Tuesday, 05 February 2008

• Currently Listening Riot! By Paramore see related

  Building your own computer!

  I have a mission in hand. It's about time that I get myself a new desktops as my old pc have the tendency to break down. It was apparent as I have several bad sectors in my hardisk and I cant really play new releases of all those goodies. Plus I'm on constant battle for space to meet my high demand of downloading good stuffs from the net. Before I proceed with the so-called plan to build my gaming avatar, I would like to share my opinion on other people who would like to buy a PC of their own.

   

  First of all, you need to answer this question.

   

  "Why am I buying this PC for?"

   

  If you're an aspired businessman (women) or student, looking for a workstation, I’d suggest you go for a laptop rather than a PC. You’ll get the mobility to work anywhere you please and you have the tool to do your clerical works, college assignments and perhaps listen to MP3s while you're at it. You should invest on: - 

  • nice headphones as you don’t want to disturb people around you (Phillips & Sony are recommended)
  • a printer, preferably a portable one with external ink tank. Easier for you to refill rather than buying a new cartridge altogether
  • tolerable CPU speed (Pentium 4 and above would be nice)
  • RAM should at least be 512 ddr2
  • a nice backpack with a slot for your laptop (trust me, it'll be easier than the traditional bag/case)
  • 1 gig of USB flash drive (thumbdrive laa!!)
  • a 3G internet card, allows you access internet anytime, anywhere.. =D 

  Voila, you're all geared for work. If you're planning to venture to the wireless world, be sure to equip yourself with proper antivirus (avira, norton, nod32, kapersky.. but not AVG! =p) and adware protection. Well, usually if you avoid all the porn and X-rated site, you'll be safe from trojans and adware.

   

  If you're a student (or even if you're working), looking for a bastion of serenity, the place where you can work and have fun altogether... you should opt for a PC/Desktop (it's the same thing lah!!!). The trick here is to try and balance your computer ability and longevity. Try to push your processor to duo core, but u can still survive with a Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon. Furthermore, you should invest in: - 

  • a good casing with a capable PSU (Power Supply Unit), around 460watt.
  • a good cooling system, invest on fans (cooler master is a good choice)
  • push your RAM up to 2 gigs
  • a 512 graphic card, a DDR2 will do.. =D (for athlon spec I’d recommend 8500GT or 8600GT, value for your money).
  • a printer with external ink tank (so you can 'kaw tim' the refill with your friends)
  • a 2.1 speaker. Try altec lansing.
  • DVD-RW for making all your data DVD and pirating =D 

  With this, you're quite secured to pull an all-nighter doing assignments or even playing your favorite games. And boys, rest assured that your ass is covered for all the Pro Evolution Soccer madness in your dorm/rented house. =D

   

  And now, for you extreme gamers out there... Build yourself a devil for all your gaming madness. Obviously PC is the way to go. You don’t need the mobility as you have your PSP and DS for that. And remember, if you're building a Pentium system, opt for ATI radeon because it compliments the motherboard and if you’re building an AMD, opt for Geforce. You'll need at least a Duo level processor, but for maximum impact, you go for quad core. As usual, you have to invest on: -

  • a superb DDR3 Graphic Card (256/512).
  • make sure the (mother)board is equipped with a heat sync
  • a kickass high performance RAM, 2 gigs at least
  • an extra cooling system (fans, liquid coolants)
  • a kickass speaker system
  • powerful power supply unit (460watt and above) 

  Well.. Let me show you the differences between NORMAL and KICKASS!!! For your RAM, you need the high performance RAM to release heat and for the dual-channel ability. Dual channels mean faster tansfer and processing. Check this on out, the comparison between your standard issue 1gig RAM and an OCZ Reaper.

  

  

  This is how it works.. =D  

   

  Next stop, we'll take a look at your motherboard. Instead of the standard board, opt for something with a heat sync around the processor (notice the copper coil? that's the one! =D). As usual, this helps heat distribution. If you cant afford the extreme one, try and make sure your board have at least a row of those heat sync.

   

  

  Standar Board

  

  Extreme Board (Kickass!!)

   

  A tough PSU (Power Supply Unit is required to keep your pride and joy powered and ready to go. People often neglect this one but a PSU is vital and the heat should be well disposed. Here’s an example of a superb PSU by Cooler Master.

   

   

   

  Ahh.. And take a look at these graphic cards. Notice the difference?? The pointy metal parts around the fan are actually an effective heat distributing method. The high performance DDR3 graphic card will surely kick your ass.. hahaha

   

   

  Well, that's all for now folks... happy upgrading/building your PC/Laptop. I’m done with building mine and eventhough it wasn't a pleasure cruise, it was worthwhile in the end. Hope my tips and info helps you in some way.. =D adiooss..

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