I Need To Learn About Pc Hardware!
Supra_Soldier
Join Date: 2003-02-02 Member: 12993Members, Constellation
Join Date: 2003-02-02 Member: 12993Members, Constellation
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">looking for help.</div> Ok, I'm ganna build myself a spiffy new computer but, problem is, I don't know all that much about the hardware itself. I know lots about windows and basic hardware information, but I have no idea about the more complicated stuff. Like, what RAID is for, what ATA and SATA are, what a 800-mhz front-side bus is, how to tell if a motherboard matches a processor, etc. etc.
Does anyone know of a website that kinda teaches everything about computer hardware? Or, if not, could you explain some of this stuff to me, or tell me where you learned it?
Any help is greatly appreciated, and I'll post pics of my new rig when its finished, I'm ganna make it look awsome.
Does anyone know of a website that kinda teaches everything about computer hardware? Or, if not, could you explain some of this stuff to me, or tell me where you learned it?
Any help is greatly appreciated, and I'll post pics of my new rig when its finished, I'm ganna make it look awsome.
Comments
AT Attachment A popular 16-bit interface standard that extends the ISA bus of the IBM PC-AT to attach peripherals; it has evolved through over 5 generations; the original ATA is better known as IDE. (In n00b terms its a cable that connects 2 pieces of hardware togther)
The main highway for data in a PC. It connects the processor, chip set, DRAM, and AGP socket. FSB is described in terms of its width in bits and its speed in MHz. (I'll just say it determines CPU clock speed)
Motherboard should say what chip it supports. Socket-A is Athlon XP + i believe, anything else should be lablled as athlon or pentuim compatible
They have an excellent tutorial for building your own machine and a number of "OMG WHAT DO I DO NOW?" solutions.
After getting help from PCMech, I just spend time browsing the online suppliers like <a href='http://www.newegg.com/index.asp' target='_blank'>NewEgg</a> and <a href='http://www.essencompu.com/' target='_blank'>Essential Computers</a> for new products, product specs, and product reviews.
They have an excellent tutorial for building your own machine and a number of "OMG WHAT DO I DO NOW?" solutions.
After getting help from PCMech, I just spend time browsing the online suppliers like <a href='http://www.newegg.com/index.asp' target='_blank'>NewEgg</a> and <a href='http://www.essencompu.com/' target='_blank'>Essential Computers</a> for new products, product specs, and product reviews. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Wow, thnx, pcmechanic was exactly what I was looking for.
Now that I've learned a bit more, I know that I want my new computer to have a two 10,000 rpm drives in a raid 0 configuration, should I use IDE or SCSI? I plan to be playing lots of high end games on my machine but thats about it.
Any help is appreciated.
Oh, btw I just ordered the case and a fan/temp. controller <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->. Too bad I ordered it around x-mas, it'll prolly take a month to get here.
If you're going to be hosting sql databases and crap then yeah I'd say go for a SCSI RAID, but if this is just your gaming box you're either nuts or have way way too much money.
Get a 7200rpm IDE drive and you'll be fine, just make sure to get the one with 8MB cache. Last I heard Serial ATA isn't really faster yet, though I bet in a couple of years it will be.
If you're going to be hosting sql databases and crap then yeah I'd say go for a SCSI RAID, but if this is just your gaming box you're either nuts or have way way too much money.
Get a 7200rpm IDE drive and you'll be fine, just make sure to get the one with 8MB cache. Last I heard Serial ATA isn't really faster yet, though I bet in a couple of years it will be. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Hmm, duel 36gb 10,000 rpm drives in raid 0 with IDE it is then <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->. Thnx for the assist <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->.
most of us can do everythign just fine with a single 60$ 7200rpm drive
most of us can do everythign just fine with a single 60$ 7200rpm drive <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
BAH, I've been saving up for a LOOONNNGGGG time, I'm going all out this time. That said this computer is ganna have to last me for about the next 50 years <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->.
most of us can do everythign just fine with a single 60$ 7200rpm drive <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
BAH, I've been saving up for a LOOONNNGGGG time, I'm going all out this time. That said this computer is ganna have to last me for about the next 50 years <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Thats not going to happen. Ever. No matter how much you spend, 5 years from now it will be a middle to lower end PC. 50 years from now it will be an oversized paperweight and computers of that time will be the size of a paperweight and plug into your eyes with LAZERS and come with a multipurpose HOOK!
okay, so the last part was just speculation, but trust me, the first part was all true stuff.
What's the point in having ulta fast drives if you fill them up and can't put any more games on? :P
P.S. If you honestly think that even the top of the line system will be good in even 4 years, yeah you are crazy.
166mhz, 16MB ram. Windows95Plus.
What's the point in having ulta fast drives if you fill them up and can't put any more games on? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
P.S. If you honestly think that even the top of the line system will be good in even 4 years, yeah you are crazy. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Lol, I going to be using the 36gb drives for the os and speed dependant files/games, I've already got a 200gb 7200rpm drive for other files. Besides 10,000 rpm drives don't get any bigger right now. Also, this is hardly unheard of, companies like Velocity Mico, AlienWare, and Voodoo already make their high-end pcs exactly the same way.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Thats not going to happen. Ever. No matter how much you spend, 5 years from now it will be a middle to lower end PC. 50 years from now it will be an oversized paperweight and computers of that time will be the size of a paperweight and plug into your eyes with LAZERS and come with a multipurpose HOOK!
okay, so the last part was just speculation, but trust me, the first part was all true stuff. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I didn't mean "50 years" literally, geeze, I meant "a long time". Heck 50 years from now today's monster computer will prolly fit into your pocket.
Ah yes, <!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Where a calculator on the ENIAC is equipped with 18,000 vacuum tubes and weighs 30 tons, computers in the future may have only 1,000 vacuum tubes and weigh only 1.5 tons.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't know when that was quoted, but it's funny nonetheless <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->