cass251

hey all im looking to build a new computer from some parts that i have left over from an upgrade that i have recently done on my gaming computer.

these are the components i have left over:
amd athlon 64x2 4200
geforce 7600 gt (pci express)
500 watt psu
computer case

could some1 please list what else i might need im really new to this

linderman

well we will need to know if your cpu is a socket 939 or socket 940 (AM2)

you see be able to see the model number on the top of the cpu ????



you will need a motherboard

cpu heatsink and cooler

ram sticks

cd/dvd rom drive

hard drive

retail copy of win XP or Vista ?

cass251

its am2 so that socket 940 have a cpu heatsink and fan that came along with it

cass251

my budget is £200 so thats around $400

linderman

Ok


then I would suggest an MSI K9 series motherboard like the MSI-K9N

you will need or want at least one stick of DDR2-800 / PC6400 ram (one gig stick)

better to get a matched pair of PC6400 ram for a total of 2 gigs

cd/dvd writable rom drive

hard drive (sata interface is smarter than IDE)


look around on ebuyer.com or maplin.com

cass251

do u get all the cables and everything needed or do u need to buy them seperately

linderman

with a retail boxed motherboard you get all the cables and input output shield

cass251

oh right happy days
is it difficult to build it or is it straight forward enough
ive never done this before lol

linderman

its not to hard a task if you are mechanically inclined ????


if you do some google searching for "computer assembly" you could probably watch a youtube video ????


also check in our "building" forum at the top of the threads there is a sticky called "bench test your system" I think you will find that helpful

cass251

i put in a new power supply last week will be pretty simalar to that probs

cass251

thanks alot linderman for all ur help gonna buy all the componets tomarrow out of pc world and maplin and give it a shot will let u know how i get on

linderman

its a bit deeper than that


on a scale of one to 10 points:


Power supply replacement is about: 3 points

cpu replacement is about 4 points

changing memory sticks is a: 2 points

hard drive: 5 points

Motherboard: 8 points

whole system build = 9 points


but with some research / its not to bad I taught my 13 year old daughter to build them after she watched me do two or three systems

cass251

well ive replaced a power supply, processor, graphics card, ram before lol

linderman

youll have no trouble then


the part most get stumped on is the motherboard stand-offs & case wiring orientation once you understand them / you are well on your way

cass251

for some reason i think the trickiest part will be the power button lol

linderman

yeah, i have to agree

cass251

well i will have to get around it someway haha i seen u mentioned something with a flat head screwdriver in that bench test your system thread

linderman

patience / keen observation will get you thru the build very easily


pick a day with no distractions for your build


a digital camera helps alot too / if you run into a question just take a close up picture and attach it into your forum thread here

and the question can be answered and the picture will be marked up with arrows and info

the flat blade screw driver is used to jump the two pins on the motherboard to make it start up >>>>> this is what the case switch normally does

the case switch is not an open or closed circuit type deal / its a momentary contact switch


building your own rig froim scratch is very rewarding and gives you a priceless sense of computer confidence, you have enough experience to get this done

cass251

ok mate will do gonna head to bed now so that im not tired when im trying to do the build so i dont lose the plot and end up wrecking every thing lol

will let u know tomarrow if theres any complications or anything like that

cass251

i bought all the componets and put it together there today and it works like a dream