Build a Computer

Choose the Computer Parts

Last Updated: May 10, 2008

For Desktops Only

Building a computer is for desktops only. Notebook computers are too small to have generic cases to build your own.

Noise

I built a desktop computer with quiet parts. A box full of quiet parts added up to a loud computer. I wasn't happy. I ended up buying the quietest of the quietest parts (shown below) to build a computer quiet enough to ignore. It added $250 to the bottom line, but since I plan on keeping the computer for 4 years, it's been worth it to me. See the Is it worth it? section.

Upgrade Potential

Don't buy some parts with a future upgrade in mind. The specs change too much. I look at the case, power supply, motherboard, processor and memory as one big thing as an "all or nothing" upgrade. For example, a year passes and you want to upgrade the processor. The new processor now requires faster memory to take full advantage of the upgrade. However, the motherboard can't handle the faster memory. The new processor also requires an 8-pin CPU power cord, but the current power supply only has a 4-pin CPU power cord. So a processor upgrade now requires an upgrade in memory, motherboard and power supply. It's easier to buy a new case with all of these parts and assemble a new computer. You can either sell of the old computer or use it for something else.

Researching the Parts

I rely heavily on the customer reviews at NewEgg and choose something that rates well, even if I've never heard of the company that makes it. I strongly believe it has helped me build computers that boot up the first time.

List of Parts

Required:

Case
Power supply (may be sold with a case or sold separately)
Motherboard
Processor (includes heat sink and cooling fan)
Memory (RAM)
Video card
Hard drive
DVD drive
Sound card or built in sound
Speakers
Memory card reader
Keyboard
Mouse
Monitor
Floppy drive (required for RAID setup, otherwise it's not needed)
Operating system (Windows, Linux)

Optional:

Processor (CPU) heat sink and fan (3rd party)
CPU thermal paste (3rd party)
Case cooling fans (quieter versions)
Second DVD drive for faster disc to disc copying
Second video card for extreme gaming
USB 5-port add-in card to connect to more external devices (printer, scanner, iPod, external hard drive, etc.)
Firewire IEEE 1394 3-port add-in card for an external hard drive or video camera

Processor

Theses three processors come with the fastest fast front side bus (FSB) which makes the entire computer faster. The $160 Core 2 Duo E6550 2.33GHz processor is the least expensive processor with the 1,333MHz FSB. For video editors, buy the $285 Core 2 Quad Q9300 2.5GHz processor. Video editing software over $200 is the only software that runs faster on a quad core processor. Both of these processors have been know to overclock by 30-40% without much effort. Games and Photoshop run the same speed on 4 cores or 2 cores, so GHz really counts. Buy the $200 Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz processor. This processor doesn't have much room left for overclocking, so it's best for those that don't want to overclock. Make sure the motherboard can handle these processors.

Buy the retail version of a CPU. It has a longer warranty than the OEM version and comes with a heat sink and fan. Even if you plan to through away the heat sink and fan and use a different one, which voids the warranty, or if you plan to over clock the CPU, which voids the warranty, still get a retail version. A longer advertised warranty implies higher quality.

Processor Socket Size

Intel continues to use Socket LGA775 (Socket 775 for short). AMD processors have evolved from Socket 754 to Socket 939 to Socket AM2.

Intel Core 2 Quad (quad core) uses Socket LGA775
Intel Core 2 Extreme (quad core or dual core) uses Socket LGA775
Intel Core 2 Duo (dual core) uses Socket LGA775
Intel Pentium D (dual core) uses LGA775
Intel Pentium 4 (single core) uses Socket LGA775
AMD Phenom X4 (quad core) uses Socket AM2
AMD Phenom X3 (tri core) uses Socket AM2
AMD Athlon 64 X2 (dual core) uses Socket AM2
AMD Athlon 64 (single core) uses Socket AM2

Motherboards

NewEgg.com is a convenient way to find Intel and AMD motherboards. Click on the features you want and it will find motherboards that match your criteria. Sort the results by "most reviews" and/or by "best rating" to find a popular, quality board. Some motherboards are buggy, some are very selective on which RAM will work, and some have quality control issues. You’ll never find those things printed on the side of the box.

I'd highly recommend a gigabit (1000Mbps) network jack, at least 6 SATA connectors, RAID 0/1 for hard drives, eSATA port for an external hard drive, and 3 PCI slots (for USB card, Firewire 1394 card, sound card, or wireless network card). PCI cards out number PCI Express (PCI-e) cards 3 to 1. I'd HIGHLY recommend getting a motherboard without any fans. The 30mm chipset fan spins at 6,000rpm and ruins any chance of having a quiet computer.

ATX size motherboards (approximately 30cm × 24cm or 12inches × 9.6inches) are the standard size and my personal preference. They typically have more options at a lower cost than smaller boards. Micro ATX motherboard (24cm × 24cm or 9.6inches × 9.6inches) will fit in the same case and work with the same power supply as one built for ATX size motherboards.

I buy motherboards that have all of the features I want today. I don’t buy features that I might want tomorrow. If I ever replace the CPU, it’s a good bet that the RAM and motherboard will need to be replaced too. Speeds and specs change too often. Therefore, I don’t buy a motherboard that can handle a faster CPU and RAM that what I’m using today.

Chipsets

Chipsets control the hardware connected to the motherboard. This includes the kind of processor (quad core, dual core, single core), the speed of the memory (DDR2-800, DDR2-667, DDR2-533), the number of video cards (built in, 1 PCI-e, or 2 PCI-e video cards), the hard drive interface (SATA-300, SATA-150, IDE), built in RAID (yes, no, what kind of RAID), gigabit network support, the number of USB ports, built in audio, etc. By using NewEgg to choose a motherboard, I've been able to match a processor and motherboard correctly while ignoring the vast number of chipset models. The Intel chipsets are the most popular for the Intel processors. Chipsets made by nVidia are the most popular for AMD processors since AMD does not make their own chipsets. Northbridge and southbridge are terms relating to the chipsets.

Processor Heat Sink

Processors come with their own heat sink and fan. They work, but the 3,000rpm fan is loud and the heat sink can't dissipate enough heat for overclocking. ExtremeTech likes the $27 Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro for its "bang for the buck" value. The $70 Zalman CNPS9700 CPU cooler is expensive, but it cools the best and is the quietest per MadShrimps (Apr 2007). The Zalman cooler is quiet on the lowest fan speed, but not silent. Owners at NewEgg have reported using both coolers on Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Duo, and Core 2 Extreme processors without a problem.

The heat sinks are so large and heavy that a mounting plate needs to be installed on the bottom side of the motherboard. Once the computer is assembled, changing CPU heat sinks and fans also means changing the mounting bracket. It requires taking apart most of the computer to remove the motherboard. Make a decision about the heat sink and don't change your mind. If you have any doubts, install the Zalman. For $40, it's not worth taking apart and reassembling most of the computer.

Thermal Paste / Thermal Paste Remover

(Photos courtesy of NewEgg.com)

Processors run extremely hot. There is as much as 135 watts in only 1 square inch of metal (6.5 square cm). Think about touching a hot 100W light bulb. Now increase the strength to 135W and decrease the size of the bulb to 1 square inch. That's a lot of heat that needs to be dissipated very quickly. That's why a processor will melt within a second or two if it doesn't have a way to dissipate the heat.

There is a thin layer of thermal paste sandwiched between the processor and heat sink that allows heat to be transferred between the two. There are microscopic scratches in the metal surfaces of the processor and the heat sink that is filled in by the thermal paste. There just isn't enough metal touching metal for an efficient transfer of heat.

If a heat sink is removed, then the old thermal paste should be removed and new paste added. There isn't enough old paste left behind to smooth it out and fill in all of the microscopic scratches. You probably don't need to buy paste and remover since all CPU heat sinks come with their own paste. However, if an assembly error forced me to remove the heat sink, then I didn't want $20 in supplies stopping me from building the computer. The $11 Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste rates well with owners at NewEgg. It lowers the processor temperature by as much as 10 degrees Celsius compared to the paste that comes with a heat sink. Lower temperatures mean lower fan speeds which means lower noise. The $11 ArtiClean thermal paste remover and surface purifier rates well with owners at NewEgg and should be used to remove the old paste. Apply the thermal paste with a single edged razor blade or other small spreader.

Cases

This can be the hardest choice to make. There are so many different choices to make and they are all personal preferences. I never wanted a Plexiglas window on the side because of the electrical interference that would escape the computer case. I didn’t want the potential for a hum in the speaker wires. I also didn't want a case with a side vent or top vent. They allow noise to escape and are noticeably louder. I prefer cases with 4 (not 3) external 5.25" drive bays, 2 external 3.5" drive bays, and 5 internal 3.5" drive bays. There is more room for assembly and over sized CPU heat sinks.

I bought the Antec Sonata II because every review I found said it was the quietest case you could buy under $200. The $120 Antec Sonata III 500 (shown above) is now available. Unfortunately, it was smaller than I preferred, which made the assembly take longer. The case did come with a double hinged front door that covers the external drive bay instead of a single hinged door. The door opens 270 degrees instead of 180 degrees. Most cases only have USB ports in front while the Sonata added Firewire, audio, and LED lights. The USB ports can handle more abuse compared to other cases. The build quality is better. The drive rails are nice and the front bezel of the case doesn’t need to be removed to add or remove drives. These are nice touches.

The sideways mounted internal 3.5” drive bays for the hard drives are more difficult to load as the power cables are too short for that setup. I had to slide in both hard drives at the same time. The "Advanced Chassis Air Duct" got in the way of the oversized CPU heat sink, so I just removed it and threw it away. I replaced the power supply and 120mm case fan to make it the quietest desktop computer I’ve owned to date. The Sonata II worked for me after some expensive replacements ($100 power supply, $20 120mm case fan). The computer is now so quiet that the blue LED lights on the front of the case are the quickest way to find out if the computer is on.

Silent PC Review likes the Antec P182 for $140. The power supply is sold separately. I would replace the 120mm case fans with Scythe fans (see below) and keep as many off as possible.

Power Supply

Most computer cases already include a power supply and they work fine. I like the Seasonic S12 Energy Plus series power supply that has a single, 120mm fan. The dual fan models are louder. The power is consistently within tight tolerances to prevent intermittent computer crashes, the fan is almost inaudible, and there are plenty of individually wrapped power cords with the correct lengths for all of the computer parts. It beats all of the Antec power supplies hands down. Buy 430W for a computer with a dual core or quad core processor, video card, and up to 6 drives. Buy 550W for the same computer, but with two video cards. Buy them at NewEgg.

A power supply should have power cords for the following:

A 24-pin motherboard power connector. The nicer power supplies have a 20-pin for older motherboards with a clip on 4-pin connector to make a 24-pin connector for modern motherboards.
An 8-pin CPU power connector for modern motherboards and a 4-pin CPU power connector for older motherboards.
One 6-pin power connector for a single video card or two 6-pin connectors for two video cards. Gamers connect two video cards via a SLI bridge for improved gaming performance.
Four SATA hard drive power connectors.

Case Fans

The power supply, CPU, video card and hard drive generate a lot of heat. Cool air needs to be drawn in and hot air expelled before parts overheat. High revving fans can move a lot of air quickly, but they are loud. Conversely, quiet fans don't move that much air and overheating can occur. There's a fine balance between adequate cooling and low noise. A 120mm fan spinning at 1200rpm may be able to move the same amount of air as an 80mm fan spinning at 1600rpm. This means the 120mm fans are quieter than 80mm fans. 120mm is the largest fan you can buy for a case and I thought all 120mm fans were the same. I was wrong.

I was surprised the Antec 120mm Tri-Cool model was louder than expected at the lowest speed setting. I ended up replacing it with a much quieter Scythe S-Flex series fan. The Sony liquid dynamic bearings really make a difference. Silent PC Review (May 2008) said the newer, 1,200rpm Scythe Slip Stream series fan is the best, but I have not tried it. Buy a 1,200rpm model as the primary fan and if you need a second fan, then consider a 800rpm model. I only needed the 1200rpm fan with the Antec Sonata II case.

Slip Stream: $15 1200rpm, $15 800rpm model.

S-Flex: $21 1200rpm, $21 800rpm model.

I used a free program called SpeedFan to monitor the internal temperatures of the case. I conducted a test with the computer lying on its side and the side panel removed. This allowed heat to rise from the case to the open air. I then added the side panel and stood the case upright. After 10 minutes of using business applications, the internal temperature raised only 2 degrees Celsius (about 4 degrees Fahrenheit). This meant the cooling was sufficient.

Video Card

I don’t play video games, but I buy mid-range video cards that cost around $180-$220. Cards in that range will play any of today’s games with most if not all of the eye candy turned on. Cards in this price range last 5 years for business applications and for playing video. I have two LCD monitors, so I bought a card that had two DVI ports to get the best quality picture on the screens. Two DVI to VGA adapters were included with the card if I ever needed them. If you want a silent computer, seriously consider buying one without a fan. An alternative would be to use a $40 heat sink and fan from Zalman or Artic Cooling that are known for their quiet and effective cooling. Don’t forget to buy thermal paste remover and surface purifier. See the video card section for more information.

Hard Drives

They are all very quiet; even the 10,000rpm Western Digital Raptors. I own a 74GB 10,000rpm Raptor as the C: drive for faster boot up times and application load times. The video, photo and music files are stored on a much larger, 7200rpm D: drive. See the desktop hard drive section for more information.

Memory (RAM)

Don’t waste your money on high performance RAM. You won’t notice the speed difference. Instead, buy 2GB or 4GB of RAM. Windows XP and Vista will only recognize 3.5GB because they are 32-bit operating systems. The price for RAM is relatively cheap if you buy it yourself. It’s expensive if you buy 2GB or 4GB through Dell. The memory speed is determined by the chipset on the motherboard, so buy the speed the motherboard supports. See the memory section for more information.

DVD Drive

Buy a 16X DVD drive, but consider two 16X drives. Backing up to two discs at once or copying disc to disc is faster with two drives. OEM drives are missing the $10 DVD movie watching software, $6 DVD burning software, and $1 audio cable, so buy those separately. See the DVD drive section for more information.

USB or Firewire Add-on Card

I bought two of these PCI cards to add 10 USB 2.0 High Speed ports. The photo shows 4 external ports and one internal port. Because they connect to the PCI slot on the motherboard, each port is fully powered. This sounds like an overkill, but I now have 12 USB ports in the back of the computer and two in the front. I never have to worry about open ports again. Here is what could be added: keyboard, mouse, external hard drive for backups, USB drive, iPod × 2 (his and hers), video camera, digital camera, monitor color calibrator, printer, scanner, joystick, webcam, and PDA for a total of 14 USB devices. See the desktop accessories section for more information.

Memory card reader

Memory card readers are the fastest way to transfer photos from a memory card to a computer. It's significantly faster than connecting the digital camera to the computer. Card readers connect in one of two ways. The first is using a standard USB or Firewire cable. This works best with an add-on card as shown above. The cable connects to the internal port on the add-on card on one end and the back of the card reader on the other end. The second way is with a cable that connects to the USB pins on the motherboard. This eliminates the need for an add-on card. The card reader should include all of the necessary cables. See the desktop accessories section for more information.

Wireless Network Card for Desktops

A wired network connection is better than a wireless one in most cases. It's faster, less expensive, and more secure. However, every room in a house may not have a network jack on the wall. This is when a wireless connection works well. It is faster than the fastest internet connection, MP3 and iTunes music files won't skip a beat, and watching QuickTime movie trailers from one computer to the other doesn't drop a frame. It does not consistently work for watching DVD movies, though. The 802.11n wireless standards may never be finalized, but the products are the best they've ever been. They are backward compatible with the older, slower, standardized 802.11g wireless standards, so I don't see a reason to forgo 802.11n products. The wireless cards with a detached antenna and six foot (2m) cable get better reviews from owners. Buy it at NewEgg. See the wireless network equipment section for more information.

Other Web Sites Recommended Parts and Tips

ARS Technica has some great recommendations on the exact parts to buy for a budget computer for about $700 and a hot rod for about $1,600. Both of these include a LCD flat panel monitor, but not shipping, taxes, Windows or software.

Bit-Tech has an article on how to overclock Intel's Core 2 Quad Q6600. While it's not the newest quad core processor, the step are still the same. A photo enthusiast, Roland Wooster, talks about building a silent quad core computer with 6 hard drives in multiple RAID configurations. The Tech Report lists their recommendations for parts (Sept 2007). X-Bit Labs published their Newbie Overclocking Guide.

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