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V2012.13. Agenda. Old Business Delete Files New Business Week 21 Topics : Violating School Policies ( Ultrasurf , batch files, etc ) Intro to HTML/CSS: Questions? Group E xecutive Committee Website Help Introduction to C# Review Tips for Building Your Own PC. HTML/CSS Class.
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Agenda • Old Business • Delete Files • New Business • Week 21 Topics: • Violating School Policies (Ultrasurf, batch files, etc) • Intro to HTML/CSS: Questions? • Group Executive Committee • Website Help • Introduction to C# Review • Tips for Building Your Own PC
HTML/CSS Class QUESTIONS?
Tech Club Executive Committee • Next Year: • Election of Officers • President • Vice President • Secretary • Treasurer • Send me an email with interest
Website Help • Two Projects • Non-Profit • Realtor • Contact me if you are interested
Upcoming Schedule • Today: Tips for Building Your Own PC • May 28th: ?
Agenda • Determining What You Need • Build vs Buy • Planning for the Future • Basic Workflow • Choosing Components • Resources • Your Tips or Comments
What Do I Really Need? • Decide what is really important to you • Stop and think about how the computer will be used • This will help you best determine how to allocate your budget • Low-end: Perhaps a ChromeBook would suffice • Gamer: You might choose to spend a good part of your budget on a high-end video card or two
Build vs Buy • First Concern: Cost • Buy (Prebuilt) • Pros: Can come close to requirements; everything works; support • Cons: Less flexibility; upgrading can be painful • Build • Pros: You can choose the components; good learning experience • Cons: Time consuming; support
Build vs Buy (cont) • Some Recommendations: • Low-End: Buy • Midrange: Build or Buy • High-End (Gamer): Build • Mini-PC • Raspberry Pi • Beagleboard • Others …
Purchasing Tips • If you’re building … and you’re patient: • You can often find great deals on components if purchased over an extended period of time • If you’re planning to purchase components over a multi-month period, carefully read all warranty information • During the build process, good warranties will help replace faulty components, especially if there is a delay in your build schedule • Budget! • Some prefer to save over a period of time and purchase all components simultaneously … but that also requires patience and the ability to save money
Building a PC: Think Ahead • Plan for the Future • Consider purchasing a high-end system board • The system board as the one component that arguably limits your computer more than anything else • For example, your system board limits the total amount of memory that can be installed on the computer and dictates the system’s CPU architecture
Building Your Own PC: Basic Workflow • Set a Budget • Choose Your CPU/Processor First • Choose a Compatible Motherboard • Choose a Compatible Case & Power Supply • Choose Components (video, storage, etc) • Prepare Your Workspace (allocate plenty of room) • Assemble Your Computer (have static protection) • Power On & Test • Install The Operating System • Install Updated Drivers • Install Apps/Software
CPU/Processor • Intel or AMD • Compare capabilities and price, purchase the CPU that best meets your requirements • Does it support virtualization and do I need that support? • Does it support HyperThreading (HT)? • How many cores do I need? • What speed do I need?
Motherboards • Motherboards are designed to work with specific CPUs, indicated by the type of socket that the processor fits into • For example: • Socket A, Socket 939, Socket 940 are designed for Athlon processors • Socket 478 and the new LGA socket 775 are for Intel CPUs. • Many resellers offer bundles consisting of a processor, a motherboard, and memory • These can be a good way to save some money, and make the selection and compatibility process easier
Computer Case • Hundreds of styles, shapes and sizes available • Look closely at the features • Some sweet PC cases are difficult to maneuver, or are cheaply built • Get the best case you can afford! • Look for "tool-less" case design, which enables you to click-open, click-closed • Most cases/motherboards use the ATX form factor, standardizing the sizes of the components and all of the power connections
Computer Case (cont) • It's critical that your motherboard match the form factor of your case • Look for helpful features like a removable motherboard tray, tool-less drive carriers (where the hard drives are installed), and multiple fan locations for cooling the system (cooling can be one of the most critical features to ensure the long term health of your PC)
Computer Case Tips • Get more case than you need • Make certain all your components fit in the case • Consider cable management (space) • RESEARCH!
Cooling/Fans • Don’t Skimp on Fans • Heat kills • If a computer gets too hot, the heat can damage the CPU • Consider the problem of heat dissipation when you’re designing your new system • Be sure to plan for an adequate number of fans and maybe even some liquid cooling
Power Supply • Choose Power Supplies Carefully • Make certain the power supply delivers adequate wattage to power the computer • Consider the types of connectors provided by the power supply • High-end systems may require that certain components be powered directly by the power supply • Power Supply Wattage Calculator • http://www.thermaltake.outervision.com/
Power Supply Tip • Consider a semi-modular or fully modular power supply for future expansion
Memory: More is Better • Install aminimum of 4GB of memory • DDR2, DDR3, Different Speeds • The type of memory you buy depends on the motherboard and processor you choose • For best performance, choose the fastest type of memory module that works with both
Storage • SSD or Spinning Disk • SSD • Pros: Solid state drives (SSDs) are lightning fast, especially for accessing lots of small files • Cons: Higher cost per gigabyte; read/write limits • Spinning Disk • Pros: Larger capacities at lower cost; faster at seq reads • Cons: Not as fast; susceptible to failure • Consider a hybrid approach
Storage Tip • For data protection, consider a RAID configuration (and controller) • You can purchase two hard drives and mirror for less than the cost of a SSD
Video Cards • Video Cards • Unless you are playing video games, the on-board video card should be sufficient • For video games, keep in mind that games are now moving the work onto the video card • Memory (GDDR3, GDDR5), Crossfire (motherboard) • How much memory: 1GB, 2GB, more? • There is a definite price curve on the video cards
Other Components/Accessories • You may also need: • CD/DVD/Bluray • Memory Card Reader • Wireless Network/WiFi Card • Keyboard/Mouse (wireless) • Display(s) • Sound Card • Gamepad/Joystick • Speakers/Microphone/Headset • Heat Sink • RAID Controller
Resources • PC Build Guides • http://www.kbmod.com/category/build-guides/ • Tom’s Hardware • http://www.tomshardware.com/ • Guide to Choosing Components • http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/355046-31-guide-choosing-computer-parts