Build, Don't Buy, Your Next Computer
by bober
Tired of buying PCs? Don't you wish you could build computers?
The big computer stores are a tool of the establishment. They pay hundreds of thousands to ^#$%3'ing Microsoft for use of its crappy operating system and they support the monopolistic dreams of Intel. Even though Intel's chips are just helping Big Brother watch you by transmitting your own personal serial number and setting a bad standard for the future with CISC architecture, the PC stores continue to support them.
This is a travesty of (((capitalism))). But you have the tools to stop them. Instead of sending ping-o-deaths to their websites, you can actually make it unprofitable for them to continue without mending their evil ways.
For the first time in the history of the industry it is now cost effective to build your own PCs. Not only that, but all it takes is a $10 tool set and about half a brain.
You can build your own PC for approximately two-thirds of what it costs to buy it in a store. Not only that, but with the introduction of Plug and Play (PnP) BIOS and the standardized ISA, PCI, MCA, EISA expansion slots, it's really easy too. The days of cursing the idea of interrupt request lines and BIOS chips that can't detect hard drives are long gone. Now instead of leaving the building of PCs to trained technicians in labs, you can take a pot shot at the establishment by doing it yourself.
First, buy your case. For about $75 you can buy a case/power supply to fit the needs of just about any system you can imagine. Then buy your motherboard. This is one of the big money items in the PC. Here though, you can probably afford to go the cheap route safely because most motherboards will last. Just be sure to get one with a "ZIF" processor socket and a good chip set. Also make sure you get a board with enough expansion slots so that you can add all the capability you want. A good recommendation is one with three ISA and three PCI slots at the minimum. (Also make sure it supports AGP video.)
Next you have to buy your chip. Do not buy Intel. They are a tool of (((the establishment))). Other choices are American Micro Devices' K6-2 and K6-III. Also you can get a chip from Cyrix for slightly less money, but AMD is usually a better bet. As far as speed, I don't care, it's your PC. (500 MHz will do fine, unless you are running digital signal processing software or your own server.)
Now it's time to talk expansion cards. First, see what's included on your motherboard. Ideally, the only thing there is a keyboard connector, an RS-232 serial interface, and a parallel port. You do not want built-in sound, video, and modem connections as are found on most "bargain basement motherboards." As far as a sound card, I would buy one capable of 96 kHz and 32-bits, but I am a musician. If you need an explanation of sound compression go to www.mazound.com for documentation and some good cards for sale.
Next comes the video card. Buy a video card with at least 16 MB and hopefully 32 MB of RAM. You can get away with less but it will, in technical terms, suck.
Now get your modem. Either a V.90, X2, K56Flex or a cable modem. This is 2600, so I don't have to explain these two devices.
Next, the most often overlooked part of your computer, the RAM. This is one of the times where it really pays to buy the expensive kind. Don't buy crappy RAM. Other kinds will sometimes make your computer fail to start (this is bad). Get at least 128-512 MB or 768 MB would be best.
A CD-ROM drive is a big chunk of change for something you are only going to use a handful of times. Get a used one at a flea market. Don't buy a DVD drive; they are for teenagers to use to watch porn, not for hackers. If later you find out you want a CD writer, then buy one then, not now. They aren't worth it at this point.
Finally, the hard drive. There are three main options. IDE, SCSI, and RAID. IDE is the cheapest, but it also is the slowest, and it has little or no error checking. This is bad. SCSI is marginally more expensive, but it runs a little faster, and has error checking, so a drive error that would kill an IDE PC, won't even be noticed in a SCSI system.
The one downside of "suczy" as we builders call it is that you need another card, and that costs money. But trust me, it's worth it.
The third, and least common, option is RAID. This is basically another box, outside of your computer, filled with lots of drives. You get to choose the sizes. This has a number of advantages and disadvantages. First of all, RAID is faster than the other two types. Not only that but you can upgrade it for about the same price, or maybe even less!
One of the main advantages of RAID is in its name: Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks. Did you see that first word, redundant? That means that even if one of the drives goes through some kind of failure, like it melts or something, the box can keep working without a hitch. The downside is you need a $250 card and another box taking up space on your desk.
Now that you have built your PC, it's time for an operating system.
There are a number of options. First and most important is Linux. If you use Linux, use Red Hat 6 or later. Do not use Red Hat 5. It does not work on PnP BIOS. This can run the X Windows System so it looks and feels like Winblows, while working like Linux. If you are really smart and want to learn a difficult OS, use FreeBSD. This is a free version of Berkeley Systems Development, which is basically just UNIX. Also, there is the little known OS/2. This is basically IBM's response to Windows. The newest version (OS/2 4 Warp) is pretty good and it's not Winblows. Also, there is a pretty good selection of software (not great, but good).
Finally, you could use some off the wall UNIX flavor, but they are complicated and don't really have a lot of software. Unless you are planning to write your own stuff, stick with the three choices i outlined above.
My one caution is that all circuitry inside a PC is static sensitive, so either touch something grounded while you work or buy a pair of static wrist guards ($15) just to be safe.
Have fun!