What can I build with this?

Bought from Tiger Direct, nice site & good prices. I tried to allow for flexibility and expansion/upgrades in future, let's see how badly I messed up. Ordered an ABIT KV7 motherboard/AthlonXP 3000+ CPU, 2.16GHz that can be tweaked upward a little if I understand all the tech stuff. One thing about my present HP is being limited by 3 PCI slots; this one's got 5 slots for gizmos and is already SATA-ready. Also got 3x256MB RAM, PC3200/400MHz. Not too hung up on the video, so I went with a Radeon 7000 video card--seemed to be pretty good for basic needs and can always upgrade. Looks like I'm building a whole new computer instead of upgrading the HP! If it will fit in one of my crash-test Compaq cases, good. If it doesn't, I've got a 1920's double-door RCA radio console that might make a neat (hidden) computer case; about 16"h x 22"w x 14"d, 4-footed pedestal base, solid ash. Could use help regarding power supply, case fan and CPU heatsink and/or fan. So many choices it's bewildering. Thx in advance as usual.

If those are Presario cases, forget them. That mobo is just to big.
Now it just might fit into a Prosignia case.
I have to mod the case to get 2 case fans in.
low in front to blow in and a second one just below the powersupply blowing out. Gots to get cool air into the case and the heated air out of it.

Power supply, 450w minimum and of a good brand. Read fairly expensive because if you upgrade your video card, you will need a molex connector dedicted for the video card. So why by another PS.

Any PSU brand names you know of or recommend? Also, the CPU fans seemed like overkill at first, but now I'm not so sure. Any ideas there? Also, does the fan preclude the need for a heat sink, or is there a heat sink built into the fan? Lastly, aside from the mobo size, do my components seem to go together or is it just a collection of components?

PS brands, Antec, Enermax or Thermaltake. $40 and up in price at Newegg

The hsf [heatsink and fan combination] keep that cpu from destroying itself in less than a .1 second.
Now if you bought a retail package, the one that comes with it will be plenty good enough Or at least it should be. Now if that is a OEM chip, then you need to purchase one.

Guess I'll wait until it's in my hands and see if it has one. If it doesn't have the hsf, any suggestions brand-wise?

Zalman.




Liam

Hark! I hear the voice of he who types older than he is.... :D :D

Zalman is durable? Once I get this beastie assembled I hope to leave it that way for a while, working of course. Any brands you all can safely say are worth avoiding?

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Hark! I hear the voice of he who types older than he is....

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:D


Yep Zalman's are durable, i'm not sure which brands to steer clear of, mainly the cheap ones made by the site that you buy them from are usually not worth touching, just make sure you get your moneys worth, and look at makes such as Zalman/Gigabyte/Antec/Akasa/Thermaltake.


Liam

While I'm waiting for my order from Tigerdirect (been a week already, gotta call them tomorrow about the holdup) I have a few questions that're going to lead to a lot more. What exactly is the role BIOS plays in a computer? I see it being talked about here and there, but exactly what it does is a mystery to me. Is it programmed into the motherboard during manufacture, or how and when does it get added to the unit? How does one update it? One vendor says they can update the BIOS for my HP, for example, for about $60 US; other brands have downloadable BIOS updates online it seems. When I am ready to add the OS to my homebuilt machine, what are the steps I have to take? Thx in advance for the education.

Let us start with the this webopedia definition of BIOS.

How BIOS Works is a a good 7 page article on the question you asked.

As for updating the BIOS, unless there is something in the update, that will stop errors you are getting or is adding a feature that you have to have, the best thing to do is leave it alone.

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Originally Posted by Train

As for updating the BIOS, unless there is something in the update, that will stop errors you are getting or is adding a feature that you have to have, the best thing to do is leave it alone.

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I will ditto that three times over. I see it all the time on this and other tech forums...people attempting to upgrade their BIOS's like they do when upgrading software like antivirus programs. Unfortunately, I've even seen it given as bad advice:
"My desktop wallpaper has weird colors to it."---"Upgrade your BIOS".
"Microsoft Word won't indent paragraphs".--- "Upgrade your BIOS".
"It hurts when I move my head to the left"---"Upgrade your BIOS".

Beware of such "shotgun effect" advice....people who recommend a BIOS upgrade so casually do NOT understand what the BIOS is all about and obviously think that a BIOS upgrade is the cure-all for all computer woes. Rule of thumb: a BIOS upgrade is ONLY necessary if it adds an additional feature that you really need. If it is done wrong, flashing the BIOS can ruin the system. This is a case of "If it works, don't fix it". Yes, yes....I've heard all the people out there who say "Why....I've done it a thousand times and never had a problem". My answer is: Why did you waste the time doing it? What was the profit to your system? Who cares that you now have "version 2.54" instead of "version 2.53"?
While there ARE very legitimate circumstances to perform a BIOS flash, most users do perfectly fine without it.

My 2¢....the soapbox is now available for someone else... :D

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As for updating the BIOS, unless there is something in the update, that will stop errors you are getting or is adding a feature that you have to have, the best thing to do is leave it alone.

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Ditto, leave well alone unless you really need to.

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When I am ready to add the OS to my homebuilt machine, what are the steps I have to take? Thx in advance for the education.

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Insert the CD and reboot, if setup begins or you see a message to press any key to boot from CD then do so, follow the easy steps of the install wizard.:)


Liam

That seems too easy Liam! I have to format the new HDD first, do I not? Now you all see what I meant at the start of the thread... :o I thought that, with a never-used HDD and brand-new everything else, there'd be some prep work before inserting the CD into the drive. If the whole process is self-driven that's amazing.

http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_home_..._-_graphic.htm

Basic rundown and screenshots^^^:)


Liam

I was checking some other threads and saw Spooky Man G's about building a new machine....saw the Antec case and it was something.

Given all the stuff I've ordered so far, would 350 watts be enough from the new PSU or should I go for the 450W? I like the power idea, but that was a CASE.