Computer Building 101 - THE PARTS, part 2

Today we continue our plunge into the world of computer parts. In part 1 we introduced the CPU (processor) and the MB (motherboard). In part 2, we will look at three components: RAM (random access memory), the PSU (power supply), and HD's (hard drives).

THIS IS COMPUTER BUILDING 101 - THE PARTS, PART 2. TALLYHO!


RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY. MEMORY. THIS IS MEMORY. RAM.

Many people confuse this with hard drives. The two components store information but that's about it. RAM is used by the processor to temporarily store information. Once it no longer needs the information or you turn off the computer, the information stored in RAM it is gone. The key difference between RAM and Hard drives is that th CPU can write info to RAM much faster than to a hard drive. So enough history... which is probably lacking and wrong, let get on with what to look for in RAM. First there are different types. Right now, in any system you plan on purchasing, there really are only two DDR2 and DDR3. One is older and one is newer. Thankfully pricing is relatively the same for both. What kind you need depends on your motherboard. If it supports DDR2, get DDR2. Pretty simple on the surface. Some motherboards support both, but usually limit the number of slots available (2 slots for each). So once you decide what type you need, there is also the speed to consider. DDR2 standard is 800 (or PC 6400) an DDR3 is 1600 (or PC 12800). There are other speeds available but those are the most popular and will be most compatible. Next up, how much? Do I get 4 Sticks that are 1 GB each, or 2 that are 2 GB each... how about 4 that are 2 GB each; YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH. Well, you actually can. Operating System come in two flavors at the moment: 32 bit (or x86) and 64 bit (or x64). 32 Bit operating systems can only address up to 4GB of ram, no more. 64 bit, in theory, can support 16 exabytes of ram. Thats 17.2 billion gigabytes. So if you think you need more that 4 GB (and let's face it, you are building you own machine, and RAM is cheap, your are going to STACK IT) make sure to install a 64-bit version of you favorite operating system (OS [windows, linux, etc]). You also are limited to how many RAM slots are available on you motherboard. This number usually ranges from 2, 4, and now 6.

So now you've decided what type of RAM, what speed, and quantities. What brand? There are lot of name brands and not so name brands. Known quality brands are: Corsair, Kingston, Crucuial, among others. I myself go by pricing and the reviews found on NewEgg.com, due to the many no-name manufacturers out there and their actually dependable products. I've purchased from the three manufacturers before and also the following: A-Data, Mushkin, AllComponents, Super Talent, Wintech, PQI, and others. Basically follow the reviews and if they are mostly positive, you can usually purchase with confidence.

THE POWER SUPPLY, PSU.

As the name entails, the power supply gets power from your wall/power strip to the motherboard and the various components in your system. Now, there are ATX and MicroATX power supplies, so how do you know which one to use. "Well professor, if you have a MicroATX motherboard you need a MicroATX PSU, right?" Nope. "Uh, well... I know, If you get a MicroATX case!" Not necessarily, but that's as close as you are going to get. The only reason you would need a MicroATX , or any other power supply what physically differs from the normal ATX spec, is the physical restraints of the case. In most cases, you use the ATX PSU. But you need to pay attention when buying a case that it does not need a "special" size PSU.

Were going to assume that you went the sensible route and picked up a decent, basic case that supports the ATX spec.

First you need to find a PSU that will supply enough power to run and not faint. A nice 500 watt PSU will handle most systems just fine with power to spare. The only time you need to look into something beefier is when you are dealing with high end video card(s) that require MOAR POWER! Otherwise, a nice 400~500 watt PSU will do you just fine. The next step is to look into the connectors you will need. SATA power connectors are different than the older 4 pin variety. You need to inventory your components. For example: you have a motherboard that uses the standard 24 Main Power Plug, a additional 8 pin plug close to the CPU socket, you decided to buy a nicer video card and "surprise" it needs it's own 6 pin PCI-E plug and you bought a nice SATA DVD Burner, and big 1 Terabyte SATA Hard Drive, and you also want to add in an old IDE Hard drive that you took from your old system. Well, if you have all this stuff, you need a PSU that has a 24 pin main connector, a 8 pin 12V connector, a 6 pin PCI-E(X?) connector, 2 STATA power connector, a 1 4-pin peripheral connector. You will see the decription 20+4 when looking for the main connector info or 4/8 when looking for the 12v/Auxillary connector. They just mean that they can be used for either configuration (there are some 12V connections that just need the older 4 pin and the same with the main connector (20 instead of 24)).

So now you have decided on the size, capacity, and the amount of connectors. Now, what brand to go with? I say this, you don't necesarily want to go cheap with you PSU. It has the power to run you dream machine or turn it into a bunch of useless parts. I have had luck with the HEC/Compucase brand. They sell cheap PSU's but they perform well and it is reflected in the reviews. The cheaper yet dependable brands include, FSB, Corsair, Thermaltake, Rosewill, HiPro, among others. These manufacturers also sell high end. Again, read the reviews and choose accordingly. I would have to recommend spending around $50 to get a reliable PSU. But I leave that up to you.

HARD DRIVES ARE NOT MEMORY. HARD DRIVE, STORE ALL YOUR STUFF.

RAM = Memory, HARD DRIVE = Storage. There. Now that's outta the way let's move on. The first decision to make is how big? Hard drives start at around $35 for an 80G. And within a few bucks of that price they double in size. Pretty cool huh? So it make sense to get at least a 500G hard drive. Many people buy a smaller driver, say a 120GB or 160GB drive for the Operating System and the programs and then another drive to store all the pictures, videos, music, documents, etc. But most just purchase one big one and deal. I've sauntered between the two camps and out of laziness, sit in the middle but closer to the ONE DRIVE TO RULE THEM ALL, camp. If i need another drive I just get an external.

So, now you've decided on a size, you just need to decide on a manufacturer. "But what about the difference between IDE and SATA" Seriously? Get a SATA drive. "But, but" No. SATA. There is no reason to buy an IDE drive. They are slow and a fast approaching extinction. There's not even a price difference... oh yeah there is... they are now getting more expensive.

"What about speeds?" 7200 RPM... anything else? "Buffer size?" Um,... bigger the better?

I defer to my non-existent expertise in the field of Hard Drive anatomy. Most hard drives spin at 7200 RPM. You want faster, say 10K RPM? They are out there, but cost a lot more money. As far as the buffers and such, you could do some research or be like me a just focus on price, capacity, and dependability (based on reviews).

Now, onto companies who make hard drives. There are a number of makers but I will only name 3 here: Western Digital, Seagate, and Hitachi. Between those three you should be able to find a suitable hard drive.

Yes, I guess I could include Samsung as well.

Coming up next in part 3: Optical Drives, Video Cards, and Cases. W00T!