# building a computer from scratch



## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

Hi all, instead of buying a pc from dell or hp or those places. I would like to build one.

I'm very good at knowledge and have tech exp. I just never built one from scratch.

I never had to purchase every piece that makes it work.

So I wanted to know what are all the pieces i need, and to get everything working.

I do have a micro center near me to get the parts.

Plus I probably can go online and get cheaper stuff and overall I think if i built it i can have a much more powerful pc then manufactor's.

So if any of you have links on who has the all the parts at nice prices that be great.

I really want to build a great pc

one that can do gaming, office, and a real super pc basially.

I always been a windows guy I have 7. Should i try other OS when building a pc whats best for what i want it to do.

thanks,

lou


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source...2bAGAAAAqgQFT9DSS8Q&pbx=1&fp=8344659b4dd9a1c0

How does someone become "very good at knowledge?"


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

sigma, ty. Have you built one yourself? i take it its the better way to go you get more for your buck vs manufact computers.


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## HDJulie (Aug 10, 2008)

I've built close to 50 pc's over the last 10 years. I just built a new one for myself last month. I use Newegg for all of the parts. I like being able to get them all at one place & for this last PC I got all of the parts in one day because they were all in stock in Memphis. If you really need to shop around, others here will point out alternatives.

The parts that you need are:

Case
Power Supply
Motherboard
CPU
Memory
Video Card
Hard Drive
Optical Drive (DVD Rom or DVD Burner)

For me, the hardest part of building the PC is hooking up the connectors from the case to the motherboard. My eyes are no longer as young as they used to be & the connectors are small. You have to be careful screwing the motherboard to the case so you don't crack the board. The Intel CPU fans can be a hassle attaching to the motherboard (especially LGA775 & LGA1156 types).

You know if you build it, you have to buy all of the software separately, right?

I really enjoy building PC's but it can be a little daunting the first few times.

Back in the day, it was more cost effective to build your own & buy software than to buy one prebuilt because you could build a much better machine for the same amount of money. That isn't necessarily the case these days.


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## Codfishjoe (Sep 3, 2010)

First, don't purchase your parts from microcenter. I have a microcenter near where I live as well, and they are far more expensive. They're mainly good for people that do need specific computer components and can't wait for shipping. When I built my computer, I purchase each item from either tigerdirect.com or newegg.com. They both sell computer components, but each one has different components cheaper than the other. I'm sure there are other websites out there as well, those are just the 2 that I used. Definitely worth waiting to get them shipped rather than buying them at microcenter. Since you want it for gaming, I would work backwards starting with the video card, then finding compatible components to install it in (motherboard, ram, processor, etc, etc.) These days I'm sure you can build a pretty decent gaming computer for around 500$ or less. I built my gaming computer back in 2003 for around $2000, and it just recently reached the point of no return for gaming. One thing to keep in mind that you may not consider when building a computer like this, is take into consideration what type of cooling system you will use. Because you can build a powerhouse, and if it's not kept cooled enough, its just gonna burn right uup


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## gilg1 (May 13, 2008)

go to newegg.com for good prices on components/combos and watch for sales at circuitcity.com -- depending on where you live, you might not be charged for sales tax.


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## gilg1 (May 13, 2008)

Also get a modular power supply so you dont have excess cables in your case.


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

thanks, jul

My senior year in HS and wow this is 10 years ago lol. I was in a computer class and got to do some basic tech stuff.

take apart the pC and change memory and hook CD ROM and other parts of the PC.

The one thing I never physically did was take a motherboard and put in the computer case and add the Chip and everything else.

My biggest question i always asked myself

1 is everything installed right
2 will it burn if to hot and making sure i put the fans in lol


About the software i remember when putting a new computer back together we put a new HD in.

After i turned it on and amazed it worked, i had to change the boot sequence in the BIOS.

I had to get the CD and at the time Floppy disc running.

I had to install the CD rom driver from the disc then I was able to install at the time Windows NT workstation onto the PC.

Some pc at that time had windows 98 and windows NT.

however my goal to this day was to do one for myself from nothing having to get all the parts and really make the pc super so i can play and do anything without worrying do i need this to place this


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

gilg1 said:


> Also get a modular power supply so you dont have excess cables in your case.


one good thing about being near delaware anything you buy from their is sales tax free.


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## HDJulie (Aug 10, 2008)

In my opinion, the most important part is the motherboard because it will drive what processor, memory, & video card you can get. That's not to say that you pick the motherboard first, just that when you are picking your parts, make sure that they are all compatible with your motherboard. You might want to peruse the CPU's & decide what you want there & that will tell you what kind of motherboard you'll be looking at. For instance, if the CPU is an LGA775 type, then you have to get an LGA775 motherboard. When you look at those, some of them will take DDR2 memory, some will take DDR3. And make sure when you pick a motherboard that you pay attention to the compatible processors & memory. I had an Intel motherboard that would take only 1.8V memory.


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

ok, plus when buying on line the parts say what boards can go with what.

now i really want to get a decent PC processors, i seen the new intel core's. now in your opnion whats great at games, and doing everything and having all run fast and great.


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

Tigerdirect (AKA CompUSA) is another good place to get your PC parts - I'm fortunate to have TWO of them within 30 miles of home. I've built my last 3 computers from pieces bought there, either in the store or online. Including my last not more than a month ago.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

Do you also think that it will be cheaper and better to buy the parts and build your own car?

In addition to getting a system with components that have been extensively tested and proven compatible, when you purchase a manufactured PC, you also get a recovery partition, diagnostics tools, and a darned near free operating system.

Dell offers systems with nothing more than the OS and the drivers through their business site, so you get only what you want. No crapware.

Manufacturers such as Dell can buy components by the boatload, while you're buying from people who buy from people who buy from people who buy them by the boatload.

Yes, building a computer can a rewarding and educational experience. But this business of it being better or more economical is utter BS.


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## koji68 (Jun 21, 2004)

Go to Extremetech.com and read some of their how-to guides. Great ideas.

http://www.extremetech.com/category2/0,2843,644478,00.asp


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

I been looking around and i came accross this, does anyone have this motherboard.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4633206&Sku=E145-2058


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## sideswipe (Dec 4, 2008)

building your own PC is far more rewarding in the end as you know everything that you have in it unlike a pre-built PC in most cases faster aswell, Marlin as you said you can get the Vestro? line of dell's but what of the quality of parts in it. still same as consumer also you have to watch for parts built specifically for the company (ie dell, hp, etc) where as you can interchange parts more easily if you build your own (ever had a motherboard go bad?). 

I prefer to build my own because if 1 part goes bad I can replace it & go on with life with no issues you cannot do this with OEM's without spending the extra cash or headaches. My next project is fixing my mother's HP who's motherboad just went out & I have a spare that works so she doesn't have to pay $180 for a lower end board from HP.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

Never had a problem finding replacement parts for Dells.
As for HP's I replace them with Dells.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Marlin Guy said:


> Do you also think that it will be cheaper and better to buy the parts and build your own car?
> 
> In addition to getting a system with components that have been extensively tested and proven compatible, when you purchase a manufactured PC, you also get a recovery partition, diagnostics tools, and a darned near free operating system.
> 
> ...


Agreed it can be cheaper, but the cheap Dell systems also have less upgradeability. They have improved. At one point they even used a custom pin layout for the power supply. It looked like an ATX connector, and fit like one, but the wiring was definitely different.

And it wasn't until fairly recently that you could really do 64 bit. They sold 64bit processor systems with 32 bit OS, but good luck finding drivers if you loaded a 64 bit OS. One laptop I got I had to hack ATIs driver as you had to use what Dell provided.


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## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

Check sharkyextreme.com -- they review components and suggest shopping lists for building your own computers, from basic machines to high end. You might also want to check MaximumPC magazine, which frequently does build it yourself articles and in addition has ads from custom builders - excellent PC's at prices lower than Dell, Acer, Gateway or HP.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

la24philly said:


> Hi all, instead of buying a pc from dell or hp or those places. I would like to build one.


I use www.tigerdirect.com . They have barebones kits, or you can build your own. They have fast email response and will verify all the components will work together (if you down know). Prices are good. Never had to return anything, so cant say how well they are in that regard.

You will need:
Case
Power Supply (if not included with case)
Motherboard (I use ASUS)
Memory
CPU to match slot on motherboard ordered
CPU fan
Hard drive (most MBs are SATA now, so you would need a SATA probably)
DVD or DVDRW drive
Operating System
Video Card to match your motherboards video slot (not needed unless you need the extra speed or memory for HD video as most MBs have built in video which shares system memory). My Asus will do full 1920x1080 HD video with no problems. If you want gaming, you will almost for sure need a fast video card with lots of memory on it.

The barebones kits usually have the Case, power supply, MB, CPU and Memory. Good ones can be had for $250 or so. You will need to add the CPU fan, hard drive and OS, and a DVD drive if you dont have a USB CD/DVDdrive to load the OS from.

My 4 TB HTPC server cost me just over $300 for the hardware (not including the price of the hard drives). Its 3 GHZ, AMD64, and has 2 GB memory. I am using the onboard audio, and video. Only internal card I bought for it was the DVB S2 satellite tuner card.

Good luck, and enjoy the project. Its a blast to build your own.


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## Codfishjoe (Sep 3, 2010)

One other thing I can recommend is for the processor, look up the unlockable quadcores. You can save some money by getting a processor that is a quadcore but sold as a single or dual core, then unlocking the other two to up the processer speed. Should be able to find instructions on doing this online.


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## sideswipe (Dec 4, 2008)

also www.tomshardware.com & www.anandtech.com are good places for reviews of equipment you wish to buy

codfishjoe this doesn't always work got a 720be & the 4th core is unstable so keep it running as a tri-core for stability


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Personally, I think some of the Tiger barebones systems would make me nervous. I'm a big proponent of not skimping on the power supply. Their spec sheets don't even say that their supplies are UL tested. I looked at one in a bundle, and the efficiency was "up to" 78%. On some cheap PSUs, the top efficiency requires an operating temp that is not real world. I'd much rather spend some more and get a Corsair, or PC Power and Cooling.


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

Davenlr said:


> I use www.tigerdirect.com . They have barebones kits, or you can build your own. They have fast email response and will verify all the components will work together (if you down know). Prices are good. Never had to return anything, so cant say how well they are in that regard.
> 
> You will need:
> Case
> ...


i went to tigerdirect and very impressive.

i saw this motherboard this looks very good. tell me what you think also i might go with one of the new intel core chips this one looks good for gaming aswell as doing everything else

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4240162&csid=_25

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...ffiliateID=X3Th4gZi_iQ-UD2mAXjdzoVjM8VpWVXdsw


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

dan
now for video card, should i get a ATI radeon card or Nvida card which you prefer


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

la24philly said:


> i went to tigerdirect and very impressive.
> 
> i saw this motherboard this looks very good. tell me what you think
> 
> http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...ffiliateID=X3Th4gZi_iQ-UD2mAXjdzoVjM8VpWVXdsw


Im not familiar with eVGA motherboards, however, their graphics cards have never given me any issues. The customer reviews at the bottom give it a 4.5, with a lot of 5's...so apparently its a pretty solid board. I always read the reviews for any gotcha's before I order, and Tigerdirect has a lot of customer reviews for their products.


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

dan the link for the board, below is a video and a guy telling all about it that is what i watched and got really interested and it has a cooling system wiht it.

watch taht video and then give me your best opinion


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

dan i also see this board has firewire ports i never seen them do you know what they are.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

la24philly said:


> dan
> now for video card, should i get a ATI radeon card or Nvida card which you prefer


You can use a PCI Express 16 video card with that board. I used to use ATI, but found their drivers were not kept up to date for new operating systems, and were often buggy. That might have changed, as they appear popular, but I use Nvidea, and have had no problems. eVGA (the Mobo manufacturer of the kit you listed) has several different video cards with Nvidea chipsets. Just pick the one for whatever application you want i.e. games, HD video, general... and the ports you need (HDMI, DVI, VGA) for your monitor. Check the power requirements for the video card you choose, and make sure the power supply in the computer can handle it.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

la24philly said:


> dan i also see this board has firewire ports i never seen them do you know what they are.


Firewire is an Apple standard port used for some video transfers (HD VCRs), and hard drives. For the most part, unless you have a specific device that requires it, it will not be used.


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

now i guess having that intel core extreme chip is really nice, should i go with some of the others that will do the same job.


i see the core 3 5 7

plus i would have the video card 

maybe i can find a cheaper one on ebay


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

la24philly said:


> watch taht video and then give me your best opinion


Sounds like an awesome board. Sure has all the slots you would ever need for expansion.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

la24philly said:


> now i guess having that intel core extreme chip is really nice, should i go with some of the others that will do the same job.
> 
> i see the core 3 5 7
> 
> ...


I am an AMD processor guy, so you would have to ask the folks on here what they would do as far as an Intel chip. Since the motherboard is designed for overclocking, you might be able to get a slower chip and run it faster. Im not up on the Intels though. I guess you should probably get the fastest one you can afford. 3 Ghz and above should do just about anything you want it to. At some point, the speed of the processor and the amount of ram gives up to the speed of the hard drive. I noticed it had several raid functions, so you are pretty much only limited by your wallet as to how fast you want that board to run.


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

well everything is very nicely priced. but I do want that extreme chip but thats the most expensive of all the pieces but i think my pc would do anything with it.


so if i get that board i can just get that chip put it in and im off to a good start.

i wonder if i can get a combo deal on that or other stuff.

gotta find a good case for that ill keep looking


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Yea, and remember the faster the CPU, the better the cooling has to be, so dont skimp on the CPU cooler. Cases are the most fun, since there are so many choices. Just remember that board is a larger board than a standard ATX, so make sure the case supports the size of the board. Thats one thing I like about TIger. You email them a list of all the stuff you want to buy to build it, and they will tell you if you forgot anything, or if the case wont fit the motherboard, etc.


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

well if you watched that video on that board it had some cooling feature on it. i guess i could get some great fans.


plus i will email tiger once i have all the pieces i want and they will give make sure i have everything i need to run it effectivly.

i had a price range between 2,000 -2500

everything is ligning up as said the one piece that will be the most is that extreme intel 7 core


plus that board i could put 24G of dddr3 memory i doubt i will get all that but saying wow thats a nice board


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

The cooling they were talking about was for the chipsets. You will need to buy a CPU cooler for whatever CPU you get, and they go from cheap to ridiculously overpriced liquid cooled systems for overclockers. 

Also remember, unless you plan to load windows 7 64 bit, the OS will only use 3 or 4 GB max memory for the 32 bit version of the OS. If you go with Win 7 64 bit, make sure EVERYTHING you buy has 64 bit drivers.


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

good tip, i will make sure everything is 64 bit

let me know what you think of this case i found an extended one for the board iw ant to get

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4146085&csid=_25

also i saw a bundle deal for 12G memory.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

you are to crazy with spending hard earned (?) money ...

buy i7-930 ($199 at Microcenter) and OC it to 4 GHz with decent fan (I used stock, but agreed to run the CPU at 60 C )


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Looks good. You are going all out. Wish I could afford 1/2 the stuff you have shown me so far  What do you plan to use it for?

Unless you just want to have fun building it, you might check out alienware.com, they have some of the fastest computers known to man, for about that $2500 price tag


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

I just had to laugh...I am typing all this on a $259 netbook sitting under my chair with a big 1.4Ghz processor, 1GB ram, 144GB hard drive, wireless mouse/keyboard, and a 19" HDTV/computer monitor combo.... It will JUST BARELY play HD video, sometimes


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

P Smith said:


> you are to crazy with spending hard earned (?) money ...
> 
> buy i7-930 ($199 at Microcenter) and OC it to 4 GHz with decent fan (I used stock, but agreed to run the CPU at 60 C )


if i can get that cheaper then i will. I'm still looking i didnt actually buy anything yet.


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

dan yeah this system will be a bad boy, but if you want it to do everything then i need it to be powerful. in the end its sitll cheaper. if i had dell or hp build this it would cost me double.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Davenlr said:


> I just had to laugh...I am typing all this on a $259 netbook sitting under my chair with a big 1.4Ghz processor, 1GB ram, 144GB hard drive, wireless mouse/keyboard, and a 19" HDTV/computer monitor combo.... It will JUST BARELY play HD video, sometimes


Our CVS [ex Longdrugs] store selling better one - a netbook for $99 !


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

I have assembled (built) about a dozen computers over the years for my wife and myself. It is rewarding, but part of the learning process is what to do when things go wrong. And if you build it for your spouse, you are stuck with keeping it working every minute even if it is Microsoft's fault it isn't working right.:sure:

Most of the time, you can build a powerhouse unit cheaper than you can buy it. Yeah, Dell and HP can mass produce medium price computers cheaply, but they do charge you a premium for a custom power model.

As I reached my current age, I stopped building our own as it the experience just got to be above my frustration threshold. I just pay HP the premium, now.


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## Getteau (Dec 20, 2007)

Before you go buy any of your parts, check out the websites for each part and make sure you can easily get drivers and BIOS updates. Also bookmark those sites somewhere so you're not beating your head again the wall later when you try to find them again. The one downside I always ran into when I built my own PC's was that it was darn near impossible to get drivers or BIOS updates for things on the MB after about 6 or 7 months. That’s where your big named manufactures are nice. 5 or 6 years later, I can still get BIOS updates for my old Compaq's or HP's or Dell's. That wasn't always the case with my build your own boxes.

Some folks mentioned it initially, but make sure you get a big enough power supply. I haven't looked at your parts list, but based on a 2-2.5K price tag, it sounds like you are probably going to be buying a monster video card. When I shopped video cards about 9 months ago for my gateway box, some of the bigger/faster video cards were calling for 500 to 750 watts just for themselves. So make sure you take into account the video card draw when you pick out your power supply.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

_"That's where your big named manufactures are nice. 5 or 6 years later, I can still get BIOS updates for my old Compaq's or HP's or Dell's._" - unfortunately this statement is not correct; I know for many HP, Dell notebook/desktops models the BIOS didn't update for 4 or more years.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

la24philly said:


> if i had dell or hp build this it would cost me double.


Really?
Post the full specs and your total price with shipping.

Oh, and be sure to get a keyboard with a functioning Shift key this time.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

P Smith said:


> _"That's where your big named manufactures are nice. 5 or 6 years later, I can still get BIOS updates for my old Compaq's or HP's or Dell's._" - unfortunately this statement is not correct; I know for many HP, Dell notebook/desktops models the BIOS didn't update for 4 or more years.


My experience as well. They stopped releasing BIOSs for one of my systems about a year after the model was introduced. And some of the components they use, the actual manufacturer doesn't provide driver downloads on their own site, or it's coded in such a way that the manufacturer's driver is blocked.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

Marlin Guy said:


> Really?
> Post the full specs and your total price with shipping.
> 
> Oh, and be sure to get a keyboard with a functioning Shift key this time.


I just built an awesome Alienware powerful unit on Dell for his $2500 price tag. I don't think home built are that much cheaper, either.


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## jerry downing (Mar 7, 2004)

The October 2010 issue of PCWorld has an article on PC building.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

sigma1914 said:


> I don't think home built are that much cheaper, either.


Depends what you are building. I built my server (3 GHz, 2GB, HD video/audio) for 2/3rd the price I paid 6 months earlier for a 2.4GHz 1GB Compaq that I had to buy a video card for because the onboard video wouldnt do HD.


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## Getteau (Dec 20, 2007)

dpeters11 said:


> My experience as well. They stopped releasing BIOSs for one of my systems about a year after the model was introduced. And some of the components they use, the actual manufacturer doesn't provide driver downloads on their own site, or it's coded in such a way that the manufacturer's driver is blocked.


Let me clarify my post. While they may not have released a new BIOS update in several years, I can still go to HP or Dell and find the updates or drivers that were current at the time they stopped updating the product. My experience with home built machines has been that the individual component manufactures remove old updates altogether or only give you the ability to download drivers for their latest products. For example, I've got two dual output video cards at my desk (one Matrox and one ATI) and neither manufacture has the drivers available any longer.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

Davenlr said:


> Depends what you are building. I built my server (3 GHz, 2GB, HD video/audio) for 2/3rd the price I paid 6 months earlier for a 2.4GHz 1GB Compaq that I had to buy a video card for because the onboard video wouldnt do HD.


There's a lot of cheap pre-builts on tigerdirect.


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## sideswipe (Dec 4, 2008)

also don't forget www.frys.com sometimes you can find a better price there, personal experience i've always used & only issue I had with newegg was the 1 time i added more ram after a pc build they shipped it to me via DHL. DHL then transferred my shipping to USPS(snail mail) but never again did i opt for that shipping again. UPS 3-day works fine & is here in 2 - 3 days everytime to southern WV


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Getteau said:


> Let me clarify my post. While they may not have released a new BIOS update in several years, I can still go to HP or Dell and find the updates or drivers that were current at the time they stopped updating the product. My experience with home built machines has been that the individual component manufactures remove old updates altogether or only give you the ability to download drivers for their latest products. For example, I've got two dual output video cards at my desk (one Matrox and one ATI) and neither manufacture has the drivers available any longer.


Yeah, I misunderstood. You're right. I checked Dell's site for an old system we used to use, Optiplex GN. Last drivers for Windows 98 were released 9 years ago, but still downloadable.


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## digital223 (Dec 19, 2002)

When building a pc, also consider the extra cost of an OS. It is well worth the additional expense.
Beware spending big bucks for a Branded PC, only to find out you do not get OS disks.
Most "Branded" pc's have the OS on the HDD......no OS disks.
Branded pc's do store the OS in a partition on the HDD. However many users who may need to restore it, do run into difficulies and some even unintentionally wipe it.
Other reasons I prefer to build my own are, the OS on Branded pc's is only useable for that pc. There may be some Branded computers that still furnish OS disks, but I haven't seen any advertized recently.
One more thing branded computers are loaded with Bloatware. You will have to spend a good deal of time to remove it.

Genuine Windows OS disks [any version] can be installed on any computer you might want to build and some Branded pc's, if the HDD is formatted properly.
It is obvious that I dislike Branded pc's. I will never purchase one because of the crappy OS restore on the HDD. 
The license agreement they have wirh MS saves them the cost of the CD's....how cheap can these billionn $$$$ corporations get ?????
If you decide to go Windows, by all means choose Win 7 Home premium and up, provide 32 and 64 bit disks.
Good Luck


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

Dell provides OS disks on request. 

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/en/backupcd_form


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## digital223 (Dec 19, 2002)

Marlin Guy said:


> Dell provides OS disks on request.
> 
> http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/en/backupcd_form


At a cost. The last I heard was $30 + S&H !
Also they are only for the same pc and not a true OS, but only restore disks.
I point this out because an unknowing individual might think WOW ! Now I can install a TRUE Windows OS. The disks you mention are in case some one has wiped their HDD and now have no way to restore the OS.

As great as Windows OS is.......it is going to, at one time crash or require a clean sweep, especially if your kids, or someone mouses clicks on what should not be initiated. Or worse deleted.

But having that set of MS OS disks, and your up and running again.

I am not denying the some of the branded pc's have come a long way. But give me a break, Branded pc's should include original MS OS disks with it.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Give me a break too - Dell OEM disks are FULL MS OS (on my memory starting from 95, at least XP, Vista and W7 now) regardless how you name it. In many cases it could be installed on other non-Dell PC, but require activation as regular MS CD/DVD.


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## digital223 (Dec 19, 2002)

P Smith said:


> Give me a break too - Dell OEM disks are FULL MS OS (on my memory starting from 95, at least XP, Vista and W7 now) regardless how you name it. In many cases it could be installed on other non-Dell PC, but require activation as regular MS CD/DVD.


You are referring to [Dell]. I did not mention any mfgrs name I used the word Branded.

I have run into restore disks from the other really big corp and you can not use their Restore disk on any computer than the one you originally purchased. Your talking about a different thing. You are referring to a true OS. I'm referring to RESTORE disks.

Sorry you took offense....and you are entitled to do so.
When I stated "give me a break" was directed at the Branded Mfgrs......not you !

However, I'll refrain from any more posts here.
I was only trying to inform the fellow who is deciding on a roll your own, or a Branded pc, but not to start a war.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

OK.


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

dan,

based on the board and cpu i wanted to get i asked which cpu cooler and video card would work best here is what tiger said would work.

cpu cooler

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4662521&CatId=798

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6075097&csid=_21


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

digital223 said:


> At a cost. The last I heard was $30 + S&H !


I just filled out the form on one my systems that was purchased in April.
No cost was mentioned and no credit card was entered.

It's the Internet. Everybody's an expert. :nono:


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

scooper said:


> Tigerdirect (AKA CompUSA) is another good place to get your PC parts - I'm fortunate to have TWO of them within 30 miles of home.


IIRC, TigerDirect=Globalcomputer=CompUSA=CircuitCity. All different fronts for the same holding company.

For finding best pricing, I like to use Pricegrabber and Streetprices. They get pricing from a much broader range of resources including clearance outlets. With Newegg, you've always got to buy on a Shell Shocker or Guerrilla Alert deal. Don't overlook Amazon.

Another big caveat: watch out for drop-ship whores who charge more for the shipping and handling than they do for the product.

For doing research on what to get, one of the best resources I've found is tomshardware.com. It has become a little commercial over the years, but they offer a lot in the way of high-end reviews and comparisons of the parts that will make or break a monster computer.


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## Getteau (Dec 20, 2007)

la24philly said:


> dan,
> 
> based on the board and cpu i wanted to get i asked which cpu cooler and video card would work best here is what tiger said would work.
> 
> ...


Ouch, that video card cost more than my entire PC.  But then, I'm not a video gamer, so I don't need great graphics performance.

I didn't see it mentioned yet, but are you going to run one, two, three ... monitors? I haven't researched video cards in years, so I'm not sure how the newer cards handle multiple monitors (i.e. one GPU for each monitor, or does it have a single GPU that drives both). Anyway, if you are going to run multiple monitors, it may be worth looking into how the card splits the load.


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

harsh said:


> IIRC, TigerDirect=Globalcomputer=CompUSA=CircuitCity. All different fronts for the same holding company.
> 
> For finding best pricing, I like to use Pricegrabber and Streetprices. They get pricing from a much broader range of resources including clearance outlets. With Newegg, you've always got to buy on a Shell Shocker or Guerrilla Alert deal. Don't overlook Amazon.
> 
> ...


harsh, my whole goal in building my first pc from the ground up is to make this be able to do everything, I hate having programs shut down, or lag or whatever due to missing something.

I'm using tiger manily to get a outlook on great products. Once I have them all, I will look to see other sites for better prices.

so far I see the following that i like

Motherboard,
CPU processor,
Memory
CPU cooler
Video card

This pc will be the best I have ever done or used.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

_"This pc will be the best I have ever done or used."_ ... it's sort of a mirage. You can see it now but when you'll came close you'll see more sand then palms. 
The technology is changing too fast to reach the goal, prices goes down in few months when new model is out ... Buses/sockets evolving and prohibit future upgrading: CPU->1366, PCI->PCIe, IDE->SATA, etc


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

ill still be able to make a great system despite all that.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

My preferable (actually prime criteria) - a ratio of performance/price when the my real goal is settled.


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

dan you know all the wires i will need,and are there different brands for that.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

Marlin Guy said:


> I just filled out the form on one my systems that was purchased in April.
> No cost was mentioned and no credit card was entered.


Update: Fed-X delivered my disks today.
Windows 7 Disk
Drivers Disk
Power DVD Disk
Roxio Disk

No charge.


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## Mavrick (Feb 1, 2006)

la24philly said:


> dan,
> 
> based on the board and cpu i wanted to get i asked which cpu cooler and video card would work best here is what tiger said would work.
> 
> ...


I would probably go with a different CPU cooler i am running the one below and love it it is like twice the price of the one you linked to but I feel it is worth it.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6514354&CatId=493

As for case suggestions this is the one I have and it has plenty of room for what you might need and is very sturdy they do make it without the Nvidia branding but it seems Tigerdirect does not have it so I linked to it on newegg.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4177133&CatId=32

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137&cm_re=cm_690-_-11-119-137-_-Product


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

maverick thanks, its only about 20 bucks more but it looks like it will work great.

You ever build a super computer B4, this will be the best i ever will do proabably.


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## Mavrick (Feb 1, 2006)

la24philly said:


> maverick thanks, its only about 20 bucks more but it looks like it will work great.
> 
> You ever build a super computer B4, this will be the best i ever will do proabably.


Yes end of last year I built what I call the twins for I built two identical systems at the same time one for myself and one for my brother in law.

They are both excellent machines that will probably serve me and him for several years to come with out needing any upgrades for I overbuilt them horsepower wise for what is currently out today software wise.


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

now maverick you may know this or anyone may reply if they know.

If I get a 2nd HD put in I will be able to use 1 HD for all my stuff games entertain etc. I could probably use the other HD for my work.

Maybe you can explain this, I seen at many work sites where network administrators can set what they want on windows OS. Example i see some start menus very small, I was wondering how they do that. My guess the server sets the paramaters for each workstation. I guess they use a switch to beable to set it all up.

The hole point of this is I would like to be able to use 1 machine vs having 1 pc for home use and 1 for work use


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## Mavrick (Feb 1, 2006)

la24philly said:


> now maverick you may know this or anyone may reply if they know.
> 
> If I get a 2nd HD put in I will be able to use 1 HD for all my stuff games entertain etc. I could probably use the other HD for my work.
> 
> ...


For that I would recomend the item below for you can have one hardrive setup for home use and one setup for work use and you just insert which ever one you want to use at the time and then turn the computer on.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3839641&CatId=285


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

thanks


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## Mavrick (Feb 1, 2006)

Your welcome and can say we all want probably wanna see pics once you get it built!


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

oh yes, now they way i will probably do this is buy 1 or 2 at a time and onc ei get it all.

I will raise the jolly roger


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Mavrick said:


> For that I would recomend the item below for you can have one hardrive setup for home use and one setup for work use and you just insert which ever one you want to use at the time and then turn the computer on.
> 
> http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3839641&CatId=285


Chasing same approach, I would recommend other model:








http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3142354&CatId=285
I'm using it and other one with three bays; easy to use, no tray required.


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## Getteau (Dec 20, 2007)

la24philly said:


> now maverick you may know this or anyone may reply if they know.
> 
> If I get a 2nd HD put in I will be able to use 1 HD for all my stuff games entertain etc. I could probably use the other HD for my work.
> 
> ...


Since you are building a monster PC and will have tons of resources available (memory and CPU), rather than going the swapping drives route, why not use VMware Workstation or VMware Player or MS Virtual PC or even XP Mode in Win 7. That way, when you need it and bring it up, you can have that separate work OS running as a virtual machine on your PC and you don't have to shut everything down, swap drives, bring up the other OS, realize crap, what I need is on the other hard drive ... Swapping drives sounds cool, but after you do it 10 or 15 times, it gets old real quick.

VMware Player and Windows XP mode are free (XP mode may depend on your version of Win 7. However, with this PC, you shouldn't be running anything other than Win 7 Ultimate).
I think VMware Workstation and MS Virtual PC are about $150.


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## bobnielsen (Jun 29, 2006)

Getteau said:


> Since you are building a monster PC and will have tons of resources available (memory and CPU), rather than going the swapping drives route, why not use VMware Workstation or VMware Player or MS Virtual PC or even XP Mode in Win 7. That way, when you need it and bring it up, you can have that separate work OS running as a virtual machine on your PC and you don't have to shut everything down, swap drives, bring up the other OS, realize crap, what I need is on the other hard drive ... Swapping drives sounds cool, but after you do it 10 or 15 times, it gets old real quick.
> 
> VMware Player and Windows XP mode are free (XP mode may depend on your version of Win 7. However, with this PC, you shouldn't be running anything other than Win 7 Ultimate).
> I think VMware Workstation and MS Virtual PC are about $150.


There is also Oracle's VirtualBox, which is free.


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## paul91 (Sep 28, 2006)

dont forget to get a Solid State drive, SSD, they really improve performace of the computer when you put your OS and frequently used programs on it.


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

Getteau said:


> Since you are building a monster PC and will have tons of resources available (memory and CPU), rather than going the swapping drives route, why not use VMware Workstation or VMware Player or MS Virtual PC or even XP Mode in Win 7. That way, when you need it and bring it up, you can have that separate work OS running as a virtual machine on your PC and you don't have to shut everything down, swap drives, bring up the other OS, realize crap, what I need is on the other hard drive ... Swapping drives sounds cool, but after you do it 10 or 15 times, it gets old real quick.
> 
> VMware Player and Windows XP mode are free (XP mode may depend on your version of Win 7. However, with this PC, you shouldn't be running anything other than Win 7 Ultimate).
> I think VMware Workstation and MS Virtual PC are about $150.


i will look for that, I didn't even think about it.

now are you fimilar with networking switches and routers and are you fimilar with and windows server OS

as you may have read, im building this super PC built for pretty much everything and will have power to spare lol. Anyways in the work interface of it all.

I noticed at my work some of the workstations are programmed via the server. example at home when i hit the start button all these options are at my fingertips.

When i see some workstations at work i hit start on some settings only a few choices are available. I guess the Server and the one programming can set these settings on workstations depending on who is using it.

in my house we have about 6 pc's I would like to be able to network them together on a server.

now the PC i'm bulding this would be the first time I use a pc for both home and work use.


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

Getteau said:


> Since you are building a monster PC and will have tons of resources available (memory and CPU), rather than going the swapping drives route, why not use VMware Workstation or VMware Player or MS Virtual PC or even XP Mode in Win 7. That way, when you need it and bring it up, you can have that separate work OS running as a virtual machine on your PC and you don't have to shut everything down, swap drives, bring up the other OS, realize crap, what I need is on the other hard drive ... Swapping drives sounds cool, but after you do it 10 or 15 times, it gets old real quick.
> 
> VMware Player and Windows XP mode are free (XP mode may depend on your version of Win 7. However, with this PC, you shouldn't be running anything other than Win 7 Ultimate).
> I think VMware Workstation and MS Virtual PC are about $150.


i will have windows ultimate, whats funny is when i see the difference between the 2 pro vs ultimate on the box only 2 things are checked off extra with ultimate


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

I think you should pass it - telling you as ex-Server Admin. It a totally different paradigm and seems to me you are not ready yet for it.

6 or 10 PCs at home doesn't need to be covered by Domain. Perhaps you expect to be a pro in Windows corporate environment. I would recommend then learn and pass MS exams.
During those studies you will combine the training and home network control. Else you will just waist your time.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

la24philly said:


> When i see some workstations at work i hit start on some settings only a few choices are available. I guess the Server and the one programming can set these settings on workstations depending on who is using it.
> 
> in my house we have about 6 pc's I would like to be able to network them together on a server.
> 
> now the PC i'm bulding this would be the first time I use a pc for both home and work use.


Don't. It's really not worth the effort. If all you want to do is share files,you don't have to get a server, just share a folder on each computer.

You can tie them all together with an 8 port Linksys switch.


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

RasputinAXP said:


> Don't. It's really not worth the effort. If all you want to do is share files,you don't have to get a server, just share a folder on each computer.
> 
> You can tie them all together with an 8 port Linksys switch.


thanks, i thought that be fine, I just thought with having that many pc's that a server would be best. But the switch will work just as great.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Domain controller aka a server will works fine and administering accounts/computers would be good too, BUT if you are experienced admin; or it will become hurdles for you and a lot of inconvenience for other ppl who like to easy use of those workstations.


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

A Domain starts being worth it at somewhere between 7-10 computers and about the same number of users. For most home users - I'd stick to Workgroups (or as Windows 7 has introduced - the "Homegroup" if all PCs are using Win7). The bad side on workgroups - you have to create an ID for each person on each computer for doing the sharing with. This is when a domain starts simplifying the sharing.

Between the wife and me - we use 4 different PCs and 1 shared printer - running 4 different OS's - Win7 Pro, XP Pro and Home, and Win2000 Pro. The printer is a TCP/IP printer that each computer prints to directly.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

That is well known MS target, what about his [OP] skills and time?


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## neomaine (Feb 3, 2003)

That's the poorest reasons I've ever heard for use of an SSD drive.

For boot time? To do what, save seconds? Waste.

For program load times? Once in memory, even SSD fails in comparison.

SSD drives are ideal for read-many/write few types of environments. Putting the OS on one is the exact opposite. Unless someone has changed the technology with the last six months then a good old fashioned spinner is much much more cost effective.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

neomaine said:


> SSD drives are ideal for read-many/write few types of environments.


What manner of long-lived database fits on an SSD device? The file type where you really need performance would seem to be in the transient index files.


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## Getteau (Dec 20, 2007)

I think you already got the domain questions answered by several folks and I agree with all of them. Besides the care and maintenance you are looking at for the domain side, what you see at your office is probably a mix of desktop lockdowns and maybe some folder re-direction through group policy to create a common desktop/start menu. Both of which are not something that's trivial to the novice admin. For your environment, I would also recommend using a workgroup and then make sure every PC uses the same ID/password. That will let you get to each PC without having to constantly enter ID's and passwords. 

If you want to set them up to automatically logon, it's a pretty trivial procedure that you can find on the internet (that's how all my PC's are setup at the house). If you can't find it, this is basically what you need to do (for workgroup PC's only). I don't believe this command works on domain based PC's and it may not work on some of the home or home basic OS's. If you don't see an entry for "Run," you'll need to right click on the start menu, choose properties and go through the start menu settings to add the Run option.

Click Start --> Run --> and type "control userpasswords2"
That should bring up a dialog box where you will see a check box that says "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer." Uncheck the box and hit OK. It will then prompt you for an ID and password. Put those in and the next time you reboot, it will automatically logon.

On the network side, get a Gig switch of some flavor. It won't help you on the Internet side, but if you start playing games between two local PC's, you'll notice the difference.


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## la24philly (Mar 9, 2010)

thanks, all you guys are computer genisuses


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