Multifunction Printer, Scanner, and Copier All-In-One
© Chad Criswell
Nov 26, 2007
Finding the best multifunction or "all-in-one" printer, scanner, copier, fax machine is a big challenge. With hundreds of options, which ones are the best for most users?
For many home users, purchasing an "all in one" printer just makes sense. Instead of the hassle of finding space for an individual scanner, printer, and fax machine, why not try combining all 3 into one compact and stylish package? The best all-in-one printers for home use are those that marry quality scanning with high quality printing and are held together with a well-designed software package to back them up. This article examines 2 of the most popular and highest rated all-in-one multifunction printer/scanners from Epson and HP and explains what to look for when making a decision.
Best Rated All-in-One Printers from Epson
Epson has long been known for high quality and highly rated printers and scanners. Recently the company has combined these technologies into some very high ranking all in one printers that score very high on print quality while not skimping on scanning details.
For those interested in stylish components as well as functionality, the Epson RX595 is a good starting point. It has many useful features not often found on other printers such as the ability to scan directly to PDF and to edit and print photos without needing a connected computer. The RX595 also comes with the ability to print on ink-jet compatible CD's and DVD's as well as to print customized greeting cards directly from a photo-filled media card.
One sticking point about many inkjet and all-in-one printers is the ink cartridge layout itself. The RX595 is one of the better, using high quality inks in six separate cartridges allowing the user to replace only the color that is empty and save money in the process. The Epson RX595 scores nearly perfect consumer reviews from sites such as CompUSA.
Best Rated All-in-One Multifunction Printers from HP
HP is a legendary force in computer peripherals for the business sector. There are many multifunction printers in HP's inventory that work very well for small office use, but their price tag is often too high for most home users. There are a few however that marry economy with versatility. The HP Photosmart c5280 is one such printer.
While not as visually sleek as the Epson RX595 mentioned earlier, the Photosmart c5280 has many of the same or comparable features for a smaller overall price tag. It includes the ability toprint on CD's as well as do minor editing directly from a memory card.
CNet's review of the Photosmart c5280 list it as one of the highest rated all in one printers in the under $200 price range, and with a very compact desktop footprint to match it leaves the buyer with a little extra space on their desktop. With comparatively fast print speeds, and decent scanning quality the c5280 is also a good product for home users to consider, but the tri-color ink tank cuts down on overall print economy.
These are just 2 of hundreds of different multifunction all-in-one printer options available on the market today. When shopping keep the main ideas shown above in mind. Look for printers with multiple ink cartridges, networking capabilities, and stand-alone support to fit your printing needs.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Connecting Your Computer to a TV
LCD or Plasma Televisions used as computer monitors with DVI-HMDI
© Chad Criswell
Oct 20, 2007
For day to day tasks the standard 19in LCD monitor on your desk works just fine. But what if you want to play your favorite video game in giant screen glory? Here's how.
Connecting your computer to your LCD or Plasma television has never been easier. There are a host of products on the market today that work together with your existing system to allow you to play games, watch movies, and view web content in the giant screen glory of your living room's television set.
There was a time when such conversion from computer to TV left quality behind, but with the current conversion from analog to digital television signals, moving images to the big screen is no longer a matter of give and take.
Options for Displaying Computer Video on an LCD or Plasma TV
The main options for displaying digital images from your computer on your new Hi-Definition LCD or Plasma are quite commonly available in stores world-wide. The first, and easiest, method of displaying computer video on your television is to have a computer with a video card that is capable of DVI output. DVI outputs have been around on video cards for several years now, and all are capable of sending out high quality signals that your HDTV can interpret without the need for any conversion. To connect the two devices you will need a DVI to HDMI cable, and as with all cables be prepared to pay a lot for them.
Wireless Video to Your Television
One issue with long runs of DVI/HDMI cable is the obvious cost of the materials. The other is the cost to hide the wiring from view. If drilling holes and pulling cable do not appeal to you consider a wireless alternative. The InternetVue from Addlogix is a wireless PC to TV converter that transmits the video signal from your computer to the LCD or Plasma TV. The quality will not be as good as a DVI connection, but the unit does support component video (the various colors are separated onto different wires leading to a clearer, more accurate picture). The InternetVue uses your computer's built in or add-on 802.11b/g wi-fi connection to send the data out to the receiver which you mount within reach of your television.
Other Options for Computer to Television Video Transfer
Both of the above options require you to have some capability built into your computer already in the form of DVI outputs or a Wi-Fi connection. There are other alternatives available including products which convert standard VGA outputs from your computer to HDMI inputs at your television. Products such as the GradTech GHV-2000 can convert VGA video up to as high as 720p resolutions for your HDTV. In addition to not needing any new hardware for your computer this option also allows you to use less expensive VGA cables for part of the run from computer to television.
There are many more options available to consumers that want to display computer video on their LCD or Plasma television, but few compare to the quality available through a straight DVI-HMDI connection.
© Chad Criswell
Oct 20, 2007
For day to day tasks the standard 19in LCD monitor on your desk works just fine. But what if you want to play your favorite video game in giant screen glory? Here's how.
Connecting your computer to your LCD or Plasma television has never been easier. There are a host of products on the market today that work together with your existing system to allow you to play games, watch movies, and view web content in the giant screen glory of your living room's television set.
There was a time when such conversion from computer to TV left quality behind, but with the current conversion from analog to digital television signals, moving images to the big screen is no longer a matter of give and take.
Options for Displaying Computer Video on an LCD or Plasma TV
The main options for displaying digital images from your computer on your new Hi-Definition LCD or Plasma are quite commonly available in stores world-wide. The first, and easiest, method of displaying computer video on your television is to have a computer with a video card that is capable of DVI output. DVI outputs have been around on video cards for several years now, and all are capable of sending out high quality signals that your HDTV can interpret without the need for any conversion. To connect the two devices you will need a DVI to HDMI cable, and as with all cables be prepared to pay a lot for them.
Wireless Video to Your Television
One issue with long runs of DVI/HDMI cable is the obvious cost of the materials. The other is the cost to hide the wiring from view. If drilling holes and pulling cable do not appeal to you consider a wireless alternative. The InternetVue from Addlogix is a wireless PC to TV converter that transmits the video signal from your computer to the LCD or Plasma TV. The quality will not be as good as a DVI connection, but the unit does support component video (the various colors are separated onto different wires leading to a clearer, more accurate picture). The InternetVue uses your computer's built in or add-on 802.11b/g wi-fi connection to send the data out to the receiver which you mount within reach of your television.
Other Options for Computer to Television Video Transfer
Both of the above options require you to have some capability built into your computer already in the form of DVI outputs or a Wi-Fi connection. There are other alternatives available including products which convert standard VGA outputs from your computer to HDMI inputs at your television. Products such as the GradTech GHV-2000 can convert VGA video up to as high as 720p resolutions for your HDTV. In addition to not needing any new hardware for your computer this option also allows you to use less expensive VGA cables for part of the run from computer to television.
There are many more options available to consumers that want to display computer video on their LCD or Plasma television, but few compare to the quality available through a straight DVI-HMDI connection.
How to Clean Up Your Computer
Keyboards, Monitors and CPU Casings Need Regular Maintenance
© Chad Criswell
Oct 27, 2007
Blowing the dust off your computer's vents is just the beginning of what should be regular computer cleaning and maintenance. Cleaning your computer is simple and easy.
There are many ways that computers can get "dirty." Many people are aware of the ways computers get dirty on the inside, by becoming infected with spyware, viruses, and other malware. But computers can get physically dirty on the outside as well, and many people never even notice it because the computer is tucked away under their desks.
Dust, pet hair, and other airborne particles can clog your computer's ventilation system and cause the entire computer to run hotter than normal, thus shortening the life expectancy of your processor and other electronic parts. With a little basic computer maintenance you can take care of both problems and keep your computer running in top shape.
Cleaning a Dusty, Dirty Computer
Dirty computers build up heat and operate at higher temperatures than a clean computer does. Every so often every computer user should consider opening up their computer case and doing some basic computer cleaning.
The only store-bought material you will require is a can of compressed air, available at almost any retailer that sells computer equipment or accessories. It also helps to have a vacuum cleaner nearby with a removable hose.
Use the compressed air to dislodge all of the built-up dust on the CPU, memory chips, hard drives, and accessory cards. Use the vacuum cleaner to suck the dust up and get it out of the computer's interior.
Always make sure to ground yourself by touching the computer's metal case to prevent any static electricity from damaging the fragile electronic circuitry. Once you have dusted off the interior of the case, be sure to suck the dust out of all of the air vents on the outside of the case as well.
Cleaning Your Computer Keyboard
The same compressed air that you used to blow dirt out off of your CPU and interior computer components can also be used to clean your keyboard. Take the tube and stick it under the keys of the keyboard and blow out as much of the debris as possible.
You will likely be able to remove a lot of food particles, dead skin cells, and pet hair by this method alone. If you are adventurous you can also remove the keys from the keyboard and clean more thoroughly using a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol.
Just make sure you remember where the keys go when you snap them back into place. If you are worried about it, take a digital photo and print it off before you start. The tops and sides of the keys can also be cleaned with swabs and rubbing alcohol. You can also find commercial cleaning agents as well.
Cleaning Your LCD Monitor
Do not use commercial cleaners on your LCD monitor unless the solution is labeled specifically for LCD flat panel monitors. Even without a commercial cleaner you can still gently wipe fingerprints and other smudges off of the screen with a soft, lint-free cloth moistened with a small amount of water. Never spray water directly on the screen, and always make sure the monitor is off and unplugged before cleaning it.
With these simple tips your computer will look better and last longer. Always remember to unplug your computer whenever you try to do any cleaning to prevent the risk of electrical shock.
© Chad Criswell
Oct 27, 2007
Blowing the dust off your computer's vents is just the beginning of what should be regular computer cleaning and maintenance. Cleaning your computer is simple and easy.
There are many ways that computers can get "dirty." Many people are aware of the ways computers get dirty on the inside, by becoming infected with spyware, viruses, and other malware. But computers can get physically dirty on the outside as well, and many people never even notice it because the computer is tucked away under their desks.
Dust, pet hair, and other airborne particles can clog your computer's ventilation system and cause the entire computer to run hotter than normal, thus shortening the life expectancy of your processor and other electronic parts. With a little basic computer maintenance you can take care of both problems and keep your computer running in top shape.
Cleaning a Dusty, Dirty Computer
Dirty computers build up heat and operate at higher temperatures than a clean computer does. Every so often every computer user should consider opening up their computer case and doing some basic computer cleaning.
The only store-bought material you will require is a can of compressed air, available at almost any retailer that sells computer equipment or accessories. It also helps to have a vacuum cleaner nearby with a removable hose.
Use the compressed air to dislodge all of the built-up dust on the CPU, memory chips, hard drives, and accessory cards. Use the vacuum cleaner to suck the dust up and get it out of the computer's interior.
Always make sure to ground yourself by touching the computer's metal case to prevent any static electricity from damaging the fragile electronic circuitry. Once you have dusted off the interior of the case, be sure to suck the dust out of all of the air vents on the outside of the case as well.
Cleaning Your Computer Keyboard
The same compressed air that you used to blow dirt out off of your CPU and interior computer components can also be used to clean your keyboard. Take the tube and stick it under the keys of the keyboard and blow out as much of the debris as possible.
You will likely be able to remove a lot of food particles, dead skin cells, and pet hair by this method alone. If you are adventurous you can also remove the keys from the keyboard and clean more thoroughly using a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol.
Just make sure you remember where the keys go when you snap them back into place. If you are worried about it, take a digital photo and print it off before you start. The tops and sides of the keys can also be cleaned with swabs and rubbing alcohol. You can also find commercial cleaning agents as well.
Cleaning Your LCD Monitor
Do not use commercial cleaners on your LCD monitor unless the solution is labeled specifically for LCD flat panel monitors. Even without a commercial cleaner you can still gently wipe fingerprints and other smudges off of the screen with a soft, lint-free cloth moistened with a small amount of water. Never spray water directly on the screen, and always make sure the monitor is off and unplugged before cleaning it.
With these simple tips your computer will look better and last longer. Always remember to unplug your computer whenever you try to do any cleaning to prevent the risk of electrical shock.
Monday, December 3, 2007
History of PCI
SOURCE http://www.motherboards.org/articles/tech-planations/1438_2.html
D'Arcy Lemay · 12-30-2004
I started in computers in what I consider the "bad old days". Unlike cars from the 60's that "baby boomers" remember with rose-colored glasses, I haven't yet forgotten the nightmare that configuring an ISA or VL-Bus based system was. It was slow and figuring out picky IRQ's and jumper settings was my least favorite thing in the world, and lets face it the slots were just plain huge.
Moving onto a PCI based system seemed like a dream. Back then, PCI took over and became the path through which every part of the computer communicated. It was used to link the north and south bridge, ATA and SCSI controllers passed through it to memory and the CPU, as well as internal fax modems, network cards, sound cards, and of course dedicated graphic controllers. It was a huge improvement over other solutions of the time thanks to not only its extra bandwidth (133MB/s), but because of the creation of a "bus mastering". Instead of the CPU having to preside over every interaction, a separate controller handled the traffic between the devices.
This allowed for "hardware abstraction", where as far as the CPU was concerned all devices on the PCI bus were simply another part of the memory address space. Think of it as mailing a letter. You know the address of where you are sending something, you write to them there and leave it up to the post man to deliver it. You aren't concerned with it after it leaves your hand, it's up to someone else from there on out. The same thing happens when the CPU wants to write data somewhere, for example sending data to the sound card to output to the speakers, or to the modem to send out over the phone line. On the other end, the devices hanging off of the PCI bus wait to hear their name called. To them, it's like being in a hospital waiting room. You sit patiently for the nurse to call on you. Then it's your turn to go and chat with the doctor all on your own, while everyone else has to wait for their turn. You come back, sit down, and whoever else is next in line gets to do their thing. Everything has to go through the nurse, you can't even talk to your fellow patients while she is busy with someone else. In other words only one person can talk at one time, similar to being on a phone in a conference call. That's fine in a normal conversation between two people, or even three way calling.
Trying to co-ordinate 10 or more people though can become an awful mess. As a result, no one feels they are getting their proper chance to say what they want to say, and having all of those lines open at once trying to listen in adds a lot of background noise to the whole proceedings. It becomes even worse when one person is hogging the phone. This is what happens when you put something like dedicated graphics on a shared bus, which constantly needs to be updated with new information. The other problem with graphics on the PCI bus was one of bandwidth. With higher resolutions and video that consisted of more than a flat 2D background with few colors that didn't often change becoming more and more common, graphic traffic alone pushed the limits of what could be transferred on a 33MHz 32bit bus, to say nothing of the other traffic such as audio and disc access. As a result, two things happened. One was the creation of dedicated busses such as AGP to deal with a single high bandwidth device. The other was to extend the usefulness of the PCI bus design by creating Barry Bonds like versions.
Take the skinny one and make it bigger was the thought process, and PCI-X was born. They doubled the pin count (and as a result, the number of parallel traces carrying data), as well as adding versions with doubled speed. This corrected the immediate bandwidth issues; however it made other inherent problems of PCI only worse. Those who were building computers as ATA grew to be the dominant consumer format for permanent storage know what I'm talking about. Any time you add speed and width to parallel interfaces, cross talk (interference between one wire and its neighbor) increases, and tolerance decreases. As a result you have a more expensive product because you have to add yet more wires in between (the 40 wire ATA cable doubled to 80, with all the extras only going to ground and not carrying any data in between the actual connected wires) and pay more attention to reducing the noise each individual connection adds to the bus. This is one reason why there has not been a proliferation of PCI-X products on the desktop. Instead, just like AGP more independent single device busses showed up. The connection between north and south bridges gained their own bus, so too did certain network controllers, USB, Parallel ATA and Serial ATA, and other high bandwidth devices. A current non PCI Express board is filled with all kinds of separate protocols, speeds, masters, slaves, specifications and so on. Trying to integrate that all onto one PCB must be an absolute nightmare.
D'Arcy Lemay · 12-30-2004
I started in computers in what I consider the "bad old days". Unlike cars from the 60's that "baby boomers" remember with rose-colored glasses, I haven't yet forgotten the nightmare that configuring an ISA or VL-Bus based system was. It was slow and figuring out picky IRQ's and jumper settings was my least favorite thing in the world, and lets face it the slots were just plain huge.
Moving onto a PCI based system seemed like a dream. Back then, PCI took over and became the path through which every part of the computer communicated. It was used to link the north and south bridge, ATA and SCSI controllers passed through it to memory and the CPU, as well as internal fax modems, network cards, sound cards, and of course dedicated graphic controllers. It was a huge improvement over other solutions of the time thanks to not only its extra bandwidth (133MB/s), but because of the creation of a "bus mastering". Instead of the CPU having to preside over every interaction, a separate controller handled the traffic between the devices.
This allowed for "hardware abstraction", where as far as the CPU was concerned all devices on the PCI bus were simply another part of the memory address space. Think of it as mailing a letter. You know the address of where you are sending something, you write to them there and leave it up to the post man to deliver it. You aren't concerned with it after it leaves your hand, it's up to someone else from there on out. The same thing happens when the CPU wants to write data somewhere, for example sending data to the sound card to output to the speakers, or to the modem to send out over the phone line. On the other end, the devices hanging off of the PCI bus wait to hear their name called. To them, it's like being in a hospital waiting room. You sit patiently for the nurse to call on you. Then it's your turn to go and chat with the doctor all on your own, while everyone else has to wait for their turn. You come back, sit down, and whoever else is next in line gets to do their thing. Everything has to go through the nurse, you can't even talk to your fellow patients while she is busy with someone else. In other words only one person can talk at one time, similar to being on a phone in a conference call. That's fine in a normal conversation between two people, or even three way calling.
Trying to co-ordinate 10 or more people though can become an awful mess. As a result, no one feels they are getting their proper chance to say what they want to say, and having all of those lines open at once trying to listen in adds a lot of background noise to the whole proceedings. It becomes even worse when one person is hogging the phone. This is what happens when you put something like dedicated graphics on a shared bus, which constantly needs to be updated with new information. The other problem with graphics on the PCI bus was one of bandwidth. With higher resolutions and video that consisted of more than a flat 2D background with few colors that didn't often change becoming more and more common, graphic traffic alone pushed the limits of what could be transferred on a 33MHz 32bit bus, to say nothing of the other traffic such as audio and disc access. As a result, two things happened. One was the creation of dedicated busses such as AGP to deal with a single high bandwidth device. The other was to extend the usefulness of the PCI bus design by creating Barry Bonds like versions.
Take the skinny one and make it bigger was the thought process, and PCI-X was born. They doubled the pin count (and as a result, the number of parallel traces carrying data), as well as adding versions with doubled speed. This corrected the immediate bandwidth issues; however it made other inherent problems of PCI only worse. Those who were building computers as ATA grew to be the dominant consumer format for permanent storage know what I'm talking about. Any time you add speed and width to parallel interfaces, cross talk (interference between one wire and its neighbor) increases, and tolerance decreases. As a result you have a more expensive product because you have to add yet more wires in between (the 40 wire ATA cable doubled to 80, with all the extras only going to ground and not carrying any data in between the actual connected wires) and pay more attention to reducing the noise each individual connection adds to the bus. This is one reason why there has not been a proliferation of PCI-X products on the desktop. Instead, just like AGP more independent single device busses showed up. The connection between north and south bridges gained their own bus, so too did certain network controllers, USB, Parallel ATA and Serial ATA, and other high bandwidth devices. A current non PCI Express board is filled with all kinds of separate protocols, speeds, masters, slaves, specifications and so on. Trying to integrate that all onto one PCB must be an absolute nightmare.
Purchasing a motherboard
by Chew Jek Hui
There are many Motherboard manufacture out there that sells motherboard. Most of the motherboard companies only design the motherboard and leave the manufacturing to their China factory. However, their design are getting better and better. Here are some of the company that manufacture motherboard.
1. Asus
2. Gigabyte
3. MSI
4. Biostar
However if you are buying a motherboard, you are spoiled for choice. With so many companies there, there would have a motherboard that fit your needs. Here are some of the impression I associate with some of the motherboard manufacturer.
Asus - Perfect motherboard with many great features that are catered to hardcore gamers
Gigabyte - Company that sells great motherboard to people who are on a budget
MSI - Great design but not enough marketing. The best feature of their motherboard is the circular heatsink near the CPU. This removes a lot of heat from the motherboard and another computer parts.
Check what features that the motherboard provide. The standard now is the motherboard would support LGA 775. Check what RAM speed would they support. Other features are a plus.
Learn more about this author, Chew Jek HuiSunday, December 2, 2007
Tips & Techniques For Building Your Own PC
SOURCE : http://www.tigerdirect.com/static/html/pcbuildingtips.html
First things first. What do you need to build a computer? Believe us, it's not as complicated as it seems. Let's start with the case. The variety is staggering, with hundreds of styles, shapes and sizes available. We recommend that you look closely at the features. Some gorgeous PC cases are nightmares to work with, or are cheaply built. Get the best case you can afford, we recommend you ask for "tool-less" case design, which enables you to click---open, click---closed. Most cases and motherboards use the ATX Formfactor, standardizing the sizes of the components and all of the power connections. Speaking of power: Although many PC cases are sold with a pre-installed power supply, check it carefully---your power requirements may exceed the capacity of the pre-installed unit. How do you know? Here's a quick guide:
Component -- Wattage Required
Motherboard -- 15-30
Low-End CPU -- 20-50
Mid To High-End CPU -- 40-100
RAM -- 7 per 128MB
PCI Add-In Card -- 5
Low To Mid-Range Graphics -- 20-60
High-End Graphics -- 60-100
IDE Hard Drive -- 10-30
Optical Drives -- 10-25
Do the math. You may need to purchase a higher-output power supply for your new PC. Once you've selected a case and power supply, be sure that you have the following items:
Building Your Own System
1. Before you dive in…
Before you start the job, you have to take inventory of your parts. It does little good to begin your build when you don't have everything you need. Once you've determined you have everything you need, it's time to start! Make sure you have plenty of working room and a few hours to proceed with minimal interruption. Please note that carpeting represents some real dangers to your computer. The carpeted surface has the potential to create static electricity that can fry your components. An inexpensive antistatic wrist strap (they are often priced at less than 6 bucks) is the perfect preventive measure if you have no alternative to working on carpet. Remember, a bare floor is always the best place to build your system. Now, grab hold of a good set of screwdrivers, a pair of needle-nose pliers, and an antistatic wrist strap, and make sure you're wearing your antistatic wrist strap (it does you no good at all if you don't wear it!) Finally, download the latest drivers from the vendors' Web sites for each component you'll be installing, and copy them to a CD to avoid headaches later on; the drivers that come in product boxes are often several versions out of date.
2. Dive in!…Installing the Motherboard
Here comes the fun part! Installing the motherboard. First, take the board out of its packaging and put it on top of the antistatic bag it came in. Remember, you always want to safeguard your components from potentially hazardous static electricity. Before you secure the mobo onto the PC case, you should install the processor, heat sink and the memory modules on it. If you aren't sure which socket is which, or what goes where, consult your motherboard's user manual for guidance. User manuals are extremely helpful, easy to read and include illustrations. First, lift the lever on the processor socket so you can install the CPU. Carefully line up the pins and place the chip in its socket; it will fit only when oriented the proper way. An arrow or a missing pin on one corner of the chip will show you how to line things up. Lower the lever to lock the CPU into place.
Next, follow the manufacturer's directions to install the heat sink and the fan that will cool the processor. If you bought an OEM CPU and a separate heat sink, you may need to spread a thin layer of the thermal grease that came with the heat sink over the chip to ensure proper transfer of heat (some heat sinks come with this grease already applied). Attaching the clip that holds the heat sink in place may require a fair amount of force. Again, the instructions that came with the heat sink will show you how to know whether you've fitted it correctly. Plug the fan's power connector into the proper connector on the motherboard.
First things first. What do you need to build a computer? Believe us, it's not as complicated as it seems. Let's start with the case. The variety is staggering, with hundreds of styles, shapes and sizes available. We recommend that you look closely at the features. Some gorgeous PC cases are nightmares to work with, or are cheaply built. Get the best case you can afford, we recommend you ask for "tool-less" case design, which enables you to click---open, click---closed. Most cases and motherboards use the ATX Formfactor, standardizing the sizes of the components and all of the power connections. Speaking of power: Although many PC cases are sold with a pre-installed power supply, check it carefully---your power requirements may exceed the capacity of the pre-installed unit. How do you know? Here's a quick guide:
Component -- Wattage Required
Motherboard -- 15-30
Low-End CPU -- 20-50
Mid To High-End CPU -- 40-100
RAM -- 7 per 128MB
PCI Add-In Card -- 5
Low To Mid-Range Graphics -- 20-60
High-End Graphics -- 60-100
IDE Hard Drive -- 10-30
Optical Drives -- 10-25
Do the math. You may need to purchase a higher-output power supply for your new PC. Once you've selected a case and power supply, be sure that you have the following items:
- A set of screwdrivers (small, large, slot, Phillips), or a PC Tool Kit
- An anti-static wrist strap
- Needle-nosed pliers
- CPU (processor)
- CPU cooling fan and heat sink
- Sound Card
- Motherboard
- One or more hard drives
- Graphics card
- One or more RAM DIMMs (Memory modules)
- An operating system
Building Your Own System
1. Before you dive in…
Before you start the job, you have to take inventory of your parts. It does little good to begin your build when you don't have everything you need. Once you've determined you have everything you need, it's time to start! Make sure you have plenty of working room and a few hours to proceed with minimal interruption. Please note that carpeting represents some real dangers to your computer. The carpeted surface has the potential to create static electricity that can fry your components. An inexpensive antistatic wrist strap (they are often priced at less than 6 bucks) is the perfect preventive measure if you have no alternative to working on carpet. Remember, a bare floor is always the best place to build your system. Now, grab hold of a good set of screwdrivers, a pair of needle-nose pliers, and an antistatic wrist strap, and make sure you're wearing your antistatic wrist strap (it does you no good at all if you don't wear it!) Finally, download the latest drivers from the vendors' Web sites for each component you'll be installing, and copy them to a CD to avoid headaches later on; the drivers that come in product boxes are often several versions out of date.
2. Dive in!…Installing the Motherboard
Here comes the fun part! Installing the motherboard. First, take the board out of its packaging and put it on top of the antistatic bag it came in. Remember, you always want to safeguard your components from potentially hazardous static electricity. Before you secure the mobo onto the PC case, you should install the processor, heat sink and the memory modules on it. If you aren't sure which socket is which, or what goes where, consult your motherboard's user manual for guidance. User manuals are extremely helpful, easy to read and include illustrations. First, lift the lever on the processor socket so you can install the CPU. Carefully line up the pins and place the chip in its socket; it will fit only when oriented the proper way. An arrow or a missing pin on one corner of the chip will show you how to line things up. Lower the lever to lock the CPU into place.
Next, follow the manufacturer's directions to install the heat sink and the fan that will cool the processor. If you bought an OEM CPU and a separate heat sink, you may need to spread a thin layer of the thermal grease that came with the heat sink over the chip to ensure proper transfer of heat (some heat sinks come with this grease already applied). Attaching the clip that holds the heat sink in place may require a fair amount of force. Again, the instructions that came with the heat sink will show you how to know whether you've fitted it correctly. Plug the fan's power connector into the proper connector on the motherboard.
TECHNIQUE: This part can get a little tricky. But stick with it and you will have no trouble at all. In order to install the memory modules, insert them into the proper sockets and push down firmly but evenly until the clips on both sides of the socket pop into place. If your motherboard supports dual-channel memory, consult the user manual to determine which pairs of RAM sockets you should use. The motherboard and the CPU are the brain and nerve center of your PC, so selecting these components might just be the most important decision you'll make.
TIP: Choose the processor first: Despite running at slower clock speeds than their Intel-based rivals, AMD-based systems have maintained a significant performance lead in documented benchmark testing for a while now. At the high end, Athlon 64 FX CPUs are the fastest around. There are positive and negatives to each CPU, so do a thorough investigation before making your buying decision. Remember, an informed buyer has a much higher probability of being a satisfied one.
TIP: Choose the motherboard after selecting the processor: The processor you choose usually determines which motherboard you select: Motherboards are designed to work with specific CPUs, indicated by the type of socket that the processor fits into. Socket A, Socket 939, and Socket 940 are designed to work with Athlon processors, while Socket 478 and the new LGA socket 775 are for Intel CPUs. Many dealers offer bundles consisting of a processor, a motherboard, and memory; these can be a good way to save some money. The system chip set (the chips that pass data between the peripherals and the CPU) is the other component that differs among motherboards; it determines which integrated components (graphics, sound, Ethernet, etc.) will be included. Though integrated graphics aren't generally as good as dedicated cards, they're usually adequate for simple tasks.
3. Placing the Motherboard into YourCase
First, a word about cases. The right one can make working with your system a dream, but picking the wrong one will come back to haunt you. Though you can find a case plus power supply for less than $50, we recommend that you invest a bit more to obtain a case that will last through many upgrades and that you'll enjoy looking at.
Case Formfactor: Most cases and motherboards use the ATX form factor--a set of design standards that specify things such as the size of the motherboard and the connectors on the power supply. It's critical that your motherboard match the form factor of your case. Be aware of other standards--for example, Shuttle-style cube-shaped systems that come with their own custom motherboard. Check carefully and note the formfactor when shopping.
Case Construction: Steel cases weigh more than aluminum ones, they cost less, and they muffle the noise from components such as hard drives better than aluminum cases do. On the other hand, aluminum boxes tend to be more stylish, and they are certainly easier to carry around.
Case Convenience: Even the best-looking case will seem ugly if installing your components becomes a pain. Look for helpful features like a removable motherboard tray, tool-less drive carriers, and multiple fan locations for cooling the system.
TIP: Does this PC case include a power supply? Cheaper cases often come with cut-rate power supplies that may not be up to the task of powering a high-end PC. Some expensive cases don't come with a power supply, which lets you choose your own. If you've added a lot of new components to your PC, you may be overtaxing your existing power supply, so look at getting a bigger, better one. Power supplies can cause problems--including random crashes or even component failure--if they are asked to produce more power than they are designed to generate. Reputable manufacturers will typically include a chart of acceptable components.
Memory: The More, The Merrier.
Because it's an easy upgrade to perform and can significantly improve performance, boosting a PC's RAM is one of the most popular hardware enhancements people undertake. This 5-minute procedure can let you keep more programs open, accelerate memory-hungry graphics programs and games dramatically, and sharpen your PC's responsiveness. The memory modules that most recent systems accept are 184-pin DDR DIMMs of varying speeds, such as DDR333 or DDR400; the number describes the RAM's clock speed. You'll sometimes see memory referred to by the bandwidth it offers, such as PC2700 (DDR333) or PC3200 (DDR400). The type you should buy depends on the motherboard and processor you choose: For best performance, opt for the fastest type of memory module that works with both. A new type of memory (called DDR2) offers even speedier performance, but this can be used only on new systems equipped with the latest Intel chip sets.
TIP: Get at least a gigabyte: Sure, you can save money by installing less, but 1GB of RAM puts you comfortably above the point at which most speed gains occur, and it should enable you to run the most demanding applications and increase the speed of your system when you keep more than one program open at a time.
TIP: Opt for dual-channel if possible: If your motherboard supports it, use dual-channel memory. This type of memory boosts performance by increasing the speed at which data can be read and written. But for it to work, you have to install matched RAM modules in pairs. Some early dual-channel boards came with only three RAM sockets. If two of those sockets are already filled, you must either upgrade with a single DIMM (and lose some performance) or replace your two existing DIMMs.
TECHNIQUE: Some PC cases have a removable motherboard tray. If yours does, remove the screws holding it in place and pull it out of the case. Note the pattern of the holes in your motherboard, and screw brass standoffs into the motherboard tray or into the PC case in the correct locations. Check the layout of the sockets on the motherboard, and confirm that the ports on your motherboard's back panel match the holes on the I/O shield that is installed in your case. If necessary, remove the old I/O shield by tapping it firmly a few times with the butt-end of a screwdriver, and then replace it with the shield that came with the new motherboard.
TECHNIQUE: Carefully position the motherboard on top of the brass standoffs, line up all the holes, and use the screws that accompanied the case to fasten down the motherboard. If you are using a removable tray in your system, slide the tray and motherboard back into the case and then secure the tray.
4. Connecting The Color-Coded Power Cables.
Obviously, making the proper connections is crucial to your successful PC system build. Fortunately, manufacturers now provide color-coded power cables to make the job easy. First, plug the large ATX power connector for your power supply into the matching port on your motherboard. Next, locate the smaller, square processor power connector ( you can't miss it - it's the one sprouting the yellow and black wires) and attach it to the motherboard. Note: your connector is usually located near the processor. Now it's time to get out your motherboard user manual and find the description about front-panel connectors. Be forewarned - you're going to be doing work now that requires attention to detail and can be quite frustrating if you don't go into it with the right attitude. Okay, now that we've warned you, attach each of the tiny leads from the power and reset switches, the hard-disk activity lights, the PC speaker, and any front-panel USB and FireWire ports to the corresponding pin on your motherboard. If you have to, don't be afraid to use your needle-nose pliers.
5. Install the Video Card (and test it)
Close your eyes and imagine the incredible video you're going to see once you're brand new, custom-built PC is up and running. Okay, open them up again and let's get to work. It's time to install the video card so you can see those great images. First, remove the backplane cover for your AGP or PCI Express X16 slot, install the graphics board in that slot, and then secure the card with a screw. Some graphics boards require a dedicated connection to your PC's power supply. If yours does, you should plug in the correct power connector now. Connect a keyboard, mouse, monitor, and power cable to your computer and turn it on. If the internal fans begin to whir, the system beeps, and you see the machine starting to boot, power down (by holding the power button for 5 seconds) and continue building. If nothing happens, back up a step and recheck all of your connections. Make sure that both the processor and the memory are properly seated, and recheck those minuscule leads connecting the motherboard to the power and reset switches.
Graphics boards have become the high fashion of computing. As new, super fast graphics chips emerge every six months, trendy techsters don't want to get caught checking out the latest 3D game with a board that's "so last season." But you needn't spend a fortune to get good performance.
TIP: Don't pay for features you don't need: At the high end ATI and nVidia have been flirting with designer pricing, as loaded enthusiast parts go for upward of $500. At those prices, only the most hard-core gamers will pay to keep up with the latest styles; but even if your needs are relatively modest, you can easily find an affordable board that boosts your PC's 3D graphics speed. If you're doing some light photo-editing, gaming or just surging the web, a $50 or $75 video card is more than adequate. Look for models that have 64MB or 128MB of dedicated memory.
TIP: Make sure you get the features you want: Most graphics boards today let you connect a second display to your PC. If you'd like to use your PC to record TV, a board with an integrated TV tuner (like the ATI All-In-Wonder line) is a good choice. EVGA (www.evga.com) makes a competing set of TV tuner-equipped graphics boards based on nVidia's Personal Cinema chip set.
TIP: PCI Express--the next generation of video display: The latest graphics cards now use PCI Express, an improved version of the AGP slot on most PCs. Our tests of new PCI Express graphics cards detected no significant speed gains as a result of upgrading from AGP to PCI Express, though that will surely change as graphics chip speeds increase and as games get more complex.
Gamers Agree: Don't Skimp On The Video Card.
An integrated graphics processor is like a suit bought at Wal-Mart: It does the job, but it doesn't look great. The PC World Test Center tested a PC with integrated graphics on a number of 3D games, and found them virtually unplayable. But when we installed a $220 Radeon 9800 Pro graphics card, the games ran much faster. This upgrade isn't difficult. First, find out who makes the graphics chip you already use: Right-click your desktop, choose Properties, and select the Settings tab. Your graphics board will be listed under 'Display'. All graphics cards based on chips from NVidia now use the same set of drivers, so if you're upgrading from one NVidia-based card to another, download and install the latest NVidia drivers. The same is true for ATI-based boards. If your new card switches graphics chip brands, you should uninstall the graphics drivers before you upgrade.
Shut down your PC, unplug it, and open the case. Remove the old graphics board (if any), insert the new board into its slot, and secure it with a screw. Plug your PC back in, turn it on, and follow the manufacturer's directions to set up the new graphics board.
6. Installing the Drives
Now it's time to install your drives. It's an easy process, but again requires some attention to detail. Gather up all your drives. Collect the hard disk, the optical drives, and the floppy drives, but be certain to make any necessary changes to jumpers on the drives before mounting them in the case. A two-drive system (one or two SATA hard drives, plus one parallel ATA optical drive, for example) is easy to set up; the SATA drives are jumper less, and the optical drive can be set as master on its own parallel ATA channel. Many cases use removable drive rails or cages to house drives. Use the included screws to attach your drives to the rails or cage, and slide them into the case. For externally accessible drives such as a DVD recorder, you can save time by installing one drive rail and sliding the drive in for a test fitting to make sure that its front is flush with the case.
When the drives are installed, connect power and data cables to each one. Parallel ATA drives use wide, flat data cables that can be installed only in the correct way. Floppy drives use a similar but smaller cable; SATA drives use a thin, 1cm-wide data cable. SATA drives use a new type of power connector that many power supplies don't come with. Fortunately, many motherboards ship with adapters for converting a standard four-pin power connector to a SATA power connector. Some drives ship with both the older connector and the SATA power connector. In that case, use one power connector or the other, but not both. The capacity of hard drives continues to increase: You can now hold 400GB of data on a single drive, which is great news for digital media pack rats and video editors. But though you don't have to compromise on the drive's size, you still have a few choices to make when picking a hard disk.
Upgrade Option: RAID RAID, which stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks, lets you use multiple hard drives to boost disk speed or to keep a mirrored backup of your data in case a drive fails. Either setup requires multiple identical drives, and configuring them calls for a little mental gymnastics. An increasing number of systems on our Top 15 Desktop PCs chart use a configuration called RAID 0, which can significantly increase system speeds for data reading and writing. If you would like to try it, first select a pair of drives that match the storage capacity you want. With 120GB hard drives available for under $90 and with RAID support included on most new motherboards, RAID can be a great value.
Upgrade Option: Serial ATA; Even bargain-priced motherboards now include SATA support, and going with an SATA drive will make your system easier to set up and your drive simpler to move to a future PC when the time comes. If you're looking to boost the storage capacity of an older PC, the answer gets more complex: To use a SATA drive, you must add a SATA controller card. Many SATA controller cards give you the option of adding RAID support to your system, too. Is it worth it? Well, if you do a great many tasks that involve a lot of disk access (such as video editing), it can be. But otherwise, just add a second parallel ATA drive.
Transferring Your Data
When you add a new hard drive to an older PC, it's almost always faster than the drive already in use. But simply installing the new drive on your PC will strand your OS on the slower drive, forfeiting some benefits of upgrading. Make sure you use the new, faster, hard drive as your boot drive. Retail hard-drive upgrade kits usually come with software that you can use to clone your existing drive to the new one, making the faster drive your boot drive. But before you do this, pause and consider whether it may be time to start over. Over time Windows fills up with discarded files, drivers, and other crud. Adding a hard drive can be just the excuse you need to reinstall Windows from the system restore CD that came with your PC.
CD, CD-RW And DVD
Whether you upgrade or build a new PC, adding a fast optical drive can increase its flexibility. And even if you're on a budget, drives that read and burn any format under the sun won't break the bank.
TIP: Get An "All-In-One" Drive: No need to worry about whether your drive supports DVD+RW or DVD-RW-for around $90 you can get an 8X DVD combination drive that writes to all major formats of rewritable DVD. Burn DVD+R and -R discs at 8X, both rewritable DVD formats at 4X, CD-Rs at 40X, and CD-RWs at 24X. You'd save only about $40 by going with a simple CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive, so you get more value with a DVD burner that does it all.
TIP: Burn Speed Even no-longer-top-of-the-line 8X DVD burners can write an entire disc in less than 10 minutes, and CD burning speeds these days are sufficiently fast at the upper end that the difference between 48X and 52X is negligible. Consequently, if you're on a budget, there's no reason to pay a premium for a 12X or 16X DVD burner or to insist on buying the fastest CD-RW drive you can find.
TIP: Do not use bulky "Ribbon" cables: The flat, wide ribbon cables that Parallel ATA drives use to carry data can restrict airflow inside your case, robbing your system of valuable cooling; and functionality aside, they're just plain ugly. Rounded data cables available at your local PC store look much nicer, and they don't impede airflow.
TIP: The Storage Secret: Dual-Layer DVD "DL" What's 12 centimeters in diameter and can hold 8.5GB of data? A dual-layer DVD disc, that's what. Most stand-alone DVD players can play the dual-layer discs that these drives burn, boosting the amount of video that will fit on one disc. You'll pay a small price premium for early dual-layer drives, however, and compatible media may be hard to find at first. In addition, writing to dual-layer discs is slower than writing to single-layer ones--2.4X for the former, as opposed to 8X, 12X, or 16X for the latter. We recommend waiting until the prices of drives and media fall before switching to dual-layer unless you need the extra storage space.
TIP: One Cable, Two Drives: So-Called "Master And Slave."
Adding a drive to an older PC isn't always a question of simply plugging it in. Most older PCs use parallel ATA technology, where two drives share one cable (this is referred to as a channel; most PCs come with at least two IDE channels for a maximum of four drives). Setting a jumper designates each drive as either a master or a slave, which permits a single cable to connect two drives to one IDE channel. The jumper settings for each designation are usually labeled on the drive itself. A few simple rules should guide your configuration choices. If possible, each drive should sit on its own IDE channel configured as a master drive. If you have two drives on one channel, always make the faster drive the master drive. For example, suppose that you wanted to add a second hard drive and a DVD burner to a PC equipped with one hard drive and one CD-RW drive. In that case, you would want to set the new, faster hard drive as master on the primary IDE channel. Your older hard drive should be the slave drive on the primary channel, with the two optical drives as master and slave on the secondary channel.
7. Install the Add-In Cards
ake another deep breath. You're getting close to the end. Perhaps you might take a short break, check out all the great things you've done and get ready for the home stretch. Now, for each add-in card, you must choose a free PCI slot. Next, remove its backplane cover to allow access from the rear of the case. Carefully position the card above the slot, and press down firmly to seat the card. Secure the card with a screw. Many motherboards have additional sound connectors or ports housed on small add-in boards. Some of these plug into slots on the motherboard; others screw into the back of the case in place of slot covers. Usually the additional ports are not essential to your PC's operation. For example, if you install a sound card, you do not need connectors to the motherboard's built-in sound chip. Although we may sound like a broken record in saying this, once again check your motherboard manual to determine what each of these boards does.
8. Turn It On (and check your PC Set up)
Having fun yet? Of course you are. It's time to get on with the business of turning on your system and checking out your PC set up. So plug in the keyboard, mouse, and monitor to the appropriate ports on the back of the PC. Plug the power cord back in, and turn the machine on. Enter your PC's BIOS setup screen by pressing the indicated key (often Delete) as the machine boots. Menu options will vary from board to board, but they share the same general categories. Set the date and time, and then look for a setting that deals with PC health status and monitoring. That choice should bring up a screen showing processor and case temperature. Watch the processor temperature for a few minutes. It should stabilize at a level between 30°C and 50°C. If it keeps increasing, your heat sink probably isn't installed properly. Power down and check to see whether the heat sink is securely attached and making good contact with the processor. Next, find the section of the BIOS setup that determines the order in which your machine checks drives and devices for one it can boot from. Set CD-ROM to the highest priority so that your machine will boot from the Windows installation CD.
9. Installing the Operating System
Now you are just two simple steps away from running your very own custom-built personal computer. All that's left is to install the operating system and then update your drivers and install the programs. First, place the Windows installation CD in your optical drive, reboot the PC, and allow the system to boot off the disc. Windows setup should begin. Early in the process, Windows will ask you whether you need to install a third-party SCSI or RAID driver. If you're using a RAID setup, press F6 when this message appears; then insert the floppy containing the appropriate driver when it is requested. If your machine hangs while installing Windows, there may be a problem with one of the components. Try removing everything except the core components (motherboard, processor, one memory module, and hard drives); then, once you've successfully installed Windows, begin reinstalling each component one by one to isolate the source of the problem.
10. Last, But NOT Least: Update Drivers and Install Programs
Once you've got Windows up and running, the last step in this exciting, build-it-your-self process is to update your hardware drivers. This is not an optional procedure - you MUST do it. Insert the CD with the latest drivers (from step 1) and install them, starting with those for the motherboard and graphics card and then moving on to less critical ones like mouse and sound card drivers. (Windows comes with basic drivers to get you up and running.) Several reboots later, you should have a shiny new PC! Next, get your network connection up and running, install a firewall, and download the latest Windows patches. Finally, make sure that everything runs okay, and then back up your system. That way you'll have a clean, current image of Windows to go back to if serious trouble arises in the future.You're installing. If these steps check out and you're still experiencing spontaneous reboots, your problem may be one of the following situations.
Overclocking: We do not recommend overclocking. Memory Timing: The fix? Go into your BIOS and set your memory on "Auto" or at a more conservative setting and see if the reboot problem goes away. Outdated BIOS: Make sure you have the latest BIOS for your board. You can determine if your CPU is supported by browsing the BIOS updates of the motherboard's manufacturer. If you're running a Pentium 4 Extreme Edition and notice that it's only supported with the latest BIOS updates, you may have located the problem! Inadequate Power: If you've made significant component upgrades---with the exception of the power supply---your power supply may be overstressed or failing due to heat or age. Finally, if you've migrated your OS and other files from machine to machine to machine, it may be time for a clean install.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Motherboard Buying Tips
SOURCE http://www.motherboards.org/articles/guides/15_1.html
S. Louis Thomas · 01-01-2000 · Category: Guides
No matter what happens with the technology involved, there is always one problem that plagues the DIY system builder: choices. Since we, the power builders, are usually building for exactly that reason, it's ironic that it is also our main problem. The first and largest problem that we have to deal with is what CPU we are going to use. This dictates the next question that we are going to be faced with, which is what motherboard are we going to mount the CPU and all of the other components to? After years of helping people choose motherboards, there are a few simple lessons that I've learned. Here are some tips from an old pro at motherboard selection:
1. What are you going to be doing with this system?If your number one priority is gaming, then you are looking at the fastest processors, newest chipsets, and support for the hottest audio/video output available. If you're going to be building a professional CAD or A/V workstation, then you are also going to be looking at the best processors. But stability, expandability (Slots, Ports, and other add ons), and capacity (both RAM and hard disk space) are of prime concern. If a server is your current project, there is one Holy Grail for you: Stability. Speed, expandability, and capacity are all secondary when the rest of the network is waiting on a dead server. No matter which of these applies to you, be honest with yourself. It may be great to dream about the hottest CPU and enough disk space to swallow the Library of Congress, but do you really need it? If it helps, don't be afraid to make a list of your selection criteria ranked in order of importance for use while you're shopping. This can be pretty heady stuff and it's always good to have something to remind you of where you're aiming at.
2. Read!!!Read everything you can get your hands on that has anything to with motherboards. Check the review sites, magazines, and chat rooms. Listen to what the experts have to say, but don't forget to listen to what they're not saying. Do they give the reasons that they have for their opinions? Do they reveal their methodology and their biases?
3. How much do you have to spend?Balancing your budget is crucial. The components that make up a system's backbone are the most important if you actually plan to use it. Let's face it, there's no point to spending $800 on a chip if your total system budget is $1000. Buy a decent brand motherboard with a good chipset or you'll wind up with an unstable piece of very expensive junk.
4. Make sure that you buy from a reputable, stable vendor.Though you might save $5 by purchasing from that hole-in-the-wall online e-shop with a Web site that looks like it was created by a 3 year old, you might find that it won't save you anything else. Before you purchase from anyone, do some quick checking. Can you reach a sales person? Is tech support available or are you on your own? Can you get a salesperson for your personal account or are you stuck with whoever answers the phone (no consistency sometimes means no dependability)? Have they been in business long enough to be able to support the warranty that they have listed (a lifetime warranty isn't worth much if the company is out of business in a year!)
5. Be prepared to deal with salespeople.They will try to sell you whatever they have available. If you are sure that you want brand Y don't let them push you onto brand X unless that was your next choice and you've really made sure that you can't get brand Y anywhere else. Also, don't be afraid to say no and go back to the vendor that left you with the best feeling. Also, do you yourself a favor: keep track of your sales numbers, salesperson's name, and make sure that you are clear on when you should be receiving your new board.
Though this list may seem a bit obvious at times, you would not believe how many people miss these fairly straight forward ideas. Buying a motherboard may not be brain surgery, but it can be as painful if you don't make intelligent choices. The hardware may change but the process, benefits, and costs will always be the same. If you keep all of that in mind, you should be able make your purchase fairly smoothly. If you don't, don't blame me!
S. Louis Thomas · 01-01-2000 · Category: Guides
No matter what happens with the technology involved, there is always one problem that plagues the DIY system builder: choices. Since we, the power builders, are usually building for exactly that reason, it's ironic that it is also our main problem. The first and largest problem that we have to deal with is what CPU we are going to use. This dictates the next question that we are going to be faced with, which is what motherboard are we going to mount the CPU and all of the other components to? After years of helping people choose motherboards, there are a few simple lessons that I've learned. Here are some tips from an old pro at motherboard selection:
1. What are you going to be doing with this system?If your number one priority is gaming, then you are looking at the fastest processors, newest chipsets, and support for the hottest audio/video output available. If you're going to be building a professional CAD or A/V workstation, then you are also going to be looking at the best processors. But stability, expandability (Slots, Ports, and other add ons), and capacity (both RAM and hard disk space) are of prime concern. If a server is your current project, there is one Holy Grail for you: Stability. Speed, expandability, and capacity are all secondary when the rest of the network is waiting on a dead server. No matter which of these applies to you, be honest with yourself. It may be great to dream about the hottest CPU and enough disk space to swallow the Library of Congress, but do you really need it? If it helps, don't be afraid to make a list of your selection criteria ranked in order of importance for use while you're shopping. This can be pretty heady stuff and it's always good to have something to remind you of where you're aiming at.
2. Read!!!Read everything you can get your hands on that has anything to with motherboards. Check the review sites, magazines, and chat rooms. Listen to what the experts have to say, but don't forget to listen to what they're not saying. Do they give the reasons that they have for their opinions? Do they reveal their methodology and their biases?
3. How much do you have to spend?Balancing your budget is crucial. The components that make up a system's backbone are the most important if you actually plan to use it. Let's face it, there's no point to spending $800 on a chip if your total system budget is $1000. Buy a decent brand motherboard with a good chipset or you'll wind up with an unstable piece of very expensive junk.
4. Make sure that you buy from a reputable, stable vendor.Though you might save $5 by purchasing from that hole-in-the-wall online e-shop with a Web site that looks like it was created by a 3 year old, you might find that it won't save you anything else. Before you purchase from anyone, do some quick checking. Can you reach a sales person? Is tech support available or are you on your own? Can you get a salesperson for your personal account or are you stuck with whoever answers the phone (no consistency sometimes means no dependability)? Have they been in business long enough to be able to support the warranty that they have listed (a lifetime warranty isn't worth much if the company is out of business in a year!)
5. Be prepared to deal with salespeople.They will try to sell you whatever they have available. If you are sure that you want brand Y don't let them push you onto brand X unless that was your next choice and you've really made sure that you can't get brand Y anywhere else. Also, don't be afraid to say no and go back to the vendor that left you with the best feeling. Also, do you yourself a favor: keep track of your sales numbers, salesperson's name, and make sure that you are clear on when you should be receiving your new board.
Though this list may seem a bit obvious at times, you would not believe how many people miss these fairly straight forward ideas. Buying a motherboard may not be brain surgery, but it can be as painful if you don't make intelligent choices. The hardware may change but the process, benefits, and costs will always be the same. If you keep all of that in mind, you should be able make your purchase fairly smoothly. If you don't, don't blame me!
Good motherboard for K6-2 with UDMA chipset under Linux?
SOURCE http://www.patoche.org/LTT/install/00000158.html
Extracted from askslashdot Tip provided by ?
Seymour asks "I have recently been having various minor troubles with my motherboard and I am considering an upgrade. I am looking for suggestions of motherboards that will accept the K6/233 CPU (and the K6-2 or higher I guess), has an AGP slot, and takes DIMMs for memory. Also wanted is a chipset that Linux supports well for UDMA hard drives. Future upgradability to a K6-2 and a 100 MHz bus speed would be a plus, but not necessary. "
AMD motherboards :
Check out http://www.amd.com/ for recommended motherboards. I decided to get a FIC VA 503+ as an upgrade for my computer, because it's a super 7, with a BAT form, and I can keep
my old memory. I am sure you will have different requirements. Good luck on your search. P.S. Checkout http://www.tomshardware.com/ . He has tested many of the motherboards that are recommend by AMD.
My system... :
I'm using the FIC PA-2013 with no problems. Get the 2MB version if you can (I'm running 1MB; they didn't have the 2MB available when I bought it).
ACER AX59Pro :
Using one of these puppies with a Pentium MMX, if you get one with the 1MB cache, they absolutely rock. VIA MVP3 chipset (supports UDMA ops in 2.2.0pre), ACPI PCI 2.10 support (BIOS v2.0), AGP, 4 PCI, 2ISA, 3 DIMM, 2 SIMM, selectable voltage from 1.3-3.5V, selectable CPU or AGP memory clock timing, FSB speed of 60-112MHz, USB, etc. in a ATX factor. Only thing is that the HWMon doesn't use standard chipsets, so if you like LM75/78 monitoring, no can do.
Avoid Micro-Star ALI based motherboards :
We were selling them at work for a while, and they proved to be very fussy about the RAM they had in them. Typical symptoms included fatal exceptions, hanging on boot, etc. The problems were mainly with 32mb DIMMs, so if you were using larger ones you'd likely be fine. Shame, because they were nice boards other than that.
FIC/Chaintech/Asus :
IMO, the best choices are - FIC PA-2013 - caches 256 megs, does 112Mhz FSB, but only 4 PCI slots Asus P5-A - 5 PCI slots, can get it with audio on board, can overclock up to 125Mhz
in 5Mhz increments but will only cache 128 megs of ram Chaintech somethingorother - 5 PCI slots, caches up to 512 megs, can't overclock, difficult to get (Unfortunately no perfect board)
FIC VA-503+ :
I recently upgraded my primary workstation with a FIC VA-503+ and an AMD K6-2
(333Mhz, Overclocked to 380 Mhz). Motherboard and CPU for about US$200. RH5.2 linux runs great on it. Toms Hardware Guide has a good review of "Super 7" motherboards.
There are definitly some tradeoffs with the available MBs, so consider which things are important to you and which things are not, and choose a MB which matches your needs.
AOpen AX59Pro :
I have had good luck with the AOpen AX59Pro with a K6-2 300. I have never had a system crash that was not directly attributable to a software error, e.g. X screwing up in DGA mode. I typically leave my system running 10-20 days at a time without problems. The BIOS is very flexible, too. You can find out more on Tom's Hardware Guide ( http://www.tomshardware.com/ ).
ASUS P5A :
The Asus PA5 motherboard uses the ALI chipset, supports most socket 7 CPUs, has 2x
AGP slot, 100MHz FSB support, uses DIMMs, and is very happy with my AMD K6-2 350MHz
RISE R-582E :
I just got the RISE R-582E for my k6-2 350 because the price was great ($55).
Supports SIMMs or DIMMs, USB, and APG. BAT factor. I've had no problems with it.
One more that works :
The Soyo 5OEHM. "Only 1Mb" cache though, and only 3 PCI slots and 2 DIMM slots (2
SIMM slots and 3 ISA ones also still available).
DFI P5BV3+ :
Works killer, I've installed 5 in the past 5 months and I love them. Lots of PCI,
very fast and easy to setup.
Tyan S1590S :
Good motherboard. Have had no problems. Large L2 cache. AT form factor. No problems, just remember to get the Tyan Bus mastering drivers from http://www.tyan.com/
It depends if you need an AT or ATX form-factor ma :
For the AT form-factor, Tyan has an excellent board with the VIA mVP3 chipset, the S1590S. It has 9 slots (yes, 9, 8 usable in a 1/4/4 AGP/PCI/ISA config) with 3 DIMM and 2 SIMM slots and a 1MB cache. For the ATX interface, the FIC PA-2013 2MB version sports a massive 2MB L2 cache (1MB is standard, you want the OEM 2MB version)! It also features a 1/4/2
AGP/PCI/ISA config with 3 DIMM slots. Also for ATX is the Soyo SY-5EHM+, a good choice with 5 PCI slots (1/5/2 config) and 3 DIMM slots.
All boards feature Award BIOS (Tyan give you the additional option of AMI BIOS,
although I would stick with Award). I think the only drawback is the lower voltage limit at 2.0V (which may keep it from using future 0.18um K6-3 processors above 500MHz speeds). But, then again, a 0.18um K6-3 may never see the light of day as AMD pushes out the K7 with priority. You will be fine with K6-2 and K6-3 processors upto 500MHz since they run at
2.2-2.3V (possibly 2.4V for the 500MHz parts?).
Good motherboard reviews on super7.net :
The motherboard reviews super7.net ( http://www.super7.net/ )
are very good. It also contains a forum for users to post their comments about each of the Super 7 boards listed. After deceiding on on a short list, I'd suggest dejanews as the next best way of
making selection. However you pretty much can't go wrong by chosing one of the
Asus, Epox, Aopen, Soyo, or Fix motherboards. The FIC PA 2013, should be coming out with a 2MB L2 version which will go well with the K6-3 relatively soon. Personally I wanted the Epox EP-MVP3G-M, but poor distribution in the UK, meant I ended up buying the Asus P5A. On Monday I'll know how good this board is, when I get the parts for my K6-2 350 system.
Extracted from askslashdot Tip provided by ?
Seymour asks "I have recently been having various minor troubles with my motherboard and I am considering an upgrade. I am looking for suggestions of motherboards that will accept the K6/233 CPU (and the K6-2 or higher I guess), has an AGP slot, and takes DIMMs for memory. Also wanted is a chipset that Linux supports well for UDMA hard drives. Future upgradability to a K6-2 and a 100 MHz bus speed would be a plus, but not necessary. "
AMD motherboards :
Check out http://www.amd.com/ for recommended motherboards. I decided to get a FIC VA 503+ as an upgrade for my computer, because it's a super 7, with a BAT form, and I can keep
my old memory. I am sure you will have different requirements. Good luck on your search. P.S. Checkout http://www.tomshardware.com/ . He has tested many of the motherboards that are recommend by AMD.
My system... :
I'm using the FIC PA-2013 with no problems. Get the 2MB version if you can (I'm running 1MB; they didn't have the 2MB available when I bought it).
ACER AX59Pro :
Using one of these puppies with a Pentium MMX, if you get one with the 1MB cache, they absolutely rock. VIA MVP3 chipset (supports UDMA ops in 2.2.0pre), ACPI PCI 2.10 support (BIOS v2.0), AGP, 4 PCI, 2ISA, 3 DIMM, 2 SIMM, selectable voltage from 1.3-3.5V, selectable CPU or AGP memory clock timing, FSB speed of 60-112MHz, USB, etc. in a ATX factor. Only thing is that the HWMon doesn't use standard chipsets, so if you like LM75/78 monitoring, no can do.
Avoid Micro-Star ALI based motherboards :
We were selling them at work for a while, and they proved to be very fussy about the RAM they had in them. Typical symptoms included fatal exceptions, hanging on boot, etc. The problems were mainly with 32mb DIMMs, so if you were using larger ones you'd likely be fine. Shame, because they were nice boards other than that.
FIC/Chaintech/Asus :
IMO, the best choices are - FIC PA-2013 - caches 256 megs, does 112Mhz FSB, but only 4 PCI slots Asus P5-A - 5 PCI slots, can get it with audio on board, can overclock up to 125Mhz
in 5Mhz increments but will only cache 128 megs of ram Chaintech somethingorother - 5 PCI slots, caches up to 512 megs, can't overclock, difficult to get (Unfortunately no perfect board)
FIC VA-503+ :
I recently upgraded my primary workstation with a FIC VA-503+ and an AMD K6-2
(333Mhz, Overclocked to 380 Mhz). Motherboard and CPU for about US$200. RH5.2 linux runs great on it. Toms Hardware Guide has a good review of "Super 7" motherboards.
There are definitly some tradeoffs with the available MBs, so consider which things are important to you and which things are not, and choose a MB which matches your needs.
AOpen AX59Pro :
I have had good luck with the AOpen AX59Pro with a K6-2 300. I have never had a system crash that was not directly attributable to a software error, e.g. X screwing up in DGA mode. I typically leave my system running 10-20 days at a time without problems. The BIOS is very flexible, too. You can find out more on Tom's Hardware Guide ( http://www.tomshardware.com/ ).
ASUS P5A :
The Asus PA5 motherboard uses the ALI chipset, supports most socket 7 CPUs, has 2x
AGP slot, 100MHz FSB support, uses DIMMs, and is very happy with my AMD K6-2 350MHz
RISE R-582E :
I just got the RISE R-582E for my k6-2 350 because the price was great ($55).
Supports SIMMs or DIMMs, USB, and APG. BAT factor. I've had no problems with it.
One more that works :
The Soyo 5OEHM. "Only 1Mb" cache though, and only 3 PCI slots and 2 DIMM slots (2
SIMM slots and 3 ISA ones also still available).
DFI P5BV3+ :
Works killer, I've installed 5 in the past 5 months and I love them. Lots of PCI,
very fast and easy to setup.
Tyan S1590S :
Good motherboard. Have had no problems. Large L2 cache. AT form factor. No problems, just remember to get the Tyan Bus mastering drivers from http://www.tyan.com/
It depends if you need an AT or ATX form-factor ma :
For the AT form-factor, Tyan has an excellent board with the VIA mVP3 chipset, the S1590S. It has 9 slots (yes, 9, 8 usable in a 1/4/4 AGP/PCI/ISA config) with 3 DIMM and 2 SIMM slots and a 1MB cache. For the ATX interface, the FIC PA-2013 2MB version sports a massive 2MB L2 cache (1MB is standard, you want the OEM 2MB version)! It also features a 1/4/2
AGP/PCI/ISA config with 3 DIMM slots. Also for ATX is the Soyo SY-5EHM+, a good choice with 5 PCI slots (1/5/2 config) and 3 DIMM slots.
All boards feature Award BIOS (Tyan give you the additional option of AMI BIOS,
although I would stick with Award). I think the only drawback is the lower voltage limit at 2.0V (which may keep it from using future 0.18um K6-3 processors above 500MHz speeds). But, then again, a 0.18um K6-3 may never see the light of day as AMD pushes out the K7 with priority. You will be fine with K6-2 and K6-3 processors upto 500MHz since they run at
2.2-2.3V (possibly 2.4V for the 500MHz parts?).
Good motherboard reviews on super7.net :
The motherboard reviews super7.net ( http://www.super7.net/ )
are very good. It also contains a forum for users to post their comments about each of the Super 7 boards listed. After deceiding on on a short list, I'd suggest dejanews as the next best way of
making selection. However you pretty much can't go wrong by chosing one of the
Asus, Epox, Aopen, Soyo, or Fix motherboards. The FIC PA 2013, should be coming out with a 2MB L2 version which will go well with the K6-3 relatively soon. Personally I wanted the Epox EP-MVP3G-M, but poor distribution in the UK, meant I ended up buying the Asus P5A. On Monday I'll know how good this board is, when I get the parts for my K6-2 350 system.
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