Build Your Own Computer
We have been building our own computers for over twenty years. Why? Mainly to pick exactly what we want it to include. Packaged and discount systems usually have lower end video, minimal RAM, small hard drives, etc. And you may not need higher-end components but have to pay for them anyway. Windows and applications need to load fast and the computer should handle large amounts of data, for example, a spreadsheet with thousands of rows of data. The video needs to be clear and easy on the eyes for hours of use but we aren't concerned about playing games requiring heavy graphic use. Most important is getting our work done.
This is our latest system for everyday business use. The parts for this computer are roughly around $500.00 (prices vary with the change in weather) plus monitor and extras. Contact us if you are interested in having us put one or more together for you.
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Case: Micro Fly Black Micro ATX case
It may seem strange for the case to be first but for me it is. I want something that doesn't take up half the space under my desk nor is a pain to work with. To date this is my favorite case. For under a $100 it comes with a 400 watt power supply. It also comes with a 600 watt power supply for a little more.
- Its dimensions are 15 x 11 x 9 inches
- Comes in a few color choices. Currently I have one in glossy black and one in mat blue. Both look great.
- Cover comes off easily with one thumb screw
- Chassis slides out making it easy to install the main board
- 2 fans for great cooling yet they are not annoying
- 2 USB, audio, firewire, power and hd led, reset and power buttons, and digital cpu temp readout all on front panel
- Cables are clearly marked
- Comes with a flip-out handle in case you want to take it with you.
- Plenty of room for at least 3 hard drives, DVD/CD drive, floppy drive.
These smaller cases only accept the smaller (ATX) main boards.
One problem with the size of a case like this is some CPU fans may be too tall. The stock fan for AMD fit just fine. I use the onboard video. Some video cards may also be too tall for a case like this. Be sure to check before purchasing.
I did have a new problem with the latest case I purchased. The audio cable has a one piece connector and the wires do not match the audio connection on the main board. On a previous case the wires were all loose so they could be placed on the appropriate connector. To date, I have not fixed this problem.
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Main Board: ASUS M2NBP-VM CSM
I have purchased several ASUS main boards over the years and have had few problems. In fact, my last two, including this one, installed very easily. The manual is very clear as far as making connections.
Although this board accepts video cards, I found the onboard video just fine for business use and you save at least $100 on a video card. I have not tried any hardcore games using the onboard video but graphics applications and photos do look great.
This board includes
- 6 USB connections (4 in back, 2 on board for front connection)
- Standard audio connections
- Keyboard and mouse connections
- Network connection
- SATA and IDE connections
- Both analog and digital video
Note: This is still a good board and can probably be had for a good price. New models are suppose to be coming out soon (March 2008).
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Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Dual Core
Years ago we had problems with AMD processors but that has changed, at least over the past five years. In some cases they have been superior to Intel. Price to performance has always been a plus with AMD. I have used the 4400 and 5000 (socket AM2) with excellent performance including huge (64,000 row) Excel spreadsheets.
BEWARE! The computer industry has a habit of being misleading, or they attempt to be technical for whatever reasons. CPUs require a heat sink and fan which can be purchased separately or with the CPU. I happened to purchase one from Amazon and the description was not clear. Supposedly, black box means no heat sink/fan. And if you happen to be a model number freak you will notice WOF in the model number, which means WithOut Fan. Other than that there was no clear indication. I had purchased a Thermaltake heat sink/fan but it was too tall for my case (less than 1/8 inch). So the stock fan is what I needed anyway. (Box on the left is with fan).
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Memory: Kingston ValueRam 2GB 800MHz DDR2 Non-ECC CL5 DIMM (Kit of 2)
2gb is perfect for Windows XP. We just started using Vista - so far 2gb seems to be fine. DDR2 800 in pairs is the best way to go.
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Hard Drive: 250gb SATA Hard Drive
With IDE the speed of the hard drive was always a concern. 7200rpm was the minimum and we always hoped for faster drives to come down in price. SATA has taken care of that problem. 7200rpm SATA drives scream! I have had no problems loading applications or files. As of this writing (March 2008) 250gb drives are about the best price but 500gb drives are not expensive either.
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Monitor: Acer 20 inch
I purchased an Acer 20 inch monitor over a year ago and still very happy with it. This is running off of the onboard digital video and for the most part is very clear. For some reason there has been a slight problem with the ! (exclamation). I still see it clearly, it just appears a little gray. But overall this has been a great monitor. Monitor at the time was about $250.00.
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All the other stuff
There are a few items left to build your computer but they will be of personal preference.
Keyboard and mouse
You can get a keyboard or mouse from $10 on up depending on quality and features and most important comfort. Logitech and Microsoft are two popular brands. Wireless are great, in fact I use a set on this computer. But I have had problems getting them to work with my laptop computer.
DVD
DVD drives are fairly inexpensive now days. You can find writeable drives for under $50. Even if you don't plan to watch DVDs or use it for backup, CD drives are going away and install programs, such as Windows Vista, are coming on DVDs.
Floppy Drive
I still add a floppy drive to my computers. You can usually find one for less than $10.
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