Final Parts Check

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I got another shop offering me everything including Windows XP install in 2/2.5 hours, so I guess that's not far off. My average price is about 30-35 Euro per hour to put everything together.

I would do this myself, but I'd rather practice with a bare bones kit first, so this computer I'll just get someone else to build.

Is it hard to add a soundcard after I've built the rest of the computer?

[Lemur]

The first build is nerve-wracking and exhilarating and frustrating and, eventually, triumphant. But it's not the best for a machine you want to have up and running smoothly soon.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Which is better - Windows Professional or Windows Home (XP)? I have Windows Home, and I'm used to it, but are there any great advantages Professional offers? I'm not getting Vista yet, not by a long shot.

I'm ordering within the next few days, thanks so much to everyone who's helped me.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

This is the last, final check: Are all these parts compatible?

[Lemur]

Which is better - Windows Professional or Windows Home (XP)?

Windows XP Pro is the only way to o, a I understand it. Xiahou, Husar or Whacker can correct me on this, but I believe Windows XP Home is crippled in ways you start to notice over time. Quite a lot of security features are stripped out of Home, and I think it doesn't utilize multiple cores on the CPU.

I could be getting the specifics wrong, and I could look it all up, but why bother when there are uber-geeks on the board who can correct my lazy assertions?

[drone]

I always run XP Pro. If you have any kind of home network, Pro just works better.

From Wiki

Windows XP Professional offers a number of features unavailable in the Home Edition, including:

* The ability to become part of a Windows Server domain, a group of computers that are remotely managed by one or more central servers.
* A sophisticated access control scheme that allows specific permissions on files to be granted to specific users under normal circumstances. However, users can use tools other than Windows Explorer (like cacls or File Manager), or restart to Safe Mode to modify access control lists.
* Remote Desktop server, which allows a PC be operated by another Windows XP user over a local area network or the Internet.
* Offline Files and Folders, which allow the PC to automatically store a copy of files from another networked computer and work with them while disconnected from the network.
* Encrypting File System, which encrypts files stored on the computer's hard drive so they cannot be read by another user, even with physical access to the storage medium.
* Centralized administration features, including Group Policies, Automatic Software Installation and Maintenance, Roaming User Profiles, and Remote Installation Service (RIS).
* Internet Information Services (IIS), Microsoft's HTTP and FTP Server.
* Support for two physical central processing units (CPU). The number of CPU cores and Hyper-threading capabilities on modern CPUs are considered to be part of a single physical processor, therefore multicore CPUs will work fine under XP Home Edition.

[Sigurd]

I guess I could answer this one as I have done it before (all though it has been a while).

Is it hard to add a soundcard after I've built the rest of the computer?

It is not hard at all.

Insert the card in an empty PCI slot, attach the cables that's in the sound card package. (I remember two cables where at least one is attached to the DVD player).
Disable the onboard soundcard (I remember jumpers on the motherboard) by following the instructions in the motherboard manual.
Install sound device drivers.

That should be all (if I remember it correctly).

[drone]

Insert the card in an empty PCI slot, attach the cables that's in the sound card package. (I remember two cables where at least one is attached to the DVD player).
Disable the onboard soundcard (I remember jumpers on the motherboard) by following the instructions in the motherboard manual.
Install sound device drivers.

That should be all (if I remember it correctly).

You can usually disable the motherboard sound from the BIOS these days.

One thing to check when doing this: verify that the IRQs aren't shared after changing your setup. I put in a sound card once, disabled the onboard sound, and ended up with the sound card sharing the networking IRQ. Vista has nothing on that!

[Sigurd]

You can usually disable the motherboard sound from the BIOS these days.

One thing to check when doing this: verify that the IRQs aren't shared after changing your setup. I put in a sound card once, disabled the onboard sound, and ended up with the sound card sharing the networking IRQ. Vista has nothing on that!

Yes I remember this too... I think information about this can be found in the Mobo manual as well.
E.g. slot one and three share IRQ.

It has been a while since I built a machine and I guess it is about time to get a serious upgrade myself.
Husar and Bijo has introduced me to the game World in Conflict... All though I am not supposed to game I am just too tempted to let this one go. I have no hardware that will do this game justice though, but can't justify upgrading just for a game.
I haven't done a desktop since 2002. I am all laptop these days and the 2002 machine still runs ok though somewhat slow due to accumulated applications and whatnot. I just need another excuse for spending about 1500 EUR on a new machine.

[Bijo]

Yes I remember this too... I think information about this can be found in the Mobo manual as well.
E.g. slot one and three share IRQ.

It has been a while since I built a machine and I guess it is about time to get a serious upgrade myself.
Husar and Bijo has introduced me to the game World in Conflict... All though I am not supposed to game I am just too tempted to let this one go. I have no hardware that will do this game justice though, but can't justify upgrading just for a game.
I haven't done a desktop since 2002. I am all laptop these days and the 2002 machine still runs ok though somewhat slow due to accumulated applications and whatnot. I just need another excuse for spending about 1500 EUR on a new machine.

WiC is a good excuse. I don't remember however that I introduced this game to you.

[Sigurd]

WiC is a good excuse. I don't remember however that I introduced this game to you.

Oh.. I have been reading your thread in the Arena.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I ordered half the parts today, they'll be here in about 2-3 days according to the website, but I'm used to things coming in a week or two. Maybe this company will be a bit better in that respect.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I got the first shipment today, and the next one should be here in a couple of days. I'll probably have the PC built over the weekend, and have everything reinstalled and copied from my old PC by next Tuesday.