Building a new PC

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  • Norman Bernstein
    Liberaltarian
    • Nov 2004
    • 25217

    Building a new PC

    For many years, I used to build my own PC's... not just for me, but for others, including the local community TV station, which uses numerous PC's for various purposes, and at the time, had special requirements for certain pro video hardware that couldn't be served by off-the-shelf machines.

    It was fairly easy, and remarkably cheap... much of what I bought came from a combination of sources, like Compusa, ComputerShopper, and other vendors.

    I stopped doing it in 2009, when my last desktop finally crapped out, and regular off-the-shelf PC desktops got very cheap, so they were a better deal than building my own... and I used one for a while... until it, too, crapped out. Since then, I've been using my laptop.

    So, now that I'm working rather intensively in my own office, and nervous about the lifespan of the laptop I've been using for a few years, I went looking for a good desktop solution... one that would permit me to go back to using 5 monitors, which is especially convenient for the kind of work that I do.... I often have 3 or 4 big applications running, at the same time, and am doing a lot of cut & paste between them, so multiple monitors is a big advantage... the laptop only permits 2 monitors... itself, plus one other.

    I scanned the available desktops, but saw no good deals... performance machines were all over $1000, and most don't have the requisite slots for the additional video cards.

    So, I'm building one again. A high performance Gigabyte motherboard, 16Gb ram, Intel i7-6700 processor at 3.4GHz, and Windows 10 Pro. Once it's built and loaded, I'll clone the HDD to a SSD, for even better performance.

    As it turns out, the total parts cost worked out to around $680, versus $1000 for comparable commercial machines... so, it look like building one's own is a good deal again.
    "Reason and facts are sacrificed to opinion and myth. Demonstrable falsehoods are circulated and recycled as fact. Narrow minded opinion refuses to be subjected to thought and analysis. Too many now subject events to a prefabricated set of interpretations, usually provided by a biased media source. The myth is more comfortable than the often difficult search for truth."






  • John of Phoenix
    Senior Member
    • Jun 2001
    • 31214

    #2
    Re: Building a new PC

    I've never had a computer (of over a dozen) actually fail. Hard drives yes - motherboards, power supplies, peripherals, etc., never.

    Last time I got a new desktop, four years ago, I got a custom build from Magic Micro at a very reasonable price with all kinds of processor speed, massive memory, giga storage, dual HD video cards, the works. I love it except for the noisy fans to cool all that power.

    Now I have to upgrade to Windows 10. I may just follow your lead and build a new machine. Who is your supplier?

    Comment

    • elf
      opinionated crone
      • Sep 2006
      • 19264

      #3
      Re: Building a new PC

      Originally posted by Norman Bernstein
      For many years, I used to build my own PC's... not just for me, but for others, including the local community TV station, which uses numerous PC's for various purposes, and at the time, had special requirements for certain pro video hardware that couldn't be served by off-the-shelf machines.

      It was fairly easy, and remarkably cheap... much of what I bought came from a combination of sources, like Compusa, ComputerShopper, and other vendors.

      I stopped doing it in 2009, when my last desktop finally crapped out, and regular off-the-shelf PC desktops got very cheap, so they were a better deal than building my own... and I used one for a while... until it, too, crapped out. Since then, I've been using my laptop.

      So, now that I'm working rather intensively in my own office, and nervous about the lifespan of the laptop I've been using for a few years, I went looking for a good desktop solution... one that would permit me to go back to using 5 monitors, which is especially convenient for the kind of work that I do.... I often have 3 or 4 big applications running, at the same time, and am doing a lot of cut & paste between them, so multiple monitors is a big advantage... the laptop only permits 2 monitors... itself, plus one other.

      I scanned the available desktops, but saw no good deals... performance machines were all over $1000, and most don't have the requisite slots for the additional video cards.

      So, I'm building one again. A high performance Gigabyte motherboard, 16Gb ram, Intel i7-6700 processor at 3.4GHz, and Windows 10 Pro. Once it's built and loaded, I'll clone the HDD to a SSD, for even better performance.

      As it turns out, the total parts cost worked out to around $680, versus $1000 for comparable commercial machines... so, it look like building one's own is a good deal again.
      And if you add in the value of your time per hour?
      A society predicated on the assumption that everyone in it should want to get rich is not well situated to become either ethical or imaginative.

      Photographer of sailing and sailboats
      And other things, too.

      http://www.landsedgephoto.photodeck.com

      Comment

      • Paul Pless
        pinko commie tree hugger
        • Oct 2003
        • 124833

        #4
        Re: Building a new PC

        Originally posted by elf
        And if you add in the value of your time per hour?
        maybe norm considers building computers geek fun
        Simpler is better, except when complicated looks really cool.

        Comment

        • Keith Wilson
          Trying to be reasonable
          • Oct 1999
          • 64122

          #5
          Re: Building a new PC

          Originally posted by Paul Pless
          Maybe Norm considers building computers geek fun.
          Huh? Who wouldn't?
          "For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations,
          for nature cannot be fooled."

          Richard Feynman

          Comment

          • Paul Pless
            pinko commie tree hugger
            • Oct 2003
            • 124833

            #6
            Re: Building a new PC

            Originally posted by Keith Wilson
            Huh? Who wouldn't?
            emily apparently. . .
            Simpler is better, except when complicated looks really cool.

            Comment

            • Peerie Maa
              Old Grey Inquisitive One
              • Oct 2008
              • 62451

              #7
              Re: Building a new PC

              Originally posted by Keith Wilson
              Huh? Who wouldn't?
              Once you have sourced the bits, assembly is remarkably quick.
              It really is quite difficult to build an ugly wooden boat.

              The power of the web: Anyone can post anything on the web
              The weakness of the web: Anyone can post anything on the web.

              Comment

              • Ian McColgin
                Senior Member
                • Apr 1999
                • 51646

                #8
                Re: Building a new PC

                Pete Culler was a great friend and boatbuilding mentor to George Kelley, who also very admired Capt. Pete's designs, so when Mr. Kelly wanted a leeboard ketch he asked Capt. Pete to draw up something. Capt. Pete's reply was a pithy, "Nope."

                Which brought Mr Kelley up all standing. They were friends, Culler's work was great, just what Kelley always imagined. What's the deal?

                "Because you can do it yourself. And if you can do it yourself, you should."

                Capt. Pete monitored the design process in a helpful manner and the boat came out just great.

                And now Norm making the same point in a different field: If you can do it yourself, you should.

                Comment

                • Norman Bernstein
                  Liberaltarian
                  • Nov 2004
                  • 25217

                  #9
                  Re: Building a new PC

                  Originally posted by John of Phoenix
                  Now I have to upgrade to Windows 10. I may just follow your lead and build a new machine. Who is your supplier?
                  Some of it, from Amazon.... the rest from Microcenter... depending on who had the better price. A few bits are stuff that I already have: several video cards, lots of hard drives, etc. If you can scavenge from an unused machine, so much the better; cases, power supplies, DVD drives, haven't changed much in the past six or seven years. Motherboards, CPU's, and RAM, on the other hand, sort of have to be bought 'together' to assure compatibility.

                  Originally posted by elf
                  And if you add in the value of your time per hour?
                  The whole thing will take less than 45 minutes to assemble, and the initial OS installation will take an hour, but most of that time is unattended.

                  The biggest challenge, for me, is the re-installation of all my applications. Frankly, this can take several DAYS of time, but I can start with the principal ones (maybe a half dozen), and incrementally add the rest as time permits... I don't need all of them at once.
                  "Reason and facts are sacrificed to opinion and myth. Demonstrable falsehoods are circulated and recycled as fact. Narrow minded opinion refuses to be subjected to thought and analysis. Too many now subject events to a prefabricated set of interpretations, usually provided by a biased media source. The myth is more comfortable than the often difficult search for truth."






                  Comment

                  • MoePorter
                    Senior Member
                    • May 2015
                    • 315

                    #10
                    Re: Building a new PC

                    More Geek Fun...My latest build, I saved maybe several hundred but hey, builders gotta BUILD. It is better suited to my needs & quieter than I could buy but mostly it's engaging work & way more fun than sanding......Moe

                    $1480.00 total all from Newegg.

                    Intel Core i7-5820K Haswell-E 6-Core 3.3 GHz LGA 2011-v3 140W BX80648I75820K Desktop Processor
                    Item #: N82E16819117402

                    ASRock X99 Extreme4 LGA 2011-v3 Intel X99 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
                    Item #: N82E16813157543

                    CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 2400 (PC4 19200) C14 Memory Kit - Black Model CMK32GX4M4A2400C14
                    Item #: N82E16820233718

                    SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5" 250GB SATA III 3-D Vertical Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-75E250B/AM
                    Item #: N82E16820147372

                    SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5" 120GB SATA III 3-D Vertical Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-75E120B/AM
                    Item #: N82E16820147371

                    WD Black 2TB Performance Desktop Hard Disk Drive - 7200 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch - WD2003FZEX
                    Item #: N82E16822236624

                    Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl w/ USB 3.0 ATX Mid Tower Silent PC Computer Case
                    Item #: N82E16811352020

                    EVGA GeForce GT 740 02G-P4-3747-KR 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 Video Card
                    Item #: 17Z-0025-00001

                    Thermaltake TR2 TR-700 700W ATX 12V V2.3 & EPS 12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
                    Item #: N82E16817153167

                    Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120 mm PWM Fan
                    Item #: N82E16835103099

                    ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
                    Item #: N82E16827135204

                    Comment

                    • Peerie Maa
                      Old Grey Inquisitive One
                      • Oct 2008
                      • 62451

                      #11
                      Re: Building a new PC

                      Originally posted by Norman Bernstein
                      The biggest challenge, for me, is the re-installation of all my applications. Frankly, this can take several DAYS of time, but I can start with the principal ones (maybe a half dozen), and incrementally add the rest as time permits... I don't need all of them at once.
                      Which would take the same amount of time with a store bought machine.
                      It really is quite difficult to build an ugly wooden boat.

                      The power of the web: Anyone can post anything on the web
                      The weakness of the web: Anyone can post anything on the web.

                      Comment

                      • epoxyboy
                        Senior Member
                        • Sep 2005
                        • 6223

                        #12
                        Re: Building a new PC

                        ^ And in any case, you build the PC in your time off, dont you
                        The Ignore feature, lowering blood pressure since 1862. Ahhhhhhh.

                        Comment

                        • Ian McColgin
                          Senior Member
                          • Apr 1999
                          • 51646

                          #13
                          Re: Building a new PC

                          In many of the trades, the cost of making a specialized tool or jig is part of the cost of the job. Should Norm's work be any different?

                          Comment

                          • epoxyboy
                            Senior Member
                            • Sep 2005
                            • 6223

                            #14
                            Re: Building a new PC

                            I was being smart, Ian.
                            We spend hundreds of thousands on production test and assembly fixtures. You look at some of them, and think where is the money in that. The latest one is a small specialised hydraulic press, with a $12k control valve. Then you throw in the PLC, software and tooling. Total bill over $100k
                            The Ignore feature, lowering blood pressure since 1862. Ahhhhhhh.

                            Comment

                            • Norman Bernstein
                              Liberaltarian
                              • Nov 2004
                              • 25217

                              #15
                              Re: Building a new PC

                              Originally posted by Ian McColgin
                              In many of the trades, the cost of making a specialized tool or jig is part of the cost of the job. Should Norm's work be any different?
                              One of the liabilities of contracting is that I can't bill for the time it takes to maintain my own tools... it's part of my overhead. If, for example, I suffer a PC crash, billing stops until I can get back in operation. That's why reliability and backups are critical.

                              When this machine is fully loaded, I'll be cloning the hard drive onto an SSD, and the original HDD will be stored away for disaster recovery. I'll periodically clone the SSD to an HDD, as well, so that I'll never be more than one week away from the latest system configuration. The backup of my working files is a daily thing.
                              "Reason and facts are sacrificed to opinion and myth. Demonstrable falsehoods are circulated and recycled as fact. Narrow minded opinion refuses to be subjected to thought and analysis. Too many now subject events to a prefabricated set of interpretations, usually provided by a biased media source. The myth is more comfortable than the often difficult search for truth."






                              Comment

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