Boy, building a PC is easy

[Rubycon]

You're not really building anything, you're assembling parts.
Of course things get more complicated in a hurry if you start to deviate from the normal.
Custom cooling, sub ambient cooling, zero noise emission builds, builds for harsh environment, disk enclosures designed to run in high vacuum in excess of 10^-18 torr, etc.

 

[SKORPI0]

Been "assembling" computers since the early '80s. But I still can't figure how to "hide" those cables/wires to make it nice and neat.

 

[UberNeuman]

It's never been easier to build a PC like it is today. I don't miss the IDE master/slave setup or needing a floppy drive.

 

[cbrunny]

Hmm. This seems like it should be posted as a Craig's Science topic, since just like those threads he is completely clueless on the subject and not actually searching for answers.




A callout for this thread really isn't necessary.
It's a simple thread. Just play nice.


esquared
Anandtech Forum Director

 

[Rubycon]

Setting jumpers for IRQ, LPT, COM1, COM2, Sound Blaster, SCSI cards, terminators, SCSI ID, etc.

And then running memory managers for DOS to get the most low memory possible for games to run properly.
386Max, QEMM and MS DOS' memmaker were popular. I like QEMM and the "Quarterdeck Quickboot" was awesome to speed up booting as you didn't have to wait for add on controller dedicated BIOS, etc.

We can (sort of) do this stuff virtually now. I've loaded VMs of many systems and boy does it bring back memories of typing out lines for autoexec.bat and config.sys.

I remember the days of the turbo button as well. It was nice playing King's Quest with a DX50 at 8MHz and when I needed to "fast forward" kick it up to 50MHz.

 

[MrSquished]

Can't be too hard if so many here have done it.

It's really not. It takes some hours of research but if you are diligent and pay attention to your research, building a PC is a piece of cake. But most people would never consider it because as a concept, it just sounds so intimidating.

 

[paperfist]

Setting jumpers for IRQ, LPT, COM1, COM2, Sound Blaster, SCSI cards, terminators, SCSI ID, etc.

And then running memory managers for DOS to get the most low memory possible for games to run properly.
386Max, QEMM and MS DOS' memmaker were popular. I like QEMM and the "Quarterdeck Quickboot" was awesome to speed up booting as you didn't have to wait for add on controller dedicated BIOS, etc.

We can (sort of) do this stuff virtually now. I've loaded VMs of many systems and boy does it bring back memories of typing out lines for autoexec.bat and config.sys.

I remember the days of the turbo button as well. It was nice playing King's Quest with a DX50 at 8MHz and when I needed to "fast forward" kick it up to 50MHz.

Those were the days, you really had to use your brain to get the PC up and running. You couldn't look up problems on the internet, you had to listen to beeps to see what the errors could be.

Formatting the hard drive took all day!

I think (I sound like my grandpa now) if kids today had to jump through some hoops to get their phones to work they'd be better off.

 

[master_shake_]

there are literally countless videos on youtube that even someone with a minor case of adhd could follow along to and build a pc.

there are forums like /r/buildapc that you could get advice from.

there is pcpartpicker.com with pc parts prices you could price match and what not also builds of the month or whatever.

and yet in current year building a pc is hard.

 

[Kaido]

It's never been easier to build a PC like it is today. I don't miss the IDE master/slave setup or needing a floppy drive.

I've been specializing in mini PC's over the last couple of years & absolutely love both how easy it's gotten and how powerful the systems are today. The NUC's & BRIX compact computers are stupid easy...unscrew the bottom, clip in laptop memory (up to 32 gigs now) & an mSATA or M.2 drive (mmm, NVMe), and install Windows via a USB 3.0 stick. The Skull Canyon NUC lets you add on a GPU via an external Razer Core dock via a simple Thunderbolt cable (recently did one with a GTX1080 in it). Downside on that particular one is that the eGPU chassis costs five hundred bucks, but the price will drop over time.

But even higher-end DCC computers have gotten easier. Get a Lian-Li PC-Q25 chassis (side doors pop off, toolless!), slap in an i7-7700k (turbo's up to 4.5ghz OOTB), 32GB of RAM, a 24GB NVIDIA M6000 GPU, a Mini-ITX board, nice fat PSU, and up to a 2TB Samsung 960 Pro NVMe drive. Setup a Synology with iSCSI if you need massive storage for video files or whatever. Tech be crazy.

 

[AdamK47]

This thread is an example of why AnandTech is lessening itself as an enthusiast computing website.

 

[UberNeuman]

Here's a trip down memory lane: LGR builds a 486 DOS PC...

https://youtu.be/fbjYkPKRm-8?list=PLFDCFCDFCF7E7ACDD

 

[chimaxi83]

This thread is an example of why AnandTech is lessening itself as an enthusiast computing website.

I hear that elitistnichePC69.com is much elite, wow enthusiast!

 

[Craig234]

Too bad you're mistaken when it comes to the OS. If you're going with Apple, then you're stuck buying their products if you want to use Mac OS X.

To try to match the courtesy of your tone, I didn't make a mistake, you did not comprehend while reading. I didn't say Apple's OS was an option for building your PC - I said, after rejecting Apple, because if you want Apple you have to buy their system premade, then you get to the point of choosing to build your PC instead and picking Linux or Windows (mostly).

 

[Craig234]

This thread is an example of why AnandTech is lessening itself as an enthusiast computing website.

I'd say jerky posters are the actual harm to AnandTech's readership.

 

[sdifox]

Damn yutes. I acid etched an apple II clone mb.

Ok it was my older cousin's handywork, I just stirred it a bit :awe:

 

[sdifox]

Setting jumpers for IRQ, LPT, COM1, COM2, Sound Blaster, SCSI cards, terminators, SCSI ID, etc.

And then running memory managers for DOS to get the most low memory possible for games to run properly.
386Max, QEMM and MS DOS' memmaker were popular. I like QEMM and the "Quarterdeck Quickboot" was awesome to speed up booting as you didn't have to wait for add on controller dedicated BIOS, etc.

We can (sort of) do this stuff virtually now. I've loaded VMs of many systems and boy does it bring back memories of typing out lines for autoexec.bat and config.sys.

I remember the days of the turbo button as well. It was nice playing King's Quest with a DX50 at 8MHz and when I needed to "fast forward" kick it up to 50MHz.

My first dos pc was a turbo xt. 4.77MHz can be turboed to 8MHz. See, I was overclocking back then :awe:
Had Apple II clone before that.

 

[ioni]

If you think building a computer has a lot of steps, you should see how many are in making a PB&J.

 

[IronWing]

1: Figure out the actual need case. Normally I don't have to figure that out, because if I'm looking at building I already know the use case.

Of course you need to use a case. Otherwise the guts get dusty and the drives flop around.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Yeah, like was said up-thread: don't overthink it and it's as easy as Lego.

 

[IronWing]

I love my heat sink.

 

[ultimatebob]

This thread is an example of why AnandTech is lessening itself as an enthusiast computing website.

Yeah, especially when you got people saying that you should go to a SubReddit for PC building advice. This entire web site used to be devoted to DIY PC building, dammit! WTF happened to us?!?

 

[stormkroe]

Setting jumpers for IRQ, LPT, COM1, COM2, Sound Blaster, SCSI cards, terminators, SCSI ID, etc.

And then running memory managers for DOS to get the most low memory possible for games to run properly.
386Max, QEMM and MS DOS' memmaker were popular. I like QEMM and the "Quarterdeck Quickboot" was awesome to speed up booting as you didn't have to wait for add on controller dedicated BIOS, etc.

We can (sort of) do this stuff virtually now. I've loaded VMs of many systems and boy does it bring back memories of typing out lines for autoexec.bat and config.sys.

I remember the days of the turbo button as well. It was nice playing King's Quest with a DX50 at 8MHz and when I needed to "fast forward" kick it up to 50MHz.

People tend to forget the old AT power button too, unlike ATX would still work if something was hooked up wrong (keyless ide cable anyone?) and fry the crap out of everything.
Good ol' days

 

[Kaido]

Yeah, especially when you got people saying that you should go to a SubReddit for PC building advice. This entire web site used to be devoted to DIY PC building! WTF happened to us?!?

Progress

 

[Craig234]

If you think building a computer has a lot of steps, you should see how many are in making a PB&J.

- diet questions; are you gluten-free?

- any issues - are you allergic to peanuts?

- bread selection, jelly selection - flavor, quality - peanut butter selection (or even peanuts? why not another nut?)

- how to slice the bread if not sliced? Do you have a bread knife?

- Any other additions than PJ and J? Toast the bread or not? Butter? Which kind?

 

[Kaido]

- diet questions; are you gluten-free?

- any issues - are you allergic to peanuts?

- bread selection, jelly selection - flavor, quality - peanut butter selection (or even peanuts? why not another nut?)

- how to slice the bread if not sliced? Do you have a bread knife?

- Any other additions than PJ and J? Toast the bread or not? Butter? Which kind?

http://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2013/11/20/awesomest-knead-sandwich-bread/

https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Balance-Coconut-Peanut-Butter/dp/B007Q3P1GC

https://www.amazon.com/Amish-Damson-Plum-Jam-Jars/dp/B0037QTMD0/

yw