The Hardware & Specification Sticky FAQ (Under Update)
Thread Overview
This thread will cover the basics you need to know when making a specification or choosing an upgrade.
Putting together your own PC is virtually the same as playing with lego these days. But choosing the correct bricks is the step most people fail at. This thread should help first-timers and more experienced people moving to new platforms alike.
How Can I Help?
In order to keep this upto date, constant updates will be needed. If you wan't to rewrite a section, PM me and I will mark the section as under update.
Some sections may show as 'awaiting update' which means they require work.
If you have a small bit of extra information, post it in the thread, or PM me and it will be added.
Components Basics
You need to select the key components of the system which are all required:
It's their run-down of the opinion of the ideal component spec at various price points - really handy stuff for anyone building a PC, as it's basically condensing a ton of reviews down into one guide to parts (and bit-tech give fairly good advice, in general).
I just wrote this guide in the last 2 hours, regarding the motherboard. It doesn't really contain recommendations, but lets the reader know what to look for when making a purchase.
Introduction
This guide aims to provide you with the basic details needed for buying the right motherboard. It is written to cater for someone with no previous knowledge of system building. I will aim to cover the features which I believe are most important, and this guide is by no means comprehensive. Date written: Feb 2009.
What is a Motherboard??
The Motherboard is a rectangular circuit board found inside your case, through which every component and peripheral is connected to either directly or indirectly. Its specifications indicate what type of processor can be used, the maximum amount of RAM that can be fitted, number of USB ports, hard drives, sound features and so on.
Form-Factors
The form-factor of the motherboard determines its layout and physical size, and is useful to know in order to buy compatible products, such as which case to hold it, and a suitable PSU to provide power to it.
Dozens of form-factors have been developed over the years to accommodate different markets, but the main ones used today for a home PC are ATX for desktop and tower cases, and Micro-ATX for smaller cases. E-ATX (extended ATX) is a larger version of the ATX form factor, which may have more interfaces for people with higher requirements. It will usually require an E-ATX case and a power supply with a 24 pin connector (20+4). Some companies have chosen to adopt the smaller BTX form-factor, to save space and improve airflow, however this makes future upgrades very difficult. Motherboard form-factors are designed to industry standards, so one motherboard can easily be replaced with a different one provided they are of the same type. Note that a Micro-ATX motherboard can be used in an ATX case, but you will not manage to fit an ATX board in a Micro-ATX case.
Usually full ATX motherboards have a higher variety of features, and more capacity for upgrades, but this comes at a higher price compared with the Micro-ATX.
What is a FSB??
Each motherboard has something called an FSB (Front Side Bus) which connects the CPU, RAM, and a few other components. The speed of the FSB is an important consideration when purchasing a new board. Ensure that the motherboard’s FSB speed is as high as, or higher than, the CPU and RAM FSB speed for optimum performance.
CPU Sockets
Each motherboard has a socket which dictates what CPU can be fitted. As of today, Intel uses the LGA775 socket for its Core 2 Duo, Pentium Dual Core, Core 2 Quad, and some Celeron processors, and the LGA1366 socket for the new Core i7 processors.
The AM2 is a socket used to fit AMD Phenom, single core Athlon, and most Athlon 64 X2 (dual core) processors. The AM2+ socket is used on the newer Phenom II processors, and a few other high end AMD processors. Although the AM2+ is a successor to the original AM2 socket, the two are mutually compatible.
Older Athlon processors may have used either the 939 or A socket. Older Intel Pentium and Celeron processors worked with the 478 socket. When choosing to upgrade or buy a new processor, you must check the specifications and make sure you have, or intend to purchase, a compatible motherboard.
DIMM Sockets(RAM)
Modern motherboards will accept either DDR2 or DDR3 RAM. DDR2 has been available since mid 2003, and is now the most popular RAM installed in home PCs. Recently though, DDR3 has made its debut, and while it allows higher bandwidth, the cost is many times more expensive. The two are not compatible with each other, so a DDR2 motherboard will only accept DDR2 RAM, and a DDR3 motherboard only runs off DDR3 RAM.
Most Micro-ATX Motherboards have the space to fit 2 DIMM slots, whereas most ATX boards can house 4 DIMM slots. You could potentially double your RAM with an ATX motherboard! For hardcore enthusiasts, or people with money to blow, DDR3 boards running the Intel Core i7 CPU also have the capacity to fit 6 DIMM slots, to run in triple channel.
PCI-E Slot
For the pictures to appear on your monitor, you need to connect your graphics card to the motherboard, using the PCI-E (Express) slot. Unless of course, the motherboard has integrated graphics (a graphics chip is built in to the motherboard). For anyone who plays games, or does any kind of video editing, using a separate graphics card is a must. A basic PC for internet, and writing word documents could get away with using integrated graphics. If you are a heavy gamer, or high detail is a priority, you may want to install 2 graphics cards together for smooth running. In this case you will need a motherboard which accommodates 2 PCI-E slots.
PCI Slots
Optional system components, such as USB interfaces, sound cards, and modems are connected through the PCI slots (coloured white). But in many cases this is not necessary, as with a good motherboard it will have decent onboard sound, and a number of USB slots and network adaptor which you can use perfectly well.
IDE/SATA
Hard drives, floppy drives, and optical drives are connected through either IDE or SATA ports. IDE is the old and cluttered interface. It is slow and uses a big wire/cable. SATA is the newer interface, which is faster and neater, and I recommend using SATA wherever possible.
Realistically you will want a motherboard with at least 2 SATA ports, but 4 is preferable and 6 is even better if you need a lot of hard drives.
This is the IDE interface:
This is the SATA interface (blue):
Other Features
Most, if not all, motherboards come with integrated sound ports, a built in LAN controller, ports for the keyboard and mouse and a number of USB slots.
As with any product, before making a purchase, I would highly recommend reading online reviews, making comparisons between products, or ask on the forums to make sure you are making a good decision.
I hope this answers most of your questions, and if there is anything that needs to be added, feel free to do so, or send me a PM.
Re: Making a PC Specification / Component Selection FAQ
Random Access Memory (RAM)
Upgrading your system’s RAM is one of the easiest and cheapest hardware modifications you can do to speed up your computer. In this short guide, my aim is to inform you of the attributes of RAM and what to look for when buying.
RAM is pretty easy to understand. Your motherboard will determine what RAM your system will use. For laptops/notebooks you have DDR2 or DDR3, and similarly for desktop PCs you have DDR2 or DDR3 RAM. The main point of difference here is that laptop memory is smaller and is referred to as SODIMM, whereas desktop memory goes by the name of DIMM. They are not interchangeable. You can not fit DDR2 RAM onto a DDR3 motherboard, and you also can not fit DDR3 RAM onto a DDR2 motherboard. Also remember if you are using an old motherboard with the original DDR RAM, you can't fit DDR2 or DDR3 to it. A new motherboard will be needed.
DDR2 is currently the most popular RAM, and for good reason too. It offers astonishing performance without the hefty price tag. However those who need even more bandwidth may benefit from switching to DDR3. For the future DDR3 is the way to go, but I can’t personally justify spending so much at the moment for minimal benefit.
Never hold the RAM modules from the gold connectivity part. You could damage it.
How much do I need?
The amount of RAM your system needs depends on a few factors. What operating system you will be running, the number of programs you want to run simultaneously, and how intensive the programs are which you want to run.
For example, Microsoft recommends 128MB RAM for Windows XP and 1GB RAM for Vista. In theory you will be better of having 2GB RAM for Vista and at least 512MB for Windows XP. If all you are doing is watching videos, listening to music or posting on TSR this would be sufficient, but more serious gamers, CAD designers, or video editors would need a lot more. It’s not uncommon to have 4GB, however if you want any more, make sure you are running a 64 bit Operating System or the additional memory will not be utilized. Motherboards running Intel Core i7 have the ability to fit 6 DIMMs, for a total of 12GB at the time of writing, and probably a lot more in the coming months.
Speed
When purchasing RAM, speed is an important aspect to consider. DDR2 RAM comes as standard in speeds of 533Mhz, 667Mhz, 800Mhz or 1066Mhz, and also 1150Mhz overclocked. DDR3 is manufactured standard in 800Mhz, 1066Mhz, 1333Mhz, 1600Mhz and also 1800Mhz or 2000Mhz overclocked. While the higher numbers perform faster, don’t be tempted to give your motherboard more than it can handle, otherwise its performance will be throttled or possibly not recognised at all. If you want to upgrade and are unsure of what speed your current system has, use a program like CPU-Z to check.
Latency
The RAM modules latency figure indicates how fast it can clear itself and take on more data. The lower the latency, the better. You may ask now, what is more important. Speed or latency. The answer here is that it depends what you are using the system for. Gamers and designers would benefit more from the higher bandwidth (speed) whereas the average user will prefer lower latency for a more responsive system. I could go into detail but that would defeat the point of this being a basic guide.
Other Considerations
Be sure to purchase RAM manufactured by a reputable brand, for reliability reasons. In my experience these include, but are not limited to, Geil, Crucial, Kingston and Corsair. Usually these come with a lifetime warranty. Also if you only want 4gb for example it is wiser to buy 2*2GB modules, rather than 4*1GB modules. This makes it easier to upgrade later on.
Re: Making a PC Specification / Component Selection FAQ
Originally Posted by osamab
Random Access Memory (RAM)
Upgrading your systems RAM is one of the easiest and cheapest hardware modifications you can do to speed up your computer. In this short guide, my aim is to inform you of the attributes of RAM and what to look for when buying.
RAM is pretty easy to understand. Your motherboard will determine what RAM your system will use. For laptops/notebooks you have DDR2 or DDR3, and similarly for desktop PCs you have DDR2 or DDR3 RAM. The main point of difference here is that laptop memory is smaller and is referred to as SODIMM, whereas desktop memory goes by the name of DIMM. They are not interchangeable.
DDR2 is currently the most popular RAM, and for good reason too. It offers astonishing performance without the hefty price tag. However those who need even more bandwidth may benefit from switching to DDR3. For the future DDR3 is the way to go, but I cant personally justify spending so much at the moment for minimal benefit.
How much do I need?
The amount of RAM your system needs depends on a few factors. What operating system you will be running, the number of programs you want to run simultaneously, and how intensive the programs are which you want to run.
For example, Microsoft recommends 128MB RAM for Windows XP and 1GB RAM for Vista. In theory you will be better of having 2GB RAM for Vista and at least 512MB for Windows XP. If all you are doing is watching videos, listening to music or posting on TSR this would be sufficient, but more serious gamers, CAD designers, or video editors would need a lot more. Its not uncommon to have 4GB, however if you want any more, make sure you are running a 64 bit Operating System or the additional memory will not be utilized. Motherboards running Intel Core i7 have the ability to fit 6 DIMMs, for a total of 12GB at the time of writing, and probably a lot more in the coming months.
Speed
When purchasing RAM, speed is an important aspect to consider. DDR2 RAM comes in speeds of 533Mhz, 667Mhz, 800Mhz or 1066Mhz. DDR3 comes in 1333Mhz, 1600Mhz or 2000Mhz. While the higher numbers perform faster, dont be tempted to give your motherboard more than it can handle, otherwise its performance will be throttled or possibly not recognised at all.
Latency
The RAM modules latency figure indicates how fast it can clear itself and take on more data. The lower the latency, the better. You may ask now, what is more important. Speed or latency. The answer here is that it depends what you are using the system for. Gamers and designers would benefit more from the higher bandwidth (speed) whereas the average user will prefer lower latency for a more responsive system. I could go into detail but that would defeat the point of this being a basic guide.
Other Considerations
Be sure to purchase RAM manufactured by a reputable brand, for reliability reasons. In my experience these include, but are not limited to, Geil, Crucial, Kingston and Corsair. Usually these come with a lifetime warranty. Also if you only want 4gb for example it is wiser to buy 2*2GB modules, rather than 4*1GB modules. This makes it easier to upgrade later on.
according to wiki, there are 800 and 1066MHz versions of DDR3.
personally, ive seen 1066, 1333,1600 as standard, and 1800 and 2000 as overclocked versions.
also, i didnt see anywhere you mentioning that DDR2 wont go in a DDR3 slot.
furthermore, you've only mentioned DDR2 and DDR3 as if they are the only ones that exist. how about saying what may be the case in older PC's?
Re: Making a PC Specification / Component Selection FAQ
Originally Posted by alexsheppard11
according to wiki, there are 800 and 1066MHz versions of DDR3.
personally, ive seen 1066, 1333,1600 as standard, and 1800 and 2000 as overclocked versions.
also, i didnt see anywhere you mentioning that DDR2 wont go in a DDR3 slot.
furthermore, you've only mentioned DDR2 and DDR3 as if they are the only ones that exist. how about saying what may be the case in older PC's?
Re: Making a PC Specification / Component Selection FAQ
Internal Hard Drives
The hard drive is a mechanical device used to permanently store your system files, as well as your personal files. It is most likely to be made up of delicate moving parts, so try not to drop or shake it. However new flash based drives called Solid State Drives (SSD) are coming on to the market. These have no moving parts and have many advantages, as well as some disadvantages. Basic things to consider when choosing which one to buy are the interface type, storage capacity, speed, physical size and onboard buffer (sometimes known as cache).
Interface Types
The type of hard drive you need depends on what your motherboard will accept. Laptops commonly use 2.5” hard drives, whereas desktops more commonly use 3.5” drives. The motherboard specification will also tell you whether it needs a SATA or PATA (IDE) drive. Pretty much all new motherboards support SATA, whereas PATA is slowly fading away. Some motherboards have two interfaces to support both types, but if not, adaptor cards which plug into a PCI slot can be used as a last resort. I don’t recommend it though as it won’t do you any favours in terms of performance.
PATA is old technology which allows a maximum bandwidth of 16, 33, 66, 100 or 133MB/s. It connects to the motherboard through the IDE interface, and you are required to set the master and slave device manually and adjust the drive’s jumper settings accordingly. Each hard drive has different jumper settings, which can be found in the manufacturers set up guide.
The newer SATA interface simplifies and speeds up matters, as all you need to do is plug in a cable and it’s ready to use. The SATA cable is a lot thinner, and can be made longer than the IDE cable which it replaced. The advantage here is to keep your case tidy, and it helps to improve airflow. In addition, the original SATA supports speeds of up to 150MB/s, whereas SATAII supports a theoretical maximum of 300MB/s. Even if your motherboard only supports SATA, you can still use a SATAII drive but it’s speed will be limited to 150MB/s. Similarly you can plug a SATA drive into a motherboard supporting SATAII with no problems.
This is an IDE cable:
This is a SATA cable:
You may have heard of SCSI drives. These are even faster but a lot more expensive, so are not commonly used in the consumer market. SCSI hard drives are generally used with server systems, enterprises, and people who demand high speeds for intensive programs with heavy utilisation of the hard drive.
Capacity
Hard drive capacity is measured in bytes. As of today we have conventional hard drives ranging from around 80GB (Gigabytes) up to 2TB (Terabytes). SSDs are available from about 30GB-250GB at the moment in 2.5” form. These are a lot faster than traditional hard drives, and use up less energy, but the high cost and low capacity are the prohibitive factors at the moment.
The amount of hard drive space you need depends on how you use your computer. High Definition videos and software take up a lot of space, whereas smaller files include office documents, pictures and music. Windows Vista recommends a 40GB hard drive but for about £50 you can get a 500GB 3.5” drive or 320GB 2.5” drive. As a guide, with 1GB of space you can fit ~250 mp3 files, 2 hours of DVD quality video or a couple thousand pictures. Most new games these days take up around 7GB of installation space. People who typically only browse the internet, write office documents and have a moderate amount of images could last off a 250GB drive for a while but anyone who is a gamer, downloads lots of videos or music, would be better of getting a 750GB or 1TB drive, keeping in mind future considerations.
Generally to find what hard drive size is the best value for money, you must do a cost/GB calculation. For example if a 500GB drive costs £50 and a 750GB drive costs £100, then the 500GB drive is better value for money as shown below.
£50/500GB = 10.0p/GB
£100/750GB = 13.3p/GB
Don’t let this be the deciding factor though. There are other important things to consider as well, such as the drives performance.
Speed
The speed of a hard drive can be found through the manufacturer’s specification. Ideally you want something with a high spin speed, short seek times, large buffer and SATA II. However only you can decide how much you are comfortable with spending.
For the consumer market, you can buy 2.5” drives that spin at 5400rpm, or 3.5” drives that spin at 7200rpm. Western Digital produces a 10,000rpm drive called the VelociRaptor, and is designed for enthusiasts and enterprise users. Although this is a 2.5” drive, it will not fit into a laptop due to its thickness. Some factors which affect the read/write speed are the data density, spin speed and track position. Data density is measured in GB per Platter or GB/square inch. (A hard drive typically has many platters joined together). The higher the data density, the better the sustained read/write speed of the drive. Also consider that as the hard drive gets full it's performance will decrease.
Seek time is expressed in milliseconds. For faster operations you will want a drive with lower seek times. SSDs carry a large benefit here, as there are no moving parts, so the seek time is instant. Every conventional hard drive has a buffer, which is a storage area designed for fast access. In short the higher the amount of buffer, the better your system will perform. Look for a drive with at least 16MB, or 32MB. If you want even faster system performance, you may want to read up on RAID 0 configurations.
Other Considerations
Most hard drives come with a 3 year warranty, but some come with 5. Generally speaking, modern hard drives are quiet, energy efficient and reliable but always back up your important files, in case you are the victim of a virus attack. Some people, such as myself, have installed a fast hard drive to use for the operating system, and kept all the personal files on a separate storage drive. It may be something to consider if you have some spare cash. Even if you only have one drive, I would recommend partitioning it to keep your operating system separate from your own files. This makes it easier in case you need to reinstall the operating system.
If you want to compare performance figures of various hard drives, Tom's Hardware Charts will do that for you.
Re: Making a PC Specification / Component Selection FAQ
Originally Posted by osamab
The hard drive is a mechanical device used to permanently store your system files, as well as your personal files. It is made up of delicate moving parts, so try not to drop or shake it. Basic things to consider when choosing which one to buy are the interface type, storage capacity, speed, physical size and onboard buffer (sometimes known as cache).
not necessarily, you later go on to talk about SSD drives.
how about saying something like, 'it is most likely to be made of moving parts, however it may be SSD therefore has no moving parts' ?
Computing and PC help and advice, programming, games, digital audio, mobile phones and electronic miscellanea.
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The Hardware & Specification Sticky FAQ (Under Update)
Re: Making a PC Specification / Component Selection FAQ
