[PCWorld]

Post your comments for How to Build a Superfast, Superquiet PC, Part 1 here

[custompcmax]

Decent guide. But, if you are still nervous about building, let if be known that there are plenty of lowcost PC builders out there, that will build PCs to your specifications. You aren't stuck with Alienware and other overpriced vendors for gaming machines.

[JADavey]

Finally. Someone is writing about building a decent, quiet computer for normal use. Whenever I look for articles like this, they all end up talking about quad cores, water liquid cooling, and gaming. Doesn't anyone work any more?
Can't wait for the next issue to arrive in the mail.

[DavidAMV]

Reasonable selections so far. One exception though. Why would you opt for not using the heat sink fan that comes with the processor when doing so effects the warranty? At least add a note to alert others to this difference.

[JimH443]

I'd also be interested next month if you could post a comparison between the system you built and similarly priced pre-built machines.

[desigeek]

You have listed ECS N8800GT Video card which is PCIe 2.0. The motherbaod GA-P35-DS3L does not support PSIe 2.0. It has only PSI Express. Motherboard is based on Intel's P35 chipset. I believe x38 chipset supports PCIe 2.0. Please correct me if I am wrong or would like you to change graphic card to work properly on above Mother Board

[custompcmax]

PCI-e 2.0 is backward compatible with PCI-e 1.0 motherboards, and vice versa. You won't get the benefit of the faster standard, but it is arguable if it is really even being utilized by any of the cards yet. In almost all cases, you wouldn't even realize a difference.

[Wiseman]

It is a great idea for a article but can you make another about building a computer that is cheaper? Don't leave out the teens like me who want to build a computer but have to pay for themselves. We usual dont have that much money.

[thatbruceguy]

I'll suggest silentpcreview.com as a great source for methods and component information for building quiet systems.

The best way to get a really quiet system is to consider all the noise producing elements first: Power Supply, Case/Case Fans, CPU Cooler, Hard Drives, Video Card, etc. You can't go wrong choosing the Ninja Plus for a CPU cooler, though I can say installing everything in your system case around this monster can be a real hassle.

In this day of lower power processors and video cards, it's not too hard to make a system where the most prominent source of noise is the hard drive. My latest system relies on a Corsair VX450 power supply, and CoolerMaster TX2 CPU cooler with a Nexus 120 case fan. After adjusting fan speeds my idling WD 400GB drive is the most prominent sound - it's similar in level to the others but a nearly pure tone rather than a quiet whoosh sound. This is with an Intel Q6600 running continuously with CPU at 100% for Folding @ Home. CPU temps stay around 45C.

[richard324]

right on

[nurseshelly]

For ideas for less expensive, you would just make a list of the type of parts you need (you could base it on this article), then go somewhere like newegg.com, and start with your processor and decide on what blend of price range and performance makes the best sense for you. Then based on the processor you choose, you start looking at the motherboards that work with your chipset. You need to think of what things you want on your motherboard ... which features do you want built onto it, and what kinds of expansion capabilities do you want available like number of PCI slots open, or an IDE plug in as well as SATA if you want to use an older drive or DVD drive. Then start looking at the motherboards and find one with a price you can live with, that has what you want. Many sites also have user reviews for the mother boards, so you can then read about each mobo and see if a lot of people have received bad boards out of the box, or had wiring difficulties (badly designed board making it difficult to wire). Also newegg.com is nice because they show many picture views of the mobo, so you can see it up close. Then once you know your mobo size you can think about your case size and power supply size etc ... Oh, of course, once you have figured out what you want, you can compare prices on different sites, or locally. I usually stick to one site while I'm deciding what parts I want to use for the computer, then after I decide what I'm getting I start looking for where I'm getting them. I usually look at newegg.com for the selectionof parts, then decide where to get them. If I'm in a hurry, I might pay more to get them locally ... or it might end up the same once you consider shipping. Also, it's usually better to pay with a card, so you can return something easier at some local places (thinking Fry's Electronics here - plastic is the only way to go if you need to return something). It's important to look into the return policy when choosing a vendor also.

[jakeofspades]

That's weird - I recently built up a new computer for myself (I'm a fairly poor student) and I've got the same processor, heat sink and a similar motherboard to those you have picked.
However I've then skimped out on spending much on a graphics card and hard drive and really spent on a lovely, small Lian Li case and a fair bit of memory. I topped it off with Ubuntu (to which I have yet to regret because it's working brilliantly).
I wonder if you'll make the same tactical move - don't get sucked into over-spending on a hard drive because it simply isn't necessary and don't waste money on an expensive OS (ie Vista)

[sevan]

These kind of articles are enlightening and nice to read, building your own PC, for me at least, despite the hassles, is a joy. I have a few recommendations for you, Mr. Mainelli, before you proceed with your next installment:

1) check out www.pricewatch.com for price comparisons to the method you currently use.

2) using pricewatch, I found the same parts:

a) E8400: $189.99
b) SCNJ-1100P: $44.99
c) GA-P35-DS3L: $96.48
d) ECS N8800GT 512MB: $187.58
e) TOTAL: $519.04

As you can see, although you save a great sum on the processor and video card using pricewatch, the cooler and motherboard were slightly more expensive, however, a net savings of $112.96. Mixing and matching would save you even more, making this powerful PC incredibly cost-efficient.

Sorry for the length, I just wanted to share bargain-hunting methods.

[classicvie]

What a great article! This is something I'm definitely interested in (building my own PC) and it would obviously be less cost. The issue I have is HP just released 16 new PCs, Dell has new ones coming out... I just don't know if I should build one or just buy it!

Thoughts?

Kris J

[bagworm]

Building your own is not necessarily a cheaper option than buying one ready-built, but you do get the option of choosing your own parts, and reusing some things if you want to. I got my motherboard from Newegg - free shipping, no tax, and cheaper than I could get it here - and with that I also opted for the RAM from them. CPU and video card came from a computer store here, hard drives and a DVD burner and the case were recycled from my previous system. Then I discovered that I also needed a new power supply which I got at Newegg - cheaper and, again, no tax, and free shipping. I've recently added another DVD burner, because that's the kind of stuff I use my PC for. Total upgrade cost: so far approx $340.

[smax013]

bagworm said:

Building your own is not necessarily a cheaper option than buying one ready-built, but you do get the option of choosing your own parts, and reusing some things if you want to.

Hi [~11364], Welcome to the PCWorld Forums.



You are correct...in my experience, you will generally get a lower end computer for less money by buying from a manufacturer rather than building it yourself. The likes of Dell, HP, etc have economies of scale that allow them to buy the parts AND the OS for cheaper than an individual can get. Once you get into a mid to high end computer, the balance starts to shift so that building a computer is usually the cheaper solution. I believe it is somewhere typically around the $1000 range that building generally becomes the cheaper option in general. And, as you noted, YOU get to pick the individual components, which is always nice.

[markestey]

Tom, I went to look for the motherboard you suggested-Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L and learned that it would not support the E8400 chip. E8400 is a 45 nm and the suggested board is not. How did you get it to work?







Edited by MPHEnterprises - Please do not post your personal information within the forums for your own security and privacy.

[markestey]

I did some more research and discovered that the board does support the latest 45nm CPU's via the Gigabyte website. The box doesn't say one way or another if the GP-35-ds3l supports 45nm.

[techie4fun]

I want visuals man, VISUALS! This guide isn't for dummies. If you are requesting assistance for inserting card A into Motherboard slot B, I would recommend finding your local geek store.

[SRoach3]

I have thoroughly enjoyed your article on How to Build a Superfast, Superquiet PC, Part 1 and Part 2. I am currently in the process of building a computer for myself following the suggestions you made in your article. I am having one problem though locating the ECS nVidia GeForce 8800GT Arctic Cooling 512MB 2DVI/HDCP PCI-Express Video Card. No matter which online distributor / resale site that I contact, no one has the video card in stock. I would even consider using the 9600GT Artic Cooling model if I could get one.
Can you please tell me where you found your video card or where I could get a card now? Any assistance is greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,

SRoach3
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