My Bitchin' PC Just Built!

[manasecret]

Just built my first PC all by my lonesome, and despite all my worries, the thing was a cinch.

It took my about four hours, but I took my time, made sure I plugged everything into the motherboard right, and in the end the only thing I did wrong was accidentally put the shunt on the hard drive to slave instead of master.

Actually, one more thing went wrong: for some reason I can't get the the case LED's to work, and I really don't know why . They seem to be plugged in just where they should be. The motherboard doesn't come with a manual, which really ticks me off. All it comes with is a quick reference guide that tells you an overview of putting the parts together. My case manual ismore helpful.

Blah blah blah.. anyway, here are the specs and prices:

• P4 2.4GHz 533MHz FSB ($397)
• 512MB Samsung PC800 RDRAM ($216)
• Intel D850EMV2L i850E P4 Mobo ($170)
• Western Digital 80GB 7200RPM Hard Drive ($107)
• Windows XP Professional ($139)

Already had a videocard and soundcard, and I got XP Professional cheaper than usual because it's an OEM version. These are all from Googlegear.com.

If I had to buy the vidcard and soundcard, then the price comes out to be about $1400 with the case. Considering my last PC would have been over $1900 if had to buy Win98, and it wasn't as top-of-the-line as this, I think I did fairly well. Also my friend just bought a Sony Vaio for a few hundred more than this and it wasn't nearly as good, with 2GHz, DDR RAM, and a no-name vidcard.

I love the case I got, it makes everything so much easier than my last PC. I think it was about $140, but it came with a 430W power supply and three fans (one of which is a side intake) and two fans on the the power supply, all pre-installed. Then there's room for two more fans that just snap in to this gizmo thing so I don't need to mess with screws.

The floppy and hard drive cases easily come out of the main case so you can screw stuff in without everything in the main case getting in the way. Then the CD-ROM type slots comes with rails that let you easily screw things in and slide them in and out if you need to. Then finally it comes with front USB and Firewire ports.

The Antec Performance Plus 1080 it is.



I have some questions about XP. I remember hearing around here that I shouldn't stay on as administrator. I'm kinda worried so what do I need to do to change that?

And I have a network set up at my house through a router hub, and for some reason I can see the other PC's in the house but I can't connect to them to share files, but the other PC's (running Win98) can see me and write/delete to my hard drive. Any help on that? I tried setting up a new network with XP, but I don't think that's what I want and it didn't work anyway.

And any other tips would be cool.

db

[Null]

Originally posted by manasecret
I have some questions about XP. I remember hearing around here that I shouldn't stay on as administrator. I'm kinda worried so what do I need to do to change that?

And I have a network set up at my house through a router hub, and for some reason I can see the other PC's in the house but I can't connect to them to share files, but the other PC's (running Win98) can see me and write/delete to my hard drive. Any help on that? I tried setting up a new network with XP, but I don't think that's what I want and it didn't work anyway.

And any other tips would be cool.

db

1. never heard of that. but then again i dont use professional.... Anywho just setup a new user with Admin powers. (not the same as logging in as admin) and use that one.


2. If memory serves me correctly. and this is kinda a Guess...... 1 of 2 possiblities...

A. When you setup the network Right click 'my network places' -> properties -> on the left side shoudl be setup small or home network. After doing that... or during it gives the option of Making something or rather 'Network Setup Disk' to run it on PC's not running XP (kinda a setup thing i guess) not sure cuz i never did it and now all the PC's in my network run XP anyway.

B. Might be that damned XP Firewall. We have to turn that firewall off to play Games over the network. which is right click on the network inside your 'my network places' > properties > advanced.

However A might be the better choice if ya want the little firewall on.

Then again Neither of these might not work...... Its just a guess or some ideas hehe.

[Jonbo298]

Umm...Good Job! for a first time I don't have no help to offer. Except that one swift kick to anything related to your computer will get the job done

[Mushlafa]

Originally posted by Jonbo298
Umm...Good Job! for a first time I don't have no help to offer. Except that one swift kick to anything related to your computer will get the job done

Actually i advise against that... ive punched my moniter before and it wouldnt turn on for a while... then there was that time i threw my keyboard at the wall... and i had a gay keyboard error for like 1 day

so to you
hugging it on the other hand... it likes that

[manasecret]

I and the guy I work in the same office with punch our monitors all the time, to the point that it hurts. The dumb****s that send in data **** it up every single day and it really becomes annoying, especially when it becomes backed up and then other people dump more stuff on us that needs to be sent out.

So they seem pretty resistent; though we're going to split the cost for a punching bag in the office. Can't wait!

db

[gekko]

Originally posted by manasecret
I have some questions about XP. I remember hearing around here that I shouldn't stay on as administrator. I'm kinda worried so what do I need to do to change that?

And I have a network set up at my house through a router hub, and for some reason I can see the other PC's in the house but I can't connect to them to share files, but the other PC's (running Win98) can see me and write/delete to my hard drive. Any help on that? I tried setting up a new network with XP, but I don't think that's what I want and it didn't work anyway.

1. win XP automatically creates an administrator account. Don't use that, use one you created with administrator permissions.

2. Have you checked the settings on the other computers? Then need to share the files before you can touch them.

[MasterMind]

Originally posted by manasecret
Actually, one more thing went wrong: for some reason I can't get the the case LED's to work, and I really don't know why . They seem to be plugged in just where they should be. The motherboard doesn't come with a manual, which really ticks me off. All it comes with is a quick reference guide that tells you an overview of putting the parts together. My case manual ismore helpful.

Still having problems with the LEDs? Well I had the same problem when I built my PC, the HD LED didn't light up and I didn't even notice it till a couple of days later. But anyways have you tried to reverse the pins to the LEDs? Just try plugging them in the other way and see if that works. It did for me, and also thats what my manual said to do if the lights didn't work. Maybe it might be the same for you? Who knows.

[-apu-]

so wut video card is it?????

[The_Dunadan]

congratulations! i'm working on building mine. i'm still stuck on which cpu to get. i think i'm going to go the amd rout, though it may not be as fast as the pentium, it only falls behind by a little and is much cheaper.

why shouldn't you use the admin account?

[Null]

Originally posted by The_Dunadan
congratulations! i'm working on building mine. i'm still stuck on which cpu to get. i think i'm going to go the amd rout, though it may not be as fast as the pentium, it only falls behind by a little and is much cheaper.

why shouldn't you use the admin account?

from my experience... AMD's suck. i had nothign but troubles with the damn thing when i had it. I even had a GFX card that wouldnt run worth **** on it.......... once i put in a P4 the gfx card worked beautifuly.

i also found with the AMD it seemed to freeze for like 2 sec when teling it to do something once and a while.

But that was just me, it could of been cuz of something else i had that conflicted with it. *shrugs* cuz i know some people who like em.

just me personally i wont be getting one again.

[sdtPikachu]

Originally posted by Null
just setup a new user with Admin powers. (not the same as logging in as admin) and use that one.

Nooooo.....!

You will need to set up a general user account WITHOUT admin priveliges, else your computer is insecure. Only use your admin account for installing new software, making tweaks, etc.

Why is this? Most security exploits (viruses, malware, etc) that exist can only run applications and whatnot with the priveliges of the user logged in.

If you fall victim logged in as admin, your box has been r00ted and the malware will have total control over your system - so it will be able to install and run whatever software it likes, reformat your hard drives, etc etc.

If you fall victim as a generic user without admin rights, at mst you're going to lose your "my documents" folder (which you should never keep anything in anyway; it's the first target for viruses that go around deleting stuff).

The same applies to XP Home and 2k as well, as well as *nix OS's. Run as root as little as possible and you're much more secure.

[Null]

Originally posted by sdtPikachu


Nooooo.....!

You will need to set up a general user account WITHOUT admin priveliges, else your computer is insecure. Only use your admin account for installing new software, making tweaks, etc.

Why is this? Most security exploits (viruses, malware, etc) that exist can only run applications and whatnot with the priveliges of the user logged in.

If you fall victim logged in as admin, your box has been r00ted and the malware will have total control over your system - so it will be able to install and run whatever software it likes, reformat your hard drives, etc etc.

If you fall victim as a generic user without admin rights, at mst you're going to lose your "my documents" folder (which you should never keep anything in anyway; it's the first target for viruses that go around deleting stuff).

The same applies to XP Home and 2k as well, as well as *nix OS's. Run as root as little as possible and you're much more secure.

eh, whatever, all that shiznet works differntly then XP Home.. Same as what i meant. just sounds differnt *hmm*

[manasecret]

Originally posted by Null
2. If memory serves me correctly. and this is kinda a Guess...... 1 of 2 possiblities...

A. When you setup the network Right click 'my network places' -> properties -> on the left side shoudl be setup small or home network. After doing that... or during it gives the option of Making something or rather 'Network Setup Disk' to run it on PC's not running XP (kinda a setup thing i guess) not sure cuz i never did it and now all the PC's in my network run XP anyway.

B. Might be that damned XP Firewall. We have to turn that firewall off to play Games over the network. which is right click on the network inside your 'my network places' > properties > advanced.

However A might be the better choice if ya want the little firewall on.

Then again Neither of these might not work...... Its just a guess or some ideas hehe.

I'm about to try the thing XP tells me do to do on other OS's again, so I'll get back on that. And I don't think it was the firewall, because it wasn't even on =D, but I'm glad you mentioned it because it seems like a good thing to have on.

Originally posted by gekko
1. win XP automatically creates an administrator account. Don't use that, use one you created with administrator permissions.

2. Have you checked the settings on the other computers? Then need to share the files before you can touch them.

1. Thanks

2. I'm pretty sure the non-XP computer is set up to share right. It's been configured to share everything, and other non-XP computers pretty much automatically connect to the network and are able to access other computers, they just need to connect to our "Home" workgroup.

Originally posted by The_Dunadan
congratulations! i'm working on building mine. i'm still stuck on which cpu to get. i think i'm going to go the amd rout, though it may not be as fast as the pentium, it only falls behind by a little and is much cheaper.

I thought long and hard on which processor I should buy, but since I'm going to college this coming school year and most likely I won't be able to buy a new computer for at least four years, I thought I'd get the best (or close to it) right now so hopefully it will last longer.

Though the AMD price almost changed my mind..

Though I think the P4's are much easier to install than the AMD's because they come with the thermal grease already on them (at least I hope that was the grease on mine ), and I've heard they're so good about keeping the temperature down that you don't need thermal grease.

Originally posted by Null
from my experience... AMD's suck. i had nothign but troubles with the damn thing when i had it. I even had a GFX card that wouldnt run worth **** on it.......... once i put in a P4 the gfx card worked beautifuly.

My computer before I built this one worked perfectly with an AMD, and of course obviously they work often otherwise AMD would be dead. But it wasn't perfect the first month I had it, nothing worked right; but I think there was some conflict between the motherboard and some other part. Or maybe yours was overheating? That can cause erratic behaviour. That, or fry the metal. =D

Originally posted by apu
so wut video card is it?????

PNY GeForce4 Ti4200 64MB. Got it for $170, $30 less than the regular price and it is very powerful for what I'm doing now. Though the real reason I went cheap was because I heard the GeForce5 is coming out in the fall , and I didn't want to spend too much.

db

[manasecret]

Originally posted by MasterMind


Still having problems with the LEDs? Well I had the same problem when I built my PC, the HD LED didn't light up and I didn't even notice it till a couple of days later. But anyways have you tried to reverse the pins to the LEDs? Just try plugging them in the other way and see if that works. It did for me, and also thats what my manual said to do if the lights didn't work. Maybe it might be the same for you? Who knows.

I tried them around every which way (well, the two possible ways =D), and they're still not working at all. Though I did it while the PC was on; it shouldn't have to be off to just register the LED's, would it?

db

[manasecret]

Originally posted by manasecret


I tried them around every which way (well, the two possible ways =D), and they're still not working at all. Though I did it while the PC was on; it shouldn't have to be off to just register the LED's, would it?

db

Well, I tried moving them around again and now they work!

Not sure why it didn't work when I switched them around before, maybe I missed the pins or something. Oh well, thanks MasterMind!

db