Upgrade

[Prometheus]

I've decided its time for me to upgrade my PC. This time I want to have a go at doing it myself. Normally when it comes to getting a new mobo and CPU I take it to a shop. First thing I would like to know is how easy is it to put a mobo and CPU in? I have in the past put in Sound Cards, Graphics Cards, Hard Drives, CD-RWs and Memory etc and I find this easy enough.

I've looked around and decided that the Soltek SL-75DRV4 or Soltek SL-75DRV5 is the motherboard I want and a 1700+, 1800+ or 1900+. Will the CPU come with a Fan and heatsink and if not what is a good one to get?

Thanks for any help!:)

[Renko]

Putting in a cpu and motherboard these days is as easy as spreading butter on toast. The hardest thing IMHO is putting the standoffs on and attaching the mobo to the case plate with them. The cpu is even easier just get it the right way round.

It's very unlikely the cpu will come with a hs and fan and even if it does they'll prob be pap. Fraid I don't have much experience with hs/fan combos tho. /me strokes waterblock :D

[donkeyhumper]

ok I don't know much about installing a soltek board but I figure it can't be much different from say an abit board. Basically putting the CPU in is no problem - the hard part is putting on the heatsink. Just be careful when doing it and make sure you buy a shim to protect ur CPU - they only cost a few pounds.

The Abit boards work pretty much straight off - i.e no jumpers on the mobo and to actually get the thing working not much fiddlin is required - i dunno about soltek boards...

Also from what I understand the CPU comes with a HeatSink and fan if you buy it in a retail box from a n00b shop but you're probably best to buy an OEM version which means you'll just get the CPU in a brown box but will save a lot o' moneh! I recommend cclcomputers.co.uk for most of the stuff however they don't sell everything, forexample shims, abit mobos (thy do sell the soltek boards tho).So u may want to spread your order over a few shops to get all the bits at the best price.

Also i would recommend placing an order at crucial.com/uk for your ram - UI woudl recommend that you buy REGISTERED PC2100 DDR ram, (unless your old mobo was DDR you will need to buy new DDR ram if you want a DDR board). Crucial are very good and your order should arrive next day.

about a fan, basically unless you're a crazy overclocker i reckon something that says it's suitable on the stores website and costs say about £20 would do the job however ppl here may have some better info bout them. Hardcano (?)

hope this helps

post any other questions you have.

-donkey

[mrplow]

wot donkey said was pretty good, as renko...

i would recommend either OCS (http://www.theoverclockingstore.co.uk) (free shipping) or tekheads (http://www.tekheads.co.uk) (slightly better prices) for getting the shim (protects the CPU core from being crushed by the heatsink) and the cooler, and probably Dabs (http://www.dabs.com[/url) for the more "normal" stuff (motherboard, sound card, graphics card etc)

Crucial (http://www.crucial.com/uk) are definately the way to go as far as RAM is concerned - they make quality memory at a good price, a little birdy has told me RAM is coming down in price this week... ;)

You really shouldn't have a problem as it's a pretty simple process... just a little daunting at first, I know, to be messing with such expensive equipment :o

Good luck :D

[Prometheus]

Ok, I got a bit of a better idea now.

As for the memory, whats the diff between PC2100 and PC2700 & what is Registered and Unbuffered.

MrPlow, I had already decided to get at least the CPU from Tekheads but whats the address for OCS?

[donkeyhumper]

overclockingstore.co.uk is the address for OCS i think

why buy your cpu from tekheads - cclcomputers.co.uk will probably be cheaper!!!

umm PC2100 and PC2700 - basically the 2100 is a stupid calculation of the ram bus speed i think- there is also PC1600

PC1600 is like 100MHz and PC2100 is like 133MHz or summin and umm PC2700 is 166MHz - but you'l need to OC you're ram bus on your mobo for that (?)

The reason it has a stoopid name and not just the speed in MHz is because intel had a great (well really bad) idea of using this new type of RAM called RAMBUS and they had a stoopid name which had a number was higher than the 133MHz of PC2100 so with DDR thought it'd make some cool number in it's name to look better than this rambus memory or summin. Similar to why the Athlon XP 2000+ isn't 2000 MHz but uses some dumb calculation to make pretty numbers.

All propoganda and spin!

[mrplow]

indeed.. :lol:

[Druid]

http://www.ebuyer.com/

:love:

Got lots of parts from them & if up spend over £100 then its free shipping..

[Prometheus]

Cheers Druid checkin it out now.

[donkeyhumper]

ebuyer.com seem to have the odd thing at a good price but most things don't seem THAT cheap!

[Prometheus]

Does anyone know of any decent lookin but cheap Cases and/or sites to buy them on.

[donkeyhumper]

I have this case on my server - cost me £50 from a ghay expensive shop. Ma favourite online shop cclcomputers.co.uk which i can't shut up about have it for just over £30.

http://www.cclcomputers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Case_15.html

That said, the rocker on the switch on the PSU in mine has broken so it's always on - you have to unplug the cable to do work on it.

The case is a good case to work with and looks nice. I would buy again. Also if oyu find that you have about £200 but a lian-li PC70 USB then u can bee as l33t as me! :)

http://www.cclcomputers.co.uk/acatalog/h01.jpg