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Is there a trick to installing a HD? I tried to stick my brothers TB HD in my system, but can't figure it out...
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What do you mean? Find the bay it goes in, or wherever it'll mount. Get the appropriate format HD (plug-wise, don't try and put some bullshit IDE HD in with a SATA-plug MOBO) mount, plug in, add power and you're done.
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1 - Were I you, I would at least consider the intel processors. Right now from what I read AMD is behind. I was like you, hellbent on an AMD build especially since their six cores are an order of magnitude cheaper than their intel counterparts. After much reading and searching (It took me about 1 - 1.5 months just to decide on parts) I found out that the intel 4 cores apparently are equal to or superior to the amd 6 cores. As far as games go, however, there was no real difference in the benchmarking. The thing that sold me was CAD - and rendering. Everywhere I read people said that intel was a must if you do CAD. Not sure why this is but I'm sure they know more about it than I do.
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Yeah not too sure on the CAD point. I figure if the benchmarking is nearly the same, then using CAD or namely anything else should fall into the 'nearly-the-same' category. I've just always liked AMD because i've never, ever had any issues with them for the longest time, and they've usually been cheaper.
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2 - Go with 6 gigs. On newegg a lot of RAM is commonly sold in 3 x 2 GB packages, so you can probably get a good deal and not have to spend extra money when you'll likely upgrade anyways
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Agreed. I'm just going to have to make sure and get Windows 7(imo cracked version FTW-but you didn't hear me say that). And you're right for the price difference it'll make a great difference and I plan on having this rig for a few years, so might as well have it up to par now and not have to worry about anything for a few years.
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3 - Find a motherboard with 6 RAM slots. Just a future proofing thing you may never use more than 4 slots but who knows. It will make upgrading cheaper anyways. Plus if you're looking on newegg at reviews keep in mind that motherboards in general get a bad rap. I assume this is because they are akin to windows software, in which people get mad that everything under the sun isn't compatible with them. When designers make motherboards it seems like it would be hard to please everyone. I don't think I saw any motherboard get over 80% of 5 eggs. Just something to keep in mind.
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Well this depends on what setup I go for. If i'm planning on getting 2x3gb sticks then 4 slots should be fine, I wouldn't necessairily see a point of having one with 6 unless I was going to put individual 1gb sticks into each slot; However, the compatibility issues shouldn't be an issue as i'll have the mhZ planned out before I make the purchase. Some people are just stupid, and don't put the time or effort into their builds. Great patience and research makes for a much better build and machine.
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4 - Don't get my case. I'll try to find the model and list it for you - I don't know what it is off the top of my head. It's got great airflow but it not only feels cheap but the front panel was broke in shipping due to poor packaging. I will be getting a new case soon
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Yeah i'm not too picky on this at all. I have an extra case but I don't think it'll be big enough. I want one at least with two fans on the back and maybe even one on the bottom to get a good flow pumping through. Adding fans and whatnot = peice of cake. But yeah, I'd like to see that model so I can get an idea of where you're coming from.
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5 - I don't know much about it but from what I read SLI doesn't give a good cost/performance ratio. That is it say, putting two nice cards in SLI does boost performance obviously but does not double it and therefore you really don't get the full benefit of the second card. It's sort of like when the latest and greatest graphics cards come out and they are initially overpriced. If you buy them when they're new you aren't getting a good performance/cost ratio - rather buy one that has been on the market for about 6 months... that plus the older one will be less buggy. From what you say cost is important, so I wouldn't buy the very latest card, and I wouldn't SLI. My graphics card seems good for the price and I can get info for you too if you're interested - although I haven't taxed it greatly with anything more intensive than CAD or SC2.
Alright that's really all I can think of off the top of my head. If you have any questions or problems don't be afraid to ask. My latest build was also my first bottom-up build so I could likely help you with common mistakes you may make that I also made. Good luck
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Right. I haven't been reading up on anything hardware related for the past few months and after postin this thread I was getting into the point you're making now that the best bang for your buck won't necessairily come from Dual-SLI. I would be intersted on the specs/model of your card for comparison rating.
Thanks for the little write up, i've got a few ideas mapped out and will post them on here periodically as i'm getting closer to the purchase with the first peices coming as soon as next week or so.