[Ham-Computers] RE: Questions about building a 'new' computer

Thu Oct 6 19:26:20 EDT 2005

Phil,

Based on what you've mentioned here's my 2 cents...

Note: I'm more biased towards stability rather than speed and my choices
reflect this.  I lean towards Intel based solutions as they seem more
stable.  An AMD/nVidia n-Force combination also wouldn't be bad, but this
combo is geared more towards "tweakers".

I would recommend an Intel CPU as they're more "plug-n-play".  AMD's have
better bang-for-the-buck, but they can also literally "bang" if you don't
heat sink them properly (ok, they won't "bang", but they will burn-out).
Intel's are more robust in this regard.  The current "mainstream" Pentium 4
CPU is the 500 series.  A 530J (3GHz) or 540J (3.2GHz) would be a good start
and include 1MB cache.  The 600 series is the next step up as they include
2MB cache and have 64-bit extensions.  Try the 630 (3GHz) or 640 (3.2GHz).
The 500 series that end in "1" (531, 541) also have 64-bit extensions, but
only have the 1MB cache.  The Pentium "D" 800 series are dual-core CPU's and
are essentially dual CPU's in one chip.  The top of the line is the Pentium
4 "Extreme Edition" (EE), but this puppy is geared for high end gamers and
workstations...it costs about $1000.  Intel retail "Boxed" CPU's come sealed
in a box with a fan and include a 3-year warranty (if installed by a
"professional").  Intel OEM CPU's are bare CPU's used by manufacturers and
come with a 1-year warranty and no fan.  The OEM's CPU's are usually cheaper
by 10%, but can often be found much lower.

You're basically SOL if you want ISA slots...they're long gone from the
market except for some manufacturers that cator to the "industrial" market
where legacy support is required.  Expect to pay $300 or more just for the
motherboard.

If you want AGP and PCI, you can still get motherboards without much
difficulty.  However, the "high end" boards (both features and quality) are
getting hard to find as manufacturers have switched focus to PCIe based
boards.  Look for something with Intel 865P or 875P chipset.  In general, I
skip the SIS and VIA chipsets as the extra $10 for an Intel based solution
is worth the effort.  There are some AGP/PCI motherboards based on the i915P
chipset (newer than the 865/875), but the Intel 900 series chipsets were
really designed with PCIe in mind.  Try to find something that uses the
Intel ICH6(R), or ICH7(R) "southbridge" - the "R" donates that RAID 0/1 is
available.

If you don't mind forgoing AGP, then all "current" motherboards are based on
a PCIe (PCI Express) chipset.  Most have at least one "16x" PCIe slot and 1,
2, or 3 "1x" PCIe slots.  The 16x slot (16 serial lanes...really a parallel
bus) is designed for high bandwidth cards and is the current replacement for
AGP slots.  The remaining "1x" (1 lane) are for lower bandwidth cards,
though PCIe 1x is still faster than PCI by almost 2x.  For Intel based
solutions, you'll find the i915, i945, and i955 chipsets.  The main
difference is the performance level - the 915 is "mainstream", 945 is
"performance", and the 955 is the current top-of-the-line desktop and
entry-level workstation chipset.  As you're probably not going to "upgrade"
your computer again for a while, I would suggest an i945 or i955 based
motherboard.  There are "sub" models (945P, 945G, 945PL, etc) - to make it
simple, stick with the 945P and 955X - the rest just add (or delete)
features.

There are some "hybrid" motherboards that include both a 16x PCIe and an AGP
slot...I would avoid these as, eventually, you're giving up a slot.  They're
also typically targeted for the "budget" user who wants to keep existing
gear...unfortunately, you're also giving up some of the current technology.
For example, most MB's I've seen with both PCIe and AGP slots still use DDR
memory (rather than DDR2).  They also won't support CPU's with 64-bit
extensions.

Most motherboards now include 10/100 or GigE Ethernet on-board, so no
problems there.  If you want the "best" network support, then go with a
motherboard that uses an Intel or Broadcom NIC controller.  Realtek is the
most common as they are cheap (and sometimes un-reliable).  Marvell is also
out there.  I would avoid any other "off brand" ethernet controller.

Video...unless you're a hard-core gamer or use high-end graphics apps, the
typical $100 video card is adequate.  Step up to the $150 range if you use
apps like Photoshop regularly (or use a high-resolution display).  Go into
the $200-$500 performance category if you are a gamer or run apps that take
advantage of 3D functionality.

As for cases...that's a personal preference.  I just bought an Antec P180
"Silent" case to upgrade my aging 5-year old case.  The P180 is designed to
silence vibrations - it's triple walled - aluminum/plastic/aluminum.  It
also has 3 low-speed, high air-flow volume fans and is engineered to keep
the system cool.

And power supplies...be careful here.  Much like audio amplifiers, the
manufacturers are often stating "peak" wattage ratings rather continuous.
Also, the 3.3v and 5v rails are often combined into one maximum rating -
often much below the maximum power supply rating.  For example, one "400
watt" PS I found is actually a "300 watt" continuous duty PS, but the
combined 3.3v/5v rating is only 180 watts.  Since the CPU draws it power off
the 3.3v rails, so this doesn't leave you much headroom for your other
3.3v/5v devices.

My personal preference in power supplies are the PC Power and Cooling
supplies.  The ratings are accurate and the 3.3v/5v ratings are usually much
higher than the "generics".  These supplies also weigh a ton and the
"silencer" series are quiet.  I use the Silencer 400ATX, which is now the
425ATX.  They come with a 3 or 5-year warranty.  Whatever you decide to get,
make sure it's at least 400 watts.  Good brands are PC Power & Cooling,
Antec, Enermax, and Sparkle.  However, the latter 3 also make low-end
supplies, so be careful.  A good sign is to ask for a UL "Listed" or
"Recognized" supply.  "CE" marks are also a good sign.

As for swappable drives, not a problem.  There are "drive caddies" that
allow you to swap drives in and out of the case.  Most run about $20.
Another option, if you're just doing backups, is to get a USB 2.0 based
external drive case.  The "better" cases run about $40...the generics run
about $20.

I am also currently looking to upgrade my system at home.  I'm running a
3.06GHz P4 at 3.31GHz, but the 3-year old, 533MHz FSB motherboard is just
barely able to tackle some of the things I do today.  Unfortunately, any
upgrade I do will also require new memory (DDR2), a new video card (PCIe),
and giving up a couple of my PCI cards.  Here's what I'm currently looking
at...

Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-8I945P or GA-8I955X Royal.  I'm a Gigabyte
fan...they invest more into R&D than any other motherboard manufacturer.
Stability is their key value.

CPU - Intel 630 or 640.  If I had the extra $100, I'd consider the 830
(dual-core).

RAM - 1GB DDR2 @ 533MHz.  With a dual-channel system, that's two 512MB
sticks.  1GB will cover just about any situation you run into.  512MB will
also work, but the extra 512MB overhead is worth it, especially in a
multi-tasking environment.

Video - Some NVidia 6600GT or 6800(GT) based PCIe card.  Unfortunately, I
currently have an NVidia FX5900 series card and anything lower would be
slower than the 5900.  If you're looking for on-board video, then the "G"
chipsets (915G, 945G) have on-board video.

Case and Power Supply - already have (P180 and 400ATX)

Keybard - believe it or not, I recently bought an Apple USB keyboard (the
clear one with white keys) as I like the "feel" and sculpted layout.  I've
previously been using a "true blue" IBM PS/2 keyboard as it also as a
sculpted layout, but I wanted something smaller (and quieter!) to fit my
desk.  I tried a couple of other "scissor-switch" keyboards, but the current
Apple keyboard was the best.  A couple of the keys needed to be re-assigned,
but a freeware app took care of that.

Of my 4 PCI cards (TurtleBeach Santa Cruz audio, Adaptec 29160 SCSI, SIIG
2-port Serial, and Leadtek TV tuner), I'll probably drop the 2-port serial
and maybe the tuner as most motherboards only have 3 PCI slots.  I'll make a
decision about the audio after I've played with the new "Hi-Def" audio
chipsets.

And, as for places to shop...mom and pop places are good if you know what
you're looking for.  It also depends on how well you trust the shop keeper.
If you want to buy on-line, then I *highly* recommend Newegg.com.  Great
service, support, and prices.

73,

  - Aaron Hsu, NN6O (ex-KD6DAE)
    {nn6o}@arrl.net
    {athsu}@nbcuni.com
    No-QRO Int'l #1,000,006
    . -..- - .-. .-   ".... . .- ...- -.--"

p.s.  Here are some links to the companies I've mentioned...

http://www.intel.com
http://www.amd.com
http://www.giga-byte.com
http://www.pcpowercooling.com
http://www.antec.com
http://www.nvidia.com
http://www.enermax.com
http://www.sparklepower.com