Build or Buy a PC

**Happy 1st of July to our Canada viewers and Happy 4th of July to our US viewers**
Live on location at BestByte Computers
- When shopping for a computer, answering the age old question...Buy or Built.
- Benefits of Purchasing a Pre-Built Computer:

- Easy
Components are designed to work togeather
- Windows systems can run on mix-and-match "open architecture" hardware configurations.
- Unfortunately, that means that some hardware will conflict with other hardware, driver-wise.
- For more information on Understanding Drivers, see episode 22.
Cost maybe a little bit more.
Dell Corporation - Custom-Built Computers, Dell.

Limited customized parts.
Normally offers some sort of technical support.
Low stress environment.
-- Building your Computer from Scratch:
Reasonable Cost = $1500.00 US
Computer Case:
- Prices = $60.00 and up.

Most cases come with a power supply.
- Sean recommends you purchase a seperate power supply.
At least 350 watts [Most important part of the computer].
Under-powering the inside of your computer can lead to internal brownouts, and damaged components.
No-name power supplies often can't deliver the full power promised by the wattage rating, consistently.
A power supply calculator can help to make sure you have enough power for your components:
For power supply's stick with a name brand:
- Enermax
- Antec

Motherboard:
- Large ciruit board when you open your computer case.
- Buy a name brand motherboard:
- Asus
- MSI
- Make sure you match your power supply with your motherboard.
- For more information on Motherboard Anatomy, see episode 13.

Processor:
- Choices:
- AMD - AMD processors typically use a 939 or 940-pin socket. Newer models use the "AM2" socket.
- Intel - New Intel processors use a pinless LGA775 connector. Older Pentium 4 CPU's used socket 478.
- Processor and Motherboard must be compatiable.
- Can't mix and match.

- Look into getting a additional CPU cooling fan from: [Espically if your over-clocking]
- CoolerMaster
- ThermalTake
- For more information on Keeping Your PC Cool, see episode 27.
- For more information on Dual-Core Processors, see episode 25.
- MIPS - Millions of Instructions Per Second.

Memory [RAM]:
- Memroy must be matched to the motherboard.
- Choices:
- Kingston
- OCZ Technology
- Different types of memory might be needed, example: SDRAM, DDR, and DDR2 are the most common types.

- You can check what RAM your motherboard takes using Crucial's Memory Advisor.
Additional Components Needed:
- Hard Drive - Seagate.
- For more information on Hard Drives, see episode 5.
- CD-DVD Drive - Plextor

- Cables - ComputerPlug
- Graphics Card - ATI and Nvidia.
- Interview with Nathan Wood, BestByte Computers.
- Tom's Hardware, http://www.tomshardware.com.

- An And Tech, http://www.anandtech.com.