Computer build questions...

[ZadoK]

Am planning to build a comp for graphics use. Since I am just starting, I've have got lotsa questions! I'm not planning to rush out and buy stuff without really being satisfied about what I'm getting and what I'm doing!

1. Once i select major components, like how do all the "little things" come together? Like the does the case come with power switch and does the mobo have connections for that.
2. Do I need to buy cables; do they come in a "ATA set" or something?
3. In looking at benchmarks, to me it looks like if you go highend on the mobo and get fast memory (and a lot of it), you can cut back on processor speed a little and still have a fast machine?

Thanks!

 

[Kangaroo]

1 = most cases don't come with the PSU, it will say if it does. The power connector for your motherboard is attached to the PSU, plus several molex connectors for hard drives, a couple for floppy.
2 = You will usually get hard drive cables with the motherboard, check what you are actually getting. Personally I would buy seperate round ATA cables for better air flow. If you choose to go with a SATA hard drive then the cables are already small and roundish.
3 = It is true that the CPU is a lot faster than the memory, but make sure that when you buy a CPU it has 400MHz FSB speed - then you can buy memory that is PC3200.

The Memory accesses the CPU at the same speed as the FSB speed on the CPU. So if the CPU FSB speed is 333MHz, then the memory will only access it at 333MHz; it doesn't matter if the memory is DDR400 (400MHz).

A Athlon64 can handle any speed of memory because its bus speed is 2GHz.

 

[ZadoK]

cool, that raises one of my other quesition on hard drive controllers! Still not so sure which way to go there. i certainly will go with 2 physical drives for data security. I am actually planning to build two comps, one for my graphics use, other other strictly for a basic audio recording studio, so graphics are a minor issue on #2 and probably only one hdd since everything will go on CD's anyway.

 

[AndrewtheGreat]

some mobos come with all the cables. I heard from a neighbor of mine who does graphic junk not relating to games and he said it is better to build/buy a gaming computer for graphics and editing.

 

[Kangaroo]

All the cables came with both my Asus and MSI boards below, unfortunately not round ATA tho I also got cables with my Fast Track 2000 controller and Highpoint 1540 Controller... so I have loads of wires lol.

ZadoK if you are worried about losing your data then you should definitely have RAID -1 setup. This mirrors one main HDD onto another hard drive. The hard drives must be the same size and you wouldn't get full use of them both.

2x 200GB Hard Drives when mirrored only show up as 200GB instead of 400GB. Anything that is written onto one drive is copied onto the other, so if one drive fails the other is there so that you don't lose any information.

 

[ZadoK]

thanks, cool, yes Raid-1 is were I am headed -- prob 2x160 gig drives. among other things, i am really trying to future proof this thing so i will be good to go for a while. i expect to live long enough to become MS free, and see firmware driven OS's!

 

[Wartorment]

Haha, you wish.