DRU830A ($69.99 at TigerDirect.com) which is fast and reliable.

Audio:

The selected motherboard already has audio and is good for playing general music and games sounds. But if you need to do recording, you must get a separate audio card. I have a Sound Blaster Audigy card that I can move from my current computer into this one for that purpose. I’ll assume that you don’t have any special audio requirements. The reason for this option is because sound devices that are built into motherboards almost all create noise in the background of your recording. This noise is caused from the electrical things going on inside the computer and can’t really be helped.

Cooling:

Generally, you don’t need to consider additional cooling products. However, with the processor chosen, I have a concern that things are going to get a little too hot. This means I need to think of how to keep everything cooler.

I recommend two things that should be done. The first is a very inexpensive thermal paste which is applied between the CPU and heatsink. Apply an even amount of OCZ Ultra 5+ Silver Thermal Compound ($5.99 at TigerDirect.com) and immediately you should notice a drop in temperature. Do this with the stock heatsink first if you want to try and save some money on a new heatsink. Scrape off the junk that comes with the stock item and apply the new paste.

As for applying the paste, here’s a method that I use with very good results:

• Make sure the surfaces of both the heatsink and the CPU are clean. I use rubbing alcohol and then I make sure they are both dry.
• Then apply a thin amount across the CPU and spread it out with your finger (hopefully this stuff doesn’t cause cancer). Spread it as thin as possible, but still thick enough that you can’t see the surface of the processor through the compound.
• Then spread a very thin amount on the heatsink where you think it will make contact with the processor. Make this amount is thin enough that you can see through it but thick enough that it covers evenly.
• Finally, mount the two together as per the instructions.

If this doesn’t drop the temperature far enough for comfort, my second recommendation is a new heatsink for the CPU. The Zalman CNPS9500 ($59.99 at TigerDirect.com) is really quite good cooling down your system and at the same time, it’s not loud. This fan is quiet. Much more quiet than the stock fan is reported to be.

Later, when you are able to boot up the computer, check the temperature. You can use a utility such as MotherBoard Monitor. However, a simple test to check the temperature before installing an operating system is to enter the bios during boot. Press the Del key (repeatedly) when the machine starts booting up to get to the bios screen. Then look for the hardware monitor. There you will find the CPU temp. Let it run on this screen for about 30 seconds and watch it. That will give you an estimation of your CPU temperature with a slight load on the CPU (because the bios runs just above idle). Oh, and know that the temperature will probably drop another 1-3 degrees after a few hours of settling in after application.
Case:

Finally, I need something to house all of this expensive hardware. Although a mid-tower ATX case would be fine, I recommend going with a full-tower case. It is much larger, but it give you that much more room to work. You won’t feel like you are jamming wires and cramming equipment in a full-tower case. With that in mind, I am going to recommend the Thermaltake Black Armor Fill-Tower ATX Case ($169.99 at TigerDirect.com). It’s a well designed case with lots of breathing room. The air flows right through to keep those components cool.

Summary:

To run down the parts list above:

• Intel Pentium D 950 3.4Ghz Dual Core ($229 at Newegg.com)
• Asus P5N32-SLI ($209.99 at ZipZoomFly.com)
• Corsair Dual Channel TWINX 2048MB PC6400 DDR2 800Mhz (2 x 1024Mb) ($219.99 at TigerDirect)
• 2 Western Digital 250Gb SATA-300 drives ($79.99×2 at TigerDirect.com)
• EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS / 640Mb / SLI / PCI Express / Dual DVI ($384.99×2 at TigerDirect.com)
• Sony DRU830A ($69.99 at TigerDirect.com)
• OCZ Ultra 5+ Silver Thermal Compound ($5.99 at TigerDirect.com)
• Thermaltake Black Armor Fill-Tower ATX Case ($169.99 at TigerDirect.com)

Total Cost: $1834.91

Substitute in the cheaper video card option, the EVGA GeForce 7600 GT / 256Mb / SLI / PCI Express / Dual DVI ($119.99 at TigerDirect.com) and change the total cost.

Total Cost: $1184.92

So now you have a custom built, high-end gaming PC. I hope this has helped someone out there.

Posted on January 19

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