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Old 04-02-2014, 10:09 PM   #1
akalinin
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Registered: Apr 2014
Location: Michigan
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Also not returning to XP after 4/8/14


Been a Slackware user off/on since 1993, and powered my first SMP box (dual pentium 133's) with it. Going to Slackware 100% at this point.

Need some advice; I haven't built a desktop for about 5 - 7 years, and need some advice on good motherboards, cases, drives etc. Appreciate any advice you can give!
Al
 
Old 04-03-2014, 01:20 PM   #2
svenyun
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I love this case, very easy to get around in. Coolermaster HAF XB.
http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/prod...oduct_id=10020
 
Old 04-03-2014, 01:46 PM   #3
moisespedro
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This site is great for doing what you want
http://pcpartpicker.com/
 
Old 04-03-2014, 02:36 PM   #4
onebuck
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Member Response

Hi,

Welcome to LQ!

Quote:
Originally Posted by akalinin View Post
Been a Slackware user off/on since 1993, and powered my first SMP box (dual pentium 133's) with it. Going to Slackware 100% at this point.

Need some advice; I haven't built a desktop for about 5 - 7 years, and need some advice on good motherboards, cases, drives etc. Appreciate any advice you can give!
Al
It would help if you provided information as to what the system will be used for. That way we could provide a specific list or links.
 
Old 04-03-2014, 09:27 PM   #5
akalinin
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Quote:
Originally Posted by onebuck View Post
Hi,

Welcome to LQ!



It would help if you provided information as to what the system will be used for. That way we could provide a specific list or links.
Great idea. Just a solid, well running desktop that can handle all the office suite chores, minecraft, play video, manipulate raw picture files from my Cannon rebel camera, etc. *I'm sure* I could find something store-bought, but how will the kids ever learn about the technology?
Al
 
Old 04-04-2014, 01:49 AM   #6
1337_powerslacker
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Quote:
Originally Posted by akalinin View Post
Great idea. Just a solid, well running desktop that can handle all the office suite chores, minecraft, play video, manipulate raw picture files from my Cannon rebel camera, etc. *I'm sure* I could find something store-bought, but how will the kids ever learn about the technology?
Al
First of all, to echo the sentiments of others: Welcome to LQ! I found myself in the same position a few weeks ago; I had not built a desktop system since 2008, and I wanted something that would be well-suited to my needs. I came across this article from Lifehacker shortly before building, and it served as my inspiration for the new build.

While you will find a few of the details of my build in my signature, let me suggest a couple of changes which you may find more palatable. I am looking to be a developer, and also desire to make my computer as future-proof as possible, so I went with the A10-5800K. At a little over $100, it's practically a steal for those who want a lot of processing power, and are not into the latest 3D games (which I'm not. My favorite games dates from 2004; Unreal Tournament). You, however, sound like you could probably benefit from a fast dual-core processor. Whether that's Intel or AMD is purely your choice; I will say that AMD gives a little better bang for the buck, in my experience.

Also, let me point out that having less that 8GB of RAM is not really worth it, as prices have dropped to the point that 8GB is cost-effective. That being said, if you do want to get the best out of the included APU, it's best to get the fastest RAM that you can afford (at least 1866, and preferably 2133, if your motherboard can support it).

A 2TB hard drive can be had very inexpensively and is a good choice for the long haul, especially if you are looking to store a lot of music, videos, or programs (or a combination of these).

If such a small case if not your style, then go with a good name brand for a mini-ATX tower, such as Antec or Cooler Master; these can be had affordably (under $100), and quality is not sacrificed at that price point, either.

If you plan on spending an appreciable amount of time typing, let me suggest that you pay careful attention to the kind of keyboard you get; a good mechanical keyboard (as opposed to the rubber dome or membrane keyboards which are commonplace today), can save your hands from a lot of wear and tear in the long run. I personally use a modern Model M keyboard, made originally by IBM in the early 80's, and is now being manufactured by Unicomp. If their vast selection of keyboards doesn't fit your style, at least make sure that the keyboard you do pick gives you good tactile feedback for typing; this is essential so that you do not pound the keyboard while typing; this will cause repetitive strain injury. Here's a good read on the subject, if you're interested.

Other than that, I have to say this: There's nothing quite like the satisfaction you get after building a computer yourself, because you know the components that went into it. Also, you don't have to pay for a Windows license. For me, that's the best part. We already know the best distro of the best OS to install, so I won't go into its merits here.

Have fun!

Regards,

Matt

P.S. In case you're interested, here is a picture of the completed build. I think it looks good, but that may just be the biased opinion of its creator:
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Old 04-04-2014, 06:54 PM   #7
akalinin
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mattallmill View Post
First of all, to echo the sentiments of others: Welcome to LQ! I found myself in the same position a few weeks ago; I had not built a desktop system since 2008, and I wanted something that would be well-suited to my needs. I came across this article from Lifehacker shortly before building, and it served as my inspiration for the new build.

While you will find a few of the details of my build in my signature, let me suggest a couple of changes which you may find more palatable. I am looking to be a developer, and also desire to make my computer as future-proof as possible, so I went with the A10-5800K. At a little over $100, it's practically a steal for those who want a lot of processing power, and are not into the latest 3D games (which I'm not. My favorite games dates from 2004; Unreal Tournament). You, however, sound like you could probably benefit from a fast dual-core processor. Whether that's Intel or AMD is purely your choice; I will say that AMD gives a little better bang for the buck, in my experience.

Also, let me point out that having less that 8GB of RAM is not really worth it, as prices have dropped to the point that 8GB is cost-effective. That being said, if you do want to get the best out of the included APU, it's best to get the fastest RAM that you can afford (at least 1866, and preferably 2133, if your motherboard can support it).

A 2TB hard drive can be had very inexpensively and is a good choice for the long haul, especially if you are looking to store a lot of music, videos, or programs (or a combination of these).

If such a small case if not your style, then go with a good name brand for a mini-ATX tower, such as Antec or Cooler Master; these can be had affordably (under $100), and quality is not sacrificed at that price point, either.

If you plan on spending an appreciable amount of time typing, let me suggest that you pay careful attention to the kind of keyboard you get; a good mechanical keyboard (as opposed to the rubber dome or membrane keyboards which are commonplace today), can save your hands from a lot of wear and tear in the long run. I personally use a modern Model M keyboard, made originally by IBM in the early 80's, and is now being manufactured by Unicomp. If their vast selection of keyboards doesn't fit your style, at least make sure that the keyboard you do pick gives you good tactile feedback for typing; this is essential so that you do not pound the keyboard while typing; this will cause repetitive strain injury. Here's a good read on the subject, if you're interested.

Other than that, I have to say this: There's nothing quite like the satisfaction you get after building a computer yourself, because you know the components that went into it. Also, you don't have to pay for a Windows license. For me, that's the best part. We already know the best distro of the best OS to install, so I won't go into its merits here.

Have fun!

Regards,

Matt

P.S. In case you're interested, here is a picture of the completed build. I think it looks good, but that may just be the biased opinion of its creator:
Excellent, thanks for the advice. I'm going to do some online comparison shopping this weekend and will keep your thoughts in mind.
Al
 
Old 04-04-2014, 07:11 PM   #8
metaschima
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Registered: Dec 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by akalinin View Post
Great idea. Just a solid, well running desktop that can handle all the office suite chores, minecraft, play video, manipulate raw picture files from my Cannon rebel camera, etc. *I'm sure* I could find something store-bought, but how will the kids ever learn about the technology?
Al
I'd say an Intel i5 is plenty and it has integrated graphics that should also be plenty.

I recommend against non-ATX cases. Why ? Because the PSUs are totally non-standard and usually made by companies I've never heard of. It's also much harder to work inside the case, and unless it is fanless (like an Atom-based) it will make a good amount of noise because smaller fans are noisier than larger ones.

Two recent mobos I bought and work well:
Gigabyte GA-H87M-D3H

ASRock H87M, but it does have some minor issues:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/sh...ct/4705/cat/36

Use this calculator to get an idea of the PSU wattage you might need:
http://www.extreme.outervision.com/p...ulatorlite.jsp
Make sure to include capacitor aging and overestimate rather than underestimate. I'd say 400-450 W is good, but for a high-end system with a graphics card you may need more.

I personally recommend looking up reviews of each product before buying them. This helps to eliminate some known bad products.
 
  


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