Now that that's done...

Computer build 2, a.k.a. Mollie, is finished. Jonathan is currently working on his bookmarks, and over the weekend will be installing word programs and video games. Other than the few glitches I mentioned in the previous post it was mostly smooth sailing. I navigated the BIOS system on my own this time, really only needing to change the date and time. Installed the OS, however, I didn't partition the hard drive, don't know how I got around that but windows did its thing and life went on. The most time consuming issue was connecting to the internet. Installed an ASUS Wireless PCI-Express Adapter, popped in the CD to load the drivers only to have the card read the security settings of the network wrong. After a good stretch of time getting progressively more frustrated at why it wouldn't work, turns out the drivers for the card compatible with Windows 7 are separate from all other drivers and needed to be manually installed. Go figure. All is well though. You know, if I had any interest in learning the technical skills behind doing this it wouldn't be a bad career.

Some other notes:

Working with a mid-tower versus the full from my first build wasn't as cumbersome as I feared it would be. The cable management isn't nearly as pretty, but until builds go cable-less I don't know how they could be. I do prefer the screw out plates instead of snap off ones. I like the idea that I can put it back if I rearrange things, instead of either having to fit items to the slots already made, or 1) dealing with holes in my case 2) just buying a new case.

I do need to add a few things to remember on the list for new egg: keyboard, dvd/cd drive, and... nope that's it. I'm a fan of wired keyboards, and it seems that stores are moving towards wireless, so what you're left with is possibly one or two choices and you're settling either way. Yes, buying a cheep keyboard will keep the price of your computer build down, but what's the point of having a custom PC when using the keyboard (you know, the thing that you'll actually be touching and using every day, no mater how else you use your PC) is a pain. Online, there are more options, at least for those who prefer wired. Some goes for a dvd/cd drive. Three options at BestBuy. Two HP 24x one with lightscribe and the other without and One LG (I think) 22x with a label writing program I've never heard of. There has to be better, faster options for what I want it to do, and I will make sure to look into that the next time I'm on NewEgg assembling a shopping cart. I thought to put a mouse on the list, but I like those wireless. I also don't like how loud some of them click, and my definition of loud may not be the same as a reviewers, I also like the scroll wheel to click and not roll smooth like the one for my laptop does (buyers remorse for that, serves me right for buying something pretty.) Then there's the monitor. Could probably get a better price on-line, even after shipping, but nothing beats seeing it in person. It's one thing to read the the screen is 20 inches and another to look at one that is 20 inches. That and picture quality, the on-line picture make them all look the same, when side by side they are nothing alike. Lastly, if a monitor gets delivered there is no knowing what happens to it from the time it's dropped off to the time you get home and open the box. I like the security (and sole responsibility) of knowing that, unless I drop it on the way home from the store, it will be in pristine condition or it's the retailers fault. Also, quicker turn around if you just need to drive back to the store to replace it.

Some tips for next time

So I'm not quit finished with my second build but I needed to take a step away and do something else. Blogging is the answer. As I'm going at my second attempt to build a PC I've done a few things a bit backwards. So in order to prevent that from happening again I'm going to list the things I (or anyone) should remeber to do, or not, in order for the next build to go even smoother.

1) So I don't have to look back through months, or even years, of facebook statuses to find the answer to: What are the basic items I should see work first before I put the whole thing together and realize it's a fail?

-Motherboard
-CPU
-RAM
-Power Supply

Hook these items up, connect to the power button on the case and see if they work. (The fans will start spinning and the post lights will come on.) At this point you have a smaller window of what possibly could be wrong if say the lights don't come on, or a fan doesn't work, or there's no power period.

2) The motherboard comes with the screen for all the different plugs on the back of a CPU. Snap that baby into place first. It's difficult, if not impossible, to do while the motherboard is screwed down.

3) Figure out where your putting your hardware and snap out the appropriate brackets, again, before you put the motherboard in.

Today I've screwed and unscrewed the motherboard three times 'cause I keep forgetting these things. Hopefully this post will keep that from happening in the future.

Well!

Well isn't round two just a lucky little >*&$!? For starters I didn't have to wait for any items to be in stock or pick new items to replace out of stock items I didn't want to wait for. Second, the shipping came to a whole $1.99 for everything. Everything! Thirdly, lastly, it all shipped yesterday. Sunday, for crying out loud! I'm a bit jealous, if you haven't noticed, but still so excited. Hope that it arrives before Thursday and that there's enough time between when it gets here and Thursday night to go pick it up. Friday will be my last day off for the forseable future, and you know what I want to do that day? That's right, build a computer :)

Ordered Round 2

So, computer building round two is under way. All the parts have been ordered, again minus monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Though, this round a wireless adapter was added. We will see how the install on that works, versus the little USB plug I have on mine (which works just fine when you forget to buy the internal card and find that best buy doesn't carry them, and you're too impatient to wait to order one.)

I picked out another COOL MASTER case, but a mid size this time around instead of the full tower I have. Stuck with Gigabyte for the mother board and Intel for the CPU, both are a slight upgrade from my first build. Also, again Western Digital for the hard drive, again an upgrade, half a terabyte larger and a 2k increase on RPM. Stuck with the same graphics card. Mine does so beautifully, didn't find anything that was worth the price increase.

Hopefully this time around I'll have better luck getting the thing to work the first time. However, I will be without help when it comes to loading the Operating System. (Had a little more help then I wanted the last time and that might come to bite me the second time around.)

I'm using the power supply I had originally bought for my first build. I never sent it back so why let it go to waste, right?

My only concern at the moment is that the case only comes with one fan. No big deal, because the power supply came with an extra one. It's just one more thing that I have to install that I haven't before.

Anyways, if all goes smooth I'm hoping to be building by Friday. In other words, I need to get a roll on my homework so that I don't get pre-occupied with something more interesting next week.

Another One!

So, maybe, in the not to distant future, I will be building my second computer. Not actually mine, because if I do, it will be someone elses. Sad thing, for me not them, is I could build almost the exact some computer I built myself for $200 less even more with a smaller case. It's kind of exciting to know it might not be years in between my first and second build after all. Well, maybe.