If you want to try it youself,here's a link(www.idg.net/go.cgi?id=648594) to a fairly new do-it-yourself page. You can get good prices on components and shipping at www.newegg.com. Also,newegg lets customers leave reviews on the products they purchase. Hope this helps
Wanted: Custom-built computer
- Thread starter hapaboy
- Start date
Good thread!
MarthaNYC, where ya been?
question to all: what are the most important components of a computer system?
I currently have a Dell which is about 2 years old...recently installed a 2nd video card to add a monitor and was surprised how simple it was.
So now I'm thinking about possibly upgrading it. Some have said to add RAM(currently 125mb)..others have said to upgrade the OS(currently windows 98).I think I have an INtel pentium 800mhz..but some have said that a 1gig chip would not improve performance that much. I really only use my computer for trading and e-mail(no video games etc)..so maybe what i have is fine.
eventually I'd like to learn to build a second backup computer...and the savings from building my own would easily justify me buying some LCD monitors!
MarthaNYC, where ya been?
question to all: what are the most important components of a computer system?
I currently have a Dell which is about 2 years old...recently installed a 2nd video card to add a monitor and was surprised how simple it was.
So now I'm thinking about possibly upgrading it. Some have said to add RAM(currently 125mb)..others have said to upgrade the OS(currently windows 98).I think I have an INtel pentium 800mhz..but some have said that a 1gig chip would not improve performance that much. I really only use my computer for trading and e-mail(no video games etc)..so maybe what i have is fine.
eventually I'd like to learn to build a second backup computer...and the savings from building my own would easily justify me buying some LCD monitors!
Uptik,
I've been a computer geek for a long time and my record for building a computer is 14 minutes. (Is using an electric screwdriver cheating?)
Keep what you've got. The only thing worth upgrading for your uses would be adding memory.
The systems I use at home and work are much slower, and I can assure you that I use much more computing power than most people. I haven't upgraded them because there's no need for me to do so. No need for you to spend money on power you'll never use.
Learning to build them will take you about 2-3 hours for the 1st one because you'll be spending time reading directions. After that your speed will increase rapidly. Make sure you have bandaids on hand as it's common to nick a finger on one of the sharp welds of a circuit board. Also, although you can usually get away with it, it's recommended that you take the advice from the instruction book and unplug the cord whenever you have your hands inside a box. I once threw a sound card fifteen feet across the room when I accidently touched a capacitor.
And don't be shy about it. Components aren't as fragile as they look and it takes a little force to snap cards into the motherboard.
I've been a computer geek for a long time and my record for building a computer is 14 minutes. (Is using an electric screwdriver cheating?)
Keep what you've got. The only thing worth upgrading for your uses would be adding memory.
The systems I use at home and work are much slower, and I can assure you that I use much more computing power than most people. I haven't upgraded them because there's no need for me to do so. No need for you to spend money on power you'll never use.
Learning to build them will take you about 2-3 hours for the 1st one because you'll be spending time reading directions. After that your speed will increase rapidly. Make sure you have bandaids on hand as it's common to nick a finger on one of the sharp welds of a circuit board. Also, although you can usually get away with it, it's recommended that you take the advice from the instruction book and unplug the cord whenever you have your hands inside a box. I once threw a sound card fifteen feet across the room when I accidently touched a capacitor.
And don't be shy about it. Components aren't as fragile as they look and it takes a little force to snap cards into the motherboard.
Hi All
The most important aspect of computer building is selecting the Motherboard. Unfortunately, this is the part that most manufacturers skimp on. I just built another AMD computer based around a Abit KR7A motherboard. By far the fastest computer ive ever used or built to date. Gonna build a Pentium 4 next, will be the first Intel machine for me.
Sterling
The most important aspect of computer building is selecting the Motherboard. Unfortunately, this is the part that most manufacturers skimp on. I just built another AMD computer based around a Abit KR7A motherboard. By far the fastest computer ive ever used or built to date. Gonna build a Pentium 4 next, will be the first Intel machine for me.
Sterling
I forgot. You can save alot of money too, by buying what they call a barebones unit. This includes the case, motherboard and the processor. Then you can install the other components and the software yourself. This way you can choose the exact features you want without breaking the bank.
If you decide against building your own computer. Try www.ubid.com . IBM sells their closeouts here cheap.. I saw a
IBM Dual Pentium 933 for around 800 bucks with a Matrox dual head video card and Windows 2000. They usually do this around the end of the year, i dont know if theres any real good deals to be had.
Sterling
If you decide against building your own computer. Try www.ubid.com . IBM sells their closeouts here cheap.. I saw a
IBM Dual Pentium 933 for around 800 bucks with a Matrox dual head video card and Windows 2000. They usually do this around the end of the year, i dont know if theres any real good deals to be had.
Sterling
Hapaboy,
I was just like you before. I didn' t even know what was in a computer.
I just learned online (there are sites where they have guides, with pics, on how to biuld a computer from a to z).
Do it this way. You' ll save money, have exactly what you want, and also learn something, which will be extremely usefull going forward, as you' ll often get you nose back in the box, upgrading or fixing things.
Also, go for the best hardware. Don' t try to save money on things you think are not usefull in a computer just used to trade. Sure you don' t need a Geforce4, but go for a good graphic card anyway.
And don' t forget : beware of static electricity when building it
tempula_99
I was just like you before. I didn' t even know what was in a computer.
I just learned online (there are sites where they have guides, with pics, on how to biuld a computer from a to z).
Do it this way. You' ll save money, have exactly what you want, and also learn something, which will be extremely usefull going forward, as you' ll often get you nose back in the box, upgrading or fixing things.
Also, go for the best hardware. Don' t try to save money on things you think are not usefull in a computer just used to trade. Sure you don' t need a Geforce4, but go for a good graphic card anyway.
And don' t forget : beware of static electricity when building it
tempula_99
Hi all. Thank you for the many suggestions. I wouldn't mind building my own computer down the road, but I'm darn sure not going to learn on the machine I want to trade with! Images of smoke rising from my newly self-constructed tower in the middle of a large open long position with futures falling like a rock make me a tad, um, UNCOMFORTABLE!
So I'd rather leave the assembly to the "experts." I don't mind paying the extra cachingo for that peace of mind!!
Thanks again!
So I'd rather leave the assembly to the "experts." I don't mind paying the extra cachingo for that peace of mind!!
Thanks again!
Anyone here have any experience with Alienware?
www.Alienware.com
They had one in stock at my local Best Buy and I must say it was a very nice machine. Extremely quiet and powerful. Had some sort of cooling system on it, etc. The cost was about $1700 or so....
Leland
www.Alienware.com
They had one in stock at my local Best Buy and I must say it was a very nice machine. Extremely quiet and powerful. Had some sort of cooling system on it, etc. The cost was about $1700 or so....
Leland