Just finished my first computer build...

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Oct 2, 1998
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I've had my old Pentium II 350mz Win98 system since for 6 years, and since it couldn't run many of todays programs effectively I finally decided to get a new computer. After spending months learning everything I could on the www.Anandtech.com forums, I decided to try building one on my own. I've installed extra memory and a few optical drives to my system over the years, and the willingness of Anandtech members to help newbies gave me the confidence that I could handle any problems that came up.

I bought all of my components at www.newegg.com They've got very good prices, a live online inventory system, and they allow users to rate and review individual products. They've got one of the best reputations of any online retailer, and they lived up to that in my experience. They shipped everything the same day I ordered it, and it all arrived (from 4 different warehouse locations) in just two days. Everything was in perfect shape, and all of the electronic components worked right out of the box.

Here's what I got:

- Antec Performance Plus server case with a 430 watt power supply and three case fans
- AMD Athlon 64 3200+ processor
- Albatron K8X800 Pro II motherboard
- Mushkin 3500 Level One memory - 1gb
- Seagate 160gb 7200 RPM SATA hard drive
- ATI Radeon 9800 Pro All-In-Wonder video card with 128mb memory, TV tuner, digital video recorder (like TiVo), and onboard MPEG2 hardware decoder
- Lite-On 16x DVD-ROM/48x CD-RW combo drive
- MSI 16x DVD-ROM drive (I'm waiting a few months for the dual-layer DVD writers to come out)
- Sony floppy drive
- Windows XP Home Edition
- MS Flight Simulator 2004
- Saitek X45 digital Joystick and throttle

Wow! This thing SMOKES! I did have a few problems during assembly, but eventually got everything worked out. (Hint - it helps if you actually plug in the 12v power for the processor. Doh! :o) The Anandtech forumites were quick to offer their guidance when I got stuck, and it took me the better part of a day to build the whole system and load all of the software.

Would I do it all again? Yup - without question. When I was installing the processor's heatsink and fan it was nerve racking, but overall it was a great way to spend a day. I learned a lot, and got a killer system as well.
 
But how does it feel? Probably a wee bit faster than the 350! And probably cost a less as well? Upgrading = :)
 
Here's a breakdown of the individual components and their cost.

Newegg wish list

The total with shipping, extended warranty, and accessories - cables, static wrist strap, etc... - was about $1750. That's almost exactly what I paid for my previous system 6 years ago. That system was a mid-level system for 1998, while the new one is a fairly high-level system by today's standards.

It feels like the first time I used my cable modem after years with a dial-up ISP. :D
 
What, no sound card? Other than that, it wounds like a rockin machine. Just in time for some hot new games too! It's pretty gratifying the first time you see the machine boot knowing you did it by yourself. Anandtech is a great site. I was actually just contemplating giving away my whole collection of Maximum PC magazines in th espirit of spring cleaning as I no longer seem to need them for reference purposes. It's liberating not to have to worry about paying someone to work on your computer anymore.

Congratulations.

John
 
If anyone's looking to build their own computer...first of all, do it. You save so much money if you consider the quality of the parts you can put in. It's also really easy...you just plug the stuff together.

Check out www.sharkyextreme.com every month they put together three 'dream' computers. one value, on high-end, and one extreme. I just built a 'value' computer using their recommended parts and it ran me under $1000. Its fast as hell, and stable.

Nitin
 
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