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Okay, fine, I might have some understand of women and accessories... until I forget. Still, I do not look over these things obsessively and only once or twice a decade. In any case, my machine is starting to take shape. There are so many things to consider when building a computer. There are hardware, software, and technology options which are beyond if through the other two option types.
For example, I knew I wanted DD3 1600 or better memory. However, if I go with AMD, I have to overclock. While shopping (still technically shopping ^.^ ) I multitasked into research mode. I usually choose Asus motherboards (best, brightest, and most stable... to my knowledge). It turns out that my choice in motherboards makes overclocking rather simple. I even found a site with a video explaining how to do it, if on a cpu and motherboard (same manufactures) from 6 months ago. It is quite easy now. And, should I wish, I could overclock just for memory or push a bit into cpu enspeeding. (Yes, I do make up words, sue me.)
The other technology which has my panties in a bunch is crossfire. That is, taking two powerful video boards and linking them for uber viewing. Beyond knowing how to do that or which boards are best, the simple notion that so much has changed has not escaped me. In any case, a little research here has me back on track, if nervously. Then again, if you are not nervous about building your own machine, and a high end one at that, then you are naive.
Some of the things I am considering are monstrous. Most have heard of the Raptors, but 300 gb at 10k rpm? How about two of those? And those are my slow pokes. I am adding a 100 gb ssd for startup and a few programs. I can easily add another hd if I ever get into pictures or video, a 2 gb monster toss device, or two for storage security, would be little money if I get to that point. My worry with memory is setting up the 300 gb devices. I am not sure whether to set them for response, reliability, or security (or even some mix). And again, I do not know how.
Often, setting things up is paying close attention to fine details. Little switches are all over the various cards and boards. The *Bios also holds many keys and must be used to do overclocking (can overclock the video boards, cpu, and memory, at least) (*the subsystem from which all other systems are configured so as to run before ever getting to the operating system.... yeah, I know... it is confusing and a bit complicated.). The instructions are often... convoluted. Sometimes the instructions really do not exist or are so poorly given that it would be unwise to try to follow them. The internet is the only good source, often, for information and instruction. At least I will have a machine that works from the start.
In any case, the barebones system I have put together is a machine that would last 5 to 10 years, like this one, though at less than I paid for this machine when new (top end) and at least $1500 less than an Intel machine. Then again, though I tried to avoid bare products (those without cords and sometimes even drivers), that is not always avoidable. Who knows what wires, cords, connectors, and other computer giblets might still be needed. Oh, and monitor (or two or three).
I am excited, but... It is a lot. It is still out of my financial range for the moment and a bit complicated even if I could buy everything today. Wait, I think that means that I am a guy. Check. (If it looks risky, if it could cost too much, if it might not be easy to do... well, leave it to men... then sort of avoid watching... sometimes it is really ugly.) Just thought I would do an update.
You may find that there is a lot less done with dip switches these days and a lot more controlled by bios and firmware.
ReplyDeleteAs for drivers, the motherboard should always come with a driver disk (or three), and likewise the peripherals.
I've not looked into crossfire--the recent machine I built was to handle AutoCAD Civil 3D at a level of performance sufficient to do my work at home if necessary. No consideration was given for gaming components--although there is substantial overlap, a high end graphics system was not one of them.
When I put together this system I bought a number of cords (such as SATA cable, internal power cables, etc.) and whatnot that turned out to be unnecessary, as they were included with the drives that needed them. But you never know.
It's been long enough that I don't recall exactly what I have in there, but it was a high end AMD quad core processor and IIRC 8 gigs of (probably dd3, probably not 1600--it didn't make sense at the time) memory, plus a decent size hard drive and DVD-RW.
I was perfectly pleased with the Windows 7 installation. Completely painless. And the driver disks that came with the hardware went in just fine also.
Regarding storage, you may want to give some consideration to external USB hard drives, perhaps a matching pair for duplicate backup purposes. Main drives fail and data is lost and when it happens it causes much misery. Having the important stuff plus archives of images and video externally duplicated can save much grief.
ReplyDeleteAbout the dips, that is all good. Even with a magnifying glass, even seeing them sometimes was tricky. And manuals were better for tp than for anything else. As for the included parts, it depends. Like I said, I am trying to order the items with that included but it does not always say and there is not always a choice. Then again, with Best Buy and Walmart just a few miles away, it really shouldn't be too problematic.
ReplyDeleteActually, your machine minus crossfire, is just mine a few months ago pretty much. A few months, great strides, little difference. Probably similar pricepoints too.
And, I will take the idea of external hds on consideration. I suppose I am stuck, mentally, to a time when backing things up took... forever. If you did it, you did it because your financials depended on it or it was otherwise required by law. I hope they have increased the speed of backing things up? One of the reasons I am moving more aggressively forward in design is to ensure I have USB 3 available, and 6 instead of 3 for SATA. Still, I bet that takes forever for a clean backup on a regular schedule. And I am not quite sure what program to use. I am almost certain Win 7 comes with it's own commands for that, but maybe another program works better, faster?
Ah rats. I had a program that was recommended to me by our IT guy (he uses it on the company network). Reasonably priced and very user-friendly.
ReplyDeleteThe name eludes me at the moment, and it is a reminder that I've never gotten it set up on this new computer yet.
Well, let me know when you corner your IT and he spills the beans. I love ITs in that you rarely need to use force or waterboarding or anything. Just... act interested. Everyone else usually flees from his presence when opens up and opens on... anything technical. Well, that and because often when he is speaking to anyone he is doing so to tell them things they can't do, shouldn't do, or about what he knows they are doing. All bad, all the time, for the lowly do-little cube hopping paper pushers. It's a sad life... a lonely life... Until someone, once every month or two, decides they need to risk the danger of too-much-informationism to ask something, to him, minor. He might even, if he is more tactical than direct, trick them into learning something or hearing something way technical! (I tease, but only slightly.) At least engineers know how to corner people a little better. Some of us. hehhehehehehehehehhe (I didn't just laugh like a little girl, typo, you know.)
ReplyDelete